rect; on the contrary, I am fully aware, that many much better judges than I can pretend to be, may entértain very different and sounder opinions; and I shall be happy if some more accomplished connoisseur, excited by my attempt, shall come forward hereafter to furnish you with a detail more worthy of the occasion. I may be permitted to add, however, that though I may be excelled in critical knowledge, I will yield to none in the requisites of impartiality and disinterestedness.

I shall begin with the portraits:

ČATALOGUE.

No. 129. H. Raeburn.-Portrait of a gentleman, (General Maxwell.)— An admirable picture, uncommonly well drawn, finely coloured, and a striking likeness; the foreshortening of the right arm not inferior to Rubens. On the whole, this picture reminds us much of Sir Joshua's celebrated portrait of Lord Heathfield, to which it would form a not unsuitable companion.

156. Ditto.-Portrait of a gentleman, (Dr Adams.)—A dignified and striking likeness; painted in a very agreeable and grave manner.

192. Ditto. Portrait of a lady, (Mrs Cochran.)-One of the most pleasing female portraits we remember to have seen by this excellent artist.

103. Ditto.-A domestic scene; effect of fire light.-Extremely agreeably coloured, and with a good effect. 2. A. Geddes.-Portrait of a lady, (Mrs Eckford.)-A clever picture, though on a rather unpleasing bluelooking ground.

P. Nasmyth.-Landscape; a View in Westmoreland.-A most extensive and grand landscape; somewhat in the style of Jacob Ruysdael, painted in a masterly manner, and capitally coloured. Were we to venture to object to any part, it would perhaps be to the figures on the foreground, which appear somewhat diminutive. We have been informed that this picture has been disposed of for 30 guineas; in our opinion, it is worth 100.

99. D. Thomson. - A landscape, with figures.-Most agreeably painted, well drawn, and chastely coloured.

153. Ditto. Another landscape, ditto.-We particularly admire both the style and execution of each of these landscapes.

126. Rev. Mr Thomson.-Landscape composition.-A clever picture, well composed, and ably drawn.

108. A. Carse. The Wooer's visit. A wonderful picture, all things considered, lady, considered, composed with great delicacy and judgement, well drawn and admirably coloured, somewhat in the style and manner of Wilkie, our Scots Teniers. On the whole, this is one of the most generally and justly admired pictures in the exhibition.

183. Ditto.-Portrait of a gentleman, (Mr Walter Scott.)-an admirable painting, with most appropriate

scenery.

144. Ditto.-Full length portrait of a gentleman on horseback, (Mr Harley Drummond,)-An excellent picture; the horse a capital specimen of the powers of the artist, in this difficult department of the art.

1. George Watson.-Portrait of an old Scots Jacobite.-An excellent picture, vigorously and harmoniously coloured.

Ditto.-Full length portrait of a gentleman, (Rev. Mr Simpson.)-A pleasing picture, of great effect.

113. Ditto. A country Fair.There are many spirited and characteristic figures, with considerable humour and perfect costume, in this picture; but the effect of the whole is by no means so harmonious and pleasing as that of the preceding.

A. Fraser.-A Green stall.-A most spirited and excellent picture, of great effect, with much character and expression, and vigour of colouring.

J. Howe. A Barber's Shop.-A very spirited picture, with much character, and considerable humour. The

polish

ble attempt in the difficult path of Claim by MR WEIR to the Invention historical painting, well composed and drawn; Joseph's hands executed in an uncommonly free and able manner; the general tone of the colouring too gawdy. But on the whole, this picture is highly creditable to the young artist.

to come to Edinburgh in January 1805, for examination. I had a letter to Gen. Dirom, who took me to Gen. Fraser; and, as it was adapted for naval purposes, they gave me a letter to Admiral Vashon, who desired me to attend next day. The Admiral and four other naval officers were present; the Admiral seemed not to understand it at first: Mr Brodie, one of the officers, said, it was a damn'd mischievous thing; and he had not seen any thing of the kind: I would to God, said he, we had had it at Copenhagen when Nelson commanded. He took the plan, and was describing its effects to the Admiral, when another of the officers took me aside (his name I know not,) told me it did not belong to a man of my description to meddle with any thing of the kind; it only belonged to naval people. I told him, I thought it the duty of every subject to produce what he thought advantageous for the country, especially in this critical

Government, at that time, was about
10 months in possession of my plan,
which was again practised at Copen-
hagen, with little or no improvement,
nor does it appear Mr Congreve can
make any. I flatter myself it might
be so improved as to injure the strong-
est fleet all the enemies of Britain can
produce. Tho' Mr Congreve had al-
tered it ever so much, if founded on
the same principle of acting as rockets,
or fire-arrows, my discovery is most
unquestionably prior to his.
In jus-
tice, I claim its merit, though Govern-
ment should deprive me of the reward.
It is to be lamented, that Government
did not give the merit of it to one
who could have more improved it, ra-
ther than have it buried in its original
state.
JOHN WEIR.
No. 11. Brunswick Street, Glasgow,
15th February 1809.

SIR,

To the Editor.

Cannot forbear to mention a prejudice which has lately presented it. self to my observation. It exists among a class of men, who, from their easy circumstances in life, and their connections in society, one might sup

pose

juncture. The Admiral, satisfied with On the advantages of YEAST POWDER. Mr Brodie's description, told me he was afraid it would be dangerous to use them on board his Majesty's ships, for fear of setting fire to them; but he saw how it could be of the greatest advantage, by having vessels fitted out for the purpose, in place of fire ships: for attacking forts and batteries he said it could also be of very great advantage. These were the Admiral's words, in presence of the four naval officers. Satisfied with this approbation, I returned to Glasgow, and soon afterwards I received a letter from his Royal Highness the Duke of York, informing me that my invention was found not satisfactory. Conscious of its utility, I sent a descriptive plan of it to his Royal Highness, and received a very different answer: I had several letters afterwards from him, (or in his name) but of little or no consequence. In November 1805, it was mentioned as to be adopted by Sir Sidney Smith at Boulogne, and, to my astonishment, the inventor said to be a Mr Congreve.

should possess a considerable portion of sound information. These men are the distillers in Scotland, and the prejudice alluded to, is the unaccountable aversion which the major part of that class entertain against the use of yeast powder as a substitute for common yeast, in fermenting the pot. ale, or wash. This yeast powder is merely common yeast, procured at the porter breweries in London, and afterwards, by a peculiar process, deprived of all its aqueous particles, by which means it is brought to a pulverulent state, as its name implies; in which state it is not only more portable, (one Hhd. containing as much

of

of the real fermenting matter, as five
or six of the liquid,) but also retaining,
for a much a longer time, the power
to produce the process of fermentation.
If properly secured from moisture, in
order to prevent the putrefactive fer-
mentation taking place, it will keep
for years, without losing any of its vir-
tue and simply by adding to this
powder as much fresh wort as will
reduce it to the consistency of com-
mon yeast, does it become fit for all
the purposes of the distiller: yet
such is their determination against the
use of this article, that it is with the
greatest reluctance they have recourse
to it, when no other can be had; and,
even then sometimes maintain a hard
struggle to go on without it, sustain-
ing considerable losses in their busi-
ness, from the imperfect attenuation of
their wash, and the irregular manner
in which the process of fermentation
is carried on: losses and irregularities,
which could not take place, were the
use of this article as liberally introdu-
ced, and an acquaintance with its pe-
culiarities cultivated with such atten-
tion as the interest of the distillers in
this country demands. They ought by
this time to be sufficiently convinced
of the necessity there is for having a
a
substitute for common yeast, and, one
should think, should also know that
this necessity will continue, while the
yeast market continues at London;
for the wind will always continue to be
changeable, and the sea to be occa-
sionally tempestuous, of course they
must be often disappointed of their
expected supply. The necessity of a
substitute for common yeast, therefore,
is not obviated, even should the distil-
ler boldly resolve to remain ignorant
of his true interest, and be determined
to exclude from his distillery the
best succedaneum which has ever been
discovered.

A resolution steadily maintained in opposition to interest, is so contrary to the principles of human nature, and so different from the maxims of com

mon life, that, if we did not know the real cause, we might be apt to say, that such an egregious departure could only be produced by a liberal use, and a repeated application of the distillers staple manufacture, or by downright insanity.

It is an observation which cannot be disputed, that self interest governs mankind: those, therefore, who voluntarily act in opposition to their interest in general, do so through ignorance. In justice, therefore, to this class of men whom I have just mentioned, I shall point out the fallacy of an argument, by which, as I have been informed, their ideas of this matter have chiefly been governed, and to this same error must the prejudice which forms the present subject of animadversion be attributed.

"It is well known," say these men, "that fixed air is the principal constituent of common yeast, being almost wholly composed of that fluid in a concrete state, and heat or fire, it is known, in a most powerful manner disengages and disperses all aerial substances exposed to its influence: now, in depriving the liquid yeast of the aqueous particles, it is impossible to prevent the escape of the fixed air; and particularly when the concentration is nearly completed, that aerial fluid must be disengaged in very great abundance; consequently the yeast, now concentrated to a powder, must be much inferior to what it was previous to its being submitted to this operation."

But from what authority is the assertion made that yeast is almost wholly composed of fixed air, or carbonic acid. Lavoisier, the most correct of all modern chemists in analytical operations, in a very ingenious manner, analysed this substance; but his account of the constituents of yeast by no means corresponds with that given by our modern distillers; on the contrary, he shews, that carbonic acid, or fixed air, forms but a small part in the composition of yeast; the carbonic acid, how