vailed, the weather was warm and dry, and the air was very little agitated with wind." For the first three or four weeks, during which time the fever was extending itself to all parts of the city, and the mortality had reached to 16 or 17 perfons in a day, the people were unwilling to believe it was of an infectious nature. But the disease continuing its ravages, and the mortality increafing, its contagious nature became too obvious to be any longer doubted. During the month of September, the amount of the deaths increased from 18 or 20, to 60, 70, 80, and 90, in a day. And in the middle of October, when the disease was at its height, from 100 to 120 in a day. At one time, the author thinks, there were not fewer than 6000 perfons confined by the fever. The number deftroyed by it, was 4044. On the 15th of October, the ftate of the air was altered, the clouds, we are told, dropped health in fhowers of rain, which continued during the whole day, and were fucceeded, for feveral nights afterwards, by cold and froft. The mortality did not immediately ceafe, but few died after that time, who had not been previously infected. On the 9th of November the peftilence ceafed. The author laments the diffenfions that prevail among the physicians at Philadelphia, relative to the nature, caufe, and mode of treating the disease. This, by distracting the minds of the inhabitants, and deftroying their confidence in the remedies that were employed, added, he thinks, much to the fatality of the fever. On this controverfy, which appears from Dr. Rufh's account, to have been carried on with acrimony, and to have occafioned diffenfions that are not likely to be foon appeafed, it would be improper in us at prefent, to give an opinion; as there can be no doubt, but fome one of the opponents to the author's theory will publish an answer, and we fhall probably thence obtain a more diftinct and complete account of the difeafe, than we think can be gathered from the work before us. The oppofition in opinion, among the phyficians, was very remarkable; the one party declaring, that the disease, in the very commencement, was highly putrid and infectious, fcarce admitting the mildeft evacuants; while Dr. Rufh, on the other fide contended, that it was to the highest degree inflammatory, and only to be fuccefsfully combated by repeated bleedings, and ftrong draftic purges. When this method was followed, in the beginning of the difeafe, the Dr. fays, it was facarcely atended with more danger than a catarrh, or the meaftes. This language is doubtlefs too strong. A difeafe that might be fubdued with fo much ease and certainty, could never have been rendered fo inftantaneously fatal, by the exhibition of only ⚫ fifteen drops of the tincture of opium, which the author fays he faw happen. But that wine and other cordials, bark, camphor, and opium, administered in the early ftage of the fever, as was practifed by fome of the phyficians, might be highly mifchievous, and add to the fatality of the difeafe, we readily join the author in believing. ART. VI. Some Information refpecting America, collected by Thomas Cooper, late of Manchefter. 8vo. 240 pp. 45. Johnson. 1794. WHEN this book was firft announced, we were inclined to confider Meffis. Imlay and Cooper as two rival auctioncers, or rather two fhow-men, ftationed for the allurement of incautious paffengers: "Pray ladies and gentlemen, walk in and admire the wonders of Kentucky."-" Pray ftop and fee the incomparable beauties of the Sufquehanna." Mr. Imlay being agent for the difpofal of landed property in Kentucky, and Mr. Cooper a large contractor for land on the Sufquehanna. But we fince learn, from common report, that Mr. C. has diffolved his contract, the lands not being found at all to anfwer the expectations of the intended fettlers. Mr. Cooper left this country, to which he now profetles to return only to take final leave, chiefly on the following motives, which he fo explains that we fhall let him fpeak for himself. "Perhaps fome part of my predilection for America may be juftly attributed to my political prejudices in favour of the kind of government established there. It certainly does appear to me preferable to the prefent British government; an being convinced (as I am) that the majority of the people in this country are of an oppofite opinion, and not being an advocate for propagating liberty by the bayonet, or terrifying a nation into freedom by the guillotine, I clue for this alfo, among other eatens, to quit a country whofe politics I cannot approve. "I believe the fame inducement will have its weight with many others in Great Britain; and, in my humble opinion, it will contribute, not only to the happinets of individuals, but to the peace of the country, to give free vent to the perturbed (pirit of the nation, rather than by compreffure and confinement to increate the political acrimony already too prevalent in this iiland." Pref. p. 4. We We certainly think it more honourable to leave a country than to disturb it. To the thinking part of the nation, however, there will not appear in the publication before us very strong allurements to emigration. On the contrary, Englishmen will be aftonifhed to find that, while the comforts and conveniences of life are scarcely to be obtained at all in America, and at the best, at an enormous expence, the price of common neceffaries, in any of the populous parts of that country, is not much below that which they bear in the populous parts of Britain, and much higher than in the remote parts of the kingdom, and particularly in Wales. At New-York, for inftance, the price of board and lodging is 40s. per week, exclufive of wine; and though our author hints, that inferior accommodations may be obtained fomewhat cheaper at Philadelphia, we can affert (from our own knowledge) that living is equally expenfive, and houfe-rent in both places, as dear as in London, or any of the great towns in England. The following extract will ferve to fhow the state of things more to the fouthward. PUBLISHED RATES AT THE EAGLE TAVERN, RICHMOND, IN VIRGINIA. "Breakfast 2s. currency, i. e. 1s. 6d. fterling. "Dinner, with grog or toddy, 35. currency, i. e. 2s. 3d. fter ling. Cold fupper 2s. currency, i. e. 1s. 6d. fterling. "A bottle of porter 2s. 6d. currency, i. e. 1s. 10 d. fterling. 66 A quart of punch the fame. "A quart of toddy 1s, 6d. currency, i. e. 1s. 1d. "A quart of grog 15d. currency, i. e, 11d. "A bed-room furnished, if above ftairs, 1s. 6d. i. e. 131d, fter. ling. Horfes kept at livery 3s. (25. 3d. fteriing) per 24 hours: fervants 35. (2s. 3d. fterling) per day." P. 96. At Albany, which every reader knows is an inland fituation, and at a confiderable distance from New-York, the prices are-butter 15d. a pound, beef 5d. cheefe gd. pork 5d.These prices are indeed in currency, but ftill they are high. At a farm about eight miles from Albany, we learn. "Prices of provifions hereabout, and at Skenectady (which is inhabited chiefly by Dutch), beef 3d. cheese 9d. butter 15d. apples 2s. 6d. a bufhel, wheat 8s. ditto. "About ten miles beyond Skenectady, up the Mohawk river, beef 245. per cwt. pork 6d. alb. turkies 2s. 6d. geefe 2s, 6d. Fowls 15d. butter is. falt 145, per bufhel, cheese gd. a lb. wheat 7s. a bushel, wood wood 6s. a cord. Wages of a labourer 2s. 6d. to 3s. in fummer, and is. to 2s. in winter; carpenters 2s. 6d. mafons 3s. befides victuals. P. 142." It is evident that a principal cause for the dearness of provifions, &c. is the high price of labour; but even of this the poor are not enabled to take advantage. There are no manufactures, no room for the exertion of arts, no scope to industry, but in one particular line, hufbandry; and even in that there is little profpect of the poor man attaining independence, as farms are not ufually let out to rent ; but a large capital is required to purchafe the ground, and afterwards to clear it. Under these circumstances there appears to be but little encouragement for emigration. The man of fortune, befides relinquishing his old connections, the pleasant haunts of his youth, the cheerful scenes which had enlivened his gayeft and moft happy hours, muft alfo make a large furrender of those comforts and advantages which he enjoys in a more advanced ftate of fociety; the merchant or manufacturer will find little room for the exertion of his talents or his fpirit; and the artift no encouragement for his ingenuity. Every man who goes to America muft drudge on in the beaten track of hufbandry, and even in that, those who have adventured know there is confiderable rifk, efpecially to those who are new to the employment; and confequently to thofe alfo who are unacquainted with the modes of tillage adapted to the country. This publication may therefore be faid truly to contain fuch information as may be useful to thofe inclined to emigrate ; most useful, perhaps to themselves if it divert that inclination : ufeful certainly if they depart, because the author has been taught by experience; and, as he fays, has inferted nothing but what he should have been glad to know when he went out. The Commercial Tables, &c. will be useful, we should conceive, to many perfons who do not think of quitting England. ART. VII. M'Kenna's Political Effays. [Concluded from Vol. IV. p. 611] IN gaged gaged him to confider. With respect to the established church, the members of the Romish communion are diffenters: and they will make a common caufe with all other diffenters, in points of intereft, as far as their religious opinions permit them. The weight of two thirds of the inhabitants of Ireland, added to the diffenting intereft in parliament, muft greatly endanger the fecurity of the poffeffions belonging to the establishment; if before there exifted any certain figns of its being weakened. Now one unequivocal fign of that kind exifts: the tithe of fatted bullocks and cows, must be a very valuable part of the income of that church; and it is vefted by the law of the land, in the incumbent of each parish. The Irith Houfe of Commons, fome years ago, paffed a vote declaring every lawyer an enemy to his country, who fhould be, in any way whatever, concerned in any caufe, for the recovery of fuch tithe. Now as the legiflators of one of the three eftates, have already forbidden the execution of a law, unrepealed, unfufpended, and neceffary to the fupport of one branch of the legal poffeffions of the establishment; in terms which feem to call upon the multitude, to take upon themfelves the punishment of all contraventions of their prohibition; it may furely be thought not without danger to that inftitution, to add any weight to an influence, which has been able to carry its attack so far: even although the new allies of this party, fhould come fomewhat fhort of Mr. M'K's. idea of perfect juftice; which is "to leave to heaven, whom they profefs to honour, the care and fecurity of religious eftablishments." Some arguments, to fhow that dangers of this kind may arife from the emancipation of the Roman catholics, Mr. M'K. rejects, as the fame with thofe that were advanced against the repeal of the test act; which he fays the experience of fourteen years has fhown to be groundless. Into the merits of the question, we fhall not here enter to the conclufiveness of this reafoning, an exception may be taken. A member of the establishment would fay, "Time or violence may difplace a block of marble from the pedeftat of a column; and, contrary to expectation, it may continue to ftand: but it cannot be on that ground alone urged, that if the bafis be further weakened to a confiderable degree, it will not fall." But Mr. M'Kenna's appeal to experience may be met more directly, by thowing that the effects of this repeal, be they more or less, have been fufpended during the whole term, by the operation * Young's Tour, v. 2. p. 186. 4 of |