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minutes above the horizon. But, besides this, there is a considerable degree of light both before his rising and after his setting, and when the atmosphere is clear, the influence is protracted for several hours after his complete disappearance. On the 9th of December 1808, I could distinctly read ordinary print, by day-light, at five o'clock of the afternoon. The moon did not rise that evening, until half past eight, but the day had been very fine.

But if the winter be dark and gloomy, it is amply compensated by the continued light of the summer months. The nights begin to be very short early in May, and from the middle of that month to the end of July, darkThe ness is absolutely unknown. sun scarcely quits the horizon, and his short absence is supplied by a bright twilight. Nothing can surpass the calm serenity of a fine summer night in the Zetland isles. The atmosphere is clear and unclouded, and the eye has an uncontrolled and extensive range -the hills and the headlands look then more majestic, and they have a solemnity superadded to their grandeur:-the water in the bays appears dark, and as smooth as glass :-no living object interrupts the tranquillity of the scene, but a solitary gull skimming the surface of the sea; and there is nothing to be heard but the distant murmuring of the waves among the rocks.

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by history, is no less true than formidable and astonishing. Many instances of the kind, which are not on record, have doubtless occurred.

I recollect reading in Livy, of the descent of a shower of stones in Italy: such a shower fell, not long ago, upon a vessel at sea, bound to Charlestown, South Carolina, from which the terrified seamen took refuge between decks, after shutting the hatches.— Specimens are preserved.

A terrible shower of stones is said to have descended in Benares, in India, lately, and we have a circumstantial history of a shower of burning stones, which fell in different parts of Parma, in Italy, last April. One of these, upon being examined, affected the magnetic needle. Its specific gravity was thrice that of water, and its surface was vitrified, as if it had been acted upon by volcanic or other powerful heat.

It contained silicious earth, oxyd of iron, magnesia, oxyd of nickel, oxyd of manganese, oxyd of chrome, and sulphur, not, however, in equal proportions.

As water cannot ascend spontaneously into the atmosphere (I mean without the agency of whirlwinds, or other adequate force,) before its levity is augmented, by re-solution into its constituent gases, the ascent of a body of stone, metals, &c. whose density exceeds that of water, must be impossible, without volcanic or other powerful agency. We may here remark, that the vortical and moving pillars of sand, observed in various

Account of STONES falling from the parts of the world occasionally, ap

THE

Atmosphere.

HE following letter is from Dr Brickell, of Charlestown, to President Meigs, of the university of Athens of that State.

The descent of stones from our atmosphere, on sea and land, and in vaious parts of the world, as attested

pear to be raised, as water spouts are, by wind.

Had the ponderous bodies of stone, metal, &c. which have frequently fallen from our atmosphere, for ages, descended from the moon, or other pla nets or satellites, the increase of matter in the earth, augmenting its centripetal force, must have drawn it near

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er to the sun, (Newton's Princip. lib. 3. prop. 7.) shortened our year by diminishing the semi-diameter of our orbit, and increasing the velocity of the earth's motion, (Princip. lib. 3. prop. 2. ;) and enlarged the solar parallax as we approached him, (Euclid, lib. 3. prop. 20.)

Had these meteoric stones come from the moon, the loss of matter lessening her gravitation and celerity, must have carried her to a greater distance from us, diminished her parallax, and lessened the number of her annual lunations, by the above cited doctrines.

None of these consequences having occurred, we must infer, that the quantity of matter in the earth is unchanged since the creation, and, consequently, that these aero-piptic stones are thrown from our volcanoes.

Many of these stones, which you have mentioned, are probably from Hecla, which has been in a state of dreadful explosion, occasionally, of late; and the flaming stones from the southward islands, or from the country between Lima and Quito, which has been in vehement commotion.

The force and direction of the wind, acting upon these meteoric stones, as well as the state of the air, must have effects; a copious quantity of oxygen gas must give them additional splendour in their passage thro'

it.

When the wind is with or against them, their velocity, and the distance they travel, will be proportionably affected; a lateral wind must act upon them as the angular bearing and vental impetus. (Newton's Princip. lex. 2. co. 1.)

These stones are seen to fall back into the crater, generally in calm weather: but are carried off by the winds, and, finally, descend to the earth, after describing a parabola, more or less elevated in the atmosphere, proportionate to their projectile force and cen*ripetal power.

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SIR,

To the Editor.

ONE of the most celebrated philo

sophers of this country has pronounced as his opinion, that it is the business of those who turn their speculations on the living world, to commend the virtues, as well as to expose the faults of their contemporaries, and to confute a false as well as to support a just accusation. Our belief in the propriety of this maxim, has led us, for some years past, to submit to the readers of the Scots Magazine, various statements of the management and application of the funds of the Charity Work-House in this city, all of which reflect very great credit on the Managers, and on the Treasurer in particular; while their praise-worthy efforts to suspend and prevent the operation of an act of Parliament, recently obtained by the Magistrates (without knowledge of the Managers!) in so far as relates to this establishment, certainly intitles them to the hearty thanks of every friend of the poor and of the oppressed.

In Vol. LXX. p. 885, et. seq. our readers will find the last statement of the affairs of this charity; from which it

appears, that although the number maintained, had encreased, 1807-8, from 782 to 1000, that the balance remaining in favour of the establishment amounted to no less than L. 221. 11. 9.

Now," as there is no fellowship of honour and baseness in the same breast," and as the circumstances relative to the management of this public institution have remained pretty much the same as last year, it will not

therefore

therefore excite surprise to find that continued to prosper-and this will be the affairs of the House have hitherto learned from the following exposé :

Receipt and Expenditure of the EDINBURGH CHARITY WORKHOUSE, from 1st July 1808 to 1st July 1809, by GEORGE SPANKIE, Treasurer.

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*This article is L.800 above last year. The Bread cost L.130 more the two last quarters than the same period in 1808; and there is Meal and Barley on hand worth L.350.

This includes the Weekly Premiums for all Work done in the House. # This includes L.250 paid this year for Improvements in Bedlam.

Dec. 1809.

The numbers stood in July 1805, at 500. 1806, at 712. 1807, at 782. 1808, at 1000.

Average charge of those maintained, Six Pounds Five Shillings, each individual per annum, covering all charges.

Besides the increased numbers depending on the establishment, and that the comforts of the family in every department are complete, and allowing the articles on hand to equal the balance, there has been paid since July 1805, no less a sum than three thousand, two hundred pounds! viz. Of debt at that period, and funds to pay the whole, Repairs in House, in Bedlam, &c. &c. Loss sustained on 89 children left by Mr Richardson, late kirk - treasurer, sides that 36 of them have been re

be

ceived into the house, after deducting 150/. from the City these three years,

£.1600 0.0

Bedlam, also, has been completely repaired, and the house formerly occupied by the House of Industry, has been attached and converted into a receptacle for convalescents, where these unfortunates have the advantage of a large garden to walk and exercise in. This temporary accommodation has no doubt been obtained at a very considerable expense to the Work-House; but this, however, may be considered, comparatively, as nothing, when we reflect on the relief which has been thus bestowed on a class of our fellow creatures, placed by Providence in so pitiable and melancholy a situation.

The principal support of the Charity Work-House, is derived from the 800 0 0 collections at the established churches, (which forms a tax on about one eighth part of the community,) and a voluntary tax of 2 per centum upon property in the city; excluding, however, that portion of it which belongs to members of the College of Justice, who have hitherto, in a most shameful manner, withheld paying their proportions of this tax. The value of property belonging to this class-by far the most opulent part of the community,-is great, and their refusing to pay, materially diminishes the funds of the Work-House. With feelings of surprise, it may be here noted, that these people belonging to the Courts of Law, send a large proportion of Managers to dispose of the funds of this charity, to which they do not contribute!

800 0 0

£.3200 00

Hence it will be observed, that the numbers supported and supplied this year 1808-9, amount to 1194, being 194 persons more than in the year preceding!

During the last four years, there has been an increase of no less than 694 persons, as burdens on this charity; notwithstanding of which, the prudence of the Managers has enabled them to make very great improvements both in the Work-house and in Bedlam. The former has undergone a thorough repair, by which the comforts of its humble tenants have been greatly increased-while the strictest attention has at same time been paid to the qualities of the different necessaries of life employed for their support.

Without some compulsory measure, we believe one may as well attempt "to turn the Sun to ice by fanning in "his face with a peacock's feather," as to induce this class of Citizens to do what they ought in respect to the poor; but it would appear they are proof a gainst "the compunctious visitings of nature.' Qui an magni sapientesque sint, nescio: homines, non sunt -Plin.

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Edinburgh, we believe, is the only place in this island that does not provide for its poor.

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The whole annual stated revenue of this House at present, therefore, does not exceed L.3,500, while the expenditure last year was nearly L.6000: This, of course, renders the institution very dependent on Casual revenue. The propriety of this charitable institution being dependent on casual revenue, has been supported by some, but denied by many people :in our opinion, as the matter now stands, we consider it an unfair tax on the charitable and humane, while those, certainly of unenviable, but opposite feelings, escape.

We intended here to offer a few remarks on that portion of the act of Parliament lately passed, to which we have formerly alluded, relative to the Charity Work-House-the manner in which it was obtained—and the effects likely thereby to be produced on this institution; but as we understand that a strong, yet respectful remonstrance, has been presented to the Magistrates and Town Council on the subject, pointing out the eventual ruin of the House if the purposes of the act should be carried into effect, together with other baleful consequen ces likely to ensue from it, we shall for the present wave our intention of writing on the subject, until we hear of the result of the representation. That it may have the desired effect-prays, TIMON.

Edinburgh, Dec. 18th 1809.

Description of the IONIAN ISLANDS.

THESE islands, which our navy

has just wrested out of the hands of France, are situated along the western coast of Greece, from the mouth of the Adriatic to the southern extremity of the Morea. They extend from 36 to 40 degrees of south latitude. Prior to the French revolution, they were subject to the Venetian go

vernment. France, after seizing the possessions of that state, and ceding the bulk of them to Austria, kept, however, these islands to herself, by the treaty of Campo Fornio. They were taken from her, in March 1799, by a combined Russian and Turkish fleet, and were then erected into an independent republic, under the title of the "Seven Islands." Russia, however, again ceded them to France by the treaty of Tilsit, which last power has remained master of them till now, when they have been restored to independence under the auspices of Britain.

Of these islands, Cephalonia is the largest, and may, if protected by wise laws, become, under the British government, one of the emporiums of the Levant. It is in circuit full 170 miles, poesessing on the south-west side a very capacious harbour, named Argostoli; capable of affording shelter to a large fleet, and locked on almost every quarter. Under the Venetian government, there were two forts upon it, but they have been alallowed to fall into ruin. The wines, as well as all the productions of Cephalonia, are highly esteemed.

In its vicinity, separated only by an arm of the sea, about a league broad, called the "Canel Guiscardo," stands Ithaca, or Teachi, the little Cephalonia; so famous as the country of Ulysses, and the residence of Penelope. The island is near forty miles in circumference.

Cerigo, the ancient Cythera, according to the mythologists, the ancient residence of Venus, is situate to the south-east of the Morea, and is about 50 miles in circumference. The greater part is mountainous and rocky, but the rest produces corn and excellent grapes. The town of San Eicolo, in this island, has a fort, and a good road for ships.

Zante is the last and most southern of this cluster of islands, being about 12 miles from Cephalonia, 14 miles

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