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THE

Scots Magazine,

AND

EDINBURGH LITERARY MISCELLANY,

FOR NOVEMBER, 1810.

Description of Inchcolm

TH HIS celebrated monastery is situated on an island in the Firth of Forth, between Leith and Queensferry, and about a mile from Aberdour, to which parish it belongs. The following account of its foundation is given by Fordun. In the year 1123, Alexander I. crossing from Queensferry to the opposite coast, and being exposed to a violent tempest, made a vow to St Columba, his favourite saint, that if enabled by him to reach that island in safety, he would there erect a monastery to his honour. The king, with or without the aid of the saint, succeeded in landing there, and faithfully performed his vow by erecting upon it a monastery of Augustines. He endowed it liberally, and it soon acquired such reputation for sanctity that Alan de Mortimer, Lord of Aberdour, gave half of his lands in that place for the privilege of burial within the monastery. This sanctity, however, did not save it from spoliation by the English, during the bloody war in the reign of the Edwards. Both in 1335, and in 1384, Inchcolm was plundered; though, as it happened, in both instances, that the English on their return were

overtaken by violent storms, the reputation of the monastery was rather increased than diminished by these disasters. It fell again, however, into the hands of the English, at the time of the Duke of Somerset's expedition in the year 1547. The Duke, conceiving it to be an important station for commanding the Firth, caused it to be occupied and fortified. He appointed also a new abbot who lived in extraordinary splendour. In 1543, Sir James Stewart became commendator of Inchcolm; and this office, at the reformation, was held by his descendant, Lord Doune.

The island is now the property of the same family, the Earls of Moray, who bear also the title of Lords St Colme. The late Earl made an attempt to plant it with trees, but, from the bleakness of the situation, they did not succeed.

Great part of this monastery is still remaining, though in a ruinous state; the church, and a square tower belonging to it; a range of cloysters; the refectory, with a rais ed seat on it, supposed to have been that of the abbot. The pit, or prison, may also be discovered, and a

room,

room, supposed to be the kitchen. Some figures and defaced inscriptions may also be traced. During the alarm of invasion in the last war, a battery of cannon was mounted upon the island.

Account of the Process employed by Professor Lesslie, for the Conversion of Water into Ice.

MOST

OST of our readers have probably heard of Mr Lesslie's curious and ingenious discovery of a method for converting water into ice by the mere force of evaporation. On a subject which has naturally excited so much the attention of the public, we have been at some pains to acquire correct information; and the following will, we believe, be found a correct sketch of the leading principles on which this remarkable process is conducted.

The water to be frozen is placed in the exhausted receiver of an air pump, in consequence of which, evaporation becomes much more active; and its invariable consequence, a high degree of cold, is produced. This effect has been supposed to arise from a diminution of pressure; but Mr Lesslie is convinced, that it depends upon other principles, not of a mechanical, but chemical nature, which would require to be illustrated at considerable length. If, however, no other agent were employed, the vapour arising from the water would soon fill the receiver, and produce the same effect as the external air in diminishing evaporation. To obviate this effect, Mr Lesslie places also in the receiver some substance strongly attractive of moisture, which absorbs the vapour in proportion as it rises. Thus evaporation, and consequent cold, proceed with unabated activity, till, in a short time, the water is entirely

converted into ice. In the course of the transition, the crystals, in forming and shooting across the water, make a beautiful appearance. If the receiver be much exhausted, and the absorbing substance strong, the change will take place in five or ten minutes; but, by making the process slower, it will be observed to greater advan

The absorbing substance employed by the Professor is sulphuric acid, which he places in two vessels at the bottom of the receiver, while the water is placed in another above. The surface of the acid ought to exceed, by four times, that of the water. If a plate of glass be placed either above the one or the other, the process of congelation is immediately suspended. When it is over, the acid will be found to have risen in temperature as much as the water has sunk, the heat being merely transferred from the one to the other. An illustration of the principles on which the different phenomena in this beautiful experiment depend, would go far to instruct the student in the leading philosophical doctrines on the subject of heat and cold.

The practical advantages of this method of producing ice, over that by chemical combination, are chietly the following.

1. There is no waste of materials, nor any expence, except that of the original construction of an air pump. The sulphuric acid, far from being injured by the absorption of moisture, and consequent dilution, is only rendered thereby more fit for use. The only labour necessary is the working of the piston, which Mr. Lesslie proposes to effect by means of steam.

2. The greatest heat of the atmosphere presents no obstacle to the performance of the process, but, on the contrary, promotes it. Thus, in the hottest seasons and climates,

this agreeable refreshment may, by the present mode, be easily procured. Farther details, we are sensible, would be necess: cy, in order to present our readers with a complete view of this elegant and important discovery. These, however, would, at present, be premature, as we understand the ingenious author is preparing for the press a small volume, in which a full account of it will be given, preceded by a summary of the opinions held by philosophers, from the earliest ages, on the subject of heat. This will form an appropriate introduction, not only to the detail of the present discovery, but also to the author's greater work on Heat; of which, we understand, he is preparing a new and enlarged edition.

On the Price of Bread in Edinburgh.

SIR,

1. TH

General Propositions.

To the Editor.

HE business of a baker being of such essential use to the community, Legislature has thought proper to secure the baker in a certain profit on what wheat he makes into bread, let the market price be what it may. From this circumstance he is never under the necessity of becoming a speculator or a dealer in wheat or flour. And as his article is of the first necessity, he can always, by a proper understanding with his brethren in trade, command a sale for ready money, and thereby avoid the incurring of bad debts. Indeed it is thought by many, that this regulation might be sanctioned by law with considerable advantage to the public, as well as to the baker himself.

2. The allowance granted the baker by law, in name of profit, is 1s. 6d. per Winchester bushel. Now,

as the Linlithgow wheat firlot is two per cent. better than the Winchester bushel, this allowance amounts, on the Linlithgow boll, to 6s. 1d and 76 parts. I shall in the subsequent calculations, call it 6s. 1 d. per boil.

3. The bakers in Edinburgh, and its neighbourhood, are now formed into two classes, (a circumstance. not generally known), distinguished by themselves into the denominations of great and little bakers. The first of these buy their grain from the farmer and dealer in corn, at the current market price. The latter are often supplied by the great baker, at an advanced price, and in small quantities. It is evident that these last sales ought not to be brought forward in evidence of the price of wheat, when the magistrates are fixing the assize of bread.

4. Wheat weighing 15 stones, or 240lb. per boll, may, at present (Oct. 1810) be purchased by the Edinburgh baker, at 40s. per boll.

5. Good wheat, although even of a less weight than 15 stones per boll, will, after deducting the expence of manufacturing it, produce twentytwo pecks of such flour as is employed for baking the bread used in this city and neighbourhood, besides the. coarse flour and bran, of which I take no account.

6. Two pecks of such flour will make five quartern loaves; of course a boll of wheat will produce tisty-five such loaves.

7. It requires 4,000 bolls of wheat per week for the consumption of Edinburgh, Leith, Musselburgh, Dalkeith, and those persons in the neighbourhood of those places who are supplied with bread from thence, including the soldiers quartered there, and in the neighbourhood, and such sailors in harbour, or Leith roads, as use loaf bread,

8. Four thousand bolls a week, make, per annum, 208,000 bolls.

9. This quantity will make 220,000

quartern

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