226 Estahlishment of a Reading-room, Sfc, at Maddra. [April I, 



for llic sweeps to stand upright in tliem, The individual alluded to did not pro. 



to keep liic dust out of their eyes, and, 

 at the same time, to sec what they are 

 about, 1 would recommend a pair of 

 spcetacles, made of common glasy, in 

 such frames (bat holes might be bored in 

 them, and sewed in their caps ; and, I 

 think, it might he of use to them, in the 

 present mode of climbing, to see what 

 they were about. 



With respect to smoking chimneys, 

 I believe there are as many from being 

 too large as from any other cause ; as it 

 is very common, when a cliimney 

 smokes, for people to cry out, " do pray 

 open the door and let the smoke draw 

 up," which it in general docs as soon as 

 more air is admitted ; the cause of which 

 appears plain, the size of the chimney 

 consumes more air than is admitted 

 into the room; now with mine, though 

 so small, if scarcely ever occurs ; and, if 

 it does in the least, it is only a notice to 

 have it cleaned, which is an invaria- 

 ble remedy. I have observed that an 

 ironing-stove, with only a six-inch bore 

 pipe, appears to carry more smoke 

 away than almost half the sitting-room 

 chimneys that are made; and I don't 

 see why a chimney, made upright, 

 should i;ot have as good draught as the 

 stove, with a similar bore. 



If I were to build many houses, I 

 would have no sitting room or chamber 

 with a chimney more than after the 

 rate of one inch to a foot; that is, if a 

 loom shoidd be only six feet square, 1 

 only make the chimney six inches 

 square, aud would never exceed a foot, 

 let the size of the room be what it would ; 

 and, I believe, experience will prove 

 this to answer belter than the present 

 mode, of making them " large enough 

 for a man to get up," which a great 

 many builders recommend. B. 



Ktttering, March 12. 



To the Editor of the Blonthhj Blagazine, 

 SIR, 



IF you cortsider the accompanying 

 document, received from Madeira 

 iu October last, calculated to exhibit 

 the literary state of the inhabitants of 

 that island, I send it for insertion in the 

 Monthly Magazine. It appears to me, 

 that if every individual, possessing simi- 

 lar information of the mental state of the 

 various parts of the earth, were to con- 

 centrate their information to one focus, 

 it would be the means ol shcddhig such 

 a suu-riso of intellectual knou ledge, as 

 Would accelerate universal civilizutioii. 



ceed to IMadeirn 

 March Q, 1824. 



D. 



A gentleman wishing to come out 

 here, for t!ie purpose of establishing a 

 Reading-room, &,c. writes as follows :— 



"I wish to solicit your unbiassed opi- 

 nion on the propriety of a nieaMU-e to 

 which I have occasionally directed my 

 attention. It has been suggested to nie, 

 by u gentleman resident on your island, 

 tliat a Reading-room and Circulating Li- 

 brary would meet sufficient encourage- 

 nieut to justify such an undertaking. It 

 would no doubt be a desideratum with the 

 generality of the English there ; but, as I 

 do not consider my eircunistances to war- 

 rant any thing inutile shape of a specula- 

 tion in a foreign country, perhaps, sir, you 

 willliave the kindness to turn your thoughts 

 seriously to the subject, and favour me 

 with the result. Should you think it ne- 

 cessary to mention the matter to others, I 

 shall feel obliged by the omission of my 

 name for the present, except to Mr. 

 Phelps, whose opinion I shall consider a 

 valuable addition.— In regard to the esta- 

 blishment already hinted at, I would do it 

 only on a respectable scale ; I mean a 

 sometliing creditable to the island and my- 

 self, having all the lacilities for the neces- 

 sary supplies : but such an tmdertaking 

 would be far from prudent till some cal- 

 culation could be made as to what the resi- 

 dents would do independent of the casual 

 visitors. To ascertain this may be as dif- 

 ficult as it is an important matter ; but 

 possibly Mr. Phelps would be kind enough 

 to favour me with his views as to what 

 number of subscribers may be calculated, 

 and what sum would be eoiitidered rea- 

 sonable for access to library, periodicals, 

 and papers; taking into account the limit- 

 ed population, expenses of conveyance, 

 &c." 



Gentlemen will be pleased to write 

 their opinions below; — 



I think that, in the present state of the 

 island, not more than thirty or forty per- 

 sons would be found to subscribe four or 

 five dollars per annum ; but perhaps the 

 above plan might he advaniageously com- 

 bined with the Fuachal Book Society. 



Funchal; Joseph Phelps, 



Sept. 3, 1823. 



I am strongly inclined to think, that the 

 plan vvould not answer the views of the 

 proposer. A. H. Renton. 



I fully agree with Dr. Renton. 



John A. F. Rachan. 



1 an^ of the same opinion with the Doc- 

 tor. A. H. LOUGJINON. 



As the gentleman does not consider" his 



circumstances such as to warrant any .thing 



in the shape of a speculation," I certainly 



should think him imprudent in making the 



attempt ; 



