136 
My limits will not allow me to attempt a 
description of places. Ishall merely remark 
that Canada is a very fine country, and the 
banks of the noble river St. Lawrence thickly 
settled. Montreal isa large thriving town, 
being the head quarters of the great Fur Com- 
pany, and the depot between Europe and the 
extensive country of Upper Caneda. We 
have now very pleasant weather at Frederic- 
town. Two nights ago we had asharp { frost, 
and to-day the tHenyoteter is at 84° in the 
shade. On the 25d of January last, the mer- 
cury in Fahrenheit’s thermometer stood at 
36° below 0. at sun-rise. With all this va- 
siation, the climate is remarkably healthy.” 
New Brunswick, Frederictown, 
June i9, 1807. 
EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
OBIE CT to a custom which is, in 
my opinion, beth detestable and im- 
moral. It is that of mistresses. of fami- 
lies “ denying themselves,” as our lan- 
guage expresses it. I allow the tone of 
voice which accompanies the domestic’s 
manner of giving the message assures 
you at the same time that the Jady is.at 
home: still I say there is a ma inifest im- 
propriety in teacl iing servants to teil les, 
How can mistresses expect fidelity to 
themselves, if they every morning give 
orders to say they-are not at home, when m 
they actually are ? 
You, Mr. Editor, will ask, “ Tas this 
soi-disunt female never allowed such 
things at her door, or is she in so ob- 
scure a situation as to be everlooked ?” 
The latter is not the case; and toe the 
former position she answers firmly, that 
she never suffers any thing like duplicity 
to be practised im her heuse. 
In France (even since the Revolution) 
it is the custom 2 hen the lady of the 
house dves not wish to be intruded upon, 
to say that “ Mudame west pus disible.” 
This language is to me more consonant 
to truth “and common sense than “ Not 
at home.” It is urged by some females, 
that the latter expression implies the lady 
is “ busy or dressing.” This perversion of 
Jangnage I cannot comprehend. My 
friends have also told me, they make ex- 
ceptions in my favour, and that I am ad- 
mitted at all times. Be it so; it is of 
; ttle consequelce to me, or litle flatter- 
ing to my vanity, when I see the ill effects 
which telling lies produce in, all families 
where there are children and servants, 
Your's, &c. 
AW KoA. 
ncl- 
Great Russel-street, 
Blogmsbury, Oct. 4, 1807. 
Custom of cutting Steaksfrom living Animals. 
[March t, 
‘To the Editor of the Monthly Mugazine. 
SIR, 
HE writer of the dissertation in No. 
165, p.529, of your Magazine,“ on 
the Credit due to Bruce’s Travels,” ai- 
ter mentioning the traveller’s assertion 
that he saw “* three soldiers cut steaks 
from the buttock of a living cow,” and 
observing that, the author indulges his ge- 
nius in the description of “ an Abyssinian 
feast,” adds that “ these outrageous de- 
scriptions are vindicated both by the au- 
ther and the editor ;” but he (the disser- 
tator) seems totally to discredit them. I 
am not inclined to enter into an enquiry 
whether these “ descriptions” are true or 
false; but probably many of your nume- 
rous reader smay beamused, if not instruc- 
ted, by a description equally “ outrageous” 
of similar practices having prevailed, with- 
“in the comparatively narrow limits of eur 
own island, at no very distant pericd of 
tiie ; and, as one wonder is sometimes 
lessened, 1f not altogether driven out, by 
another, perhaps you will not think it im- 
proper to give this last-mentioned ** de- 
scription” a place in your next num- 
ber, m- order that the twe may be 
compared together; in which case, the 
share of credibility that is due to each, 
willbe appreciated. as different readers 
may happen to feel inclined. I shall 
oniy add that, if credit is due to the one, 
there seems no very weighty reason why 
it should be refused to the other. ‘The 
source cf my information on this subject 
is as follows. 
The twelfth number of the New Series 
of “ Censura Literaria,’ by Samuel 
Egerton Brydges, which was published on 
the ist of the present month, contains an 
account of, and extracts from, a book that 
was printed j in the year 1679, the title of 
which is “ Modern Account of Scotland, 
being an exact description of the Coun- 
bis and a true Character of the People 
and their Manners; written from thence 
by an English Gentleman.” 
This curious work appears to hace 
been written by Thomas Kirk, of Crook- 
wige in Yorkshire. Among other hard 
features of “ Character and Manners,” 
it contains the following. “ Their cru- 
eity descends to their beasts; it being a 
custom im seine > to feast upon a 
hving cow, they tye in the middle of them, 
$s 
near a gre: at a) ae and then cut psec 
f i€CeS; nay aces they will ¢ 
off as much as will soci they 
