thematical Geography, Dialling, Navigation, and Chronology. In p. 441. Mr. B. afferts that there is an error of three days in our Chronology, and that the difference between the Julian and Gregorian Calendars ought to have been thirteen days instead of ten, when this latter was introduced in 1582. That our readers may be enabled to form fome judgment of this matter, we shall obferve that the Council of Nice fixed in the year 325, the vernal Equinox on the 21st of March. Now from the year 325 to 1582 are 1257 years, and reckoning 111 12" annually as the error of the Julian Calendar, we have very nearly 10 days, which would, indeed, be ftill more accurate at the distance of 1285, 71 years: and, in effect, the vernal Equinox fell, as Mr. B. himself allows, on the 11th of March at the epoch of the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar. But Mr. B. inftead of reckoning from the period of the Council of Nice goes back to that of the introduction of the Julian Calendar, or to the 44th year before the Christian era, which would indeed produce the difference pointed out by him. The only inference which can be drawn from this circumftance is, that at the time when Julius Cæfar introduced his Calendar, the vernal Equinox did not fall on the 21ft of March, but a few days later, whereas it was intended that the Gregorian Calendar fhould not be regulated by Cæfar's Equinox, but by that of the Synod at Nice. Ibid. ATR. 67. Verfuch einer Gefchichte der Artzney-Kunde von Sprengel.— Effay towards an hiftory of Medicine by Sprengel. Tom. I. 480. pp. Svo, Halle, 1793. In this work the author certainly has attended to a number of interefting objects which had efcaped the notice of his predeceffors, Blumenbach, Ackerman, and Metzger; and which have contributed effentially to the perfection of the fcience. While therefore we are ready to allow him that praife to which these important additions give him an undoubted claim, we must at the fame time obferve that his readers would, perhaps, have been more fatisfied if he had been lefs prolix in the account which he has given of them. Goetting. Anzeig. ART. 68. Francifci de Paula Schrank &c. Primitia Flore Salfourgenfis c. 8vo. 240. pp. with Plates. Frankfort on the Main, and Strafburg. The Archbishopric of Salzburg abounds in high mountains and thick forefts: its landscapes are agreeably diverfified, and the environs of the capital exhibit the most beautiful views. Profeffor Schrank has examined all thefe mountains and forefts with the most scrupulous diligence, for the purpose of defcribing the different fpecies of plants which they produce. According to the general eftimation the extent of the principality of Saltzburg is about 140 fquare German miles. In a differtation on the difference between plants and animals prefixed to this work, the author fhows the analogy of certain fpontaneous motions obfervable in particular plants. There is unquestionably a confiderable and very impofing degree of relation between plants and animals, and again between thefe latter and minerals; notwithstanding which the diftance between plants and animals is certainly immenfe. To feel, difcern, and act, are properly animal func tions, whereas to grow and reproduce themfelves is merely to vegetate. One One of the plants lately difcovered, of which a defcription and draw. ing are here given by Profeffor Schr. is the Aftragalus pubefcens; and among the rare plants, the number of which in this Flora is very great, we have remarked the Potentilla Salisburgenfis. This had already been defcribed by Haenk in the fecond volume of the beautiful collection of Jacquin. This Flora is arranged agreeably to the fexual fyftem of Linnæus, with the improvements of Thunberg. To the generic characters fucceed the individual names with the botanic terminology of the Swedish naturalift, of which Profeffor Schr. had already availed himself in his Bavarian Flora, to which he conftantly refers, adding sometimes the fynonyma from other eminent botanists. He then marks the places in which the plants are produced, and gives fuch other information as he judges to be of importance to the science. ibid. ART. 69. Schranks Bayerifcke Flora zu bequemen Gebrauche als Tasch enbuch, in tabellarische Form gebracht, mit einigen Verbefferungen. Schrank's Bavarian Flora, printed in a portable form, and reduced into tables, with fome corrections. Regenfpurg, 1793. 8vo. Whatever the advantage to be derived from the new arrangement of this work may be, we are forry to obferve that the corrections are few, and that the manner in which the work is executed is, upon the whole, fuch as proves the anonymous author to have been very imperfectly qualified for the undertaking. ibid. ART. 70. Nine only of the minor Prophets are illuftrated in this volume, the remaining three being referved for the next. The method obferved by the author is the fame as in the former volumes. First, a general, and, as we think, too fhort an introduction to all the twelve Prophets, which is followed by a particular account of each, and by the commentary itfelf. The diligence ufed by the author in felecting the best materials from the exifting Exegetical writers on thefe Prophets, is evinced by the copious lift of commentators on each, which have been read by him for that purpose. We are not to expect many new remarks in this work, as the author does not pretend to do any thing more than merely to tread in the steps of his predeceffor. The critical notes are here placed under the text of the expofition. In Hofea ii. 11. the lection is retained in oppofition to Kühnöl and others, who would wish to fubftitute o in its ftead. The author might have availed himself of the authority of Auriuillivs, who has published a valuable effay on the various readings in Hofea (Differtat. Gött. 1790, p. 594, fqq) with which he appears to be unacquainted, as he might alfo of the Repertorium of Eichhorn, and of a Sylloge Differtationum which appeared at Leyden and Leewaarden in 1772. Mr. B. does not undertake to afcertain the time in which Joel lived. It is remarkable, that on the Prophet Amos no commentary, nor any work immediately intended to explain that book, has been written fince the year 1763, which certainly ought not to be attributed to the inferior importance of the writings of that Prophet. On Chapter ix. 12. no various reading is mentioned, nor any explanation differing from from that generally received. In Obadiah, the author has chiefly followed Dr. Schnurrer. In the word, v. 20, which he profeffes not to understand, Mr. Zirkel, of Würzburg, who imagines that he has difcovered fome traces of Greek terms and idioms in the Book of Ecclefiaftes, would, perhaps, have found the word AIAПOPA, James i. 1. 1 Pet. i. 1. The Book of Jonah is here confidered as a moral fable. Nahum does not defcribe the first, but the fecond, conqueft of Niniveh, byCyaxares and Nabopalaffar. With respect to Habakkuk, our author does not believe him to have been contemporary with the Babylonian captivity, but to have foretold it in the fpirit of prophecy. In his explanation of the 3d Chapter of this prophecy, Mr. B. fometimes follows Schnurrer, and at others other commentators. P. 479. 1. pen. where he observes, after Schnurrer, that nn props eft infolentior conftrutio, and proposes to read instead of p, we should venture to fubftitute nn confernatio, terror. Compare Job vi. 21. Jena Littz. ART. 71. P. Dominici Schram Benedictini Banthenfis, SS. Theoet SS. Canonum Profeff. Emeriti Analyfis Operum SS. Patrum et Scriptorum Ecclefiafticorum, Tomus X. continens Opera Jacobi Nifi. beni, Julii Firmici Materni, S. Orfiefii Abb. Salernenfis, S. Serapionis Epifcopi Thmueos, S. Cyrilli Archiepifc. Hieros. S. Hilarii, Pictavorum Epifc. cum duplici Indice, uno Operum, altero rerum memorabilium. Tomus XI. continens Opera Zenonis, Epifc. Veron. S. Phœbadii, Aginn. Epifc., Titi, Epifc. Boftrenfifs, S. Optati, Epifc. Milevit. Luciferi, Epifc. Calaritani, S. Ephraem Syri, &c. Tomus XII. continens Opera, Supplementa ad Opera, S. Ephraem Syri, et S. Bafilii Cæfareæ Cappadoc. Archiep. Opera omnia, &c. Tom. XIII. continens Opera S. Gregorii Nazianzeni, Didym. Alexand. S. Amphilochii Epife. Icon. et S. Damafi, Pape, &c. Tomus XIV. continens Opera S. Gregorii, Epifc. Nyfjeni. Tom. XV. con inens Opera SS. Macarii Ægyptii, Paciani Epifcopi, Ifaiæ Abbatis, Nemefi, Epifc., Philaftrii, Epifc., Hieronymi Græci, Evai grii Pontici, Martini Epifc. Turouens., Theophili, Epifc. Alexandr. &c. Augsburg. Large 8vo. In this work are analyfed all the writings, whether important or otherwife, of the authors whofe names are specified in the title, which will, at leaft, be fufficient to prove the great zeal and indefatigable industry of the perfon by whom the compilation was made. But as on the one hand the real fcholar will ftill find it neceffary to have recourse to the originals themselves, and as on the other, this work muft unavoidably be extended to double its prefent length, which will certainly make it too voluminous for common readers, we must own that we do not fee that Mr. Sch. has by this publication rendered any very effential fervice to either. Iena Littz. PORTUGAL. ART. 72. Defcripçan Topografica e Hiftorica da Cidade de Porto, feita por Agofliaho Rebello da Colta. Porto. 374 pp. in 8vo. With a Chart of the Province Entre Douro e Minho, and Views of the City of Oporto. In this work, which is fcarcely inferior to any thing of the kind that has come under our notice, we me with a very full and fatisfac tory tory defcription of this important commercial town, with an account of its hiftory, principal buildings, population, civil and religious eftablifhment, manufactures, and trade. In the province Entre Douro e Minho, of which the extent in fquare miles is not ascertained, we are informed that 750,000 communicants inhabit 217,000 houses. The re are likewife in this province 1519 parishes, 200 convents, as alfo 3000 hermitages and places of pilgrimage. The principal manufacture of this province, and, indeed, of the whole kingdom, confifts in linen cloths, which brings in annually about two millions of crufades, though the flax or hemp required for them is not produced in the country itfelf. In the town of Oporto are 15,138 houfes, and 63,505 inhabitants, according to a calculation made in the year 1787, who daily confume in wheat, and other grain of which bread is made, 5500 algueires, and of wine yearly 18,000 pipes. Of stock fish, the author tells us that there were imported from England, in 30 months, 150,000 hundred weight. We pafs over the author's defcription of the churches, convents, hofpitals, &c.; that of da Mifericordia expends very confiderable fums in the fupport of the poor, of fick persons, and of orphans particularly in medicines, a fum not lefs than fix millions of rees it has likewife the fuperintendance of the foundling hofpital, into which about goo children are annually taken, and which is attended with an expence of between 18 and 19 millions of rees. From Brafil, in 1785, were brought into Oporto 939 chefts and 373,249 arrobas of fugar, of rice 33,719 facks, and 45,385 cwt., and of cotton 1188 cwt. only. Nor are the exports lefs confiderable, confifting chiefly of three millions of yards of linen-cloth, 400,000 hats, 80,000 yards of Portuguefe woollen-cloths, 4000 pipes of wine, 130,000 yards of filk, Sc. The author has likewife prefented his readers with a table, exhibiting the principal articles of trade and manufacture, exported to England, and the Northern kingdoms, in the year 1786 and 1787. The ropeyards, we are told, employ here 13,000 perfons, and require annually 8000 cwt. of hemp. The manufacture of tobacco and fnuff, in conjunction with that of Lifbon, produces annually to the State a net income of 2,400,000 crufades. Mr. da C. gives a very circumftantial account of the company of wine-merchants de alto Douro, to which, he fays, that Portugal is chiefly indebted for its extenfive commerce in that article, and by which the adulteration of wine is in a great measure prevented. The best wines only, which are manufactured in certain diftricts, are exported, whilft thofe of an inferior quality are confumed within the country itfelf. This company has the exclufive privilege of vending wine, by wholefale and retail, not only in the town, but likewife in a circuit of four miles round it; that of felling brandy in the three provinces of Minho, Beira, and Traz os Montes; as alfo the direction of the exportation of this laft article to Brafil. Their fund confifts of 1,620,000 crufades, and they vend every year, in wine and brandy, between 30 and 40,000 pipes. The two diftricts on the Douro produce annually 60,000 pipes. GEOLOGICAL GEOLOGICAL LETTERS. LETTER V. To PROFESSOR BLUMEN BACH, By M. DE LU C. (Concluded.) On the Birth of our Continents, and the Proofs of the fmall antiquity of that Epoch. LONG the fame coafts, where we have feen new lands ad 34. ALONG fame coal, we alle meet with fleep cliffs, against which the fea has exercised, and in many places ftill exercifes a deftructive action; and this is what has been alledged as a proof that the fea is flowly demolishing our continents. I fhall fay nothing of the rocky coafts, because in them we difcover no effect of the sea: these rocks are mostly covered with fea-weeds and shells-a proof that the Sea has no power over them. I fhall then only speak of thofe fteep coafts on which the sea has fome power, as, from their nature, they are fubject to crumble down from the effect of external caufes. These places were at first, either narrow capes, which opposed themselves to the currents of the fea and its waves, or original cliffs, which remained fo at that revolution wherein the Jea changed its bed; owing to the fame caufe that has produced fo many fuch fections in the interior parts of our continents, namely the finking of the reft of the ftrata. Now I fhall explain what have been the confequences of that original ftate of fome parts of the coafts, what is the power of the fea over them, and how it will every where terminate. 35. All the points of land which opposed the courfe of the waves and currents of the fea, were attacked by them, and all the original cliffs began to crumble down: but the fea carried the fmall materials along the fhores, and depofited them in all the creeks and small boys; by which this bottom became raised, and many were filled up; at the fame time that the groffer materials collected at the feet of the cliffs (whether new or original) raifed alfo there the bottom of the fea. As foon as a frand begins to appear at low tide along any |