others; and that the fmall are the firft formed, and of courfe at the upper part, where the bees begin, and the larger are nearer the lower part of the comb, or laft made: however, in hives of particular conftruction, where the bees may begin to work at one end, and can work both down, and toward the other end, we often find the larger cells both on the lower part of the combs, and alfo at the op pofite end. These are formed for the males to be bred in; and in the hornets and wafps combs, there are larger cells for the queens to be bred in: these are alfo formed in the lower tier, and the last formed. The first comb made in a hive, is all of one colour, viz. almoft white; but it is not fo white toward the end of the feason, having then more of a yellow cast. A Curious Account of the MAGNETIC MOUNTAIN of CANNAY: By GEORGE DEMPSTER of Dunnichen, Efq. [From Transactions of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.] γου OU will not be forry to receive which this rock is a continuation. an account of the Magnetic We rowed under this rock; and when Mountain of Cannay: but perhaps the boat reached its center, immeit is not unknown to you already, or diately under the rock, and almost you may at least have heard of fimilar touching it, the north point of our ones in other places. Cannay is an compafs veered about, and fettled at illand of ten or twelve miles in cir- due fouth and remained there. This cumference, with an excellent har- experiment was frequently repeated bour in its bofom. Near this har- with the fame fuccefs'; but this effect bour, on a hill of fome height, called was confined also to a very fmall part the Compass-hill, there is a little hole of the rock, which seemed to us didug, about a foot or two in depth. rectly fouth from the hole on CompassA compass placed in this hole is in- hill. At a little diftance, on either ftantly disturbed, and in a short time fide, the needle recovered its ufual veers about to the eastward, till at laft pofition. His lordship then directed the north point fettles itself in a due the boat to row with great quickness foutherly direction, and remains there. paft the rock, when, upon our croffing At a very little distance from this the place which had before affected hole, perhaps on the very edge of it, the needle, it was again affected durthe needle recovers its ufual pofition. ing the paffage, though very quick, and recovered foon after paffing this point. We could hardly venture to affign any caufe for these appearances, but by fuppofing fomething magnetical in the rock extending the whole diflance from the Compafs-hill to the head land at the mouth of the harbour. If this fhould prove to be the cafe, we had no fcruple in pronouncing this to be the largest loadstone as yet difcovered in the world. This fingular circumstance was known when Martin wrote his account of thefe iflands, and is taken netice of by him. He indeed fays, the compafs then fettled at due eaft, which is alfo curious. What increases the fingularity of this alteration in the needle, is a difcovery lately made by Hector M'Neil, efq. tackfman of the ifland. He mentioned the circumftance to us; and lord Bredalbane, fir Adam Ferguffon, Mr. Ifaac Hawkins Brown, and the reft of the company, went to examine the fact. The harbour, on the north fide, is formed by a bold rock of Bafa't, which may be about half a mile below, and to the fouthward of the Compafs-hill, of A part of the rock was broken off, at the very spot where this affection of the needle was observed, and was applied to the compafs when removed from the rock; but it feemed to produce no effect upon the needle whatfoever. Alfo, the compafs was car ried about the length of the boat from the rock, but in a line with Compafshill; and it was alfo placed in the fame line on the oppofite fide of the harbour, at about a quarter of a mile's distance; neither of these experiments produced any effect on the needle. In this island there are many columnar appearances, not unlike to Staffa; and several, both ftraight and bent, and every way as regular, which feem alfo to have, like Staffa, efcaped obfervation till very lately. An Account of the EARTH called GYPSUM, with its extraordinary Effects as a Manure. To the EDITOR of the UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE. SIR, S I have long obferved, with pleafure, that the Univerfal Magazine has been diftinguished by an early attention to all the new and ufeful difcoveries in agriculture, I perfuade myself that you will readily find a place for fome account of a manure, whofe effects have been reprefented to be so very extraordinary, as that of the Gypfum, or Plaiiter of Paris. By many experiments made in North America (for the particulars of which I muft refer your readers to A Treatife of the Earth called Gypfum,' &c. by Mr. Charles Clarke, of Milbank-row, Westminster) it appears, that five or fix bufhels of Gypfum, pulverized in the ftate as dug from the earth, and ftrewed on the foil, is preferable to fifty loads of dung; that it has been found effectual for wheat, barley, oats, rye, buck-wheat, Indian corn, cabbages, turnips, and particularly for clover, and all grafs lands; and in fhort a promoter to the growth of all vegetables; that uplands, worn out, and from their fandy foil abandoned, have become as valuable as the fineft bank meadow land, by ufing gypfum; that lands have retained vilible marks of its fuperior fertility feven years after this manure has been put on them; and that it has been found fo productive, that its effects have appeared in ten days after fowing, and the growth of grafs or clover have been fo great, that they have mowed it in fix weeks after, It appears, farther, that it fhould be fown on dry land, not liable to be overflown; and it is remarked, that it is equally productive in all dry foils. It may be laid on the foil in any month from March to September; but April is recommended. When it is fown, it fhould be put on in a fine powdered ftate in the broadeft manner, as you fow corn, to be careful that the diftribution is equal; and in many cases one bushel may be fufficient for a quarter of an acre: a hazy or drizzling day, with little or no wind, is preferred for sowing it. The ufe of it has been particularly recommended to the farmers of this country; as it is not doubted but that, in a few years, our barren heaths may be turned into fine grafs lands, and the prefent invaluable part of the kingdom be made useful. There are various forts of gypfeous earth to be found in numberlefs places in the temperate and frigid zones. The loofe and friable fort, particularly white, is found in Poland and Saxony, and other parts to the northward. The fibred and thready fort, commonly called talc (though improperly fo named, because the true tale is of another quality) is found in various parts of Europe, particularly in Eng land, as well as all the other forts of gypfum. The fcales and granulated fort is found in various colours all over Europe and North America, white, red, grey, grey, and a light yellow. This laft is found at Montmatre, near Paris, and, on that account, is called the Plaister of Paris. The hard white fort has somewhat the appearance of loaf fugar, fine, and of a clofe, firm, compact texture, and when broken fhines like cryftal. The fpar gypfum, or the pure felenite earth, is of various colours, and is fometimes found tranfparent; is a very heavy ftone, as if intermixed with fomething metallic; but tried experiments have found to the contrary. The ftalactical gypfum, of no vifible particles, is of different colours, and of various forms and figures. The crystallized gypfum in general is of the fparry fort, and of different colours; fome transparent, and of various forms. All the foregoing forts of gypfum, if not intermixed with any other particles of earth, will not ferment with the acid of nitre, or ftrike fire with fteel, and are proper for manure. The alabafter gypfum is folid, and of no vifible particles; is very eafy to faw and cut, but is not always fatiated with the acid of vitriol to anfwer the purpose of gypfum manure, there being fome alabafters that will ferment with aqua-fortis or acid of nitre. The gypfeous earths, as I have obferved before, is found in various parts of Europe, Ruffia, Norway, Germany, and France; it abounds in England, and is plentiful in Yorkfhire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Lincolnshire, where there are large pits of it; alfo in most of the cliffs of the Severn, particularly at the old paffage in Somersetshire. A very fine femi-transparent folid fort is found in Derbyshire, with other varieties. The fibred and thready fort, that which is ufually called talc, is found in the fame pits of gypfum before mentioned, also by itself in a variety of places. Selenites of many kinds abound in England in clays. Very fine gypfam has been dug from the falt rocks at Nantwich, in Cheshire. The felenites, called rhomboidalis, from the figures it makes the appear ance in (a rare foffil in other countries) is frequently found in England; but Shotoverhill in Oxfordshire, is famous for them. The ifle of Sheppy affords a kind (peculiar and particular to that small spot of ground) fibrous, and accreting in radiations like ftars. The manner of preparing the gypfum for manure, after being fatisfied that you have the right fort, that is, fuch that will not ferment with aquafortis, or strike fire with steel; break the large lumps into small, and those into still smaller, in a stamping-mill, then grind it in a grinding-mill; the finer it is pulverized, the more it has the power of attracting moisture; it then may be fowed upon the foil as before directed. I understand, that thofe who wish to try it at their farms or gardens, may have it of Mr. Clarke, ready prepared, in fmall quantities, or in greater, as may be wanted. I fhall conclude this account, with an extract of a letter, in Mr. Clarke's pamphlet, from a gentleman in the ftate of Pennsylvania to his friend in Quebec: This manure has produced a great revolution in agriculture, The fine watered and banked meadows in this country, are no longer held in the estimation they were; our dry poor uplands, from the effect of this valuable and cheap manure, are infinitely more productive, and more valuable than the beft low lands; I mean for grafs. In fhort, the value of farm-yard manure is much leffened, for it is cheaper for the farmer to purchase the gypfum than to draw out his dung thereon. This discovery exceeds credibility; it puzzles the philofopher, and aftonithes the farmer. Indeed, it tells us all reasoning hitherto, extended to the principles of vegetation, was without foundation, and that the human race are in a total state of ignorance respecting it. MISCELLANEOUS ANECDOTES. months found THE uncertainty of the law, and A MISER, a few monime before his death, very unwell. He fent, therefore, for a phyfician, to whom he told his cafe, requesting him not to flatter him, but to inform him of his real condition. The phyfician, immediately, with the franknefs that was required of him, affured him that he could not live fix weeks. On this he fet about adjusting his worldly concerns, and, for once in his life, was refolved to have it faid that he did a generous thing. He defired his friends (for friends in his way he had) to call on one of the governors of a public charity, with a request that he would wait on him on fuch a day. The gentleman, full of expectation, came to his time, and the following converfation took place: Sir, I have always liked the inftitution, of which you are a governor, and have a defire to forward its good purposes, by a bequeft of the fum of 1500l. I have very lately been informed by my phyfician, that I am not long for this world, and have fent for you to make you acquainted with my intention. But-' In the name of the patronifers of our benevolent inftitution, I return you fincere thanks. You may depend upon it, that your donation fhall be difpofed of to the beft advantage.' But, in order to fave trouble in the making of my will, I have a thought the profits of lawyers, have in all ages and nations been the fubject of unavailing complaint.-The tranflator of The Hedaya, (a commentary on the Muffulman laws) in his prelimi nary difcourfe, mentions, among the most celebrated native lawyers of India, one Abco Yoofaf, who flourished about A. D. 750. He not only acquired a high degree of fame by his legal knowledge, but also amaffed a very confiderable fortune in the space of a few years. He is reported to have been a person of great acuteness, ready wit, and prompt in expedients; of which a remarkable inftance is recorded in the Negàristan, whereby hé obtained in one night, fees to the amount of 50,000 gold deenars-at a round computation 20,000l.!-What would fome of our celebrated lawyers fay to this? Their paltry fees of two or three hundred guineas would have been merely drops in the bucket of Aboo Yoofaf! LEWIS the twelfth, Henry the fourth, and the prefent Lewis (whofe fortitude and magnanimity in a very perilous moment befpeak the goodnefs of his heart, and the integrity of his principles) are almost the only monarchs of France that have at all deferved the love and veneration of their people.-Henry the fourth was, in a manner, adored. Indeed, the degree to which the admiration of his character was carried, approached even to idolatry; as the following little incident will ferve to evince: ten years before the late revolution, a gentleman walking over the Pont Neuf at Paris, was accofted by a beggar, who implored his charity. the name of God, fir,' faid the beggar, do beftow your charity-in the name of the bleffed Virgin, do, fir.'-The gentleman walked on: the beg-gar invoked half the faints in the. kalendar, the gentleman remained in In exorable. exorable. At laft, they paffed the ftatue of Henry the fourth on that bridge Pray, fir, in the name of Henry the fourth, fir,' faid the beggar. -In the name of Henry the fourth!' faid the gentleman, ftarting from his reverie Here, friend, here's a louis for you.', MADAME de POMPADOUR, the miftrefs of Lewis XV, who always travelled with great expedition, was paffing through Orleans, when her coachman drove over a poor woman, whom age and infirmity prevented from getting out of the way, and the was killed on the spot. The coachman ftopped the carriage, and the fervants told their humane mistress that the poor woman was killed. Very well, faid fhe, with the most perfect coolness, here's a louis d'or to bury her drive on coachman.'-At another time, a young Frenchman of quality, driving his English friend in his phaeton, through the fireets of Paris, ran over a poor labouring man, who was inftantly killed. Oh! Sir,' exclaimed the Englishman, with anguish in his countenance, you have Killed the man.' So much the worfe for him,' answered the young count, and drove on, with the most perfect indifference and unconcern. Such are the effects of habitual tyranny and habitual fubjection! In France, before the late revolution, the fpectators of fuch an accident would have beheld it with an equal fang froid. They would juft have looked onand paffed on. In this, England, a man of any fortune would have thought of nothing lefs than a provifion for life for the unhappy family. DR. PETIT, a phyfician of high reputation, and ample fortune, at Paris, lately built a handfome houfe, at Orleans (his native city) to serve as a difpenfary to the poor; and not content thus to afford them medical affiftance gratis, he extended his be nevolent care to their property. Te defend it from the attacks of oppreffion, he has appointed lawyers, who have a falary allowed them, to plead the cause of the indigent. This public benefactor to his native city is the fon of a taylor; and in order to fhew that he was fuperior to the prejudices which had fo long enflaved his countrymen, he appointed the oldest taylor at Orleans, in indigent circumftances, to take care of this new inftitution.-He felt, perhaps, that having arrived at eminence, by a path the most honourable of all others, that of diftinguished talents, he might be allowed to recollect, without blushing, the lowness of his birth. Which are we to admire most, the benevolence, or the modefty, or, rather, the magnanimity, of this truly noble character ? Mrs. Carter,' faid he, fhall be appointed lord Chancellor of Great Britain.' And what place,' enquired another, will you give to the lady of this houfe?' We will give her, a feat in the answered the doctor, houfe of commons, and the will rife of herself." 6 |