MONTHLY MAGAZINE. No. 196.] MARCH 1, 1810. [2 of VOL. 29. **As long as thofe who write are ambitious of making Converts, and of giving their Opinions a Maximum of "Inguence and Celebrity, the most extenfively circulated Mifcellany will repay with the greatest Effect the "Curiosity of those who read either for Amusement or Intruction."JOHNSON. ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. For the Monthly Magazine. ACCOUNT of the HERRING FISHERY at WICK; by SIR JOHN SINCLAIR, BART. NOR some years past, a herring-fishery has been carried on along the eastern coast of Caithness, more especially in the neighbourhood of Wick, Staxigo, Clyth, Lybster, Dunbeath, &c. which is likely to become a very great national object. It is of considerable importance indeed, even in its present state, as will appear from the following general view of it; but that is nothing to the extent to which it will probably be brought, when the harbour of Wick is completed, (which will be effected in the course of next year); when the other creeks along that coast are better fitted for the accommodation of boats and vessels; and when the fishery is extended to Thurso, and the northern coast of Caithness, which there is every reason to hope will be the case in the course of the ensuing summer. Present and general State of the Wick Fishery. 1. Number of vessels, averaging 50 tons each, employed in bringing to Wick, &c. the raw materials of the fishery, as salt, casks, staves, &c. 150. 2. Number of hands employed on board these vessels, 750.. 3. Number of boats and other vessels employed in the fishery itself, 559. 4. Number of hands employed on board these boats and vessels, 2750. 5. Number of hands employed in various other branches of the fishery, as "coopers, net-makers, gutters, packers, &c. 2,200. 6. Total number of hands employed in the fishery, and the various branches therewith connected, 5,700. 7. Number of barrels of smoked and salted herrings, on the average of this and the preceding year, about 50,000. 8. Total number of herrings caught and cured, at the rate of 700 herrings per barrel, (besides great quantities consumed in a fresh state,) thirty-five millions. 9. Number of vessels employed in transporting the herrings from Wick, &c. to other ports, 150, MONTHLY MAG. No. 196. 10. Number of hands employed therein, 750. 11. Number of acres which the nets, when spread out for drying, would cover, 368. 12. Number of miles the total length of the nets, one following the other, 114. 13. Value of the herrings exported from Wick, &c. at 32s. per barrel, 82,0001. 14. Price of each herring at that rate, 2 farthings, and about one-fifth of a farthing. 15. Value of each barrel of herrings, on the calculation that a barrel of herrings is equal to one of beef, 5l. 12s. 16. Annual value of the fishery on that calculation, 28,000!. There can be no doubt that a barrel of herrings, properly cured, is equal to one of beef; and many have calculated the proportion at a still higher rate. It is of the utmost importance, therefore, to increase that branch of the fishery, more especially for the advantage of the poor, as salted herrings not only give a relish to the potatoes and other vegetables they consume, but are also of the greatest benefit to the poor, from the nourishment they afford. The importance of the fishery as a nursery for seameu, need not be dwelt upon. It may be proper to add, that this fishery is not carried on solely for the lo *The best mode of using salted herrings with potatoes, is as follows:-Let the pota toes be parboiled, and then the skins taken off; let the herrings and potatoes be then thoroughly boiled together, and put on a dish for consumption. Some take out the bones, and mash the herrings and the potatoes together, which makes a most excellent meal. If this mode were more generally practised, the internal consumption of herrings throughout the country would indeed be great. There is hardly a family in the kingdom that would not find it for their advantage to purchase from one to two barrels of salted herrings, and upwards, to be consumed in this manner. When to this is added foreign and colonial exportation, it is difficult to point out the li mits to which the herring-fishery might be carried, under adequate encouragement. cal cal advantage of any particular district; but that numbers of vessels, from various other parts of the kingdom, assemble there, during the fishing-season, and enjoy by far the greater share of the profit derived therefrom. Nothing indeed can he more pleasing than to see the stir and bus-le which the fishery (even on the contracted scale on which it is now es. tablished) occasions, in the neighbour hood of Wick, in consequence of the number of strangers who flock to it from the southern counties, when the herrings make their appearance. But when, instead of 50,000, the fishery is increased to the extent of 500,000 barrels and upwards, (which there is every reason to hope, under the protection of the new fishery-board, will soon be the case,) it will then become an object of the most essential national importance, and well deserving of every possible attention and encouragement that can be bestowed upon it. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, THE HIE Smithfield Club, instituted in ascertaining, by an annual exhibition, the year 1798, for the purpose of will improve the most in weight of what breeds of oxen, sheep, and pigs, and with a given consumption of food, meat for the market, in a given time distributed their annual prizes in December last, on the award of Mr. John Tomalin, of Knightsthorp, Leicestershire; Mr. Francis Whitfield, of Mr. Edward Augur, of Eastbourne, SusEast Stone, near Ashford, Kent; and. amining the many fine animals exhibitthe three judges appointed for exbreeds, ages, food, &c. ed, and the several certificates of their Below is a return of the particulars:* sex: xxvii. p. 7. It having been represented to the Club, at their late meetings, that the reason why no oxen were shown in some of their classes, arose from the working of oxen being little or not at ali prac tised in the districts most fained for some of the breeds alluded to, the Club resolved to exempt in future the long-horned and short-horned breeds of oxen from the condition of two years' work before they are put up to fatien, which is still an indispensable condition with large Hereford, Sussex, Kent, or Devonshire oxen. It having also been stated, that a premium offered for twoyear-old fat wethers of the pure Merino breed, would encourage attention to im provement in the carcases of these valuable animals by selection, without in jury to the fineness of their fleece, such a premium was adopted in their new bill of conditions and forms of certificates for the next Show; which may be had, as usual, of Mr. Mitchell, Draper, No. 7, Cloth Fair, near Smithfield Mar. ket. After the next year, it is the intention of the Club to have the large worked oxen shown in pairs or yokes, at their annual show during the great or Christmas market for fat animals in Smithfield, (which is usually the Monday se'nnight before Christmas Day) instead of singly, as heretofore. The number of members is now 251. Your's, &c. triumph are heard; all advancing from a rolling lake of burning brimstone. Act 2d. The scene represents a glorious sun, in its full meridian.-Enter the angel Gabriel and Noah, as in discourse. Act 3d. Scene a pleasant garden, adorned with various walks and close bowers, and enamelled with purling rivulets; a shower of rain is seen to fall, the sky on a sudden clears up, and a glorious sun appears.-Enter Sem and Philothea, Japhet's wife.-As they are going. out, Japhet enters. Afterwards the scene ppens, and represents several altars, with sacrifices on them, the sacrificers devoutly kneeling before them. A cloud of fire descends on the altars, and consumes the sacrifices, then ascends: a sg is sung all the while the cloud rises, expressing the acceptation of their sacrifices; and then the scene changes to the garden.➡Enter Noah.-Enter Lucifer in robes of light. A shower of fire falls down; a clap of thunder is heard; Noah returns affrighted; Gabriel flies down; and Lucifer sinks at the same time. Act 4th. Scene the Deluge-only one hill and the ark seen above the waves. The scene changes all overwhelmed with the waves. The scene changes again, and represents hell: Lucifer, Satan, Beelzebub, Asmoday, and Belial, sitting in Pandæmonium. The scene Westminster, J. FAREY, Secretary, changes all destroyed but the ark, February 19, 1810. which is swimming on the surface of the waters. All the devils appear againit several flaming chariots full of angels they assault the ark; almost overturn fly down, and thunder and lightning drive the devils into the deep. The scene changes, and represents Noah in the ark; to whom Sin and Death appear, and address themselves. Thus far I give the description to assist J.B (see a late number of your Magazine.) Glasgow, Post office court, Your's, &c. December 7, 1809. DAVID KAY. P. S.-Can any of your correspondents point out to me the book in which I may find the the most recent and fullest account of the potteries in Staffordshire? To obtain the information desired, I lately bought Pitt's Agricultural Survey of that county. A part of it professes to describe the manufactures there; but there is a shameful silence about the potteries. P. 235, speaking of the potteries, he says, "They have not been so flourishing since the war.-Mr. Wedgewood." But no more does he say. That patriot surely did not expect Mr. Pitt to be silent about a manufacture in which so much ingenuity has 'been displayed. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, SIR, To assent. O the introductory remarks of your generally-judicious correspondent E, (No. 194, p. 8.) I give my unqualified But I completely dissent from his opinion respecting an equivocal' use of the relative, founded on the supposed propriety of employing one and the same word in two different cases. hesitation to say, that "the things which I have no I liked, and were agreeable, &c." is an improper phraseology; and it was not without surprise, that, in a communica tion, the intended object of which seemed to be the just condemnation of pedantic exertions to mould the English grammar on the structure of the learned languages," I perceived an attempt made to give colour to such a construction, by a supposed parallel pas sage extracted from one of the learned languages. The simple and genuine principles of English grammar have already been too much distorted, by being forced into unnatural assimilations with other tongues. No applicable deduction can, with propriety, be formed from any classical rule or anomaly. By a reference to irregular, or figurative syntax, it will be seen, that the ancients were not backward to take liberties with their own regular or analogical syntax. It would, perhaps, be deemed a grammatical heresy, were I to assert, that they had as great an aptitude to trip in their syntax, as the moderns have. Indeed, upon abstract principles, the impropriety of using one and the same word, as two different cases, to represent the contrary relations of agent and patient, is sufficiently manifest. The enor mity of the error would not, in my apprehension, be greater, even if there were a variation in the inflexion of the two cases thus confounded. The confounding two distinct relations in one and the saine word, is just as improper as the $ confounding two In English, the relative is often, not improperly, understood, when it is the objective case; as "the person [whom] you mentioned, did not come." But, in strict propriety, it is never left to he when, in the same sentence, and under supplied in the nominative case; unless the same general construction, it has been previously expressed in that case thus a although we ought not to write, "the things which I liked, and were, &c." but "which were"; yet, we may write either, "the things which were liked by me, and or," and which were equally agreeable." equally agreeable to my friends, &c. is by general and reputable usage, no From such a practice, sanctioned as it tionally.-The preceding rules result from obvious principles. The objective case is often understood, in English, even when it has not been previously expressed; and as the accusative of the relative is known to involve its antecedent, it may on this account, and from the nature of the general construction, often be omitted, without any detriment nominative of the relative, although it to perspicuity. On the contrary, the also implies the antecedent, cannot be omitted, unless it has been previously expressed. correct writer will ever deviate inten insertion. Thus, "the man you menti that variation in construction, such as a It is needless to add that I object to Pope's "Abuse on all he loved, or loved him, both 1810.] "In him who is, and him who finds, a friend." both of a nominative and an accusative; With very different portions of intellect A construction of the same description All the preceding instances however, to the use of the figure ellipsis, rather Your's, &c. J. B. PIKE. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. · N SIR, article on musical genius and compoyour Number for April last there is an sition, signed Great Marlow, A. R. E. which appears to be derived, in a very great degree, from my essay, entitled "Melody the Soul of Music," without re-. If this is ferring to it in any manner. intentional, it is certainly very unfair: if accidental, it is a literary curiosity, sa striking are the coincidences. Sometimes A. R. E.'s dissertation seems grounded on the ideas of my essay, sometimes is inere variation, then an amplification, and sometimes very nearly copied. On comparison, the truth of this will appear, in the passages which treat of the naturaf sounds, the derivation of music from them, ancient powers of music, simplicity, moTo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.dern refinement, complication, &c. Crouch End, February 10, 1810. 1 SIR, A WELL-meaning letter of some unknown friend, respecting me, in your Magazine for last month, occasions me to , trouble your readers with this. Possibly A. R. E. inay have intended to refer to the original source of his dissertation, and afterwards forgot it. It is the more likely, as he makes a direct allusion to the title of my essay by the phrase " Body of Music," which, however, he qualifies with the parenthesis if I may use the expression,” as if intending no allusion. There was a report lately of my decease; and I was noticed as having departed from this world, in many of the daily" prints. My health had then suffered extremely, insomuch that at one time, when traveling from Chard to Sherborne, I expected to expire in the chaise. Nevertheless, here I am still: the malice of my enemies has not been able to send me to hell, nor has it been the good pleasure of my heavenly Father, as yet, to call me to heaven. But I wait for his summons in the shade of retirement. Judging that neither the history, nor the opinions, of an obscure individual, can be at all interesting to the public, I shall neither supply deficiencies, nor rectify mistakes, in either; excepting it be with respect to one passage, where it is said that "my views opened but by little and little, and therefore, I then thought Dr. Priestley went too wide." On this I judge it right to observe, that on some few points I think so still. I was well-acquainted with Dr. Priestley, and held him in very high esteem; but iny theological Creed never entirely agreed with his. It is usual for orators to sum up their For the sake of literary justice and cu- Glasgow, To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, HE enquiry of your correspondent T signing G. B., in the Number for May, after a composition for removing grease-spots from paper, I considered too interesting, so long to escape the notice of readers possessing more leisure than myself. The following simple method I have often proved to be much more effectual than the use of turpentine; and ouce in particular, upon a folio of a ledger which had 1 |