
$58 
gine unnecefiary. Knowledge needs not 
much enquiry to prove her invariable uti- 
lity to the advantage and happinefs of fo- 
ciety. ey 
 Gu—foire, Aug. 145 1799. 
EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, - 
N the-account, publifhed in, your Ma- 
_H gezine for June laft, of the fate of 
manners, &c. at Briftol, is mentioned asa 
pnique of its kind, an inftitution founded 
in that city, for the purpofe of inftrudiing 
the indigent blind te work at different 
trades. It is mentioned in a note, that 
at Liverpool alfo a fimilar charity exifts. 
But allow me, through the medium of 
vour far-read publication, to inform .the 
public, that not to Briftol or Liverpool 
alone is this too long negleéed exertion 
of benevolence confined. In Edinburgh, 
during feveral years paft, has a like intti- 
tution been eftablifhed; the fuccefs of 
which has refletted equal honour upon its 
founders, and upon thofe whofe fuperin- 
tending attention has produced effeéts gra- 
tifying to the moft fanguine wifhes of’ 
every compaifionate f{pectator of this fpe- 
cies of human wretchednels. My difant 
local fituation and other circumfances 
reoder me unable to giv a particular de- 
tail of the mode in which it is-conducted.- 
Were any one, acquainted with any of 
thefe inftitutions, to favour the public with 
a particular account of the manner on 
which they are conducted, it might be of 
contiderable general ufe to excite, in other 
places, efforts to alleviate one of the. moft 
deplorable fituations in which men can be 
placed. AnD. 
Aberdeen, Aug. 1799. 
3 

For the Monthly Magazine. 
Discovery OF A MaRiITiME ARSENAL 
BELONGING TO THE LacEDZMONI- 
>. ANS,» Ke 
Being the Subfiance of a Memorial of Cuiiz- 
xen Fumelin, read ia the fecond Clafs 
of the National Injtitute, onthe fecond 
of Meffidor laft. 
ITIZEN Jumelin, one of the moft 
‘vy learned of the perfons who accompanied 
hoifeul Gouffier in. his voyage, im return- 
ing from Conftantinople, in 1788, narrowly 
efcaped being wrecked on the rocks of 
Cape Matapan. “The accident, however, 
was the occafien of an interefting difcovery, 
relative to ancient geography. Unfortu- 
nately, he had not an opportunity of exa- 
mining the place he difcovered as minute- 
Lacedemenian Maratini Arfenal. 
[ December, 
ly as he wifhed, but others wiil probably 
- viiit the {pot under more favourable cir- 
cumftances. In the mean time, Citizen 
Jumelin’s account of this difcovery is fuf- 
ficiently curious and interefting. 
On the 8th of June, 1738, the veffel on 
which Jumelin was cn board, was fudden- 
ly becalmed in paffing under Cape. Mata~ 
pan. Night came on; and the veflel was 
at the merey of a current, which fet in 
toward the rocks. At break of day, fhe 
was fo near the rccks that thofe on board 
could almeft touch them with their hands; 
when the wind, which fprang up with the 
merning, together with aid from the boat 
of a Venetian vefiel that lay at anchor near 
the place, delivered them from this immi- 
nent danger. The report of a cannon, 
that had been fired to advertize the Vene- 
tian veffel of their fituation, had alfo given 
notice of it to the inhabitants of the coaft, 
and about a hundred men armed with fire-- 
locks were defcending from the mountains 
with the expectation of feizing upon fome 
wreck. As foon as they perceived their 
ferocious hopes frultrated, they fet up a 
cry of rage, difcharged their pieces at the 
veffel ; but fortunately no perfon on board 
was wounded. ° : 
Citizen Jumelin remarks, on this occa- 
fion, that if the idea of men eagerly 
watching for wrecks, and even doing alk 
in thei, power to accelerate the lois of vef- 
fels, for the fake of plunder, is difguftin 
to.a civilifed country, although many of 
its inhabitants are capable of the crime, _ 
nevertheleis men in their progrefs to civi- 
lization have not always been guaranteed 
from {fo flocking a praétice even by the im 
fluence of religion. The minifters of the 
altar have encouraged this enormity, to 
fhare in the profit; and Chriftian temples 
have refounded with prayers addrefled tq 
Heaven to caule fhipwrecks ; a circum-~ 
ftance which, however extraordinary, is 
proved by a form of prayer for the purpofe, 
which is found in the antient rituals 
of the maritime provinces of France. 
The gale which fnatched the French 
veffel from her extreme peril, continuing 
to be favourable fer a while, fhe proceeded 
towards the Iflands of Sapienza, when the 
wind fuddenly changing to the north-weit, 
and blowing with violence, compelledher 
to return beyond the Cape for fhelter, un- 
der very high lands on thé weftern fide of 
the Gulph of Colokitia. The delay, arif- 
‘ing from calms and contrary winds, hav- 
ing already occafioned the confumption of 
much of the fhip’s ftores, apprehenfions 
were entertained of their falling fhort, ef- 
- pecially in the article of water. The cap- 
tain 
