perfecuting laws. The people then ought not to intruft themfelves any one time with the choice of a majority, or of a half of the legiflature. But if one-third only (or any Lefs number) be to go out at once; the chance always must be, that the fettled fhould prevail over the occafional will of the people,

the flower but maturer decifions of their judgment over the hafty phrenzy of tranfient impatience.

For both these reasons, partial rotation feems effential to wife reprefentation.

If the foregoing arguments be valid, it follows, that in all fchemes of parliamentary conftitution one ought to prefer

Univerfal to privileged fuffrage, Gradationed to direct reprefentation, And rotatory to fimultaneous difmiffal of the delegates.

The doctrine of rotatory difmiffal originates, apparently, with Harrington, of gradationed election with Hume, and of univerfal fuffrage with Sir William Jones.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

Bly useful and entertaining Magazine, EING a conftant reader of your high.

you will do me a particular favour by inferting the two following questions, which I fhall be very happy to fee anfwered by any of your able philofophical corre fpondents.

Suppofing a self-moving machine is ever Produced (whether of wood or metals), is there any certain premium offered to the ingenious contriver?

What effect has heat and cold, wet and dry, on woods, copper, brass, and steel?

The laft queftion I have propofed with the view of enlightening the mufical world refpecting ftringed inftruments, and hope a clear answer will tend to leffen the blame fo generally thrown on musical inftrument makers, but particularly on tuners, at every change of atmosphere in our uncertain climate. Your's, A FRIEND.

Barbary Coaft, Algiers is by far the most confiderable with refpect to extent of territory. According to Shaw, the country fubject to Algiers is feparated by the Tra ra Mountains from the dominions of the Emperor of Morocco. According to Ho eft, the river Mullooiha, or Malva, divides make to the weft the Trara Mountains, the two kingdoms. If, with Shaw, we and to the eaft the river Zaine, formerly Tufca, the boundaries of the Algerine ftate, it extends from 6' of weft, to 9 15 of east longitude, from the meridian of Greenwich. With regard to its latitude, the extremities lie between 320 and 370

The city of Algiers, which is fituated nearly in the centre, has, according to the most accurate aftronomi cal obfervations, a polar altitude of 36* 49' 30"*. If we take the medium diffe rence of latitude of the whole kingdom to be 20 30' and the difference of longitude to be 90 30' the fuperficial extent would amount to about 4,218, or, according to a more accurate aftronomical calculation miles. by M.von Zach, 4,262 geographical square

On the population of the ftate of Algiers, nothing can be determined with certainty: however, it feems to be incomparably less than in every other ftate of the fame extent; for arts, fciences, and industry flourish not in this barbarous land. Even in the vicinity of the cities, we find extenfive tracts uninhabited and uncultivated; and fuch wastes increase in proportion as we recede to a greater diftance from the towns. In the interior of the country, commence the dreary deferts. The iron hand of defpotifm, the want of commercial intercourfe in the inland provinces, and the frequent ravages of the plague, contribute likewife to diminish the number of inhabitants.

In general, as far as the Defert (Sabra), the foil is fruitful, but more especially on the fea coaft, and in the valleys. Forests, properly fo called, feldom occur. The district about Bugia is the moft woody, and produces the greatest quantity of timber. Tracts, on the other hand, full of thickets and brushwood are lefs rare. The

country may be reckoned among the mountainous: many of the chains of mountains contain minerals, the principal of which are lead and copper. Mineral fprings and waters are met with in many places; but the neceffary accommodations are wanting for thofe who might wish to

*This is not the polar altitude of the city, but properly of the light-house (Fanal), where the altitude was obferved.

ufe them. The nearer we approach the Defert, the more the fecundity of the foil decreases; there are, however, on the bcrders of it diftricts where agriculture is followed with advantage. In the Defert itlelf, only particular fpots, here and there, are town with corn: the chief products are figs and dates. Here live a number of nomadical tribes and families, who, proud of their independence, endure with fortitude the want of poffeffions and of the conveniences of a more civilized state of fociety. They are, however, addicted to plunder, fufpicious, and frequently treacherous and cruel. On the coaft, and in the northern part of the country, fprings and rivers abound. Of the latter, the Shellif is the moft confiderable: it takes its rife in the Sabra, paffes through the lake Titeri, and empties itfelf in a western direction into the Mediterranean Sea.

The kingdom of Algiers comprehends a part of the ancient Mauritania, and in particular Mauritania Cæfarienfis, and the ancient Numidia. At prefent it contains four principal divifions: 1 the Western Province, or Mafcara; 2 the territory of the City of Algiers; 3 the Middle or fouthern Province, Titeri; 4 the Eastern Province, or Conftantine.

I. MASCARA.

The Malva or Mallooiba, which, as we remarked above, is the boundary of the dominions of Algiers on this fide, takes its rife in the Sahra, and runs, with fmall windings, from fouth to north. This river might, to the great advantage of commerce, be rendered navigable to a confiderable extent: but, in the present fituation of affairs in Algiers, it cannot be expected that fuch beneficial undertakings fhould be even thought of. Thirteen miles from the mouth of the Malva, on the coaft, are three uninhabited iflands, between which small coafting veffels may lie in fafety. To the eaft, on the coaft, are fituated Seedi Abdelmoumen and Maifcarda, two inconfiderable places, the latter of which is celebrated for containing the fepulchre of a Mahomedan faint of the fame name. A little to the fouth-west lie two caftles, formerly garrifoned by troops of the Emperor of Mcrocco, Fort el Wed and el Joube; to the eaft, in a pleafant diftrict, is fituated Woojeda. The fouthern parts of the province are inhabited by independent wandering tribes, efpecially by the tribe Angad.

From the Trara Mountains, along the coaft towards the eat, we meet with the following places: Twant; Cape Hone, formerly Promontorium Magnum; Tackumbreit, at the mouth of the Tafna; at a

small distance from it lies the ifland of Acra. All these are inconfiderable places. Farther towards the north, the Salt-River, after having been increafed by the Sinan and Wed el Mailah, empties itself into the Mediterranean.

Cape Ferrat or Mefaff (Portus Magnus of the ancients), together with the fortified city of Warran or Oran, and Fort Mafal quivir, at prefent belong to the Spaniards.

Oran is one of the largest cities of the province of Mafcera; has strong and regular fortifications, and can eafily be fupplied by the Spaniards with provifions and warlike ftores. It lies in 35' of longitude weft from Greenwich; and in 35° 55' north latitude. Since the year 1732, the Spaniards have held uninterrupted poffeffion of Oran. It has a parifh-church, three monafteries, a hofpital; and the number of the inhabitants, according to the account given of it by the Spaniards, amounts to 12,000. Towards the fea, the city rifes in the form of an amphitheatre, and is furrounded with forts and batteries. Clofe to the city, lies a ftrong caftle, Alcazava, in which the Spanish governor refides. On the highest hill stands Fort St. Croix, whofe guns command the city and the adjacent country. From this fort they make fignals of the approach of fhips, and carefully watch the motions of the Moors, who often attempt predatory incurfions into the neighbouring diftricts. A confiderable number of Mahomedans take refuge in Oran; they dwell in a diftinct part of the city, receive pay from the court of Spain, and render signal fervices against the Moors. The greatest part of the inhabitants of Oran confits of fuch as have been banished from Spain; and the fame may, in a great measure, be faid of the foldiers who compofe the garri fon. Five regiments are commonly fta. tioned here; but, owing to continual defertion, their strength scarcely equals that of four complete regiments. One of them wholly confifts of malefactors who have been condemned to remain here for life. Thereft arefuch as have been transported for one or more years. There is here likewife a military fchool. Around the city are pleafant gardens; but it is very dangerous to cultivate them, on account of the Moors and Arabs, who frequently lie in ambush among them. The fame reafon prevents the cultivation of the fields in the vicinity; and the garrifon and inhabitants must be fupplied with provifions immediately from Spain.

Muflygannim is one of the most confide rable towns of the province of Mafcara;

but

is nearly of the fame magnitude as Belida. The chain of mountains branching out in this district to the caft and weft, is a part of Mount Atlas, and becomes higher the farther it extends towards the east. The Anwall Mountains on the river Yiffer already rife to a great height; but to the fouth-eaft, we find fome of the higheft in the whole kingdom, known by the names of Jurjura and Felizia. The latter are a high and rocky ridge, that ftretches to the extent of from feventeen to twenty miles, and is in most places inacceffible. There dwell the Cabyls, an independent tribe, who have never yet been fubdued by the Algerines. During the greateft part of the year, the tops of many of these mountains are, even in this hot climate, covered with fnow, which vanishes in May, and re-appears towards the end of September. In and near the city of Algiers, thefe fnowcovered fummits are diftinctly feen, refting, as it were, on the clouds.

IV. THE PROVINCE OF CONSTANTINE Is the largest and richeft of the four; and stretches from the river Booberack to the Zaine, which feparates it from Tunis. The greatest part along the coaft is mountainous and in the mountains dwell free Arabian and Moorish tribes, which from time to time have proved formidable enemies to the power of Algiers. The moft remarkable places are, Bugia, a large town, and well built after the manner of the country. It has a garrifon of from two to three hundred men, which however is not always fufficient to overawe and put a ftop to the depredations of the Cabyls. As thefe free mountaineers poffefs a fuperfluity of oil, foap, dried figs, and especially tim ber fit for building; the government of Algiers, which stands in need of thefe products, is obliged in many things to fhew great indulgence to these tribes. The Cabyls, efpecially those who dwell to the weft of Collo, are reckoned among the moft turbulent and cruel inhabitants of the Algerine dominions. In Collo, the French African Company has a fmall factory, as likewife at Bona or Blaid el Aneb (the an cient Hippo Regius), where they purchase corn, oil, leather, wax, and wool, and conftantly keep a refident agent, who has charge of the correspondence between Bona, Algiers, La Calle, and Marseilles. Half a mile inland from the prefent Bona, we find the ruins of Hippo. The chief fac tory of the French African Company on this coaft is La Calle, furrounded on three fides by the fea, and on the fourth defended by a ftrong wall. This place is inhabited by three or four hundred Corficans

and Provençals. The edifices belonging to the Company are the only regular buildings; the rest of the inhabitants, compofed of the fcum of the populace of Marseilles, live in wretched huts. They are employed in packing and unpacking of goods, in the coral-fishery, in taking care of the cattle; and must likewife do military duty, and daily mount guard. At the mouth of the Zaine, near the shore, lies the island of Tabarca. It was formerly well cultivated; contained a great number of inhabitants, and was connected with the continent by a mound. It confifts of a high, and towards the north fteep, rock, whole height gradually decreases on the fide towards the land; on this declivity formerly flood the populous and pleafantly fituated city of the fame name. The Emperor Charles V. conquered this ifland, and caufed it to be fortified as a place of fafety, from which the Tunifian corfairs might be fuccefsfully attacked; and, if neceffity fhould require it, a landing effected. At that time, many Spanish families fettled here, and the island was defended by a Spanish garrison. In the fequel, it was granted to the house of Doria, and thus came under the dominion of the Genoefe, who established here a coral-fifhery. When, their trade being fefted and interrupted by the Algerine corfairs, the inhabitants of Tabarca applied to Genoa for affiftance, it was in agitation to transfer the poffeffion of it to France. This project the Tabarcans rendered abortive, by voluntarily furrendering their city to Tunis. But they found themselves cruelly deceived. Instead of protecting their trade, the Bey of Tunis razed the fortifications of the ifland; treated all the inhabitants, on their expreffing their difcontent, as prifoners of war, and caused the greatest part of them to be carried as flaves to Tunis. In the year 1757, when Tunis was taken by the Algerines, the captive Tabarcans were brought as flaves to Algiers; where the Spanish court foon after purchased their freedom, and they returned to Spain or Italy. The Bey of Tunis caused a new fort to be constructed on

the continent, exacly oppofite the island; but kept in both forts only a small garrifon. Since the year 1784, the ifland has for the moft part been uninhabited; having loft almoft all its remaining inhabitants by the plague. The French African company obtained from the Bey of Tunis the privilege to fend hither an agent or factor; who, however, does not conftantly refide on the spot.

Conftantine, formerly Cirta, one of the molt confiderable cities of ancient Numi