means it lets fall the feeds with much freedom and regularity. I, is a hole to fhift the crank, if need be. G is a fpindle through which the crank H paffes, and is fixed to it by its nut and fcrew at the other end. It is turned by a wheel put on for that purpose, to which g and ƒ ferve to fix it.

here cut out in various fizes & depths, with a view to different feeds, as c d fe, and gh; but Fig. 19, fhews one uniform fize, which must be adhered to, tho' every fize must be proportioned: to the feed the drill is intended to fow.. A

Fig. 1, 2, 3, fhew the manner of conftructing the mortice, perforating the hole for the hollow cylinder, and fixing and regulating the tongue. a b c d in Fig. 1, fhew the outline of the upper edge of the mortice; efg b the out- B line of the lower edge, by which it appears that the mortice of the feed box is narrowest and longeft at top, and wideft and shorteft at bottom; and Fig. 2, being the mortice cut down by its four corners, fhews the exact form of the infide of the mortice; abcd is a trapazium, and fhews the right fide of C the mortice marked A; efgh is its oppofite fide marked B, and may more eafily be comprehended by comparing it with Fig. 8; dikh fhew the fore end of the mortice; a Ime the hinder end D. The prick'd lines in both thew the excefs of the bevel, the mortice being as much wider at bottom than at top, as ae exceeds no. Ffhews the place where the tongue A, Fig. 9, is placed, and the prick'd lines the play of the fpring; pq fhews the place of the fetting fcrew, Fig. 6. E is the hole where the fcrew-pin of the tongue terminates.

Fig. 3. is a large mortice; the prick'd lines gibk fhow the length and play of the tongue, of which Fig. 10 fhews the out line; a is the common center; pon the angle it forms with the fpindle; uw fhew the place of the cover;

።
is the hole by which it is fixt; x and
y the thickness; and tits point, which
hangs over the knotches, but fo as ne-
ver to touch them, yet fo near as not
to fuffer a feed to pafs between.

D

E

F

Fig. 17. is the brafs tongue with its hollow cylinder and pin A; and its fpring BD. CC are knotches to keep the fpring in its place; and the lines G a abcd and efgb fhew the difference of the bevel of the upper and under furfaces, Fig. 16. fhews its thickness; ab is the upper furface finely polish'd; cd the under furface; be the form of the cylinder.

Fig. 18. fhews the difference of the bevel of the mortice, and that of the tongue, by which may be seen that the tongue nearly fills the whole space.

Fig. 20. fhews the different manner of constructing the notches; they are (Gent. Mag, Nov. 1764.)

H

Fig. 24. Shews, the knotches as cut in the fpindle; a b is the upper edge of the fide; cd the edge of its bottom; ef is the angle made by the fide and bottom; thefe three lines must always be parallel to the axis of the spindle.

Fig. 25, is one end of the beforedefcribed notch; the line ab being. joined to the line fd of Fig. 24, and the line ac being joined to the line bf in the fame figure, will be the end. of that notch in its proper place & fhape. Fig. 23. is a notch with its ends exactly delineated.

Thus, Sir,you fee here every minutia, of Mr Tull's feed box, diftinctly delineated and defcribed, and whoever will confult his book will fee the feveral proportions fo exactly afcertained, that there is nothing wanting to conftruct this most useful machine, but a moderate thare of geometry and mechanics, of which Mr Tull himself was a complete mafter.

A view of the plough as it appears when completely put together, fhall be inferted in our next.]

Mr URBAN,

WE were informed the other day, papers, that Carlo Vanloo, painter to the king of France, was arrived in England on purpose to see the many capital paintings of the greatest mafters, with which, we are told, this kingdom abounds. But in the conclufion of the paragraph it is faid, that in doing this he would, in all likelihood, meet with many difficulties. What these difficulties are we were not informed, nor can I guess, unless the trouble and expence attending the feeing thefe things. These, indeed, are great, fo that many perfons who would be glad to fee them, do not think it worth their while to pay this double tax. The fawning cringing addres fes to those who have it in their power to fhew them, together with their gaping expectations of what you will give them, is very difagreeable; and, what is ftill worfe, if you do not fatisfy them according to their liking, it is ten to one but you are infulted. However, when M. Vanloo is informed of these fcandalous customs of ours, he may remove one difficulty, by taking

534

Useful Obfervations on Paintings.

care not to go to thefe places with
empty pockets. But there is another
difficulty much more difficult to fur-
mount: Many of our modern_col-
lectors, through their impatien e
in collecting, and their eager defire A
of being thought great judges in
painting, have fallen into all the
traps and fnares of the picture deal-
ers, who have put into their hands a
parcel of trumpery copies inftead of
originals, and thofe which are fuch
are fo defac'd by being rubb'd half
out, and painted over again by fome B
defpicable wretch of a painter, under
the notion of cleaning them, as to
render them not worth one farthing.
Now, I fay, thefe people will perhaps
be very glad to prevent a man of Mr
Vanloo's judgment from feeing them,
left he thould difcover their foible,
and, instead of admiring their judg-
ment, only laugh at their folly.

However, be this as it will, it is certain he must meet with many difappointments. All artists know to what a wretched condition most of our collections are reduc'd, by their undergoing the various operations of a fet D of mifcreants called picture cleaners; men, who, for the generality, know no more of painting than a Hotentôt, and, confequently, know not when they are doing good or hort to a picture.

Who could ever imagine that colour-men, cabinet makers, frame-ma- E kers, brokers, and houfe-painters, could have the affurance to undertake fo nice an affair as to put to rights a damaged picture, a thing that requires the utmolt fkill of the beft painter we have. But when we confider that the judgment of the owners is generally upon a par with that of the clean. F eis, it is no longer to be wondered at that they should fuffer themfelves to be perfuaded to intruft things of this confequence in the hands of fuch ignorant pretenders. The glaring appearance a picture makes when it first comes out of the hands of thefe men, G by the help of their varnishes, gains very much upon the eye of one who is ignorant of the true excellence of a painting, and who is apt to think a miracle has been wrought upon it, never fulpecting the picture to be irrecoverably ruin'd; but this time foon difcovers, and the owner then fees with regret what pains and expence he Iras been at to render a fine picture good for nothing.

Bt the folly does not ftop here; for ... by comes another as ignorant as

H

the first, and tells him it was all owing to the ignorance of the first operator, if he will fend it to Mr, he will undo all the other has done, and reftore it to its original perfection. Then it is put into another Quack's hands, who plays over the fame tricks the other had done, fo that between both there is not one third of the original painting remaining. Some, no doubt, have efcaped this fate, but then many of thefe are valued more for the name of the painter than for any intrinfick merit in the pictures themselves, being badly painted, and much inferiour to many of our modern paintings.

Of fuch pieces as thefe most of our modern collections confift, and hence arifes the difappointment a perfon of real judgment often meets with in going to fee them; he finds, perhaps, two or three hundred pictures, and does not fee three worth looking at amongst them all.

Some few fine ones we have ftill remaining among it us without difpute, which have had the good fortune to efcape the hands of thefe men, but molt of thefe are depofited in country feats far diftant from town; as for thofe in and about this metropolis, they are almost all demolished, and it is certain if this infatuation of our collectors continues a few years longer, we fall not have one picture left in the kingdom worth notice; and, in all probability, this will be the cafe, for this practice is arrived to fuch a length, that no picture bought at an auction, or elsewhere, muft be fent home before it is fent to the picturecleaners, and the owner will take as much pride in letting you know who cleaned it, as who painted it.

Methinks I hear fome of your readers cry out, "What then? are all "pictures utterly spoiled that are un"dertaken to be cleaned; muft all be "ruin'd that are attempted to he "mended and repaired?" I answer, not when put into the hands of a man of judgment, and a good painter, who can preferve and refiore them; but even fuch an artist cannot equally be-, nefit all, for fome are in fo bad a condition through the ill ufage they have met with from their owner, by various varnishes and oilings, one upon another, the dirt at the fame time lying underneath both, that it is impoffible to get all off without damaging the painting; but, that it may be damaged as little as poffible, care fhould be ta

ken to put it into the hands of a very experienced perfon, not colourmen or frame makers, for I should as foon give them a commiffion to make nie a fuit of cloaths, as to mend my pictures, as I am well affured they muft know as much of one as the other; and it is chiefly owing to thefe fort of men that all the mifchief has been done that I have been complaining of.

A

From all that has been faid, I believe eyery one will conclude that M. Vanioo will meet with many difappointments as well as difficulties, and it is well if, B after all the trouble and expence he has put himself to, he will not have reafon to wish he had ftaid at home, and employed his time to a much bet ter purpose. I am, Sir, yonrs, &c. Albermarle-freet, Nov. 19, 1764.

I

SIR,

fhillings and fixpence a bushel, and has been from five and fixpence to that price for feveral months paft: Now would any man in his fenfes have a quantity of wheat in his hands and not bring it to market, if there was no probability of his having a better price? One caufe then of the high price must be the farmer's knowing that he has not more wheat in his barn than what is likely to fell at a good price the year round: He certainly finds that he hath not fo much as last year, and yet in last year he never had a bad price for it. Let us enforce this opinion by recollecting, what a wet winter and fpring the last were; what damage by foods in Lincoln/bire and the low grounds throughout the kingdom; how many thoufand acres of pasure for our cattle lie C now under water; how much grain was rotted and fpoiled or wafhed out of the grounds every where; infomuch, that the county juft mentioned produces but about half the quantity of wheat that it might have done. * The price of corn at this time, is a proof that the exportation of last year left our stocks low; and the above conûderations, convince us country folks that our stock is not large, in comparison to the demand we have of late had for it.

E

Was a little concerned to hear in the public papers, that there was fuch a number of bills ready to be laid before the parliament, feeing their meeting is to be fo late; for, it is to be feared, the hurry of business may caufe fome to be omitted, that may be D of the greatest concern to the nation, and cannot have any remedy, if the opportunity be loft this feffion. Of this fort are the new regulations talk ed of in the corn trade, which feem to be highly necessary: For, notwithstanding the many accounts we have of a plentiful crop, I am fure, if it be properly enquired into, it will be found to be a small crop of wheat; yet, as it is good grain, and well got in, it would certainly carry us thro' the year at a reasonable price, if the demand abroad does not leffen the quantity too much before we are a ware of it; which may be when it is too late for the parliament to remedy the evil: That this may be the cafe is plain; for we are told from Rome and other parts of Italy,that their crops are fhort, and will not ferve the year round, and confequently we shall be called upon for a fupply.

p

As to our stock of cattle, I do not wonder, that you Londoners fhould be deceived in that particular; for it will require to look back, not only to laft winter, but to two or three years beyond for the caufe. The fummer in 1762, was a very dry one, and the fcarcity of hay caufed fuch a flaughter of cattle, that we had good beef for less than two pence a pound. This certainly thinned the flock; and what kept down the rifing herd was a dry time the fpring following; which was fuch a difcouragement to the rearing of calves, that tho' beef and mutton fold for three-pence a pound, good veal fold for two pence; which difG ference could never have happened if there had not been an unutual number of calves killed; let us add to this the number of fheep drowned last fpring by the floods, in all the low lands throughout the nation: We fhall then fee how little reason there

I am forry to find every one who laments the high price of provisions, lofing fight of the chief caufe, and laying it upon a wrong one. Ignorance and prejudice unite all in the common cry against foreitallers, &c. and I fear it will be to little purpose, to trace the caufe deeper: However, H let us remember, that to find a wrong cause will put us upon feeking a wrong cure. Wheat with us (a hundred miles from the capital) is fix

336

Bartram's Travels in North-America.

is to affert, that "the oldeft man 66 now living, nor hiftory itself can"not point out a period when this 66 country was bleffed with a more "plentiful harveft; with more abun"dant pafture for our cattle, or cat"tle for our pafture, than at present.” The abundant pafture for our cattle, A is a bleffing we may be truly thankful for; but the good effects of it may not be felt at this juncture; for, if from the above-mentioned causes, the grazier was forced to buy young cattle, at á dear price, he must have a good price now; and if he cannot get it, he will be induced to keep them B till after Christmas, when they will fetch a good price; and this, because he bath abundant pafture for them.-But this withholding will be no difadvantage to the public; because, the more cattle are withheld, the more reasonable will the price be at spring.

These confiderations may account
for the price of wheat, and provifions
in general, without attributing it
bolly to foreftallers and that tribe:
I do not mean, by what I fay, to infi
nuate that there is no fault in that
clafs of cormorants; cheese and but-
ter, with you in London, are molt cer- D
tainly the objects of their avarice;
but had thefe not been scarce, there
would have been no room for foreftal-
Ters to practice upon us. It is scarci-
ty makes foreftallers, and the greatest
blow that could be given them was
by introducing plenty, as in the im- E
portation of Irish butter, beef, &c. or
by preferving plenty, by bringing our
laws relating to the exportation of
corn under better regulations. From
what has been faid, I think it mult
appear that it is a combination of
caufes, not of men, that keeps corn
dear; to enlarge upon all would take F
up too much of your room, but to
mention them briefly they are the
fhortness of the crop, the riches of
the farmers, the practice of raising
rents, and, laftly, the great encrease
of borfes, which, in my opinion, are
the greatest foreftallers in the king-G

dom.-I cannot but lament the ex-
travagancy of you Londoners, who keep
horfes at a very great expence, to ride
(not quite fo often as) every Sunday
from divine fervice. From these cau-
Ses I could' fhew (by the connection
they have with each other) that the
neceffaries of life are never like to be H
fo cheap to the poor labouring manu-
facturer as they have been; and I
think I could point out fome regula

tions in the corn trade, that might be of fervice to the poor, and yet not too much affect the farmer and the landed intereft. In the mean time, Sir, I affure you, that what I have faid is not under the influence of any interested views; for I have no relation in the world that deals in any fort of provifions.-I have a great family to provide for, and feel the exorbitant price of provifions, but cannot run away with the current of popular prejudice; being a lover of truth, and

Your bumble fervant, W.M.

Extract from a Journal written by Mr John Bartram of bis Travels into Carolina.

TOW

Now I am in this country, it may

not be unentertaining to give

a brief account of the Catabaw Indians, a valiant nation, now almoft extinct. Thefe Catabaws for many years maintained a bloody and revengeful war with the five united Indian nations of New York, who, according to their common method of war,attacked them by furprize, killed many, took what they could prifoners, and then retreated with the utmost expedition; the Catabaws always purfued them fo clofe that they generally obtained a fuffi. cient revenge; they fometimes chafed them as far the river Sufquebana, bringing back many fcalps as a token of their victory. The following is an inftance of their refolution and intrepidity:

A party of the Five Nations surprifed a town on the river Wateree, whilft the men were out a hunting, and deftroyed their families; when the men returned and faw what had been done, they were fired with the utmost revenge, and purfued the aggreffors directly; but the Indians of the Five Nations travelling night and day, and kindling no fires for feveral nights, for fear of being difcovered, got fo far the start of the Catabaws, that they could hot come up with them. Having continued the purfuit feveral days, they were at laft difcouraged from proceed. ing further; but a fout young Catabaw, protefting he would not return without a fcalp, fet off alone, and found their encampment; he lay concealed that night, watching an opportunity to effect his purpofe, which happened early the next morning; for an Indian happening to straggle from the reft, he thot and fcalped him, and carried home his trophy with great applaufe.

The

afferted, that our spittle, injected into the mouth of a ferpent, was mortal poifon. This he determined to try the first opportunity. Some time after he found a viper, which he provoked to open its mouth, and keeping it in that pofture, he spit on the end of a stick, and dropped the spittle into its mouth, it prefently turned on its back, and feemed to all intents quite dead; but he stood fo long as to fee it revive and recover.

Nov. 12, 1764. Beg leave to afk the Gentleman who in your last Magazine, argues foacutely against the effects of imagination in pregnancy, in what fenfe he understands the following paffage in the book of Genefis, Chap. xxx. Ver. 37, 39-Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnuttree; and pilled white frakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. And he fet the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs, when the flocks came to drink; that they should conceive when they came to drink. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought D forth cattle ring firaked, Speckled and spotted. His reconciling this paffage to his hypothefis will oblige his and your moft humble fervant,

Next day he espied another viper, by the way fide, upon which he got a ftick, and provoked him as he did the other. This viper foon feigned himfelf dead, and Mr Bartram stood a confiderable time looking at him; at H length he revived again, and endeavoured to creep away, but was prevented.

A perfon afterwards overtook him, ad related a story he had heard well