3 
448 
Proceedings of the 
to the Thames, juft below the bridge; 
the firuation 1s good, but in extent con- 
fined, 
houfe are the gates of Oatland Park, the 
property and country refidence of his 
royal highnefs the duke of York. “Thefe 
grounds are beautiful, almoft. beyond de- 
icription; they extend about two miles 
along the banks the Thames, which a 
fine terrace overlooks. In viewing this 
delightful piace, I fpent a fine Sunday 
evening (ftrangers not now being admitted 
on any other day). Here is ercat plenty 
and variety of wood, whichis partly difpofed 
of in irregular order, and without under- 
wood, and partly in clumps; the furface 
almoft level, except near the river, where 
there is a rapid” fall from pretty high 
ground, This park is well tenanted 
with a variety of wildanimals; the houfe, 
which is truly a noble one, ftands on the 
top of the bank, and commands an ex- 
tenfive view of the river, both up 
and down. Not very far from the 
houfe is a curious grotto, which, I am 
told, coft the former noble owner an im- 
menfe fum of money: it is in a hollow 
part, covered with gioomy trees, and 
approached by winding mazy _ paths, 
thaded with evergreens; the grotto con- 
fifts of different apartments, erected, or 
apparently excavated, in a feemingly 
rocky hill, by the fide of a fmall circular 
piece of water, “The rock, or rude ffones 
of which it is built, have been brought 
there from fome place or other, and dif- 
pofed in fuch a manner, that they appear 
as if nature had originally placed them in 
that order. The infide is ftuck with 
fuch a profufion of different forts of 

Almoft oppofite his lerdfhip’s 
National Infritute. -“£Dee, - 
fhells, &c. that little befide is feen either 
of the walls or roof; but they are difpofed 
of in avariety of the moft curious figures; 
and the whole has a very fine effet, par- 
‘ucularly on fuch as have not had an op- 
portunity -of feeing the extraordinary 
works of natute in Cumberland, or in 
other rocky and romantic diftriéts. 
The county of Surrey is, in general, 
remarkably level, and the greateft part of 
it very fertile, and uncommonly pleafant: 
it is tolerably watered, the-air is mild, 
and it abounds with the feats of the 
nobility and gentry. The greateft neat- 
nels is obferved in and about the houfes 
and gardens; the former are built with 
brick, and tiled. In the management of 
land, there is a pretty regular mixture of 
arable and pafture, but feemingly more 
of the iatter, where it is inclofed. Farms 
are middie-fized, and rents not extrava- ~ 
gant; and,though Surrey reaches the metro- 
polis, it contains a great number of exten- 
five unimproved commons: fome of thefe 
commons fupply the country people with 
turf and furze for fuel; coal comes ex- 
tremely high, being brought from fome 
of the northern collieries. “The common 
diet is, the beft wheaten bread, cheefe, 
beer,.and butchers’ meat; but the labourer ‘ 
is often forced to make there meals of 
thefe dear articles. The provincial dialeé& 
is. pleafant enough to a° northern ear, 
but not more grammatical than the lan- 
guage of our Cumberland ruftics; and I 
am of upinien, that much more general 
ksowledge may be found among the latter 
than is to be met with among people of 
their clafs in thefe fouthern counties. 
[ Lo be continned.| 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE\NATIONAL INSTITUTE. 
Notices of the Memoirs prefented to the National Infiitute, during the laff Quarter, commit 
cated in the Public Sitiings of the Inflitute, OG. 6ib, 17.97. * 
Nerice oF 
.. MOIRS, BY Ci71zeENn Lassus. 
MINCE the laft public fittings, feveral 
~ memoirs have been read to the clafs of 
phyfical fciences, of which we thal! now 
give 2 brief account. Citizen VILL ARs, 
an affociate, refident at Grenoble, has tran{- 
mitted two memoirs : one treating of the 
prefent ftare of botany, with bints for its 
improvement. and-perfeétion ; the other 
containing a defcription of his travels in 
the Alps, undertaken to promote the pro- 
grefs ot this fame {cience. 
in the chemical department, Guy Ton, 
2 member, has communicated certain ob- 
dervations, touching the colouring fub- 
flances of vegetable juices. _ | 
_Two memoirs.were read, prefented by 
7 . 
% 
—_ 
THE PrysicaL Me- CuinzenSegurin, aflociate of the Inftitute ; 
the firft treats of gusomefry, or the art of 
meafuring cas by aid of a new-invented in-~ 
firument, which pofleffes greater accuracy, 
and promifes to prove of more genera! utie 
lity, than any inftrument hitherto difco- 
vered.  [t-is applicable to combuftions, 
oxidations, -fufions, acid fermentations, 
in fine, to experiments of every kind, in 
which fluids are employed, which will not 
eafily diffolve im water. © The fecond mee 
moir forms the completion of the work, 
undertaken by LaversreR and Citizen 
SEGUIN, relative to the change which. at-_ 
mofpheric air experiences in the a&t of 
re{piration, whether this funétion takes 
place ina ftate of health or of ficknefs. 
Citizen CHAPTAL, affociate, has tranf- 
' a "hie 
