Hence I was difpofed to believe, that the conftituent parts of the colouring matter were volatile alkali, and an oily substance. In this opinion I was the more confirmed, when I faw, that, on diffolving martial vitriol in fpirit of hartfhorn, recently diflilled, and adding to it muriatic acid, I obtained Pruffian blue. I have, however, diftilled oxes blood, till nothing more would pafs over into the receiver, and the retort was red hot. I filtered the liquor of the receiver, in order to feparate from it the empyreumatic oil, and then diffolved a little martial vitriol in it, and added a fuperabundant quantity of acid; and thus, likewife, obtained Prufian blue. I then refolved to make several experiments, the principal purpose of which should be, to unite the volatile alkali with fome oily fubftance. For this purpose I diftilled a mixture of concrete volatile alkali and unctuous oil; a mixture of the fame alkali with animal fat; and, on another occa fion, with oil of turpentine; a mixture of quicklime, fal ammoniac, and axunge; the fame mixture with oil of hartshorn; likewife a mixture of potashes, fal ammoniac, and empyreumatic oil; the fame mixture with axunge; but all in vain. The liquors ob tained in the receiver, which confifted of phlegm, mixed with volatile alkali and oil, never yielded even the flightest mark of Pruffian blue. Hence I concluded, that, though aerial acid and phlogifton are obtained every time any oil is decomposed, it at the fame time contains water intimately combined with the other constituent parts, and that it is abfolutely neceffary that this water fhould be separated from them, before a perfect union of the volatile alkali can take place.'

Our author afterwards found, that no oil was required in the preparation of the colouring acid; for the volatile alkali is capable of uniting with the coaly matter, after it has been fubtilized with a ftrong heat; and then unites fo ftrongly with alkali of tartar, as to bear the moft violent heats. This alkali, diffolved in water, he fuppofes to be the lixivium fanguinis. We own that this opinion is attended with many difficulties; and it must be allowed, that fubftances of dif ferent nature will throw down a coloured precipitate, or that some parts of the operation are ftill little understood. A convenient method of preparing the tinging acid is afterwards fubjoined.

a very

Mr. Scheele next oppofes Dr. Weber's opinion, that calcareous earth contains the inflammable principle which he had fet up in oppofition to Dr. Black's doctrine of fixed air. Our author, by many curious facts and arguments, fupports Dr. Black's opinion. The next Effay contains remarks on Mr. Wenzel's doctrine of the affinity of bodies. Several mifcellaneous obfervations follow, which we need not enlarge on. The laft Effay which we fhall mention is on the resemblance between the feveral vegetable acids, by Dr. Crell. He endeaYours to fhew the connection of the native acids, viz. the acid

effential

effential falts, and that of tartar, with the acetous acid evolved by fermentation, and with the acid extracted from mucilaginous fubflances by fpirit of nitre, viz. the faccharine. In a fubfequent paper he explains the fimilarity between vinegar and the nitrous acid, which has long fince been infifted on by Rouelle, and very lately by the French academicians; but he points out a fimilar resemblance, between vinegar and the vitriolic acid, which has not hitherto been mentioned. The length of our article, and the author not having made any very decifive experiments, prevent us from enlarging on the fubject. On the whole, we think this volume a very useful one; and we are pleased to find, that the author means to tranflate the other Effays of Mr. Scheele.

An Account of the Prefent State of the Hebrides, and Western Coafts of Scotland. By James Anderson, LL.D. F. R. S. F. S. A. Scot. 8vo. 75. in Boards. Robinson.

'I

T has long afforded matter of aftonishment to neighbour. ing nations, that Britain, whofe fhores are furrounded by greater thoals of fish than those of any other country on the globe, fhould have fo long remained inactive herself with regard to the fisheries, while others have been enriched by the treasures they have derived from this fource. Their wonder is yet farther encreased, when they confider that all ranks of people in this island, for many years paft, have fhewed the greatest defire poffible to encrease her marine, and have, therefore, warmly patronised every scheme that promised to augment the number of her feamen.Yet the fisheries on her own coast, which are obviously better calculated for rearing feamen to her than any other measure that can be propofed, have ftill been fuffered to remain in fuch a languid ftate, as neither to employ the industry of the people, augment the wealth of the nation, nor add to the revenue and refources of the state. To explain this feeming paradox, and to pave the way for future improve ments, it will be neceffary to take a retrospective view of fome historical events which have had an influence on the prefent question.'

After this very useful remark, the judicious author gives a historical induction concerning the British fisheries, in which he takes up his fubject from the earliest accounts, fhews the effects of fome local unfortunate circumstances, which have prevented its fuccefs; and that it never can be productive of any national advantage, until various impediments are removed. Some of thefe impediments are a want of towns on the western fide of Scotland, and of course a want of thofe conveniencies and neceffaries which man, in fociety only, VOL. LXI. May, 1786,

I

Can

can procure the want of a poft-office is, of itself, fufficient to prevent any trade from being carried on; for, where no information can be given, nor procured, commerce is cramped in its first principles. In a flourishing country, as we have lately obferved, agriculture and commerce depend fo much on each other, that it is difficult to difunite them; in a country poffeffing neither, it is no lefs difficult to find which is most proper first to encourage, for they ought to begin together. If this beginning is not made with a due attention to the nature of the country, and the character of the people, it must ever be abortive.

In

Dr. Anderfon is thoroughly fenfible of thefe principles, and gives many incontrovertible proofs of the impoffibility of our ever making a national advantage of that profufion of fish, with which the fhores of Scotland abound, unless the western fide of that country, their chief refort, has villages and towns, and those towns an easy correfpondence with each other. fact, every attempt towards improvement must begin on an extenfive fcale, and be purfued with fpirit, and a proper view towards the chief defects. The great inconveniencies which the inhabitants of this diftrict, and of the Western Isles, experience from the falt duties, as they are at prefent established, must be added to the more general caufes, and must be greatly leffened, or totally altered.

The author obferves, that it

It is many years fince the obvious importance of thefe neglected regions, attracted the particular notice of the writer of this performance; and he published his thoughts on that fubject in the year 1777, in a treatife, intitled, Obfervations. on the Means of exciting a Spirit of National Industry, &c.— He once more touched on this fubject, in an effay he offered to the public in the end of the year 1780, intled, The Interest of Great Britain with Refpect to her American Colonies confidered; in which he had occafion to fhow, that the nation had in vain expected, for fome centuries paft, to derive advantages from its tranfatlantic dominions, which it never did, and never could obtain, while it neglected treafures of a more luable kind, that long had been in her fole poffeffion.-The fubject once more obtruded itfelf upon him, on the close of the late war, which he confidered as a most favourable opportunity for bringing this fubject under the public notice: he therefore compiled a treatife, intitled, A Propofal for establishing the Northern British Fisheries; in which the Circumstances that have hitherto fruftrated every Attempt to establish these Fisheries are inveftigated, and Meafures fuggefted by which thefe Obftructions may be removed, &c. This treatife was printed for the perufal of his friends; but was not published, as he confidered himfelf not fufficiently inftructed in all particulars relating to

va

it, never having been on the coafts, where the fisheries can be chiefly carried on, in perfon; and therefore justly fufpecting that he might be unacquainted with many local facts, which it was of much importance fhould be known, before a decided judgment on this fubject could be formed. This treatife was printed in the year 1783; and having attracted the notice of fome public-fpirited men, the writer was applied to in the beginning of the year 1784, to fee if he would incline to undertake a voyage along thofe coafts, with a view to obtain the information on that fubject, which he feemed to think was of so much importace. To this propofal he readily affented; and having obtained an order from the Treafury for one of the king's cutters to attend him on that expedition, he proceeded on it with alacrity. The following Report to the Lords of the Treafury, with the illuftrations that accompany it, contain an abstract of the obfervations he there made.'

How far the Report may have been affected, by the author not failing till much of the fummer was over, we know not; but it feems probable, that Dr. Anderfon was too late for fome circumstances which he must have wished to have feen with his own eyes. The information, however, which he procured from the beft authorities, leaves no doubt on the mind of the reader, as we hope it will not on those to whom the Report was made, but that the Scottish fisheries are worthy of every poffible attention, and will richly reward government for any expence that may be required to improve them.

The facts recorded in this volume do not only relate to the fisheries, but point out many other fources of improvement, in the Western iflands; for thefe, we must refer to the work, and its various illuftrations, fince detached facts cannot eafily be abridged. We fhall felect only, as a fpecimen of his remarks, the following curious obfervations on the herring.

The herring is a delicate fifh, which is killed by a very fmall degree of violence. Whenever it is taken out of the water, even though it feems to have received no hurt, it gives a fmall fqueak, and immediately expires; and though it be thrown inflantly back into the water, it never recovers-) -Hence arifes the proverb, as dead as a herring.

No conjecture can be made relating to its food. It feems to be nourished by fome fubftance that abounds every where in the fea-water in prodigious quantities, though too minute for obfervation.Were it not every where prefent in the water, the foals are fo great, that those which come laft must suffer for want of food, and become lean. This is never taken notice of by fishermen. It is obferved, that the ftomach contains only a quantity of flimy matter, unless it be very near the fpawningtime, when a few small fish are fometimes found in the domach:

They are then called foul fish, being more full of blood than at other feafons: they never take bait but when in this state, and very feldom then.

Some fanciful people, in order to make the hiftory of their migrations complete, defcribe them as being led forward by a leader who directs their courfe, who has been called their king. No fuch thing is even believed by any of the fishermen.

• When a great body of herrings are in the water, they can be diftinctly perceived by the smell, as I myself frequently experienced.

They fometimes fwim very near the furface, and sometimes at a greater depth, as has been faid; but the circumstances that occafion the one or the other have not been observed. It does not depend on the feafon of the year, nor, by what I could learn, on any obferved peculiarity of weather.

At times they feem to take pleasure in rifing to the furface of the water, and putting up their nofes, and instantly drawing back. This occafions a little pattering noife, like the found of a few large drops of rain on the water; which is denominated by the natives on the fhores they frequent, the play of herrings. It is moft ufually observed in a fill calm evening; and at these times, they are thought not to enter readily into the nets, and therefore it is not thought a favourable indication of the fuccefs of the fishery for that night.

But the most wonderful peculiarity relating to the economy of that little fish, was one that I never had an opportunity of observing myself, but which I was affured was a fact, by every perfon acquainted with the fisheries who spoke with me on that fubject. I therefore tell it to the reader as I had it, without contradicting or confirming it, though I rather fufpect the opinion has taken its rife from inaccurate obfervation—It is, fay they, a certain fact, that at particular times, in thofe lochs where herrings abound, a ftrong fmart found is heard, like the report of a pistol when fired. This found, it is fuppofed, is in fome inconceiveable way produced by the herrings themfelves, and is always accounted a certain proof that they are immediately to leave that place. When the found is heard, or fuppofed to be heard, it is faid the herrings have cracked; and, in that cafe, it never fails but that the whole are gone before next day. Whatever truth may be in this, there can be no doubt but the herrings frequently withdraw from any loch in a very short time, and leave no veftige of them behind.'

Our author, in this part of his work, oppofes the opinion of their migration, from numerous obfervations, and gives a very particular account of the method of catching them.

The Report contains fome very important remarks, and deferves great attention from thofe to whom thofe whom the conduct of the undertaking is entrusted.

The