tors, on his return home, found his shoes filled with it; this he put into a bottle, and sealed up. Not a pound of the tea was purloined. One of the persons engaged in the business, who wished to preserve too large a specimen, was observed by some of his companions to have the pockets of his coat a little distended. This was treated as an accident, which was remedied, however, in a good natured way, without resistance, by the application of a knife across the waist of the coat, which left a kind of garment, that has, in later times, been called a spencer, and the part separated was thrown overboard to accompany its kindred tea. The most scrupulous care was taken that none of it should be secreted. The shores of the harbour, at high water mark, were lined with it the next day, as with other worthless weeds. A chest, containing a few pounds, floated into a creek in Dorchester, where it was discovered, brought into town, and publicly committed to the flames.

QUESTIONS.

1. What proposition did the East India Company propose to obviate the difficulty concerning tea?--2. What measures were adopted by the citizens of America, when large shipments of tea were made?-3. What was done in Philadelphia and New-York? -4. In Charleston?-5. How many persons were engaged in. throwing overboard the tea in Boston harbour?-6. How much was there thrown overboard?-7. Is any of it still preserved?8. How came it to be preserved?

FIRST AMERICAN CONGRESS.

From the Vision of Columbus.

COLUMBUS look'd; and still around them spread,
From south to north, th' immeasurable shade;
At last, the central shadows burst away,

And rising regions open'd on the day.

He saw, once more, bright Del'ware's silver stream,
And Penn's throng'd city cast a cheerful gleam;
The dome of state, that met his eager eye,

Now heav'd its arches in a loftier sky.
The bursting gates unfold-and lo, within,
A solemn train, in conscious glory, shine.
The well-known forms his eye had trac❜d before,
In diff'rent realms along th' extended shore;
Here grac'd with nobler fame, and rob'd in state,
They look'd and mov'd magnificently great.

High on the foremost seat, in living light,
Majestic Randolph caught the hero's sight-
Fair on his head, the civic crown was plac'd,
And the first dignity his sceptre grac❜d.

He opes the cause, and points in prospect far,
Through all the toils that wait th' impending war,
But, hapless sage, thy reign must soon be o'er,
To lend thy lustre, and to shine no more.
So the bright morning star, from shades of ev'n,
Leads up the dawn, and lights the front of heav'n,
Points to the waking world the sun's broad way,
Then veils his own, and shines above the day.
And see great Washington behind thee rise,
Thy following sun, to gild our morning skies;
O'er shadowy climes to pour th' enliv'ning flame,
The charms of freedom and the fire of fame.
Th' ascending chief adorn'd his splendid seat,
Like Randolph, ensign'd with a crown of state,
Where the green patriot bay beheld, with pride,
The hero's laurel springing by its side;
His sword hung useless, on his graceful thigh,
On Britain still he cast a filial eye;
But sovereign fortitude his visage bore,
To meet their legions on th' invaded shore.

Sage Franklin next arose, in awful mein,
And smil'd, unruffled, o'er th' approaching scene;
High, on his locks of age, a wreath was brac'd,
Palm of all arts, that e'er a mortal grac'd;
Beneath him lies the sceptres kings have borne,
And crowns and laurels from their temples torn.
Nash, Rutledge, Jefferson, in council great,
And Jay and Laurens op'd the rolls of fate.
The Livingstons, fair freedom's generous band,

The Lees, the Houstons, fathers of the land,
O'er climes and kingdoms turn'd their ardent eyes,
Bade all th' oppress'd to speedy vengeance rise;
All powers of state, in their extended plan,
Rise from consent to shield the rights of man.
Bold Wolcott urg'd the all-important cause;
With steady hand the solemn scene he draws;
Undaunted firmness with his wisdom join'd,
Nor kings nor worlds could warp his stedfast mind.
Now, graceful rising from his purple throne,
In radiant robes, immortal Hosmer shone;
Myrtles and bays his learned temples bound,
The statesman's wreath, the poet's garland crown'd—
Morals and laws expand his liberal soul,
Beam from his eyes, and in his accents roll.
But lo! an unseen hand the curtain drew;
And snatch'd the patriot from the hero's view;
Wrapp'd in the shroud of death, he sees descend
The guide of nations and the muse's friend.
Columbus dropp'd a tear. The angel's eye
Trac'd the freed spirit mounting through the sky.
Adams, enrag'd, a broken charter bore,
And lawless acts of ministerial power;
Some injur'd right in each loose leaf appears,
A king in terrors and a land in tears;
From all the guileful plots the vale he drew,
With eye retortive look'd creation through;
Op'd the wide range of nature's boundless plan,
Trac'd all the steps of liberty and man;

Crowds rose to vengeance while his accents rung,
And Independence thunder'd from his tongue.

BATTLE OF BUNKER'S HILL.

1. WHETHER he was deceived by the resemblance of name, or from some other motive unknown, colonel Prescott, instead of repairing to the heights of Bunker's Hill, to fortify himself there, advanced further on in the peninsula, and immediately commenced his intrench

ments upon the heights of Breed's Hill, another eminence, which overlooks Charlestown, and is situated towards the extremity of the peninsula, nearer to Boston. The works were pushed with so much ardour, that the following morning, by day break, the Americans had already constructed a square redoubt, capable of affording them some shelter from the enemy's fire. The labour had been conducted with such silence, that the English had no suspicion of what was passing. It was about four in the morning, when the captain of a ship of war first perceived it, and began to play his artillery. The report of the cannon attracted a multitude of spectators to the shore.

2. The English generals doubted the testimony of their senses. Meanwhile the thing appeared too important not to endeavour to dislodge the provincials, or, at least, to prevent them from completing the fortification commenced; for as the height of Breed's Hill absolutely commands Boston, the town was no longer tenable, if the Americans erected a battery upon this eminence. The English, therefore, opened a general fire of the artillery of the town, of the fleet, and of the floating batteries stationed around the peninsulas of Boston. It hailed a tempest of bombs and balls upon the works of the Americans-they were especially incommoded by the fire of a battery planted upon an eminence named Cop's Hill, which, situated within the town, forms a species of tower in front of Breed's Hill. But all this was without effect. The Americans continued to work the whole day, with unshaken constancy; and towards night, they had already much advanced a trench, which descended from the redoubt to the foot of the hill, and almost to the bank of Mystic river. The fury of the enemy's artillery, it is true, had prevented them from carrying it to perfection.

3. In this conjuncture, there remained no other hope for the English generals, but in attempting an assault, to drive the Americans, by dint of force, from this formidable position. This resolution was taken without hesitation; and it was followed, the 17th of June, 1775, by the action of Breed's Hill, known also by the name

of Bunker's Hill; much renowned for the intrepidity, not to say the temerity, of the parties; for the number of the dead and wounded; and for the effect it produ ced upon the opinions of men, in regard to the valour of the Americans, and the probable issue of the whole

war.

4. Between mid-day and one o'clock, the heat being intense, all was motion in the British camp. A multitude of sloops and boats, filled with soldiers, left the shore of Boston, and stood for Charlestown; they landed at Moreton's Point, without meeting resistance; as the ships of war and armed vessels effectually protected the debarkation with the fire of their artillery, which forced the enemy to keep within his intrenchments. This corps consisted of ten companies of grenadiers, as many of light-infantry, and a proportionate artillery; the whole under the command of major-general Howe, and brigadier general Pigot. The troops, on landing, began to display, the light infantry upon the right, the grenadiers upon the left; but, having observed the strength of the position, and the good countenance of the Americans, general Howe made a halt, and sent to call a reinforcement.

5. The English formed themselves in two columns. Their plan was, that the left wing, under general Pigot, should attack the provincials in Charlestown; while the centre assaulted the redoubt; and the right wing, consisting of light infantry, should force the passage near the river Mystic, and thus assail the Americans in flank and rear; which would give the English complete victory. It appears, also, that general Gage had formed the design of setting fire to Charlestown, when evacuated by the enemy, in order that the corps, destined to assail the redoubt, thus protected by the flame and smoke, might be less exposed to the fire of the provincials.

6. The dispositions having been all completed, the English put themselves in motion. The provincials, that were stationed to defend Charlestown, fearing lest the assailants should penetrate between this town and