726

MISCELLANY.

RING FOUND ON BURGOYNE ’S CAMP GROUND .

We have seen a very handsome gold and enamel mourning ring that was found in June last,in Greenwich , Washington county, on the banks of the Hudson. This relic was found abouttwo miles north of the place where General Burgoyne surrendered to General Gates, October 7,1777, and where the former General had his encampment. The ring was found by a boy, while hewas planting a field, and is in a perfect state, the enamel bearing, in distinct gold letters, “ RobertJohnson, Ob. 16, Nov. 1775. M. 71.” The probability is that the ring belonged to some officerof the British army.— N. Y. Herald, Dec. 25, 1850.

INTERESTING ITEMS CONNECTED WITH THE HISTORY OF NEW-YORK .

We are indebted for the following facts to the polite attention of the obliging correspondents whosenames are attached to the respective paragraphs :

First Vessel on Lake Erie . —The first vessel on our w'estern lakes was the “ Griffin .” The keelwas laid by La Salle on 26th of January, 1679, at the mouth of the Cayuga Creek, on the Ameri­ can side of the Niagara, about six miles above the great Falls . The place selected by La Sallewas long after used as a ship yard by the Americans, and is now familiarly known as the “ Oldshipyard.” The precise date when the ship was launched is uncertain—it must'have been inMay or early in June, 1679, for Father Hennepin visited Fort Frontenac after it was launched, andreached the dock on his return on the 4th of August. The Griffin sailed from the mouth of theNiagara on her voyage to the upper lakes on 7th of August, 1679.

First Steamboat on Lake Erie . —The first Lake Erie steamboat, was called the “ Walk in theWater.” She was launched at Black Rock, on the Niagara River , on the 28th of May, 1818, andleft there on the first trip to Detroit on 23d August following, under the command of Capt. Fish.The Buffiilo Gazette in announcing her departure, says : “ In less than two hours she was ‘ hullto’ from the shore, a distance of 15 nautical miles.”

First Settlement of Buffalo. —In 1798 there were five dwellings, one tavern and one store,all constituted of logs. In 1801, the site was surveyed by the Holland Company {Turner’s Hist. llol.Purchase.) and in 1802 the settlement may be said to have fairly commenced. In 1806, it was in-creased to sixteen dwellings, three stores and two blacksmiths’ shops.

. First Mail to Buffalo . —The first mail was received in 1803 on horseback, and continued to bethus carried once every two weeks, until 1806, when a weekly route was established.

First Newspaper. —The first newspaper published here was issued Oct. 3, 1811, and called the“ Buffalo Gazette,” Smith II. Salisbury & Co., printers and publishers.— Extract of a Letter fromO. H. Marshall, Esq., dated Buffalo , Nov. 20, 1850.

First paper in Orange Co. The paper called the “ Goshen Repository ” was published in thatvillage as early as August 14th, 1788.

First paper in Newburgh . The first newspaper in this village was “ The Mirror,” edited by PhilipVan Horne, and published on 22d September, 1796. . . . When the army was here the printingwas done by a press at Fishkill in Dutchess, as appears by the printed orders of the Army ofthat day. Samuel W. Eager, Newburgh , Nov. 25, 1850.

First paper in Queens . The “Long Island Farmer ” was the first paper published in Qneen3Co. I have seen the 2d number, dated “Thursday Jan. II, 1821.” The first or specimennumber was printed a fortnight or so before, but the day of the week or month cannot be precisely