Biographical Notice of Mr. Donne.—State of Commerce. 77 
Donne fucceeded his father in the academy 
at Biddeford ;, and, in 1758, printed a volume 
of ** Mathematical Effays,” in 8vo. intended 
as an introduétion to acourfe of mathematics. 
In 1759, he engaged in a furvey of Devon- 
fhire, which was completed, on a large fcale, 
in 1763, and.for which he received the firft. 
premium of rool. given by the fociety. for 
promoting arts, manufaétures, and com- 
merce. About this time he was invited to 
Briftol by feveral eminent merchants, and 
was appointed librarian of the city library, 
then jut inftituted in King-ftreet. In 1765, 
he printed his “¢ Accountant and Geometrician,” 
Svo. He had in the library-houfe at Briftol 
a very flourifhing academy; but it is fup- 
pofed that the te@imony which he gave in 
favour of Jonathan Britain, who was exe- 
cuted for forgery, at Briftol, in 1773, af- 
fended fome of his friends, and occafioned 
his being difmiffed from the librarianfhip, 
and the declenfion of his fchool. ‘That un- 
fortunate man had been Mr. Donne’s ufher. 
In 1771, he printed an ‘* Epitome of Natural 
and Experimental Philofophy,” 12m0. ‘This 
3s rather an analyfis of the author’s lectures, 
-which he read, with great reputation, during 
{chool vacations at Briftol and in its neigh- 
bourhood. The writer of this fketch, who 
has often attended Mr. Donne’s le&tures, re- 
members to have feen them fairly wrote and 
fitted for publication; and he is of opinion, 
that they would be even now highly accept- 
able to tbe fcientific world. He has alfo 
read a manufcript treatife on navigation, by 
Mr. Donne, which he fcruples not to fay is 
fuperior.to all thofe that are in common ufe. 
In 1774, he printed a valuable fet of tables 
for nautical purpofes, under the title of 
‘© The Britifo Mariner's Alfifant,’ 8voy This 
.in 1777, 8vo. 
was followed by ‘© Ejfays on Trigonometry,” 
Befides tbefe perforniancesy 
he publifhed a Plan of Briftul; a Map of the 
country eleven miles round that city; a 
Panorganon and Analemma, two inftruments 
defigned as fubftitutes for the globes; am 
improved Navigation Scale; a large Map of 
the Weftern Circuit, &c. &c. This daft.he 
infcribed to the Marquis of Salifbuty; who, 
in confequence of it, took Mr. Donne under 
his patronage 5 and on the death of Dr. An- 
thony Shepherd, in 1776, gave him the place 
of Mafter of Mechanics to his Majefty, 
the falary of which is 2001. a year.— 
No man, perhaps, ever ftruggled through 
more difficulties than Mr. Donne; and yet 
the writer of this, who knew him for many 
years, can fafely affert, that he never once 
faw his temper ruffled, or heard him exprefs 
any peevith complaint. He was always ealy,, 
clicerfal, and contented. His difpofition was 
mof liberal; and he was ever ready to ex- 
tend his hand to the affittance of others, even 
to his own difadvantage. He poffefled a 
ftrong and acute underftanding. His know- 
ledge was very various and extenfive; and 
his qualifications as a teacher were never 
furpafled. His mathematical and philofo- 
phical talents were of the firft rate. His 
mode&y bordered, ia a great degree, upon 
diffidence; and though he was ‘qualified to 
rank with the greateft mathematicians of 
the age, he was content with a lower fta- 
tion. Through life he was an ufeful member 
of fociety 3 a man of {tri virtue; and, what 
is of higher confideration, he was a chriftian. 
He had three children, two fons and a daugh- 
ter; the eldeft is a clergyman of the efta- 
blithed church, and vicar of Cranborne. in 
Dorfetihire. ] 
crc rege IE SE I I { 
Report of the prefent State of Commerce, Manufactures, Se. 
(To be continued monthly. ) 
THE merchants and fhip-owners having failed in their attempt to get the refponfibility, which 
fome late legal decifions had thrown upon t 
a general meeting, 
be recommended to be generally adopted, 
hem, removed by an aé of parliament, have held 
at which it wasrefolved, that the following alteration in the bill of lading 
viz. *© The aét of God, the king’s enemies, firey 
and all and every other dangers and accidents cf the feas, rivers, and navigation of whatever 
nation and kind foever, excepted ;”? but in refpeét to the Weft India Trade, 
where a certain 
rifk of boats is underftood to attach to the thip, it is recommended to infert in the bills of 
lading, the words ‘¢ fave rifk of boats, fofar as fhips are liable thereto,”’ immediately pre- 
ceding the concluding word ‘¢ excepted.” 
In the Coafting-trade, where no bills of lading 
are ufed, the words of the exception are recommended to be introduced ia the receipts given 
for the goods. 
A new regifter book of thipping, is about to 
be publifhed, under the direétion of a com- 
mittee of merchants, appointed at a public meeting held for that purpole. 
The C nvoy act, paffed in the laft feffion, commences, 
with refpeé to veffels failing from 
Great Britain, from 5th July, 1798; from the iflands of Jerfey, Guernfey, Alderney, Sark, 
or Man, the sth Auguft ; from any other port in Europe, 
Indies or America, the 5th Oétober, and in Africa or Afia, the 5th November. 
‘of fhips have been ordered to provide themfelve 
By this aét a 
imported and exported, and on the tonnage of fhips, 
foreign parts, during the continuance of the war. 
they cannot be cleared outwards. 
fome of the principal articles of commerce, 
the sth September; inthe Weft - 
The matters - 
5 with flags to anfwer fignals, without which 
dditional duties have been impofed on goods 
entering outwards or inwards to or from 
The following are the import duties om 
Anratio, 

