cannot by us at present be conceived. Allow me here to add a few explanations on a subject, that has scarcely yet obtained any fhare of the attention of the people of this country.

It has been unfortunately a prevailing notion in Scotland, that a canal can be of little utility, unless it shall terminate somewhere at a sea port town, and communicate directly with the sea. And therefore it has been supposed, that no communication by water can be establifhed from any place that is considerably elevated above the level of the sea, unless at an extravagant expence of multiplied lockages; which is not only inconvenient on account of the charge of locks, but is often impracticable from a want of water sufficient to supply the waste that these locks necefsarily occasion. It is, however, most certain, that innumerable benefits may be derived from small capals, carried on a level from town to town, in the internal parts of the country; or even from a market town to a country fertile in corn, or abounding in coals, or other valuable articles, even where they are much above the le vel of the sea. A ditch of six or eight feet wide, and three or four feet deep, could be executed at a very small charge; and might be carried, in a level direction, even along the sides of declivities, as is done with mill leads in innumerable situations; along which might be carried to market all the productions of agriculture, and other weighty articles, at a very small charge. I will not at present stop on this head longer, than barely to suggest the idea, and illustrate it by a single example, leaving the farther conside ration of it to a future period.

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Some years ago, the gentlemen in the county of For far, remarking that there is a large level valley extends from Perth to Arbroath, beyond the ridge of hills that lie behind Dundee; and that in particular between Forfar

Jan. 23 and Arbroath, was nearly one continued chain of fresh water loeks, with little declivity; they thought that a canal might be there executed at a small expence. But upon making the survey, they found that the rise between the sea at Arbroath and Forfar, was about one hundred feet, which would occasion a considerable expence in locks. On which account the undertaking was abandoned for that time, and the plans, and estimate of the work, were lodged in the archives of the city of Dundee, where they

now are.

If, however, instead of leading the proposed canal directly into the sea, it had been carried along towards Arbroath, upon a level with the town of Forfar, it could have been brought within about one hundred yards of the town and harbour of Arbroath; where, if proper warehouses were erected, the goods could be stored till opportunities offered to ship them off, if they were going by sea; and if they were intended for the use of the town, they could be as easily conveyed from thence, as if they had been landed at the quay; and if goods are to be landed from a fhip, to supply the internal demand of the country, they might be as easily lodged in these storehouses as any where else; so that scarcely any expence could be incurred in this case, that would have been saved, had the canal landed in the harbour itself. For it must be a very extensive trade, indeed, that could keep vefsels constantly lying by, either for receiving the goods that may be sent, or for supplying those that may be wanted in return; so' that a canal thus conducted would be nearly as convenient as if it had terminated in the harbour itself.

Nor is this all the advantage that would be derived from a canal, conducted on the plan above mentioned. If the canal had thus been brought to the neigbourhood of Arbroath, it might have been carried forward on the same

level, at little expence, to Dundee; and thus would have opened a ready communication between every farm on the whole route from Forfar, to Arbroath and Dundee, to either of these market towns, that might best have suited the conveniency and interest of the farmer. Not only sỡ, but by a little extension of the same plan, it might have been continued westward from Forfar to Perth; so that through all that level and fertile strath, which by reason. of hills and bad roads, is now nearly cut off from the best markets, the farmers would then be at liberty to choose either Forfar, Cupar, Perth, Arbroath, or Dundee, as best suited their convenience; and if this were done, by sen ding off another branch from Forfar towards Montrose, by Brechin, an extensive communication could be opened up through one of the finest parts in Scotland, with valu able markets; for want of which the value of that coun try has never yet been brought, perhaps, to one tenth part of what it might easily be*.

I know that, at the present moment, these ideas will be deemed chimerical; but I know, also, that before half a century be passed, all this, and much more, will be carried. into effect and then people will wonder how they should have been so slow to adopt such easy and such important im provements. Let it not be forgotten, that at this present moment, the gentlemen of Aberdeenshire, who are among the most sensible clafs of country gentlemen in Scotland, and who have led the way to all Scotland in many important improvements, are still so blind to their own interest, as steadily to oppose a turnpike act in that county,. They are, in this respect, on the same footing as those in, the hire of Edinburgh were about forty years ago ;. there, it was then universally believed among the popu

for

It is unnecessary here to state the means of overcoming small diffi, culties that would occur in the execution of this plan.

Jan. 23 lace that turnpikes would prove ruinous to the farmer: Experience has now taught them, that so far is this from having been the case, that it has been the greatest blef Sing to them that ever was conferred upon them. Yet with this example before them, the otherwise enlightened gentlemen in Aberdeenshire, choose to shut their eyes. Their eyes will however be opened in spite of these prejudices; and they will then experience the benefits of improvements, which might have taken place long ago.. Knowledge among men is no where intuitive; it is always progrefsive: but among a free people, nothing can prevent that progrefsion; and it is upon this principle I rely.

One word more, and I terminate this speculation. Economy is of great utility in agriculture and arts; and the lefs expence that is thrown out on any undertaking of the kind here proposed, the better. It is easy to construct a vessel of six feet in width, that would draw no more than from one to two feet water, which might carry twenty tons, burden, if necessary; and which might easily be drawn by a single horse. Few farmers can have occasion for a boat: above half this size; and it could be built nearly for the same price as a good cart costs at present. For facilitating the passage of one boat past another, till the repair on the canal became very considerable, niches, the length of one of the boats, cut out on the side of the canal at convenient distances, could be made at little ex. pence so as to permit one boat to pafs another easily, even where the boat was nearly the whole breadth of the canal.

SINGULAR EFFECTS OF LOVE, A CURIOUS ANECDOTE.

NOTHING discovers more plainly that man was created by nature, a social animal, than that sympathetic affec

tion between the sexes, so universally experienced, which we have called love. This sensation differs from the mere sexual appetite in many respects, and is a generous affection of the mind, which seeks its own gratification by promoting the happiness of the beloved object, in every pofsible way. This is one of those instinctive imprefsions, that have been originally stamped upon the human mind, by the bountiful Creator of this universe, for beneficent purposes, and is by no means dependent on reason on the one hand, or animal appetite on the other; for the reasoning faculty may be strong, and the animal appetite violent, where love, in the true meaning of the term, is scarcely felt. It depends upon the tender feelings of the heart alone, which give rise to an innumerable variety of pleasures and of pains, that are totally beyond the reach of reason to comprehend, and produces effects that never could have been conceived possible, had reason alone been to judge.

Among the innumerable, caprices of this powerful affection of the mind, the following is one of the most singular I have met with.

When Francis 1. was made a prisoner at Pavia, a gentleman named Beauregard was one of those who were obliged to save themselves by flight: he did not wish to return to France during that period of humiliating deprefsion which it experienced on that occasion, but stopped at Turin. There he soon became enamoured of a beautiful widow, called Aurelia. Beauregard was an accomplished gentleman; he had a vigorous mind, and a sound understanding; he was young, and had a figure and addrefs that were universally attractive. Aurelia, on her part, was equally engaging: fhe was one of those striking beauties, beside whom others disappear. Beauregard became desperately in love with her. Aurelia would not

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