the 28th we had vivid lightning, and a very loud peal of thunder; the mountains were covered with snow nearly the whole of the month.

May-was extremely cold for the season; the average temperature, 480.87, is five degrees less than that of the same month last year. On the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th, we had considerable falls of snow, hail, and sleet, with severe frost in the nights, when many of the highest mountains were quite covered with snow; the parching easterly winds which prevailed were very injurious to vegetation.

8

June-from the beginning to the 21st, was a continuation of the same ungenial cold weather which was experienced nearly the whole of the preceding months, during this season; the last ten days were generally mild and pleasant. On the 22d we were visited by a flash of vivid lightning, which was instantaneously succeeded by a most dreadful peal of thunder; the electric fluid struck the roof of the armoury of the castle of this city, which it entered by the chimney, and in its passage into the earth, passed through the different store rooms, slightly injuring some muskets, swords, drums, &c. the chimney was very much shattered, and some of the bricks were thrown a considerable distance.

:

July-was cold, and extremely wet and gloomy; but the principal feature of this month was the frequent occurrence of destructive thunder-storms, the most tremendous was on the 21st. At some villages a few miles to the north-east of this city, after experiencing much vivid lightning and loud thunder, there fell a destructive volley of pieces of ice, some of them an inch or more in diameter, which shat tered the windows of the houses, tore up the soil, beat down the vegetable products of the earth, and did great and extensive damage; the whole of the crop of one farm was completely

cut down. At Netherby upwards of 700 panes of glass were broken in the hot-houses of Sir James Graham, and 60 squares in the house were driven in with great violence by large bailstones, resembling pieces of ice; some large trees in that neighbourhood were completely torn up by the roots. At the same time, between the Scotch Dyke toll-bar and Cannobie, a great number of full-grown oak trees, as well as others, were blown down by the whirlwind.

August. The weather during the former half of this month was showery, cold, and unpleasant; the latter part was fair and seasonable. On the 15th we had much thunder, accompanied with dreadful masses of deuseforked lightning. The average tem+ perature of this month, 55.7, is only four tenths of a degree higher than that of the last; and the general average of May, June, July, and the present month, only 53°.4, namely, 10.6 below temperate.

September. The first four days were extremely cold, with showers of sleet, and strong frost in the nights, when ice of considerable thickness was observed. The temperature afterwards was seasonable, but the weather continued showery and moist, and very unfavourable for the backward harvest.

October-was remarkably mild for the season, the average temperature, 48°.87, is as high as that of May this year; the weather was chiefly wet, and extremely moist and gloomy.The greater part of the grain remained in the fields at the end of the month.

November.-The first six days were mild and pleasant: the thermometer generally 50°; on the night of the 6th we had heavy showers of rain and sleet; on the 7th intense frost commenced, when in the night the thermometer fell to 24°; the following morning it was 230; and on the night of the 10th 219; at this time,

all

Reservoirs and feeders,

The extension from the Falkirk locks to the summit level of the Forth and Clyde Canal, which was recommended in my last Report, being for the present left in the hands of that Company, I have not entered upon any estimation of its expence, but I have carefully examined the line in which it may be carried, and have found it to be favourable; I convery sider it a most important and necessary link of the general communication, and trust measures will be taken to have its completion correspond with that of the other portions of the Union Canal.

(Signed) THOS. TELFORD. EDINBURGH, 29th January 1817..

}

Having accompanied Mr Telford on his late survey of the line of the proposed Union Canal, and with him carefully re-estimated the expence, I am confirmed by his opinion in the propriety of leaving out two of the most expensive reservoirs, which, by the statement in my last Report, it appears may be done without any inconveniency to the navigation: we have also agreed on a change of the site of the most extensive embankment, and on a less expensive plan of constructing the numerous aqueducts,

£.95,324.12.2 35,674-12»6 |

£.240,468, 17.2

than I had formerly estimated on.From these savings there has arisen a very considerable difference between my last estimate and that now produced; to which I subscribe, as being amply sufficient, in my opinion, for completing the work.

H. BAIRD, Civil Engineer. EDINBURGH,

29th January 1817.

1

SCOTTISH REVIEW.

I. A Series of Discourses on the Christian Revelation, viewed in connection with the Modern Astronomy. By THOMAS CHALMERS, D.D. Minister of the Tron Church, GLASGOW. 8vo. 8s.

THERE will probably be few of

our readers whom the fame of Dr Chalmers's pulpit oratory has not so far reached, as to inspire an extreme interest with regard to the specimens contained in this volume. This interest it is well calculated to gratify, as including some of those of which the reputation has been most widely diffused.

The object of Dr Chalmers in this series is to combat the objections against the Christian system, derived

from

from the splendid and fully-ascertained discoveries of modern astronomy. He admits, indeed, although these discoveries are now of a pretty old date, that this argument has not been much stated in the works of Infidel writers; but he has often heard it urged in conversation. We confess that the argument is almost new to us, and does not appear calculated to make much impression on the mind of a reasonable man. To one who urged it, we should think it almost sufficient to say, that he was passing the limits assigned to the human faculties. Although, however, it appears to us almost to be a species of man of straw whom our author has conjured up to fight against, yet we cannot regret that the argument should have made on his mind an impression thus disproportionate to its real weight. It has thus had the effect of producing a series of discourses, which af ford boundless scope to his powerful and excursive imagination. They form, indeed, a most splendid series; they exhibit flights of poetic fancy almost unparalleled, and of a species of poetry almost new-the poetry of science. A very few specimens will, we apprehend, satisfy those who have not bad access to the oral exhibitions of Dr Chalmers, as to the ground of that enthusiasm of admiration which he has kindled.

The first sermon contains an exposition of the general principles of the science of astronomy, introductory to treating of the argument supposed to be founded upon it. After a luminous exposition of the general phenomena which the heavens present, he comes to the question, whether these numberless spheres be, like ours, the abode of life?

Why then suppose that this little spot, little at least in the immensity which surrounds it, should be the exclusive abode of life and intelligence? What reason to think that those

mightier globes which roll in other parts of creation, and which we have discovered to be worlds in magnitude, are not also worlds in use and in dignity? Why should we think that the great Architect of nature, supreme in wisdom as he is in power, would call these stately mansions into existence and leave them unoccupied ? When we cast our eye over the broad sea, and look at the country on the other side, we see nothing but the blue land stretching obscurely over the distant horizon. We are too far

away to perceive the richness of its scenery, or to hear the sound of its population. Why not extend this principle to the still more distant parts of the universe? What though, from this remote point of observation, we can see nothing but the naked roundness of yon planetary orbs? Are we therefore to say, that they are so many vast and unpeopled solitudes; that desolation reigns in every part of the universe but ours; that the whole energy of the divine attributes is expended on one insignificant corner of these mighty works; and that to this earth alone belongs the bloom of vegetation, or the blessedness of life, or the dignity of rational and immortal existence?

And elsewhere

Shall we say, that this scene of magnificence has been called into being merely for the amusement of a few astronomers? Shall we measure the counsels of heaven by the narrow in.potence of the human faculties? or conceive, that silence and solitude reign throughout the mighty empire of nature; that the greater part of creation is an empty parade; and that not a worshipper of the Divinity is to be found through the wide extent of yon vast and immeasurable regions?"

Taking a general view of the im

men

mensity which these discoveries of science give to the planetary system, he observes

They lay open to us a number of worlds, rolling in their respective circles around this vast luminaryand prove, that the ball which we tread upon, with all its mighty burden of oceans and continents, instead of being distinguished from the others, is among the least of them; and, from some of the more distant planets, would not occupy a visible point in the concave of their firmament.They let us know, that though this mighty earth, with all its myriads of people, were to sink into annihilation, there are some worlds where an event so awful to us would be unnoticed and unknown, and others where it would be nothing more than the disappearance of a little star which had ceased from its twinkling. We should feel a sentiment of modesty at this just but humiliating representation. We should learn, not to look on our earth as the universe of God, but one paltry and insignificant portion of it; that it is only one of the many mansions which the Supreme Being has created for the accommodation of his worshippers, and only one of the many worlds rolling in that flood of light which the sun pours around him to the outer limits of the planetary systèm.'

Proceeding then to the fixed stars, and to the very reasonable supposition that they are suns surrounded by other planets, he calculates the immense distances which interpose between the different parts of creation.

'These, says he, are great numbers and great calculations, and the mind feels its own impotency in attempting to grasp them. We can state them in words. We can exhibit them in figures. We can demonstrate them by the powers of a most rigid and infallible geometry. But no human

fancy can summon up a lively or an adequate conception-can roam in its ideal flight over this immeasurable largeness can take in this mighty space in all its grandeur, and in all its immensity-can sweep the outer boundaries of such a creation-or lift itself up to the majesty of that great and invisible arm, on which all is suspended.'

6

He now takes a still bolder flight :

Why subject the dominions of the universe to the eye of man, or to the powers of his genius? Fancy may take its flight far beyond the ken of eye or of telescope. It may expa tiate in the outer regions of all that is visible-and shall we have the boldness to say, that there is nothing there? that the wonders of the ALmighty are at an end, because we can no longer trace his footsteps? that his omnipotence is exhausted, because art can no longer follow him? that the creative energy of God has sunk into repose, because the imagination is enfeebled by the magnitude of its efforts, and can keep no longer on the wing through those mighty tracts, which shoot far beyond what eye hath seen, or the heart of man hath conceived-which sweep endlessly along, and merge into an awful and mysterious infinity.'

The following image appears to us peculiarly bold and original

The universe at large would suffer as little, in its splendour and variety, by the destruction of our planet, as the verdure and sublime magnitude of a forest would suffer by the fall of a single leaf. The leaf quivers on the branch which supports it. It lies at the mercy of the slightest accident.— A breath of wind tears it from its stem, and it lights on the stream of water which passes underneath. In a moment of time, the life, which we know, by the microscope, it teems with, is extinguished; and, an occur.

rence