and that of Lake Champlain, furnishing a variety of excellent mill scites, accessible to the navigable waters of Lake George forty miles, and to those of Lake Champlain and the river Sorel, which empties itself into the St. Lawrence, about one hundred and thirty miles. From this, the consequence of the situation will readily be perceived.

Ticonderoga was long considered an important post, as it commanded, in times when the country was little explored, and still less cleared, all the passes between Canada and the other provinces. It was fortified in the time of the French, long prior to the war of 1756. On the projecting rock that overhangs the margin of the lake, they established a barrier post named Carillon, a quadrangular work, with regular bastions of masonry. During that war, it was rendered famous by the repulse of general Abercrombie from before it, 8th July, 1758, after having sustained a loss of near 2000 men in killed and wounded, although he might, by taking possession of a neighbouring height, called mount Defiance, have easily carried the place.

The French officer who commanded at Ticonderoga, when he heard of general Abercrombie's approach, found it necessary, to the defence of the post, to take possession of an elevated ridge, on the direct route to it from the landing at lake George, which, at less than half a mile, entirely overlooked the works. This ridge is flat on the summit, and extends westwardly about half a mile to the saw-mills, at the perpendicular fall before mentioned, where it terminates in still higher ground, called Mount Hope. On the south it presents a bold acclivity, washed by the strait, and to the north it declines until it sinks into a plain, which is extended about an hundred rods to the shore of the lake, where the bank is ten or twelve feet high; across the crown of this ridge, at the extremity nearest

the fort, the garrison hastily threw up an entrenchment, with a common ditch, judiciously flanked, which was strengthened by felling the forest trees in front outwards, and these they trimmed, pointed, and formed into an impervious abattis, sixty or eighty rods deep, in which the assailants became entangled, and were deliberately shot down, until, after repeated attempts during four hours, in which the most persevering resolution was displayed, they were called off, and the army immediately retreated without molestation. On the approach of general Amherst however, in 1759, with a superior force, Monsieur Bourlemarque, the French commander, retired from Ticonderoga with his main body, leaving a garrison of four hundred men to defend the forts, and entrenched himself on the opposite side of the strait, formed by Crown Point and Chimney Point. General Amherst opened trenches against Carillon the 23d July, and the place was abandoned and blown up, after some opposition, on the 26th.

At the peace of 1763, it was confirmed to the British possession, and the forts were repaired, and placed in a posture of defence. In progress of time, as fresh roads and communications were opened, it became of inferior consequence as a pass, on which account it was in some degree neglected, though serving as a nucleus for the resort of Indians, whom the policy of hostilities might instigate to take up arms. On this account, it attracted the early attention of the adjacent states of Vermont and Connecticut, on the breaking out of the war of the revolution, and colonel Allen, at the head of two hundred and thirty green mountain boys, as they were termed,

So called from their residing within the limits of the Green Mountains, as the Hampshire grants were denominated, from the range of Green Mountains that runs through them-a brave hardy race, chiefly settlers from New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The territory has now the name of Vermont.

was appointed, soon after the news of the battle of Lexington, to undertake the reduction of the place. Intelligence, as to the state of the garrison, was obtained by means of an officer who disguised himself, and entered the fort in the character of a countryman wanting to be shaved. In searching for a barber, he observed every thing critically, asked a number of rustic questions, affected great ignorance, and passed unsuspected. Before night he withdrew, joined his party, and at an early hour in the morning, guided them to the most vulnerable point. Colonel Allen arrived opposite to Ticonderoga on the 9th of May, 1775. Boats were procured with difficulty, when he crossed over with 83 men, and landed near the garrison. The colonel headed, accompanied by the officer who was to act as guide, and entered the fort leading to the works, early in the morning. A sentry snapped his piece at colonel Allen, and then retreated through the covered way to the parade, followed by the assailants. Captain De la Place, the commander of the place, was surprised in his bed. Colonel Allen demanded the surrender of the keys, and upon the captain asking by what authority, he replied, "I demand them in the name of the great Jehovah and the continental congress." Had the garrison been alarmed in time, they could have made no effectual resistance, as the fort was out of repair, and the effectives in it did not exceed 49 men.*

The prisoners were, the captain, lieutenant, a gunner, two sergeants, and fortyfour rank and file, beside women and children. There were captured about 120 iron cannon from 6 to 24 pounders; 2 brass cannon; 50 swivels of different sizes; 2 ten inch mortars; 1 howitzer; 1 cohorn; 10 tons of musket balls; 3 cart-loads of flints; 30 new gun-carriages; a considerable quantity of shells; a store-house full of materials to carry on boat-building; 100 stand of small arms; 10 casks of powder, 30 barrels of flour; 18 barrels of pork, and some beans and pease.

Could he have gained timely intelligence, he might have procured a reinforcement from St. John's; but the coup de main was so secretly, and well conducted, that not the remotest suspicion of the intended attack was entertained.

In the progress of the war of the revolution, we find Ticonderoga occupied by a detachment of the American army, employed in improving the old French lines, and erecting new works on the same side of the lake, and also on Mount Independence, which is separated from Ticonderoga by a strait about 80 poles wide. Gen-eral Gates had his head-quarters here, and was afterwards succeeded by major general St. Clair. On the approach of the British army under lieutenant general Burgoyne, in 1777, it was judged proper to evacuate the place, owing to the very superior force of the enemy, and the want of adequate means of defending both the forts and Mount Independence, possession of the latter being essential to the preservation of the former. At that period, it was impossible to spare reinforcements, operations to the eastward requiring the services of every individual of the main army.

In the course of the war, however, after the surrender of Burgoyne's army at Saratoga, it reverted to the possession of the American army.

The view is taken from the cottage, seen at Lacobie point, and bears a western aspect. The forts are in a state of ruin; but the stone walls of the barracks are standing, and from the durability of the materials, likely to remain in a state of good preservation for a considerable time. The officers' wing of apartments, being built of brick, is dilapidated, and sup plies the house below on the shore, which is inhabited by a farmer, with building materials. This house formerly was a store of the garrison; and a bridge once stretched across from the fort to the opposite shore. The remains of the bastion, on the

rocky projection, under which the sloop is seen, and which commande the navigation of the lake, are still existing. The character of the adjacent country, it will be seen, is mountainous; on the Vermont side it is level. It is remarkably healthy, and many of the inhabitants attain to longevity. The beauty of the situation, and curiosity, excited by a recollection of the events on lake Champlain, now peacefully navigated by the steam-boat, which carries passengers at a very moderate rate, contribute to attract the resort of numerous travellers in the summer season, and to attach something more than an ordinary interest to the scene represented.

ON GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE. The cathedral of Strasburg, as Dr. Moore remarks, is a very fine building, and never fails to attract the attention of strangers.

Our gothic ancestors, like the Greeks and Romans, built for posterity.-Their ideas of architecture, though different from those of the Grecian artists, were vast, sublime, and generous, far superior to the selfish snugness of modern taste, which is generally confined to one or two generations; the plans of our ancestors with a more extensive benevolence embrace different ages. Many gothic buildings still habitable, evince this, and ought to inspire sentiments of gratitude to those who have not grudged such labour and expense for the accommodation of their remote posterity.

ouraging them to raise magnificent churches for the use of the public, they might have preached it up as still nore meritorious to build fine houses and palaces for the immediate servants of God.

No species of architecture is better contrived for the dwelling of heavenly pensive contemplation, than the gothic; it has a powerful tendency to fill the mind with sublime, solemn, and religious sentiments. The antiquity of the gothic churches contributes to increase that veneration which their form and size inspire.

The religious melancholy which usually possesses the mind in large gothic churches, is considerably counteracted by certain satirical bas reliefs, with which the pillars and cornices of this church of Strasburg was originally ornamented.

The vices of monks are here exposed under the allegorical figures of hogs, apes, monkeys, and foxes, which being dressed in monkish habits, perform the most venerable functions of religion. And for the edification of those who do not comprehend allegory, a monk in the robes of his order is engraved on the pulpit in a most indecent posture, with a nun lying by him.

Upon the whole, the cathedral of Strasburg is considered by some people, as the most impious, and by others, as the merriest gothic church in Christendom. The doctor had the curiosity to ascend the steeple of this cathedral, which is reckoned one of the highest in Europe, its height being

Among the curiosities of the cathedral, the doctor mentions two large bells, which they show to strangers, one is of brass, and weighs ten tons; the other of silver, which they say weighs above two. They also show a large French horn, whose history is as follows: About four hundred years ago, the Jews formed a conspiracy to betray the city, and with this identical horn, they intended to give

the enemy notice when to begin the attack. The plot, however, was discovered, and many of the Jews were burned alive, and the rest were plundered of their effects, and banished the town. And this horn is sounded twice every night from the battlements of the steeple, in gratitude for the deliverance.

The Jews deny every circumstance of this story, except the murdering and pillaging their countrymen. They say the whole story was fabricated to furnish a pretext for these robberies and murders; and assert, that the steeple of Strasburg, as has been said of the monument of London:

"Like a tall bully, lifts up its head and lies."

TEMPLE OF DIANA AT EPHESUS.

This astonishing temple was 425 feet long, and 220 broad. It was adorned on the out and insides, with 127 columns of most exquisite marble, 60 feet in height, of which 36 had ornaments of basso relievo. All Asia was employed in building of this temple for 220 years.

It was raised on a marshy ground at a great expense, to secure it from earthquakes. The name of the architect was Chersiphron. The beams and doors were cedar, the rest of the timber cypress. A staircase made of the wood of Cyprus vines, led up to the temple. The form of it was oblong, and the length was twice its breadth.

The most famous statues of this temple, were the workmanship of Praxiteles, and the paintings of Thraso. Herostratus, to perpetuate his memory, set fire to this temple, the same day in which Alexander the Great was born, viz. A. M. 3549.

COVETOUSNESS.

Valerius Maximus tells us, that, when Hannibal had besieged Cassilinum, and reduced the garrison, for want of

food, to the last extremity, a soldier happened to catch a mouse, and his covetousness exceeding his hunger, he sold it to one of his comrades for more than eleven shillings sterling; but it proved a very fatal bargain to him, for he that bought the mouse saved his life by the purchase, and he that sold it died of famine.

MISCELLANEOUS.

AN INTERESTING ORIENTAL TALE. (Continued from page 112.)

In these happy moments it is easy to conceive what transports of joy were felt both by the father and son : after a thousand tender embraces Liu, forcing himself from the arms of his son, went and threw himself at the feet of Tchin: how much am I obliged to you, said he, for taking him into your house, and bringing up with so much goodness this dear part of myself! Without you we might never have been reunited.

My amiable benefactor, replied Tchin, lifting him up, 'tis this generous act of virtue in restoring the two hundred taels which has moved the compassion of Heaven; 'tis Heaven itself that has conducted you hither, where you have recovered what you lost, and have vainly sought so many years; now I know that this lovely boy belongs to you, I am uneasy that I did not use him with greater friendship.

Prostrate yourself my son, said Liu, and show your gratitude to your benefactor. Tchin put himself in a posture to return the compliments that were made; but Liu, in confusion for this excess of civility, immediately approached him, and prevented his purpose. These ceremonies being at an end they sat down again, and Tchin placed young Hieul on a seat near his father.

Then Tchin began to speak: my brother, said he to Liu, for it is a