son, Civil Engineers, whose agent and taste in this departat are undisputed, have drawn out , by which the roads round this e hill may be extended and imThey have also formed a line through the King's Park, ich will form an important immement to those by whom that utiful walk is frequented. Mr Paes, Architect, has particularly atanded to other improvements which carrying on in Burntsfield Links. Some difficulty having been found a procuring a sufficient number of ols, orders have lately been sent by Government to supply them as requind, from the stores in the Castle. In order to secure the due performnce of the work assigned, the whole her employed has been divided iate parties of 100, with an overseer each. These have been divided into smaller parties of 25, which have uch a sub-overseer. The whole has een placed under the superintendence of a retired military officer of nk and experience.

The next, and the most laborious task, was that of discriminating the proper objects to be employed, and the detection of imposture. This latter evil, it might have been supposed, would have been less to be feared, when money was to be given, only combined with employment, especially

when the rate of payment was properly made very moderate. But it was found, that there were motives which induced some persons to apply when they might have found employment in the regular channels. An easier task, the allowances of soup, &c. given to those who had families, the labouring only during the day, while they could employ the night in other occupations, were motives impelling several to apply, who could not be considered as worthy objects.

A strict investigation was therefore necessary, and it was undertaken and performed, with the most meritorious diligence, by Principal Baird, J. H. Forbes, Esq. Robert Johnston, Esq. and several other gentlemen, who have always devoted their labours to objects connected with the public good, with the same zeal as if it had been to promote their own private interests. The town was divided into twenty-six districts, to each of which a Visitor and Elder was appointed, to whom applications were to be made, and who were to report upon them to the Committee. A schedule was furnished to them, in which they were first to insert the statements of the applicant, as given by himself, and then the corresponding result of their own personal enquiries. It may not be uninteresting to exhibit the form of the schedule

solution to the Visitor and Elder, to be by them reported to the person applying.

It was afterwards determined, that the Visitors and Elders should make a new visitation every fortnight, in order to learn whether any change had taken place in the cases of those who were under their superintend

ance.

The rate of wages was at first a shilling a-day, but on the 20th January, it was reduced to 10d. Those who have families receive no higher wages; but they are allowed soup, meal, and coals, in proportion to the number of children. The wages are paid on Wednesdays and Saturdays: the meal and coal tickets are distributed weekly, the soup tickets daily. The latter are marked as to be presented at each successive half hour from 12 to 2, so that all confusion is prevented. 720 of these tickets are now distributing. It is found, that excellent and nutritious broth can be made at 1d. per chopin. The following are the materials allowed for 430 chopins

out of employment, Dr Baird, Cou

ve ner.

4. For visiting and reporting on applicants, Mr John Wigham, Con

vener.

5. For food, Adam Duff, Esq. Convener.

6. For printing and accounts, Robert Dundas, Esq. Convener.

The number of applicants has very greatly exceeded the expectations of the Committee. It was not supposed that they would be beyond four or five hundred; whereas in a very few days they amounted to twelve hundred, and on the 29th of January had reached 1943. Of these, at the latter period, about 1200 were actually employed by the Committee. On the same date, the subscriptions (including £.1000 from the Prince Regent) amounted in all to £.6,619 ☐ 11 - 1. Glasgow.

We do not possess any information from this quarter later than the middle of December. At that time the relief had been given in money only. Distributions to labourers out of employment had begun about the middle of July, and were first drawn from the residue of a fund raised several years ago for the same purpose. The allowances given were, to a single person, 2s. P week; to a man and wife, 3s.; and for every child, 6d. When there was any employment, the relief was proportionally reduced. This sum of £.1500 was expended about the middle of October. The Magistrates then undertook the distribution, and the expenditure was made to fall upon the assessment imposed for the general relief of the poor.

Aberdeen.

Here, as in Edinburgh, the relief is given in work. The clergymen announced from the pulpits, that they and the elders would attend to take down the cases of applicants. These were entered in printed schedules,

which were then transmitted to the Committee, who decided upon them. The labourers were employed in repairing the streets and approaches to the town, which, from its utility to the inhabitants, was conceived to be a kind of work that would encourage abscriptions. The whole number is applied were 120, consisting of labourers, a few tradesmen, and a good my sailors. Of those not more £0 were employed at any one time; which were divided into two hands, working in separate streets.The allowances are, to a single man, ka-week; to a married man, 6s.; for every child not exceeding four, ul. additional, thus making the maxi

S. A soup kitchen has been employed for the relief of poor househaders, but has not been connected with the general plan for employing

the poor.

of the wearers, we are glad to perceive, has evidently improved within our recollection; so that any very extravagant departure from nature is now scouted; and the greater the approach to a resemblance of real flowers, the more highly, we believe, are such articles now prized. It is pleasing to observe, that this mark of good taste prevails at Edinburgh ; and still more so, to find, that perfectly correct imitations of nature have first been produced by an artist of our city, Miss Jack. So close and faithful are her imitations, that one might absolutely have botanized in the bouquet above alluded to.

This lady constructs her flowers chiefly of a kind of fine inner bark of some tree, which she procures in lamine from the East Indies. It is supposed to be the delicate bark from the suckers of the East Indian breadfruit tree. This tree, in India, is also called Jack-tree; rather a curious coincidence of names! The layers of

HISTORY.

IN the absence, this month, of more legitimate objects of natural histary for our memoranda, we shall Feature to stray into a by-path, adorned with artificial flowers, (but in the hope that the gallantry of our critics will excuse us), for the purpe of noticing a bouquet destined far the centre compartment of an pergne belonging to the Princess Charlette of Wales, and which, we understand, was intended as a present to Her Royal Highness on her birthdy, by Lord James Murray,

It is scarcely necessary to remark ba very remote from nature artificul flowers, even the most costly, in general appear. In many cases, those garly styled gum-flowers, hear no mblance to any thing that ever grew on the face of the earth. Even the best Parisian dress flowers are very imperfect imitations. The taste

the natives; but Miss Jack frequent. ly finds it necessary to alter the tints; and in closely following the hues of nature, she has made many experiments in extracting delicate vegetable colours, and has fixed them with mordants of her own devising.

A judicious flower painter, it is well known, always prefers for the subjects of his art, the most common "garniture" of the garden or the field; so that every one being acquainted with the natural production may be more able duly to estimate the fidelity of the copy. In like manner, Miss Jack, in selecting flowers for the Princess's bouquet, instead of culling the rarer showy exotics, seems to have given a preference to the most familiar plants-the common white narcissus, hyacinth, double wall-flower, laburnum, lilac, thick-leaved saxifrage, apple and pear tree blossom, and one of our most common kinds of

geranium (Pelargonium inquinans,)

In all of these, as well as in the bunches of roses, particularly the Provence, the imitation of nature is complete, and the spectator really experiences a disappointment on discover ing that they have "no sweet airs and odours to bestow."

it is quite delightful and refreshing to gaze on so striking an effort of skill in such a representation of nature."

We may observe, that we believe the artist admits the justness of the objection made to the shades of her greens, and that the reason of the paleness is, that the material employed is not susceptible of dark green and shining colours; but doubtless a person of her ingenuity may, for very dark leaves, such as those of the evergreens mentioned, devise some other and more tractable material.

This notice concerning artificial flowers will, we flatter ourselves, prove agreeable, and eke profitable, to our fuir readers, and save them, in future, both from the anxiety of procuring and the necessity of paying exorbitant prices for such ornaments as were wont to be furnished them by the hands of foreigners, certainly very far inferior to those of our home manufacture.

The bouquet, in its perfect state, was, with permission of the noble owner, shewn by Miss Jack to her friends for two or three days previous to its being dispatched to London.A gentleman distinguished for superior taste in the fine arts, having viewed it, remarked, in a card to the writer of this article, (in which he partly adopted musical language), that "curious persons have occasionally observed how much one may excel in contriving a solo, or how closely some single flowers may in appearance approach to nature, both in form and colour; but it certainly remained for Miss Jack to compose a full piece." He added, that "from the scientific manner in which the different specimens are disposed, bringing those of warm and cold tones in opposition, and keeping one of these always principal to those that surround it, she has evinced much knowledge of the harmony of colour." And he concluded with saying, that "if it were excusable to offer any hint on this effort, which comes so near to perfection, it would be to recommend, that, in her next attempt, she should introduce some darker greens, for instance, sprigs of laurustinus, bay-laurel, or alaternus; for perhaps the only defect is, the monotony of yellowish greens in all the leaves. Even as it is, I have no hesitation in pronouncing this bouquet to be one of the finest assemblages of closely imitated beautiful flowers ever formed, and certainly at this season, when

-storms let loose

Do drive the trunks of tallest cedars down, And kill the tender flowers, not yet half blown,

Having already mentioned the improvement of taste in regard to dress flowers, we cannot refrain from taking this opportunity of adding, that we should like to see the same chastness of taste gaining ground among our cotton printers. Why should not the pattern-drawers employed by opulent companies be instructed in flowerdrawing by the best teachers, and be enjoined to copy real leaves, flowers, and sprigs, in all their designs? Or who can doubt that patterns designed after Nature with the accuracy of a pupil of the school of Syme, would have a decided preference in the eyes of every purchaser possessed of any degree of discernment, when compared with the monstrosities which are at present blazoned in the bay-windows of our haberdashers, where the only competition seems to be, which shall excel in outraging Nature.

brunt of the Remarkable Case of MARGARET LYALL, who remain ed in a State of Sleep nearly Six Weaks. By the Rev. JAMES BREWSTER, Minister of CRAIG.

From Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Vol. VIII. Part I.) MARGARET LYALL, a young woman, about twenty-one years of ge, daughter of John Lyall, shoema. ker in the parish of Marytown, served during the winter half-year preceding Whitsunday 1815, in the family of Peter Arkley, Esq. of Dunninald, in the parish of Craig. At the last-mentioned term, she went as servant to the Rev. Mr Foote of Logie; but, in a few days after entering her place, was seized with a slow fever, which confined her to bed rather more than a fortnight. During the latter part of her illness, she was conveyed to ber father's house; and on the 23d of June, about eight days after she had been able to leave her bed, she resumed her situation with Mrs Foote, who had, in the mean time, removed to Budden, in the parish of Craig, for the benefit of sea-bathing. She was observed, after her return, to do her work rather in a hurried manner; and, when sent upon any errand, to ran or walk very quickly, as if impatient to finish whatever she had in hand. Her health, however, appeared to be perfectly restored, except that her menses were obstructed. On Tuesday morning, June 27th, about four days after ber return to service, she was found in bed in a deep sleep, with the appearance of blood having dowed from her nose; and about half a Scotch pint of blood was perceived on the floor, at her bed-side. All attempts to awaken her were utterly ineffectual; and she was conveyed in a cart to her father's house, about half a mile distant from Budden. Dr Gibson, physician in Montrose, having been called, a pound of blood was taken from her arm; but she still re

mained in the same lethargic state, without making the slightest motion, or taking any nourishment, or having any kind of evacuation, till the afternoon of Friday the 30th day of June, when she awoke of her own accord, and asked for food. At this period she possessed all her mental and bodily faculties; mentioned distinctly, that she recollected her having been awakened on Tuesday morning at two o'clock, by a bleeding at her nose, which flowed very rapidly; said, that she held her head over the bed side till the bleeding stopped; but declared, that, from that moment, she had no feeling or remembrance of any thing, and felt only as if she had taken a very long sleep. An injection was administered with good effect, and she went to sleep as usual; but next morning, (Saturday, July 1.), she was found in the same state of

profound sleep as before. Her breathing was so gentle as to be scarcely perceptible; her countenance remarkably placid, and free from any expression of distress; but her jaws were so firmly locked, that no kind of food or liquid could be introduced into her mouth. In this situation she continued for the space of seven days, without any motion, food, or evacuation either of urine or faces. At the end of seven days she began to move her left hand; and, by pointing it to her mouth, signified a wish for food. She took readily whatever was given her, and shewed an inclination to eat more than was thought advisable by the medical attendants. Still, however, she discovered no symptoms of hearing, and made no other kind of bodily movement, than that of her left hand. Her right hand and arm, particularly, appeared completely dead and devoid of feeling, and, even when pricked with a pin so as to draw blood, never shrunk in the smallest degree, or indicated the slightest sense of pain. At the same time, she instantly drew back the left arm,

when