for the religious caufe of the Lord of Hofts, the sheriff of the house of Haffan, whom God help and aflift. Amen. Ifmael Behn, fheriff of Haffany, whom God support. To her who is most great among her people and generation, and governs them according to her own will and pleafure, the Queen and Emprefs Anne of England, Holland, Ireland and France, peace be upon those who go in the right way, and who, by trusting in God and his apostle, are led in that way. Now you are to know, that I entered upon a correfpondence with you concerning certain affairs of the world. Another much greater, more mighty and lofty thing I have to take notice of, and that is, the peace or truce you have made with the French. They will deccive and cheat you; will appear to you to be fubdued, weakened, difpirited, and tired, till they get their ends of you: they are treacherous and perfidious; deceive and betray: : their hands accustomed to injuries, tricks, and fnares, and their fecret cunning is greater than you can imagine, or comprehend in your thought; but the most cunning of men can find them out. They will infallibly cheat and enfnare you; they are intent to catch their prey, and feek but opportunities of beguiling: and how could you run headlong into a peace with the French, and truft in them? for their intention is to deceive, and get you into their power, till they feparate you from the Dutch, the Portugueze, and the Empire; and they come to know that the bufinefs is done between you, and then they will fhuffle off, and deny whatever they had done with you as to peace : after which, if you come to want the Dutch, and infilt upon their help and affiftance, they will refufe it, and difengage themfelves of you: and if you fhould want any thing of them, they will fay it was you first deceived them, and firft began to make peace with the French. What wilt you anfwer to them? The French man defires nothing more than to diffolve your en gagements, and break your measures, that he may afterwards fall upon your backs, and deftroy you, fo as to fee an end of you all. By the almighty! the French man blinds you, has gained his point, has done all he pleafed, has gotten his will, his ends and defigns of you, and you will not perceive it: and thefe are his tricks, his wiles, and the ufual measures with which he tends to his purpose, till they establish and compleat his power. He exceeded you in power, when he was by himself and alone, without af fiftance or help; and how much more, now he is mafter of the kingdoms of France and Spain, and di vide you from thofe Chriftians, the Dutch, Portugueze, and the reft. You will fee wonders, and that you will be obliged to pay the whole account. Mark what I have told you; you will repent, when repentance will do you no good; for in the peace that you have made with France, you have done nothing, neither have you mended your matters by it. Rehold you have first left the Dutch, to beg peace of them, and now you fee how affairs ftand between them. The only reafon of my writing this letter to you is, purely, because I am affected with the friendship that is between us, and with your inclination to me, in which you furpafs all other Princes of Christendom. But as for our parts, we are diftant, and difengaged from thofe affairs; thanks to God, there is a bartier between us and them that is shut, and can neither be opened, nor broken through. If you intend any answer to what I have been directing and admonishing you in, write, and hatten it to me quickly: you will be fure to fix upon what I have faid to you, and have it prefent before your eyes, Given on the 22d of Moharran el Harran Phaleb, in the year 1125. PHILOSOPHICAL CONVERSATION. be very infipid to a gentleman of your gay difpofition. Containing the wonderful Works of Provilence in the animal, vegetable and mineral Creation; and an Explana tion of the folar and planetary Syftem, with all that is curious in mathematical Learning. Being a complete courfe of Natural and Experimental Philofophy. By E. F. N. B. This curious Work is tranfmitted to us in M. S. by a Lady, who has judiciously collected it from the best authors, both in French and English, and reduced it into the form of a dialogue, after the manner of Spectacle de la Nature: And as it appears to be calculated for the inftruction of youth in an early knowledge of natural Hif tory, and in juft ideas of our Great Creator. Count. gone. D EAR Chevalier, as the night draws on, let us be Cheval. Here comes the Prior in good time to make one of the party. Prior. I fee, my Lord, we must turn the Chevalier out of our clofet. He's always here; as if it were a poft of honour he was obliged to maintain. Cheval. I confefs, I always quit it with reluctance. I can never be tired in viewing the curiofities with which his Lordship's clofet is filled. Count Here, indeed, is nothing but fimple nature: if that be your delight. Cheval. That is my pleafure. She's infinitely more engaging than all the gaieties of the world. I could end my days in a country life; where nature conftantly furnisheth us with new objects. Count. Every one has his peculiar tafte. It is true, I delight to enquire into the ftructure of butterflies, filkworms, ants and bees: but this must VOL. XIII. Cheval. So perchance, it might, had not your Lordship's microfcope difcovered to me the flowers and diamonds that adorn the head of a fly, and the curious variety of colours in the wings of a gnat. Count Ah! but the man of tafte now a days delights moft in hurry, and a town-life: he dreffes after the newest mode, and confumes his time at places of pleasure and fenfual amufements. How then is it poffible for you to like my way of life, who fpend three quarters of the year in the country, prying into the animal creation, tracing out a plant from its origin to its ftate of perfection; making the various fcenes of nature my principal study and delight, and fearching out by repeated experiments the particular ufes of every plant and mineral. And as it is your delight, I will endeavour to oblige you in this study, by laying before you firft the minutest objects, and after thefe have been explained, I will proceed by degrees to what is higher. Let us begin with thefe infects. The minuteft of them all give me incredible delight. Every infect that flies or creeps, is a little animal, confifting of feveral ringlets, which fhrink from, or draw near to one another by one common membrane, or fkin that collects them; or elfe, of distinct fcales, which play to and fro, by gliding over one another; or, in hort, of two or three principal parts, which have no other connection than a ligature, or little thread. of the membrane which belongs to that particular part. The third and fourth, and fo the whole body fucceffively, moves along by the fame effort. Even thofe little animals that have no feet, pafs in the fame manner from one place to another, rife out of the ground, or withdraw into it, upon the leaft apprehenfion of danger; and in fhort, proceed or retreat as occafion requires. Of the fecond kind are flies, maybirds, &c. whofe bodies are an affemblage of divers little fcales, which by unfolding expand themselves, or by fliding over one another, contract, like braffets, in a fuit of armour. Cheval. I have feen feveral of them in your Lordship's wardrobe. Most of them have either ftrong teeth, a double faw, a fting with two darts, or elfe tenacious claws. Their whole bodies are covered over, and fecured by a fcaly fuit of armour. Such as are of a more delicate and tender nature, are fortified with a thick fkin, which gives a check to the violence of those frictions and encounters, that might otherwise prove injurious to them. Their fecurity, for the most part, depends on their fprightlinefs and activity. Some, by virtue of their wings, avoid the danger that attends them; others, that dwell on the leaves of trees, precipitate themselves from their enemies by a fine thread that fupports them; others again, by the elaftic force of their hind feet launch themselves in an inftant out of the reach of any pursuit, or the hazard of any hoftile engagement. In short, when they find themselves unable to withstand the infults and attacks of their more potent foes, they have immediate recourfe to fome artful ftratagem for the accomplishment of their defigns; and although that perpetual war, which we obferve to be maintained between them, fupplies many of them with their daily fubfiftance; yet it preferves, at the fame time, a fufficient number of them to perpetuate the fpecies. Count. Of the third kind are ants, spiders, &c. whose bodies are divided into two or three parts, and whofe connection is imperceptable, at least, to the naked eye. As to the term infects, which is applied in general to all these animalculs, it takes its derivation from the Latin word infectare, to act. Though the unthinking part of mankind may look on them as the refult of chance, or the refufe of nature, yet he that views them with due attention, and reflects on the art and mechanism of their ftructure, which collects fuch a number of veffels, fluids, and movements into one point, and that too frequently invifible, cannot but difcover an all-wife Providence, that is fo far from treating them with a profufion of azure, green and vermillion, gold and filver, diamonds, fringe, and a gay parti-coloured plumage. We need only take a view of the ichneumon, the Spanish fly, the butterfly, or even a caterpillar, to be ftruck with aftonishment at this pomp and grandeur. The fame divine Wisdom, has alfo armed them with proper weapons from head to foot, and enabled them either to engage their enemies, or, as occafion requires, to make a vigorous defence. Let us now take a furvey of the various organs which nature has bestowed upon them for their maintenance and fupport; and of the refpective utenfils or implements, with which each of them performs his work; fo all of them have different trades on occupations. Some employ their time in fpinning, and have for that pur pofe two diftaffs, and two fingers, a it were, to form their thread. thers are curious in net work, and are provided accordingly with clew and fhuttles. Some build in wood and are therefore furnished with litt hatchets for hewing of their timber Others are engaged in wax-work, an have their cells, of lodgments full c rake rakers, ladles and trowels. Nature wife that have two wings only, but under them two bladders, which when extended are easily difcerned, and are looked upon by naturalifts, as two counterpoifes, or equal weights, by virtue of which the infects (like a ropedancer with his pole) fupports itself against the agitation of the air, and continues in equal posture. has bestowed on most of them a more commodious probofcis, or trunk, than that of the elephant, which fome make ufe of as an alembick, to diftil a certain fyrup, which all the art of man can never imitate; others, as a tongue, to diftinguish what is moft agreeable to their tafte; fome as a drill, or auger, for piercing any folid fubftance; and all of them, or the greatest part at leaft, as a reed for fuction. Some are not only provided with this trunk, but with a kind of auger in their tails, which they dart forth, and retract at pleasure; and therewith cells, or little lodg [To be continued.] The Method of making Spruce Beer, practifed in the North of America, from the Letters of P. KALM fent to the Swedish Academy. MONG liquors commonly ments for the accommodation of their A drank in the Engupan monto young, in the heart of fruits, the bark of trees, the most fubftantial part of leaves or gems, and often too in the moft ftubborn wood. Such as have curious eyes, have likewife for the moft part a pair of antennæ, or little horns, that guard and fecure them; and as they move along, especially in the dark, make trial of the ground, and difcover, by a quick and delicate fenfation, what would prove injurious to them, plung them into immediate diftrefs, or expofe them to any danger. If these antennæ happen to be moiftened by any pernicious liquor, or give way by the obftruction of any folid body, they are forewarned, turn fhort, and steer a fafer courfe. Some of these horns confist of little knobs, like thofe in the head of a cray-fish; fome terminate in the form of a comb; and others are either covered with feathers, like down, or decked with a tuff of hair, to fecure them from any moisture. Moft infects, befides the feveral conveniences before-mentioned, have likewife the faculty of flying. Some have four large wings, in proportion to the extent of their bodies. Others, whofe wings are fo exquifitely fine that the leaft friction would tear them, have two large fcales, which they erect or deprefs as wings, though they are, in reality, no more than cafes. There are great numbers like plantations in the north of America, there is a beer which deferves particular notice; it is brewed from a kind of pine that grows in thofe parts, and is by botanifts called Abies Picca foliis brevibus conis minimis, Rand. Mill. Gard. Diction. Spec. 5. The French in Canada call it Épinette, and Epinette Blanche; the English and Dutch call it Spruce. This fort of pine is pretty common in Canada, and differs fo little from that of Sweden, that at firft fight one would think it was the fame; but the cones of the American are by feveral degrees fmaller. In the English plantations in North America, this tree is pretty fcarce; for it requires a colder climate, and in thofe near the fouth it is hardly ever feen except on the top of the highest mountains, or on that fide of them which faces the north, where the fnow remains, in the spring, a great while longer than in the adjacent country, and returns earlier in the autumn; but in Canada this pine grows in the fame foil, and in the fame manner, as in Sweden. This liquor is chiefly ufed by the French in Canada: a confiderable quantity is indeed made by the Dutch who lived round Hudfon's river, in the moft northern parts; but the English feldom have it, except in New-Eng 2 U land land, and New-Scotland; becaufe in Canada the tree is very common, but at Albany it is fo fcarce that the people are obliged to go fome miles for it; and in the other English plantations, it is hardly to be met with. I had no opportunity to fee the method of making this liquor ufed by the Dutch, but often drank it amongst them, and thought it very good. The account they gave me of preparing it is as follows: Take 12 gallons of water and fet it to boil in a copper; put into it about a pint and half, or as much as can be held between two hands, of cuttings of the leaves and branches of the pine *; let it boil about an hour, and then pour it into a veffel, and leave' it to cool a little; then put the yeaft into the velfel to make the wort ferment; in order to take away the refinous talle put a pound of fugar amongst it. After it has done working, it may be put into hogfheads or barrels, but it is reckoned belt to bottle it directly. It will keep a great while, and will not grow fo foon four in the fummer as malt liquor. It looks clear and brown like common beer, has an agreeable tatte, and when poured out of a bottle into a glafs, mantles like It is reckoned very wholefom, and has a diuretick quality. ale. When I afterwards came to Canada, I had feveral times an opportunity to fee the French prepare this beer, which, as they ufe no malt liquor, is their only drink, except wine brought from France, which is pretty dear. Their way of brewing it is: After having put the cuttings of the pine into the water, they lay fome of the cones of the tree amongst it, for the gum which is contained in them In fome places, where the people are o'liged to fetch it at a great diftance, they bring as much home at once as will ferve for feveral times. keeping it in cellars to preferve it fresh, but if it becomes dry, they put fomething more of it into the water. is thought very wholefom; and makes the beer better. The French do not cut the branches and leaves of the pine nearly fo fine as the Dutch; for if the branches are small enough to go into the copper, they do no more to them, and they measure the quantity no otherwife than by putting them into the copper till they come even with the furface of the water. while it is boiling they take fome wheat, put it into a pan over the fire, and roaft it as it we do coffee, till it is almoft black; all the while ftirring, fhaking, and turning it about in the pan; when that is done they throw it into the copper with some burnt bread. Rye is as fit for this purpose as wheat, barley is better than either and Indian corn is better than barley. The reafons given me for patting this burnt corn and bread into the water are: ft, and chiefly, to give it a brownish colour like malt liquor. 24, to make it more palatable. 3d, to make it fomething more nourishing. When it has continued boiling till half the quantity only of the water remains in the copper, the pine is taken out and thrown away, and the liquor is poured into a veffel thro' a fieve of hair cloth, to prevent the burnt bread and corn from mixing with it. Then fome fyrup is put into the wort to make it palatable, and to take away the tafte which the gum of the tree might leave behind. The wort is then left to cool after fome yeaft has been put to it, and nothing remains to be done before it is tunned up, but skimming of what, during the fermentation, has arifen up upon the furface; and in four and twenty hours it is fit to be drank. As there is a great refemblance be tween the pine and that which is common in Sweden, it would be worth while to try whether ours could be made ufe of in the fame man ner. A Get |
