and fubtile kind. Fires in winter are abfolutely neceffary; and the fuel is coal from Great Britain, which you get as cheap as at the pool in London. Be fore an eafterly wind comes on, those who are troubled with rheumatifms, or have had broken limbs, can feel the approach of them. But, fetting afide the Levant winds, there is little inconvenience in the climate. The wind from weft and north-weft is invigorating and refreshing; but it must be confeffed, that the Levant winds are raw, damp, and chilly, and come on with an impenetrable thickness and ftrong gales; but thefe condensed mifts are blown off by the fame continuation of an eafterly wind, particularly if it inclines to the northward of the east, which it generally does: the fky then becomes clear, the heavy clouds are diffipated, the fun fhines bright, and all diftant objects are elevated and brought, as it were, nearer to your fight. pre raltar, fell in with them in a few days, and found both fquadrons drawn up in a line of battle: as he bore down upon the Spanish fleet, the French Admiral fent a flag of truce to inform him, that, as the French and Spaniards were engaged in a joint expedition, he fhould be obliged to act in concert with his mafter's allies. This interpofition prevented an engagement; the combined fleets amounted to double the number of the English fquadron. Similar cafes have fince happened from the Levant into the Atlantic, while our fleet has been at anchor in the Bay of Gibraltar. Vulturs, in their annual flight from Africa into Spain, are diftinétly feen refting upon the fummit of this remarkable mountain, in a clear day, and the wind at weft; but within lefs than half an hour, the wind changing to the eaft, the hill is quite involved in a cloud, "That in thick fhowers this rocky fummit fhrouds, clouds." If a fleet fhould be near the ftraits, when a Levant wind firft fprings up, there is a great chance but it paffes Calpe undifcovered, as it is almoft im- And darkens all the broken view with poffible to fee through the midft of thefe eafterly winds, at their first vailing against the western breeze. Many a fingle ship has baffled the vigilance of the garrifon, and whole fleets have gone through the ftraits in the night, under cover of the Levant clouds, which drop like a curtain before them, as they fail along. Even cruizers in the Gut must give way to the blaft, and be hurried through to the Atlantic Ocean, or return into Gibraltar Bay. Sometimes the fouth-weft winds are attended with thick rainy weather: the Spaniards at Cadiz, waiting the opportunity, have taken the advantage to push through in the night, to join the Mediterranean fquadron: for in 1743, as Admiral Haddock, with twelve hips of the line, was at anchor in the Bay of Gibraltar, the Spanish fleet paffed the Straits in the night and was joined by the French fquadron from Toulon, The British Admiral failing from Gib Snow falls but very feldom, and when it does, it is fo trifing as hardly to be obferved; but the hall often rattles down, being driven by prodigious gufts of wind. Ice is a rarity, yer upon the hill, and very early in the morning, it has been teen the thickness of half a crown. The Grenada moun tains, which are in view, have the fnow lying on them for three months toge ther; and there are fome deep cavities in thofe high mountains, where the fnows have remained for feven years, without being entirely melted; and, indeed, the waters of one of the two rivers, which glide by that once majeftic city, the liberis of the Romans, are the tribute of the Grenadian foows. Thofe branches of the Crefpeda, which fhoot to Tarifa, as if they once intended to have crofied the Straits, have in fome winters, fnow upon them for four." teen teen or fifteen days together; and the very lofty Abila, in Africa, detains the fnows for many days. The winds paffing over the fnowy hills of Spain, are very acceptable to the inhabitants of Gibraltar. Some remarkable days, in fummer, have been fo very hot and close, and the depreffure of the atmosphere has been fo great, that the inhabitants could hardly breathe: one remarkable night in 1752, when each neighbour enquir ed of the other, whether his houfe was not on fire, the heat was fo great, attended with a fulpureous fmell, that the birds forfook their nefts and roofts, the ftreets, there was for upwards of a minute fo total a darkness, that no perfon would venture to advance; but, as if fear had seized them, they called out to each other whom they had feen just before at their fides: from the first ap pearance of the fire-ball to its explofion was about a minute and a half. To the Editor of the Perth Magazine. SIR, The following Story is taken out of Monfieur la Mortraye's Anecdotes of Turkey. and flew into the windows of feveral A Greek Merchant who had lent In 1753, the evening being very fultry, a clear fky, and the ftars fhining with unufual brightnefs, there was plainly feen by most people of the garrifon what is called a ball of fire: it came from the Weft, and fhot to the Eaftward; its fwiftnefs was prodigious: the light of this ball was of a whitish colour, mixed with that blue which fpirits of wine, fet on fire, throw out: by it the atmosphere was enlightened in fuch a fudden and ftrong manner, that feveral people were apprehenfive of a fudden and approaching period by fire; and in this concern they ftood motionlefs: this fire was alfo fo penetrating and fenfible, that it was the opinion of feveral to exceed lightning itself; as it approached from the Weft, it was thought it would strike against the middle of the rock, under the fignal houfe; and therefore, as it fhot over our heads, we dreaded the confequences: however, the Serjeant's guard at the signal-house affirmed, it went over them at a great height; and, after it had fhot up the Mediterranean, it expanded itself into fhivers of fire: the loud report was heard upon the parade in the town, where were several officers and others enjoying the evening upon the green benches: immediately after the great explosion, from that vivid light, that a pin could be feen upon the late King of Sweden (Charles XII.) during his ftay in Turkey, 10,000 Crowns, found himfelf obliged to go to Stockholm to follicit the repayment of his money; while he was there the King was kill'd, and Baron Gork was beheaded; however, the Swedes were fo honourable, as to fatisfy the Merchant, who gave a fhort detail of all these transactions, in a letter which he wrote to one of his particular friends, an officer of the Janizaries at Conftantinople. By fome accident the letter fell into the hands of the Grand Vizier, who, as foon as the Greek returned, ordered him to be feized, and brought before him. The letter was produced and fhewn to the Merchant, which he acknowledged to be of his hand writing. This put the Vizier into the greatest rage, he gave the poor Greek all the foul names that the Turkish language could furnish him with, and then he judged him in this manner-Thy letter is a moft villainous writing, and was defigned to excite the Janizaries to murder me. In the first place, I do not believe, that there was any fuch man as Gortz; but if there was such a man, how durft thou, you dog, compare me to an unbeliever; when there could not poflibly be the leaft refemblance between us. Gortz was the minifter of a petty prince -I am the lieutenant of the greateft monarch in the world, the prop of the Ottoman Empire, and the guardian of the Sultan. Doft thou not fay here, Thou Bloodhound, that Gortz was beheaded at Stockholm, in the face of the feene before: And douchtie Scottis Lairds fall bee faft fee'd to bere huge Inglis Packis Then fall cum to pass and fikkerly be ftablift The Third Union. and al Parties fall bee nae mair. MAGAZINE. fun at noon-day, (this it feems was the To the PRINTER of the PERTH exprefion in the merchant's letter) Is not this plainly to intimate to the Janizaries that they ought to butcher me at *Stamboul in the face of the fun, at noon-day? for Stockholm and Stamboul and Stamboul and Stockholm A N S W E R Required to a Cafe of CONSCIENCE. is the fame thing. But to prove thy AFTER receiving a religious eduwicked meaning beyond a difpute, who, befides thy felf, moft audacious mifcreant, ever pretended to say, that the fun fhines in any place at noon, out of the empires and kingdoms of the faithful mufulmen? having fpoke this, he feized all the Merchant's effects, and commanded a flave to ftrike off his head. cation under the eye of the best of parents, I was fent an apprentice to a merchant. When my time was out, I fet up in business, with a strong inclination to make money by all lawful means; which you know is a duty required in the eighth commandment, Mat. vi. v. 19, 20. but as my ftock is moderate, I find it will be a long time before I can attain to the end fo much defired by fair trade, now when it is fo thread bare. ̈· By muggling, a man has indeed a chance to make a fortune in a fhort Mr time; but unluckily for me; the noimpreffed on my young heart, fick fo tions of right and wrong, which were clofe to me that I cannot get rid of fome foolish fcruples about it. Printer, I have tried every method to get free of them, as they crofs both my intereft and inclination, but in vain. I must even acknowledge with fhame, that contrary to conviction, I ventured to fmuggle two or three parcels of goods; being very lucky the profit I made contributed not a little to clear up my doubts; but foon found that a fmall touch of fickness or even a clap of thunder, brought them back with double force and made me truly miferable; becaufe guilty. I am now obliged, Mr. Printer, to apply to you, in hopes that fome of your correfpon See the answer to what is required in the Eight commandment; Shorter Catechifm. dents dents will take the trouble to confider my cafe and give their best advice: but as they cannot remove fcruples without knowing them, I beg leave to tell you and them, that two things in fmuggling bear very hard upon me. First, I cannot help thinking that it is defrauding the king of his due; which is theft. Second, It is attended with perjury in the Officers of Cuftoms, who must be fome way privy to it; and of the fhip mafter who in his report fwears, that in it, is a true account, not only of all packages, but of the confignments in this cargo, and that he has not broken bulk. Now, Sir, it is evident to me, in my prefent way of thinking, that if I defire a fhipmafter to give in a falfe report; or the cuftomhoufe officers to let any of my goods pafs without pay ing the legal duty; I have not only a band in their damnation, but being art and part with them in their crime, I infure my own, there, there, Mr Printer, lies my great ftrait. Some advocates for fmuggling, fay, there is very little in a cuftomboufe oath: but when I read the conclufion of one: So help me God; which I explain thus; fo may God deal with me now and hereafter, as I tell truth in this matter: I think there is much in it. Others plead, that God will not call men to an account for thofe caths, but I fuppofe they are miitaken; if they be, I may join in the Ι prayers of a friend of mine: Lord have mercy on poor fhipmafters, tide waiters PO E TR Y. For the PUBLISHER of the PERTH MAGAZINE. Ye've English plain enough nae doubt, Gin ever ye come here awa', About a riglength frae Coolfa, We's treat ye, lad, for doing fae weel, The gate to grow Rich: Fe'er ye houp to rife aboon the lave, IF Ye maunna to your Confcience be a flave; Whatever wins a penny, that think right, And ha'd a' foolish feuples out o' fight:, Some mair than ord'nar' luck maan gie a hitch, If your o'er fcrup❜lous fowk s'ou'd e'er be rich, Nae doubt o't honefty at times is right, But honeft fowk ftand aft in their ain light: Strive to be rich, and honeft if ye can, But mind that to be rich is ftill your plan. Ilk' penny as your faul be fure to prize, In this the art o' getting riches lies': Only Gude-name and Craig keep free frae fkaith, Be wylie here, wife fowk wa'd hain them baith. When ye've won filler, fomething's ftill behind, That it's right ill to keep it, ye will find; To hird it then, employ your griteft. Be na o'er tender hearted to the poor, But whan they feik an a'ms, e'en fteik the door; On Sunday's gie a farding to the plate, Its walth for you-and mair than they will get, Part o' your farding, out at int'reft laid, S'all be a flock the unborn poor to feed; And for their meat and claife ye pay right dear, Wha generously gi'hale threteen pence a year! About your back and belly be ná nice, Extravagance o' ilka kind's a vice. Wafhing waftes faip,maybe your farks might tear, And o'er aft brushing claife but gars Eat feldom-and eat nought but hames ly fare, And Self-denial ca't, a virtue unco rare. Nae doubt ye'll be religious,-It's a cloak |