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IN

SIR,

N your miscellany of the 1st of Janu ary, 1808, you gave a statement of prisoners committed to Newgate in 1802, and four following years; there is one part of it to which I wish now to call the attention of some of your readers, in order that they may be convinced of the mischiefs which arise in a pecuniary way, from suffering brothels to remain, and permitting prostitutes to walk the streets at night. If justice and humanity are not found of sufficient force, policy may be called in, in behalf of numbers of our innocent fellow-creatures, who may, and no doubt will, if some measures are not speedily adopted, fail victims to the arts of vicious men. In the account abovementioned, we imagine the article, "Females stealing from men's persons," to signify robberies either committed by prostitutes in the streets, or in houses of ill fame, on the persons of their guilty associates. The number in the five years amounted to one hundred and sixty-nine; as follows in 1802-31

1803-25

1804-25

1805-43

1806-45

Total 169

The number of persons in the same period committed for picking pockets, was 146, which appears worthy of notice. May we not with good reason conclude, that a great proportion of offences of the sort here noticed, never become public, for there can be little doubt but that many people, who were robbed in this truly disgraceful manner, would not wish the affair to be known. It might be more than a matter of mere curiosity, to have the amount of the sums so stolen ascertained. I do not mean to decide how far the present existing laws are sufficient for the prevention of female seMONTHLY MAG. No. 183.

duction, but earnestly wish those who have more legal knowledge than I have, would take pains to make themselves well acquainted with the subject, and point out, in such manner, as may seem to them most proper any defects which may be found. One alteration is most desirable, which is, that seduction under promise of marriage, or by any artifice whatever, should be constituted an offence punishable by indictment. I wish to be referred to the best ac

count of the speeches made in parliament by those members who opposed the Marriage-act of 26 George II. also the Royal marriage-act.

February 10, 1809.

A. Z.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

N a late Number of your Magazine, your "Man of Letters," in an extract from his Port-folio, very confidently asserts, "on the authority of uncontradicted tradition," that the Travels of Gaudentio di Lucca, were written by Bishop Berkeley. It is, I think, a matter of little consequence; but I am able to tell your correspondent, who really was the author of those supposed Travels. Why they were given to the bishop I could never understand. He may then know, that the "learned romance," as he styles it, was written by a Mr. Simon Peerington, a descendant of the ancient family of that name, in the county of Hereford, and a clergyman of the church of Rome. My assertion rests on the testimony of many of his relations, now dead, among whom, his nephew, the late head of the family, and who was educated by him, has often, in my hearing, said, that his uncle wrote the work, and that he recollected many circumstances of the publication. The same gentleman was the author of other works, to some of which he put his name, which are, The great Duties of Life, and the Mosaic Creation. He was a man of learning, and of much humour, and, secretly engaging in the politics of the day, wrote many songs and satirical ballads, which were circulated among the Jacobites. The singularities of his character, though inoffensive, were not few. The latter years of his life were spent in London, where he died about the middle of the last century. I just recollect to have seen him, when I was struck by his high stature, and the gravity of his aspect. His motive for writing "Gaudentio di Lucca," was to

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raise a little money, and to try the cre- Experiment 1.-Four potatoes, of the dulity of mankind. Of this credulity he sort called here Captain Hart, weighing had ample proof; for his fiction was re- 3607 grains, were put into a saucepan ceived by many as a true story.

with cold water, which was made to boil Dec. 14, 1808.

J. B. in five minutes, and kept simmering at a

boiling heat, for an hour. The water To the Editor of the Monthly Nagazine. was then poured off, and the saucepan, SIP,

with the potatoes, again set over the fire T the present season, when wheat is for two minutes, to evaporate the moisis already exceeding dear, it becomes a tatoes. They were now taken out and duty to employ all the means in our weighed, whilst quite hot, and were found power, to discover a substitute for that to weigh 3562 grains, having lost 45 valuable article of food,

grains. When they were cool enough to · If the numerous advantages which be handled, and ceased to give out any would result from the general use of the vapour in the temperature of the air in common potatoe, were sufficiently un- the room, which was 54° Fahr. they were derstood, we should have more than a again put into the balance, and weighed temporary substitute for the grain of 3550 grains, having now lost 57 grains of wheat, as the nutritive property of that their original weight. They were afterinestimable root, and the numerous me- wards placed in a cellar for twelve hours, thods of preparing it for food, would be and then weighed 3527 grains, having such as to exclude wheat from being any lost in the whole, by being boiled, 80 longer considered as an indispensable grains. Thus we find that the potatoe, necessary of life, even in this kingdom, cooked for the table, by boiling loses where the prejudices of the people little more than two per cent of its against the introduction of any substitute weight. for wheat, appear to be more strongly But in another experiment which I rooted, than in any other nation upon made by builing a single potatoe, which earth.

weighed 1300 yrains, it lost only 10 grains As this is my opinion of the real uti- after being boiled for an hour, and then lity of the potatoe, I am induced to un- cooled in a cellar for twelve hours. dertake the solution of the question, “Is I confess that these experiments rather boiling or roasting, the most economical surprized me, as I had suspected a priori, mode of cooking the potatoe ?"—in order that the root would have lost more in that, if one or other of these processes weight by boiling, and that it would aftershould prove to be exceedingly extra- wards have absorbed moisture from the vagant, we may relinquish the practice, air of a damp cellar. Hence we learn the and thus in future guard against the folly of remaining satisfied with mere crime of unmeaning wastefulness: a suppositions, when it is so easy a matter crime, which though little thought of, to ascertain and establish facts by direct and not sufficiently exposed to public experiments. censure, is daily, and even hourly com- The water in which the potatoes were mitted by the giddy and the thoughtless, boiled, acquired the colour of an infuto the incalculable injury of the needy sion of green-tea, and contained some poor.

mucilage or gum in solution, which gave In no instance is this unnecessary it something of the flavour of high dried wastefulness more conspicuous, than in malt. The extractive matter which the the daily operations of cooking the com- water at first dissolved, was afterwards mon articles of our food, in which the coagulated by the heat, one portion prepoor themselves are continually, though cipitating to the button, while the other sometimes unintentionally committing formed a scum upon the surface of the this crime, the effects of which can fall fluid. If this liquor be freed from the only upon their own heads, and that too, extractive, by filtering it through fine at the very time it is committed. I linen, it becomes a wholesome and nu. would I had the ability to wield the pen tritious fluid, not possessing the least with such irresistible power, as to com- deleterious property, as has been command what I write to be felt, to enable monly attributed to it. But I shall have me to impress upon the minds of those, occasion at another time, to notice the whom in this world it most concerns, qualities of this fluid, when treating of this simple truth, that by unmcaving the infusion of raw potatoes. wastefulness, the poor sin against thenia Experiment 2.--- A Captain-Hart poselves!

tatoe, weighing 1220 grains, was placed

under

under hot embers, and roasted for an hour, but it was not thoroughly cooked. It weighed, whilst hot, 1028 grains, and after being placed in a cellar for twelve hours, it weighed 1010 grains, having lost in the whole, though not sufficiently cooked, 210 grains, being rather more than one-sixth, or not quite 20 per cent of its original weight.

Experiment 3.-A Captain-Hart potatoe, weighing 1198 grains, was covered with hot embers, and roasted for an hour and a half, when it was found to be thoroughly cooked. Before it was quite cold, it weighed 818 grains, having lost by roasting 380 grains! Being then placed in a cellar for twelve hours, it imbibed four grains of moisture from the damp air of the cellar, weighing now 822 grains.

From this last experiment we learn, that when the potatoe is cooked by roast ing, it looses nearly one third, or almost forty per cent of the original weight of

the root; an enormous waste! which added to the thick hard dry indigestible surface of the roasted potatoe, that is generally left as refuse; the want of economy is so prodigious, that especially in these times, this mode of cooking that nutritious vegetable, ought not to be tolerated, even at the tables of the opulent.

Where is the poor man, whose family having gleaned one hundred measures of wheat, who would cast forty of them into the river, and reserve sixty only for the supply of himself and family?

Or what should we think of the rich man, who having purchased a hundred bushels of meal, were to order forty of them to be buried under a dunghill, lest they should afford nutriment to the needy around him? Yet as great an absurdity as these, is the unmeaning wastefulness of roasting the invaluable root of the potatoe. Your's, &c. Wisbech, Feb. 21, 1809.

W. SKRIMSHIRE, Jun,

METEOROLOGICAL ABSTRACT and REGISTER, as kept at EDINBURGH, 1808.

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total total total toral total total

Register of Occurrences for 1808.

January 1st to 10th, often clear, and in general soft, open weather, wind southwest, barometer rising. A gale of wind on the 10th was followed by three days of snow and sleet, and after another severe gate from the north on the 14th, we had three days of frost, with showers of snow, wind shifting from north to

west: 17th, to end of the month, wind continued westerly, but in other respects, weather proved very unsettled, alternately two or three days of frost and snow, followed by the same space of sleet and rain, barometer keeping low.

February 1st to 7th, frequent showers of rain, sleet and snow; 7th to 14th, in2

tense

tense dry frost, hardly any snow on the ground; 14th to 26th, cloudy, and often bazy and foggy, air coldish, but little frost; 26th, to end, fine mild weather, wind westerly almost the whole of the month; barometer, on the 24th, higher than for several years before.

March. During the first five days we had fine mild spring weather, wind west; all the rest of the month the wind being uniformly easterly, the weather proved cold and dry, with the exception of the 24th, and part of the 25th, when we had a fall of snow, though it dissolved immediately after. The hills, however, continued very white, vegetation made hardly any progress this month, but the ground was dry, and in good condition for agricultural labours.

April proved an uncommonly severe month. First three days rather clear and sharp. On the 4th we had a violent storm of wind and rain from the southwest, which was followed by ten days of fair moderate weather, wind west and north-west. The next ten days resembled the middle of winter, having heavy falls of snow on the 17th, 18th, and 21st, air feeling very cold, with northerly winds: 26th to 29th, cold rather abated, shifting from north to east, and shifting to the west on the 29th, the air turned sensibly milder. Vegetation as yet very backward, and grass made little appear

ance.

May. During the whole of this month, the weather was mild and favourable to vegetation, and in a great measure compensated for the backwardness of the former part of spring. We had not many, either very cold or warm days, but always moderate and agreeable weather, with frequent refreshing showers. On the 7th and 9th, we had thunderstorms, accompanied with hail of an unusually large size. Winds this month rather variable, mostly inclining to the south of east and west. Swallows appeared the first week.

June. First three days agreeable enough, brisk wind from south-west, 4th to 10th, coldish weather, often cloudy and misty, with a good deal of rain; wind rather easterly, 10th to 30th. In general, serene, agreeable, and moderately warm; sometimes clear, but of tener cloudy and hazy; no rain except on the 14th and 22d, when we had some heavy showers, wind rather westerly.

July proved very warm throughout. First half was quite dry, so that the pasture was looking rather brown; during

the last fortnight, however, we had a great deal of rain, frequently accompa nied with thick mist, wind rather easterly, often calm. The rain proved favourable to the grass fields, which by the end of the month recovered their verdure, also to the late corn as yet light in the ear, but rather retarded the ripening of the forward and heavy crops in the low country.

August. We had a great deal of rain the first ten days, but the weather afterwards gradually improved, and the last fortnight was favourable, both for ripening and cutting down the corn. This mouth has been uniformly warm, with the exception of the 26th, 27th, and 28th, which felt rather cool. Till the. 13th, we had either easterly winds or calms, but after that the west wind prevailed till near the end of the month, when it veered rather to the south. Harvest commenced in this neighbourhood about the 15th, and got by degrees more general to the end of the month, when the greater part of the crop of the country adjacent, was actually cut down. Crop in general good, except wheat, which has suffered by the blight.

September.-First fortnight, weather rather unsettled, frequently rain; but from the 15th to the end, in general fair, and favourable for the conclusion of harvest, which even in late and remote parts of the country, was pretty well advanced by the 30th: 1st to 8th, wind was westerly, thence to the 15th, east and northeast, and often misty; 15th to 22d, winds rather variable, hitherto the weather had continued mild, some days quite warm, but after the 22d (autumnal equinox), we had a sudden change from heat to cold; from that time, to the end of the month, west and north-west winds prevailed, and felt very sharp. Potatoes, by this time, ascertained to be an abundant and excellent crop.

October-First six days serene and pleasant, wind westerly 7th and 8th were very stormy, wind shifting from south to north. Next four days were tolerably agreeable, but weather getting colder, wind north-west. 12th to 20th, air exceedingly cold, with north and north-west winds; snow lying on the ground on the 14th. A storm of wind and rain on the 20th, brought about a milder temperature; wind changing to south-west; but till the 29th, we had a great deal of windy, showery weather, barometer keeping very low. The last three days were serene and pleasant, barometer

barometer rising very quick. This month has been distinguished by frequent high winds and showery weather. On the 7th, 8th, 14th, 20th, and 25th, we had heavy gales which did a good deal of mischief at sea.

November-To the 5th, mild weather, often quite clear; thence to the 15th, dark and gloomy, sometimes inclining to wet, but upon the whole, very little either of rain or evaporation; hitherto wind was easterly, often calm, cold, though but little frost, and barometer kept up. On the 15th, wind shifting to south-west, we had three days of windy showery weather, quite mild. On the 18th, we had a gale from the north-east, but on the 19th, wind shifted to due west, and continued so till the 27th; weather sometimes clear, and sometimes cloudy, with slight show ers, coldish, but not frosty. On the 27th a frost set in, wind north, but only continued to the 29th, when a storm of wind and rain from the south brought us soft weather again. Upon the whole, this month has been tolerably agreeable; no severe cold, and only two or three days of high wind.

December.-First fortnight, in general soft, mild weather, wind westerly. Heavy showers on the 1st, 2d, 6th, and 9th, barometer rising. On the 15th, wind shifting to north, weather grew sensibly colder. On the 17th, we had a heavy gale from north, accompanied with a little snow, and a most intense frost set in which continued till the 24th. On the 23d snow began to fall, and continued without intermission till the middle of the next day, when it lay about nine inches deep; that afternoon a thaw commenced, which dissolved the snow in the low country in four or five days, though the hills were still spotted. On the 23d, wind shifted from north to east, and south-east, in which quarter it remained all the rest of the month, weather very gloomy and disagreeable, with a great deal of rain and sleet. Barometer, last half of the month very steady.

Remarks.-The above Abstract and Register, is for the sake of a comparison arranged, as nearly as possible, in the same manner as a similar communication from a correspondent at Carlisle, inserted in the Magazine for February.

By the highest and lowest of thermometer, is to be understood the mean heat of the warmest and coldest days of each month.

The mean heat of each day is ascerained by three observations, conse

quently, the mean heat of each month is the result of nearly a hundred different observations, yet it is astonishing how nearly the monthly and annual mean of the thermometer, at Edinburgh, agrees with that at Carlisle, though the latter lies about ninety miles due south from the former, and in a different situation. Edinburgh being contiguous to the east coast of Scotland, and Carlisle to the west coast of England.

The barometer is higher at Carlisle than at Edinburgh, but this may be accounted for by the different elevation of the two; the place of observation, at Carlisle, being only seventeen yards and fifty feet higher than the sea, while the greater part of Edinburgh, though less than two miles distant from the sea, is more than three hundred feet elevated above its level. The variations of the barometer, however, at the two places, bear a pretty exact proportion to each other. G. W.

Edinburgh, Feb. 24, 1809.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

IT is, I think, much to be regretted

that, amongst all the modern discoveries and improvements, no method has yet been put in practice for communicating the exact degree of time in which a composer of music would have his works performed. Dr. Crotch, indeed, and perhaps one or two others, have suggested a method by which this difficulty may be surmounted, but I fear the plan is not likely to be generally adopted.

Nevertheless, for want of some such expedient, it is no uncommon thing to hear composers complaining of the injustice done to their inusic, even at the principal concerts in London, by its being performed either too fast, or too slow, although in other respects it may have every possible advantage.

And not only new music, but the more ancient is also affected by this want of a criterion for judging of the exact time in which it ought to be performed, to give it proper effect.

This must be obvious to any person who occasionally frequents different cathedrals, and pays the least attention to this subject, as he will find a considerable variation in the time of performing the same services and anthems; and

* See the Monthly Magazine for January, 1800, p. 941.

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