notion, that fuch things are as agreeable to others as they are to themselves. With regard to the navigation about thofe parts, it is fafe enough in fpring and in fummer; but in autumn it is fo dangerous, that hardly a day paffes, but one has reafon to fear being fhipwrecked; for they (the Rufians fent upon the fea expedition) experienced fuch a violence of winds and ftorms, that even perfons who had ferved forty years at fea affured, with an oath, that they never faw fuch in their lives. The marks by which they obferve there that land is near, are particularly the following confiderable one: I. When there appears a great quantity of different kinds of the (fo called) fea-cabbage, fwiming upon the water. 2. When one fees the herb of which, at Kamtchatka, they platt cloaks, mats, and bags, for it grows only on the feafhores. 3. When there begin to appear at fea, flights of fea-mews, as well as droves of fea animals, fuch as fea-dogs, and the like; for tho' fea-dogs have a hole open at the heart which is called foramen ovale, and a duct called ductus arteriosus Botalli, and, upon that account, may remain long under water, and confequently go to fome diftance from the fhore, without danger, inafmuch as they can, at a greater depth, find food proper for them; nevertheless, it has been obferved, that they feldom go farther than ten German miles from the fhore. The fureft fign that land is near is, when there are feen Kamtchatka bevers, which live only upon crabs; and, from the make of their heart, cannot be under water above two minutes at a time: confequently, they cannot get food at the depth of 100 fathoms, or indeed at a much leffer depth; upon which account they alfo breed al ways near the fhore. It remains to speak of fome islands nearest to Kamtchatka, which are not found in a ftrait line with the above-mentioned, but north of them; efpecially of Berings ifland, which now is fo well known to the inhabitants of Kamtchatka, that many of them go thither to catch fea-beavers, and the like fea animals. That ifland extends from the S. E. to the N. W. between 55 and 603. Its N. E. end, which lies almost directly over against the mouth of the river Kamtchatka, is at about two degrees diftance from the eaftern fhore of Kamtchatka; and its S. E. end is about three degrees from cape Kronotfki. This ifland is 165 verftes long, but its breadth is unequal. From the S. E. end to a rock, which hangs perpendicularly over the fea, and is at 14 verftes distance from that end, the breadth of the island is from three to four verftes; from that fteep rock to Suiputchei bay, it is five verfies; from Suiputchei bay to Beaver's fteep rock, it is fix verftes; at Whale's ftream, it is five verftes; but from thence farther on, it grows gradually broader. Its greatest breadth, viz. 23 verftes, is over against the north cape, which lies 115 verftes from the above-mentioned end. In general, it may be faid, that the length of that iftand is fo difproportioned to its breadth, that our author doubts whether there can be, in other parts of the world, any iflands of fuch a fhape; at leaft, he never heard or read of any fuch; and he adds, that the islands which they faw about America, and all the rows of them lying to the eaft, have the like proportion. This This island confifts of a ridge of rocks, which is divided by many vallies, that stretch to the north and to the fouth. Its mountains are fo high, that, in clear weather, one may fee them from about half the difiance between the island and Kamtchatka. The inhabitants of Kamtchatka, of old times, thought there must be fome land, over-against the mouth of the river Kamtchatka, by reafon that the tky appeared there always cloudy, though it were never fo clear every where elfe about the horizon. The highest mountains of the ifland do not measure above two verftes in a perpendicular. [Here follows a defcription of this barren rocky ifland, of which the following four pages are not to our prefent purpose. Then, at page 136, the account proceeds thus.] The fouth weft fide of the island is of a quite different nature from the other, as to accefs: for though the fhore there is more rocky and craggy, yet there are two places by which, in flat-bottomed boats, fuch as are the Tscherbotui*, one may not only land on the thore, but even advance as far as as a lake, by the fireams that flow from it. The firft of thefe places is at 50 verftes, and the other at 115, from the fouth-caft end of the ifland. therefore one may conveniently go upon it in boats as far as the lake: and upon the lake there is a safe ftation; for it is furrounded with rocky mountains, as with a wall, and fheltered from all winds. The chief mark, by which one may know this ftream from the fea, is an iland, which is about feven verftes in circumference, and lies to the fouth at feven verftes diftance from the mouth of the ftream. The fhore from thence towards the weft, is fandy and low for five verftes. Round the fhores, there are no rocks under water; which one may know from thence, becaufe there are no breakers. From the higheft rocks of that island, one fees the following lands: at the fouth, two iflands, one of which meafures about feven verftes in circumference, as was obferved before; but the other is over-against the very end of Berrings illand, at the fouth-weft: it confifts of two high and cleft rocks, of about three verftes in circumference, and is at fourteen verftes diftance from Berrings ifland. From the north-caft end of Berrings ifland, in clear weather, one may fee to the north-eaft, very high mountains covered with fnow, and their diftance may be computed at 100 or 140 verfies. Thofe mounThis lat place is very remarkable tains our author thought, with betfrom the fea; for the land there ter grounds, to be a cape of the goes rounding from the north to the continent of America, than an ifland: weft; and, at the very promontory 1. Becaufe thofe mountains, allowthere runs a fiream, which is the ing for their diftance, were higher largeft of any in that ifland; and, than the mountains on the neighwhen the water is high, its depth is bouring iflands. 2. Because that, not lefs than feven feet. It runs at a like distance towards the east, from a great lake, which lies a one obferves plainly, from the island, verft and a half from its mouth: fuch like white mountains, from the and becaufe that fiream grows deep- height and extent of which all judger, the farther it is from the fea, ed that it was the continent. Large canoes, or boats, fomewhat refembling ferry-boats. From From the fouth-eaft end of Berrings ifland, they faw to the fouth-east also, another ifland, but not very clearly: it feemed to lie between Berrings ifland and fome low part of the con tinent. From the weft and fouth-west fides, it was observed, that even in clear weather, there is a perpetual fog higher up than the mouth of the river Kamtchatka; and from thence, in fome measure, they came to know the inconfiderable diftance of the land of Kamtchatka from Berrings ifland. North of the fo often mentioned Berrings ifland, there is another ifland, in length from 80 to 100 verftes, which lies parallel to it, i.e. from the fouth-eaft to the north-weft. The ftreights between these two islands, at the north-weft, measure 20 verftes, and at the foutheaft about 40. The mountains upon it are lower than the ridge of mountains in Berrings ifland. At both ends of it, there are, in the fea, many rocks at low water mark, and perpendicular rocks like pillars. With regard to the weather, it differs from that at Kamtchatka only in this, that it is more fevere and fharp for the island has no fhelter from any quarter; and, befides that, it is narrow, and without woods. Moreover, the force of the winds increases to fuch a degree, in thofe deep and narrow valleys, that 'one can scarce ftand upon one's legs. In February and April months, were obferved the fharpeft winds, which blew from the fouth-eaft and from the north-weft. In the former cafe, the weather was clear, but tolerable; but in the latter cafe, it was clear indeed, but extremely cold. The higheft rifing of the water happened in the beginning of February month, during north-weft winds: the other inundation was in the middle of May, occafioned by great rains, and by the fudden thawing of the fnows. Never- • thelefs, thofe floods were moderate, in comparifon with those of which there ftill remained undoubted marks; for there have been carried many trees, and whole fkeletons of fea animals, to the height of thirty fathoms or more, above the furface of the fea [above the common wa-ter mark, or level]: from which our author judges, that in the year 1737, there happened likewife in this illand fuch an inundation as that at Kamtchatka. Earthquakes happen here feveral times in the year, The moft violent that was obferved, was in the beginning of February, which, during a wefterly wind lafted exactly fix minutes; and before it, was heard a noife, and a strong wind, under ground, with a hiffing, which went from fouth to north. Among mineral things, which are found in that island, one may reckon as the most remarkable, the fine waters, which, upon account of their purencfs and lightnefs, are very wholefome: and this virtue of them was obferved upon fick people, with advantage and the defired fatisfaction. With regard to the plentifulness of them, there is not a valley but what has a fiream running through it; and the number of them all together exceeds fixty; among which there are fome, which are from 8 to 12 fathoms broad; and fome are two, and fome even five fathoms deep, when the water is high; but there are few fuch, and the greater part of them is extremely fhallow at the mouth; becaufe that they have a very rapid courfe, on account of the ftecp flopes of the vallies, and that near the fea they divide into many rivulets. USEFUL USEFUL On the medicinal Uses of Hemlock. See our last Volume, page 105. Observationsconcerningthedifferent kinds of Hemlock growing in Eng land, with rules for knowing and gathering that used and recommended by Dr. Storke of Vienna. By William Watson, M.D.F.R.S. PROJECTS. his prefcriptions are faithfully prepared. For these reasons it may not be improper to inform thofe medicinal practitioners, who are not converfant in botany, and who may, nevertheless, be delirous of trying the effects of the Cicuta, that at this time of the year [viz. April] there is another plant, growing in the fame places, and often mixed with it, fo much refembling it in appearance, DR.STORKE, who publifhed at as not without fome attention to be Vienna last year a treatise de Cicuta, has lately informed a correspondent in London, that fince the publication of that work he had received letters from almost every part of Europe, confirming his good. opinion of the virtues of the Cicuta; and that he is about to publish a fecond treatife upon the fame fubject, containing still more extraordinary relations of cures brought about by adminiftering that piant. There is no doubt therefore but that endeavours will be made here to confirm the truth of the doctor's affertions; more especially, as fome of the dif cafes, in which Dr. Storke found the Cicuta attended with great fucces, are fuch as are of all others the most shocking to human nature, and have, by too long experience, been found to give way to no other. 'means. Hence it is highly important to every one, more particularly to phyficians, that the very plant directed by Dr. Storke be administered, and no other in the place of it, either through inattention, or want of knowledge; as judgment in the phyfician is of no real fervice, unless diftinguifhed from it, which however greatly differs from it in fenuble qualities. Great care therefore ought to be taken that the one of these fhould be felected from the other. As Dr. Storke has tranfmitted hither a fpecimen of the plant he has employed, no doubt can remain in afcertaining its fpecies. It is the Cicuta vulgaris of the botanifts, or common hemlock. The plant fo much refembling hemlock, is the Cicutaria vulgaris of the botanifts, which, in fome parts of England, is called cowweed, in others wild cicely. Its greateft refemblance to hemlock is in the fpring, before the stalks of the leaves of the hemlock are interfperfed with purple spots, and therefore at that feafon more eafily mifiaken for it: though even then the leayes of the hemlock fmell much ftronger, are more minutely divided, and of a deeper green colour than those of the cow-weed. Afterwards, indeed, they are more easily diftinguished, as the cicutaria flowers at the end of April and beginning of May, and the cicuta not till June, when the other other is paft: To fay nothing of the flowering ftalk of the cowweed being furrowed and fomewhat downy; and that of Hemlock, fmooth, even, and always fpotted. These plants differ likewife very effentially in their feeds, which in the cow-weed are long, fmooth, and black, when ripe; whereas thofe of Hemlock are fmall, channelled, and fwelling towards their middle. Befides the cow-weed, there is another plant in appearance very like the Hemlock, although widely differing from it in other refpects; and unless I am very greatly mifinformed, quantities of this have been collected and fold in London for the Hemlock. This is more likely to be taken for the Hemlock in fummer or autumn, as it is an annual plant, and is produced and flowers late in the feafon. The plant here meant is the cicuta minor of Parkinson, or cicutaria tenuifolia of Ray. This however is eafily diftinguished from Hemlock by its being of the colour and fhape of parsley, its flowering ftalks having no purple or other fpots, and not having the ftrong fmell peculiar to Hemlock. To the two plants before-mentioned may be added a third, which very frequently, more especially about London, grows along with, and is mixed with the Hemlock. This plant is called by the late excellent Mr. Ray, small Hemlock Chervill with rough seeds; and is denominated by Cafper Fauhin in his Pinax Myrrhis sylvestris seminibus asperis. This, like the cow-weed beforementioned, can only be miftaken for Hemlock in the fpring. It may be diftinguifhed then from it, VOL. IV. by the leaves of the Myrrhis being more finely cut, of a paler green colour, and though they have fomewhat of the Hemlock fmell, are far lefs ftrong, and have no fpots. This plant flowers in April, and the feeds are ripe before the Hemlock begins to flower; and these feeds are cylindrical, rough, and terminated in an oblong point. The leaves of Hemlock are most fit for medicinal purpofes, as being in their greatest perfection when collected in dry weather, from the middle of May to the time that their flowering items begin to fhoot: as by that time the plants will have felt the effects of the warm fun, have acquired an highly virofe finell, and the ftems of the leaves are covered with purple fpots, an argument of the exaltation of their juices. And we fhould be attentive here to give them all advantages, as three degrees of latitude, and other circumftances of foil and fituation, may occafion a very fenfible difference in the qualities of the fame plant. An infiance of which occurs in the plant under confideration, and may be one of the caufes why the effects of the Hemlock have not been fuch here, as we are affured they are at Vienna, viz. Dr. Storke fays, that the root of the Hemlock, when cut into flices, pours forth a milky juice, which I have never feen it do here in England. There are feveral vegetables, which, though they thrive here apparently well, their productions are neverthelefs not the fame as in other parts of the world, where the heat is more intenfe, and the fummers of longer continuance. It would be extremely difficult here, I though |