97

1832 90
8mo Cholera
It is said the Cholera has made its attack on the dumb animals, that one farmer has lost 40 cows by the disease & that the milk is considered of a deleterious nature. And that a man gave his hogs water mellons [WATERMELONS], & all in the pen died. He then gave some more to another pen of Hogs & they all died. It is all ascribed to cholera. It has justly been remarked that the common house flies are less numerous than common this seaseon. Horses will stand & hardly swing their tails to brush off the flies. And in general the tribe of insects are far less numerous than other years, viz. Grasshopppers, Caterpillars, Squash bugs, Misketors [MOSQUITOES], Millworm, Fleas, Bedbugs & in short all the different kinds common at this season of the year. Some of opinion that the atmosphere is so infectious that it operates more or less powerful not only on the human species, but on all nature, both animal & vegetable. But I think the uncommon scarcity of the insect tribe this season may more properly, or reasonably be ascribed to the coldness of the season after a long cold winter, as the last was.

1st 9 mo The Cholera continued rather to abate generally in this country, and particularly in New York and Philadelphia and their [THERE] being but a few cases in Boston & other places near us, it gives us reason to hope that we shall escape the disease if any reliance can be placed on the calculations of the human species; still I am in hopes we shall keep it in view that if it is according to Divine wisdom that we should be scourged, all the calculations of Man would be futile.