308 
Died.j At St. Andrew’s, Wm. Baron, 
profeffor of belles-lettres and logic in that 
univerfity. 
In St. Andrew’s- -{quare, Edinburgh, Mrs. 
Robertfon, reli& of the late Lieutenant-ge- 
neral James Robertfon, of Newbegging, Fife- 
fhire, late colonel. of the 19th regiment of 
foot, and the laf& Britifh governor of New 
York, in America. 
January 7th. At Edinburgh, John Walk- 
er, M. D. Minifter of Collington, Profef- 
for of Natural Hiftory in the Univerfity of 
Edinburgh, and as a Naturalift, a Divine, 
an academical Teacher, an induftrious in- 
quirer in Philofophy, and a bold and original 
thinker, indifputably, offe of the moft emi- 
nent perfons of the prefent age —Dr. Walk- 
er was born at Edinburgh, about the year 
3732. He was educated at its. principal 
{chool,. and afterwards, under the learnéd 
end ingenious Profeffurs who then taught in 
its Univerfity.. His profeffional deftination 
was for the Church: and in proficiency in 
theological ftudies, he was excelled by no 
young man of that time. He ftudied, -alfo, 
medicine, chemiftry, natural philofophy, and 
efpecially botany, that moft engaging branch 
of natural history, with extraordinary fond- 
nefs and fuccefs. Ashe grew up to manhood, 
his time was divided between the profecution 
of his own itudies, and the education of feve- 
ral young gentlemen who were fucceffively 
intrufted to his care; till be was admitted to 
lioly orders, and became Minitter of the parish 
she leoerni, at about fix miles diftance from 
Edinburgh.-—He was, at this period of his life, 
already an ardent votary of natural hiftory, and 
a faithful difciple of the fchool of Linnzus. 
‘The natural hiftory of Scotland had hitherto 
been but very little explored; fo that he 
found it eafy to enrich the icience with a 
multitude of new difcovertes. His refidence 
at the rz2n/e or parfonage- houfe of Clencrofs, 
was, on account of the fta'e of the furround- 
ing country) exceedingly favourable to hig 
purfuits; as a naturalbit: and he was ever 
afiidueus to make his skill in natural hiftory 
fubfervient to the improvement of rural eco- 
momy, and the common arts of life. He 
took great delight, alfo, in examining 
all the praftices of rural economy, in ap- 
plying to their improvement the principles 
of common fenfe and philofophy, and in aé- 
ing in the warm fpirit of that fentiment 
beautifully afcribed by Virgil, to himfelf 
and Auguity > in the pee ay SRB miferatus 
agrefiex.—A character like this, was at that 
time, fomewhat uncommon among the cler- 
gy of Scotiand. Both the clergy and the no- 
bility and gentry bad, however, difcesnment 
and tafte, to do juttice to its dignity and im- 
portance. Dr. Walker, that he might have 
opportunity to examine the natural hiftory of 
the Weftern Highiands, and the Hebudz liies, 
as well as to obferve the domeftic FeOumay 
of che inhabitants, and to infpect their moral, 
Scctland. 
ting Chriftian Knowledge, 
[April 1,° 
intelle€tual, and religious condition, wag 
fent, in the year 1767 or 1768, on a very 
honourable miffion into thofe parts, at the 
expence of the Scottifh Society for propaga- 
In the courfe of © 
his journey, he made many difcoveries in~ 
natural hiftory. And the report which he 
communicated to the Society upon his return, 
gave the firft hints of almoft all the improve- 
ments, by which the cultivation of thofe 
parts of North Britain, and the condition and 
character of their inhabitants. have been fince 
fo very much ameliorated.—The late Earl of — 
Hopeton, with a difcrimination of merit, 
which does honour to his Lordthip’s memory, 
prefented him to the living of Moffat; a 
pleafant village, which has been long famous 
for its fprings of fulphurated and chalybeate 
waters, and is much frequented as a watering- 
place. Adjacent to this fituation, are the 
mines of Leadhills and Wanlockhead, and -~ 
that whole range of mountains which inter-. 
fe&s the fouth of Scotland almoft from 
Eaft to Weft, and has been celebrated for its 
precious mineral ftores by the ancient hifto. 
rians of the country. Dr. Walker expiored, 
with unwearied diligenée, the mineralogy of 
thefe mountains; examined the indigenous 
botany of the diftrict ; cultivated, with great — 
tafte and fkill, a curious botanic garden 3 and 
made a large and valuable colleétion of fpeci- 
mens in all the different branches of natural 
hiftory ; while his courteous, attentive man- 
ners, and his converfation, polithed, various, 
lively, rich in anecdote, rich in ftrong fenfe 
and philofophy, witty without impertinence, 
and eloquent without affectation or ftudied ef- 
fort, was, at the fame time the principal 
charm of Moffat, to all.the elegant, and en- 
lightened .perfons who reforted to it.—Upon 
the death of Dr, Ramfay, he was invited 
to the office of Profeffor of Natural Hiftory in 
the Univerfity of Edinburgh. To render 
that appointment more eligible to him, he 
was, foon after, tranflated fram Moffat to the 
parith of CoHington, in the immediate vicini- 
ty of Edinburgh. For the fpace of about 
feventeen years, he continued to deliver, in 
che Univerfity, a feries of le€tures, the moft 
beautifully fcientific in arrangement, the 
moft.accurate and multifarious in fats, the - 
moft ingenious and judicious in theory, the 
bef illuttrated by a difplay of fpecimens, the 
moft eminently characterized by a clear, neaty 
manly, unaffected propriety of compofition, 
of any leétures in phyfical fcience, that the 
writer of thefe particulars has ever had the 
furtune to hear. He read, alfo, a courfe of 
Le‘tures on Agriculture and Kural Economy, 
at which many of the landholders and farmers 
of the environs of Edinburgh attended, with 
great eagernefs and elias He inftituted a 
Farmers? Society for the Improvement of 
Agricultural Knowlecge. He was the found- 
er of the Society for the improvement of the 
Science of Natural Hiftory at Edinburgh. 
He 
