Difcovery of Coal at the Cape of Good Hope. 261 



nomenon fince the time of tlie Romans; a determination of 

 the jongitud.; and latitude of the obfervatory of Padua ; a, 

 trealife on liie phvtical j)rop!>rtic3 of the atmofphere in dif- 

 ferent places, from thermonietrical and barometrical obierva-, 

 tions, and from the phajnoincna of vegetables ; oblenations. 

 on thimder; refearches reipecting tlie heat in fcveral parts oi. 

 Iialv, from the latitude of 41 to 47"; defeription of a beautiful 

 lire-bail fecn on the 1 1 th of September 1784 at Padua; anC. 

 a great many aftrononiifa! obfervations made in conjun6^ion 

 with Chiminello. He left behind him feveral works in ma- 

 nufcript, among whieh uere, obfervations on the travels 9f 

 Marco Polo, and on the real epoeh of the celebrated Chinefe 

 wall. 



Amidll fueh occupations Toaldo fpent his diiys in tran- 

 quillityjUotwith (landing theunliappyfennent which preva.ile(.i 

 in his native country ; and might perhaps have been fldl 

 iilive had not his end been hallened by chagrin. A fruitlefs 

 attempt made in favour of a young man who had been de- 

 prived of his oOice, gave him fo much uneafinefs, that he tirft 

 loft his natural vivacitv, and foon after felt himfelf indifpofed ; 

 on the 7th of November J797 he was attacked by a nervous 

 affection, and died on the nth, in the 79th year of his age. 



Toaldo was of fmall llalure, had a friendly afpeft, and in 

 general an ap}>carance that iufpired confidence. His conduct 

 was amiable, his deportment eafy, and his converfation, 

 which was animated, difplayed trreat knowledge and an ex- 

 tenfive acquaintance with various branches of fcience : iimple 

 in his manners, open and fmcere, he abandoned himfeif only 

 to the fofter paltioiis, and feemed to have no other ambilioa 

 than that of being ufeful. He was (teady in his friendihip, 

 always ready to do good offices in the mo(i dilinterelted man- 

 ner, and indulgent towards every one. To the talents of a 

 literary man he added the virtues of the citizen, and there- 

 fore was univerfally relpec\cd, eipecially by thofc who en- 

 joyed his intimate acijuaintanee. 



XLTV^. Account of the Di/caviry of Cqal at the Cape of 



Good Hope * . 



J.N moft families at Cape Town a (lave is kept exprefsly for 

 collctting fire-wood, lie goes out in the morning, afcends 

 the lleep mountains of the j)eninfuln, where waggons canno 

 irns at night with tw 



• J-'iwm Burroiu'slruvcls, 



R 3 faggots 



approach, and returns at night with two fmu 



asgons cannot 

 luir bundlci l>i" 



