SIR, I HAVE read the fecond volume of To the PUBLISHER of the PERTH We love the gratulation, and condolance MAGAZINE. of our fellow creatures. We love to participate the bliffings of life, in common. At a time, therefore, when nature is ftript of every thing neceflary for fupporting life, it becomes us to exprefs our gratitude to the Being, ciate and regale ourfelves with whatewhofe munificence enables us to affovotaries of pleasure, I mean not, to inver is eligible in life. Frown not ye terrupt your joys. The mufic will receive a fweeter tone, and the wine a more delicious flavour, by having your hearts, as well as your bodies, fitted for the hour of feftivity. your Magazine with great pleafure. Your plan is rational, and muft obtain the approbation of every judicious reader. The length, to which the difquifition of Jephthah's vow was carried, feems to me the most exceptionable thing I have feen in your Magazine. You in general make choice of effays level to the capacity of every reader, and calculated to improve the mind. By studying to be thus univerfally ufeful, I hope you will univerfally pleafe. Altercation ought to have no place in your mifcellany. It is our business only to fet our opinions in as clear a point of light as poffible, and leave the reft to the judgement of your readers. Thofe extracts of natural hiftory, and characters of diftant nations which you now and then felect muft, I should think, meet with an attentive perufal. We are not only interested in what concerns our own kind, but in the general oeconomy of every living creature. Meantime, if the inclosed meFits admillion, you will oblige the Author by making it fubfervient to the end for which it is vifibly intended. Four's, Mufæus. Haud ignarus mali, miferis fuccurrere difco. VIR. Wciety: nothing but a depravity E are evidently formed for fo ciety: nothing but a depravity of heart can give a charm to folitude. The embellishment of human life, and the happiness of fociety depends on the joint energy and coalefcence of its members. But exclufive of any view of utility, we find a pleasure in each others company where there is any fympathy of manners, which we are not able to define. So foon as the hurry of life and our fecular avocations will permit, we fly to the fociety of each other, as our chief enjoyment. 1 allotted us in life, we at once make a By receiving gratefully whatever ist recompenfe to heaven, and enhance the higheft felicity the gift is able to confer. But by what means is this grait moft naturally indicate itself? Does titude to be expreffed? In what will it confift in fafting, or in long prayers? virtue, will be at no lofs for a reply. -The mind fufceptible of this divine Gratitude is a mixture of admiration and love. Whom we admire and love, we wish to imitate and refemble. The tribute of the Divine Being, is his goodmoft imitable and moft endearing at nefs. To this principle in the mind of Deity, we afcribe the creation, and prefervation of all that exifts. In testifying therefore, our gratitude to Him, we must co-operate with Him, in acts from whom every good thing comes; of beneficence and generolity, the na tural offspring of goodness. We are all children of the fame common parent, we ought therefore to live together as fuch, viz. in employing our joint efforts to foften the dif treffes, and advance the happiness of each other. We fhare not equally in the diftribution of good and evil things in life: but the profperous and opulent have no reafon to look themfelves upon as the fole objects of His regard, nor the indigent to think themselves for gotten of Him. The period is approaching when the former fhall be made *fenfible fenfible that they were only ftewards of what they thought their own; and the latter fhall acknowledge the calamities they had to ftruggle with, the means of faving them from irretrievable deftruction. Virtue is the darling of the Deity: but in a state of spotlefs rectitude, her refidence is inconceivable. For this reafon, therefore, that man might have her always in his eye, and thereby advance the perfection of his nature, and enfure his acceffion to a more exalted fphere of exiftence in another world, propenfities were given him to fubdue, difficulties to furmount, and temptations to relift. With thefe the was fent from heaven, and adverfity became her nurfe. The eftablish ment of virtue is the ultimate end of that unequal diftribution of happiness and mifery, which prevails in this life; and of what we are apt to call imperfection, both in the natural and moral world. Let us not therefore, dare to arraign the unerring and impartial agency of heaven. We have the greateft reafon to believe, the defigns of providence aim at fomething infinitely fuperior to what we are able to conceive. Our duty, our dignity, the very excellency of our nature, muft confift in co-operating with these defigns. Every unprejudiced heart will readily fuggeft the means of doing this. The moft fignal fervice we are able to do our Creator is, to be ferviceable to each other. Our duty to man is the principal, and moft fhining part of our duty to God. They are buried in delufion who think otherwife. To live agreeably to nature, and to answer the ends of our existence, is to enjoy as much happiness in ourselves, and to be as inftrumental in promoting it in others, as our nature and abilities permit. This, the children of affection ought to do, by rifing fuperior to defpondency; and the profperous, by exerting every nerve to alleviate the diftreffes of their fellow-creatures, and retrench as much as in them lies, the aggregate of mifery that exifts in na ture. There is in the oppofite qualities of heat and cold, a perpetual tendency to deftroy the difference of their intenfities. The like was certainly meant by the author of nature, to take place in the moral world. It would become you therefore, ye that bask in the funfhine of affluence and eafe, to reflect fomewhat of the brightness that fur Founds you, on the chearless abodes of the indigent and affected. This is the feafon when the hand of adverfity lies heaviest on the vaffals of her way; when the cry of affliction ought to found loudest in the ears of humanity. What epithet, what appellation then fhail I find applicable to the man, who remains imbibing with avidity, from all quarters, the warmth and lufture of profperity, without communicating a fingle ray to chear the joylefs regions of penury and wretchedness, fpread every where around Him? But there is fomething too conftringent in his heart, to admit of being molified. While the ample privileges he receives at the hand of an indulgent Creator, ferve rather to feal his condemnation, than excite his gratitude; there is every reafon to believe, the united efforts both of men and angels, would prove inef fectual to reclaim him. But I hope for the honour of human-nature, the fewelt number are in this predicament. I would enumerate a thousand shining patterns, of the moft exalted generofity and heart-felt philanthrophy, who look upon themselves as the delegates of heaven, to difpenfe happiness on earth; and who account it their higheft ho nour and excellency, to perfevere with fidelity, in the difcharge of the truft committed to their care; but whatever fenfe they may have of the merited ap plause of men, their behaviour fuffici. ently demonftrates, that the only recompenfe they think worthy of their notice, is lodged in the approbation of their own minds. At this feafon, in particular, I would inculcate the practice of beneficence on that part of our kind to whom nature gives pery. With regard to the unavoidable errors of behaviour incident to frail mortality, you cannot take a more efectual method to obliterate their me mory, both in the fight of God and man, than by the practice of a virtuc which you have authority to believe covereth a mutitude of fins. You are not wanting, even in this dark and dif fipated age (dark with regard to the heart, however enlightened the head) bright patters of imitation: Some of which I could here delineate to your view, eminent for every thing that can be called virtue: but while the influence of their example is ineffectual to excite your emulation, there is little to be hoped for, from the weak, tho' well-meant endeavours of Caithness, Feb, 15. MUSEUS. To the PUBLISHER of the PERTH SIR, gives the feeling heart; and whofe eye is ofteft wet with the tear of fenfibili. ty. While every object arround you wears the afpect of joy,and every sense (if I may fo fay) is made to participate a feaft; forbid it gratitude, you should need to be informed how many of your fellow-creatures, may be fhivering beneath the rigour of an inclement fky, or fhrinking from the light of day, a fhamed that any eye thould fee the wretchednefs of their condition. The vagrant importuning mendicant, will find an aliment at every door; but fuch as have nothing left of the opulence they once poffeffed, but the fpirit that attended it, have the first claim to your bounty and commiferation. Nor will your goodnels more confift in the largnefs of the gift, than in the manner of bestowing it. But while you preferve undefiled, the original. complexion of your hearts, I'm perfuaded you need neither direction nor incentive to the practice of beneficence. Amidft the intoxicating vanities of life, and the uninterrupted series of adulation, which never fails to attend you while the bofom of beauty, and the tinfel ornaments of fortune remain unimpaired, and to which the imbecillity of your natures renders you obnoxious, it is no wonder you should sometimes halt in climbing the afcent of virtue. Those on whofe arm you ought to rely, and to whofe care nature meant that you fhould committ yourfelves without fear, I am forry to fay, give you too much reafon to diftruft their guidance. There is in you an amazing aptitude and byafs, either to vice or virtue, perhaps, a ftrange mixture of propenfities leading both ways. In you the machine moves with more fervour than in us. You more naturally incline to an extreme. We are apt to pronounce you, either eminently virtuous, or worthlefs. In you vice glares with tenfold deformi-Trade wind is a current of the ty, and the virtues fhine with propor air, which blows from one point tional loveliness and beauty. You of the compafs, conftantly in a certain ought to beware of fwerving from the part of the ocean, and for a certain line of mediocrity, beyond which, even fpace of time, regularly every year. on the fide of virtue, our walk is flip AFTER I had carefully confidered, what Doctor Halley had given as the cause of the Trade-winds, his account of them did not appear to me confiftent with the established laws of Fluids; and that the heat of the fun, could have never produced thefe effects. This gives me occafion to offer to the public, thefe following conjec, tures. If they happen to difcover what is true, they open a curious new scene in Natural Philofophy, and may be allo improved to the benefit of failors, in any part of our globe. The Author. An Account of the Trade-winds, extracted from Clerici Phyfica. A They They are found in the Atlantic Ocean, which lyes betwixt Europe and Africa on the Eaft, and America on the Weft in the Pacific Ocean, or South Sea, which lyes betwixt America on the Eaft, and Afia on the Weft. And in the Indian Ocean, which lyes on the South of Afia and Africa, extending to unknown continents on its South coaft, unless it be fome exceptions nigh to land which fhall be afterwards mentioned. There is a Trade-wind which blows on the Equator all the year, from Eaft to Weft, and for 30 degrees on the North, and as much on the South of this line in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This wind is found to blow gradually, from betwixt East and North-eaft, as a fhip is North from the Equator, and the wind is ftill nearer to the North-eaft, the more distant fhe is from it. In the fame manner the wind is found to be from Eaft to Southeaft, on the South fide of the Equa tor. In the ocean which lves off Cape Verd, on the coaft of Africa, there is a violent wind which blows from the North, runs to North-weft, and then turns to be from Weft, towards the coaft of Guinea, which lyes 40 degrees Eaft from this Cape. The winds on the South of the Equator, on this coaft, differ from thefe, for they blow conftantly from the South, and from the South-weft. There is a small spot of this ocean, about 80 miles Weft of Cape Verd, where failors, when they happen to get into it, meet with frequent calms, turnados, moft variable winds, rains, terrible thunder, and water fpouts. It has been carefully fhunned fince it has been known. When the main Trade-wind, which blows on the Equator, and on its northern parallels for 30 degrees, comes nigh to the coast of America, it turns North through the Gulf of Florida, which makes fhips bear North when they are coming to Europe, till they arrive at the variable winds at 30 degrees North latitude, and there they generally find them blowing from Southweft and Weft. But on the other hand, this Trade-wind on the South of the Equator, blows from North and from North-eaft alongst the coaft of Brafil, until it paffes through the straits of Magellan, la Mair, and by the South of America: it then returns and blows from the Weft, to the West coast of Brafil. The Trade-winds in the Indian Ocean vary in the different parts thereof; for between Madagascar and NewHolland, a South-eaft or a South Southeast wind blows all the year round, as it does on the South of the Equator in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In that part of this sea, which is on the North of Madagascar, a wind is found blowing from South-eaft, from June to November, but through all the other months, they have North-weft or Southweft and by Weft winds there. They are called by the Indians and failors, Monfoons, and Le Clerk writes, that they extend all the way to the Molucca islands. In the Perfian and Arabian seas, about 3 degrees of North latitude, they have a North and Eaft wind from October to April, and that all the breadth from the coaft of Africa to Sumatra, but for the other fix months it blows from Weft or South. The winds on the Eaft coaft of Afia are more uncertain; unless it be the main Trade wind for 30 degrees on the North of the Equator, and 30 on the South thereof, which blows over the Pacific Ocean, already mentioned. They are not at any distance from the land much known: we are ignorant of many of the continents towards the South pole, and how the land lies on the North of China, and what winds blow in the North of this Pacific O cean; on all thefe accounts, a particálar defcription of them cannot be expected. Some Some Conjectures concerning the Caufes of the Trade and Variable Winds. The air, as well as all other parts of matter, known to us, gravitates. This appears from its keeping faft hold of our globe, notwithstanding the diurnal and annual motions thereof, from its making dilated water rife up in itself, from the afcending of Mercury in the barometer, from every pump, &c. The attraction of the fun and moon will, because of this gravity thereof, produce tides in our atmofphere, to which the account of tides in the fea, Suppoling the earth covered over with water, may be applied. This is what Doctor Samuel Clerk has obferved in his notes on Robault. If our globe was perfectly level, these tides in the air would make the whole body of air move from Eaft to Weft on all the parallels of the Equator. The airs moving in this manner, following the apparent courfe of the fun and moon, would be the natural effect of what is elevated in the tides, its conftantly following them. But fince there are continents rifing above the furface of the fea, and lying from North to South, there will be as much of this body of air, ftopt in its motion by the continents, as the Jand is in heighth above the fea; and this interrupted air must begin diffufing itfelf to the North and to the South. To illuftrate this matter, let us fuppofe, on the coast of America, this figure A B C D reprefents a perpendicular fection of the whole body of air, B E D coming to this place: CD the furface of the fea: A B the highest part of the air; the crooked line FE the higheft part of the continent running from North to South, and the ftraight line, this heighth, taken at a medium, and thus FC comes to be the heighth of the highest surface of the land above the furface of the fea. Let us now fuppofe this whole fection of air did constantly blow over the land; theo the furface C D and F E must be conftantly equally preffed upon, having the fame quantity of air ftill going o ver them, although the furface FE is higher than the furface CD, by the heighth FC, which is contrary to the laws of Fluids. Again, on the preceeding fuppofition, the furface A B must be conftantly that distance, FC higher above the higheft land, than it is above the furface of the fea, which is equally abfurd. Corol. A quantity of air anfwering to AFE B, the upper part of the secti on, will continue to pafs over the higheft land; and a quantity of the air an fwering to the lower part of the fecti on F C D E, will be interrupted by the land, and muft diffuse itself to the North and to the South, being ftopt from returning by the conftant current of air coming from the Eaft, and by the land on the Weft. The Andes with the mountains on their North and South in America, and the mountains Imaus and Taurus in Afia, which extend as far North as is known, may lead us to fuppofe, the line FC, their perpendicular heighth above the fea to be three English miles, and therefore, three miles of the body of air, immediately above the surface of the fea will be ftopt. According to the learned Mr. M'Laurin (page 293) thefe three miles, which will be ftopt, will require one half of the whole -body of air. The interrupted air will be divided at the Equator, and one half of it be gin there to move Northward, while the other moves South, unless the bear ing of the land force a variation, and perhaps Capé Saint Roque is the place where it begins to divide itself on the Eaft of America, This interruption of air will produce a defect of as much thereof, on the Weft of Africa and America, as there is ftopt on the Eaft of Afia and Ame rica. |