It has been efteemed an original difcovery of Dr. Black, That water which had been boiled was more eafily frozen than water that had not undergone that operation.' Dr. F. plainly fhews this circumftance to have been known to Ariftotle, Pliny, Athenæus, Hippocrates, Galen, and others. He also brings feveral paffages from ancient writers to prove, that Dr. Black's doctrine of heat was well known to them. The new chemistry in general has furnifhed our Author with matter of inquiry on this fubject; in the treatment of which he has difplayed much reading, great attention, and confiderable ingenuity.

Remarks on the Knowledge of the Ancients refpe&ting Glafs. By Dr. Falconer.

The certainty that the ancients were acquainted with glafs is here examined. We think there is not the leaft doubt of it. The well-known paffage from Ariftophanes is a convincing proof not only of their knowledge of it, but also of their skill in the application of it to optical purposes. The paffage proves more than Dr. Falconer is aware of.

On the Origin of Alphabetical Characters. By Gilbert Wakefield, B. A. late Fellow of Jefus College, Cambridge.

An attempt to prove alphabetical writing the immediate gift of God.

On the Purfuits of Experimental Philofophy. By Thomas Percival, M. D. F. R. S. and S. A. &c.

The Dr. commends the method of purfuing philofophical inquiries by experiment, and lays down fome good directions for conducting experiments in the propereft manner.

Obfervations on a Thigh Bone of an uncommon Length. By C. White, Efq.

The thigh bone, which Mr. White here defcribes, was given him by Mr. Hardman of Ardwick, who purchased it at Liverpool. It was found in a room in that town, from whence fome people, who kept wild beafts, had fuddenly decamped in the night; and it was fuppofed that they left this bone behind them. This is all we know of its hiftory. It is evidently the thigh bone of fome large animal. The length of it is 3 feet 10 inches; breadth, in the narroweft part, 4 inches; thickness 23 inches; fmalleft circumference I foot and an inch; and its weight 40 lb. 8 oz.

A Narrative of the Sufferings of a Collier, who was confined more than feven Days, without Suftenance, and expofed to the Choke-damp, in a Coal pit not far from Manchefter: with Obfervations on the Effects of Famine; on the Means of alleviating them; and on the Action of foul Air on the human Body. By Thomas Percival, M. D. F. R.S, and S. A. &c.

REV. Oct. 1786.

S

This

This unfortunate man could not be recovered, although every means were used to preferve his life; he expired within 24 hours after his release from a cavity three yards in length, two in width, and about two feet thick, in which he was confined by the falling in of the pit. The confideration of the fymptoms, and the fenfations he felt during his confinement, lead Dr. Percival to make fome judicious medical remarks on famine, and on unwholefome air. At the conclufion of this article, we have an account of the putrid fever in the cotton works in the neighbourhood of Manchester, which fpread fo general an alarm in that country, in the autumn of the year 1784; with the regulations that were made for the more fpeedily and effectually preventing its ravages.

The Rejult of fome Obfervations made by Benjamin Rush, M. D. Profeffor of Chemistry in the University of Philadelphia, during his Attendance as Phyfician General of the Military Hofpitals of the United States, in the late War.

Thefe obfervations confirm the opinion that putrid fevers are produced by want of fufficient room and of cleanliness; and cured by tartar emetic, wine, bark, and the remedies ufually recommended in thefe cafes by former writers on the subject.

ART. III. An Account of the prefent State of the Hebrides and Western' Coats of Scotland: in which an Attempt is made to explain the Circumitances that have hitherto repreffed the Industry of the Natives; and fome Hints are fuggefted for encouraging the Fifheties, and promoting other Improvements in thofe Countries: being the Subftance of a Report to the Lords of Treafury, of Facts collected in a Tour to the Hebrides, with large Additions; together with the Evidence given before the Committee of Fisheries. By James Anderson, LL. D. F. R. S. F. S. A. Scot. Author of

The Intereft of Great Britain with regard to her American Colonies confidered *:"" Obfervations on the Means of exciting a Spirit of national Industry +." Illuftrated with a new Map of Scotland, in which the Hebrides, and Western Coasts in particular, are laid down from the best Authorities and latest Obfervations. 8vo. 7s. 6d. Robinfon. 1785.

N the natural order of things it might be thought that foreign poffeffions and diftant colonies would not engage the attention of a people, until they had improved their domeftic circumftances to the utmoft, and that active geniuses were driven to look abroad for the employment of their faculties: that the interior waftes of our own ifland would be all cultivated and fettled, before a vaft ocean would be croffed in fearch of defolate coafts, and hoftile intrufions among remote nations: and that, until the fisheries round our own coafts were fully occu† Rev. vol. LVIII. p. 177

* Vid. Rev. vol. LXVI. p. 422. 8

pied,

pied, the great bank at Newfoundland would not be reforted to. But how widely different has been the fact! An extenfive continent has been peopled, a diftant empire has been formed, and detached from us, before our own country is duly improved! We are embarraffed by dominions in the oriental ocean, while there is ample (neglected) room for colonizing among ourselves! We traverse diftant feas from the North to the South Poles, in fearch of fith, while our wifer neighbours grow rich by catching the fifh round our own fhores, with a dexterity that excites our envy, inftead of ftimulating our induftry! Yet, let us not load our countrymen with undeferved reproaches. Dr. Anderfon, who was employed by Government to examine into the ftate, of the western coaft and iflands of Scotland, ftrongly confirms the relations already given by others, of the melancholy poverty and depreffion of the inhabitants. They are indeed in fuch defitute circumftances, from the nature of their country, from the hereditary claims of their immediate landlords, and from the ftern indifcriminating regulations of our revenue laws; that they must be materially affifted by, and rife more to a level with, their fouthern neighbours, before their minds can be roused to exertion. The following is a general view of their forlorn fituation:

:

'These islands contain a numerous race of hardy and robust people, whofe labour, if properly directed, might prove of great utility to the State. From the information the Reporter received, on the truth of which he has reafon entirely to rely, there cannot be at prefent, in the islands of the Hebrides alone, lefs than eighty thoufand fouls and thefe, notwithstanding the drains from thence for recruits to the navy and army, as well as by emigration, are encreafing in a rapid progreffion *. On the shores of the main land oppofite to thefe iflands, there may be about three times that number, who are in fituation and circumftances nearly fimilar to thofe in the iflands. All this numerous people, which (if the Orkney and Shetland islands were included, and the other parts of Scotland where the inhabitants are in fimilar circumftances) cannot be fewer than five hundred thoufand fouls, being totally unacquainted with the benefits that refult from that compacted ftate of civil fociety, in which individuals can with eafe mutually give and receive reciprocal aid, live at prefent in detached folitary hamlets, in want of most of thofe enjoyments which men who have lived in fociety would think abfolutely neceffary to exiftence. In their fituation, every man is not only obliged to dig and reap with his own hand, the little field that is to furnish bread to himfelf and family, but in many cafes alfo to carry home its produce on his own fhoulders to the barn, and to carry out the manures to his field in the fame manner: he must

*He could not help taking notice of one reafon that was affigned for the late very rapid encreafe of the people, viz. the practice of inoculation for the fmall-pox, which has within a few years become very general among all ranks of perfons in the iflands.

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alfo officiate as mafon, fmith, carpenter, cooper, and miller to himfelf: he must act as tanner, fhoemaker, clothier, fuller, and taylor. In fhort, almost every neceffary he wants, must be made by himself, with tools of his own forming; for he neither can find these articles to purchase near himself, nor can he fell any fuperfluous produce he might be able to fpare, to yield him money to procure them. Thus are these people continually employed in an uninterrupted and fruitlefs induftry, which is neither capable of freeing themfelves from want, nor of benefiting the State +. Thofe capital branches of employment, which, in other circumftances, might, if perfevered in, furnish the means of a comfortable fubfiftence, must be fo frequently interrupted by thofe other unprofitable, though unavoidable avocations, that it turns out to be of very little benefit to them: and men who observe very little more of the mode of life of these perfons, fave that they frequently defert those employments that fuch obfervers think would turn out profitable to them, rafhly conclude, that this proceeds from an unfteady difpofition, a difinclination to labour, and an infuperable indolence of temperament. Contumely is thus added to oppreffion, and the poor people are cruelly infulted and abused, instead of being tenderly fympathifed with, and kindly fupported and cherished: yet, though fuffering, they complain not, but fubmit to their hard fate with a patient refignation; which ftrongly indicates that their hearts are uncorrupted, and that they may be eafily led to undertake any useful employment that might be put within their reach.

From thefe caufes, were none other to co-operate with them, the fishery never could be carried on by men fo circumstaneed, with advantage; and being unable to purchase boats and other apparatus for the fishery, they are obliged to rely upon the foil, as the fureft means of finding fubfiftence. Little poffeffions (for farms they cannot be called) are fought after by them, with an avidity that is fcarcely conceivable; and they cling to thefe with a degree of eagerness, which the wretchedness of their enjoyments would not feem to authorife. The tenure by which thofe poor people hold thefe, is fhort and precarious, ufually from year to year only; but fometimes it is extended to feven years, which is the longeft term of a lease they ever obtain. Being thus continually in danger of being turned out by their fuperior, who for the most part is himfelfonly a greater tenant,

Such perfons only as have attended to the divifion of labour in manufactures, can have an adequate idea of the difficulties that these people labour under, and the lofs to which they are thus fubjected. (See Smith's Wealth of Nations.) By an accurate calculation, now in the Reporter's poffeffion, of the different operations in pinmaking, it appears, that, by being divided among eighteen different claffes of operators, thefe eighteen perfons are thus enabled to make, on an average, 18,000 pins in a day, or at the rate of one thousand a-day for each perfon. It is doubted, if any man who was to perform all the parts with his own hand, could make five pins in a day; and even that small number would be much more clumfy and im perfect, than the thousand he might otherwife have made in the fame time.

they are obliged to fubmit to almost any conditions he pleases to impofe upon them, which tends to render their lot ftill more uncomfortable than otherways it would have been.'

This representation is farther illuftrated in the following paffage:

The inhabitants of the Hebrides may at prefent be divided into three claffes: 1ft, Proprietors of land:2d, Principal tenants, or tack fmen of large diftricts:-3d, The lower clafs of people.

With regard to the proprietors, their number is very fmall in proportion to that of the other claffes, as the property of almost the whole diftrict, is fwallowed up by ten or twelve men of overgrown fortunes, moft of whom know little about the fituation of their eftates, and fcarcely ever fet foot upon them. In their stead, a fet of men called factors are fubftituted, with very extenfive powers, which fometimes are exerted in favour of the rights of humanity, and the intereft of the proprietor; but are more frequently employed to bafer purposes, as muft neceffarily happen in the common run of human affairs.

The clafs of tacksmen occupy nearly the fame rank in the Hebrides, as belongs to that of men of landed property in other parts of Britain. They are called Gentlemen, and appear as fuch; and obtain a title from the farm they hold, nearly in the fame manner as gentlemen in other parts of the country obtain from their eftates. Most of thefe tacksmen are in fact defcended from a line of ancestors as ancient and honourable as the proprietors themselves, and therefore reckon themselves equally entitled with them to the appellation of gentlemen. Thefe tacksmen were, for the most part, originally younger fons of the proprietor himself, and obtained from their father leafes of confiderable tracts of ground at a moderate rent, which was bestowed upon them in lieu of a patrimony: the defcendents of these have therefore, in general, been accounted as relations of the family of the proprietor, and were treated with a mildnefs that made them confider their leafes rather as a fort of property, fubjected to a moderate quit rent to their fuperior, than as a fair and full rent for land in Scotland. In the abfence of the proprietor, these persons acquired a weight and influence in the country, which was very great; fo that the proprietor, if he had been fo difpofed, would have found it a very difficult matter to crush them; and as they found always means to bring the factor to favour their interefts, they have been able to continue their fway till the prefent moment, after most other veftiges of the feudal power have fallen into disrepute.--Thefe are the men who in general, together with the factors, keep the lower claffes of the people in the subjection above taken notice of. Upon enquiry, I found that most of the principal tackfmen in those districts, have come into the practice of keeping a kind of store or warehouse of neceffaries for the ufe of his immediate dependants; and that the usual and avowed rate of profit, which they think reflects no difcredit upon them to exact, is about fifty per cent. and on grain and other articles confiderably higher. Laft feafon, oatmeal fold at Greenock for about fixteen fhillings per boll; in many places of the Hebrides it was about twenty-four, in fome places I was told twenty-eight fhillings; and this, I was informed, is not beyond the ufual proportion. Some men, as must be expected in all cafes where

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