and brought to even much greater perfection than it is now, by Gabriel Stone, Esq. of Somerset Farm, near Axbridge, in Somersetshire, and that this worthy country gentleman, who constantly resided on his estate, rendered the road from Axbridge to Huntspil, and beyond, always as smooth as a bowlinggreen, dry, firm, and effectual; insomuch that stage-coachmen have told me, when passing over it, that it was too good, as it made both coachman and horses careless, so that they oftener tripped on this than on a worse way. Now, all this he effected, as he has often told me, at a much less expence than it had cost formerly, merely by breaking the limestone small, draining carefully, and attending to the most minute repairs, by means of aged paupers, and little heaps of fine gravel of Îimestone, which they applied by means of the wheelbarrow, to the slightest inequalities produced by accident or a shower of rain. Of his methods he was always communicative, and for many years during his life performed all these services gratuitously for the public, with a cheerfulness and liberality that I have seldom seen equalled in any man. The ground I speak of is almost a dead level, through a clayey and A marshy country, with ditches of great G. CUMBERLAND. PLAGIARISMS OF LORD BYRON.-(Concluded from our last.) 53. ND first one universal shriek there Louder than the loud ocean, like a crash hush'd, Save the wild wind and the remorseless dash "Twas a rough night, and blew so stiffly That the sail was becalm'd between the seas, them wet, And made them bale without a moment's ease. 61. "the long boat still Kept above water, with an oar for mast, Two blankets stretch'd together, answering ill Instead of sail, were to the oar made fast : 62. "The sun rose red and fiery, a sure indication of a severe gale of wind,”—“ We could do nothing more than run before the sea," "I served a tea-spoonful of rum to every person." Voyage of Capt. Bligh, &c. 63. "As our lodging was very wretched and confined for want of room, I endeavoured to remedy this defect by putting ourselves at watch and watch; so that one half always sate up, while the other half lay down in the bottom of the boat, with nothing to cover us but the heavens." ib. 66. "The love of life, which, I believe, was never exhibited." 70, 71. "Now, however, when Mr. Byron was at home with his dog, a party came to the door, telling him. their necessities were such, that they must eat the dog, or starve. In spite of Mr. B.'s desire to preserve the faithful animal, they took him away by force, and killed him. Thinking he was entitled to a share, he sat down and partook of their repast. Three weeks afterwards, recollecting the spot where the dog was killed, he went to it, and was glad to make a meal of the paws and skin." Loss of Wager man of war. 73, 74. "And again being driven to distress for want of food, they soaked their shoes, and two hairy caps which were among them, in the water; which being rendered soft, each partook of them. But day after day having passed, and the cravings of hunger pressing hard upon them, they fell upon the horrible and dreadful expedient of eating each other, and to prevent any contention about who should become the food of others, they cast lots." Narrative of the dreadful catastrophe of the ship Thomas, of Liverpool, in 1797. 75, 76, 77. When he on whom the lot fell, with manly fortitude resigned his life, with the persuasion of his body becoming the means of existence to his companions in distress, but solicited that he might be bled to death, (the surgeon being with them, and having his case of instruments in his pocket when he left the ship); no sooner had the fatal instrument touched the vein, than the operator applied his parched lips and drank of the blood that flowed. ib. 79. "Those who glutted themselves with human human flesh and human gore, and whose stomachs retained the unusual food, soon perished with raging insanity. ib. Some struggled hard, and died in great agony but it was not always those, whose strength was most impaired, that died the easiest, though in some cases it might be so. I particularly remember the following instances:- Mr. Wade's boy, a stout, healthy lad, died early, and almost without a groan; while another of the same age, but of less promising appearance, held out much longer. The fate of these unfortunate boys differed also in another respect, highly deserving of notice. Their fathers were both in the foretop, when the boys were taken ill. The father of Mr. Wade's, hearing of his son's illness, answered, that "he could do nothing”—and left him to his fate. The other, when the accounts reached him, hurried down, and watching for a favourable moment, crawled on all fours along the weather gun wale, to his son, who was in the mizen rigging: by that time only three or four planks of the quarter-deck remained, just over the weather-quarter gallery; and to this spot the unhappy man led his son, making him fast to the rail, to prevent his being washed away. Whenever the boy was seized with a fit of reaching, the father lifted him up, and wiped away the foam from his lips; and if a shower came, he made him open his mouth to receive the drops, or gently squeezed them into it from a rag. In this affecting situation, both remained four or five days, till the boy expired. The unfortunate parent, as if unwilling to believe the fact, raised the body, gazed wishfully at it, and when he could no longer entertain any doubt, watched it in silence, till it was carried off by the sea; then wrapping himself up in a piece of canvass, sunk down and rose no more, though he must have lived two The joy at a speedy relief affected us all in a most remarkable way. Many burst into tears; some looked at each other with a stupid stare, as if doubtful of the reality of what they saw, while several were in such a lethargic condition, that no consolation, no animating words, could rouse them to exertion. At this affecting period, I pro-, posed offering up our solemn thanks to Heaven for the miraculous deliverance. Every one cheerfully assented. I opened my prayer book. Loss of Lady Hobart packet. 99. After having suffered the horrors of hunger and thirst for some days, they providentially took a small turtle whilst floating asleep on the surface of the water. Narrative of the ship Thomas, of Liverpool. 104. They discovered land right a-head, and steered for it, and ran close in for the shore. There being a very heavy surf, they endeavoured to turn the boat's head to it, which, from weakness, they were unable to (complete A reef between them also now began spray, But finding no place for their landing better, They ran the boat for shore, and overset her. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. I SIR, HAVE been much pleased with the sensible observations of W. P. in No. 354, p. 415, of your deservedly popular and esteemed Miscellany, on the best form of that useful instrument the spade. As your correspondent does not seem to be aware of the fact, it will give me pleasure to inform him through the medium of your pages, that a spade similar to the figure which bears that name on playing-cards, and which he describes as being used in the north of England and Scolland for raising turf, is exclusively employed in the operations of gardening and agriculture in some of the western parts of England. It is a singular circumstance that the negroes of Western Africa have a spade of nearly a similar shape; as we find, in an engraving given of it in that portion of the entertaining series now publishing by Ackerman, under the title of The World in Miniature, relating to Africa. "It is worthy of remark,” says the editor, "that a spade, nearly resembling in shape the implement used by the negroes, is also common in some parts of our own country, for instance, Cornwall. The latter only differs from the other in this respect, that it forms a longer triangle, and it is furnished with a long straight handle, like that of the Africans. This spade, at first sight, has an uncouth appearance, but it is said to be much more convenient than the ordinary kind, especially because the length of the handle relieves the labourer from the necessity of stooping to his work, and the fatigue consequent on a continuance of that posture." I can bear witness myself to the correctness of these observations, and know too, that the pointed spade here spoken of is asserted to work with much greater ease than one with a square end. AGRICOLA SURREIENSIS. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. IN re-reading the 32d Vol. p. 543, I am reminded of my old prejudice against Dr. Johnson, for the injury he complete, and soon afterwards the boat upset. Escape in an open boat of six deserters from the artillery at St. Helena. has done to the native boldness and force of our English tongue, by his mauner of sounding the (a) as ai; which ought to have been a broad, or aa. Your correspondent L. at p. 543-4, is satisfied that the Romans sounded the "a" broad, and there are many arguments for this mode of pronunci àtrá, as to a, but not as to “i,” which should be sounded as we in England sound the word "high," but without the aspirate. 66 If these two points of improvement, or rather restoration, of pronunciation, were strictly enforced, the beauty of our language in eloquence would be greatly increased. How often have I wished many a parish clerk asleep, instead of his master, on hearing the finical sound of "Aimen"-how have my ears been grated with the sound of I cain't, instead of cannot. A minister was pro nouncing, a few days since, Aibel for Abel; Laimech for Lamech; Jaiphet for Japhet ; Aishur for Ashur; Aibraiham for Abraham. I wished Dr. Johnson had felt the same sensations that I did, he would have corrected his Grammar and Dictionary, I am sure. enumerate the injuries our language sustains by this one radical error, would occupy half a volume of your Magazine. 19th June, 1821. PHILOLOGUS. To To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, YOU OU and your readers, I feel no doubt, are particularly obliged by the communication of your intelligent correspondent Warminsteriensis ; but as he has not been sufficiently explicit upon some points, I hope, for my curiosity, he will answer the following questions: 1. Can your correspondent assign any reason for the "Fair Quaker" being sometimes called Wheeler and sometimes Lightfoot? 2. What was the motive that induced Miss Chudleigh to offer a “considerable sum of money" to Isaac Axford, on his marrying Hannah Lightfoot? 3. When and where did the marriage take place, of Hannah Lightfoot, a quaker, to I. Axford, and where is the evi dence |