3t792. on fine arts and literature. xi'j 



history of SmoUet, the circumstances in which it was writ- 

 ten are too well known, to allow the defects of it to re- 

 flect any blame upon its authcr. If the present work 

 fliall be executed in the manner the public have reason to 

 expect, and not hurried forward with a precipitancy that is 

 inconsistent with the accuracy necefsary to give works of 

 this nature their highest degree of perfection, it cannot fail 

 to prove a valuable acquisition to the public. 



Naval affairs. 

 Captain Jos£ph'Br.odie who has been so often mention- 

 ed in this work for his ingenious inventions for the im- 

 provement of navigation, is lately returned from London 

 where he had been, at the desire of the Trinity Hous^, for 

 the purpose of explaining the principles of his various im- 

 provements. At their desire, he carried models of the 

 whole along with him, which we are afsured gave the high- 

 est satisfaction. The Navy Board already ordered several 

 buoys, to be constructed according to his plan, to be fixed 

 on sunk rocks or sands, along the coast •, and there seems to 

 be now scarcely any doubt, but that funds will be provided 

 for erecting a beacon on the bell rock, (see vol. v. p. 29/.) 

 which is the object that captain Brodie has most at heart, 

 as being calculated to insure safety to navigators in a si- 

 tuation where, without it, they never can be secure. 



Rearing of silk in Scotland. 

 It Is with pleasure we have heard, that the honourable 

 Board of Trustees, for the encouragement of manufactures 

 and fillieries in Scotland, have turned their attention to 

 »lie rearing of silk in this country. As a small mark 

 of their desire to promote experiments on that head, 

 they, some time ago, gave to Mr Andrew Wright at Pai-- 

 ''ley, ten guineas, for his lauduble perseverance in rearing 



