parts as would remain fufpended in the water for a time. The obtaining of thofe very fmall particles in fufficient quantity feemed to him to be one of the principal defiderata in the experiment.

The water being by this treatment rendered very muddy, he poured the fame into a clean earthen veffel, leaving the filings behind; and when the water had ftood long enough to become clear, he poured it out carefully, without difturbing fuch of the iron fediment as ftill remained, which now appeared reduced almoft to impalpable powder. This powder was afterwards removed into another veffel, in order to dry it; but as he had not obtained a proper quantity thereof by this one step, he was obliged to repeat the process many times.

Having at laft procured enough of this very fine powder, the next thing to be done was to make a paste of it, and that with fome vehicle which would contain a confiderable quantity of the phlogiftic principle for this purpose he had recourfe to lintfeed-oil, in preference to all other fluids.

:

With these two ingredients only he made a stiff pafte, and took particular care to knead it well before he moulded it into convenient shapes.

Sometimes, whilst the paste continued in its foft ftate, he would put the impreffion of a feal upon the feveral pieces; one of which is in the British Museum.

This pafte was then put upon wood, and fometimes on tiles, in order to bake or dry it before a moderate fire, at a foot diftance or thereabouts.

The Doctor found, that a moderate fire was most proper, because a greater degree of heat made the compofition frequently crack in many places.

The time required for the baking or drying of this pafte was generally five or fix hours before it attained a fufficient degree of hardness. When that was done, and the feveral baked pieces were become cold, he gave them their magnetie virtue in any direction he pleased, by placing them between the extreme ends of his large magazine of artificial magnets for a few feconds, or more, as he faw occafion.

By this method the virtue they acquired was fuch, that when any one of thofe pieces was held between two of his beft ten-guinea.bars, with its poles purpofely inverted, it immediately of itfelf turned about to recover its natural direction, which the force of thofe very powerful bars was not fufficient to counteract.

An extract from Dr Hunter's account of the FREE MARTIN, in the last volume of Philofophical Tranfactions, art. 20. IT is a known fact, and, I believe, is understood to be univerfal, that when a cow brings forth two calves, and that one of them is a bull-calf, and the other. a cow to appearance, the cow-calf is unfit for propagation. They are known not to breed: they do not even thew the leaft inclination for the bull; nor does the bull ever take the leaft notice of them *; but the bull calf becomes a very proper

bull.

This cow-calf is called in this country a free martin; and this fingularly is just as well known among the farmers as either cow or bull.

This calf has all the external marks of a cow-calf.

When the cow-calves are preferved, it is not for propagation, but to yoke with the oxen, or to fatten for the tablet.

They are much larger than either the bull or cow; and the horns grow larger, being very fimilar to the horns of an ox.

The bellow of the free martin is fimilar to that of an ox; which is not at all like that of a bull; it is more of the cow, although not exactly that.

The meat is alfo much finer in the fibre than either the bull or cow; and they are more fufceptible of growing fat with good food. By fome they are fupposed to exceed the ox and heifer in delicacy of food, and bear a higher price at

market.

However, it seems that this is not univerfal: for I was lately informed by Charles Palmer, Efq; of Luckley in Berkfhire, that there was a free martin killed in his neighbourhood, and, from the general idea of its being better meat than common, every neighbour bespoke a piece; which turned out nearly as bad as bull-beef, at leaft worfe than that of a cow. It is probable, that this might arise from this one having more the properties of the bull than the cow; as we fhall fee hereafter, that they are fometimes more the one than the other .

Free

cow has twins, and that they are both bullI need hardly obferve here, that if a calves, that they are in every respect perfect bulls; or, if they are both cow-calves, that they are perfect cows.

Leflie on Hufbandry, p. 98. 99.
The Romans called the bull taurus: they,
however,

The benevolence of this nation is great beyond comparison; and, when real diftrefs is known, fome tender bofom overflows with comfort and fuccour: but the chief examples of mifery are unknown and unrelieved; many there are too diffident to apply for aid, or ignorant how to do it; fome of thefe pine away in folitary want, till death clofes their fufferings: numbers, however, rather than filently fuffer their husbands, their wives, and their children, utterly to perish, fupplicate our aid in the public ftreets and private avenues; but, unfortunately for them, the prevalent opinion, that there is fomewhere abundant provifion for the poor, and that idleness, not neceffity, prompts their petitions, induces many to refufe that pittance, which would prove no lofs to them felves, and in fome inftances might fave a life.

In fome diseases the attack is violent, and the progress rapid; and before the fettlement of a poor helplefs object can be afcertained, death decides the controverfy.

I know that many undeferving objects intrude upon the benevolent, to the in jury of real diftrefs: but, rather than thefe fhould futter all the pangs of mifery unpitied and unaided, fome inquiry might be made, and their cafe afcertained. Were this tried, it would frequently bring us acquainted with fituations and circumstances of mifery which cannot be defcribed: acquaintance with fuch scenes of human woe would equally excite thankfulness for ourselves, and compaflion for our fellow-creatures, who are vifited with fufferings and pangs from which we have hitherto been providentially, if not undefervedly, preserved.

Thefe fentiments were the refult of a morning-walk in the metropolis, which introduced the writer into fome fituations of real life, the relation of which, he trufts, will not be unacceptable to thofe benevolent minds, who think,.

a day-labourer, juft recovering from fick. nefs; and that, feeble as he then was, in order to procure fuftenance for a fick family at home, he was compelled to feek for work, and to exert himself much beyond his ftrength: and he added, that he lived in a court called Little Greenwich, in Alderfgate ftreet. This poor object feemed to feel diftrefs too deeply to be an impoftor: and I could not avoid beftowing fome means of obviating his prefent want; for which he retired, bowing, with tears in his eyes. But when he got out of fight, his image was prefent with me: I was then forry that my generofity had not been equal to my fenfibility, and this induced ine to attempt finding out his family. He had mentioned that his name was Foy; and by the information he gave me, I difcovered his miferable habitation. With difficulty I found my way up a dark paffage and itair-cafe to a little chamber, furnished with one bedstead: an old box was the only article that answered the purpose of a chair; the furniture of the bed confifted of a piece of old ticken, and a worn-out blanket, which conftituted the only couch, except the floor, whereon this afflicted family could recline their heads to reft. And what a fcene did they prefent! Near the centre of the bed lay the mother, with half a fhift, and covered as high as the middle with the blanket. She was incapable of telling her complaints. The fpittle, for want of fome fluid to moiften her mouth, had dried upon her lips, which were black, as were likewife the gums, the concomitants of a putrid fever, the dif order under which the laboured. At an other end of the blanket was extended a girl about five years old; it had rolled from under this covering, and was totally naked, except its back, on which a blifter-plafter was tied by a piece of packthread croffed over its breaft; and, though labouring under this dreadful fever, the poor creature was afleep. one fide of its mother lay a naked boy about two years old; this little innocent was likewife fleeping. On the other fide of the mother, on the floor, or rather on an old box, lay a girl about twelve years old: the was in part covered with her gown and petticoat, but he had no fhift. The fever had not bereaved her of her fenfes: the was perpetually inoaning out, "I fhall die of thirk, pray give me fome water to drink." Near her

On

ftood

flood another girl about four years old, bare-footed: her whole covering was a loofe piece of petticoat thrown over her fhoulders; and to this infant it was that her fifter was crying for water.

I now experienced how greatly the fight of real mifery exceeds the defcription of it. What a contraft did this fcene exhibit to the plenty and elegance which reigned within the extent of a few yards only! -for this miferable`receptacle was oppofite to the stately edifice of an Honourable Alderman, and ftill nearer were many fpacious houses and fhops.

I have obferved, that the daughter who was ftretched on the floor, was ftill able to speak. She told me, that fomething was the matter with her mother's fide, and afked me to look at it. I turned up an edge of the blanket, and found that a very large mortification had taken place, extending from the middle of her body to the middle of the thigh, and of a hand's breadth; the length was upwards of half a yard; and to ftop its progrefs nothing had been applied. It was a painful fight to behold; and many not lefs painful exift in this metropolis. I procured medical affiftance immediately, and for a trifling gratuity got a neighbour to nurse the family. The churchwarden, to whom I made application, heard their history with concern, and added his humane aid, to refcue from death a poor and almoft-expiring family. I have, however, the pleafure to conclude this relation of their unfpeakable diftrefs, by communicating their total deliverance from it, which, I think, may be juftly attributed to the timely affiftance adminiftered. J. C. LETTSOM.

London, Jan. 6. 1780.
Obftinate Virtue of Lord BELLAMONT.

THE

Abbé Raynal tells us, that when the triennial bill was under confideration, Q. Mary defired Lord Bellamont, her Treasurer, to oppofe it. He refufed. He was defired only to be neutral. He proved, on the contrary, very active in promoting the bill. The Queen difmiffed him from his poft. He retired to privacy and frugality. The Queen, overcome by his obftinate virtue, offered him a penfion. He declined it, faying, he had no right to a reward, as he did no fervice. VOL. XLII.

NEW BOOKS; with the Prices, Publish

ers names, Remarks, and Extracts. [The fignatures annexed, fhow to whom we are indebted for the remarks, &c; M. denoting the Monthly, and C. the Critical Review; G. the Gentleman's Magazine, &c.]

Letter to the people of Laurencekirk, on occafion of prefenting the King's charter, by which that village is erected into a free and independent Burgh of Barony, [the firft erection of the kind fince the union]. To which are fubjoined, An abridge ment of two letters published by Sir Richard Cox, containing an account of the establishment and progress of industry in his village near Cork in Ireland; -- The Guar dian, N° 9.; and, The claufe of erection of Laurencekirk into a burgh of barony. [By L--d G------n]. I s. 6 d. Sibbald & Co. Edinburgh.

EXTRACTS.

Utility of induftrious villages.] The public utility of induftrious villages is known and experienced in all parts of the world. The advantages, public and private, of manufacturing villages, are well known in Scotland. They produce our beft men for public fervice in times of war, and for all the occupations of induftry in times of peace. Holland, in proportion to its territory, is undoubtedly the most populous, rich, and induftrious country, in the world. Holland abounds with independent villages or burghs. They are immenfely numerous, are established under various and curious forms of government, and have jurifdictions exactly fimilar to our independent burghs of barony.

Patriotic emulation propofed.] Sir Richard Cox's pamphlet is a valuable object for the public attention. The examples and precepts it exhibits may be of the utmost importance to us. Shall I flatter my felf, that his example, and his manly, fenfible philofophy, may kindle the true patriot fire in fome congenial fouls among our great and wealthy men; that it may produce a glorious emulation to excel, in the juftest and best taste of diftinction and pre-eminence? We have rich men who spend a great part of their lives and revenues in ftately obfcurity at London, or in the building of magnificent houses, or in high entertainments and daily feafts, with retinues and rabbles of fervants, and other diilipations and Ε

vanities.