The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a Letter from Burslem, July 1.

"Yesterday we took a Walk to the famous Subterranean Canal at Harecastle, which is now opened for a Mile and upwards on one Side of the Hill, and more than Half a Mile on the other; of Course, the whole must be completed in a short Time. As it is not yet filled with Water, we entered into it, one of the Party repeating the beautiful Lines of Virgil which describe the Descent of Aeneas into the Elysian Fields. On a sudden, our Ears were struck with the most melodious Sounds. Lest you should imagine us to have heard the Genius or Goddess of the Mountain singing the Praises of Engineer Brindley, it may be necessary to inform you that one of the Company had advanced some Hundred Paces before, and there favoured us with some excellent Airs on the German Flute. You can scarcely conceive the charming Effect of this Music echoed and re-echoed along a Cave near two Thousand Yards in Length. But of all our Curiosities my Guest is most pleased with the Philosopher, as we call him here; a Person who has picked up from Rousseau, Voltaire, and other Oddities of the present Age, the most whimsical System imaginable. He defends, with great Zeal, the Opinion of Doctor Smith, that our Species has not, since Creation, been two-legged, and has many new Arguments to prove that Man is by Nature a four-footed Beast, as he expresses himself; nay more, he pretends to determine, by certain abstruse Reasonings, in what Year of our Lord (to use his own Words) the human Form first became erect. He wishes for an Acquaintance with the worthy Gentleman who so gracefully appeared at all our Balls at Madam Cornely's, and hopes to see the Day when this Example will be universally followed. The most honourable and most creditable Employments in Life he compares to robbing on the Highway, and picking of Pockets; Commerce, to a Number of Children removing Stones or Rubbish from one Place to another; Society, Government, Laws, Religion, every Thing esteemed great or useful, at times fall under the Lash of this rural Cynick."