charger a fecond and third time, we had kept it in its firft fitua tion for triple the almoft momentary space of time, the effect would have been the fame. Notwithstanding thefe experiments are liable to fuch weighty. objections, the conclufions which they afford, in certain inftances, may be regarded at least as approximations that poffels some value. It appears that the striking distance between two points is three times greater than that between a point and a plane, and ten times greater than that between two planes. When balls are ufed, this limit extends with the increase of their diameters and diminution of the charge. A fhock paffes more readily in water from one plane to another, than from a point to a plane; exactly the reverse of what takes place in air. The conducting property of water is improved by the addition of common falt or nitre, and especially of acids. The fulphuric acid is fo eminently a conductor of electricity as to furpass even charcoal, and to rank next to the metals. A change of temperature, however, greatly affects the refults; infomuch that boiling water exceeds fulphuric acid in the facility with which it tranfmits the electric fluid. The fame property, though in a lefs degree, is manifeft in hot oils. Alcohol is inferior to water as a conductor, and the different oils and æther follow. Of the, folid imperfect conductors or electrics, the order is this;-bees-wax, fulphur, plate glafs, and fhell-lac. Hence Mr. Morgan takes occafion. to recommend fhell-lac as: the best ingredient in all cafes for infulation. The different gafes conduct electricity nearly in proportion to their rarity, the hydrogenous being by far the most remarkable. With regard to the metals, our author concludes that they poffefs equal, or almost equal, conducting powers. In this nice inveftigation, the imperfection of his mode of experimenting is most. fenfibly felt. That mercury is vaftly inferior to the other metals as a conductor, it requires no profound obfervation to evince; and these metals differ as widely in this as in the rest of their properties. Not to recur to other proofs of this affertion, we may refer to the late experiments on animal electricity. Mr. Morgan remarks, indeed, that the electric fluidmeets with fome refiftance in its paflage through metallic conductors, when they are particularly circumitanced. Thus, the difcharge would rather pass through 7-8ths of an inch of air and a wire one foot long and 1 inch in diameter, than through a wire alone 12 yards in length 1-25th of an inch in diameter; which difference was not perceptible when the small wire was coiled up and placed in the circuit. The cafe of interrupted conductors is more remarkable; and Mr. Morgan could. could not fail to obferve the prominent contraft in that respect, between a chain and a wire of the fame length. [To be concluded next month.] ART. VI. The Thymbriad, (from Xenophon's Cyropædia.) By Lady Burrell. 8vo. pp. 154. 6s. Boards. Leigh and Sotheby. 1794 ART. VII. Telemachus. By Lady Burrell. 8vo. pp. 78. 4s. Boards. Leigh and Sotheby. 1794. THO "HOUGH these two poems are publifhed feparately, we give our opinion of them jointly, because they are of the fame character. They are both grounded on well-known stories; both amplify the original incidents and fentiments, in order to afford an opportunity of difplaying the poet's defcriptive powers; both exprefs at large, in fet fpeeches, the emotions and paffions respectively belonging to the principal characters; and both are compofed in an eafy kind of measure, very fuitable for fictitious narrative, with no other difference than that the one is written with, and the other without, rhyme. The ftory of Panthea, in Xenophon's Cyropædia, is well known. In the original, it is related with a kind of fimplicity fo truly pathetic as to command fympathy and to invite imitation: yet in this, as in other cafes of a fimilar nature, the execution has always been found exceedingly difficult. It has been attempted by the ingenious author of The Village Curate: but the imitation, as we had formerly occafion to bemark *, was protracted to a tedious length. In the present exhibition of the ftory, it appears with the addition of much original matter; it is embellished with many incidental descriptions and illuftrations, and the fentiments are unfolded at large with energy and spirit. Yet, after all, we queftion whether the incidents, brought together from the various parts of the Cyropodia through which they are difperfed, and told in connection in the fimple manner of Xenophon, would not make a ftronger impreffion on the reader's fenfibility. We do hot mean, however, to depreciate Lady Burrell's performance. It confirms the opinion which we have already expreffed of her talents for eafy verfification, (fee Rev. New Series, vol. xi, P. 445,) and will perhaps be read with more pleasure than many more elaborate performances. Referving to our readers the fatisfaction of perufing the principal ftory entire, we fhall copy, by way of fpecimen, a few pleafing lines defcribing the charac ter of Tigranes; whofe father, with his family, had been made captive by Cyrus : * See Rev. N. S. vol. vi. p. 283. • Silent • Silent and fad, with folded arms he gaz'd The tendereft lover in Armenia's realm.' The fame remarks may be applied, with little variation, to the poem entitled Telemachus: in which fo much only of the ftory of Fenelon is borrowed as concerns the paffion of Calypfo for the fon of Ulyffes, and the amour between that hero and the nymph Eucharis. Some new incidents are introduced; among which is the appearance of the ghoft of Achilles, to vindicate himfelf from the afperfion that love, and not revenge, induced him to retire from the war; and to warn Telemachus not to indulge an unworthy paffion. The fiction is extravagant; and the counsel would have come with more propriety from Mentor. The poem, however, is enriched with defcriptive decorations : it glows with fentiment; and it fills the ear with the melody of verse. ART. VIII. A Practical Treatise on Peat Mofs, confidered as in its natural State fitted for affording Fuel, or as fufceptible of being converted into Mold capable of yielding abundant Crops of useful Produce; with full Directions for converting it from the State of Peat into that of Mold, and afterwards cultivating it as a Soil. By James Anderson, LL.D. F.R. S. F.A.S. S. 8vo. pp. 180. 45. Boards. Chapman. 1794. WE are happy to fee Dr. Anderfon once more a labourer in the Field agricultural." It is a pity that a man of his fuperior talents for experimental hufbandry, &c. fhould not, under a public eftablishment, be wholly employed in the public fervice. Perfection, however, does not belong to human nature. Dr. A. has unfortunately imbibed more than a fufficient quantity of the fpirit of modern philofophers, which hurries them on to be more anxious about the credit of the discovery than concern ing its utility: employing themselves in controversy, when they ought to be improving and perfecting each other's ideas. Dr. A., believing that he has hit on a new idea refpecting the propagation of peat-mofs, is folicitous to establish it as bis own. His effay, he tells us, was written for the Board of Agriculture: but, for reafons given, he judged it better to publifh it as a separate work; and in order, it fhould seem, to file his DISCOVERY in form, it was previously announced to the Royal Society of Edinburgh: The first part of the effay as it now ftands, with the poftfcript, a little enlarged by fome additional obfervations, was read in the Royal Society of Edinburgh, at their meeting on the 6th of January laft; when the author found that, though the members prefent were ftartled at the novelty of the idea fuggefted, and inclined for the prefent to with-hold their affent to it, yet they were not able to ftate a fingle fact, or to adduce an argument that tended to invalidate it in the fmalleft degree. One of the members, refpectable for his phyfical refearches, did the author the honour to fay the theory was wholly his own." We are almost forry that truth urges us to fay that the refpectable member was mistaken: as, fome time prior to the 6th of January laft, we were in poffeffion of the idea: not in the fhape of an hypothefis raised in Edinburgh, as the Doctor profeffes his notion to be, but of an opinion drawn from facts, which arofe in the examination of a Highland peat-mofs. Dr. Anderfon appears to have had much experience, and to have made accurate obfervations, on the peat-bogs of Aberdeenshire; and he has formed his theory from them only. Peat-earth, however, is of varied origin: Chat-mofs near Manchefter, the peat-grounds about Newbery, and the ordinary moffes of Scotland, are evidently diftinét productions. Setting, therefore, the Doctor's theory of propagation afide, as not the most valuable part of his book, we país on to his theory of cultivation. He divides his treatife into two parts; confidering peat-bog in the diftinct capacities of fuel and foil-Of the former, his experience has led him to speak with great ingenuity and accuracy: refpecting the latter, the moft interefting particular arifes from a mere thought; an ingenious plan; which, however, remains yet in a state of theory, and is dubiously practicable. Nevertheless, it is poffible that it may prove an excellent thought. Peat-moffes form no fmall part of the level furface of Scotland: they now lie wafte; excepting fo far as they are ufeful for fuel; and any means of rendering them culturable, at a reasonable expence, would be an acquifition of territory to the country. D 4 Taking Taking it for granted that preffure is the great thing wanted to the productiveness of peat-mofs as a foil, Dr. A. offers a plaufible and we believe a new idea, refpecting the means of communicating preffure to the furface of the tendereft mofs. His idea being fimple, it is the more easy to form a judgment of its practicability; and we hope that the falle delicacy of his friends will not deter others from endeavouring to profit by the propofal namely, that of giving the required preffure with rollers, drawn over the furface of the mofs, by means of moveable wooden foot-paths,' (or rather we should fay horsepaths,) provided for the horfes to walk upon:' with an ingenious apparatus (but, we think, much too heavy for Imall horfe,') adapted to these paths. one The moft infurmountable difficulty appears to be that of turning the apparatus at the ends of the lands, when thefe do not reach entirely across the mofs: a difficulty against which the proposer does not seem to have provided. This, however, by study and perfeverance, we doubt not, may be obviated; and the advantage to poffeflors of extenfive mofies may become immenfe. By means of fuch paths, the furface is proposed to be afterward ploughed, &c. and the crop to be carried off. On the whole, this tract does Dr. Anderfon very great credit as a scientific agricultor. ART. IX. An Account of the different Kinds of Sheep found in the Ruffian Dominions, and among the Tartar Hords of Alia: By Dr. Pallas. Illuftrated with Six Plates. To which is added, Five Appendixes tending to illuftrate the natural and economical History of Sheep and other Domestic Animals. By James Anderfon, LL.D. F.R. S. F. A.S. S. 8vo. pp. 185. 5s. Boards. Chapman. 1794. THE greater part of this tract has appeared within the laft twelve or fifteen months, in a periodical publication entitled The Bee, published at Edinburgh, under the management of Dr. A.* The effays were drawn up by a correspondent of that mifcellany, under the fignature Articus, from the original papers, and with the approbation, of Dr. Pallas; who has travelled through the wilds of Afia in queft of natural knowlege, under the patronage of the Emprefs of Ruffia. On these obfervations, fome fenfible remarks are made by Arcticus, whofe ingenuity and public fpirit are confpicuous; and to these are added fome valuable notes by the editor; followed by diftinct eflays (alfo by Dr. A.) on fuch interesting topics, or parts of the general fubject, as appeared to him molt entitled to explana * We learn, with regret, that this work is discontinued. Eighteen vols. fmall 8vo. are completed. |