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and fixty bufhels an acre, which brought in from three acres one hundred and fixty-two pounds, (p. 169.) He had as many bushels of potatoes in an acre, (p. 190.) He does not deny that the Indian corn is a moft profitable crop; and that a dairy-farm yields very great returns. (paffim.) Even from breeding, which he is moft inclined to undervalue, he fhews that large gains may be obtained. The American hogs pay most for food, he fays, of any he ever faw (p. 291); and from one fow, he had in eleven months above one hundred and twenty-five pounds, (p. 292.) The fheep, too, thrive extremely well, in fpite of all his invectives agaiaft American ftock-farming. Their wool is in general foft and fine; and they might clip for as good clothing-wool as in any part of the world, were the proper attention bestowed on the breeding, (p. 293. & 295.) The rapid increase of population in America is a more general fact, perfectly fubverfive of all our author's declamations against the qualities of the foil; and his only answer to the obvious refutation which he receives from the great exportation of wheat, is nothing more than an explanation of it. He fays, nearly all the wheat grown there is exported, and its place fupplied by Indian corn, to which the natives give the preference, (p. 721.)

In truth, it requires no great difcernment to perceive that what Mr Parkinfon means by good land, is land which can fupport the fat cattle known in the breeding districts of England; and that he has confounded the qualities of the foil with the ftages of cultivation and the progrefs of fociety. One paffage has found its way into thefe volumes, which throws fome light upon the caufe of the poverty that forms the theme of all his complaints. We fee that he evidently chofe the parts of the country where he was fure of meeting with appearances of want and comfortless living. I was very much attached,' fays he, to Baltimore, finding that New York and Philadelphia were much cheaper fupplied with the land's produce than that city--they having great plenty of hay, more clover than could be fold, excellent beef, good veal (the mutton but middling), pork very fine, turkeys very fine, and all forts of poultry; vegetables in great plenty. I returned, therefore, from New York,' &c. (p. 85.) And again, In my journey between New York and Philadelphia, along that road, the farm-houfes feemed to be as thickly planted as in moft parts of England, and had a greater fhow of produce than I ever faw any where elfe in America; but from the beft information I could get, land was very dear.' (ibid.) Now, where fuch improvements can proceed, it is manifeft that there is no curfe upon the foil; that a little time only is required for fpreading the fame wealthy afpect over the lefs cultivated diftricts; and that our author may poffibly live to fee, in the neigh

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bourhood of New York, even an imitation of Mr Bakewell, whom he confiders as the greatest man that ever lived. *

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In the courfe of Mr Parkinfon's narrative, we have met with a great deal of low fcurrility, fometimes approaching to the nature of libels against individuals; and have noticed a few fpecimens of the propensity too common among travellers, to repeat in print what was committed to the confidential intercourse of private fociety. We fhall only cite fome of the most exceptionable paffages. When General Washington gave him permiffion to dedicate his book on farming to him, he defired that this might not be mentioned in the dedication, because he had refufed a fimilar request to many of his own countrymen. Our author only half complies with this condition, when he prints it in the body of the present work, (p. 64.) In p. 445, he relates fome comments of his particular friend Mr Bordley, an American magiftrate and judge, highly difrefpectful both to Congrefs and his country in general. And, in p. 505, he tells the whole ftory of the impofitions which his hoft Mr Bell practifed in his trade. The invective against Mr Cooper, in p. 647. and 648, is almost actionable; he accufes him of falfities and difbonefly, and defcribes him as a perfon whom no man of refpectability will fpeak to.' The cause of our author's rage at this gentleman is, that he praifed the land in America. The following paffage is unique even in Mr Parkinfon's writings I am perfuaded that there are thoufands of Americans who, for want of education and attending divine worfhip, think that man a fool who pays any attention to thofe duties, believing that cunning is the most neceffary qualification for mankind to poffefs. From their unfortunate independency being obtained by artifice, it ftrengthens their mind much in the practice: the reader may conceive this to be more likely, when it is known that their chief teachers are Tom Paine, Doctor Priestley, and others of the fame defcription. Mr Jefferfon, the prefident, is by many gentlemen in America believed to be an atheift; though, from my own knowledge in being in his company, I have no reason to fay fo. There are in his writings fome allufions to it; and I faw a paragraph in the newfpaper, of his having given Tom Paine a prefling invitation to return to America, If fo, I fhould think the report to be true. p. 477.

Upon the whole, we are not of the number of Mr Parkinson's admirers. With the exception of two long ftories, defcribing the cruelties of the Indians, which he has incorporated with his narrative, in order to illuftrate the difadvantages of the back fettle

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There is no record of fuch a man exifting upon earth in any age whatever P. 575

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ments, and which are in fact copied from former publications, we have found fcarcely any thing that deferves the name of amufement in thefe two volumes of travels. The author may be an exceedingly skilful farmer; but we doubt if agriculturists will derive any information from his details, unless his experiment on the use of plaster of Paris, in promoting the growth of turnips, and rendering them a fafe fodder for milch cows, fhould be found fufficiently accurate. After the abstract and fpecimens which we have given of his general reafonings, we believe little needs be faid upon the merits of his production as a portion of theory. And his practical inferences against emigration, apply not to the cafe of those who are the most prone to feek new fortunes in diftant climes-the deftitute claffes of the community, who follow the chance of high wages and cheap lands;-but to the fituation of capitalifts, who, we much fear, will not be deterred from engaging in American fpeculations to the very limited extent in which they have already indulged, by the numerous proofs adduced in Mr Parkinson's statements, that a man may obtain large returns upon a trifling stock, if he can only fubmit to a temporary privation of the comforts and luxuries, which are beyond the reach of new communities.

Before concluding, we fhall extract the only anecdotes of General Washington which the author has recorded. It may amuse our readers, to obferve the confidence with which he deduces that illuftrious perfon's greatness from the most trivial of all the good qualities ever attributed to his character.

I think a large number of negroes to require as fevere discipline as a company of foldiers and that may be one and the great cause why General Washington managed his negroes better than any other man, he being brought up to the army, and by nature induftrious beyond any defcription, and in regularity the fame. There are feveral anecdotes related of him, for being methodical. I was told by General Stone, that he was travelling with his family in his carriage across the country, and, arriving at a ferry belonging to General Washington, he offered the ferryman a moidore. The man faid, "I cannot take it. " The General asked, "Why, John?" He replied, "I am only a fervant to General Washington; and I have no weights to weigh it with: and the General will weigh it; and if it should not be weight, he will not only make me the lofer, but he will be angry with me. "Well, John, you must take it; and I will lofe three pence in its value : ferryman did fo; and he carried it to General Washington on the Saturday night following. The General weighed it; and it was not weight: it wanted three half-pence: General Washington carefully lapped up the three half-pence in a piece of paper, and directed it to General Stone, which he received from the ferryman, on his return. General Stone told me another of his regularities; that, during the time

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he was engaged in the army in the American war, and from home, he had a platterer from Baltimore, to plafter a room for him; and the room was measured, and the plafterer's demand paid by the fteward. When the General returned home, he measured the room, and found the work to come to lefs by fifteen fhillings than the man had received. Some time after, the plafterer died; and the widow married another man, who advertised in the newspapers to receive all and pay all due to or by her former hufband. The General, feeing the paper, made a demand of the fifteen fhillings, and received them. Another time, a man came to Mount-Vernon to pay rent; and he had not the exact balance due to the General; when the money was counted, the General faid, "There wants four pence. The man offered him a dollar, and defired him to put it to the next year's account. No, he must get the change, and leave the money on the table until he had got it. The man rode to Alexandria, which is nine miles from Mount-Vernon; and then the General fettled the account. It was always his cuftom, when he travelled, to pay as much for his fervant's breakfast, dinner, or fupper, as for his own. I was told this by the keeper of a tavern, where the General breakfasted; and he made the bill three fhillings and ninepence for the master's breakfast, and three fhillings the fervant's. The General fent for the tavern-keeper into the room, and defired he would make the fame charge for his fervants as for himself, for he doubted not that they had eaten as much. This fhews he was as correct in paying as in receiving. It is faid that he never had any thing bought for his ufe that was by weight, but he weighed it, or any thing by tale, but he had it counted and if he did not find the due weight or number, he fent the articles back again to be regulated. There is a ftriking inftance related of his condefcendency: he fent to a fhoemaker in Alexandria to come to measure him for a pair of fhoes; the fhoemaker anfwered by the fervant, that it was not his cuftom to go to any one's houfe to take measure for fhoes. The General being told that, mounted his horse, and went to the fhoemaker to be measured.

It may be worthy the reader's notice, to obferve what regularity does; fince there cannot be any other particular reafon given for General Washington's fuperior powers, than his correctnefs, that made him able to govern that wild country: for it was the opinion of many of his moft intimate friends, that his intellects were not brighter than thofe of many other men. To me he appeared a mild friendly man; in company rather referved; in private fpeaking with candour. His behaviour to me was fuch, that I fhall ever revere his name. Before he died, General Washington himself, with his own hands, clofed his eyes

and mouth.

• General Washington lived a great man, and died the fame. He rode into his plantation in the fore part of the day, came home, and died about eleven o'clock at night, of a putrid fore throat, an inflammatory complaint frequent in America. I conceive it to be occafioned by a poisonous infect received in with the breath. I am of opinion that the

General

General never knowingly did any thing wrong, but did to all men as he would they fhould do to him. Therefore, it is not to be supposed that he would injure the negro. Cowards only act cruelly to those beneath them. There was an inftance of his giving encouragement to duelling, which much furprifed military men: two officers had fought a duel; and, according to the laws and regulations of the army, one of them was broken: but in four days afterwards, the General promoted him to a much higher rank. The officers I heard speak of it, faid it was done with an intention of making the inferior officers obey their fuperiors. There is a remark frequently made, of the General's expofing his old white horfe to fale, which he rode during the war; which fhows that he treated every creature according to its nature-a horse as a horse, a negro as a negro.' Vol. II. p. 436—442.

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ART. III. Medical Reports on the Effects of Water, Cold and Warm, as a Remedy in Fever and other Difeafes, whether applied to the Surface of the Body, or used internally. In Two Volumes. By James Currie, M. D. F. R. S. Fell. Roy. Coll. Ph. Edin. 1804.

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THE HE first volume of this excellent work was published in 1797. In the prefent (being the third) edition, it is accompanied by a fequel, containing teftimonials from practitioners in different parts of the world, as to the utility of the practice which it recommends. As the treatment of fever by cold affufion, upon scientific and accurate principles, may be confidered as being yet in its infancy, we fhall take the prefent opportunity of analyzing the whole work.

When the bold practice detailed in these volumes was first offered to the public, it excited no fmall degree of interest and furprise. Such, however, was the modelly with which the gift was presented, and the ability with which its extenfive advantages were pointed out, that it was generally received with gratitude; and if not improved with alacrity, at least treated with mute and indolent acquiefcence. By fome indeed among thofe, who are more engaged in the practice than the ftudy of their profeffion, it was reprobated for its novelty and its rafhness. But as no protefts of this nature were entered at the bar of the public, and as the prejudices in queftion are gradually dying away, we do not think it neceffary to fay any thing in anfwer to fuch an imputation. There is another clafs of detractors, however, who require a more laborious confutation; we mean those who, having admitted the utility, have objected to the novelty of Dr Currie's practice. Few difcoveries in fcience or literature have at any time been offered to the world, without being either opposed

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