lin stove;" after which, as fuel became scarce, the better economy of the "ten plate stove" was adopted.

The most splendid looking carriage ever exhibited among us, was that used as befitting the character of that chief of men, General Washington, while acting as President of the United States. It was very large, so as to make four horses, at least, an almost necessary appendage. It was occasionally drawn by six horses, Virginia bays. It was cream coloured, globular in its shape, ornamented with cupids supporting festoons, and wreaths of flowers, emblematically arranged along the pannel work;-the whole neatly covered with best coach-glass. It was of English construction.

Some twenty or thirty years before the period of the revolution, the steeds most prized for the saddle were pacers, since so odious deemed. To this end the breed

was propagated with much care. The Narraganzet pacers of Rhode Island were in such repute that they were sent for, at much trouble and expense, by some few who were choice in their selections. It may amuse the present generation to peruse the history of one such horse, spoken of in the letter of Rip Van Dam of NewYork, in the year 1711, which I have seen. It states the fact of the trouble he had taken to procure him such a horse. He was shipped from Rhode Island in a sloop, from which he jumped overboard when under sail and swam ashore to his former home. He arrived at NewYork in 14 days passage, much reduced in flesh and spirit. He cost £32, and his freight 50 shillings. This writer, Rip Van Dam, was a great personage, he having been President of the Council in 1731; and on the death of Governor Montgomery that year, he was governor, ex officio, of New-York. His mural monument is now to be seen in St. Paul's church.

Mr. A. B., aged 75, told me that he never saw any carpets on floors, before the revolution; when first introduced, they only covered the floors outside of the chairs around the room; he knew of persons afraid to step on them when they first saw them on floors; some dignified families always had some carpets, but then they got them through merchants as a special importation for themselves. Floors silver sanded in figures, &c. were the universal practice. The walls of houses were not papered, but universally white-washed.

Mahogany was but very seldom used, and when seen was mostly in a desk or "tea-table." The general furniture was made of "billstead," another name for maple.

The first stoves he remembered came into use in his time, and were all open inside in one oblong square; having no baking oven thereto, as was afterwards invented in the "ten plate stoves."

He thinks coaches were very rare; can't think there were more than four or five of them; men were deemed rich to have kept even a chaise. The governor had one coach; Walton had another; Colden, the lieut. governor, had a coach, which was burnt before his window by the mob; Mrs. Alexander had a coach, and Robert Murray, a Friend, had another, which he called his "leathern conveniency," to avoid the scandal of pride and vain glory.

CHANGES OF PRICES.

"For the money cheap-and quite a heap."

It is curious to observe the changes which have occurred in the course of years, both in the supply of common articles sold in the markets, and in some cases, the great augmentation of prices for instance, Mr. Brower, who has been quite a chronicle to me in many things, has told me such facts as the following, viz :— he remembered well when abundance of the largest "Blue-Point" oysters could be bought, opened to your hand, for 28. a hundred, such as would now bring from 3 to 4 dollars. Best sea bass were but 2d. a lb., now at 8d. Sheep-head sold at 9d. to 1s. 3d. a-piece, and will now bring 2 dollars. Rock fish were plenty at 1s. a-piece for good ones. Shad were but 3d. a-piece. They did not then practice the planting of oysters. Lobsters then were not brought to the market.

Mr. Jacob Tabelee, who is as old as eighty-seven, and of course saw earlier times than the other, has told me sheep-head used to be sold at 6d., and the best oysters at only 1s. a hundred; in fact, they did not stop to count them, but gave them in that proportion and rate by the bushel. Rock fish were sold at 3d. a pound. Butter was at 8 to 9d. Beef by the quarter, in the winter, was at 3d. a pound, and by the piece at 4d. Fowls were about 9d. a piece. Wild fowl were in great abundance. He has bought twenty pigeons in their season for ls. ;

a goose was 2s. Oak wood was abundant at 2s. the load.

In 1763 the market price of provisions was established by law, and published in the gazette; wondrous cheap they were, viz: a cock turkey, 4s.; a hen turkey, 2s. 6d.; a duck, 1s.; a quail, 1d.; a heath hen, 1s. 3d.; a teal, 6d.; a wild goose, 2s.; a brandt, 1s. 3d.; snipe, 1d.; butter, 9d.; sea bass, 2d.; oysters, 2s. per bushel ; sheep-head and sea bass, 3 coppers per pound; lobsters, 6d. per pound; milk, per quart, 4 coppers; clams, 9d, per 100; cheese, 41d.

SUPERSTITIONS.

"Stories of spectres dire disturb'd the soul."

THE aged men have told me that fortune-tellers and conjurors had a name and an occupation among the credulous; Mr. Brower said he remembered some himself. Blackbeard's and Kidd's money, as pirates, was a talk understood by all. He knew of much digging for it, with spells and incantations, at Corlear's Hook, leaving there several pits of up-turned ground. Dreams and impressions were fruitful causes of stimulating some to thus "try their fortune" or "their luck."

There was a strange story, the facts may yet be recollected by some, of "the haunted house," somewhere out of town; I have understood it was Delancey's.

But a better ascertained case is that of " the screaching woman;" she was a very tall figure, of masculine

dimensions, who used to appear in flowing mantle of pure white at midnight, and stroll down Maiden lane. She excited great consternation among many. A Mr. Kimball, an honest praying man, thought he had no occasion to fear, and as he had to pass that way home one night, he concluded he would go forward as fearless as he could; he saw nothing in his walk before him, but hearing steps fast approaching him behind, he felt the force of terror before he turned to look; but when he had looked, he saw what put all his resolutions to flight-a tremendous white spectre! It was too much; he ran or flew with all his might, till he reached his own house by Peck's Slip and Pearl street, and then, not to lose time, he burst open his door and fell down for a time as dead. He however survived, and always deemed it something preternatural. The case stood thus :— When one Capt. Willet Taylor of the British navy coveted to make some trial of his courage in the matter, he also paced Maiden lane alone at midnight, wrapped like Hamlet in his "inky cloak," with oaken staff beneath. By and bye he heard the sprite full-tilt behind him intending to pass him, but being prepared, he dealt out such a passing blow as made "the bones and nerves to feel," and thus exposed a crafty man bent on fun and mischief.