arrive there twice a-year, bringing silks, muslins, red wool, goats' hair, rhubarb, and other drugs; and they take back the cloths, cochineal, indigo, and other articles we carry there. The whole trade of Persia was formerly carried on through this city; but, since the troubles in this country, the caravaus are forced for the greater part to take the direction of Smyrna. There are many considerable manufactures at Aleppo, Diarbekir, and in the adjacent villages, where they make white and printed linens, satins, thicksets, and various other silk stuffs. The produce of these manufactorics, along with what came from Persia, constituted the principal returns drawn from this country by the French. They are supplied by the cotton and silk of the country. France supplies them with indigo, cochineal, and other drugs. The people are remarkably industrious in this country. We brought annually to Aleppo about one thousand bales of cloth, and a considerable quantity of cochineal and indigo. These articles amounted annually on an average to near two millions five hundred thousand francs, according to the register formerly kept at the Chamber of Commerce. The surplus result ing from the trade was remitted in bills of exchange to Constantinople. The French had seven houses established in Aleppo. Tripoly in Syria. The trade with this place was more or less considerable according as the crop of silk was more plentiful or not. Besides that article, we drew ashes and gall-nuts from thence In this strait lies Attaquie, where our caravan-captains come frequently to anchor, to take in cargos of tobacco for Turkey and Christendom. It is hard to fix precisely the value of the outfit compared with the returns from this country. A bad crop of silk, or its total failure, sometimes reduced the returns nearly to nothing; but, at most, to something very inferior to the value sent there. In the contrary supposition, the high price of silk made the returns come to more than a million, though the value of our merchandizes amounted to little more than two hundred thousand francs. By the registers of the Chamber of Commerce, it appears that, during the years immediately preceding the Revolution, the consumption of merchandize for this place had augmented. MONTHLY MAG. No. 337. For example, in 1788, the returns, joined to those from Seyde and Acre, amounted only to seven hundred and forty-nine thousand seven hundred and eleven francs; while the returns from Tripoly alone amounted to seven hundred and twenty-nine thousand six hundred and thirteen franc In 1787 they were nearly the same, but in 1789 the balance was less advantageous. There were three French houses there. Seyde and its Dependencies. Aere, Disaer, Damascus, Jaffa, and Rama, compose th is part of the straits. The French carried on a considerable trade with these cities in Palestine. Each year they brought there about nine hundred bal es of cloth, and other articles in propor ion, which were consumed in the country. They brought back, in return, considerable quantities of cotton, cotton thread, and silks. These various articles, so precious for our manufactures, besides many others that composed the returns, made this branch of the Levant trade to be looked on as one of the most important. Seyde is the capital, and the residence of our consul, at fifteen leagues distance from Acre. Our merchants had permission to trade there, and had clerks or factors in each place, to purchase cotton, wool, and spun cotton. The French having no competitors at Seyde, they were quite masters in the purchase of spun cotton, and they colluded in making a common concern of this monopoly. The sales took place in the public markets, under the direction of the national inspector or consul, and they lasted nine months of the year. In plentiful years, Seyde and Acre sent as much as fifteen hundred bales of spun cotton to Marseilles. The bashaw of Acre having forbid the French associating in the purchase of cotton, as they had already done at Seyde, he monopolized the crops himself, and made the cotton rise so exor bitantly, that the Freuch were forced to forego executing the orders of their constituents. In consequence of this, they made representations to the bashaw and the result was, the establishing of a duty of ten piastres per cwt. This was only temporary at first, but finally was made perpetual. Ten or twelve vessels were employed annually, to bring the raw and spun Trade was carried on with this country by the ports of Alexandria, Rosetta, and Damietta, and European merchandize carried from thence to Caire by vessels that went up the Nile in three days. The greater part of what we sent to Egypt was consumed there, and the remainder went by the caravans to Mecca, Suez, Medina, and even into Abyssinia. Our principal ventures were cloths; and, in general, all qualities were equally demanded. People of rank, who are numerous, bought the first qualities, and the lower classes made use of the inferior. lions, as well for the outfit as for the returns. Sometimes the returns were either much above or much under the value of the venture; but the best informed merchants fix one year with another at two millions five hundred thousand livres, the exports from Marseilles ; and at three millions, the value of the importations in return from Egypt. The French have four commercial houses in Alexandria. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, You OUR correspondent "Searcher" professes to record (Monthly Magazine for January, page 502) the establishment and manner of conducting" an institution for " literary im provement;" from which your readers cannot but conclude that the institution alluded to really exists: but they are, I regret to say, totally deceived. What could induce "Searcher" to record the existence of a society which ceased to be a few months after its commencement, it is scarcely possible even to conThe French commercial agent re- jecture; and what could be his motive sided at Alexandria many years before for subjoining the rules of another sothe Revolution. Before that period he ciety, and thus confounding two distinct resided at Cairo, where he was continu- and very dissimilar institutions, it is no ally exposed to the impertinence and in- less difficult to imagine. Be this as it sults of people in power: so there only may, the fact is, that the society estaremained in Cairo such French established last winter was also dissolved blishments as hoped to be unmolested, though deprived of the protection of their official agent. They make great use in Egypt of cochineal, groceries, iron, and cordials. The Chamber of Commerce at Marseilles sent annually ten thousand franes, to be employed by the merchants there in conciliating the good graces of persons in power. Damietta has but a bad harbour, and a dangerous bay. The French took in cargos of rice there, and brought them to France, under cover of pro forma clearances to Turkish ports; twelve or fifteen cargos were by this means annually brought to Europe. A French manufacturer, established at Marseilles, having discovered the advantageous employment of sal-natron in making soap, great quantities of this mineral have since been exported from Egypt. The trade with Egypt has undergone many changes, from the unhappy effects of the intrigues and jealousies of eighty-four beys that commanded in Cairo. However, in certain years, this trade amounted to more than two mil last winter. The "Warwick Union Society" was begun subsequent to the ever-to-be-remembered 16th of Angust. It was not established for "literary improvement," but to give, in the first instance, pecuniary assistance to the sufferers at Manchester, and afterwards, as may be seen by the Rules, to any who might suffer in the cause of civil or reli gious liberty. The lovers of literary improvement who have read "Searcher's" paper would doubtless feel greatly disappointcd, were I to stop here; but I congratulate myself and them on being able to state, that there is in this town a Society for the acquirement of useful knowledge and for literary improvement. It was established in the latter end of the year 1817; and, though at its commencement the number of members was small, yet from that period there has been a gradual increase; and the present list contains about forty; ten of whom are lecturers. The Society meet each Tuesday evening through the winter. Its objects, and the manner of conducting its proceedings, will be best explained by III. That the Society shall consist of members and lecturers; the lecturers, with two of the members, to compose a committee, in whom shall be vested the goverument of the Society. IV. That the Society shall meet every Tuesday evening; the chair to be taken at eight o'clock, and the business to conclude at ten. V. That each lecturer in succession shall provide a subject for the evening, which subject may be original composi tion, or extracts from anthors of acknowledged merit; and, after its delivery, the subject shall be candidly discussed. VI. That any subject which is not concluded on the evening it is introduced, may, with the approbation of the Society, be resumed for one or two evenings in succession, but no longer. VII. That each lecturer shall nominate a chairman for the ensuing evening: any altercation or irregularity shall be under the control of the chairman, who shall strictly preserve good order. VIII. That a secretary shall be appointed to take regular minutes of the proceed ings of the Society: the secretary shall be treasurer also. to public consideration, as briefly as I could to render them intelligible, on the various subjects brought forward. Such as they are, they are much at your service: the patriotic zeal you have constantly manifested in the cause of small farms and spade-cultivation, will here meet with an additional advocate. A new system of hydro-agriculture, mechanical spade-cultivation, garden grazing, and poultry-farming, together with the establishment of manufactories for the employment of females in preparing the provisions so raised for market, and the propriety of appropriating our glebe-lands to these undertakings, form the ground-work. The elementary parts of the internal relations of the system consist in endeavouring to make the most advantageous use of human intelligence and industry in: Sun.-The great point of vegetation. there is in the progress of vegetation growEvery one knows the great difference ing on a warm sunny bank, or on a cold northerly aspect. The new plan proposes to act in this respect upon the southerly inclined plane, the same as gardeners now whereby the sun's rays strike full upon the do with their cucumber and melon frames, bosom of the earth: and further assistance to vegetation is derived in a negative manner, by the cold chilling winds so prevalent in the spring months thus passing over them obliquely, instead of striking full upon them. As shelter is also a kind of negative warmth, the belt of labourers' cottages which it is proposed to erect round these gardens, will be serviceable in this particular. Water-Is emphatically termed the food of plants; sun, without water, turns to little account: nor does water without sun: but both, acting in happy union together, are productive of luxuriance. This which will be laid out for the purpose by will be laid in to the use of these gardens, hydrostatic means, the same as dwellinghouses are now supplied with it. Manure. This is an essential article, in which the new agriculture will stand on a proud pre-eminence. What is a growing green-crop destined to be consumed upon the same soil it grew upon, but a growing manure heap also? The heavy succession crops to be raised by the artificial means resorted to, will be further assisted by the rich articles bought in for fattening off the entrails behind them at their death, as a stock; and by their gratefully leaving their tributary legacy to the richness of the farm whose luxuriance they were lately par takers of. The field agriculturist reckons he does great things, when he manures Q 2 against against his turnip-crop once in four years, and that of manure made chiefly from his dry and sapless straw: the new system calculates upon having three heavy succession crops within the year, consumed in all the freshness and succulence of their juices, constantly returning to the ground as it is made, and, what is not a little material as to the good economy of it, trenched in so, that it will not be in the way of having its virtues evaporated by the rays of the sun as that which falls upon pasture lands. This matter, then, reserves itself as the consumer of the produce of the corn lands into a small compass. Which is likely to be the richest land: that which pays tribute to the other, or that which receives it? Tilth. In spade-cultivation, the workman usually makes two or three inches of progression at each spade-full, according to his strength compared with the nature of the soil. With the new mechanical spade, only one inch of progression will be made at a time, by which means each foot of land will be worked twelve times over, by the peculiar manner in which it operates. 66 Thinning.-This will give occasion to explain the new agricultural paradox; for the old hydrostatic one Any quantity of a fluid how small soever, may be made to balance and support any other quantity how great soever," has long wanted a companion; with which it may now be furnished, if conceived in these terms: A weight greater than itself may be sub. tracted from a growing latter crop, and yet it will ultimately remain as heavy as ever." From a series of experiments made by me during the present year, it appeared, on sowing a patch of garden-ground with turnips of the Norfolk kind, on a cold clay soil, in no very good heart as to manure, at Lady-day last, that, at six weeks old, the first plant taken up was found to weigh barely half an ounce; the next, at 10 weeks old, barely also 4 oz.; the next, at 13 weeks old, weighed 10 oz.; at 15 weeks, 15 oz. ; and, at 20 weeks old, 274 ounces, tops and bottoms being all the while weighed together, and the finest plant selected each time. The separate weight of the last top was 9 oz. Now of plants there will be in au acre, at the following distances asunder, Square inches. No. of plants. 6,272,640 1,568, 160 699,960 392,040 250,905 The second thinning leaving them eight inches apart, will produce 392040 98010 294030 Which at 3 oz. each, as being 10 weeks old, will be 24 tons 15 oz. each, as being 15 weeks old, pro. ducing 30 tons, while the ultimate standing crop, at 20 weeks old, will be but 16 tons; nor is it possible that they can, at this late period, subsequently regain their lost ground under any circumstances: so say these figures, do what we will to pre vent it. As this conclusion will be held derogatory to common sense by every one who is merely conversant in common arithmetic, it will be necessary we should prove our premises before we proceed further, in order to explain them. Square measure then is governed, not by commercial but by mathematical arithmetic, as being dependant upon the admeasurement of the 24502 73508 plants at square: the rule for which is, Multiply its length by its breadth, and the product is the content. So that, if we take the instance of a foot square to be measured, as there are 12 inches in a foot, which is its length, and 12 inches again in its breadth; these, multiplied together, produce 144 inches, the content of a foot square in inches. Again, in order to ascertain how many 2 inches there are in it: By the same rule, we find that 6 times 2 inches make a foot; and therefore, 6 times 6 is 36,,the number of 2 inches' squares in a foot square. Again, to pursue it an example further, as to how many squares of 4 inches there are: 3 times 4 make 12, and 3 times 3 make 9, as being the number of 4 inches' inches' squares in the foot. So that, instead of there being only half the number of plants left, when thinned to a double distance, as might naturally be supposed, there are only one-fourth the number left, viz. 144 at 1 square inch, 36 at 2 square inches, and 9 at 4 square inches apart: thus establishing the corollary, That where one remains on these occasions, three are taken away, which accounts for the great, and no doubt at first unaccountable, amount of the thinnings of this crop, which was the point to be proved, and a most important point it is as ever was proved by human intelligence, since it goes to producing a new vegetable world in addi. tion to the old one, and a great bonus crop to the cultivator, as it will be nearly all profit: rent, taxes, and the expenses of previons cultivation, being the same as before; and even the thinning charges being not much dissimilar to those of the hoeings and weedings now in use. But a method will be brought forward, with apparatus suited to it, which will put these upon a parity, so as to make it a bonus crop complete, especially when the large additional quantity of manure as well as food thus pro duced is taken into account. Transplantation.-It will be seen, by the preceding account,how greatly, in proportion to the same space of time, a plant in creases after it has taken root, than while it is forming one. In virtue of transplantation, advantage is taken of this circumstance; so that it is clear arithmetic, that if the same weight of crop can be raised in three months through its medium, which it would have taken five months without it, this is two-fifths of the crop gained at the counter expense of the seed-bed and transplantation. Through this mean, the garden grazier will get three crops within the year with the same facility with which the field agriculturist gets one; namely, a crop of radishes and turnip radishes, another of transplanted lettuces, or a green flax crop, which he pleases; and a third, a transplanted cabbage, Swedish turnip, or kale crop, &c. I will take this opportunity of mentioning, that, on looking over my memoranda for the weights of the turnip plants, I found the following entry: "The average weight of a canliflower is a pound and a half, which weight lettuces will run to; but the three weighed were certainly very fine ones." Ergo, the latter being transplanted out a foot apart, would, at that rate, produce 29 tons per acre. Another of no mean importance was, "the weight of a full-grown turnip radish is 2 oz." Now, according to the table just made out, it will follow, that a seed-bed in which plants grew occupying an inch square, being transplanted out a foot apart, represented all that time 144 times its own space; bnt, if they were trausplanted two feet asunder, 576 times W. DONCASTER. that space. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, Y Ives, in our Magazine of the 1st of the present month, page 23, calls the attention of your readers to the rule, in Murray's Grammar, for the observance of pauses in reading, and suggests an alteration for its improvement; but I beg leave to assure your correspondent, that the just expression of what is written does not depend upon either the one or the other of those rules, nor upon any such arbitrary rule whatever. In fact, it does not depend upon the observance of rests at all; and, if I were to hear any one read according to either of those rules, it would very forcibly remind me of looking at a woodenlegged man in a meadow culling cowslips. This subject, however, is too long for discussion in this place; I therefore proceed to W. W.'s next subject. YOUR correspondent W. W. of St. Your correspondent notices a very unimportant error in the definition of rhyme, in the same Grammar; for verse, in English, as well as versum, in Latin, are often used for line, whilst he is wholly unconscious that that definition is both false and imperfect; for immortality rhymes neither with affability nor with importunity, nor does either of them rhyme with the other, although there is a “correspondence in all their last syllables;" and concord and discord have no rhyme, but a mere repetition in their last syllables. The best definition of rhyme that I can give, currente calamo, is this: last accented or emphatic vowel sound Rhyme is the correspondence of the of a line, and of all the following sounds of that line, with the same sounds of another line, accompanied by a variation of the initial letters of the syllables to which those emphatic vowels belong.' Thus: breast, crest, guest; concord, long cord, strong cord: Hospitality, No formality. The above is certainly not such a definition of rhyme as might be given, if the true principles of prosody were generally known; but I believe it embraces everything necessary for its description. W. GREEN. Hans Town; Feb. 12, 1820. To |