Washington. Having communicated it to the general, 1780. he proceeded on the 13th for Philadelphia, and laid the fame before congrefs; who three days after paffed a very honorable refolve concerning him, without hinting at the intelligence they had received. The people, though totally ignorant of his laft fervices, expreffed their great joy at the marquis's return. That propriety might exift in reference to the intended aid from France when arrived, gen. Washington has been appointed lieut. general of his most chriftian majefty's troops in America, and vice-admiral of the white flag. On Friday May the 19th congrefs refolved, "That bills be immediately 19 drawn on Dr. Franklin for 25,000 dollars, and on Mr. Jay for 25,000 dollars, payable at 60 days fight; and that the money be applied folely to the bringing of the army into the field, and forwarding their supplies in fuch a manner, as the exigency and nature of the service may require."

This day has been rendered very remarkable by an extraordinary phænomenon, which demands a particular relation. An unufual darkness came on between the hours of ten and eleven in the morning, and continued to increase. Your friend, having been accustomed to dark days at London, and frequently observed from his study, the bright fhining fun gradually and at length totally eclipfed as it defcended behind the thick vapor which hung over the city, regarded it with no fpecial attention till called to do it by his neighbours, who were much alarmed. He dined by candle-light about one. After that it grew much lighter; and he walked about five o'clock to a tavern, a mile diftant on the road to Boston, to meet a felect committee of Roxbury on fpe

1780. employments, and are now loaded with heavy debts, without the remoteft profpect of being able to pay them, and have every obftacle thrown in the way of fettling their accounts, to prevent their demands being fixed.” Well might another general addrefs the commander in chief on the last of May, with-" Dear Sir, I am very fenfible of the embarrassments and perplexities you mention in your private letter. They would I am certain have depreffed, and perhaps fubdued almost any mind but yours; and I have often thought and frequently faid, that the difficulty of your fituation and command gave you more intrinsic merit, than the victories others have obtained. This I doubt not hiftory will hereafter testify to the world, when your enemies are forgotten."

General Washington however had fome confolation from the arrival of the marquis de la Fayette at head. quarters about the 12th of May. During his voyage from Boston to France he had a narrow escape, a dangerous confpiracy of the British failors, who composed a great proportion of the Alliance's crew, having nearly fucceeded. On his fafe arrival, without authority to folicit affiftance in troops, he through zeal for the American United States devoted himself to obtain it. He boldly applied for fuch aid, and took upon himself all confequences on each side of the Atlantic. He also affiduously employed himself in procuring loans of money and fuccour of every kind. When he had fo far prevailed with the French court, that he could announce in America, that he should be followed by a fleet and corps of French troops, he commenced his return to this continent. The fpecial news he brought with him, he was only at liberty to mention to congrefs and gen,

Washington. Having communicated it to the general, 1780. he proceeded on the 13th for Philadelphia, and laid the fame before congrefs; who three days after paffed a very honorable refolve concerning him, without hinting at the intelligence they had received. The people, though totally ignorant of his last services, expreffed their great joy at the marquis's return. That propriety might exift in reference to the intended aid from France when arrived, gen. Washington has been appointed lieut. general of his most christian majefty's troops in America, and vice-admiral of the white flag. On Friday May the 19th congrefs refolved, "That bills be immediately 19drawn on Dr. Franklin for 25,000 dollars, and on Mr. Jay for 25,000 dollars, payable at 60 days fight; and that the money be applied folely to the bringing of the army into the field, and forwarding their fupplies in fuch a manner, as the exigency and nature of the service may require."

This day has been rendered very remarkable by an extraordinary phænomenon, which demands a particular relation. An unufual darkness came on between the hours of ten and eleven in the morning, and continued to increase. Your friend, having been accustomed to dark days at London, and frequently obferved from his study, the bright fhining fun gradually and at length totally eclipfed as it defcended behind the thick vapor which hung over the city, regarded it with no fpecial attention till called to do it by his neighbours, who were much alarmed. He dined by candle-light about one. After that it grew much lighter; and he walked about five o'clock to a tavern, a mile diftant on the road to Boston, to meet a felect committee of Roxbury on fpe

1780. cial business. When they had finished about eight at night, he fet out for home, not fufpecting but that, being fully acquainted with every foot of the road, he should eafily return notwithstanding its being extremely dark. There were houfes all the way, though at a confiderable diftance from each other. He marked the candle-light of one, and with that in his eye went forward till he got up to it; but remarked that the appearance of the place was fo different from what was usual, that he could not have believed it to be what it was, had it not been from his certain knowledge of its fituation. He caught the light of a fecond houfe which he alfo reached; and thus on. At length the light being removed from the laft he had gained a fight of, ere he was up with it, he found himself in fuch profound darknefs as to be incapable of proceeding, and therefore returned to the house he had paffed and procured a lanSeveral of the company having further to go were on horfeback. The horfes could not fee to direct themfelves; and by the manner in which they took up and put down their feet on the plain ground, appeared to be involved in total darknefs, and to be afraid left the next step should plunge them into an abyss. The gentlemen foon ftopt at another tavern, and waited for the benefit of the moon: but after a while finding that the air received no acceffion of light from it, when they were certain it was risen, they had recourfe to candles to affift them in getting home. In fome inftances horfes felt the forcible operation of the darkness fo ftrongly, that they could not be compelled by their masters to quit the ftable at night when wanted for particular fervice. The fhifting of the wind put an end to it, and

tern.

at midnight it was fucceeded by a bright moon and star 1780. light. The degree to which it arofe was different in different places. In moft parts of the country it was fo great in the day-time, that the people could not tell the hour by either watch or clock, nor dine, nor manage their domestic business without the light of candles. The birds having fung their evening fongs disappeared, and were filent: pigeons and fowls retired to rooft: the cocks crew as at day-break; objects could not be distinguished but at a very little distance; and every thing bore the appearance and gloom of night. The extent of this darkness was extraordinary. It was obferved as far eaft as Falmouth. To the weftward it reached to the furtheft parts of Connecticut, and to Albany. To the fouthward, it was obferved all along the fea coafts; and to the north as far as the American fettlements extend. We are told that a veffel at fea found herfelf enclosed for a while in a cloud of this darknefs, and as fhe failed, paffed inftantly from the verge of it into a clear light.

This phænomenon appears to have been owing to the clouds being highly charged with fmoke, which they had been collecting for days, from the fires in the back country. It is the American cuftom to make large fires in the woods, for the purpofe of clearing the lands in the new fettlements. This was practised in the spring of the present year, in a much greater degree than ufual, through the interruption that had been given to that business for a few years by the war. In the county of York, in the western parts of New Hampfhire and Maffachusetts, and in Vermont, uncommonly large fires had been kept up to the extent of many score miles,