bitants of the torrid zone, there is greater decency and referve than among Europeans, into whom it is ftrenuously inculcated from their infancy, that fimple incontinence is among actions fubjected to the divine Anathema."

Thefe facts may perhaps caufe the man of the world to finile. But the obferver collects them, and tranfmitting them to the philofopher, enables him to estimate the influence of different climates and of oppofite civil and religious inftitutions.

In every country, where civilization has not attained its utmoft perfection, cunning, availing itself of the terrors of fuperftition, embitters life by oppreffion and extortion. Of the Fakirs, a fpecies of medicant monks, our Author obferves, that many have no other provision for wandering than a fmall veffel, the fkin of a beaft, and fome offenfive weapon. They wander about naked, and are in general of a robust habit. The greater part are fhameless impoftors, and well difpofed to extort contribution by force, if fuperftition was lefs eager to lay its obligations at their feet. "In 1766, fays he, I faw one at a village near Pondicherry, who was attended with two difciples, prepared to record his ordinances. The mafter, in a modeft, but confident tone, advised the populace to lodge their money in his hands, and promifed intereft at the rate of an hundred per cent. in another life. Every thing was conducted in the moft methodical manner. When he was defired to accept a rupee, he enquired the name and family of the fubfcriber; then turning to his attendants, give fuch a one, fays he, the fon of fuch a one, credit for one hundred rupees. This holy perfonage took all thefe pains, in order to enable one of his brethren, renowned for divers miracles in the north, to fulfill a vow he had made to erect a temple. Some of our Indians, from whom intercourfe with Europeans had removed in part their credulity, obferved that the Fakir in the north probably gave out that the temple was to be erected in the South.

In a poftfcript the Author announces a work, which is to confift of an explanation of fome very ancient hieroglyphical manufcripts. Thus at leaft we understand him. The following are the terms which he employs.

"There is a tradition that the fages of a remote antiquity, particularly thofe of Egypt, defirous of tranfmitting their acquifitions of knowledge to pofterity, intrufted them to confecrated monuments. But they were covered with a veil which in time became impenetrable, except to a few individuals whofe intereft it was that the illufion of error fhould never be diffipated. This selfish race exifts no longer, and feveral monuments have withstood the injuries of time, In thefe

are

are delineated the moft furprifing phyfical, political and moral revolutions and vaft enterprizes by fea and land, by three great nations. In these monuments we have also a sketch of their knowledge in philofophy, aftronomy, chronology, geography, military and maritime affairs, of the principles of their arts, languages, fciences, legiflature, and form of government; of the properties of plants, animals and minerals, &c."

Of these monuments which he represents as fo ancient and curious, the Author affirms that he is not only in poffeffion, but that he has alfo the means of decyphering them. And he fignifies his intention to publish part of them in fifteen or fixteen months.

For the ENGLISH REVIEW.

ART. XIV. An account of the annual Affembly of the Imperial Aca demy of Sciences of Petersburg, held the 10th and 21ft. October, 1783. under the Aufpices of Catharine the II. Empress of all the Ruffias, the Protectrix of Sciences and Arts, to which the Princefs de Dafchkawas Prefident, in the prefence of a great number of the Nobility, and other diftinguished Perfons. Communicated by J. H. de Magellan, F. R. S. and Member of the fame Academy.

HE Princefs de Dafchkaw, prefident of the Academy, opened the affembly, by an elaborate and masterly difcourse, in which the object and motives of its convocation were fully expreffed.

Soon after John Albert Euler, fecretary to the Academy, gave notice of the premiums or prizes, which were adjudged by it to the Authors of two differtations, on the very intereiting and curious problem propofed in 1778 for the year 1781, and which the academy had returned for the prefent year, viz.

66

"To fhow by found arguments, whether an uniformity "of the diurnal motion of the Earth can be demonftrated": 66 or, if fuch motion is not uniform, whether it's change onaccount of the refiftance of the ether, or of any other "caufe may be proved; to point out the phenomena arifing "therefrom: and what means may be had to rectify the "measure of time, and its variations arifing from this une"qual motion, fo that a just estimate may be made of the "relative duration of late centuries in relation to that of an"cient ones."

In confequence of the account given by the commiffaries, appointed by the Imperial Academy to examine the different Memoirs which had been fent for anfwering the above queftion, it was refolved to divide the promised premium of one, hundred golden ducats, into two equal parts, to be shared by

the

the authors of the two memoirs, the firft of which was marked with the note Felix qui potuit rerum cognofcere caufas, and the fecond by thefe lines from the fecond book of Ovid's Metamorphofes,

Dies & menfis & annus;

Seculaque&pofitæ fpatiis æqualibus hora.

The fealed names being opened, it appeared that the Author of the first memoir is Mr. John Frederic Hennert, Doctor of philofophy, and profeffor of mathematics in the univerfity of Utrecht, member of the Society of fciences at Harlem, Roterdam, Vliftingue and Utrecht.

The author of the fecond memoir, was found to be Mr. Paul Frifi, profeffor of mathematics at Milan, member of the academies of St. Petersburg, Berlin, Stockholm, Upfal, Copenhagen, and of the learned Societies of London, Harlem, &c..

After the above prizes were adjudged, the Academy having propofed in 1780, for this prefent year the following prob lem, viz. To explain and elucidate the theory of thofe machines, whofe force is derived from fire, or whofe movement is communicated by the vapour of water? The prize being also of one hundred gold ducats, was conferred on the author of a French memoir marked No 2. with the motto tentare licet: the fealed annexed bill being opened, it was found its author's name was Mr. Sebaftian Maillard, fecond captain in the Corps du genie of his facred Majefty the Emperor of Germany, and profeffor of fortification in the Imperial Academy of engineers at Vienna.

The fealed bills, containing the names of those authors of the memoirs not crown'd by the academy, were burned without opening them.

Mr. Roumoufky, counfellor of the Imperial Court, read then an extract made by him in the Ruffian language, of the two crowned memoirs above mentioned, on the aftronomical queftion of the earth's motion.

After which Meffrs. Roumoufky, Krafft, and Lexell, members of the Academy, appointed by the fame to examine the circular inftrument invented by J. H. de Magellan, a Portuguese gentleman, refiding in London, and foreign penfioned member of the fame Imperial Academy, which he lately fent to the prefident the Princefs de Dafchkaw, explained to the Academy the great advantages of this inftrument for the ufes it is intended, viz. for the meafuring angular distances between aftronomical or other objects at fea: it was of course deemed to deserve the general approbation of the Academy. Mr. Lexell read a description of this inftrument, and gave an account of the refults from different

different trials and obfervations he made with it, by which its great utility was completely demonftrated.

Finally the Secretary read the new queftion of mineralogy propofed by the Academy, for a prize to be decided in the year 1785, whofe program printed both in the Latin and Ruffian languages, was diftributed among the perfons who were prefent at the affembly. It contains a very learned and philofophical introduction, in which the bold and indefatigable labours of modern enquirers after natural knowledge are mentioned, as encountering the greateft difficulties for fcrutinizing the contents, which lye both within the deepell bowels of the earth, and in the moft high limits of the globe: but although the changes and viciffitudes the globe itself has undergone, may be well obferved in the mountains, whofe dumb, but expreffive marks bear teftimony to the different epochas of Nature: fome however have a dubious afpect, and even the ftony fubftances, which enter into their compofition cannot be ranged under the fame data, part of them being but lately formed, and others perhaps as old as the world itfelf; fome owing their form to fire, fome to water, and fome to both. Inquiries of this kind are well repaid, even by the fole contemplation of the great works of creation, to raife the mind of the beholder to the Supreme Author of Nature: but there are befides a great many advantages which accrue to fociety from this kind of know ledge, among which is the finding out, and properly working the riches, hidden in the bowels of the earth. It is from the mineralogical geography being well understood, that the whole fuccefs of thefe important and expenfive undertakings depends: as it is obferved that fome metals are more generally found in, or with one or other fpecies of these ftony fubftances; and even there are fome indications taken from the nature of these metallic beddings, which enable the observer to judge of their abundance, or of their poverty. We must however acknowledge that there is ftill a great deal to be done for our attaining a complete knowledge of these matters fuch being the different aggregations of stony fubftances, fuch the variety and the proportion of their partiticles, that many kinds are mistaken for others, and many are reckoned to be the fame, when effentially different among themselves.

It is for these, and other weighty reafons, that the Imperial Academy of Sciences propofes a premium of one hundred golden ducats, to the perfon who more fully and ably fhall anfwer the following problem, viz.

An accurate and natural method is required to range the ftony fubftances of the earth, according to their genera,

fpecies,

fpecies, and varieties; fo that they may be hereafter more eafily diftinguifhed than hitherto, by their certain characteriftic qualities, both of their external appearances, and of their chemical analyfis. A proper denomination is to be prefixed to each, but without introducing ufelefs innovations of terms or names, which rather confound than elucidate the fubject. In claffing these fubftances a regard must be had to their origin, and to the date of their production in the different changes or epochas of Nature: and it is further required, that the metal be indicated, to which one or other kind of these hard fubftances is found to be a natural bed, or the matrix where it is contained: adding fuch creditable mineralogical obfervations, as to evince and to confirm the propofed claffification and affertions."

The memoirs may be written in the Ruffian, Latin, German, or French, languages, and directed to John Albert Euler, Secretary to the Imperial Academy, time enough to be received before the beginning of July 1785. A motto or quotation is to be prefixed to each; but the name of the author must be fealed up, and annexed to the memoir, with the fame motto on the outside.

MONTHLY

CATALOGUE,

For JANUARY, 1784.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 15. A Compendium of the Confiitutional Part of the laws of England: Containing the Subitance of all the Laws now in Force, relative to or concerning the Liberty of the Subject: the Freedom of Election and Electors: the Power and Privileges of Parliament: the Qualifications and Difabilities of its Members: the Prerogatives of the Crown: Royal Revenue: Rights of Peerage and Ambaffadors. Carefully compiled from the Statutes, and the best Law Authorities on the Subject, from the earliest Period to the prefent Time. By J. Peilley, Gent. 12mo. 19. 6d. Stockdale.

HIS title page is very promifing, but the book does not corref pond with it. Under every head upon which it pretends to give information it is defective in the greatest degree. The Author is altogether unacquainted with our conflitution, and appears not to have fufficient capacity to enter into any topic which has a reference to it. His defign notwithstanding is a good one, and deferves to be executed by a better workman.

Art. 16. A Letter to Phillip Thickneffe, Efq; in Reply to a Charge brought by him against a noble Earl of Great Britain. is. J. and C. Rivington,

This Author, although not gifted with temperance in fpeech, feems to be on the right tide, but why break a fly upon a wheel?

Art.