Spain. Much damage done to the shipping upon our coafts by a violent gale of wind. September. wied, in which they were repulfed, with the lofs (according to the French accounts) of four thoufand men.---22. The French repoffeffed themselves of Corfica, which had been haftily evacuated by the British, and took fome prifoners and cannon. November. 4. Intelligence received of Admiral Elphinstone having captured the Dutch fleet under Admiral Lucas, at the Cape of Good Hope (August 16.), without firing a gun.--14. The republican army, commanded by Vaubois, attacked by General Davidovich, on the heights of Rivoli, and defeated, by which the blockade of Mantua was uncovered.---16. General Alvinzy, at the head of 40,000 men, advanced to Arcosa, on the Adige, where he was attacked with the greateft impetuofity by Bounaparte. At length, after a most sanguinary conteft of three days, the Auftrians were totally defeated, and obliged to fall back on Vicenza.---17. The Emprefs of Ruffia dies at Petersburgh, and is fuccceded by the Grand Duke, Paul Petrowitz.--28. Intelligence received from India, of the Mollucca or Spice iflands, including Amboyna, having furrendered to the British arms. December. 2. General Moreau gained a victory over the Auftrians upon the lfer.---3. The Archduke again defeates the army of General Jourdan, and obliges it to retreat to Hamelberg, with the lofs of 4000 men.---4. Wurtzburg retaken by the Auftrians. Roveredo, in Italy, taken by the French, and the Auftrians defeated with confiderable flaughter. 6. Bounaparte defeated the Auftrians at Ca. vela, took a great number of cannon, &c. and made four thousand prifoners.---8. General Wurmfer made a grand attempt to cut off Bounaparte's army, but was completely defeated in all points, and narrowly escaped by flight. Frankfort retaken by the Auftrians.---9. A dreadful infurrection at Paris; the infurgents attempted to poffefs themselves of the camp at Grenelle, but wefe difperfed, after the lofs of fome lives.---The Imperialifts, commanded by Generals Frolich, Hotze, and the Prince of Furstenberg, defeated the French army of the Rhine and Mofelle, under Moreau, and obliged the enemy to raise the fiege of Ingolstadt, with the lofs of 2000 men killed and wounded, and 1500 prifoners.---15. An order iffued for laying an embargo upon 5. A loan of 18 millions raised for Goall Spanish hips.-17. A dreadful fire at Li-vernment by voluntary fubfcription in Lonverpool, by which feveral people were burned to death. The Batavian convention publifhed a proclamation, prohibiting the importation of English goods into any of their ports.-22. The Amphion, of 32 guns, accidentally blown up at Plymouth.---The new Parliament meets---Mr Addington chofen Speaker. Two rich Spanifa merchantmen taken by the Seahorse and Cerberus fiigates, and carried into Cork. The Leeward island Acet arrives at Crookhaven in Ireland, October. 6. His Majesty makes a moft gracious fpeech to both Houfes of Parliament; the address is carried without a divifion. A most fhocking murder committed at Glafgow, by James M'Kean on James Buchannan a carrier.---M'Kean afterwards tried and fentenced at Edinburgh, to be executed at Glasgow on the 25th January 1797.---10. Peace concluded between France and Spain. ---11. Spain declares war against Great Britain.---15. Lord Malmesbury fets off for Paris as Minifter Plenipotentiary to treat for peace; arrives there en the 22d.-17. King of Sardinia died.--18. Mr Pitt brings in a bill for augmenting the army and navy, as an additional protection to the country, in the event of an attempt at an invasion, which is threatened by the enemy.---21. The Auftrians attempted to carry by affault the Tete du Pont of Neu don in a few days.---7. Mr Pitt opens the budget.---Taxes on tea, fpirits, auctions, diftilleries, bricks, fugar houfes, receipts, poftage of letters, ftage coaches, parcels, inland navigation, &c. In confequence of an intention on the part of the French to invade Portugal, feveral emigrant regiments, commanded by British officers, are ordered to embark for that country. The Re-union frigate, of 36 guns, loft on the Swin, the crew, except three, laved.---12. A meffage from his Majefly delivered to both Houles relative to the rupture with Spain.---14. Mr Fox makes a motion, that advances of money to the Emperor, without the previous consent of Parliament, are repugnant to the conftitution negatived 285 to $1.-15. A formidable French fleet put to fea from Breft, with feveral thousand troops.--20 The executive directory of France require Lord Malmesbury to give in his ultimatum; and immediately, on receiving his Lordship's anfwer, break off the negotiation, and order his Lordship to quit the territories of the republic.---26. Advice received that the elector of Saxony, and all the princes of his houfe, had acceded to the convention of neutrality, and that an armiftice had been concluded upon the Lower Rhine.---Intelligence received, that the new Emperor of Ruffia had fet at liberty the brave Kofciufko and two other Polish patriots, A method to make Hens lay Eggs all Account of the Life of Adam Smith, Characteristical Sketches of Eminent Anecdote of Francis II. prefent Em- A Coffee-house scene at Aleppo The Delufions of the Heart.-A Tale Description of the Turkish Ladies Characters of fome Writers during Obfervations on the Customs and National Character of the Scotch Cuftoms and Diverfions of the An- Statistical Account of Lancashire Copy of a Letter from Sir John Lef- Obfervations on the Utility of De- An Account of the Ifland of Ceylon TOPOGRAPHY and Natural History Dallaway's Inquiry into the science Pag. 2 Peter Pindar's Loufiad 2 Letters and Papers on Agriculture- Sold by JAMES WATSON & Co. No 40. South Bridge; And by the Principal Bookfellers in Town and Country, By ALLEN & WEST, No 16. Paternofter-row; And MARTIN & BAIN, No 184. Fleet-ftreet, London. (2) METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. " NEW THEORY FOR THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BAROMETER. MR DALTON, Profeffor of Mathematics and Natural Philofophy Manchefter, in an Effay on the Variation of the Barometer, advances an hypothefis, which is engenious and somewhat new. From fome obfervations on the barometer, at different elevations above the fea, be concludes that the height of the atmosphere does not perpetually vary with the height of the column of quickfilver, but that the variation of the barometer depends on a change in the density of the lower ftrata of air. This change Mr D. fuppofes to arife from the influx of warm air containing much water, and therefore as is well known being lighter, into a body of cold and dry air; by which means, part of the cold air is difplaced, and the warm air diffufed among the remainder; hence the weight of the column is diminifhed, its elafticity and bulk continuing the fame: the reverfe happens when dry air mixes with warm air, containing much water. On this principle, the author explains, with confiderable addrefs, the range of the barometer in different climates and feafons; as will appear from the following fpecimen.: "The barometer is often low in winter, when a ftrong and warm S. or SW. wind blows; the annual extremes at Kendal for thefe 5 years have always been in January; the loweft was in January 1789, about 2 weeks after the above mentioned high extreme; it was accompanied with a strong S. or SW, wind, and heavy rain; the temperature of the air at the time was not high, being about 37°, but the reafon was no doubt because one half of the ground was covered with fnow; it was therefore probably warmer before.-Now the reafon why the low extreme fhould have at that time, as well as at many others, foon fucceeded the high extreme, feems explicable as follows: the extreme and long-continued cold preceding, must have reduced the grofs part of the atmosphere unufually low, and condensed an extraordinary quantity of dry air into the lower regions ; this air was fucceeded by a warm and vapoury current coming from the torrid zone, before the higher regions, the mutations of which in temperature and density are flow, had time to acquire the heat, quantity of matter, and elevation confequent to fuch a change below; thefe two circumstances meeting, namely, a low atmofphere, and the greateft part of it conftituted of light, vapoury air, occafioned the preffure upon the earth's furface to be fo much reduced. Hence then, it fhould feem, we ought never to expect an extraordidary fall of the barometer, unless when an extraordinary rise has preceded, or at leaft a long and fevere froft; this, I think, is a fair induction from the foregoing principles; how far ic is corroborated by paft obfervations, befides thofe juft mentioned, I have not been able to learn." A METHOD TO MAKE HENS LAY EGGS ALL THE WINTER. GATHER nettle-tops when going to feed. Dry them, and lay them by for ufe. Mix fome of this with a little broken hemp feed and pollard in barley, meal, and give them two or three pellets or little balls of it daily throughout the autumn. (An additional quarter sheet, or 4 pages, will, in future, be given to each Number THE SCOTS MAGAZINE, For JANUARRY 1796. ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF ADAM SMITH, L. L. D. WITH A PORTRAIT. ADAM SMITH, Author of the friendly and be for th Inquiry into the Nature and Caules of the Wealth of Nations, was the fon of Adam Smith, comptroller of the customs at Kirkaldy, and of Margaret Douglas, daughter of Mr Douglas of Strathenry. He was born at Kirkaldy on the 5th of June 1723. An accident which happened to him, when he was about three years old, is too interefting to be omitted in the account of fo valuable a life. He had been carried by his mother to Strathenry, on a visit to his uncle Mr Donglas, and was one day amuling himself alone at the door of the houfe, when he was stolen by a party of that fet of va grants who are known in Scotland by the name of tinkers. Luckily he was foon miffed by his uncle, who, hearing that fome vagrants had paffed, purfued them with what affiftance he could find, till he overtook them in Leflie wood, and was the happy inftrument of preferving to the world, a genius which was deftined, not only to extend the boundaries of science, but to enlighten and reform the commercial policy of Europe. Mr Smith received the first rudiments of his educution at the school of Kirkaldy. Among the companions of his earlieft years, he foon attracted notice, by his paffion for books, and by the extraordinary powers of his memoty. The weakness of his bodily contution prevented him from partaking in their more active amufements; but he was much beloved by them on account of his temper, which, though warm, was, to an uncommon degree, VOL. LVIII. Even then he was remarkable for thofe habits which remained with him through life, of fpeaking to himfelf when alone, and of alfence in company. From the grammar fchool of Kirkaldy, he was fent, in '1737, to the university of Glafgow; there he remained till 1749, when he went to Baliol College, Oxford, as an exhibitioner on Snells' foundation. At that univerfity, his favourite pur fuits were mathematics and natural philofophy. Thefe, however, were certainly not the sciences in which he was formed to excel; nor did they long divert him from purfuits more congenial to his mind. The study of human nature in all its branches, more particularly of the political hiftory of mankind, opened a boundlefs field to his curiofity and ambition; and while it afforded fcope to all the various powers of his verfatile and comprehenfive genius, gratified his ruling paffion, of contributing to the happiness and improvement of fociety. To this fludy, diverfified at his leifure hours by the lefs fevere occupations of polite literature, he feems to have devoted himfelf, almost entirely, from the time of his removal to Oxford; but he ftill retained, even in advanced years, a recollection of his early acquifitions, which not only added to the fplendour of his converfation, but enabled him to exemplify fome of his favourite theories concerning the natural progrefs of the mind in the inveftigation of truth, by the hiftory of thofe fciences in which the connection and fuccefiion of difcoveries may be traced with the greatest advantage. After A a refidence at Oxford of seven years, he returned to Kirkaldy, and lived two years with his mother, engaged in study, but without any fixed plan for his future life. He had been originally def tined for the church of England; but not finding the ecclefiaftical profeffion fuitable to his tafte, he chofe to confult, in this inftance, his own inclination, in preference to the wishes of his friends; and abandoning, at once, all the schemes which their prudence had formed for him, he refolved to return to his own country, and to limit his ambition to the uncertain profpect of obtaining, in time, fome one of thofe moderate preferments to which literary attainments lead in Scotland. In the year 1748, he fixed his refidence at Edinburgh, and, during that and the following year, read lectures on rhetoric and belles lettres, under the patronage of Lord Kaimes. About this time, he contracted acquaintance with many eminent men, particularly with Mr David Hume, which afterwards grew into friendship; a friendship founded, on both fides, on the admiration of genius, and the love of fimplicity; and which forms an interefting circumftance in the history of each of thofe eminent men, from the ambition which both have fhown to record it to pofterity. In 1751, he was elected Profeffor of logic in the university of Glasgow; and the year following, he was removed to the Profefforship of moral philofophy in the fame univerfity. In this fituation he remained thirteen years; a period he ufed frequently to look back to, as the moft ufeful and happy of his life. It was indeed a fituation in which he was eminently fitted to excel, and in which the daily labours of his profeffion were conftantly recalling his attention to his favourite purfuits, and familiar izing his mind to thofe important fpeculations he was afterwards to communicate to the world. Of Mr Smith's lectures, while a profeffor at Glafgow, no part has been preferved, excepting what he himfelf published in "The Theory of Moral Sentiments," and in the "Wealth of Nations." In There was no fituation in which the abilities of Mr Smith appeared to greater advantage than as a profeffor. delivering his lectures, he trusted almost entirely to extemporary elocution. His manner, though not graceful, was plain and unaffected; and as he seemed to be always interested in the subject, he never failed to intereft his hearers. His reputation as a profeffor, was accordingly raised very high, and a multitude of ftudents, from a great distance, reforted to the univerfity, merely upon his account. Thofe branches of science which he taught became fashionable at this place and even the fmall peculiarities in his pronunciation, or manner of fpeaking, became frequently the ob jects of imitation. While Mr Smith was thus diftinguishing himself by his zeal and ability as a public teacher, he was gradually laying the foundation of a more extenfive reputation, by preparing for the prefs his fyftem of morals. The first edition of this work appeared in 1759, under the title of "The Theory of Moral Sentiments," a work too well known, and too justly estimated, to require either illuftration or praise here. In the fame volume with the Theory of Moral Sentiments, Mr Smith published a differtation "On the Origin of Languages, and on the different Genius of thofe which are Original and Compounded." It is an Effy of great ingenuity, and on which the author himfelf fet a high value; but, in a general review of his publications, it deferves our attention lefs, on account of the opinions that it contains, than as a fpecimen of a particular fort of inquiry, which may be traced in all Mr Smith's works, whether moral, political, or literary. After the publication of the Theory of Moral Sentiments, Mr Smith remained four years at Glasgow, difcharging his official duties with unabated vigour, and with increafing reputation. Towards the end of 1768, Mr Smith |