July 3: volatile alkali possesses, that it has been recommended together with mufk, in nervous fevers and gangrenes *.

If these observations can be of any use to the world, it will be highly gratifying to one who is your very humble servant,

Midcalder. April 5. 1793.

}

NONMEDICUS.

READING MEMORANDUMS.

SUCH is the lot of humanity, to have our brightest prospects frequently lost in the moment of their highest enjoyment; and the fabric we had vainly erected, sink into oblivion.

Let man use his reason alone, and never believe any thing that is contrary to the dictates of that reason, and become thereby superior to prejudices.

Chearfulness and mirth were undoubtedly meant to harmonise the rugged nature, and soften the cares of man.

But pleasure must be innocent, or it loses its friendly effect. Often we find, that what passes current under the delusive name of pleasure, is only misery in masquerade.

*See Dr Darbey's medical thesis.

LITERARY NEWS FROM RUSSIA.

THE Editor has this moment been favoured with a valuable packet from his ever obliging correspondent, Arcticus, which will furnish many interesting papers in succeeding numbers of this work, accompanied with some seeds and specimens of curious vegetable productions. Among these are seeds of the asciepiás Syriaca, mentioned in the (Bee vol. xiii. p. 260 ;) of the polygonum Tataricum or perennial buck wheat, a plant that promises to be in some cases a succedaneum for red clover, as à food for cattle, in places where clover will no longer grow; as also of the sesamum orientale, accounts of which will be given more at large, when time permits; and notices of the Persian cotton, a valuable plant for our west India islands.

Among other curious articles sent, is a map of Japan made out by the Japanese merchant Codé, formerly mentioned, from particular charts he had preserved from his shipwreck, never yet published; a figure of the rhus typhinum, or vinegar plant; a portrait of the celebrated Professor Laxman the Siberian naturalist; four figures of fheep, one of the argali, or wild fheep of Siberia; the others of other varietes of sheep unknown in this country with horns of the wild goat and Siberian ibex,all from the drawings of Pallas with descriptions; and a pair of old stockings whose history will form an interesting article in a subsequent number. Among a variety of other communications respecting economical arts and the internal state of the Ruf sian empire, are notices of the latest discoveries by captain Billings, in the northern straits between America and Europe, and among the Tchutschckoi; specimens of objects

very

July 3. in natural history, drefses of the natives, c. which were forwarded to the Empress at St Petersburgh. Accounts of many of the arts and manufactures carried on in Ruf. sia by the peasants, some of them curious. Among these is not only a full account of the mode of preparing all the kinds of Russian leather; dressing skins, with or without the fur for cloathing, but also the preparing a very delicate kind of thread for stockings, gloves, &c. from the hair of a particular kind of goat, which for softness approaches to that of Shetland wool, &c. &c. all of which shall be presented to our readers with the first conveniency.

Nootka sound.

The Editor has also been favoured with a communication from Nootka sound on the north west coast of America, by a subscriber for Bee, which announces nothing of the differences said to subsist between the Spaniards and the English in that settlement; the author of that communication having written in haste, just before he set out on an expedition to the internal parts of the country, mentions only generals, deferring particulars of the country, &c. till his next, when he shall have had an opportunity of observing them with attention, and of describing them with accuracy.

Extract of a letter from Dr Pallas.

The following extract of a letter from Dr Pallas to Arcticus from Astrachan, will disappoint some of the readers of the Bee. It fhows how attentive that gentleman is to economical concerns.

"I am sorry to inform you that as no one here has collected the seeds of the morus Tatarica, or wild Tartarian mulberry, I am unable to keep my word with you till

333 midsummer, relative to those I promised to send for Dr Anderson; however, I shall take care to dry a good stock in June, when the berry is fully ripe, and send them to you by post.

26 Pray return my hearty thanks to the good Dr for the communications contained in his last letter, which I shall 'soon answer, and tell him that I am the more pleased at the discovery of the great Indian buffaloe, as it is from this animal the gigantic skulls are derived, which have been found in different parts of Siberia, and of which I gave descriptions and figures in the Nove Coment. Acad. Petropol, for 1768."

The following is a specimen of these valuable communications; it is accompanied with a specimen of the crude materials and the prepared; the last is beautiful almost beyond what could be conceived, the glofs liker fine silk than any thing else to which it can be compared.

A most curious Silesian manufactory.

Saturday April, 30th O. S. 1793. A most curious vegetable matter resembling to appearance the finest white cotton, with the softness and lustre of silk, was exhibited to day at the meeting of the Economical Society of Petersburgh. There were several hanks of thread, made of the same curious matter, dyed of different colours, and a variety of stuffs, resembling some I have seen of cotton from Manchester, all arranged with art and symetry in an elegant carton to be presented to her I. M. by our president count Anhalt, according to the desire of the ingenious Silesian manufacturer, so soon as they had been admired and approved of by the Society.

-I would scarcely have ventured after the above description of this curious and beautiful matter, to have an

July 3. nounced that all was made from out hot hemp, or codilly, which I believe are the technic terms for the refuse of hemp, had I not had the addrefs and boldness to cut off a little of both the rough and purified materials, und er pretence of taking off angles, on purpose to send to you, and the society for the encouragement of arts, commerce and manufactures of London; in hopes that it is as new and curious to both, as it is to myself, who am in amazement at the ingenuity of the Silesian.

Now, Mr Editor, as I have heard that such wonderful industry and address is used in the cotton trade, as to incroach on your staple linen manufactory in its most valuable branch, of Sheets, fhirts, and table linen, if you can find means of imitating the beautiful Silesian stuffs with your out hot hemp and flax, which I should think would answer as well, you will bid fair to foil the cotton weaver at his own weapons (an honourable competition and war of industry,) and imitate some of the most precious stuffs in his line, as he is doing in yours.

I am only sorry that I cannot help you on with the secret; but that, the cunning Silesian has kept it to himself, although I am told he has offered to send over some of his eleves on certain terms, to erect a similar manufactory in Russia, where we certainly have enough of the cheap materials which constitute the unexpected basis of the work.

I cannot help hazarding a conjecture that coarse hemp could not be bleached into the snowy whiteness of the stuff sent, without the aid of some perfectly dephlogisticated mineral acid; possibly the marine by means of manganese, but I must leave to some of your practical correspondent to guess at the manner it is worked into the softness and lustre of silk, which the sample had (altho probably it may he ruffled by carrying,) when arranged in the carton and