ly figure, and then practife the fame trick' upon another: thus I continued doing great mifchief to the crown, till my officer, chancing one morning to walk abroad earlier than ordinary, facrificed me to his pleasures, and made ufe of me to feduce a milk-maid. This wench bent me, and gave me to her fweet heart, applying, more properly than the intended, the ufual form of, to my love and from my love. This ungenerous gallaut, marrying her within a few days after, pawned me for a dram of brandy, and drinking me out the next day, I was beaten flat with an hammer, and again fet a running.

After many adventures, which it would be too tedious to relate, I was fent to a young fpendthrift, in company with the will of his deceased father: the young fellow, who I found was very extravagant, gave great demonstrations of joy at receiving of the will; but opening it, he found himself difinherited, and cut off from the poffeffion of a fair eftate, by virtue of my being made a present to him. This put him into fuch a paffion, that after having taken me into his hand, and curfed me, he fquirted me away from him as far as he could fling me; I chanced to light in an unfrequented place under a dead wall, where I lay undifcovered and ufelefs, during the ufurpation of Oliver Cromwell.

About a year after the king's return, a poor cavalier that was walking there about dinner-time, fortunately caft his eye upon me, and, to the great joy of us both, carried me to a cook's fhop, where he dined upon me, and drank the king's health. When I came again into the world, I found I had been happier in my retirement than I thought, having probably by that means efcaped wearing a monstrous pair of breeches.

Being now of great credit and antiquity, I was rather looked upon as a medal than an ordinary coin; for which reafon a gamefter laid hold of me, and converted me to a counter, having got

together fome dozens of us for that ufe. We led a melancholy life in his poffeffion, being bufy at thofe hours, wherein current coin is at reft, and partaking the fate of our mafter, being in a few moments valued at a crown, a pound, or a fix-pence, according to the fituation in which the fortune of the cards

placed us. I had at length the good luck to fee my mafter break, by which means I was again fent abroad under my primitive denomination of a fhilling.

I fhall pafs over many other accidents of lefs moment, and haften to that fatal catastrophe, when. I fell into the hands of an artist, who conveyed me under ground, and with an unmerciful pair of fheers cut off my titles, clipped my brims, retrenched my fhape, rubbed me to my inmoft ring, and in short, fo fpoiled and pillaged me, that he did not leave me worth a groat. You may think what a confufion I was in to fee myself thus curtailed and disfigured. I should have been afhamed to have fhewn my head, had not all my old acquaintance been reduced to the fame shameful figure, excepting fome few that were punch'd thro' the belly. In the midft of this general calamity, when every body thought our misfortune irretrievable, and our cafe defperate, we were thrown into the furnace together, and (as it often happens with cities rifing out of a fire) appeared 'with greater beauty and luftre than we could ever boaft of before. What has happen'd to me fince this change of fex which you now fee, I shall take fome other opportunity to relate. In the mean time I fhall only repeat two adventures, as being very extraordinary, and neither of them having ever happened to me above once in my life. The firft was, my being in a poet's pocket, who was so taken with the brightnefs and novelty of my appearance, that it gave occafion to the fineft burlefque poem in the British language, intitled, from me, the Splendid Shilling. The fecond adventure, which I must not omit, happened to

me

me in the year 1703, when I was given away in charity to a blind man; but indeed this was by mistake, the perfon who gave me having heedlefly thrown me into the hat among a penny worth of farthings.

A

Obfervations by a Farmer.

Wife man will endeavour to draw fome advantage from every feeming calamity. I fay feeming, because many things feem to us calamities, which, in the courfe of the general laws of nature, are not really fuch. Of this kind is the late continued drought in fummer, which, to the eye that looks no deeper than the furface of the earth, appears a calamity, by burning up the grafs, and by ftinting the pring corn. Such an obferver does not confider, that a fucceffion of rainy feafons had filled the earth with infinite numbers of infects, that prove very deftructive to vegetable productions, and that fo long continued a drought has fo parched the ground that fuch infects can neither find water for their own fubfiftence, nor moift earth fit for becoming the nests of their own brood. Let any one at this time caft his eyes around him, and look for the great numbers that ufed now to be of butterflies, fnails, grubs, worms of several kinds, &c. he feldom meets with them.

The heat of the feafon, at the fame time that it parches the grafs and latter corn, roafts or bakes ftrong foils, and thereby fits them for future crops; and whilft it hurts beneficial productions, it prevents the increase of weeds, which fuffer as much as the other crops; and if we look back to former droughty feafons, I believe it may be obferved that fuch fummers are followed by dropping autumns and mild winters. When the rains begin to fall, the roots and feeds of the grafs, being in hot beds fpring up very quickly, and foon bring plentiful crops; fo that horfes, cattle, and fheep, find plenty of food, which is

ufually continued to them thro'moft of the mild winter. By this means the fcarcity of hay will be very little felt, but where it is defervedly felt, viz. by the rich and proud, who must have their horfes fed in ftables and kept in body cloths; forgetting, that, in fuch feafons, the open air is the fource of health and delight to all animals. Even the fheep will fcarcely feel the want of turnips; and those fown fo late in the year will be lefs liable to be damaged by the frofts in fpring, than the more early fown turnips are.

I make no doubt but that their will be plenty of bread corn this harvest,for the wheat every where looks healthy and found; and we may remember, that the exceeding good feafon for fowing, it induced the farmers to fow all the land they poffibly could with wheat. Add to this, an obfervation fanctified by time, that "when the clay feeds the "land, happy it is for England."

I would infer from thefe confiderations, that thofe who frighten us with the danger of want, are defigning people, who wish to take advantage of every feeming calamity, and turn to their own benefit the ignorance of people who will not look back and enquire into the confequences of fuch feafons.

But let me return to my first intention of pointing out an advantage that every hufbandman may draw from this dry feafon, namely, his obferving the plants which preferve their verdure the longeft; for thefe, other circumftances being alike are the plants which should be the most carefully cultivated on dry foils. The ribwort, or narrow leaved plantain, the milfoil or yarrow, wild camomile, and burnet, enjoy this advantage.

These plants have all along retained their verdure, and are each of them very agreeable to fheep and cattle. Every man may be convinced of this truth, by examining the nearest common on which fheep and cattle are kept conftantly feeding: for thefe plants are there fo generally eaten down, that O 2

they

on the ingredients being thoroughly blended together; and the mixtures being applied immediately after, to the place where it is wanted. In order to this, about five labourers fhould be employed for mixing the mortar, to attend one perfon who applies it.

This method of making mortar, Mr D. fays, was difcovered by a gentleman of Neufchattel, the back part of whofe houfe being cut out of a rocky-hill, the fpring from the rock greatly annoyed it, and produced a continual damp, which nothing could cure till he tried the mortar above defcribed, which effectually anfwered his purpofe, and which, by time, grew so tenacious and firm, that he was induced to believe the method of compofition was the fame with that purfued by the ancients.

We are told that chalk lime, which is the kind moft commonly used in London, is unfit for the purpofe, on account of the flints it contains, which render it neceffary to be fkreened before it can be tempered with the water and fand. Previous to fkreening, however, the lime must be flacked; and the flacking it before it be mixed with the fand, prevents its acting on that ingredient, fo as to produce their incorporation; which power it lofes, in a great degree, after its combination with the quantity of water that faturates it. The lime for this purpose, therefore, muft be that made of lime-ftone, fhells or marble; and the ftronger it is, the mortar will be proportionably the better.

Befides an attention to the kind of lime to be used in making this mortar, what is intended for it fhould be carefully kept from the accefs of air, as it will readily attract moisture, and lofe proportionably that power of acting on the fand to produce an incorporation. It is also advised to exclude the fun and wind from the mortar for fome days after it is applied, that its drying too quickly may not prevent the due continuance of the fermentation, which is neceffary to favour the action of the lime upon the fand,

This mortar is attended with very particular advantages; for it may be ufed, and will even attain to a perfect induration, though moisture have accefs to it when it is applied; and while it is fermenting and fetting, it is extremely beneficial for preventing the oufing of water through the floors, or walls of houfes, where the common method would have no effect. When a very great hardness and firmnefs are requir ed in this mortar, the using of skimmed milk, inftead of water, either wholly, or in part, will produce the defired effect; and in this circumftance likewife, the preparation is imagined to refemble that of the ancients.

An Account of Snakes found in our American Colonies-from Profeffor Kalm's Travels in North Ame

rica.

THE

HE country abounds with Black Snakes. They are among the first that come out in fpring, and often appear very early if warm weather happens; but if it grows cold again after that, they are quite frozen, and lie ftiff and torpid on the ground or on the ice; when taken in this state and put before a fire, they revive in less than an hour's time. It has fometimes happened, when the beginning of January is very warm, that they come out of their winter habitations. They commonly appear about the end of March old ftyle.

This is the fwifteft of all the fnakes which are to be found here, for it moves fo quick, that a dog can hardly catch it. It is therefore almoft impoffible for a man to efcape it if purfued: but happily its bite is neither poifonous nor any way dangerous; many people have been bit by it in the woods, and have fcarce felt any more inconvenience than if they had been wounded by a knife; the wounded place only remains painful for fome time. The Black Snakes feldom do any harm, except in fpring, when they copulate;

but

but if any body comes in their way at that time, they are so much vexed, as to purfae him as fast as they can. If they meet with a perfon who is afraid of them, he is in great diftrefs. I am acquainted with feveral people, who have on fuch an occafion run fo hard as to be quite out of breath, in endeavouring to escape the fnake, which moved with the fwiftnefs of an arrow after them. If a perfon thus purfued can mufter up courage enough to oppofe the fnake with a ftick or any thing elfe, when it is either paffed by him, or when he steps afide to avoid it, it will turn back again, and feek a refuge in its fwiftnefs. It is, however, fome times bold enough to run directly upon a man, and not to depart before it has received a good stroke. I have been affured by feveral, that when it overtakes a perfon, who has tried to escape it, and who has not courage enough to oppofe it, it winds round his feet, fo as to make him fall down; it then bites him feveral times in the leg, or whatever part it can get hold of, and goes off again. I fhall mention two circumstances, which confirm what I have faid. During my stay in NewYork, Dr. Colden told me, that in the fpring, 1748, he had several workmen at his country feat, and among them one lately arrived from Europe, who of courfe knew very little of the qualities of the Black Snakes. The other workmen seeing a great Black Snake copulating with its female, engaged the new comer to go and kill it, which he intended to do with a little fick. But on approaching the place where the fnakes lay, they perceived him, and the male in great wrath leaves his pleasure to pursue the fellow with amazing fwiftnefs; he little expected fuch courage in the fnake, and flinging away his stick, began to run as faft as he was able. The fnake purfued him, overtook him, and twifting feveral times round his feet, threw him down, and frightened him almoft out of his fenfes; he could not get rid of the fnake, till

he took a knife and cut it through in two or three places. The other workmen were rejoiced at this fight, and laughed at it, without offering to help their companion. Many people at Albany told me of an accident which happened to a young lady, who went out of town in fummer, together with many other girls, attended by her negro. She fat down in the wood, in a place where the others were running about, and before fhe was aware, a Black Snake being disturbed in its amours, ran under her petticoats, and twisted round her waist, so that she fell backwards in a fwoon occafioned by her fright, or by the compreffion which the fnake caufed. The negro came up to her, and fufpecting that a Black Snake might have hurt her, on making ufe of a remedy to bring his lady to herself again, he lifted up her cloaths, and really found the fnake wound about her body as close as poffible; the negro was not able to tear it away, and therefore cut it, and the girl came to herself again; but she conceived fo great an averfion to the negro, that he could not bear the fight of him afterwards, and died of a consumption. At other times of the year this fnake is more apt to run away, than to attack people. However I have heard it afferted frequently, that even in fummer, when its time of copulation is paft, it purfues people, efpecially children, if it finds that they are afraid and run from it. Several people likewife affured me from their own experience, that it may be provoked to purfue people, if they throw at it, and then run away. I cannot well doubt of this, as I have heard it faid by numbers of creditable people; but I could never fucceed in provoking them. ran always away on perceiving it, or flung fomething at it, and then took to my heels, but I could never bring the fnakes to purfue me: I know not for what reason they fhunned me, unlefs they took me for an artful feducer.

I

This fnake is very greedy of milk,

and