was determined at common law, he was ready to take it from them in parliament. As the committee would have divided upon this circumftance, the Provoft declared he would by no means force the point upon them: That, in having heard fuch refpectable opinions in his favour, he had attained his purpofe; and that, if the gentlemen concerned with him pleased, the point should be tried to the bottom. Mr Adam then offered to proceed in the bill, if a reservation was gi ven to the College of Juftice of their privilege, in cafe it should be found they had a right to it. The Provoft declared his determination rather to withdraw the claufe about the poor altogether: the magiftrates were, by the bill, furrendering their privileges to the Col lege of Justice; and fince the gentlemen infifted upon the law, it was but right that they thould take the law as it ftood. [See the Act, p. 262.]

A method of carrying FISH from Scotland to the London market perfectly FRESH.

A Plan has been fuggested for carrying fish from Scotland to the London market prefectly fresh. This is to be done by laying them in ice, which will completely preferve them-and by this means it is believed that the price of falmon, cod, codlings, haddocks, skait, and other fish, with which the Scots waters abound, will be reduced very confiderably in price.

"Perth, U. 3. Obferving a paragraph in the newspapers refpecting the fending fifh to London in ice, I beg leave to mention, that in confequence of a correspondence with Mr Dempfter, I tried

the fending falmon to London last season packed in ice, which answered beyond expectation. Before trial, I hoped little from the fcheme. All my people condemned it. I made the experiment rather in confequence of Mr Dempfter's earnest manner of writing, than in expectation of any good; however, I endeavoured to do it justice by trying different packages, and, as I have said, it promises well.

Whether this manner of conveyance can be applied to fea-fish, poultry, &c. as he hopes, a little time will discover. Meanwhile, I think proper to notice, that should any benefit result therefrom, either to the public or individuals, to that patriotic gentleman Mr Dempfter it owes its beginning in this country, and to none else.

I am, &c. JOHN RICHARDSON." The plan adopted by Mr Richardfon of Perth, upon the recommendation of Mr Dempfter, of sending fish packed in ice to London, might be adopted upon the west coast of Scotland, and upon the rivers where there are falmon and other fish. Any company of spirit would find it of great advantage to bring fish in that manner to Edinburgh. It would greatly reduce the price of that article in the metropolis, (which has of late been very extravagant) and consequently other provifions would become cheaper. Nor would it tend to render the fish dearer in the places they come from, as the fea contains an inexhauftible store, and the more that are taken, they multiply the more. By the invention of ice-houses

they might be brought at all feafons of the year. In Canada, all kinds of meat and fowls are preserved for months withthe roofs of their garrets. When the out falt, by being frozen and hung up in fish are to be ufed, they fhould be put into cold water to thaw by degrees, and then dreffed, and they will eat as fresh and crimp as when first put into the ice; but if they are put into warm water, or brought near a fire, before they are properly thawed, it will fpoil them. The public are much indebted to Mr Dempfter and the Hon. Captain Cochran, who has adopted this plan, for their unremit ting attention to promote the welfare of their country; and it is hoped their patriotic examples will be properly attended to by perfons of fpirit and enterprife, capable of carrying them properly into execution.

Account

Account of the Entertainment of King CHARLES II. at Pittenweem. [From the Council Books of Pittenweem] Feb. 1651.

THE bailies and council being conven

ed, and having received information that his Majefty is to be in progress with his court along the coast to-morrow, and to stay at Anftruther house that night, have thought it expedient, according to their bounden duty, with all reverence and due refpect, and with all the folemnity they can, to wait on his Majefty as he comes through this his Majefty's burgh, and invite his Majefty to eat and drink as he paffes; and for that effect hath or dained, that the morn afternoon the town's coloures be put upon the bartisan of the fteeple; and that at three o'clock the bells begin to ring, and ring on still till his Majefty come hither and paffes to Anftruther; and ficklike, that the minifter be spoken to, to be with the bailies and council, who are to be in their beft apparel; and with them a guard of twenty-four of the ableit men with partizans, and other twenty-four with mufkets, all in their best apparel. William Suther land commander, as captain of the guard, are to wait upon his Majefty, and receive his Highness at the welt-port, bringing his Majesty and court through the town, until they come to Robert Smith's yeat, where an table is to be covered with my Lord's best carpet; and that George Netherweeke have in readiness of fine flour fome great bunns, and other wheat bread of the beft order, baken with fugar-cannel and other spices fitting; and that James Richardfon and Walter Jurth have care to have ready eight or ten gallons of good strong ale, with Canary, Sack, Renish wine, tent, white, and claret wines, that his Majefty and court may eat and drink; and in the mean time, when his Majesty is prefent, the guard do diligently attend about the court; and fo foon as his Majefty is to go away, that a fign be made to Andrew Todd, who is appointed to attend the coloures on the fteeple-head, to the effect he may give fign to those who attend the cannon, of his Majefty's departure; and then the hael thirty-fix cannon to be shot at once: It is alfo thought fit, that the minifter, and James Richardfon the oldeft bailie, when his Majesty comes to the table, fhow the great joy and fenfe this burgh has of his Majefty's condefcendence to vifit the fame, and other expreffions of loyalty.

All which was acted.

VOL. XLVIII

Account of a custom observed by the inhabi tants of the Isle of Man.

IN their fports they retain fomething of the Arcadian fimplicity. Dancing, if

I

may call it fo, jumping and frifking about at leaft, to fiddle and bafs viol, is their greatest diverfion. In fummer they have it in the fields, and in winter in the barns: the month of May is every year ushered in with a ceremony which has fomething in the defign of it pretty enough. It is as follows:

In most of the great towns and parishes they chufe from among the daughters of the moft wealthy farmers, or others, a young maid, the Queen of May; the is dreffed in the gayeft and beft manner they can, and is attended by about 20 others, who are called maids of honour: fhe has also a young man, who is her Captain, and has under his command a good number of inferior officers. In oppofition to her is the Queen of Winter, who is a man dreffed in woman's clothes, with woollen hoods, fur tippets, and loaded with the warmest and heaviest habits one upon another. In the fame manner are those who represent her attendants dreft; nor is fhe without a Captain and troop for her defence, both being equipped as proper emblems of the beauty of the Spring and the deformity of Winter. They fet forth from their respective quarters; the one preceded by violins and flutes, and the other with the rough mufic of the tongs and cleavers.Both companies march till they meet on a common, and then there trains engage in a mock engagement. If the Queen of Winter's forces get the better fo as to take the Queen of May prifoner, fhe is ranfomed for as much as pays the expences of the day. After the ceremony, Winter and her company retire, and divert themfelves in a barn; and the others remain on the green; when having danced a confiderable time, they conclude the evening with a feaft; the Queen with her maids at one table, and the Captain with his troop at another: the number of perfons at each table feldom being less than fitty or fixty. SCOTUS.

General Abstract of the Glifgow Mortality Bill for 1786.

Intered in the High Church yard,
In the North-weft and Blackfriars
Burying-ground,

In the Town's Hospital,
In the Gorbals,

Total

772

714

54 198

1738

Sketch

Sketch of the Trade of the HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY.

[The following account of the Hudson's Bay Company appeared in the new papers in September laft, when it was faid Government intended to make fome more fettlements in that country.]

THE entire fum which conftitutes the original funds of the Hudfon's Bay Company amounts to 10,500l. Sterling. Every holder of Icol. ftock has a right of voting, and every one who is poffeffed of more than 100 l. of the faid original stock has as many votes as he has fhares or hundreds of pounds. But if a fhare be divided among several persons, they are intitled all together to no more than one vote. By degrees this fociety has raised the price of their wares, and lowered that of the commodities of the natives of America, and of the Efkimaux, to fuch a degree, that the commodities exported from England to Hudfon's Bay, will only freight four small ships, which fcarcely require 130 failors to man them, and amount to about 4000l. reckoning them at prime cost.

Thefe exports confift of muskets, piftols, powder, fhot, brafs and iron kettles, axes, hatchets, knives, cloths, blankets, baize, flannels, fteel and flints, gunworms, hats, looking-glaffes, fifh-hooks, rings, bells, needles, thimbles, glassbeads, vermillion, thread, brandy, &c. &c. &c. With thefe commodities they buy furs, skins, caftor, beaver-furs, whale bone, train oil, and eider down, to the amount of more than 120,000l. Sterling. Now this would be at the rate of 25,500l. for every 1000l. disbursed by them, or 52501. per cent. But from this we muft deduct the duties, the expences of fitting out the hips, the pay of the officers and failors, the maintenance of the fortifications and factories, and of the people be longing to them; and yet, even then, there remains to the Company a very great profit. The general opinion is, that the proprietors of this stock, who are at prefent not go in number, gain a bout 2000l. per cent.

As for certainty, with refpect to this matter, there is none, for the Company *ranfacts all its affairs with the greatest fecrecy. Thus much, however, is certain, that no trade in the world is fo profitable as this of Hudfon's Bay. But on the other hand, it is equally certain, that as the English nation in no branch of

commerce is a greater loser than in this, nothing but the fanctity of a charter granted by government can protect this commercial Comparty, fo very detrimental to the mother country. If the trade was made entirely free and open, more than 50 or 60 fhips would go every year to Hudfon's Bay; and, inflead of 130 failors, 2500 would be annually maintained, and brought up for the service of the ftate. Thefe 60 fhips would alfo yearly export to the value of 100,000l. or 120,000l. of wares and English manufactories, which would greatly increase the manufacturing bufinefs, and would provide for a conûderable number of poor, and give them employment and maintenance.

Add to this, that thefe North-American provinces might also be better peo pled, and planted with English colonies. For, were they but removed to the diftance of fome miles inland from the fea, which is covered with vast quantities of ice, and by this means rendered intensely cold, they would find a more temperate climate; where they might cultivate themselves, in great abundance, all the neceffaries of life, which at prefent it is impoffible to raise on the shores of Hudfon's Bay. This would enable them to establish by degrees, ftill farther and farther inland fettlements and habitationa of Europeans.

SIR,

Wickham Market, Dec. 16. Mary Bradcock, of Dallinghoe, whofe [vol. 47. p. 561.] died on the 19th inftant. I was fent for the next day, to examine the ftate of her bones, which were be come foft and flexible, like cartilage, as I could, with the greateft ease, bend her limbs into any fhape. I removed a por tion of the radius from her right arm, in which I included a part where a fracture had formerly been. The bone was be come fo foft as to be divifible with ease by the knife. The part where the cal lus had formed was equally foft and flex ible with the other parts. This change in the bones has been mentioned and ac counted for by anatomifts. The above unhappy fufferer has had feveral frac tures fince the publication of her cafe; and, at the time of her decease, was 10 the fixth month of her pregnancy. Yours, &c.

cafe was related fome time since

W. SALMON, Surgeon.
The