buoyed up with cork at top, and in the center of which is a pouch or bofom for the fish to be retained in. With his boat thus arranged, the fisherman, at the proper times of tide, which muft be confulted, puthes off, and makes his circuit equal to the length of his net, while his friends on fhore, or mounted on temporary ftands in the river, are on the watch, with their advice, and with their affiftance, to forward his wishes, by helping the fish to, and keeping them in, the nets. The number of falmon gilfes and trout taken in this manner is almoft in credible. They fwim together in fhoals promifcuoufly, but generally a large falmon leads the van. While they take the river, or advance to fea, this remark is the more obfervable, for then, the light troops appear to be kept under the convoy of the captain of the fqua dron. Prodigious numbers are every day caught in fome part of the river; fome times a boat-load or two, on a stand, at one tide. Nay, there was no less than 37 fcore (the way of counting among hermen), viz. 740, taken fome years ago at one haul or draught. It is common to take near 100 thus at once. It is an object of regard for the farmer of the fishfng-water to procure fervants, with whom he contracts for the feafon as fharers of, or co-partners in a fmall degree with him, in the profits. As they must often work while their mafter fleeps, intereft and advantage will neceffarily excite in them care and vigilance. Q4. II. What methods are used in preparing and vending them ? Anfw. Moft of, or generally all, the falmou taken till April, or to the fet ting-in of warm weather, is fent to London in baskets, fresh, or, more properly, raw, unless now and then a veffel is prevented failing by contrary winds, and then the fifh is fetched from on board to the cooper's office, boiled, pickled, and kitted. When the feafon changes, and the weather becomes warm, the falmon is all boiled, and pickled, and fent up to London in kits* of about 18 pounds weight, and in half The fish-cooper felects fome of his best fith for kits and half-kits, as prefents, or, as we call them, token kits. A half-kit usually confiits of two joles, four middle pieces, and a tal-piece; that is to fay, a whole fish fplit down the chine. The fame method of fill ing is, I believe, attended to in the kit, kits, when it often fetches a very high price. About the middle of July, the London market being overstocked, and the demand lefs, they fend only a part thither, thus boiled, pickled, and kitted +. The Berwick coopers, about twenty in number, during this plentiful feafon, falt down the overflow of fifh in casks, for a foreign market. They have alfo another way, which they have newly adopted, of preparing falmon with fpices, and other aromatics, which they alfo fend abroad under the name of spiced falmon. The dried falmon should also be mentioned, by which they difpofe of very many. They are split down the chine, laid open, and falted for many days; then tied by the head, and hung up in an airy place, fhaded from the fun, till quite dry. They arc dried with the head upward, for one obvious reafon, viz. that the effential oil and the juices of the fish, more abundant in the head and jole, and on which its true flavour depends, are thus preferved in its interior fubftance. In a contrary position, it would, from the head, foon be loft, and much injure its prefervation, if not, in close and warm weather, even prevent its cure. They have the name of kipper'd falmon, and are fold in London for 9d. 10d. and 1s. per pound. Qu. III. What is the fishing feafon in the Tweed? Anfw. The feafon for fishing commences on the 30th of November, the feaft of St. Andrew, and ends on Michaelmas-day, though the corporation grant the indulgence of a fortnight longer, on account of the change of the ftyle; but it may be obferved, that the fishing feafon begins much too early, as the interval of fix weeks is furely too fhort a time for the operations now carried on in the obfcure receffes of our prolific river, by which means we fee brought to market, what is not only in itfelf unwholefome, but injurious to the commerce and advantages of this corporation. N. B. The feafon is now altered; it commences the 30th of January, and ends the 30th of October. To make which lie compact in the fmall compafs of this kit, he takes from off the edge of the chine of the fresh fish a flice, or, as it is called, plecten, quofi fplitting. This offal, when well dreffed, and garnished with the roe, or rowen, makes a dith in the early part of the feafon much admired. 21. Original Letter on the Salmon Fishery in the Tweed. Qu. IV. What is the general price of falmon at Berwick? Anfw. As to the price of falmon at the river fide; in the beginning of the feason they are very high; a good found fish (for fome at this time are not fo) will fetch 15. 15. 3d. and is. 6d. per pound: if a veffel is ready to fail for London, with a fair wind, for every thing here points to the metropolis, the buyer will fpeculate very high, and even advance upon Is. 6d. Moft of the time that falmon is fent away fresh, the prices are from 9s. down to 55. per ftone, dependent on the profpects of a fair wind for London, and the plenty of fish caught. When the hot feafon comes in, and falmon can no longer be fent freth up to town, and even pickled falmon is lefs in requeft there, we have it here fold for 12d. 10d. and Sd. per ftone, which is lefs than one halfpenny per pound, as a tone of falmon is 181b. 10 oz. Avoirdupois; for 4 ftone, or 561b. Avoirdupois, is only 3 ftone, or 42 lb. fish weight. Though I must ob. ferve, that this laft year they were never lefs than 160. a stone, and mostly 25. and 2s. 6d. through the year. [P. S. Jan. 1788. For fome years paft the Tweed Fisheries have been thought to be on the decline, but this laft feafon has lighted up joy and chear fulness on the banks of the Tweed. They have taken more fish; but, for thefe twenty years, in a good feason, they never had better prices.] Qu. V. Are not what we call falmon. trout the young falmon? Anfw. I am now to anfwer your enquiries on our trout, which you commonly call falmon-trout, from a popular opinion that they become falmon, This idea is univerfally deemed illfounded. They are called here white lings, and are certainly a diftinct fpecies of fish. The proprietors of our London fmacks fend them thither in the wells of their veffels, being apartments fo conftructed in the bottom of the fhip as to convey them to Billingigate alive. The whitlings are contracted for by the feafon with the farmers of the fish 129 which they do not fail to do once every day, if not every tide. The whitling is like the falmon in the fcales, fhape, and colour of the fish, Their flavour, when fresh taken, and well-dreffed, is moft delicions; and, I am told, much fuperior to any trout in this kingdom; the much-talked-of Fordwich trout, of the Stour, near Canterbury, not excepted. They are thought here to be peculiar only to the main body of the river Tweed, and not generated in, or frequenting, its branches, as they are feldom feen in the Whitater, the Till, or any of the higher branches of this river. There is in the Tweed another kind of trout, called the bull trout, of a large fize, and proportionably longer than the whitling. This trout is only found in the months of January and February; it is often a dozen pounds in weight, and is fold in London, in thefe early months, for falmon. It is inferior in quality to the whitling, being lefs firm, and of a paler colour. From the above fketch of the hiftory of the falmon, it would appear, that he arrives at a state of perfection and maturity in twelve months. To accomplish which, he goes down twice to refresh and depurate himself in the fea; first, as a fmowte, he becomes a gilfe; fecondly, as a gilfe, he becomes a falmon, Studious as I am of informing myself from the old and judicious fishermen, I do not find that it can be queftioned, whether a fifh of a year old is not mature enough to ftore the river with its own fpecies. This at beft is matter of conjecture only. But, were it not the cafe, when we confider the torrents of rain, hail, and fnow, to which our northern climate is expofed in the winter months, and during which thofe beds of half-formed embryo are fo liable to be fwept away, it must be many years before our rivers could be replenished. May not the bad feafons we have formerly had be attributed to the injuries the river has fuftained in the winter? Mr. URBAN, Winter cot, Herefordfbire, Feb. 19. other day, I was much truck with the fingular verdure that appeared in two or three parts of the ground; and what added ftill more to claim my obfervation, was the peculiarity of its form, which was precifely femicircular, ing waters, at the rate of 6d. a piece, AS I walked over my paitures the large and fmall, when they provide corves, or fmall hulks, full of holes, to lie at the water's-edge, for the fifher men to keep them in, till they are fent for by a double, or boat with a well in it, to convey them to the fmack's well, GENT. MAG. February, 1788. with with a bafe of about four yards, and the curve about half-a-yard in thicknefs. Having ruminated on this phenomenon, it occurred to me, that I had obferved thefe particular parts to have been very prolific of mushrooms or frogftools in the autumn. That thefe fungufes fhould putrify and manure the ground feems not extraordinary; but whence, or by what caufe, they should be produced in this artful form, may be worthy the refearches of the curious. I have fince learned, that thefe figures in the grafs are not uncommon in the country, and are vulgarly called the Fairy's Ring. If your learned correfpondents can give me any light into this matter, the favour will be gratefully acknowledged by Yours, &c. CHA. BERINGTON, TH A CAR D. HE writer of The Effay on the Conftitution of incorporated Boroughs, and the Powers vefted in the Officers who preside over, and manage, their Concerns," fends his molt refpectful compliments to Bradwardin, who publifhed remarks on that Efay, vol. LVI. p. 954-Ereunetes fincerely thanks the Remarker for his candid and judicious corrections of the Eify, and for his pertinent and elegant illuftration and inforcement of its main objects; and chearfully fubjoins his cordial ap CIRCUITS probation of Bradwardin's additional ftrictures on a public and a very ferious evil. Refpe&ing this latter business, Ereunetes hath long thought that (befides the accidental combination of oppreffive magiftrates) the framing of laws, ever fo excellent in themfelves, by the collected wifdom of the whole nation, and then fending them abroad, to be administered by the caprice and refentment of an imperfect and partial individual or two, in different parts of the kingdom, is an evil greatly to be deplored, and for which there appears to be little or no effectual remedy provided. Of late years this evil hath increafed, is ftill increafing, and now, for the fecurity of private property and public liberty, as well as the honour of our most excellent conflitution, it ought either to be quite extirpated, or greatly diminished. Note I. A particular friend to Ereu netes hath fuggefted, within a few days paft, that fome of the leading points, which are difcuffed in the Effay, derive very confiderable illuftration and weight from the late decifions of the Court of King's Bench refpecting the corporation of Yarmouth. Note II. An erratum in the Effay, which Ereunetes wishes to be made, is, that, instead of "QUO WARRANTO," there be infested, by the wholesome feverity of a MANDAMUS." O F THE JUDGES. LENTNORTHERN NORFOLK MIDLAND HOME. CIRCUIT. E. Mansfield L. Loughb LCB Eyre J. Gould. 1788. B. Perryn. J. Afhhurft.B. Thofon J. Grofe. Saturd. Mar. I Monday 3 WESTERN OXFORD. B. Hotham. J. Heath. J. Buller. J. Wilfon. Aylesbury Reading Tuesday 4 Wedneid. Oxford Phænomenon in a Dream accounted for.-Parliamentary Proceedings. 131 Mr. URBAN, Feb. 18. YOUR correfpondent A. T. (vol. LVII. p. 1167) mentions, that a friend of his dreamed he prevented one of the monuments in Weftminster Abbey from falling, by fupporting it with his fhoulder, and, on waking, had a violent pain in that fhoulder and arm, for the recovery of which he went to Bath. As T. feems to think, that the dream was the occafion of the pain; but is it not more reafonable to fuppofe the pain in the shoulder, whilft the perfon was fleeping, occafioned the dream? Yours, &c. T. R. SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT, SESS. V. Debates in the Fifth Seffion of Parliament. (Continued from p. 48.) Monday, December 3. THE eftimates of the army and ord nance for the enfuing year were prefented, the former by the Secretary at War, and the latter by Mr. Aldridge, who gave notice of their intention of fubmitting them to the confideration of the Houfe on this day fe'nnight. Col. Fitzpatrick was of opinion, that the army estimates ought to be printed for the perufal of the members. The Secretary at War could not concur with him, as they were neither complex nor voluminous. Befides, it was contrary to the practice of the Houle, and abfolutely unprecedented. Col. Fitzpatrick replied, that there was a precedent for the printing of the ordnance estimates; and no objection could be urged againft printing thofe of the army, that would not apply with equal force against printing the former; and therefore, prefuming that the House would act confiftently, he fhould move, that the army estimates be printed. The Secretary at Wur oppofed the motion. The practice of the House, he obferved, was founded in wifdom and policy; and he trufted they would not, on the prefent occafion, depart from ancient ufage, unlets fomething of greater weight than he had yet heard thould be urged in juftification of the charge. The motion was rejected without further debate. The Houfe refolved itfelf into a committee of fupply; and, without a fyllable of debate, 6,336,cool. were voted; the particulars of which fum were thus given: Mr. Brett moved in the committee, that there be granted to his Majefty the fame number of feamen for the enfuing, that had been voted for the current, year, that is, 18,000, including 3,600 marines, and that 4 1. per man per month be granted for defraying the expences of the fame (ordnance for the navy excepted), reckoning 13 months in the year. This fupply, which amounted to 936,000 k., being granted, Mr. Rofe moved, that the neceffary fums fhould be granted for taking up and cancelling Exchequer bills iffued for the fervice of the current year, and charged upon the aids of the year 1788, for the following fums: 2,500,000 1.1,500,000--1,500,000--in all 5,500,000l. Thefe fums alfo having been granted without any debate, the House was refumed, when Sir Gilbert Elliot gave notice, that on Tuefday fe'nnight he would move a charge against Sir Elijah Impey. And, in order that he might have proper documents to proceed upon, he moved, that there be laid before the House a copy of a letter from Mr. Haftings and Mr. Barwell to the Court of Directors, dated April 30, 1786. The motion paffed without oppofition. Mr. Fox faid, that Monday next was too early a day for taking into confideration a queftion fo important to this country as the augmentation of the army, particularly as it was to extend beyond the enfuing year, and become part of the permanent military establishment of the kingdom. A fubject of fuch magnitude thould be difcuffed in the fulleft Houfe; and therefore he wished that the confideration of it might be poftponed till after the holidays, unless there was fome preffing caufe for difpatch. Mr. Pitt faid, he earnestly wished that fo important a question fhould be decided upon in the fullest Houfe; and for that reafon, among others, he was defirous that it fhould be brought on before Chriftmas. The King's Speech had announced that fuch a measure was to be introduced, and furely if any necellity exifts for putting our foreign poffethions into a proper posture of defence, we cannot provide too fpeedily for for their fecurity. The regiments deftined for that purpofe could not proceed upon their voyage without the fanction of Parliament; the Houfe would, therefore, agree with him, he prefumed, in rejecting any propofition that had a tendency to procraftination. Mr. Fox acquiefced, although he did not think that a few days delay could be attended with any danger. Mr. Jolliffe moved that the tranfla tion of the treaty with Heffe Caffel be printed for the ufe of the members, that they might have the means of being thoroughly acquainted with the nature of a treaty fo expenfive to their country. Mr. Pitt oppofed the motion, because it was unneceffary, and tended only to create delay. The fubftance of the treaty, which lay upon the table, was within the retention of the weakest memory: gentlemen had only to determine, whether a fubfidy of 36,000l. per ann. was too much to pay for having 12,000 men ready to ferve this country, whenever it was found neceffary to call upon them. The motion was negatived without a divifion. Mr. Fox obferved, that in the Speech from the Throne it was faid, that France had notified to this country her intention of interfering by force in the difputes of Holland; while the counter. declaration pofitively ftated, that no fuch defign had ever been formed by that court. For his own part, he had no doubt of the veracity of the Royal Speech; but still, as it was by the tenour of that notification the Houfe was to form a judgement of the conduct of Minifters in advising the King to arm, it would be abfolutely neceflary that a copy of the notification fhould be laid upon the table. The Houfe would then have an opportunity of deciding upon the state of a tranfaction of which fuch oppofite accounts had been given, by two parties fo very respectable. Mr. Pitt could not concur in the opinion that the production of the notification was neceffary. He did not mean to act as the advocate of the French court, by defending it from the imputation of contradiction; yet he might attempt to reconcile the apparent inconfiftency, by obferving, that the party which ruled Holland before the march of the Pruffians called themfelves the legal and constitutional ftates of the province of Holland; thefe men, on the approach of the Pruffian troops, applied to the moft Chriftian king, as the ally of the republic, for fuccours; and that Monarch, confidering them as the lawful fovereigns of the Province of Holland, promised to protect his allies against a foreign invafion. This he did not deem a departure from the re folution he had formed, not to interfere in the internal difputes of the republic: but the king of Great Britain not acknowledging the ruling party to be the lawful fovereigns of the Province, but, on the contrary, looking upon them as ufurpers of the government, and invaders of the conftitution of the re public, could not view the armed interference of France in any other light than as a defire to fupport a fett of ufur pers against their lawful foverçigns, by affifting one party against the other, and confequently endeavouring to interfere by arms in the internal difputes of that country. In this manner might the variance between the Speech and the counter-declaration be explained and done away. It was of no moment now to enquire into a bufinefs that had, hafpily, been terminated without an interruption of the public tranquillity; it could anfwer no good purpose to inftitute an enquiry which, at prefent, could have no useful object in view, and he thought the attempt not innocent. Mr. Fox fpoke a few words in reply, and concluded with faying, that he would not trouble the Houfe to divide upon his motion. The House then adjourned. Tuesday, December 4. The papers, which Sir Gilbert Elliot had moved for the preceding day, rela tive to the impeachment of Sir Elijah Impey, were prefented from the Indiahoufe. The report of the committee of fupply, on the fums to be granted to his Majesty, for the fervice of the year 1788, was brought up, read, and agreed to by the Houic. Mr. Grenville moved for leave to bring in a bill, for regulating the intercourfe between the island of Newfoundland and the United States of America. When, on the conclufion of the peace, it was found neceffary to regulate the commerce of this ifland, a difficulty of fome magnitude had occurred. In the first place, the policy of this country required that all commercial intercourte between |