The quantity of rain in the interval of this Report, has not much exceeded two inches. On the 20th we had severe frost, with an easterly wind; and frequent thick fogs and a moist atmosphere have occurred. This state of weather has been immediately followed by an increase of coughs and catarrhal affections, some of which have been very severe. One of the cases of pleurisy was particularly distressing. Bleeding had been practised at the commencement of the complaint, but not to the extent which the habit of the patient, and the violence of the disorder required. The consequence was, that mere temporary relief was afforded, and the subsequent treatment rendered more difficult and precarious. In these urgent cases it is not enough to direct a patient to be bled; it is most essential to see that the full effect is produced, and repeat the operation until the inflammation is subdued.

The deaths from small-pox, according to the bills of mortality, have lately been upwards of fifty weekly. A child was brought to me with the upper part of the arm, as far as the shoulder-joint, highly inflamed, and covered with small pustules. It had been inoculated at a chemist and druggist's shop, where was written up the inviting notice, INOCULATION' for the Small-pax, GRATIS; but, unfortunately for the poor deluded people who partake of this druggist's liberality, they find, it seems, that they have to pay for all the medicines that he may think it necessary to give on the occasion.

The case of apoplexy was fatal. The patient was seized in the evening with pain in the stomach, and nausea; he made some unsuccessful efforts to vomit, complained of his head, and in a few hours became totally insensible. When I first saw him, the following evening, he was evidently sinking, and died in the course of the night. As permission to open the body was refused, the exact nature of the complaint could not be ascertained. I have some doubt, however, of its being a case of true apoplexy, and much regret that a too-nice sense of delicacy, or rather prejudice, which prevails so much in this country, especially amongst the lower orders of society, and operates as a check upon our attaining a more certain and correct knowledge of many complaints, at present very obscure and often fatal; the causes of which, dissection might develop, and thus afford a better indication of cure. As it is, we preserve the dead at the expense of the living; and, though we smile at those

we yet cherish a prejudice as absurd in an enlightened age, as the superstition which for merly induced people to believe three sins would be forgiven them, if they set a cock-chafer on its feet that had happened to fall on its back. Craven-Street, November 26, 1812.

SAMUEL FOTHERGILL, M. D,

MONTHLY COMMERCIAL REPORT.

THE Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, feeling an anxious wish to promote the welfare of the colony by every means in his power, and viewing the extension of the wINE TRADE, as offering such permanent advantages to its inhabitants, has published the following advertisement, to call upon the wine growers, as well as the merchant exporter, to lend him their assistance towards the improvement of so valuable a branch of commerce at the Cape.

i. The vines in this colony are too thickly planted. In the future formation of vineyards, it is recommended, that the vines shall be planted four feet deep, and in rows, at a distance of six feet from each other, leaving a space of four feet between each row. As soon as they begin to bear fruit, or at the end of the third year, they should be led or trained, in the manner of Espaliers, along a rail work, formed of upright posts, of the hard wood of the country, six feet apart, and four feet above ground, crossed by two rows of the Bamboo, or Spanish reed, the lower one two feet from the earth. The object which will be attained by this simple mode, is, an increase of, and a superior quality of fruit, as well as the prevention of the baneful influence of the earth upon the grape, which cannot be too much guarded against. The farmer will also perceive, that the destructive tendency of the

south

south-east winds, is considered in limiting the height of the frame to four feet. The expense of the railing described, will be comparatively inconsiderable to the advantage derivedThe Bamboo and Spanish reed will thrive in most parts of the colony, and the rush of the country will be found sufficiently strong to bind the whole together.

2. Much of what has been recommended in the last article, will apply to the vineyards now in bearing. The materials for the rail-work may be prepared, and ready to put up in July and August next, when the general pruning of the vineyards takes place; and then it will be for the farmer to select the strong healthy shoots for training, taking care not to leave too many eyes to each. At this period, the earth should be well dug up about the vines, and manure applied. The vineyard, during the spring and summer, should be kept free from grass and weeds.

3. The proprietors of vineyards, now in bearing, and who may be wise enough to lead their vines, as recommended, would do well to remove every second vine, which will give the distance of six feet between each, and a space of three feet between every row. They may be assured, the remaining vines will yield a more abundant crop and fruit of a superior quality.

4. From the period at which the fruit is fully formed, until it is fit for the press, it should be the constant care of the farmer, to remove from time to time the shoots that may be thrown out, as well as such leaves as may obstruct the rays of the sun from fairly acting on the fruit. The full influence of the sun is essentially necessary towards bringing the bunch of grapes to perfect and uniform maturity, and, if prevented, deprives the wine of its great keeping property, and imparts to it a roughness and acidity, that no ulterior treatment can entirely remove.

5. At picking time, all rotten or damaged grapes should be rejected, and great care taken that none is pressed before they are perfectly ripe. The stock of the grape should not be allowed to ferment with the must, but after pressing, and before fermentation commences, be carefully separated with a rake. The grapes should be pressed out by men's feet. The men enter the press as soon as filled, (the greater the quantity it contains the better,) and should be succeeded by others until there is a strong appearance of fermentation. The juice is then left to ferment without molestation, until the skins, &c. begin to subside. It is then carefully drawn off, and transported to the merchant in Cape Town, or put into vats, leaving room for further fermentation. In the latter case, too much care cannot be taken in cleaning and scraping out the vats for use; washing them out with brandy is a good practice.

6. The restriction hitherto imposed upon the farmer of keeping his wine for six months after vintage, is removed, and lie is permitted to send it to Cape Town as soon after it has fairly passed the first fermentation, as suits his convenience. This measure will relieve the present farmers from the heavy expense of providing a large establishment of casks, and enable those possessing lesser means to become growers of vines.

7. The farmer is now supposed to have done his duty, and the wine in the possession of the merchant, to whom we are to look for its further improvement. By existing regulations, he will have the wine in his possession at least sixteen months, which will afford ample scope for the exercise of his ingenuity and talents, in classing, or (as it is generally ternied) lotting the wines as he receives them from the country, with a view of giving equability of quality, and a marked character to the wines of this settlement, which appears never to have been studied, and has operated as one of the leading objections to their use. This part of the process is paid much attention to in the wine countries of Europe, because the merchant is aware, that no two vineyards, be they ever so contiguous, will produce exactly the same flavoured wines.

8. The vats being clean and carefully prepared for the reception of the wine, brandy, in the proportion of five gallons for every leager, may be put into each, observing to be particularly careful, that the brandy is pure and free from any taste of smoke or defect, which it will for ever impart to the wine. The wine should be racked off, at least, twice during the sixteen months; in the last of these operations, a more minute classing may be made, and a further addition of brandy given in the proportion of three gallons to the leager.

9. During the several processes stated in the last article, the merchant should separate his wine into four different qualities, viz. inferior, good, better, best. If he has a general lot of wine to ship, he takes an equal proportion, from each kind. If a lot of 2d best quality, best, better, of good, of inferior. For a superior lot, inferior is left out, and good, better, and best is given. The lotting of wines, thus described, is followed both in Portugal and Madeira, and gives one cause why the wines of these countries are so accurately charac terized.

Castle of Good Hope, Feb. 14, 1812.

Letters from Brazil announce the establishment of several cotton manufactories in that country, and they add that they have been employed with greater success than in North

America,

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

MONTIILY MAGAZIN

No. 235.]

JANUARY 1, 1813. [6 of Vo L. 34.

As long as those who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving their Opinions a Maximum of
Influence and Celebrity, the most extensively circulated Miscellany will repay with the greatest Effect the
Curiosity of those who read, whether it be for Amusement or for Instruction.JOHNSON.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

I

SIB,

HAVE to return you my thanks for the insertion of my communication in your Magazine for November. Findjog it impossible to induce the Lords of the Admiralty to adopt my plans for preventing the destruction of our seamen through boats upsetting, I enclosed a Case, with the Report of the House of Commons, to some of the most eminent Counsel in London, and, in obedience to their advice, forwarded on the, 18th of September a Memorial to the Right Hon. the Lords of the Privy Council, which, Mr. BULLER has assured me, will be laid before their lordships at the first meeting that takes place; and, as the members are now in town, I presume it will not be long before the subject undergoes that investigation it must ever be found to merit. I therefore consider it would be improper at the present moment to lay either the case or the opinions of the counsel before the public.

The proposition I have made in different memorials to the Lords of the Admiralty was the following: That each ship in his Majesty's service be provided with a certain number of the "Seaman's Friends,” according to their several rates; and the strongest, most athletic, and best swimmers, both officers and men, practised in the use of them, proceeding gradually from calm to stormy weather; that, in case of wreck happening, these men would naturally become more bold and resolute in their attempts to form a communication with the shore (the grand desideratum) by means of ropes, which when formed, most would be saved through being warped :-When not in use, to be placed under the care of proper officers, for the service of the boats' crews in tempestuous weather, as, in case of swamping or upsetting, another boat would be sent to pick up the men, who could not possibly be drowned; and, for the purpose of such other general services MONTHLY MAG. No. 235.

the commanding officer should consider
them at any time applicable. I stated
my ability to make them in the following
proportions, of a thousand at 13s. each,
300 No. 3, 500 No. 4, and 200 No.
56501.

Were 60 given to a 74-gun
ship, whose complement of men and off-
cers is 725, that number is sufficient for
17, and would cost but 391. cach ship.
Calculating that the invention only lasted
six years, the expense that would fall on
the country would be 61. 10s. a year for
a Seventy-four possessing the means, in
case of wreck, of more ably forming a
communication with the shore, and pre-
serving every officer and man who might
otherwise perish during that period
other
through boats upsetting;-the
vessels in proportion.

The only gentleman that ever paid`at-
tention to the above proposition was the
Right Hon. Mr. GRENVILLE, who sent
for me and inspected the invention. He
informed me that, although he was at the
head of the naval department, not having
been professionally brought up in the
service, he wished to take the opinion of
the Commissioners of the Navy, whom
of course I attended, and the subject un-
derwent a full discussion. Sir FRANCIS
HEARTWELL observed, they were not
afraid of desertion, for, once known, from
the simplicity and cheapness of the in-
vention, the bad would always procure or
make it; nor were they afraid of expense,
as, on being recommended by the officers
of the ships, the men themselves would
purchase them. Unfortunately for hu
manity and this country, a change of ad-
ministration took place, and to this hour
I have never been able to procure the
Report.

If you calculate, then, 113 officers and men at only 60l. each; already has the country lost sufficient to furnish twothirds of the British navy with the meaus of preserving all others in future similar situations, and enabling the commanding officer to alleviate many of the SQ

other

A

SIR,

leave to drop another hint relative to a vegetable, which struck me as more likely than perhaps beet, or any other that has been hitherto tried, for inaking that useful commodity sugar. Being recommended by a friend to try an experiment with the common esculent root, the parsnip, in making wine, I made a small tub of about twelve gallons, by cutting the root in thin slices, boiling, straining, and fermenting it in the usual way; and I have the satisfaction to say, the wine is of a rich and excellent quality and flavour, and bids fair to exceed most English made wines. From this experi ment, I have been led to think, that if, in a rich and suitable soil, (deep, and as free as possible from stones) this most excellent root were largely cultivated; from its well-known saccharine rich juice, much better and greater quantities of su• gar might be made than from any other vegetable, except the cane itself. And what would render this discovery the more valuable is, that the parsnip abundantly flourishes in our own country, is perfectly hardy, and of easy culture on almost any tolerably good and rich soil within the three kingdoms.

Having thus far trespassed on your time, and occupied more room in your valuable pages than perhaps these crude suggestions deserved, I lay down my pen, but not without a hope that some benefit may result to the public from R. P. CULHAM. Henley on Thames, Nov. 16, 1812.

them.

MONG the experiments and improvements of the present day, those certainly which successfully tend to economize the necessaries of life are by far the most useful and important, and therefore the most valuable. If, as has been observed, the man who causes a blade of corn to grow where never one did before, is to be considered a public benefactor; he that can contrive any means, in times like the present, either to lessen the consumption or increase the quantity of necessary and useful commodities, ought surely to be considered a true patriot and a friend to his fellow creatures in general. I was led to these reflections and consequent communication by reading an account the other day of some very useful, ingenious, and, what is more, successful experiments, I must call them improvements, in the essential art of making bread. The me. thod here alluded to is far more economical than the common way, as the flour goes much farther,, and, besides this, the bread is much better. Shall I say, the staff of life is strengthened by the disco-hiver, covered with limestone. HIS island consists of black blue very? Not having the account at band to refer to, I cannot at present enter into a detail of the experiments; but the principal thing is, to extract, by boiling, the remaining goodness from the bran, and use the water, thus enriched and rendered of itself nutricious, in making the bread, which by this plan is nearly one half better than bread made in the common way. In a future letter I hope to be able to send you the account alluded to; but for practical purposes the above may suffice, though philosophy, I will allow, in such cases, calls for modes, quantitics, and proportions.

As I am now, sir, on the utile, give me

For the Monthly Magazine. CONTINUATION of the ACCOUNT of the

BRITISH MINERAL STRATA;

By JOHN MIDDLETON, of LAMBETH.

PORTLAND.

The north end of it is about 400 feet above the sea, and that of the south is supposed not to exceed 100 feet high. The surface partakes much of an inclined plane, regularly descending from north to south. The cap of stone averages about 100 feet thick. The whole island is part of the same formation of shiver, supporting stone, as the hill of St. Adham's Head, Purbeck. And no doubt can be entertained of these strata extending under all the counties on the south-east side of England.

This island has a thin covering of ve getable mould, naturally producing a

healthy

+