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of North and South Uist, and Benbecula, so far as we learnt. The winters there, and on the western coasts of Scotland, are mild, and always fair, with a northerly wind,-little or no snow lies-the frosts are seldom long or severe. The spring cold, and the summers, until about the middle of August, not excefsively rainy. From that period the autumnal rains set in, and continue almost without interruption, always endangering the corn, and frequently destroying it; some of the barley, however, is saved before these rains begin; and some preserved by the alacrity and talents of the Highlanders, in weather which would ruin our crops. Their barns are of wicker; into these they carry their corn before it be quite dry; the air finding access prevents the corn from spoiling. The duke of Argyll's barn at Inverary, is about 300 feet long, supported on wooden posts, the floor is raised six or seven feet above the ground; between the floor and the ground the hay is carried as soon as cut, and there it is turned over till dry, and then stacked. The corn is carried into the barn in the same condition; each fheaf is hung upon a separate peg. The barn is full of latticed wooden windows which admit of the air freely. This may be offered as a perfect model for a west country barn. The expence would soon be saved by the preservation of the produce of the farms, otherwise exposed to the greatest danger.

While at Stornaway, the committee held several boards on the object of their mifsion, heard many well founded grievances, on the subject of salt, custom-house clearances, and absurd regulations of the

May 23+ bufs herring fisheries, which can only be remedied in parliament, where the feeble voice of the sufferers can scarcely be heard, amidst the din of more interesting political bustlers. Mr Morison arrived in his herring buss, from Tenera in Lochbroom; and Mr Shaw with his, from Dunvegan in the isle of Sky. Their errand was to clear out at the customHouse of Stornaway for the fishery; a voyage which exposes them to great inconveniency, as a foul wind may detain them in port till the swarms of herring. have left their coasts. Mr Morison has to come over from the loch most abounding in herrings, to the opposite side of the channel, to clear out, and then to return to the very spot from whence he came before he can begin to fish.

July 25. Pafsed the day in walking out and viewing the island. Dr Thorkelin set out a-foot amidst. bad weather, and walked fifty miles to see the west side of the island, which is inaccessible by any other conveyance. His object was to view some large circular stones, said to be the next in size to those at Stonehenge, and vulgarly called druids temples; but improperly, he says, for Sweden and Norway have many such, where there never was a druid: He says they are the places of the meeting of the kings, or public afsemblies for making laws; that Stonehenge was probably so written for Stone King.

Opposite side of the island, Roch Rag is situated; said to be a fine entrance from the western ocean, and a good station for the exterior fishery; here Seaforth offered the society a site for a town gratis. It were to be wished the society would accept of all gratis.

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:offers, and dot out the ground for people to settle on them. It is doing a great deal for industry, in so feudal a country as the Highlands of Scotland, to give a poor man a spot of ground he can call his own, however barren, or however small.-Remember to have seen a very neat house, built by a poor man on the isle of Cannay, on a spot of ground he had aoquired by some means, of fourteen feet

To be continued.

square.

SIR,

ON THE CORN RETURNS.

Every one's interest is n's care.

To the Editor of the Bee.

PROVERB.

FROM what I have seen of your performances, I am sure the above saying can be by no means applied to you. For you have often made it appear that the interest of the public is a considerable article in the list of your cares. But I am sorry at having

occasion to observe that it is not the case with some persons, who, being paid by the publick, for publick businefs, ought even to make it their own.

You were pleased, some time ago, to favour the publick with a perspicuous and accurate abstract of the act pafsed in last sefsion of parliament for regulating the corn trade; and, moreover, with some pertinent animadversions, on the proceedings of gentlemen in parliament, in the discufsion of that important piece of businefs. I, therefore, supposing you and your readers to be interested in that matter, take the liberty of remarking the very great errours that appear in all the weekly accounts, of the "ave

rage prices of corn, published by authority of parliament," according to which, the permifsion to the subjects of this free country to eat bread, is given or withheld. To observe these errours, and to pronounce that they are a disgrace to those that commit them, and to the parliament, whose children they are, that overlooks them, requires only that any person of common sense, fhould look at the publication above cited; but to save you and your readers that trouble, I fhall only quote the following:

Average prices for the week ended April 28. 1792, of oat meal per boll of 140 lb. avoirdupois.

At Hexham 28 s. 8 d. Berwick on Tweed II s. 9 d. -both in Northumberland; from whence the average. price of that county is made to be 20 s. 2 d. these being the only returns inserted of the price of oat meal for that county.

These two towns are about would it not be a good trade to

sixty miles distant ;

buy meal at the one

for 11s. 9d. and carry it to the other, and sell it for 28 s. 8 d. per boll, same weight?

"How can we such absurdities endure !"

I am your reader,

A TRADER*.

In addition to the above let me add that the average prices of oat meal, by the boll of 140 lb. (precisely the Scotch boll of eight stone weight) is, at the following places, for the returns of the same week, as follow, Westmoreland 14 s. 7 d. and in Herefordshire 55 s. 2 d. in Lancaster 14s. 11 d. and in Salop 50 s. 11 d. in Chester 15 s. 1 d. and in Bedfordshire 50s. 7 d. at Berwick in Northumberland and at Rofs in Herefordshire, no lefs than 62 s. 6d. !!!

It is not my businefs to inquire whence these errors arise; but it is a matter of too serious importance to sport with the lives of the people, several millions of whom depend upon oat meal for their principal subsistence, not to take notice that these errors ought to be inquired into, and Instantly corrected.

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ESSAY ON NATIONAL PREJUDICES, &c. &'c.

All places that the eye of heaven visits,
Are to a wise MAN PORTS and happy havens.

SIR,

To the Editor of the Bee.

SHAKESPEARE.

AMONG all the famous sayings of antiquity, there is mone that does greater honour to the author, or affords greater pleasure to the reader, than that of the philosopher, who, being asked what countryman he was,' replied, that he was

• A Citizen of the world.'

How few are there to be found in modern times who can say the same, or whose conduct is consistent with such a profession? We are now become so much Scotchmen, Englishmen, Frenchmen, Spaniards, Dutchmen, Germans, &c. &c. that we are no longer • citizens of the world:' So much the natives of ene particular spot, or members of one petty society, that we no longer consider ourselves as the general inhabitants of the globe, or members of that grand society which comprehends the whole human kind.

Did these prejudices prevail only among the meaner sort of people, perhaps they might be excused, as they have few, if any, opportunities of correcting them by reading, travelling, or conversing with foreigners; but the misfortune is, that they infect the minds, and influence the conduct, even of our gentlemen; of those, I mean, who have every title to this appellation, but an exemption from prejudice; which, however, in my opinion, ought to be regarded VOL. ix.

N

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