meter of the boiler three times that of the cylinder, without any other ruje than to create fteam as fast as poffible. I fhall make no mention of the most perfect fire-engine in France, which the writer fpeaks of, as I have feen none but in print, which are nothing more than the old ones, as Belidore, the Encyclopedia, &c. who copy one another like compilers, to give accounts of things they never faw. On the pipes which are on the cover of the boilers. This writer makes calculations and remarks, one after another, on parts which can only ferve to amufe thofe who find pleasure in jumbling numbers to fill up time; but I fhall fay, that every one of thofe pipes have their place, one for a fafety-valve, the other to let off fteam, and the other he mentions to feed the boiler, all fo eafy to conceive, that they need no explanation. I fhall not enter into any calculation of the ftrength of team, as the writer does; every one who has feen an engine must know the fafety-valve fhews it; for, when the team is ftrong enough, it forces up the clock of this valve, which gives notice to the workmen to fet their engine at work. The other pipe for letting off the team has no more occafion for calculations, than the will of him who intends to flop the engine. Of the boiler. Here the writer gives himself the pleasure, in eight pages, to fhew, that a boiler, of 13 feet diameter, gives 133 cubical feet of fleam; we shall only fay, that a little more or lefs heat alters the power of the Ream, and renders the calculations more variable, which may give pleasure to thofe who love them. I fhall not enter into the detail of the fize or shape of the boiler which the candidate fpeaks of, as I know nothing of them, and you know I don't love to read long defcriptions in Belidore, and the tranflations of other compilers, which are always worfe for being retranflated, as it is with Vitruvius, who is thereby become, in fome parts, unin telligible. Of the injection. The candidate has given nine whole Ps of calculations on injection. As I have made more than five-hundred injections, without having had the leaft need of addition or fubtraction, &c. with figures, I fall fay, that I always made them to fave as much water as I sould, th trying to have a compicat va cuum, and as quick as poffible; and this, by opening and fhutting the paffage of the injection water, according as I faw the effect of it in working the engine. I have even put ice in the refervoir, in fummer, to chill my injection-water; but I conftantly found, that the greatest velocity of the injection had more effect than cold. However, as this is an eafy matter to manage, I shall take no more notice of injection to the best advantage, as the writer calls it, though he had never feen one when he composed his treatife. On pipes through which the injectionwater is evacuated. The writer being a great lover numbers, he gives calculations on the weight of the atmosphere on each valve; I cannot understand for why *; I should therefore fay little or nothing, was it not neceffary to take notice of this arti ele, according to the order the candidate puts his work in; I shall say then, the man, who attends the engine, opens or fhuts this feeding cock as he fees his boiler wants water, and lets the wafte water run off. Of the provifionary refervoir. This contrivance is only to have water ready for the boiler after it has been cleaned; but as the writer has loaded this article with calculations, they muft be fees in the work to understand their merit. On the change which comes to them while the injection is alling. This matter the candidate has treated in twelve pages, where he affures us, that "as the little change which may be feen in the pifton may make calculators too fcrupulous, and give them doubt regarding the fore-given forms, we shall affign reafons which will make them fee, that, being ruled by thefe forms, the mo tion of the pifton will in practice fubmit to these changes. After fuch a decifive conclufion, bolder than that of a man of experience, "come calculations to prove what he conjec tures; but to rightly underfta: d him you must look into his work; in the mean time I fhall let you know what practice has given me leave to say. In the firit inftant that cold water is injected into the cylinder. it pirts up and makes a hole through the fleain from the bottom to the top of this vellel, and * If the title of this article does not anfwer to the fubject in hand, let it be noticed, we follow the order the writer has fettled in his titles. that begins the condensation the jet of water dathes against the inward part of the pifton with force, which water falls down like rain on the remaining fteam, and thus finishes the condensation in the whole diameter of the cylinder. Obfervations on the tackle. Here the candidate gives five pages of Temarks, obfervations on calculations, which makes me fay, that when a man can have the patience to study them, he may find a confequence which we cannot, but I fhall fav, that what the writer has taken notice of here known by every common workman, fince the whole confifts in only ballancing the pump rods, &c. with the cylinders pif ton. You will fay I give myself much trouble by entering into fuch a long detail. I fhall anfwer, that this work haying been crowned by the academy at Peterfburg, and I alfo having written the history and art of making thofe engines, I could do no otherwife than look into the whole, elle it might have been faid that I was ignorant of the matter; but as by what you have feen it is plain I have run over the candidate's writings, I fhall fay that I believe the Academy nee ver looked into his works, fo loaded with numbers and algebraical characters, that they frightened thofe who were ap pointed to give their report: but let that be as it may, a public company fhould not be fo negligent as to overlook things brought before them, or judge in matters they do not undertand. This, my good friend, is what I think of a very bad analyfis, which is given for a theory, and what I think of the judgement of the academy at Peterf. burg; but though I laugh at theorists fometimes, I would not have you think I have not received fome favours from that ftale maid, coquette Theory, who is more careffed by persis maîtres than by me; though I affure you I am much more in love with the old mother Prac tice, who is always bufy in the exercise of truths, and who would fpend hertelf to death on them, did not day light run away from her to oblige this real Ichool of arts and friences to take reft. But to fhew you, as I faid, that this coquette Theory has beftowed fome faYours on me, (though I confels my good mother Practice has corrected my faults Theory had fhewn me), I fhall let you know how I find my pallive and active powers in hydraulic, &c, Experience has told me that a cylin⚫ drical foot of water weighs 48 pounds. This theory I knew nothing of till Prac tice had had fhewn it me. You must know I make ufe of no other than Englifh measure, which has given me rules for finding out one univerfal measure in folids as in fluids, which you faw in my letter of the 10th of April, 1780. But to come to the purpose of knowing what force is wanted for raifing a column of water of 12 inches diameter from a depth of 100 feet, I multiply 48h. (which is the weight of a cylindri ca! foot of this fluid) by 100, which gives 4800, this fhews the weight of the column of water; and as I must have double that power in a fire-engine to raife fuch a weight, in order to master the ufual friction in the cylinder, as well as the inertial refiftance of all the heavy materials which are made use of in thofe machines, I multiply 4800 by 2, which fhews that my active power must have 9600 pound of force. Having thus found my refifting power, and regulated my active force, I divide 9600 by 1500 to find the furface of the pifton in the cylinder; this gives me fomething more than fix feet and a half; but as I never take notice of fractions (in machinery I always give the advantage to the acing power), I multiply 100 by 6 and a halt, which gives fomething more than double the weight of the atmofphere on the pifton to make it work freely, as I have faid; and fo much the more freely, as there is 250 pound force above double the power of the refilling parts in motion: which antwers to my rule of giving the advantage to the active powers, as experience teaches true engineers to do. Here is another manner of calculating the force of a cylinder ready made. I fhall fuppofe a cylinder of three feet diameter; its furface will be wine;which, being multiplied by 1500, makes 13500 pounds weight of atmosphere on the pif. ton when the vacuum is formed; this divided in two, gives 6750 pounds force for half the active power; divide this again by a cylindrical foot of water, which is 48 pounds, this will hewa column of a little more than 140 feet. From which 1 tay a column of waser 12 inches diameter, and 140 fert high, is in equilibrium with a force of 6759; from which I conclude that my engine can raife a column of water 140 feet, and keep working roundly. This manner of finding out paffive and active powers is fo plain, that it needs по no explanation; which made me lay afide all measures by cubes, to be after reduced into cylinders, with fractions, which only ferve to puzzle even those who think there is a merit in knowing how many kips a fea can make from Mofcow to Pekio, and that there is no understanding of arts without making ufe of hieroglyphic figures to find out how one and one make two. For which reafon I fhall always make ufe of my manner of meafuring by cylindrical feet of water, one of which weights 48 pound, or the fame fluid four inches diameter, and three feet long, to weigh 16 pound. I am, my good old friend, Mr. URBAN, YOUR W. BLAKEY. Dec. 8, 1792. YOUR correfpondent, p. 632, may learn fome particulars refpecting Robert Parfons the Jefuit, by perufing a work written by him in 1596, intituled, "A Memorial for the Reformation of England, &c." This work was pub. lifhed in 1690, by Edward Gee, rector of St. Benedict, Paul's Wharf, with animadverfions. In one of the notes (p 112) it is faid to have been found in the clofet of the unfortunate King James, after his abdication. In the introduction to the work, are fome memoirs of Robert Parfons, not much to his credit, and it concludes thus: "As I take the Jefuits to be the very worst of men, so I think the preceding accounts have proved Father Parions to be the very worst of Jesuits.” Some account is requested of Dr. W. Sheridan, bishop of Kilmore and Arnagh, who was deprived at the RevoJution, becaufe he could not take the oaths to the new government, and whether he was not father to Dr. Sheridan, the friend of Dean Swift? If so, he was grandfather to the late celebrated Theatrical Manager, and great grandfather to R. B. S. Elq. member for Stafford *. Prefixed to three volumes of the Bifhop's Sermons, 1720, a portrait with arins under it, viz. Azure, a lion rampant between three trefils flipped Arg. He allo published, in his life-time, a figle fermon, 1665, on the death of Sr M. Euftace." Some account is alfo requetted of Captain Stephen Courtney, who, in 1708, failed round the world in a tho called the Dutchefs. The writer ✦ This is a fact very generally known. EDIT. of the Voyages round the world by Englith navigators, (publifhed in 1773 by Mr. Newbery, London,) fays, that "Captain Courtney was a man of birth, fortune, and many amiable qualities.' If I am not mistaken he was a native of Ireland; I fhould like to know if John Courtney, Efq. member for Tamworth, is of the fame family, and, if he is, in what degree related to the captain. Having lately peruted a trial between Mr. James Annefley and Richard Earl of Anglefea, which happened in Ireland in 1743, and lafted twelve days, at the end of which time a verdict was given for Mr. Annesley, with 6d. damages and 6. cofts, and having never feen (in my reading) any farther account of Mr. Asnefley; I fhould be glad to be informed what became of him after the faid trial, and whether he enjoyed the lands he fued for till his death. In addition to what has been obferved refpecting fome of the baronets having fupporters to their arms; I must obferve that Sir J. Goodricke and Sir A. Edmonftone have not only fupporters, but alfo ducal coronets; and, were it not for the red hand being retained in their arms, it would be difficult for a perfon not skilled in heraldry to tell the difference between their arms and those of a duke; I fhould be thankful to fee this matter explained, and alfo why lord viscount Cullen's are always reprefented without fupporters. Yours, &c. J. G. Mr. URBAN, THE Feb. 17. HE pedigree of the Middleton family having lately been made a fubject of difcuffion in your valuable repofitory, and as the difficulty does not yet feem to be got over, I defire to fubmit the following information for the perufal of fuch of your correfpondents as may be interested in finding out the prefent reprefentative of the great man who was to confiderable a benefaçtor to our flourishing metropolis. On a grave-ftone, in the church of St. Laurence, Winchester, is the following infcription: "In memory of JOHN MIDDLETON, Gent. who departed this life, Sept. 15, 1749, aged 70 years." Quere, if this was not the fon of a lineal defcendaut of Sir Hugh Middleton, and the father of the Rev. Mr. Middleton, rector of Lyndhurst, in the New-foreft; a gentleman who generally boafted his defcent from the New-river Middleton, and who, I believe, at the time of his decease, enjoyed a fhare or fhares in the New river company. Your inferting the above in your Magazine for the next month may perhaps induce information, that the gentlemen who have hitherto been concerned in the investigation, are not aware of; and will, at the fame time, be obliging an old correfpondent and admirer of Mr. Urban's public-ferited publication. L. M. A. Mr. URBAN, THE Feb. 13. HE query of P. P. P. (LXII. 1163) is fatisfactorily anfwered by the following note from the Botanic Garden, lately published by Dr. Darwin, part Il canto 1. "The Tremella Noflec, or far-jelly, is a mucilage voided by herons after they have eaten frogs. Hence it has the appearance of having been preffed through a hole, and the limbs of frogs are faid fometimes to found among it; it is always feen on plains, or by the fide of water-places, which herons generally frequent." be -Your correfpondent Q. in your laft Magazine, page 40, has produced fome curious paffages from Swinton's Travels; but the most curious, and, I may with truth add, the most falle and Icandalous, he has omitted. It is thus that Mr. Swinton writes, p. 78. "The Danish ladies are not remarkable for their beauty. It must be from the Saxon females that the most confiderable part of our fair countrywomen inherit their charms. The higher claffes of the English, and the lower ranks of the Scotch, women, are, no doubt, of Danish extraction, if we may judge from a parity of uglinefs." Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, W.W.P. Feb. 15. EEING an obfervation in your last Svolume, p. 1163, concerning a ge latinous fubftance found by the fides of rivers, I beg leave to inform P. P. P. it is generally thought to be a vegetable fubftance, and is called by Botanists Tremella Nofoc; fome have lately allert ed, that it is of animal origin, but how far this can be fupported by fact is not yet determined. There is a fimilar produ&ion from the effect of fevere froits, namely, frozen frogs, but it may be diftinguished by its not thrivelling up in dry weather, as the Tremella does, and the bones of frogs are generally to be found in it. Micheli, an eminent botanit (with the affiftance of a microscope), informs us, he discovered the feeds as lying in the form of firings of beads, coiled up within the folds of the plant. W.P. Mr. URBAN, Feb. 15.1 MY opinion concerning the migra tion of the Hirundens remained unfettled, till I perufed the latter of T. P. p. 1162; which, I think, contains obfervations in favour of migration that are decifive, as it cannot be fuppofed that the plumage of thefe birds could attain perfection during torpidity. The ftar-jelly, mentioned by P. P. P. p. 1163, I have found feveral times upon molly greenfword. As I have thus al ways found it in damp places, and have oblerved it to afpire in the night, I guess it to be produced by moisture; and yet there feems fomething refinous and folid in its nature, fince I have fome now lying before me that I have preferved in paper ever fince I picked it up upon a humid bowling-green in Surrey, in Sep tember, 1780, one fhowery morning before breakfast. I remember, that a portion of the bowling-green was covered with it, and that a great part of it difappeared before night-fall. I was very curious in my enquiries about it, but could gain no other information, than that it was often feen there, and that the vulgar thought it fell from the fars. It may be a fungus, for I have taken notice, that two or three kinds of fungi are fubject to be converted into jelly by hard rain. It would be ungrateful apathy not to communicate to Mr. Jonn Gough, of Kendal (p. 1197.), the knowledge of the great pleafure I derived from his very inftructive, accurate, and entertaining, remarks made on the weather, and on natural history, at Kendal. For the benefit of all your readers, I hope they will be continued. Information of the kind they contain, I have been wishing to receive from thofe parts many years; and I now have the gratification of receiving it from a very intelligent hand; you may therefore guels, Mr. Urban, the fatisfaction I derive from it, efpecially as it very particularly relates to birds. In January, 1791, I faw a great many chathnches (fringilla calebs), both male and female; but, in January 1792, and January 1793, a hen only now and then, and large companies of cocks. On the 31st of January, 1792, arrived a large company of hens, which foon after paired off with the cocks. I cannot antwer Mr. Gough's query concerning the You the cock chaffinch's fong, but will keep it in mind. A SOUTHERN FAUNIST. Part of a curious Lester written by Mr. (afterwards Dr.) DODDRIDGE to Mrs. E. C. on her opening a school. Jane 30, 1726. OU fpeak with your ufual good fenfe and difcretion, when you call teaching a large fchool a great under taking. It is certainly, madam, an office of great labour and difficulty; but, to be fure, you are frequently fupporting your feif under it with this reflection, that it is a poft of the moß honourable and important fervice, which any of your fex can be engaged n; nor are thete many employments of the male world which are by any means to be compared with it. If you are ferious in afking my advice, which I can hardly imagine, I am fure it must be only an exc.f. of humility which could lead you to it; and it would be an equal excefs of intolence in me to pretend to dictate to a lady from whom I ought to return it my honour and my happiness to receive inftruction. And therefore, madam, instead of putting on a grave face and preaching to you, I will rather, from my very heart, congratulate the happiness of thole who are placed under your care. They might poffibly have found fome other mistress equally capable of inftructing them in the curiofities of the needle, or in thofe other arts, which it is generally expected they fhould learn at fchoul; though I believe there are few that would have the vanity to pretend to rival you in thefe; but I can hardly conceive that they could have found a more beautiful patron of judicious tafte, elegant fentiment; and polite behaviour; much lefs could they probably have fal en into the hands of a perfon who would be equally. capable, and equally folicitous to form them betimes to the knowledge and love of practical religion, without any of the aukward, though fashionable, mixture of affectation and cenforioufnels, fuperitition, or bigotry. You, madam, will eafily find out the most natural and graceful method of infinuating into their hearts, by gentle degrees, a reverence of God and a relifh for virtue; and will teach them, by the familiarity of daily difcourfe, what characters are bonourable and amiable, and what in different degrees are contemptible and hateful. And then they will have continually in their fight an example of all the most lovely branches of the Chriftian temper, which will do more to form their notions, and to charm their imitations, than the most rational and moft pious difcourfes of your own. I rejoice to think what daughters, and wives, and mothers, and mistreifes, the pretty creatures will make in conféquence of thofe maxims which they would have imbibed for you. If there were any thing in the world, madam, which could make me content to refign all the privileges of my fex, it would be that I might go through a courfe of education with you, and be formed under fuch a government. Nature, will not allow of fuch a change however, madam, I would hope, that in another way I may find my account in your entering into fuch a bufinefs: for by this means you will gain a ftil more extenfive acquaintance with the young ladies, you will fee into their true characters, and no doubt fecure a very confiderable place in their affections,› and fo may poffibly have it in your power to find me a mistress among your pupils fome years hence, when I may have leifure to attend to thote tender amufements, which, for a while. I have refolutely difiniffed. I entreat you, madam, to look around upon the little thoughtlefs charmers in this view, and if you difcern the dawning of a character which may be likely to make me happy, bellow fome peculiar cultivation upon it in regards to Your most affЯionate friend, and most obedient humble fervant, PHILIP DODDRIDGE. Mr. URBAN, Darlington, Feb. 23.' BY the letter which accompanied the drawings of the curious foffils, &c. from Margate, inferted in your Magazine for October, your correfpondent feems to confider the fpecimen, of which fig. 3. is a copy, a petrification of a real caterpillar. All Naturalifts are very much divided in their opinion refpecting thofe productions. I hope fème of the numerous correfpondents to your valuable Mifcellany will be kind enough to favour your readers with some probable conjectures on this curious fubjects. The foil plants (as they are called) which are plentiful in Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, and many other places, are flatted and expanded with as much exactnefs as fpecimens in the Herbarium of the curious Botanist. How is this regularity, and nice arrangement, to be accounted for, if we fuppose them to have been real plants? The fubftance which your correfpon deng |