tance from the city. We were told it was the celebration of a great feftival, in honour of St. Francis, and was worth our going to fee. Accordingly we arrived juft as the faint made his appearance. He was carried through the croud with vaft ceremony, and received the homage of the people with a becoming dignity; after which, he was again lodged in his chapel, where he performs a number of miracles every day, to all those who have an equal quantity of money and faith. His minifters, however, are a fet of poor greafy capuchins, who indeed do not feem to have enriched themselves in his fervice. In general, he is but a fhabby mafter, if we may judge by the tattered cloaths of his fervants; and St. Benedict, who does not pretend to half his fanctity, beats him all to nothing. The people continued to dance, in foft Sicilian measures, 'till after fun-fet, when they retired. Many of the country girls were extremely handsome, and danced with a good grace; the young fellows were all in their Sunday's cloaths, and made a good affembly. The af fembly-room was a fine green plain, on the top of the hill.

One part of the ceremony appeared to us very odd, upon fuch an occafion. The whole court before the church was fur rounded with a triple row of fmall iron cannon, about fix inches long. These were charged to the muzzle, and rammed very hard; after which, they were fet close to each other, and a train laid, that completed the communication through the whole number, which must have exceeded two thoufand. Fire was fet to the train, and in two or three minutes the whole was difcharged by a running fire, the reports following one another fo quick, that it was impoffible for the ear to feparate them. The effect was very grand; but it would have been nothing without the fine echo from the high mountains on each fide of the trait, which prolonged the found for fome confiderable time after the fire was finished. The view from the top of this hill is beautiful beyond defcription. The ftraits appear like a vaft majestic river, flowing flow between two ridges of mountains, and opening by degrees from its narrowest point, 'till it fwells to the fize of an ocean. Its banks are adorned with rich corn-fields, vineyards, orchards, towns, villages, and churches. The profpect is terminated on each fide by the tops of high mountains, covered with wood.

Having viewed the beautiful harbour of Meflina, we found nothing much worthy of notice in the city. Some of the churches are handfome, and there are a few tolerable paintings. One ceremony, from the account they gave of it, I fhould like much to have feen, and this was the celebration of the fealt of the Vara; but it did not happen at the season we were there.

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In order to add to the dignified appearance of the Virgin Mary on this occafion, they have invented a very curious machine, which, we are told, reprefents heaven, or at least part of it. It is of a huge fize, and moves through the street with vaft pomp and ceremony. In the centre is the principal figure, which reprefents the Virgin; and a little higher there are three others, to denote the trinity. Round thefe are a number of wheels, faid to be of a very curious conftruction. Every wheel contains a legion of angels, according to their different degrees of precedency, feraphims, cherubims, and powers. Thefe are reprefented by a great number of beautiful little children, all glittering in cloaths of gold and filver tiffue, with wings of painted feathers, fixed to their fhoulders. When the machine is fet in motion, all these wheels move round, and the different choir of angels continue in a conftant flutter, finging hallelujahs round the Trinity and the Virgin during the whole of the proceffion, and are faid to make a molt beautiful appearance. This is all f could learn of this fingular fhow; neither were we admitted to fee the machine: confcious, I fuppofe, of the ridicule of which it is fufceptible, they did not chufe to unveil fo facred an object to the eyes of heretics. This ifland has ever been famous for the celebration of its feafts, even in antient as well as in mo dern times.

Further Particulars relative to MESSINA.

MESSINA is fituate at the N. E. end of the island of Sicily, (part of the dominions of his Neapolitan majefty,) which, with the oppofite fhore of Naples, forms a ftrait of about two leagues in breadth, which takes its name from the city. Meffina is not the capital of the island, though it carries on a prodigious trade, and is faid to be the most beautiful and regularly built city of any in the world. The inhabitants are estimated at 94,000, many of whom are merchants, who live in the highest degree of fplendour, equal to the magnificence of the

Eat.

The island of Sicily is one of the greatest granaties in Europe; and it is from this port (which is a very large one, and capable of holding 1000 fail of fhipping,) that grain is fent to Naples, and other parts of Italy, and alfo to Turkey, the Levant, Barbary, &c. Mount Etna is at the back of the city,' about forty miles diftant. An earthquake has generally preceded its violent eruptions, but it has never before done fo much da age as the laft, of which we have received an account.

place

A'

place called Catania, which is nearer Etna, has received dai mage, but not fo confiderable as the city of Meffina.

In Meffina they reckoned forty-two churches, and double the number of convents, which are all elegant structures. Many of the houfes are fronted with a stone resembling marble, which looks uncommonly elegant. The kings of Naples ufually vifit this ifland, with their whole court, once a year, there being a fuperb palace at Palermo.

A certain RADICAL CURE for the SCURVY, which will not coft more than three-pence per Week:

W

T has proved moft effectual in that tormenting diforder, at I tended with irritation, continual blotches in the face, Ge after every other application has failed, and particularly thofe famous expenfive drops, and other noftrums, whofe reputation the writer hereof has found to be much fuperior to their merit. He therefore defires, from the fole principle of humanity, that what he has experienced to be fo great a benefit, may be univerfally known; for it came to his knowledge by mere accident. Two ounces of cream of tartar, one ounce of fulphur one ounce of Ethiops mineral; pound them fine, and mix them in half a pound of treacle, taking half a fpoonful an hour after breakfast, and the fame quantity going to bed. If this fhould prove too much, take it only once in twenty-four hours every evening continue the practice, and the effect will foon demonftrate its utility.

VANITY INSCRIBED ON ALL THINGS.

WH

HAT have we mortals to be proud of in our prefent ftate, when every human glory is fo fugitive and fading? Let the brightest, and the best of us fay to ourselves, that we are but duft and vanity,-Is my body formed upon a graceful ma del? Are my limbs well turned, and my complexion better co loured than my neighbours? Beauty, even in perfection, is of fhortest date; a few years will inform me that its bloom va nishes, its flower withers, its luftre grows dim, its duration fhall be no longer; and if life be prolonged, yet the pride and glory. of it is for ever loft in age and wrinkles. Or perhaps our vanity meets a speedier fate; death and the grave, with a fovereign and irrefiltible command, fummon the brightest as well as the coarfest pieces of human nature to lie down early in their cold embraces, and at laft they must all mix together among worms and corruption.

SHORT ACCOUNT: of the BOUNDARIES of AMERICA, according to the late Ceffions.

people are an able to form an adequate idea of the

MANY extent of the diftricts ceded in America, because the geo

graphy of that-immenfe country is not well known. It will,therefore, not be amifs, to compare the diftricts ceded with those countries with which we are more acquainted. The following measurements are made with the greatest accuracy:

The river Ohio is navigable from Fort Pitt to its mouth, which is a length of 1164 miles...

The lands on the banks of the Ohio, and between the Allogany mountains, the lakes Ontario and Erie,and the Illinois and Miffifippi rivers, contain 233,200 fquare miles, which is nearly equal to Great Britain and France, whofe contents are only 235,237 square miles.

The lands between the Illinois, lakes Huron and Superior, and the Miffiffippi at the Falls of St. Anthony, contain 129,030 fquare miles, nearly equal to Great Britain and Ireland, which contain only 131,800 fquare miles.

The lands from St. Anthony's Falls to the fouth line from the Lake of the Woods to the head of the Miffiffippi, contain 52,000 fquare miles, which is more than all Holland, Flanders, and Ireland, which contain only $7,908 fquare miles.

Eaft Florida alone contains 35,000 fquare miles, and is nearly as large as Ireland, which has only 35,400 fquare miles.

The United States of America contain 207,050 fquare miles, nearly as large as all Germany, Flanders, Holland, and Swit zerland, which contain 207,483 fquare miles.

THE

AN ANECDOTE.

HE chemical preparation for deftroying the hulls and rigging of fhips, faid to be difcovered lately by an ingenious Frenchman, is not a new invention; it may be seen in Boerhave's Chemistry, as tranflated by Shaw forty or fifty years ago. It is there called inextinguishable fire, from the circumftance of its burning under water, and being unquenchable by any thing, except raw hides. As to the matter of balls, that is merely a chimera. The count d'Ache, in the laft war, fet fire to admiral Pocock's fails, in the Eaft Indies, by arrows, with lighted matches twifted round them. But there is a circumstance which does great honour to the magnanimity of Lewis the Fourteenth. An ingenious perfon laid before him an invention fo doing great execution in war. The king told him there we VOL. I. 13. 2 Q contrivances re

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302 tance from the city. We were told it was the celebration of a great festival, in honour of St. Francis, and was worth our going to fee. Accordingly we arrived just as the faint made his appearance. He was carried through the croud with vaft ceremony, and received the homage of the people with a becoming dignity; after which, he was again lodged in his chapel, where he performs a number of miracles every day, to all thofe who have an equal quantity of money and faith. His ministers, however, are a fet of poor greafy capuchins, who indeed do not feem to have enriched themfelves in his fervice. In general, he is but a fhabby mafter, if we may judge by the tattered cloaths of his fervants; and St. Benedict, who does not pretend to half his fanctity, beats him all to nothing. The people continued to dance, in foft Sicilian measures, 'till after fun-fet, when they retired. Many of the country girls were extremely handfome, and danced with a good grace; the young fellows were all in their Sunday's cloaths, and made a good affembly. The af fembly-room was a fine green plain, on the top of the hill.

N

One part of the ceremony appeared to us very odd, upon fuch an occafion. The whole court before the church was fur rounded with a triple row of fmall iron cannon, about fix inches long. These were charged to the muzzle, and rammed very hard; after which, they were fet close to each other, and a train laid, that completed the communication through the whole num ber, which muft have exceeded two thoufand. Fire was fet to the train, and in two or three minutes the whole was discharged by a running fire, the reports following one another fo quick, that it was impoffible for the ear to feparate them. The effect was very grand; but it would have been nothing without the fine echo from the high mountains on each fide of the ftrait, which prolonged the found for fome confiderable time after the fire was finished. The view from the top of this hill is beauti ful beyond defcription. The ftraits appear like a vaft majeftic river, flowing flow between two ridges of mountains, and opening by degrees from its narrowest point, 'till it fwells to the fize of an ocean. Its banks are adorned with rich corn-fields, vineyards, orchards, towns, villages, and churches. The profpect is terminated on each fide by the tops of high mountains, covered with wood.

Having viewed the beautiful harbour of Meflina, we found nothing much worthy of notice in the city. Some of the churches are hand fome, and there are a few tolerable paintings. One ceremony, from the account they gave of it, I fhould like much to have feen, and this was the celebration of the feaft of the Vara; but it did not happen at the feafon we were there.

In