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and fourth are situated on the same side at a greater distance, the third being nearest the planet. The same phenomenon will be visible the 21st, 25th, and 28th, at the same hour.

Wednesday, July 23d.

The Sun will enter the sign Leo at 5 minutes after 3 o'clock in the afternoon.

On the same day the planet VENUS will be in conjunction with Tauri, a star of the 3d magnitude, in the Southern horn of the Bull, situated in longitude 25..220..5'..16", and la. titude 2°..3..29" South. The latitude of Venus being 10..40.25", the distance of their centers at the time of conjunction will be 33.-4", and the planet will pass to the north of

the star.

On the same day, about 2 minutes and 53 seconds after 10 o'clock in the evening, the second satellite of Jupi ter will emerge from behind his shadow.

Saturday, July 26th. CONJUNCTION OF MERCURY AND REGULUS.

About 4 o'clock in the evening the planet MERCURY will be in conjunction with REGULUS, or a Leonis, a star of the 1st magnitude in the Lion's heart, situated in longitude 45.27.8.43", the latitude of Mercury being 23'..35" South, and that of Regulus 27..27" South, the short. est distance of their centres will be. 3.52", and the planet will pass to the north of the star. This phenomenon will afford an excellent oppor. tunity for seeing the planet Mercury, as the superior lustre of Regulus will direct the eye to the very place where the planet is situated.

On the same day the planet MARS will be in conjunction with 132 Tau ri, a star of the 4th magnitude, situated between Orion and the Bull, in longitude 25..24°..48'..15", and latitude 1°..7..21" North. The latiThe lati tude of Mars being 16'..18" North, the nearest approach of their centers

will be 51..3", and the planet will pass to the North of the star.

Sunday, July 27th.

The Moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter at 29 minutes after 10 o'clock in the morning.

Wednesday, July 30th.

The planet VENUS will be in conjunction with a Geminoram, a star of the 4.5 magnitude in the foot of Castor, situated in lon. 3..0..44.32", and latitude 55'..4" South. The latitude of Venus being 1o..19.8" South, the shortest distance of their centers will be 24'..4", and the planet will pass to the south of the star.

On the same day the planet MERCURY will be in conjunction with ♪ Leonis, a star of the 4th magnitude, in the fore leg of the Lion, in longitude 5..3°41'..20", and latitude 8'..29" North. The latitude of Mercury being 21..38" South, the nearest approach of their centers will be 30.7", and the planet will pass to the South of the star.

Thursday, July 31st.

About 47 minutes and 14 seconds after 8 o'clock in the evening, the first satellite of Jupiter will emerge from behind his shadow.

Mount Annan,
June 24th 1806.

}

D.B.

Memoirs of the Progress of MANU. FACTURES, CHEMISTRY, SCIENCE, and the FINE ARTS.

DR THORNTON has laid before the

public some cases which show the efficacy of vital air, or as it is usually called, oxygen gas, in the cure of fits. These cases, deemed by the faculty beyond the reach of human art, have been completely and radically cured by the continued use of the pneumatic medicine. According to the doctor's theory, vital air gives energy to the muscles, and thence to the nerves, taking off inordinate ac tion from an undue balance of prin

cipals.

cipals. Hence he infers that persons breathing much bad air become convulsed.

Salt is said to have rendered barren apple-trees, in an orchard belong ing to Mr. GILBERT, the late Duke of Bridgewater's agent, highly productive of fruit, by being spread on the ground round each tree at a small distance from the trunks.

The syphon has lately been applied to the worm-tub as a refrigerator. The plan is for conveying water in any quantity to a worm tub of the largest dimensions, if perfectly air tight. The feed-pipe enters the bottom of the tub vertically, while the hot water or waste pipe branches out from a side orifice near the top, and is soon turned to proceed vertically downwards, until its lower end is about two feet below the bottom of the feed pipe; both the pipes have cocks near the lower ends. When the work is commenced, the cocks must be shut, and the tub filled through a hole at top; when full, the hole at top must be stopped, and the cocks both opened together; the water will then commence running, and continue as the supply holds good; the apparatus acting entirely upon the principal of the syphonr.

Mr WALTON has made an improvement in the beam-compasses, which consists in applying a nonius, worked by a micrometer screw, to the moveable cursor upon the beam; by means of which additional apparatus, distances can be accurately measured with the compasses, to every hundredth part of an inch, or the radii of the proposed arcs adjusted to equally minute variations: while in beam-compasses of the common con'struction, distances can only be ascertained to tenths of inches.

Dr Wollaston some time since announced that he had extracted from the ore of platina two distinct metals, to which he had given the name of Rhodium and Palladium. The accu

racy of his experiments was contested. In France, however, M. Collet Deseotils has obtained the same results by following the same process. The rhodium and palladium obtained by him were exhibited at a late meeting of the National Institute.

Two opposite opinions, it is well. known, are generally entertained on the subject of the buds and branches of plants. Linnæus and Hales conceived that the pith or medullæ pene-, trated through the wood, thus producing the ramifications of plants; and afterwards, stretching out, formed the essential parts of vegetable bodies.

Other naturalists have attributed to the bark, and to the cortical layers, what their predecessors considered as the product of the me dulla alone. Hence, they imagine that the increase in length and thick. ness must depend on these organs. According to KOELER, who has lately been engaged in investigating the truth of these two opinions, it should seem, that the upper part of a branch, and of a shoot, is merely formed by the pith, the medullary sheath, and the bark. Hence he concludes, that the augmentation of stems or trunks, and branches, depends altogether on the elongation of the vessels of the medullary sheath. The alburnum, the tubes of which proceed in a perfectly straight direction, appears at the upper part of a branch under the form of separate fibres, which disappear at the surface of the medullary sheath.

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Geographical Queries circulated in 1682, by SIR ROBERT SIBBALD.

ADVERTISEMENT.

THEREAS His Sacred Majes

ty, by his patent, hath constituted Sir Robert Sibbald, one of his physicians in ordinary, his geographer for his kingdom of Scotland, and commandeth and ordaineth him, to publish the description of the Scotia Antiqua et Scotia Moderna, and the Natural History of the products of his ancient kingdom of Scotland: These are earnestly to entreat all persons, that they would be pleased freely to communicate their answers to these following queries, or any of them, directing them to the said Sir Robert Sibbald, at his lodging at Edinburgh, or to Mr James Brown, at his house, in Hart's clofe, who is deputed by the said Sir Robert Sibbald to receive and registrate them; or to Robert Mean, postmaster at Edinburgh, to be sent to any of them: withal specifying, in their letters, the place of their habitation, that they may be again written to, if occasion require, and an honourable mention shall be made of them in the work, according to the importance of the information.

General Queries to which Answers are required.

1. What the nature of the county or place is and what are the chief products thereof?

2.

What, plants, animals, metals, substances cast up by the sea, are peculiar to the place, and how or. dered?

3. What forests, woods, parks? What springs, rivers, lochs? with their various properties, whether medicinal? With what fish reple nished, whether rapid or slow, &c.? The use of the rivers and their emboucheurs?

June 1806.

4. What roads, bays, ports for shipping, and their description? And what moon causeth high water? What rocks and sholes on their coast?

5. What ancient monuments, inscriptions, graved and figured stones, forts and ancient camps? And what curiosities of art are, or have been found there?

6.

7.

8.

9.

What great battles have been there fought, or any other memo. rable action or accident?

What peculiar customs, manners, or dispositions, the inhabitants of each county or town have among them?

What monasteries, cathedrals, or other churches, have been there, and how named?

What places give, or formerly have given the title to any nobleman? As also, what ancient seats of noble families are to be met with?

10. What the government of the county is? Whether sheriffdom, stewartry, or baillery?

11. What towns of note in the county, especially towns corporate ? The names of the towns, both ancient and modern? Whether they be burrows royal, of regality, or barony? The magistracy of towns corporated? When incorporated, and by whom built? With the return of Parliament-men? The trade of the town? How inhabited, and their manner of buildings? What public or ancient buildings? Their jurisdiction &c. ?

12. In what bishoprick each county or any part thereof is? Who is sheriff, stewart, or bailie? And who commands the militia? What castles, forts, forests, parks, woods, His Majesty hath there?

To the Nobility.

What sheriffdoms, bailliries, stewartries, regalities, baronies, and burTOWS,

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 lands hold 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 num ber 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 li braries, 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

pro

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 diffi. culty 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. tance. Edward I. having taken it, placed a strong garrison there, with the view of keeping in awe the neighbouring country. It was wres ted 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 subjec-. tion. Dundee, however, continued still a place of strength, and was successively taken in the reigns 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 inhabi-tants are supposed to have perished. So great was the booty, that every common soldier was calculated, on an average, to have received 6ol, 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

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