very far from thinking them insurmountable provided that measures are pursued without delay and the proper officers exert themselves in the execution of the orders they receive. Congress may, perhaps, determine on such an expedition. I shall therefore take the liberty to say if they do, that the men who go on this service should, besides their ordinary under clothes, be provided each with a good woolen Cap and a short but good blanket, coat, with a cape to turn over the cap to prevent the snow falling on the neck; each two chequered woolen shirts; a woolen pair of breeches: two pair of good woolen stockings; a pair of Indian leggens so long as to come up to the crotch; a pair of good Indian shoes and a pair of English shoes; with a pair of good warm socks and a pair of stout mittens; and not to be suffered to carry any more clothing. Each man should also have a pair of creepers; a tinder box or horn, steel flints and a bundle of matches to every ten men. One thousand pair of snow shoes should also be provided; 100 pair of skates; 100 hand machines for firing vessels or buildings; 2000 musket wooden cartridges; Canes with spikes to be filled. with a combustible composition to be shot into vessels or buildings. Each man to be also furnished with a powder horn and bullet pouch. Two thousand spare stand of arms should also be carried on to furnish such Canadians as might be willing to engage with us. All these articles should be collected at Albany to be delivered to the troops immediately before marching. One thousand men should be sent without delay to Skenesborough by the way of Fort Anne, from whence they should take down in rafts the boards that remain at the saw mill, near that place, none of which have been destroyed by the enemy. Sixteen thousand are left there, a number sufficient, not only to cover the men comfortably but also the provisions, of which a quanity sufficient for five thousand men for three months should be carried to Skenesborough in the course of the winter, and biscuit sent instead of flour. Before the march of the troops from thence the Commissary should pick

of the best pork sufficient for the army for fifteen days and have it well boiled, then laid out to freeze and packed up again that the Men may not be under the necessity of cooking on the march.

As it will require 1500 carriages to move such a body of troops, and two of the three months provisions with all the other stores, a great quanity of hay should be purchased, packed and disposed of in such places as that it might be conveniently taken up by the sleds whether they come from the Massachusetts or this State. Corn, oats and peas should be collected. in like manner and direction given to each driver to bring with him three or four bags; but as I apprehend that a sufficient number of hired sleds could not be conveniently procured I would advise that five hundred common coarse sleds, of which a carpenter will easily complete one in two days should be made, and one thousand stall-fed oxen with yokes be purchased to draw these sleds, and the oxen killed as soon as the army has penetrated Canada, that the salt provisions may be saved as much as possible, that none need be taken from the Canadians, as I suppose no specie can be procured to pay them. As it is in vain to attempt to carry on such an enterprise in a secret manner, application should be made to the Legislature of Massachusetts and this State to aid in procuring the sleds, that every farmer who is to furnish one may prepare himself in time; and the Committee of each District should be obliged to deliver the sleds they are to furnish at such rendezvous as the officer commanding the expedition should direct.

The whole should be in readiness to move as soon as the Lakes have thoroughly frozen, which will probably be by the middle of February; and if Ticonderoga should be abandoned the army might move that way; if not, by the way of Castle-Town and Otter Creek, so as to fall in with the Lake between Crown Point and the mouth of Otter Creek or if the Lake should not be strong enough from thence, then not to approach the Lake until the army reaches Onion river.

If it should be asked what military

operations I had in idea to carry on, I would answer, whether Ticonderoga is or will be abandoned, or not, I would advise, in the first place, to secure Isle au Noix, and the army to halt there for three days and all the sleds employed to bring timber on it for erecting a fortification; and before the army left it five or six rows of strong and heavy pickets should be drove in the ship channel, which is there very narrow and not deep, to prevent the enemy's shipping from getting into the Lake, if St. John's should not be reduced before the spring of the year, as I suspect it would not. At Isle au Noix three hundred men under the command of a judicious cĒcer should be left with directions to fortify himself in the best manner he ceeld. The rest of the army should then proceed towards St. John's, which I suppose the enemy would not abandon, and if it was found impracticable to force the siege because of the frost and snow, one thousand men should be left to blockade in. The remainder of the army should then proceed to reduce Chamblee which would be the work of a day or two, and then go on to Montreal and secure what stores might be left there by the enemy and take il the merchandize that would be serial for the army and send it to Albany, paring the French merchants a generous price by bills on France, if Congress has a Find there to draw on, as I have been informed they have: Nothing to such of the English as who have been our enemies vien we were in Canada in

When in Montreal, the commanding officer will be able to judge with certainty won fires the enemy can gather in Canada to oppose him, and if he finds that he can spare a detachment, he should send it to Osweganckie (now Ogdensburgh] a secure or destroy the enemy's shipping Ich Lys laid up at that place. Ths bisness pers to me of the first INDOTTANCY IS A Wonid not only be a great se nwaris te reduction of Niagara, if Congress should arempt in the next campart i pet possession of that very important pass, and which if in our hands

would have a variety of such obvious good consequences that I need not mention them; but it would also be necessary in order to secure a retreat that way which, if a retreat is necessary, I would rather wish than by the way of Champlain, if St. John's should hold out so long as that the enemy might send forces into Canada from New York or elsewhere. It may be asked why I should wish a retreat by Ontario and how it could be effected? To the first I answer, because measures may be taken to reinforce the army at their arrival at Oswego by troops from Albany, thence to proceed to the reduction of Niagara, if Congress thought proper; if not they might return by the way of Fort Schuyler. To the second, that all the batteaux in the St. Lawrence in the vicinity of Montreal might be collected and these would probably be sufficient to convey all the troops, if not, an additional number might very soon be constructed; and for that and other business one hundred carpenters should be sent with the army into Canada. Nor should the commanding officer neglect, when at Montreal, to take hostages from the Caughnawaga Cannassederaga Indians (who will be in his power) for their peaceable behaviour, and those should be sent to these parts without delay. If St John's should be reduced, I think it is pretty certain_that a body of troops appearing before Ticonderoga, the garrison would surrender should they not abandon it this fall or on seeing our preparations for going into Canada. It would therefore be necessary to collect a body of troops not only for that purpose if necessary, but if Ticonderoga should be abandoned to be sent into Canada to reinforce the army there in such a manner as that the country might be kept and, if possible, the siege of Quebec undertaken. For the conveyance of these troops batteaux should be built at Fort George and began upon as soon as advice is received that the army is got into Canada. But if the army should be obliged to retreat, this expense may be thought needless-not at all, for if they retreat by Champlain they may want boats,

if by Ontario the boats may be easily conveyed into Hudsons River and from thence into the Mohawk River to carry on provisions for the troops to go to Niagara, should an expedition be determined on; but whether it is or not it would be imprudent not to prepare in such a manner as that troops might be sent to Canada, if it should be found necessary.

"Congress will perceive that great exertions are necessary for such an enterprise, and that the officer who commands it, let him be who he will, will require assistance; and altho' I firmly resolve to quit the army as soon as the examination into my conduct shall be made,' and not again

1 General Schuyler had been superseded in com

venture on the boisterous ocean of public life, in which I have been so miserably buffeted by storms, yet as a private gentleman and without fee or reward I will give every aid in my power to procure every necessary and make use of every exertion for the success of the enterprize, if Congress should think fit to order the attempt to be made.

PHILIP SCHUYLER.

after the evacuation early in July preceding, which mand of the Northern army, by General Gates, disastrous event was charged to the want of skill and vigilance on the part of the former. He incessantly urged an inquiry, but it was postponed until the Autumn of 1778, when he was honorably acquitted.

Province of Pennsylvania, then consisting of one body-By order of the latter, a Committee of which Mr. Speaker Norris was the Chairman, was empowered to obtain a new Bell for the Building.

The desire for procuring bells and building steeples just at this time seems to have shown itself in religious, as well as political corporations. In this same year the vestry men of Christ church opened a subscription for this purpose, a member declaring at the Board "that there is a hearty inclination to the thing in the inhabitants of this city not only of our own church but in sundry persons of other religious Societies.""

It must not hastily be concluded however that Bells were then to be introduced for the first time. As early as 1712, two bells the little bell" and "the great bell," were certainly used by the Christ Church congregation, whether suspended in a belfry or hung in the crotch of a tree close by "seems to be undetermined; unquestionably the latter mode was adopted for the government bell, an accompaniment to official proclamations in the province at least as early as 1685. It is not improbable that this latter was brought over by William Penn himself. The earliest mention of its use is in language so quaint as to justify its "counterfeit" presentation. [See the following page.]

PENNSILVANIA

AND WHICH READS AS FOLLOWS.

By the President and Council

tatives of the freemen in Assembly & divers magistrates officers & other persons of note do in duty & in concurrance with our neighbouring provinces sollemnly publish & declare that James Duke of York & Albany by the decease of our late soveraigne Charles the 2a is now become our lawfull liege lord & king James the 2 of England Scotland France & Ireland & amongst other of his dominions in America of this Province of Pennsilvania & its Territorys king, to whom we acknowledge faithfull & constant obedience hartily wishing him a happy raigne in health peace & prosperity

And so God Save the King

This Province Bell was most likely transferred to the cupola of the Court House or "Towne Hall" on its erection in 1705-6 at Second on High Street. It is its successor whose history is attempted.

The original letter books of Isaac Norris cannot now be found but fortunately his descendant Joseph Parker Norris,

King James the Second, will be Published, in the Front Sort igen Delaware River, over against the Governours late to Morrow Morning at the Ninth hour upon the -nging the Bell

these that Robert Charles, then in London, was commissioned November 1st, 1751, to procure a good bell of about two thousand pounds weight, at a cost of about

100 sterling; it was to be cast by the best workmen, to be examined carefully before it was shipped and to contain "in well-shaped letters round it," By order of the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania, for the State House in the city of Philadelphia 1752, and underneath Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants thereof. Lect. XXV. 10.

The Bell duly arrived at the end of August, 1752, in apparent good order,