pelled them to trace immediate connexions between the multiplied revolutions of the globe, and the oriental cofinogony, delivered in

the books of Mofes.

Whitehurst had, many years before, fixed his refidence in London, where he had it more in his power to profecute his ftudies, and to cultivate the fociety of men of learning. This venerable old man was very tenacious of a difcovery which he thought he had made in Derbyshire, of a number of currents of basaltic lava croffing in various directions banks of calcareous stone, which they feemed, in many cafes, to have moved from their original pofition. The whole of the defcriptive part of his book is excellent, and remarkably accurate.

"You have," faid he to me, "feen feveral volcanifed countries; you have made the different fubftances, acted on by fubterraneous fire, your particular study. I have not been able, from particular circumftances, to travel out of England, and to fee volcanos in action; but I conceived that I difcovered in the mountains of Derbyshire traces of fubterraneous combuftion fo evident, that I thought myself capable of building on that bafis a fyftem relative to the ancient ftate of the earth. I am anxious to have my obfervations confirmed or rejected by you.

"Were it not for a fick female relation in this place, who requires all my attention, I fhould quit every other employment to accompany you. I feel a great privation in lofing this opportunity; but I will request you to be the bearer of a letter for a phyfician at the mineral wells of Buxton, who is a man of general information, and well acquainted with the places defcribed in my

book."

Manners of this affable complexion are calculated to render the fciences attractive; and, when one has the happiness to meet with fuch men, to procure esteem for those who cultivate them.

• I found a remarkable resemblance between Mr. Whitehurst and his friend, Benjamin Franklin. His good-nature, his franknefs, his admirable fin plicity of manners, and mild philanthropy, engaged my attachment, and I vifited him frequently. He had the goodness to introduce me to the acquaintance of feveral men of science, and to conduct me to the houfes of the ableft artists of London, with whom he was particularly intimate, and who often came to confult him. He carried his attention fo far, as to divide with me a part of the minerals and foffils which he had collected, and on which he fupported his fyftem. His cabinet was not very confiderable, his collection being confined to the productions of Derbyfhire; but that affemblage of objects, proper to form the mineralogical defcription of a country, will always prefent an interefting pectacle to the fcientific traveller.' Vol. i. P. 19.

The remarks refpecting Mr. Cavallo are juft; and fome parts of what is faid of Mr. John Sheldon are so characteristic as to deferve notice.

One must have seen and been well acquainted with John Sheldon, to be able to appreciate his extraordinary paffion for ftudy, or the activity of his mind, unceasingly animated by the vivacity or the fervour of his character. There was none of the English gravity about him. I love to meet with fuch exceptions; but I know that he who is by lively and vigorous conceptions elevated to great undertakings, who labours with ardour, and unites a variety of information to an aptitude and paffionate defire for knowing much, cannot have the fame uniformity of character, nor act in the same fyftematic manner with common men.

Sheldon, whom I faw frequently, interefted me the more, as he joined to a vivacity, which perfons of a colder character might think extravagant, the most eftimable qualities.' Vol. i. p. 40.

In the account of our philofophic countrymen, we obferve marks of fenfibility and gratitude, evincing the goodness of the author's heart. This part of the first volume is interesting; for the mind of M. Faujas feems to have been attuned to the moft pleafing harmony during his stay in England. His account of his vifit to Mr. Herfchel is particularly attractive.

M. St. Fond paffed through England in hafte, to vifit the bafaltic columns of Staffa. Stopping at Newcastle, he fpeaks, with enthufiafm, of the active industry, the fimplicity and economy, the spirit of enterprise and steady attention, of the different workmen. Above all, on every occafion, he is fenfible of the happy confequences of the difcovery of coal, and, with Dr. Franklin, attributes to it in a great measure the profperity of the British manufactures. The various contrivances for expediting the bufinefs and faving the labour of men and horses are shortly noticed.

The great œconomy produced by thefe ingenious contrivances, which fave the expence of employing a multitude of men and horses, enables the English to fell the coal which they export in fuch abundance to all our ports on the ocean and the Mediterranean, at a lower price than it can be afforded from our own mines, in all cafes where we have to bring it more than three or four miles by land. Marseilles affords an example in point. This town, which confumes immenfe quantities of combustible matter in its great foap manufactories, is within four or five leagues of a great number of coal-mines. This coal is indeed of an indifferent quality, but it is notwithstanding employed with advantage in the furnaces of foapworks. Would any one believe that the excellent coal of England, which lafts double the time, and gives double the heat, when fold duty free in the port of Marfeilles, is cheaper than the former. Such inftances as this ought doubtless to give us very important leffons.' Vol. i. p. 145.

In Northumberland, our author found carious and porcus

porphyries, which refembled lavas, but which are of a dif ferent nature. The partial decompofition is effected by the deftruction of the feldt-fpar. The depofit of trapp, near Dodmill, not far from Edinburgh, is ftupendous. The defcription deferves the particular attention of mineralogifts; but it is too long to be tranfcribed in this place. The ma nufactories at Prefton-Pans are briefly noticed; but the most aftonishing works, in this neighbourhood, are at the iron manufactory of Carron. Since our author's vifit, thefe works have been greatly extended.

He conducted us at first into an immenfe court, furrounded with high walls and vaft fheds. This place was covered with cannons, mortars, bombs, balls, and thofe large pieces which bear the name of carronades. Amidft these machines of war, thefe terrible inftruments of death, gigantic cranes, capftans of every kind, levers, and aflemblages of pullies, ferving to move fo many articles of enormous weight, are erected in fituations convenient for that pur pofe. Their various movements, the fhrill creaking of pullies, the continued noife of hammers, the activity of thofe arms which give impulfion to fo many machines;-every thing here prefents a spectacle as new as interesting.

Under the feds where the finished articles are depofited, we faw feveral rows of rampart cannon, battering guns, and field-pieces, deftined for Ruffia and the emperor. They were longer than ordinary, of the most perfect workmanship, and covered with a thin varnish, of a steel colour, to preferve them from ruft. Their carriages were of caft iron, and poffeffed the greateft fimplicity of conftruction; they appeared to me to unite the merit of the ftrongest folidity, to that of being free from the numerous appendages belonging to wooden carriages, which ferve only to render the working them more difficult, to obftruct their motion, and to occafion the neceflity of frequent repairs.' Vol. i. P. 182.

He conducted us to the works for fmelting the ore; where four furnaces, of forty-five feet in height, devoured both night and day enormous maffes of coals and metal. One may from this judge' of the quantity of air neceflary to feed thefe burning gulphs, which difgorged, every fix hours, whole floods of liquid iron. Each furnace is fupplied by four air pumps, of a great width; where the air, compreffed into iron cylinders, uniting into one tunnel, and directed towards the flame, produces a fharp ruftling noife, and fo violent a tremor, that one, not previously informed of it, would find it difficult to avoid a fenfation of terror. Thefe wind machines, this fpecies of gigantic bellows, are put in motion by the action of waSuch a torrent of air is indifpenfably neceffary to fupport, in the higheft ftate of ignition, a column of coal and ore forty-five feet high; and it is fo rapid and active, that it projects a vivid and brifk flame more than ten feet above the top of the furnace.

ter.

‹ An open area, of very great extent, built in the form of a terrace, and on a level with the upper aperture of the fire-places, is appropriated to the reception of the fupplies of ore and coals; and on this platform are alfo fpacious areas, where the coal is prepared. for ufe. As the coal ufed here confifts almoft wholly of large lumps, the process by which they convert it into coke is completely different from that employed at Newcastle, where the coal duft only is applied to that purpofe. At Carron foundery, this bufinefs is done in the open air, and in the most fimple manner. A quantity of coal is placed on the ground, in a round heap, of from twelve to fifteen feet in diameter, and about two feet in height. As many as poffible of the large pieces are fet on end, to form paffages for the air; above them are thrown the smaller pieces, and coal-duft, and in the midst of this circular heap is left a vacancy of a foot wide, where a few faggots are placed to kindle it, Four or five apertures of this kind are formed round the ring, particularly on the fide expofed to the wind. There is feldom, indeed, occafion to light it with wood; for thefe purifying works being inceffantly in action, they generally ufe a few fhovels of coal already burning, which acts more rapidly than wood, and foon kindles the furrounding pile.

As the fire fpreads, the mafs increafes in bulk, puffs up, becomes fpongy and light, cakes into one body, and at length lofes its bitumen, and emits no more fmoke. It then acquires a red, uniform colour, inclining a little to white; in which state it begins to break into gaps and chinks, and to affume the appearance of the under part of a mushroom.

At this moment, the heap must be quickly covered with ales, of which there is always a fufficient provifion around the numerous fires where the coke is prepared.

This method of fpreading a large quantity of afhes on the fire, to deprive it of air, is fimilar to that ufed in making charcoal, which is covered over with earth. The refult is alfo pretty much the fame; the pit-coal, thus prepared, being light and fonorous, and producing the fame effect in high furnaces as charcoal. This is a quality of extreme importance; fince, by means of charred pitcoal, founderies may easily be established in places where the want of wood would otherwise render it neceffary to abandon the richest mines of iron.

There is fuch a numerous feries of thefe places for making coke, to fupply fo vaft a confumption, that the air is heated to a confiderable extent, and that during the night the fky is entirely il luminated with the flames. When one obferves, at a little diftance, so many maffes of burning coal on one fide, and fo many volumes of flame, darting to a great height above the high furnaces, on the other-and at the fame time hears the noife of weighty hammers ftriking upon refounding anvils, mingled with the loud roaring of bellows one doubts whether he is at the foot of a volcano in actual eruption, or whether he has been tranfported by fome magical

effect to the brink of the cavern, where Vulcan and his Cyclops are occupied in preparing thunderbolts.' Vol. i. P. 184.

The mineralogical defcription of the country, in the neigh bourhood of Edinburgh, and the volcanic environs of Glafgow, offer fome interefting obfervations, which must be read in the work. What M. St. Fond fays on the subject of granitic lavas, muft be received with fome referve. The diitinction is not fo eafy as he feems to apprehend.

At Dunbarton, the volcanic marks continue, but disappear near Loch Lomond, where Neptune refumes his original command. A short glance at that lake is in a different ftyle from that of other travellers.

A fine day fucceeded to this difmal night. The fun was brilliant and warm; the fky a fine azure. We breathed the purest air on the banks of Loch-Lomond, and faluted the nymph who prefides over its beautiful waters.

extent.

From this point of view the appearance of the lake is truly fuperb, though only a part of it can be feen, on account of its great It is interfperfed with little iflands, feveral of which are only barren rocks, but others are cultivated, and the woods and hills are grouped in a very picturefque manner. Our glaffes enabled us to fee fome arger islands in the diftance.

The banks of that part of the lake which was near us were compofed of micaceous fchiftus, the lamella of which appeared in the shape of reds, undulating and fhining as if filvered. A great variety of moffes, in flower, formed verdant caves in the hollows of the rocks, while the more elevated parts exhibited a fine pafturage, and were covered with black cattle and fheep. The fhepherds, feated under large firs, and easily diftinguished by the variegated colours of their Tartan drefs, gave life to this magnificent rural fcene, where peace and tranquillity feemed to reign. This beautiful profpect forms a fine contraft with the ordinary aspect of the mountains of Scotland, which is rendered fo fevere by the fombre colour of the heath, and by the characteristics of ancient volcanoş in thofe places where lavas abound,' Vol, i, P. 235.

The refidence at Inverary-castle is defcribed with naïveté. Here M. St. Fond had his napkins and French forks. He here faw the polished mahogany table, the cryftal' decanters, and the delicious wines, which are the frequent themes of his praife. The mineralogical defeription of the adjacent country is fubjoined.,

He foon proceeded on his Highland tour, making fome useful mineralogical remarks in his progress,

In a fpace of fifteen miles, have I met with two instances, pretty much alike, of calcareous beds exifting between rocks of a different nature; that of Inverary, where the calcareous stratą, in