HOPE IN DISTRESS. GREEN are the woods, and the meadows are flowering; Dead was the landscape, and mute every wing. What though grim War, with his angry trump bellowing, What though pale Misery, frantic and hideous, IGNOTUS. A Critical Account of the Third Exhibition of Paintings in Edinburgh. (Continued from p. 54.) MR WATSON ranks next in merit to Mr Raeburn. The productions of this artist generally display great force and happiness of execution. The colouring is brilliant, and the expression just and animated. A skilful management of the chiaroscuro seems his great fort; in the relief of his figures he is particularly excellent. The most conspicuous, though certainly not the best, of his portraits is that of Sir John Pringle, No. 112. A graceful figure, in a rich military dress, afforded a favourable subject to the artist's pencil; and the execution does it ample justice. The attitude is graceful; the colouring vivid; and, from the introduction of a strong reflected light on the dark side of the figure, the relief is almost deceptive. The drawing of the head is particularly good; but the rest of the portrait is rather stiff and incorrect. Perhaps too much labour has been bestowed to give brilliancy to the military ornaments. The back-ground is somewhat faulty; the straight lines of the window, the awkward mass of drapery, and the blackness of the shade, are offensive. The portraits of General Dickson, No. 82. and Captain Pringle, No. 63. exhibit the same strong effects, and nearly the same errors, as that of Sir John Pringle. The last is perhaps more objectionable than any of Mr Watson's productions. The drawing of the figure is unnaturally straight; and the mass of stone on which he leans harsh and unmeaning. The portrait of Mr Fraser, No.75. shows shows a sobriety of colouring unusual to this artist's pencil. The likeness is very striking. We were much pleased with No. 128, the portrait of Mr Grant of Leghorn. It is firmly touched, and the expression spirited. The Steward, No. 135. is a work of singular skill. From the employment of a real and a reflected light, the head of the old man seems to rise from the canvas. A third light, beaming through the hand of the girl, and touching on her face, is also well marked. The power of the artist would appear, however, to have been exhausted in throwing a deception of reality over these figures: in point of expression he has totally failed; both faces are void of animation; and the Steward, who is understood to be writing, sits so erect, and with his eyes so much closed, that, were the pen out of his hand, he would certainly be thought asleep. The group, No. 153. Dowager Lady Pringle and her Children, and the group of Children's Heads, No. 187. we apprehend, were the best of Mr Watson's paintings in the Exhibition. The expression in these is admirably marked; the composition is chaste; the colouring brilliant and mellow; and the distribution of light and shade, particularly in the group of Children's Heads, managed with great fidelity and effect. Several portraits by Mr Saxon have considerable merit. There is a good deal of airiness in his designs; he draws and paints well; and exhibits, upon the whole, very forcible likenesses. In the portrait of Mr Terry, No. 152. and that of Mr Walker, No. 160. he is rather ideal, both in the costume and colouring. That of Mrs Scott, No. 70. is excellent. The resemblance is good, and the artist has attended to nature. Madame Catalani, No. 192. falls greatly below the rest of Mr Saxon's productions. Hasty, execution affords no excuse, as the exhibition is a matter of pure choice. The portraits by Mr Moir merit a good deal of commendation, when qualified by the intimation that he is a novice in the art. The chief excellence to which he has attained, is a fidelity in his likenesses; the prin. cipal faults which he would require to conquer are an affectedness in com. position, and a tameness of colouring. The first of these errors is particularly exemplified in the portrait of a Lady, No. 80. The position of the arms, and indeed the air of the whole figure, are stiff and unnatural. Mr Moir is, however, an artist of considerable promise; and a little longer experience, and more attention to nature, may raise him to a respectable rank among portrait painters. The portrait of Mr Gilchrist, No. 151, and the Family Group, No. 190. by Mr Weir, exhibit the hand of a good draughtsman, but are deficient in point of colouring. The artist is too fond of making his lines conspicuous; they give his portraits a hard, disagreeable aspect, Of Miniature Portraits the Exhibition displayed a number of excellent specimens. Nos. 1. 4. 19. and 26. by Mr A. Robertson of London, are masterly productions. These portraits, particularly Captain Skene's and Mr Wilkie's, are very animated in the expression; firmly drawn, and beautifully coloured. Innocence, No. 179. by the same artist, does also great credit to his abilities. It is highly finished, and characteristic in the expression; though we apprehend the effect would have been better, had the figure been not quite so sturdy. No. 6. comprehending seven miniatures by Mr Galloway, presents several well-finished, agreeable, and forcible likenesses. The miniature of Mr Ferrier's Children, No. 15. by Mr Douglas, is happily executed. The composition of the whole is well conceived; the attitudes are easy; the colouring natural; and the low tone of the landscape back-ground extremely judicious. Nos. 21. 27. 29. and 35. likewise reflect credit on this promising artist. Seven miniatures by Mr Bruce, No. 40. are good performances, but perhaps too feebly touched. The drawing of a Head in Scotish red chalk, No. 34. by the celebrated Mr Mr Skirving, is perhaps one of the ablest productions in the class of miniatures. We have seldom seen any thing so firm and complete in the execution. The Hansel, or Penny-Pig, No. 169. and the Market Girl, No. 178. both by Mr W. J. Thomson, are finished and attractive pieces. The expression is characteristic, and the colouring rich and delicate. In some parts we think the drawing defective; in particular we may observe, that the features of the Hansel-pig are too strongly marked for his age. Slyboots, No. 177. by Mr Green, is another ideal representation of great merit. The artful and frolicsome expression of the girl is admirably marked; the drawing correct; and the colouring beautiful. The miniature of a Lady, No. 30. by the same artist, shows also a very powerful and happy pencil. There are few attempts in the more dignified branch of History Painting; and these have but a slender portion of merit. The want of character and expression too often recals to our recollection the necessary device to which the old painters resorted, in order to render their works intelligible. Like our modern caricaturists, who care little about expression, if they can make a ridiculous outline, they expressed the speeches of their different figures on labels affixed to their mouths; and, in truth, we can acknowledge nothing but a refinement of that practice, in being obliged to recur to a catalogue to explain what our eyes do not rightly comprehend. The best historical productions were those of Mr J. Watson. He has shown a good deal of judgment in the choice of his subjects. The Scene in the Ninth Century, representing the scolding of King Alfred for neglecting the cakes of the good woman from whom he had received shelter; Joseph interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh's butler and baker; and the interview between William Tell and the Austrian governor, after cleaving the apple, are all striking and familiar subjects. Of these, we esteem the picture of Joseph to be the best. The composition is extremely chaste, containing nothing superfluous or obtrusive. The attitudes of the figures are natural, and the expression marked with considerable justness and energy. This picture itself leads us to hope much from the future exertions of this artist. His other two pictures are far from being so well executed. The Scene in the Ninth Century is very faulty. At first sight we are altogether at a loss to know what it represents; and, even after the catalogue has let us into the secret, we have nearly as much difficulty in applying the story to the canvas. The face intended for Alfred indicates nothing of the monarch or the hero, indeed no qualities superior to the dress he wears, or the low situation in which he is placed; the old man and the boy are intruded on the subject without enriching it; and, except in the angry features of the woman, there appears little character in the piece. Though the cakes are inferior objects, it would have been proper to represent them with somewhat of the nicety of the Dutch manner, as they form the mainspring of the story. As they are, they afford no perceptible representation of reality. The painting of William Tell is chiefly defective in design. The arrow shot by Tell is represented, with obvious impropriety, lying by the side of the child. It was enough that the apple which it cleft remained to show the skill of the patriot. The governor and his horse appear to be placed too much in a side-view, and stand in so direct a line between the group of figures in the back-ground, and Tell and his child in the front, that, though the former are depicted with stretched-out necks and wondering eyes, they really could see nothing of what is supposed to occasion their surprise. The painting is, however, touched with considerable firmness; and the expression of Tell and his child, particularly of the last, is pretty nearly what their situation might be supposed to excite.-(To be continued.) An An Account of Captain MANBY's Invention for effecting a Communication with Stranded Ships, and saving the Crew. Compiled from the Report * of the Committee appointed by the House of Commons. THIS invention is highly meritorious, and, when generally known, is likely to be productive of very beneficial effects. The expense of the apparatus in the most unfavourable situations may amount to L. 20; in the most favourable to L. 10. The principal articles made use of are, a mortar for projecting a rope from the shore to the ship in distress; a barbed shot, to which is fixed a plaited rope made of hide, which prevents it being burnt or snapped, and is of equal strength with a four-inch rope; a new-invented basket for containing the coiled rope; and a stand with two points, by means of which, when a fire-ball is discharged in a dark night, the mortar may be set in the direction of the vessel. It was proved to a committee of the house of commons, that during the short time this invention has been reduced to practice, it has been the means of saving the lives of 33 persons. It has also been shown that, by means of this invention, the life-boat may be forced through the surf, and made the instrument of preserving many lives, in situations where it has otherwise been found unavailable. A galloper-carriage, containing two men seated on the ropes, was found capable of going, with two horses, at the rate of eight miles an hour with considerable ease, and conveying the necessary stores. These consist of one royal mortar on its bed, two ammunition-boxes filled, 200 fathoms of one and a half inch rope, 200 fathom of deep sea-line, 20 fathoms of one and a half inch rope fitted up with two blocks as a gun-tackle purchase, three iron-shod stakes, a large maul to drive them with, one cot fitted up on a stretcher with gudgeons and forelock pins to convey people on shore, two round 24 pound shot with eyes to get communication, one ditto with short flukes to catch the rigging of a vessel, for the purposes of hauling a boat off when the crew are so benumbed by cold or fatigue, that they are incapable of applying the system intended for their relief; one grapnel, 42 pounds weight, to haul a boat over a surf, to go off to ships in distress at a distance from the shore. When the apparatus is brought to the beach or cliff opposite the stranded vessel, the rope is to be laid with such care on the ground, that no two parts of it overlay or even touch each other; nor must the rope be laid in longer flakes than of three or four yards. These precautions are absolutely necessary to the success of the attempt. If the wind be sidewise to the shore, the mortar must be pointed sufficiently to windward to allow for the distance that so great a length of rope must needs be born to leeward by the effect of a strong wind, and the mortar be placed behind that compartment of rope which is most to leeward. The following has, after various trials, been found to be the best method of laying the rope. se 麗圓圓鳴 *Ordered to be printed 26th March 1810.-Captain Manby is barrackmaster at Great Yarmouth. The line, for some length from where it is fastened to the shot, is protected from the flame of the powder at the discharge by a covering of hide. The loading of the mortar should be the last service performed; and it must be fired instantly, that the powder may not be moistened by the spray of the sea, or fall of snow or rain at the time. When, under these circumstances, it is with difficulty that a match is kept lighted, the mortar is to be fired by a pistol cut transversely at the muzzle, to dilate the inflammation, so as to require but little exactness in the direction of the aim. While communication is gaining, the stakes (by which the larger rope is to be drawn tight by means of the gun-tackle purchase) should be driven into the ground in a triangular position, so as to meet close at the heads. As soon as a communication has been effected, by the crew of the vessel having secured the line attached to the shot, you will make fast to it, and they will haul on board the large rope and a tailed block, through which a smaller rope is rove, both ends of which (the smaller rope) you will remember to keep on shore; when they have secured these on board, and you have rove the larger rope through the rollers of the cot-pole, you are to lash a gun-tackle purchase, and then take the purchase and lash it to the stakes; by means of the purchase the larger rope may be kept at a proper degree of tension; for if care be taken to slacken the purchase as the ship rolls out toward the sea, the danger of the rope being broken will be guarded against; and, on the other hand, if the purchase be gathered in as the ship rolls towards the shore, the slackness of the rope, which would prevent the cot traversing as it ought to do, (and plunge it in the water more than must otherwise be,) will be equally avoided. It will likewise be remembered, that the ends of the smaller rope, which is rove through the tailed block, and serves the purpose of sending the cot to the ship from the shore, are to be made fast at each end of the cot-pole, that the cot may be drawn back also from the shore. The following were the different quantities of powder used, and the distances to which the shot projected from a royal mortar carried the rope against a strong wind, at the angle of 224 degrees : That no means may be neglected to promote the application of an apparatus for communicating with vessels wrecked on a leeshore, these directions are drawn up that they may be delivered to the masters of vessels, together with their ships papers, when they apply for them at the customhouse. It will be prudent, if possible, when it is found that the vessel must drive on shore, to strike the top-masts, that the lower masts (which are so much required in this process of assistance) may be relieved, and in less danger from top-weight, when the ship is rolling and striking violently, of being carried away. When the rope (attached to the shot which is fired over the vessel) lodges, it is to be secured by the crew, who will haul on board by it a larger rope and tailed block, through which a smaller rope is roved; the larger rope is best made fast at the mast-head, between the cap and the top of one of the lower masts; but if they should be carried away to the loftiest part of the wreck, when they have done this, they will be supplied from the shore with a canvas cot, hammock, or netting, (which runs on a larger rope, and is worked on shore by the smaller rope,) in |