In the Obfervations on the obftacles to the improvement of the Highlands,' the author particularly notices the diftauce, at which many of the factors (ftewards) refide, and their confequent ignorance of the improvements which particular diftricts may admit or require;-the numerous commons-and the advantages which would refult from long leafes, and from raifing plantations on the barren hills and moors.

Mr Somerville, in the Ninth Effay, recommends the total era, dication of heath, where the foil and climate will admit the cultivation of any more useful plant; and the burning of it in fuch a manner, as to destroy the tough, hard parts, and to afford room and nourishment for the tender and juicy fhoots, in every fituation where no plants of greater value can be produced. In order to effect the former purpose, the heath ought to be burnt in the autumn when it is in flower, as it may then be completely destroyed. But, when the object is to preserve the root, and to afford warmth and manure to the tender fhoots, the operation ought to take place in the fpring. The tender and juicy fhoots, which might thus be made to fpring annually from the burnt heath, ought to be ufed not only for pafture, as Mr Somerville directs, but alfo for hay. In Sweden this practice is commonly followed, and found to answer.

Mr Angus McDonald, in his paper on manufactures,' offers fome judicious obfervations on the linen and woollen manufac tures of the Highlands ;-points out the advantages, which they enjoy in those refpects;-and fuggefts feveral different modes, in which they might be improved and extended. We perfectly agree with him, that the Highlands might, by proper management and encouragement, become the feat of valuable woollen manufactures; but we imagine, in that cafe, that the raising and manufacturing of flax would be generally given up, as com paratively uncertain and unproductive. We are furprised that he fhould lay it down, as a fundamental maxim in commerce, that no manufacture can be firmly established in a country which does not produce the raw materials which it employs, p. 242. What manufacture is more firmly established, and the fource of employment and wealth to a greater number of perfons, than the cotton manufactures of Lancashire and Glafgow? In direct opposition to what he fays, refpecting the profit arifing from bees, we can pofitively affirm, that they are unprofitable in a climate much more favourable than that of the Highlands, p. 249.

The two next papers contain the plan of an inland village, by the Reverend Robert Rennie; and remarks on the plan, by Colonel Dirom.' This plan, if altered according to the fug

gestions

geftions of the Colonel, would certainly be well calculated to fecure health, cleanlinefs and convenience, all of which are very much neglected in the villages of Scotland :-but, till manufactures are established, it feems premature to be either building or planning villages. We entirely agree with Mr Rennie, that in a manufacturing village, it is much better that every feuar (every person who pays a ground rent) fhould have only half as much as he might wish to have, than a fingle rood too much, p. 262. Where manufactures are introduced, the divifion of labour ought to be as complete as poffible; but if every manufacturer poffeffes an acre or more, either his ground or his profeffional business must be neglected; and, if he hire the labour of another perfon, the produce of his land will most probably coft him more than its real value.

In the Extracts from an Effay on the Natural, Commercial, and Economical Hiftory of the Herring, by Dr Walker,' we meet with almost all the facts which are known refpecting the natural hiftory of this fish ;-a very long and tedious hiftorical account of the herring fishery from its commencement in the fourteenth century to 1786;-and an enumeration of the causes, which, in the opinion of the Doctor, have lately rendered this fishing fo unproductive. One of the caufes, it seems, is our injudicious imitation of the Dutch, in fishing with large veffels: we, on the contrary, are difpofed to coincide with Mr Headrick, who maintains, in a paper which will afterwards be confidered, that if thefe large veffels were employed by us, as the Dutch employ them, in fishing in the open fea, herrings might be taken during more months, and at a time when they are in the highest perfection. The buffes, at prefent, to which alone the bounty is given, are employed only in the lochs; and, when a fhoal of herrings appear, fend out their boats in fuch numbers, and with fo much confufion, that they are both in a great meafure unfuccefsful themselves, and prevent the crews of those veffels which, on account of their fmall fize, are not allowed the bounty, from attempting to fish at the fame time.

We are ftrongly difpofed to queftion the policy of granting any bounty: but if it be continued, it ought to be given to the buffes, on the exprefs provifion, that they go out into the open fea, and there follow the Dutch mode of fishing; perhaps a fimilar bounty ought to be given to undecked veffels, which alone ought to be allowed to continue in the lochs. The method, which has been long practifed near Gottenburgh, and which, on a fmaller fcale has lately been fuccefsfully adopted on the Fife coaft, would most probably anfwer in the Highland lochs. In the neighbourhood of Gottenburgh, eight boats, each containing

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taining two or three fishermen, draw one large net, enclosing a hoal of herrings, into a creek or fmall bay, and the fish being ihovelled on the fhore, the boats refume their work. The advantages of this mode, over that commonly practifed, are evident and important.

We are furprised that only conjectures are offered on the food of the herrings. As the food foon becomes imperceptible in their ftomachs, from their ftrong digeftive powers, it is indeed impoffible to afcertain all the kinds; but it is well known, that a fall fpecies of crab, the cancer balecum, which abounds in the north feas, is devoured by them in great quantities.

We confider it neceffary merely to potice and to recommend the two next papers On the different forts of herrings which frequent the coafts of Scotland; with obfervations on the prefent mode of conducting the herring fifhery, by Mr M'Kenzie;' --and An account of the Dutch herring fishery, with the pla cart of the ftates of Holland refpecting it.' The latter paper ought to be circulated as widely as poffible, and followed as clofely as a difference of circumftances will admit.

In the four papers on the Natural Hiftory of the Salmon, by Dr Walker, Mr Mackenzie, Mr Morrison, and Archibald Drummond Efq. the facts and conjectures brought forward are, in general, rather curious than useful in a practical point of view. This obfervation applies principally and most strongly to Dr Walker's paper, which is characterised by the fame faults, as thofe papers of his which we have already noticed. It is full and minute, even to tedioufnefs, in that part which can be interefting only to the naturalift; while it is defective, or merely conjectural, with regard to thofe circumftances which may be ufeful to the falmon fisheries. As the Doctor appears to have derived moft of his information from books, and, in fome instances, to have carelefsly received it from the unexamined and uncompared teftimony of others, it is no wonder that he not only differs from the other gentlemen, but advances what reflection might have taught him could not be the fact. In page 349, he defcribts the ridge which is raised by the falmon over the place where they depofit their fpawn, as from three to five inches high. Now, it is evident, that as this depofitation always takes place where the ftream is rapid, the ridge and the fpawn would foon inevitably be fwept away. Mr Drummond (whole effy fully deferves the character given of it by the editor, p. 30. note), rectifies this miflaken notion, (in which, however, the Doctor is joined by all thofe naturalifts who read, rather than obferve and examine), and exprefsly afferts, that the gravel, under which the fpawn is depofited, is always levelled

with a wonderful nicety (p. 402). If Mr Morrifon be correct, in afferting that the operation of fpawning lafts eight or ten days (p. 390), we fhould be inclined to diffent from the commonly received opinion, that the fpawn is laid all together in holes, and then covered with gravel, fince, if it were left fo long uncovered, it would neceffarily be carried away by the ftream. Some naturalifts have been induced, from careful observation, to maintain, that the fpawn is not covered up at all, but fuffered to float down the ftreain till it naturally finks to the bottom.

As it is of the utmost importance to know all the animals which are deftructive to the falmon, the porpus (delphinus phocana) and the feal (phoca vitulina) ought to have been mentioned by Mr Drummond (p. 409). The former is often seen cruizing across the mouth of the Tweed, and not only deftroying the falmon, but preventing them from entering the river. The latter fometimes purfues the falmon a confiderable way up the river: they are also equally inveterate and deftructive enemies of the herring.

Mr Melvill, in his paper On the Fisheries of Scotland,' recommends that the mode of fishing for cod and ling pursued by the English and Dutch, fhould be adopted by the Scotch. The fingle, undoubted, and glaring fact, that the former nations, by their fuperior ingenuity, carry away immenfe quantities of thefe fith, from the very coafts of the latter, proves the propriety of this admonition. The remarks already offered, make it unne cellary to analyfe or examine the latter part of this paper, which relates to the herring fishery.

The Rev. James Headrick, in his paper On Improvements in the Highlands,' appears carefully to have examined the country, before he offered his fuggeftions. They are, therefore, much more worthy of attention, than the crude ideas and fanciful fpeculations of those, who have no accurate or practical knowledge of the state of the country. The laft fection of this effay offers to our view a very probable fource of employment and wealth, and, perhaps, the moft proper application of the vast quantities of peat, in the Highlands. Mr Headrick propofes, that an experiment fhould be tried, to afcertain whether charred peat might not anfwer as well in rendering iron malleable, or in converting it into steel, as charred wood,' (p. 466). If it were found to answer, iron-ftones and bog-ore of iron might be ob tained in great abundance in many parts of the Highlands. We have already expreffed our doubts, how far the raifing and manufacturing of flax or hemp, which Mr Headrick recommends, would be practicable in the Highlands, or defireable, after the woollen manufactures were firmly and generally eftablished. We

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do not perceive how it can have been clearly demonftrated, that the mode of occupying land, which renders it capable of yielding the greatest rent to the proprietor, is also most beneficial to the public,' (p. 455). Pasture land, in many parts of the kingdom, yields as much rent, as arable land, to the proprietor; and yet it cannot be confidered as equally beneficial to the public; fince an acre under tillage will fupport many more people, than an acre in pasture. The propriety of converting the Highlands into sheep walks, ought not to be rested on this principle, which is not only in many inftances falfe, but will always be regarded with a sufpicious eye by the bulk of mankind. No doubt, when it is applied to the Highlands, it is perfectly true, fince a sheep farm, producing fubfiftence for 100 people with the labour of ten, which, while under tillage, or stocked with cattle, could not fupport thirty people, though they all laboured on it, must of course afford a higher rent to the landlord, and benefit the public in a still greater degree; as the labour of the twenty spare hands may be rendered more profitable and fuccefsful.

The laft paper contains an Account of the Culture and Produce of a Field of Potatoes in the vicinity of Leith,' communicated by James Bell, Efq.

The Account and Defcription of the Manner of Peparing any ordinary Ship's Boat, fo as to render it in the highest degree useful in Preferving Lives in cafes of Shipwreck, by the Rev. James Bremner,' contained in the Appendix, promifes to be of great utility; as the Society, after having received a very favourable report of the boat from feveral competent judges, who examined and tried it, have directed copies of a defcription and delineation of it to be sent to the different fea-ports of Scotland.

On the whole, we confider the Differtations on Rural Economy, which occupy a great part of this volume, as almost entirely inapplicable to the ftate of the Highland diftricts, and unneceffary in the other parts of the kingdom. More full, accurate, and im partial practical information must be obtained, before any general or permanent fyftem of improvement can take place in the Highlands. The prejudices and indolence of the peafantry, and the feudal interefts of the landlords, muft not be fuffered to interfere in the fmalleft degree. If work cannot be found for the former in their native country, it will be much better for the public, and ultimately for themselves, that they should go where it can be found, than that they should continue to exift and multiply in indolence and wretchednefs at home, neither able to fupport themfelyes, nor willing that others fhould take their place. But we apprehend no removal would be neceffary: The theep hufbandry would bring in with it manufactures, and, confequently, villages and towns;