Remarkable Phænomenon of the Bath Waters.

do me by all your commands. Permit
me only to obferve, that it is not a
bare Ifay, that I have obtained paff-
ports for fome English gentlemen, but
that It is true. I have been fo happy
as to procure paffports for Mr Fox's
fon, and all Mr Campbell's family, as
well as for three other fick Englishmen, A
who had been recommended to me
by Dr Tronchin. To me it is both a
duty and a pleasure to serve any gen-
tleman of your nation; this is the
only right I have to your favours, tho'
every man has a right to your justice.
I prefume, therefore, intreating your B
Lordfhip to be so kind as to cause to
be printed, at the end of your book,
as well as in all the public papers, the
annexed little billet. Your Lordship
would not, I am fure, have me die
with a complaint in my mouth against
a perfon I efteem the most of any
living. I have the honour to be, &c. C
Caffle of Ferney, in Burgundy, near

Geneva, 10 Feb. 1761..

"We were mistaken in p. 134 of the Dialogues, in faying, that M. de Voltaire was banished France on account of his writings. He ftill refides in that kingdom, in the county of Tour. ney, of which he is Lord. This county is a free district in Burgundy, in the neighbourhood of Geneva: and the owner has never been exiled."

A Letter from Dr D. W. Linden to Dr Sutherland, at the Hot Wells, Bristol, concerning a remarkable Phenomenon of the Bath Waters.

DEAR SIR,

IN compliance with your request, I

fend you a brief account of my last examination of the Bath waters: The phænomenon which moft ftruck me, was certain cakes, of a blackish colour, which at this time of the year are found floating upon the furface of thefe waters, and which I had never feen before, having been at Bath only in the winter months, when they do not appear. I had, indeed, heard much of them, and was told that they were a vegetable substance, the con ferva gelatinofa; but, upon examination, I found this to be a mistake, and that the black cakes were mineral.

+97-201

furd to fuppofe that a mineral hot
fpring fhould have any communica-
tion with a standing pool, whence it
could receive this plant, as it could
not receive the plant without such a
mixture of the water as would render
it cold, and annihilate its virtue :
That the Bath water cannot originally
produce the plant, is certain; for it
is continually in a state of agitation,
which renders the growth of it im-
poffible.

Upon a close examination of these
cakes, fome of which have a greenish
lain near the wail for feme time un-
hue, I found that thofe which had
difturbed, had caufed a natural chry-
ftallization of the falts in the Bath wa
ter; and thefe falts, on fome of the
walls in the Abbey-houfe fpring, were
more than half an inch thick: Such
a chryftallization could not be caused
by a vegetable substance.

Having now fhewn what these cakes are not, I will tell you what they are; for, upon applying the common vitrioline folvent, I found them to be neither more nor less than the mu cilagium ferri, or flimy fubstance, that is always a concomitant of iron-stone, Diron-earth, or iron-ore; if there is any medical virtue in iron, it ought to be fought in this flimy fubftance: And I shall fhew, in a Treatife on the Bath Waters, which I am now preparing for the prefs, that the Bath waters derive great medical efficacy from thefe cakes, especially in external applications.

F

G

That they are not the conferva ge Latinofa is manifeft, from their appearing to early as the beginning of May 3 for the conferva does not appear till H July, and it does not flower till Augut. Befides, the conferva is found only en stagnant waters; and it is ab

Thofe perfons who have fuppofed thefe cakes to be vegetable, have been deceived into that opinion, by the folid fibrous parts which they have difcovered in them, after having wathed them from the mud and other extraneous bodies, that have been found mixed with them. But those who are acquainted with practical mineralurgy, a fcience which is effentially neceflary to those who undertake the analysis of mineral waters, know, that the flimy fubftance in iron-ore, when agitated in waters that contain falt, will form itself into fibres and branches, refembling thofe of vegetables; and upon this principle it is, that, in curious cheiniftry, fmall branches and fibres are formed in liquids by the foiution of metals and minerals, and have obtained the name of philofophical trees.

Some experiments, indeed, have been made upon thefe cakes, by dittillation; and it has been prefumed,

that

prefent State of the War.

A

D.W.LINDEN. B

Confiderations on the prefent War, as it
refpects England and France.

war is a ex

Tpence, and that nation which can

the longest bear it, will, if every thing
elfe is equal, prove victorious.

Those who are beft acquainted with
the finances of Britain and of France,
best can tell on which fide the balance
inclines; for my own part, I give it
in favour of Britain, provided the ta-
lents of our negotiators are not in-
ferior to those of the French.

C

My reafons for being of this opinion
are thefe: Britain and France have each D
two refources of money; one natural,
which is the land & the revenues it pro-
duces in respect to taxes, duties, and
impofts on the produce of the land;
the other is artificial, this proceeds
from commerce, the duties arifing
from the imports and exports of mer-
chandize, the fruits of commerce. In E
times of peace France exceeds Britain
in regard to the first fource of power;
the country is of much greater extent,
the people more 'numerous, and the
taxes higher in proportion. In time
of war more hands are drawn from
the plough in France than in England
in proportion; the taxes decreafe, or
which is worfe, those who are to bear
the burthen of them are ruined.

We are not fo much affected by wat
in respect to our natural refource. If
we are not equal to the French in time
of peace, we are much nearer an e-
quality in time of war; and there-
fore our natural fource of wealth is
very little inferior in time of war to
that of France. But in respect to the
artificial fource of power, the fruits
of commerce, in times of peace, ours
affords by much the more abundant
fupply; it counter-balances their na-
tural fpring of wealth, and places us
at leaft upon an equality with them.

I prefume that thefe pofitions will appear felf-evident to those who have been accustomed to compare the re

G

H

fources of both nations; and I like.
wife prefume that no body will deny
that the French commerce, and the
duties, impofts, and reveuues thence
proceeding, are reduced to the lowest
ebb;
and that the commerce of Britain,
and the fupport to the national ex-
pence afforded by it, was never at a
greater heighth. The wants of Eu-
rope are at present in great measure
fupplied by Great Britain; thofe wants,
at leaft, which France and Britain here-
tofore fupplied. Thus the power of
Great Britain to profecute the war is
fuperior to that of France. As to her
allies, France muft at leaft fupport
them with men, a farther reduction
of her natural force.

The Auftrians and Ruffians have coft France more by fubfidies, than their common caufe has received benefit. A moderate fubfidy to the King of Prufia, has coft France millions to keep these two courts in an unnatural combination. It may be justly doubted, on this view of things, whether if Denmark and Russia become fubfidiaries to Britain, the alliance will not be a benefit to France, as it eases them of a certain expence, for which they never have received equivalent advantages.

Whilft Britain, at a great expence of money, and of many valuable lives, has oppofed the French in Germany, and urged them to keep up a prodigious force in a country that is now, and ever has been, and ever will be, their ruin, at an expence fuperior to ours: Whilft it has hindered them from pro tecting their colonies, and left us entirely at liberty to carry on the war where it was moft to our advantage, can it be doubted in the least, whether it was or was not our intereft to bring as numerous a French army from home, and as far from home as poffible, to a country that could not polfibly fupply them with forage and provifion, but where they must either purchase it at as dear a rate as ourfelves, or bring it at a ftill greater expence along with them; and where a Frenchman or a French horfe, would require as much fuftenance as an Engli one; and confequently, if the French had 120,000 men, and the allies but "bo or 70,000, the balance was fo much in our favour. Upon confidering all thefe circumstances, it feems to me that the expence of France is much greater than the expence of Britain; and likewife, that France is much les able to bear it.

The

Specific for the Hiccough.-Sin against the Holy Ghost. 195-203

thecary, at length took a small quan-
tity of fpirits by way of cordial, and
was agreeably furpriz'd with imme-
diate relief from the hiccough. He
has fince frequently repeated the re-
medy upon the return of the hiccough,
A
and always with the fame fuccefs. He
has prefcribed it to others, and has
never known it fail. He therefore re-
commends it as a specific, and requests
that those who make trial of it would
communicate the effect, whether re-
lieved or not, which fhall be faithfully
published in this Magazine..

B

Yet perhaps the fatal compact is not decreed roufe then, and make a the party to it tremble: America is not ours; Louisiana is still French: half of Hifpaniola is yet theirs; Cayenne is in their poffeffion. The fisheries they will not give up. What then have you got? Without these you have no firm peace. Perfift therefore a little longer; Spain wavers already, and it D is your own fault if France troubles Europe again in our days, perhaps not even in our posterity's.

Britons, Englishmen, my countrymen, if you would be happy and fafe, he unanimous accept of peace on no other terms, or in twenty years E more you have this fatal maze once more to tread.

If you cannot prevent the war from being ended dishonourably, you can at leaft bring the authors and advifers of it to justice.

Let not a reign commenced fo aufpiciously be ftained with ignominy; F por a tranfaction be permitted, which would leffen the reverence which pofterity would feel at the mention of our Sn, Remember the peace of Utrecht!

S the prefent epidemical diftemA per is frequently attended with a convulfive hiccough that has been found very difficult to cure, give me leave to inform the public through your means, that a thimble full of brandy, rum, or geneva, taken when the hiccough is moft violent, has been found an infallible remedy. This was difcovered accidentally by a person so violently affected, that he defpaired of relief, and having tryed all that was preferibed by the phyfician and apo.

28496 Of the Cramp.-Pfalm xxxii.-Hint for an Infirmary,

confequence of this enormous wicked-.
nefs. Our Saviour hints at this fin
very frequently and plainly, when he
defcribes the direfs of the Jewish na-
tion The plain import of the text
then appeals, as I obferved before,
only to be this, That thofe people A
fhould be exposed to the fhocking ca-
lamities both of time and eternity,
and fhould not be forgiven, or pass
with impunity either in this world
or in the world to come.

I am Yours &c.

R. ROBINSON,

To R. B. S. on the Cramp.

B

IS a convulfive contraction of
the mufcles occafioned by cold,
to which people advanced in years are
more generally fubject than thofe in
the prime of life., It happens also to
children and occafionally to perfons of C
every age.

In the day time, our erect pofture,
more forcibly carries on the circula-
tion of the blood in the extreme parts,
to which may be added the bandage
more or lefs of our cloathing, of which
in bed we are almoft intirely divested.
And in the horizontal pofture we lie,
the feet and legs, as the most extreme
parts, first grow cold, which (in ha-
bits where the veffels are full) occa-
fions the mufcles to contract fo fudden
and violent as is fufficient to awake a
perfon out of fleep and throw him
into great agony.

The most immediate remedy for this, complaint, is to keep above the knee, a ftrong garter with a buckle, and when the cramp feizes you to flip it as high as you can up the thigh and draw it tight.

The Ufe of what the country people call a Girth-web-belt (with three or four buckles and ftraps) put on round the waift when you go to bed, would prevent it, but that being a partial and unequal bandage may cause pain in the head or difficulty of breathing.

Therefore rather recommend, that your bed be laid gradually high to the head, draw on a pair of thick flannel focks, and put on a dimitty waistcoat, fo fitted, that you may wear it buttoned. Were the complaint mine, Abftinence should be my remedy, for nothing warms the blood more effectually than Abitemioufnefs in folid food, with moderate exercife. You may be a very moderate perfon in diet, but your conftitution hereby difcovers an error in your regimen. Do you eat Suppers? leave them off. If you eat

D

E

none, you have taken fomething ir the day-time that was heavy of digef tion, or you have drank too much small Liquors.

G

М

Forbear ftrong liquors till four or five in the evening, then drink a glass or two, and no more till seven or eight, then you may drink to be chearful, and if you smoke, take a pipe; and if you are no better for my advice, I think I may fafely promife you will be no worse.

Mr URBAN,

W.

AM obliged to your ingenious correfpondent Mr E. G--d-n, for his judicious explanation of the Gof pel precept, Love your enemies, &c. Every attempt to illuftrate and explain the fcriptures, must be esteemed a very valuable addition to your useful Magazine.

I beg the favour of the fame Correfpondent to give me the sense of thofe words in the xxxviith Pfalm, ver. 25, I have been young, and now am old, yet bave I nat feen the righteous forfaken, nor his feed begging their bread

How can this be reconciled with the neceffitous circumstances in which David himfelf was brought, when he begged bread of Abimeleck the Priest, 1 Sam. xxi. 3. and again of Nabal, i Sam. xxv. 8. and to fuch deplorable circumstances of poverty and distress have many good people in all ages been brought. W. A.

Mr URBAN,

Affing through Leicester, in my road

to

Po London, and obferving a large brick building (fah'd and fupported by arches) in the market-place, I en quired for what purpose it was erected, and was informed it was originally in tended for an exchange, like that at London; but that it had never been u fed as fuch, nor was it of any material fervice to the town.

Now, as I have fome little judgmeat in architecture, a thought immediately came into my head, which, if put into execution, would certainly be a great and latting benefit to that town and neighbourhood. Will you pleafe to give them the hint in your next Magazine, that this building, with little alteration and addition, might be converted into a public in firmary, and as it stands in the heart of the town, it would be very commo dious for the attendance of the phyfi cians and furgeoną. Yours, c.

A. Z.

Proceedings of France and Spain respecting Portugal. 205

An Account of the Proceedings of France and Spain, with respect to Portugal, upon the late Alliance of thofe Courts, to profecute jointly the War against England; and of the Conduct of Portugal thereupon, from Authentic Papers publifbed in the London Gazzette of the A 5th of May.

On the 16th of March 1762, Don

N the 16th of March 1762, Don

the court of Spain, and Monf. Jaques Bernard O'Dun, minifter plenipotentiary from the court of France to that of Portugal, prefented a memorial to his moft faithful majefty to the following effect:

B

The Kings of France and Spain having found it neceflary to form an alliance, and take other measures to curb the pride of the British nation, which afpires to become defpotic over the fea, and confequently over all maritime C commerce; agreed, that they would, in the first place, invite the King of Portugal to enter into this alliance with them, which they expected he would do, as conformable to what he owes, both to himself and his kingdom; efpecially, as he fuffers greatly under the D yoke which Great Britain. has already laid upon him, and which the is about to extend over all who have poffeffions beyond fea; and, as it would be unjult to expect France and Spain to facrifice themfelves without the affiftance of Portugal for an object in which Portugal is at least equally interested; and yet more fo, to afford the English, their common enemy, an afylum in her ports, whence they can more easily annoy her friends, and, at the fame time, enrich themselves by her com

merce.

E

F

They therefore, jointly defire his Portuguese majefty, to declare himself united with France and Spain in the prefent war against England, as the common enemy of all maratime nations; and obferve, that the King of Spain is brother to the Queen of Por- G tugal, and a true friend, and quiet neighbour of that kingdom, who wifhes, that, either in peace, or in war, Spain and Portugal may be confidered as under one mafter. They urge alfo, that it will be better for the King of Portugal to have for an ally a Catholic king, his near relation, and quiet neighbour both in Europe and America, than England, whofe haughtiness renders her incapable of confidering other fovereigns with equality, and whofe affistance Portugal can never (Gent. Mag. May 1762.)

H

need, when by an offenfive and defenfive league the fhall be united with Spain and France. It is added, that France and Spain can the lefs doubt of Portugal's compliance with this propofal, Spain having already caufed her Portugal, to fecure the maratime places troops to advance to the frontiers of of Portugal from any danger which might threaten them, when the acceffion of Portugal to the alliance of France and Spain, thould be known to the Englib.

A categorical anfwer to this memorial was required in four days, and it was declared, that a delay beyond that time would be confidered as a negative.

To this memorial, Portugal on the 20th of the fame month, within the precife term of four days, anfwered, That he was greatly affected to fee the flames of war kindled between Spain and Great Britain, powers with whom fhe is allied by blood and friendship, and wishes that her neutrality might be able to bring about a treaty of peace; but that there are unfurmountable difficulties which must prevent her from coming into the alliance of France and Spain against England.

1A, Portugal is, and has long been allied to England, by folemn and public treaties, which being merely defenfive, must be innocent; and not having received any offence from England, the cannot enter into an offenfive league against her, without breach of public faith. And,

adly, His Portuguefe majefty would act most injuriouily by his fubjects, if he fhould bring upon them the calamities of an offenfive war, which they are not in a condition to fupport, after the misfortunes that have already befallen them, by the long fickness of the late king, by the earthquake of 1755, and the conspiracy of 1758.

His Portuguese majefty therefore declares, that a perfect neutrality is a neceffary principle of his fyftem; and, that having caufed his troops to be ready for the defence of his ports and marátime places, and made all proper difpofitions for the common advantage of all the powers at war, without diftinction, Spain may be affured, that nothing shall be done in any of fuch ports or places, contrary to her interefts.

This anfwer was tranfmitted to the court of Spain, and the Spanish ambasfador having received new inftructions upon it, replied, on the 1st of April, jointly with the French minifter, who concurred,