1. REMARKS on the State of the AIR, VEGETATION, &c. Sept. 1795. A THICK drizzling fog for fome time in the morning; hygrometer as 88.-7. This day and yesterday warmer than any day in June or July; the thermometer at 76, one degree higher than in either of thofe months.-25. Horfe cheftnuts begin to flip their hulls. Vines probably ne ver made a greater fhow than this year for grapes, but the backwardness of the feafon injured their growth and maturity; fome of the sweet-water kind had not the fruit fo large as a common pea, and, though perfe@ly ripe and fweet, contained no feed. Culinary vegetables of all forts has been uncom→ monly abundant.This month is noted for its confiderable degree of heat, the mean ftate of the thermometer being 63, only half a degree less than Auguft. Though little rain fell during the month, the atmosphere continued, in general, hazy and moift, as in the preceding months; the hygrome.cr never less than 57, and its medium 66. Rain 11 hundredths of an inch. OBSERVATIONS on the DISEASES in September 1795. COM OMPLAINTS of the bowels ftill continued frequent, but were neither dangerous nor fevere, except among young children who were cutting teeth, where the difeafe proved obftinate, exciting fever and produce ing fome unpleasant symptoms. Rheumatifm was common at the clofe of the month, and was accompanied, as ufual, with bilious and acrid vifceral fecretions; by removing which, and ufing warmer clothing, the complaint was commonly cured. Intermittent fever alfo began to make its appearance, attacking thofe who had formerly been liable to the disease. Meafles was now and then met with, but by no means frequent; and fmallpox was unufually rare. T An Account of the MANNER of treating BEES in Portugal. [From Murphy's Travels in Portugal. ] O form a colony of bees, a fpot teen diameter. They are formed of of ground is chofen for the hives, the rind of the cork-tree, and coverexposed toward the fouth or fouth-ed with a pan of earthen ware ineaft, well fheltered from the northern verted, the edge of which projects blasts, and surrounded with fhrubs and over the hive like a cornice. The flowers; of the latter, the best is rofe- whole is faftened with pegs made of mary. The richer the neighbouring fome hard and durable wood, and the grounds are, the better; for bees are joints ftopped with peat. In the front faid to range for food to the distance of the cylinder, at the height of about. of a league from their homes. The eight inches, there is a fmall aperture fituation being chofen, lanes muft be where the bees enter. The infide is cut through the fhrabby thickets of divided into three equal divifions, five or fix feet wide. The fences be- which are feparated by cross flicks: tween the lanes fhould be about the here the bees form their combs or fame dimenfions, and formed at inter- cells. vals into fmall receffes, like bowers or niches, to receive the hives. The figure of the hives ufed here in general are cylindrical; in height boat twenty-feven inches by four When the bees fwarm, which is ufually in the month of May or June, the hives are placed to receive them where they alight. If they defcend on a tres, they are fhaken off the perfon who performs this operation must not be afraid of them, as they do not commonly fting unless they are irritated; it will be fafer, however, to cover the head with a wire mask, and the hands with gloves. Some bees are fo wild, that they fly away in attempting to collect them, but they may be caught again in this manner: a theet is placed by night on the ground contiguous to the fwarm, and when they alight, the hive is placed over them, with the entrance stopped, then the whole is covered with a sheet, in which they are carried home. But they should not be placed near the hive whence they had originally departed. When the time arrives for taking out the honeycombs, which is generally in the month of June, when the flowers begin to decay, it fhould be done in the heat of the day, as the greater part of the bees are then abroad, but not during a high wind, or at the commencement of a new or full moon. The hiver muft have his face and hands defended, as abovementioned, and accompanied by a perfon holding a chafing dish, with a coal fire, covered with moilt peat, to make the greater fmoke: this fmoke being infufed among the bees from the top of the cylinder, they fly away, or remain intoxicated at the bottom, then the hive is taken to pieces, by drawing out the pins. The combs are cut out without detroying the bees, except two cells, A which are left around the hive; and left the bees fhould feed on what remains, the incifion is covered with pulverized clay; after this the hive is put together as before. The combs fhould not be taken out but when they are full of honey; it is rarely good the first year the bees affemble. In the months of March and Auguft the wax is taken out, which is lodged in the first divifion of the hive, after which the bees form other combs, and generate a young colony. The hiver fhould often vist the ground, and repair any accidents that have happened. If fnakes frequent the place, they fhould not be killed, fince they do not moleft the bees, but deftroy the toads and lizards, which are obnoxious to them. When the hives are decayed, they are taken afunder and fumigated; then the bees forfake their habitations, and take shelter in an adjoining hive, previously prepared for that purpofe. This fhould be performed in the fpring, when the flowers begin to open and afford them fuccour. The fame method may be used in taking out the honey; but if repeatedly practifed, it will extinguish the co lony. As the bees, in returning from their excurfions, are loaded and fatigued, there should be nothing near the hives to obftruct their defcent, which is not in a perpendicular course, but in an oblique one. A remarkable Infiance of BRAVERY and LOYALTY. T the city of Coimbra, in 1246, an inftance of bravery occurred, which deferves to be recorded, as it trongly marks the bravery of the ancient Portuguese, and their fidelity to their lawful fovereign. A brave old foldier, named don Martin de Freitas, was appointed governor of the town by don Sancho the fecond. When his ambitious brother Alonzo, who was about to ufurp his crown, had laid fiege to it, Freitus, faithful $ to his truft, and fuperior to bribes or threats, encouraged the befieged to bury themfelves in the ruins of the fortrefs, rather than yield to a man who could ftifle the feelings of a brother, and violate the duty of a subject. Having fuftained the siege twelve months, and finding his refources exhaufted, he repaired fecretly to Toledo, the laft afylum of his unfortu nate fovereign; but, alas! the prince, weighed down with addiction, a few |