058 
bafon, however, is fo fhallow as, at low 
water, to become dry, excepting juft in 
the channels of the rivulets: fo that vef- 
fels drawing more than ten feet of water, 
muft remain in the inlet or entrance, to- 
wards the inner end, in from three to five 
fathoms depth at the loweft ebb. 
Tt is high water here at fall and change, 
at three o’clock, when the tide rifes twelve 
feet. ; 
The tradition of the country is, that, 
i) ancient times, the inner bafon was very 
deep; but that it has been gradually thal- 
lowed by the accumulation of materials 
brousbt from the mountains after rains: 
and the tradition has probably been found- 
ed on obfervation of the fact. 
When we were at Port Paffage, there 
were two fifty-gun fhips and fome frigates 
at anchor in the entrance ; but, from the 
appearance of the town, docks, forts, &c. 
government feemed to have paid but little 
attention to the place. 
It is true, indeed, that only a fmall 
number of veffels can be accommodated 
here, and that great care is requifite in 
going in and out, in order to keep clear 
of thofe at anchor, as well as of the rocky 
fhores, which {pring fuddenly up from the 
water’s edge, to a great heighth, on both 
fides. 
_ Aswe had heard a great deal about the 
excellence ot this port, our expectations 
were railed, and confequenily difappoint- 
ed: but the coup d’ail of the bay, with 
its arms rearing up between the rifing 
grounds; the magnificence of the en- 
trance, cut through a mountain, intended, 
as it were, by nature, to ward off the at- 
tacks of the ocean; thefe and many other 
particulars, of which we had neither 
heard nor read one word, gave us very 
high pleafure. It has been already men- 
tioned, that we were rowe' s the har- 
bour by women. The men of all this 
north coa% of Spain, a moft hardy, aétive, 
and enterprifing race, inhabiting a very 
mountainous traét, which affords but little 
employment for them on {fhore, are ex- 
tremely attached to a fea-faring life. 
At this time they were abrvuad in the 
fithery and other branches of navigation; 
fo that home Jabour, of various forts, had 
entirely devolved to the females; of whom 
fome, trom their frequent intercourfe with 
Britifh veffels, made a fhift to exprefs 
themfelves in tolerable Sea-Englifh. 
Ail alone this coaft, the inhabitants 
are extremely ready to go off to veffels ap- 
pearing near the land, to pilot or tow 
. them into port. Thole of Port Paflage 
and St. Sebaitian have 2 peculiar regu. 
Replies, Queries, (Fe. 
[July ly 
lation, by which the boat which firft 
reaches the veffel at fea, muft of neceffity 
be received; and each perfon in her is 
entitled to demand twelve reals of vellon, 
or about half-a-crowr fterling. 
_ The other boats may, or may not, be 
engaged, at the.option of the commander 
of the veffel; but, if engaged, their crews 
are entitled to only nine reals, or 224 
pence, each perfon. 
Our female failors recounted endlefs 
ftories of the lofs of fathers and brothers, 
hufbands and fons, in th-fe dangerous 
ftruggles, often in the molt boifterous 
weather. 
The variation of the magnetic needle 
at Port Paffage, in 1787, was found, by 
accurate experiments, to be 20 deg. 4e 
min. wetterly. 
(To be continued. ) 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
HE obfervations of your correfpond- 
T ent GiprPus, concerning the Sar- 
cophagus of ALEXANDER, did not, till 
within thefe few days, fall in my way. 
In page 4 of your Magazine for February, 
is the following paflage :-—** The laf fen- 
tence, Sir, was falling from my pen, when 
I received the information that Mr. Clarke, 
who has deferved well of the world for his 
refearches, is zow employed in adducing 
proofs that the Sarcophagus of the Mu- 
feum was really the tomb of Alexander !”* 
Allow me to acquaint CEdipus, that his 
information is erroneous ; for Mr. Clarke’s . 
teftimonies on this fabjeét were adduced 
above twelve months ago; and, to fatisfy 
the curiofity of friends, liberally commu- 
nicated to them. Let me add, as they 
are now in the prefs, the public will foon 
perceive, that, if CEdipus were a ftranger 
to them till the time of his writing, he is 
more of a conjurer than himfelf is aware. 
Davus. 
=== 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
er) 
BORACENSTS returns his beft thanks 
to A Porter-Drinker, and Dr. Carey, 
for their obliging communications on the 
fubject of malt-liquor, which he hopes 
they will extend at their leifure; he will 
alfo be obliged to any of the readers of 
the Monthly Macazine, who can inform 
him where Rollzfton’s Differtation on Barley- 
wine is to be met with, as he has feen a 
reference to it, without being able to find 
where it is to be had, 
April 17, 1804. 
i THE 
