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Ir the following fhort account of that remarkable animal, the broad finned sword fifh, merits your approbation, I would be glad if you would give it a place in your excellent miscellany.

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Amongst all the voracious animals that inhabit the Indian and Pacific Oceans, this is the most dreadful. From the appearance of the long and fharp. pointed procefs of the head, it appears to be very nearly allied to the sword fish, so well known to naturalists. It differs, however, in many particulars, and is plainly a different species. Its usual length is twenty feet; but it is often found longer. The first description we have of it, is in Marcgrave's History of Brazil. The general colour of the fifh, is a silvery bluish white, except on the upper part of the back. The head and the tail are of a deep brown. The back fin is of a pale brown, finely spotted with marks of deep black; the fkin is quite smooth and has no scaly appearance.

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VOL. Xiii.

Jan. 23. years ago, a letter was sent to the president of thẹ Royal Society of London, from the captain of an East Indiaman, with an account of the remarkable strength which this fifh pofsefses. The bottom of his fhip having been pierced completely through by a fish of this species, and the fish killed by the violence of the fhock. It was singularly lucky for the vessel, that the fish was killed, otherwise, if it had been enabled to withdraw its snout, the vessel would have inevitably sunk. The wood, together with the snout or sword of the fish, embedded in it, is preserved in the British museum. This fish is not confined to the Brasilean and East Indian seas, but is also found in the northern Ocean. It is a great enemy to whales, with which it has frequent combats. What is What is very remarkable, Pliny mentions the circumstance of their transfixing vefsels, which has been regarded as one of those exaggerations so frequent in the works of the anci P. H. N. N. B. Mr Editor, by next week, I will send you a painting and description of a very rare bird, the American ostrich *.

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OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS OF J. W. Spencer.

Continued from vol. xii. p. 325.
Doncaster, England.

WAS just setting out from Ferrybridge yesterday afternoon, when a chaise driver came and told me

*The Editor will be much obliged to this correspondent for the acount here promised, with his first convenience.

that he had an empty chaise to take to Doncaster, and that, if I was going that way, I might have a ride upon very easy terms. I asked him what his fare was; he said I had the appearance of a gentleman, and that he would leave it to myself. Of a gentleman! I replied;-how came you to imagine that any gentleman would bribe a servant to cheat his master? I said this surlily, and the man went away. He had scarcely quitted me, when I bethought myself that I would very likely see something new if I accepted his offer; so I called him back, and promised to go. He overtook me before I got out of the town, and I stepped into the chaise. Before we had gone half a mile, we came up with a woman who had a child in her arms; and a little way after, with a soldier who was on furlough, going to see his relations at Grantham. They were both admitted into the carriage. How would I have looked; or what could I have said, if the owner of the chaise had met me in this awkward situation? Thou, my dear fellow! thou, whose generous soul never stooped to do a mean action, must be a stranger to such feelings as mine were. However, if contempt of myself, and numberlefs resolutions never to offend again in that way, can atone for my faux pas, I owe nothing on that score.

The woman left us at Robin Hood's well, half way to Doncaster. The driver not daring to carry us into town, dropped the soldier and me at a small public house at the west end of the bridge. He said I might lodge there very well; told the landlord I was a mighty quiet civil gentleman; and desired he

would take good care of me. The soldier joined in recommending the house, and I was prevailed on.

Squire C's servants were here spending the evening, after a remarkably long hare chace, which they talked over an hundred times with our host, who in his younger days, had been huntsman to the duke of Kingston. We joined liquors with them, and the pot went briskly round.

It has ever been the laudable practice of landlords of this clafs, to sit down with their guests, to torment them with their impertinence, and to do all in their power to quicken the circulation of the tankard. When it becomes empty, which, as they are frequently blefsed with capacious bellies, generally happens in their hands, they fill it without being de sired, and chalk it down with great sang froid. Wide as the word is, I'll venture to say, that there is net in all England, à man of the profefsion better versed in these little arts, or who can empty a tankard with more dispatch, or fill it with a better grace, than this same Tom Shirley near the bridge of Doncaster.

When the servants were to depart, it became necefsary to count our scores. The soldier pulled out his purse it might contain about a crown. I saw that his fhare would sit heavy on him; and I told the landlord that we would pay our part with our bill in the morning. The servants left us, and Shirley prefsed them to take his pot after they were on foot. The soldier and I supped together, and the He has done it so

landlord helped off with our ale.

often, and does it with so much unconcern, that I dare say he thinks there is nothing amifs in it, if he

thinks at all about the matter.

I ordered a little

punch, and made the soldier drink with me. The fellow was extremely modest and unafsuming. I saw he was uneasy; and being afraid that he would not sleep well with the thoughts of the bill to discharge in the morning, I called for it now and paid the whole. He did not say much, but his looks

thanked me.

At the Revolution the pay of our armies was settled at what it is at present. As refinement and luxury of all kinds have greatly increased since that; and as all ranks have changed their way of living; and the reward of labour has been nearly doubled; ought not the pay of our soldiers to be increased? There is no necefsity for increasing the salary of any office, while fit persons are willing to discharge its duties upon the old terms. If exciseable commodities, and a few other articles, are dearer, some are cheaper; the price of the necefsaries of life is no higher; and officers and soldiers would find their. pay fully sufficient for their maintenance, would they live as their predecessors did an hundred years ago. In most other cases, the ability to support it has preceded the alteration in the mode of living; and ensigns and lieutenants have themselves to blame for living with men of fortune, where their daily pay is barely enough to procure them a comfortable

dinner.

While we were at breakfast next morning, the driver called to acquaint us that the coach had come in empty, and that we might go a stage or two with him. I positively refused to go; but the soldier *This is a very disputable afsertion,

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