7 * SS," =_ 
S16 Account of the prefent State and Society of Gofport. [Nov. 1, 
preffed. The fource of its profperity mut 
wemas) is generally confdered as very in- 
Jerious to corn: but it appears te me that 
8 is far otherwift; for thefe plants are fo 
formed by nature that they entwine around 
the corn, and preferve it from being 
beaten down by wind and rain, and, what 
¥s a fill fronger proof, they only grow on 
gravelly and fandy foils, where corn is 
moft likely to be ftijured by ftorms. They 
can by no means be called parafite plants; ~ 
for they do ‘not ever take their nourith-" 
ment from the ferface of the ground, but 
the roots roa down very far nite the 
earth, oftentimes as deep as twenty feet: 
The flowers remain open but a day or’ 
two, while the Gamina impregnate” the 
Serm, the coroila then rolls up ipirally, 
and, I have often obferved, ferves as a de- 
pofitory for the epes of infe&ts. The 
frow-white corel of the” cewvalvulus “fe- 
prem, as it runs about our hedges, pre- 
fen's a moft delightful idea of cooinefs in 
the hot days of fommer. Indeed! nature 
feems to delight in prefenting to the eye. 
colours which produce pieafing ideas. 
I know not whether the following ob- 
fervations concerning the martins (47ruzx- 
as rufiica) will be of fervice m provire any 
facts relatins to their migration : but pot 
being an adept in the fubje&, and rot 
being inclined to any particular fyftem, I 
beg leave to offer them to the naturaliff. 
On the 25th of the lai month I obferved 
the Jiruncze rajftca to leave the town of 
and at. one o’clock of the fame 
day there were but a few ftragslers left. 
But happening to take a walk in the af- 
ternoon ta the fouth of the town, I ob- 
ferved thoufands collected on the trees in 
Mr. "s park, bordering on a fifh- 
pord. There were a great many flyine 
about, and efpecially over the water, and 
af every instant numbers would dip under, 
and would even go fome way before they 
_ €ame up; fo various were their evolu- 
trons, and fo rapid their motions, that it 
was very difficult to follow one that went 
3h and out again. As foon as they had 
éipped, they retired to the neighbouring 
trees to dry themfelves, and a tree which 
was decayed, and had no leaves, was 
whoily covered. Iam convinced, that 
ene who pleaded for their retiring under 
water curing the winter feafon, might 
have been eafily deceived; but it appeared 
to me that they were cleanfing themfelves 
from the filth they had contra@ed, in 
order to lighten themfelves for their long 
and dangerous journey. On the 26th 
they all went away, and the water, which 
the evenings before was a fcene of confu- 
fea, was pow bient. J. E. B. 
For ike Monthly Magazine. 
ACCOUNT of she PRESENT STATS and _ 
SOCIETY @f GOSPORT. 
[Continzed fram p. 35, Ne. 92. 
N the courfe of myAccount o > 
it feems fomewhat neceflary tag? i 
notice what has been erroneoully fa bof it 
by others, the more efpcially as the de- 
fcriptions I allude to are in works of ge-. 
neral reference on the fubje@. 
According to Walker's Gazetteer Gof 
port is a lirce trading town, moftly inha- 
bited by iailors and their wives, and war-_ 
rant-officers, every thing ap wn 
cheaper and more com us there than 
at Portimouth ; and the EncyclopediaBri- 
tannica, not better informed, Sives nearly 
the fame account. Here the place is de. 
feribed as a town of creat trade, efpeciaily 
in time of war, and on another pois 
js fome variation from the Gazetteer, 
to as little purpofe. 
lors and their wives, th 7 
fupplies their place with travellers, who 
it is obferved, cheofe to lodge at G 
for the fame reafon, fomewhat qua 
that the Gazetteer es it with the fe 
and daughters of Rad oceilie oth 3 
counts, as far as noticed, are ftrangely i 
accurate. Their Ratement refpeQing th 
fortifications on the Gofport fideof ov 
harbour, for the prote&tion of the éntranc¢ 
is equally loof and incorreét. — 
is, that there are not more than two fe 
on this fide ; yet each account inet 
them ¢o as many as four, befides a 
form, making a fifth. One of the two 
t 
Monckton, which isa modern ation: 
of great ftrength, projeéted by e 
of Richmond, and with a Bn aa" 
dition to the extenfive line of forts and Bat. 
teries on the Port{mouth fide, ferves to fe- 
cure both Spithead and the harbour mouth. | 
So much on this head for the fake of cor- 
retion. a ~ de 
The trade of Gofport is ce rm 
confiderable in time of war than in peace; 
but neither during the one nor the otheris it 
fufficient to confer on this place any co 
mercial confequence. Who ever heard of 
i 
~ 
the merchants or manufa@urers of Gof- 
port ? If a few mercantile men are found” 
among its inhsbitants, from whofe merit 
or importance I fhould be unwilling to de-” 
tra& a tittle, their concerns, however ex-— 
tenfve or confiderable, cannot be allowed 
to charaéterife the town. The trade in 
general is imply that which ‘arifes from 
the wants of the place and its vicinity,and 
the demands of the army and navy ; and 
according to the extent of the latter, trade 
is either brik or dull, flourifhing or de~ - 
prefied. 
