1800. ] 
propofed to be anfwered before the 1{t of 
November, 1801. ‘The prize will be ad- 
judged before the r{t of May, 1802. 

BATAVIAN SOCIETY of the SCIENCES at 
HAARLEM. 
On the 24th May, the fociety held their 
annual meeting. The prefiding direétor. 
read areport on the an{wers that had been 
received to the prize queftions propofed 
til the sft of November, 1799. The re- 
fult was as follows: 
I. On the queftion relative to “¢ the ufe- 
fulnefs, &c. of ventilators on board of 
fhips ;°* two differtations in Dutch had been 
fent in ;—=to one of them, by Dr. Bicker of 
Rotterdam, a golden medal was adjudged. 
II. On the queftions relative to the 
cultivation and fertilizationof fandy downs, 
&c."—two unfatisfa&ory treatiles were 
reesiyed The queftions are not repeated, 
—DbDut 
III. The three remaining quettigns, 
which have not been an{wered, are again 
propoled. 
‘¢ J. How far does our acknowledge ‘re- 
lative to the motion of the fap in trees and 
plants extend? In what manner, may we 
attain a more complete knowledge of what 
is {till obicure and doubtful relative'to this 
fubject? And may we not, from what is 

THEATRICAL 
Theatrical Retrofped?s r69 
already confirmed by decifive experiments 
diaw ufeful refults for ameliorating the 
culture of plants and trees?” 
II. As the being expofed to {moke may 
probably be avoided by a greater attention 
to the phyfical caufes which drive the 
fmoke down chimnies, except perhaps 
where the chimnies are expofed to repere 
cuffed winds ;—the fociety defires ; 
“or, A theory, or clear and concife 
phyfical explanation of the caufes which 
drive the {moke down chimnies, or hinder 
it from afcending.”’ 
‘© 2. Rules, derived from this theorys 
according to which chimnies ought to be 
built; with directions, to what, according 
to different circumftances, we ought parti- 
cularly attend, to prevent their {moking.”” 
-. $I, What indigenous plants, not hi- 
therto employed for that purpofe, may 
from experiments be proved to yield good 
colours, the preparation and ufe of whicl 
might be introduced with advantage? And 
what foreign plants might be cultivated 
with advantage on the lets fertile or culti- 
vated lands of the Batavian Republic, for 
the purpofe of extracting colours from 
them?” 
The anfwers to thefe three queftions 
muft be fent in before the 1ft of Novem- 
ber 1801. 
was 
RETROSPECT, 

A NEW pantomine, entitled Od, or 
Three-fingured fack, was reprefented 
for the firft time on the 2d of July. The 
public are indebted to Mr. Fawcett for 
this produétion, which has a great deal of 
intereft, although not all that a warmima- 
gination would expect from the mention 
of the fubjeét. Odz is a flave in the Weft 
Indies, who, having run away from his 
matter, refides amomg almoft inaccefaable 
rocks, and is the terror of the country, 
from his depredations and his charaéter 
for courage and fiercenefs. Three hun- 
dred pounds and freedom are publicly 
promifed to any flave that brings him in 
dead or alive, which produces his death ; 
but not till he gets into his poffeffion a 
Britith officer, and a lady who is betrothed 
to the officer, the efcape of whom, effected 
by the enterpriling {pirit of the lady, forms 
great part of the bufinefs of the piece. 
The ftory is faid to be taken from taéts ; 
and it is certainly of a nature to produce 
fucceffive and violent emotions in an au- 
dience. But there is not enough difplayed 
“MONTHLY MAG, NO, 63, 
in the piece of the refources of Obi, fuch 
as might naturally be found in the vigour, 
and, it may be juftly added, greatnefs of 
the character. O67 isa hero under unfor- 
tunate circumftances; and would have in- 
terefted us deeply, notwithftanding the 
vices of his fituation, if all Azs foul had 
been developed. Mr. Charles Kemble 
has done much more towards this than the 
contriver of the fable; by the g:andeur of 
his action, he difplays infinitely more of 
the fury and other wild paffions of the 
flave’s breaft, than is to be found in the 
deeds themfelves performed by the unfer- 
tunate man. He almoft fills the void cre- 
ated by the want of appropriate incidents 
in the piece. He gives us a beautiful and 
noble picture, although for want of {cope 
he could not a perfect one, of the charac- 
ter and fortunes of the wretched fugitive. _ 
On the asth of July, anew play, in 
three acts, entitled The Point of Honour, 
was performed forthe firft time. Tins 
play is altered by Mr. Charles Kemble, 
trom ‘a drama, in five acts, of Mercier, 
7, called. 
