rows, they have under them? What command of the militia? What special privilege, dignity, and heritable command they have? The rise of their family, continuance, and their branches? What forests, woods, parks, loughs, rivers, mines, and quarries they have? What fishing, &c.? What harbours they have? What their titles are? What memo. rable actions raised or aggrandised their family.

To the Clergy.

What their privileges and dignities are? Their erection? The bounds

of their diocese? Their chapter? The number of their parishes in their diocese? Their jurisdiction, their foundations for public and pious uses, their revenues? What landshold of them? Their houses, &c.?

To the Gentry.

What the rise of their family, their privilege and dignity? What baronies, and burrows under them? What harbours? What forests, woods, parks? Their houses, the description and names of them? The chief of the name and the branches?

The memorable exploits done by

them, and the eminent men of the name? Their heritable command and jurisdiction?

To the Royal Burgbs.

Of what standing? The constitution of their government? Their privileges, jurisdiction, and its extent? Their public houses, churches, forts, monuments, universities, colleges, schools, hospitals, manufactures, har. bours? What their latitude and longitude is &c.?

To the Universities and Colleges.

What standing they are of? Their privileges, jurisdictions, and its ex tent? Their constitution? The number of their Professors, their names? What they teach? Their salaries,

foundations, and their founders? Their revenue, and dependencies ? Their houses, churches, and chapels, edifices, and monuments? Their libraries, curious instruments? The account of the famous men bred there, or masters there? What are the observations of the masters or students that may be for the embellishment of this work?

The answers to these preceding queries are to be registrated and inserted in their proper places.

The answers to the queries is earnestly desired, that no person may complain if what concerns them be not insert; for the author is resolved to insert all that he is assured of the truth and certainty of, as informed.

Imprimatur, Jo. EDINBURGEN, Edinburgh: Printed by JOHN REID, at his Printing-house in Bell's Wynd, Anno 1682.

View of the Situation, Trade, &c. of DUNDEE.

THIS opulent and thriving towa

is situated upon the Tay, about three miles from its junction with the German ocean. To that river, and to the fine country through which it runs, Dundee is chiefly indebted for her present prosperity. The town itself, it must be owned, is not much calculated to inspire the stranger with ideas of elegance. The houses are of an immoderate height, and built too close to each other; no regular plan is observed, nor are there any gardens or open places for exercise and amusement. These defects, however, are common to Dundee, with all cities of great antiquity, in the construction of which, the object seems rather to have been to crowd the greatest possible number into a given space, than to make any

pre

provision for their health, or com. fort. The buildings lately added, how ever, are in a more modern and elegant style; and the barracks erected at the west end of the town are particularly handsome.

runs

The situation of Dundee is fine. Immediately to the south the Tay, which is here two or three miles broad, with a shore, bold, rocky, and in some places perpendi cular. A little behind the town extends a ridge of hills, not of any uncommon height, but whose forms are very elegant and pleasing. The Law of Dundee is 525 feet high. The slope which descends from these heights towards the sea, is particularly beautiful, watered by several streams, and affording a fine situa. tion for the villas of Blackness, Balgay, Dudhope, and several others. Dundee has a very fine appearance from the opposite side of the water; with its singular and lofty spire; its streets scattered irregularly on the winding shores of the Tay, and conical hills rising behind.

Dundee appears to be a city of great antiquity, as there are no records or traditions relative to its first foundation. The following account is given of the manner in which it received its name. David, Earl of Huntingdon, returning about the middle of the twelfth century from the holy wars, encountered a dreadful storm, from which he with difficulty escaped. To express his gratitude for this deliverance, he built the present parish church, and gave to the place the name of Deidonum, or the gift of God; which, expressed in English, by Dondei, or Dondé, was gradually changed into Dundee. Its privileges as a royal burgh are very ancient. A charter has been found which it received from Robert Bruce, who recognizes its being possessed of the same in the time of his predecessor William, who began his reign in 1165; and they were confir.

med, and enlarged, by a number of succeeding monarchs. It was third in rank of the four boroughs, which, from their importance, were accustomed to give security for the observance of national treaties; these were Edinburgh, Perth, Dundee, and Aberdeen.

As a fortified place, too, it was anciently regarded as of high importance. Edward I. having taken it, placed a strong garrison there, with the view of keeping in awe the neighbouring country. It was wrested from him, however, by Sir William Wallace; but after the death of that hero, fell again into the hands of the English. Robert Bruce having, under the weaker reign of Edward II. found means to reassert the independence of his native country, recovered this city along with the rest of the kingdom, and demolished the castle, that it might never again be a means of holding Scotland in subjection. Dundee, however, continued still a place of strength, and was successively taken in the reigus of Richard II. and Edward VI.; and in 1645 by the marquis of Montrose. On all these occasions, it seems to have had a full share of the calamities which, in those barbarous times, were uniformly reserved for cities taken by storm. But the most destructive siege, by far, which it ever sustained, was that in 1651, from the army under general Monk. The pillage and slaughter continued for three successive days, during which, a sixth part of the inhabitants are supposed to have perished. So great was the booty, that every common soldier was calculated, on an average, to have received 60l. for his share. Sixty ships which were lying in the harbour, (an evidence of the then flourishing commercial state of Dundee,) were seized by the victors, but were all lost in crossing the bar of the river, which was, no doubt, regarded by the inhabitants as a just риPunishment of their cruelty and raPacity.

ac.

The first well-authenticated count which we have of the population of Dundee, is immediately previous to the last - mentioned siege, when it appears to have contained somewhat more than eight thousand inhabitants. Notwithstanding the loss it then suffered, the numerous garrison placed in it by Monk, kept up for some time the population to that number. On its removal, a great decrease became immediately visible, and continued during the reign of Charles II. Under his successor it amounted to 1420. Nor had the union apparently any effect in reviving it. For a certain period, indeed, this event seems to have been rather injurious to the Scottish commercial towns, which depended great. ly on their intercourse with France.

Even in 1746, the population does not appear to have exceeded 5302. At that time, the town was built almost wholly of wood; the highest shop rent was 31.: and two churches, and a small independent meeting were found more than sufficient. A most rapid increase seems to have now taken place; for in 1755, the number returned to Dr Webster was 12,477; this, however, includes the parish, which might contain about a thousand. In 1766, 12,426; in 1781, 15,700; in 1788, 19,329; and in 1792, 22,000. Since that time it has risen to above 26,000, the amount in 1801.

Linen, the old staple of Scotland, has been always the chief manufac-, ture of Dundee. That of Osnaburghs, and other coarse linens, in 1792 amounted to 3.181,990 yards, valued at 80,0ool. Sail-cloth was naturally encouraged by its maritime situation, and at the above-mention. ed periods was rated at 704,000 yards, value 32,000l; but the de. ✓ Ymand occasioned by the war has greatly increased this manufacture,

and made it the principal one in Dundee. Sack-cloth, bagging, and other coarse fabrics, to a considerable amount. Coloured thread is also manufactured to the extent of above 30,000l.; but the spinners live at a distance, in the cheaper parts of the country. Tanned leather, soap, and glass, are also considerable articles. The total number of looms in Dune dee, employed in all different branches, is calculated by Dr Small at 1800 or 1900.

It is now a considerable time, since the brilliant example of Glasgow, Paisley, and other towns on the west coast, led to an attempt at establishing the cotton manufacture at Dundee. Dr Small, in 1792, speaks of it as in a promising state. In 1793-4 there were seven spinning mills, the carding machinery of which was driven by horses, and the hand jennies were wrought by men or women. The yarn produced was valued at about 20,0ool. But this branch of business, which had brought such wealth to the western counties of Renfrew and Lanark, was found here to be not only unprofitable, but ruinous. All those, who had no other dependence, became bankrupt; while the rest, after losing part of their money, were happy to save the rest by dropping all concern in the business. The easy communication with the West Indies, which furnishes both the materials, and the best market for this manufacture, seems to be the circumstance which gives Glasgow so striking a superiority.

Dundee, however, has found ample compensation for the loss of her cotton manufacture, in the great extension of that of linen, particularly Osnaburghs, cotton bagging, and canvas. Instead of cotton, lint spinning mills are every where rearing their heads, not only in Dundee, but throughout all Angushire; and in erecting these, a much greater capital

tal has been sunk than in the fruitless attempt to establish cotton spinning. Three flax spinning mills are already in motion within the town of Dundee, and the foundation of another has been laid, on a much larger scale, and of the newest construction, which will cost 22,000l. The quantity of coarse linen manufactured in 1805, was 3,900,000 yards.

The inhabitants of Dundee still retain, in a great degree, the old mercantile character-sober, industrious, and frugal-social without profuseness, and hospitable without ostentation. In 1792, Dundee contained only nine male servants, and of these none belonged to persons engaged in trade. Their attachment to religion is zealous, though perhaps, as in most manufacturing towns, somewhat tinctured with a gloomy and sectarian spirit. Seceders, Antiburghers, and Independents, amount altogether to about 3000. However, as the flaming zeal of their ancestors in ancient times is now quite extinguished, this disposition may be rather useful to the lower orders, by giving them an aversion even to those innocent amuse. ments, which might lead them into expence, and to the neglect of their occupations.

The ingenious author of the statistical account of Dundee complains that, in 1792, there did not exist, with the exception of the grammar school, a single institution for public instruction in the simplest and most necessary branches of human knowledge. This is a defect common indeed to Dundee, with most other large towns in Scotland. Yet, it must be confessed, that a town purely commercial does not in general afford a soil very favourable for the growth of the arts and sciences. Profit is there naturally the leading object; and every article, which can not be converted into hard cash, is in danger of being little valued. We

have heard of an honest citizen of Dundee, who, before introducing his son to the class of moral philosophy, insisted upon being informed "what good it would do him in his business." This town, however, now experiences the good effects of that general diffusion of knowledge by which the present age is honourably distinguished. Its value begins to be felt; liberality of sentiment gains ground among the opulent and middling classes; and several institutions for education have been lately formed, which it is hoped may be attended with the best effects.

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Dundee has produced a considerable number of eminent men, mong whom are, Alexander Scrymseour, a companion of Sir William Wallace, and two of his descendants, who distinguished themselves in the civil wars; Hector Boece the / historian, and Mar, an intimate friend of the great Napier; George Yeaman, member of Parliament at the time of the Union, to whom Scotland is indebted for many beneficial regulations. The families of Fletcher of Salton, the celebrated patriot, and of the late Lord Loughborough, were both natives of Dun-dee. Lord Duncan, though not a native, received there the first rudiments of his education. Two of the first Mathematicians of our time have been clergymen of Dundee.

Journal of the Eruption of VESUVIUS. By Duke Della Torre.

(Concluded from p. 332.)

ON the 1st September, the Duke della Torre went up on Vesuvius to observe the changes that had happened in its crater. " I found it, says he, very different from what it was on the night of the 14th August. Its area was almost entirely filled, both with lavas, for the mort

part still inflamed and smoking, and with stones and sand. A number of hillocks had risen at some distance from each other, the highest had taken the place of the gulf that I had seen for the first time, they were covered with scorias sprinkled with a very fine dust of sal-ammoniac and sulphur; there issued from it fumes of a suffocating smell.

Behind these hillocks, towards the walls of Attajano, I counted five new jets of fire and stones, which darted upwards with noise and impetuosity, fell back sometimes into their own gulfs, and were presently repelled with whirlwinds of smoke and ashes. Notwithstanding the quantity of caloric which must be developed in so great a conflagration, the temperature of the atinosphere did not appear to me to be sensibly altered, although I was at the distance of only 1000 palms from the sources of the lava; the thermometer, which at my departure from Naples marked 24°, descended here to 19°. The electrometer indicated a great degree of electricity, much more sensible when I placed it on the earth than when I suspended it in the air.

I advanced to the very banks of the fluid lava which flowed from the crater; it resembled crystal in a state of fusion; it had the same colour, lustre, and consistence. I threw over a large stone, which made only aslight impression and was carried to the surface. I threw a second, to measure its motion, and with the watch in my hand I saw that it run over at least two palms in a second. The thermometer, placed at the distance of six palms, rose in two minutes to the degree of boiling water. To my great regret I could not ascertain the intensity of the caloric of this lava, for want of a pyrometer proper for such an experiment.

The 2d and 3d there was nothing remarkable. The currents continu. ed their march.

On the 4th, a violent storm came from the east, and lasted more than two hours. The fire encreased this night and the day following; the throwing out of stones was more frequent, new and copious streams of lava were seen descending from the

crater.

On the 6th notwithstanding this increase of matter, the currents did not advance. A more considerable noise was heard in the mountain, and the smoke redoubled.

He

On the 7th the currents resumed their course. The duke Della Torre mounted upon the borders of the crater, and did not find any great changes, the hillocks were a little raised; two mouths threw out fire, two others ashes, and the fifth, the largest and that which formetly vomited most flames, gave only a black smoke. He observed, upon blocks of cooled lava, a saline crust, composed of ammoniac and of muriat of Soda. found large pieces of this last salt in a lava decomposed by grains of earth. His opinion is, that this lava exists not in a fossile state in the heart of the mountain, but that it is furnished by the waters of the sea. This time in performing a circuit round the borders, he was able to advance to the very scource of the fluid lava. issued from a grotto formed of the same substance hardened, and was collected in a little bason, whence it flowed by a canal along the cone.The author threw into the lava of the bason a stone which sunk altogether: he was able without great efforts to push in the end of a staff more thana palm; after having been drawn back, the part immersed threw at first a bright flame, and then remained like coal.

It

On the 8th a new storm came on. The author observes, that every time rain fell, the streams of lava were more abundant, and he thence draws a new proof of the effect produced by the