1808.) 
appetites, and let her go till their greedy 
stomachs call for a new supply; such 
horrible cruelty as can scarce be paral- 
leled in the whole world.” 
It seems to bea somewhat curious cir- 
cumstance, added to the remarkable co- 
incidence in the “ outrageous’’ passages 
in each of these travellers, that the York- 
shireman found in Scotland that strong 
trait of savage manners which the Scotch- 
man does not pretend to have discovered 
until he got so far from his native coun- 
try as Abyssinia. If the latter had hap- 
pened to be a member of the Society of 
Antiquaries in his own country before 
‘he set out on his travels, he might, per- 
haps, have discovered at home “traces of 
those manners that seem to have ap- 
peared quite new to him upon his enter- 
ing Abyssinia. The flesh having been roast- 
ed in the one instance, and eaten raw in 
the other, would then have been the only 
difference; and the cruelty of cutting it 
off the living x animal could not have been 
“any novelty to him; nor would his narra- 
tive (if Kirke’s veracity is admitted) have 
produced so many wonderers on the one 
hand, and disbelvevers on the other, among 
his readers; for even your dissertator 
does not deny that the Al.yssinians eat 
raw flesh; it is only the circumstance of 
their cutting it off the living animal to 
which he refuses his assent. “Tn all pro- 
bability Bruce had never seen Kirke’s 
book, nor had any means of being inform- 
ed of the horrid custom which the latter 
describes ; therefore it could cnly be by 
chance that they have corroborated each 
other in the allegation that sacha custom 
prevailed amongst some béings of the hu- 
man race; and it is well known that civi- 
lization, and what is generally under- 
_ stood by the term humanity, are princi- 
ples of very slow growth in many parts 
of the world. Kirke’s book cannot be 
read by any person of the present time 
without exciting wonder at the quickness 
oftheir growth in Scotland not long. after 
he had written it; for surely no such cus- 
tom as he describes has been known in 
any part of that country within the me- 
mory of the oldest person now living, and 
it is only one hundred and twenty-nine 
years since his book was published; but, 
if itever did exist at all, his expression 
“in some places,” clearly evinces that it 
nruty Mag., No. 16%. 
Dr. George Skene, of Aberdeen. 
lar, he had tew equals 
137 
was by no means general: and perhaps 
the sameé may be said of Abyssinia; and 
that a total extinction of the custom in 
question will, by the ameliorating hand 
of time, be brought about in that coun 
try as it has so happily been inthe hor- 
thern’ part of our own island. 
Your’s, &c. 
Bioomsbury, We xe 
Januury.12, 1808. 
EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N the department of your Magazine 
B allotted to neglected Buography, Lt 
would wish to call the attention of some 
of your Scots readers to the late Doctor 
George Skene, of Aberdeen. As ascho- - 
: he was a man of 
sound judgment, of deep research; and 
when to this 1s added his great experi- 
ence as a physician, his abilities must be 
duly estimated; these being qualities 
which, combined in one. person, make 
the best requisites for that profession. 
His many remaining friends will bear 
witness to his talents‘ as a companion ; 
and though he may be said often to have 
“set the table in a roar,” yet it was 
with that genuine humour which deserves 
a finer character; and that poignancy of 
wit which many attempt, but few succeed 
in. Perhaps he allowed himself to be 
carried away too much by satire; but it 
gave to his conversation that zest which 
is only to be felt, but cannot well be 
described. 
Although his réputation is firmly estab- 
lished through a large district, where his 
loss was severe, and much lamented, yet 
I shall feel a proud satisfaction in being 
instrumental to a more wide and general 
knowledge of it. There are many of his 
townsmen who are well fitted for drawing 
up a sketch of his life; and there are 
none but will allow he was deserving of 
their highest praise. I hope they will 
not let bis fame pass away like those 
who live only for themselves, and whose 
existence is like the insect, that flutters 
for a season, that. dies unnoticed, unla- 
mented, and fergotten. The memory 
of Dr. Skene will outlive many genera+ 
tions. Your’s, &Xc. 
Aug. 10, 1807. . M, D. 
T MEMOIRS 
