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All the arrangements are made in such a manner, as it is supposed may best suit the convenience of contributors. The articles of the constitution may be had from the Manager, Mr William Witherspoon, for five shillings, to be returned in case of becoming a contributor.

A public meeting of the guildry burgesses, trades, shipowners and citizens of Montrose, was held in the Town-hall, on Monday the 2d January, for the purpose of nominating a committee of six of their number, to meet with a like number of a committee of council, to confer upon the plan and principles of a proposed harbour bill, and report to a future general meeting. This meeting was called at the express desire of the magistrates; the requisition stating, that the magistrates and town council had appointed a committee of six of their number to meet with any committee of the like number, to be chosen from the burgesses, trades, and shipowners of the borough, to adjust and settle the heads of the intended harbour bill, and any other matters relative thereto.-This conduct of the magistrates has given general satisfaction.

Eminent Persons recently deceased.

THE LATE WILLIAM CREECH, ESQ.

IT is with feelings of no ordinary regret, that we announce the death of our fellow-citizen, Mr Creech, the late Lord Provost; a gentleman for nearly half a century so well known to almost every family in this city.Mr Creech was well fitted to be an ornament to society;-with a mind highly gifted and improved, he possessed the most pleasing manners, and that habitual cheerfulness and playfulness of fancy which rendered his company so fascinating.-He was an excellent and elegant scholar; and although, from the extent of his business as one of the most eminent book

sellers of his day, and his many social engagements, he had little leisure to direct his mind to any deliberate literary work; yet the frequent light pieces and essays which came from his pen, evinced the elegance of his taste, his knowledge of character, and his capability of a higher attainment in composition, if he had chosen to aim at it. Several of these essays, we believe, were afterwards collected into a small volume, entitled, "Edinburgh Fugitive Pieces." Mr Creech was one of the original founders of the Speculative Society of Edinburgh.

It has perhaps fallen to the lot of few men to have enjoyed, more than Mr Creech did, the correspondence and confidence of most of the great literary characters who flourished in Scotland from about the middle of the last century. With Lord Kaimes, Dr Robertson, Dr Blair, Dr Adam Smith, Lord Hailes, Lord Woodhouslie, Dr Beattie, and many other illustrious authors, he was in habits of constant intimacy—and of many other eminent men of the same class, whom we still have the happiness to retain among us, Professor Dugald Stewart, Mr M'Kenzie, Lord Meadowbank, Dr Gregory, &c. he possessed till his death, the warmest friendship and es

teem.

Mr Creech was the son of a most respectable clergyman, the minister of Newbottle. After a very complete classical education, he was, in early life, at different times on the Continent, and succeeded, in the year 1771, to that part of the business of his early friend and patron Mr Kincaid, at that time his Majesty's printer for Scotland, which was not connected with the patent of King's printer. He has continued in this business for the long period of forty-four years, and has been concerned in all the principal publications during that time.

He was frequently in the Magistracy of this city, and was solicited, in the year 1811, to accept the office

of

of Lord Provost, which, we believe, he did with reluctance, and against the advice of his private friends; as, both from his habits and advanced time of life, he felt himself then unsuited for so public a situation. But he yielded to the wishes of his friends and the Town Council.

About a year ago, Mr Creech was seized with an illness, which gradually increased, and has at last proved fatal. In losing him, the city has certainly lost one of its ornaments :but it was not in public so much as in private life, that he shone so conspicuous. His conversational talents, whether the subject was gay, or serious, or learned; his universal good humour and pleasantry, and his unrivalled talent in describing to a social party the peculiarities of eccentric character, will be long remembered by the numerous circles to whom his affability so much endeared him, and who now so sincerely regret that he is lost to them for ever.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL GORDON.

To the long list of distinguished soldiers, who have fallen during the late protracted war, it is with sincere regret that we add the name of Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, of the Royals, who died of wounds received during the last unsuccessful attack on Fort Erie, by General Drummond's

army.

Liberally educated at the Aberdeen Marischal College, he for some time studied the law, and with good abilities would certainly have distinguish ed himself in that profession, had it been agreeable to his disposition; but upon trial he disliked the versatility necessary to the advocate, and having therefore relinquished the profession, he, in the year 1793, entered the Duke of Gordon's fencible regiment, then just embodied. No avenue to promotion being open from a subaltern rank in a fencible corps, he entered the Roy

als, and for some time remained at home upon the recruiting service, and afterwards, in the years 1796-7, was with his corps at Calvi, Porto Ferrajo, and other places in the Mediterranean. In the year 1799, he was engaged at the Helder, and wounded, as he was again in the action of the 21st March 1801, in Egypt, when Sir Ralph Abercromby lost his life. When the unfortunate mutiny took place at Gibraltar, he was Adjutant to the garrison, and by his active exertions contributed to restore order among the troops. He was with the regiment during the disastrous retreat of Sir John Moore, and engaged in the battle of Corunna when that Commander fell. The following year he was upon the Walcheren expedition, and was the first British officer to take possession of Flushing on its capitulation. On this expedition his health suffered much, but he was soon again engaged in active service, and commanded the regiment in several engagements, at Busaco, &c. under Lord Wellington. In 1811, he went out to the West Indies to take the command of another battalion of the corps, and after being stationed at Berbice, Barbadoes, and other places inthe West Indies, arrived at Quebec in the autumn of 1812. The services of the Royals, and the distinguished merit of Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon, during the American campaigns, have. been frequently and honourably men. tioned in the Gazette. He was wounded in the battle of Chippawa, but had again recovered and taken the command of the corps, when the unfortunate attacks were made on Fort Erie, in the last of which he was mortally wounded, and died on the retreat. From the above outline, it will be observed, that few Officers have seen more service within the last twenty years, and certainly none acquitted themselves better, or were more justly esteemed in the service-or more re deeply regretted in their fall.

Letter

Letter, descriptive of an Eruption of the Geysers of ICELAND.

Reikiavik, Oct. 13th 1814.

MY DEAR SIR,

HAD it been possible for me to return to this place from a long and dangerous journey, round more than the half of Iceland, before Mr P. sailed, I would have written you by him; but all the Danish vessels were gone before my arrival, which was on the 20th ult. I have many things which I could write you about, if my room would admit, however, I shall select what I suppose will interest you most, "the "principal Icelandic steam-engines," or the hot springs, called the Geysers*. At the distance of two days and a half's ride from this place, as my companions and I were turning round the foot of a hill, we could descry, by the vapours, the spot where one of the most magnificent and unparalleled spectacles in nature is exhibited. Electrified as it were by the sight, and feeling impatient to have our curiosity fully gratified, we spurred our horses afresh; and just as we got clear of the corner of the mountain, on the east side of which these springs are situate, we were saluted by an eruption of the Great Geyser, in which the water may have been thrown to the height of twenty feet. Riding on between the springs and the mountain, we fell in with a small green spot between beds of hot red clay, where we left our horses, and proceeded, as if by an irresistible impulse, to a gently sloping ground, from the surface of which, numerous columns of steam were making their escape. On ascending the mount formed by the depositions of the great Geyser, we found the bason, which is more than 50 feet in diameter, more than half full of the most beautifully transparent hot water. In the middle, which was hollowed like a funnel, we

• Synonimous with our Gushers. E. Jan. 1815.

saw the mouth of the shaft, or pipe, about 16 feet in diameter, from which a slight bubbling arose. About 38 minutes past 5 in the afternoon, we heard low reports, resembling those of the firing of cannon at a distance, and a gentle concussion of the ground ensued, but only a few partial jets were thrown up, and the water in the bason did not rise above the surface of the outlet. The same happened about a quarter past eight: but at 25 minutes past 9, as I was returning from the neighbouring hill, I heard reports which were both louder, and more numerous than the preceding.Concluding from these circumstances that the long - expected phenomena were at length to appear, I ascended the mount, which shook under my feet as I approached it. I had scarcely time to look into the bason when the explosion commenced, and instantly compelled me to retire to a respectful distance on the windward' side. The first four or five throws were inconsiderable, not exceeding 15 or 20 feet in height; these were followed by one about 50 feet; which was succeeded by two or three considerably lower; after which came the last, which was very magnificent, at least 70 feet high! The large stones which we had previously thrown into the pipe, some of which it took two of us to carry, were cast up during the eruption to a considerable height, especially one, which was much higher than the highest jet of water. On the rising of the jets, they heaved up the water of the bason which lay nearest the orifice of the pipe, to the height of a foot, or a foot and an half; and on the falling of the water from the jets, it not only caused the bason to overflow at two lower places in the brink, but forced it over the highest part, behind which I was standing, so that I had nearly burned my feet. During the sprouting, which lasted 44 minutes, immense clouds of steam made their escape, which continued

to

I could give you a description of many more of these eruptions, as also of another spring called Struckr, or The Churn, but must content myself with the following brief extract from my journal: "The morning of the

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"still more enrapturing than any we "had yet beheld. About 10 mi"nutes past 5, we were awakened, (our tents standing only 100 yards "from the spring) by the roaring of "Strockr, which blew up a consider"able quantity of steam, and when my watch stood at the full quarter,

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a crash took place, as if the earth "had burst, which was instantly fol"lowed by jets of water and spray, "rising in a perpendicular column, "to the height of 60 feet. As the

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sun happened to be behind a cloud, "we had no expectation that the "view would equal what we had wit"nessed the preceding morning; but "Strockr had not been at play above "20 minutes, when the great Geyser, "as if jealous of her reputation, and "indignant at our bestowing so much "of our time and applause on her "rival, began to thunder tremendous"ly, and emitted such quantities of

to roll and spread till they had completely darkened the horizon around us; they also prevented us from seeing the main body of the column of water which was thrown up; but we could discover it darting above the steam with amazing velocity, togeth-30th July furnished us with a scene er with a number of smaller broken sproutings, which flew off obliquely in every direction. On the cessation of the eruption the water instantaneously sunk into the pipe, but rose again immediately to about 3 or 4 inches above the orifice, where it remained stationary. I now entered the bason, and proceeding within reach of the water, found it to be 183° of Fahrenheit, a temperature of more than twenty degrees less than at any period while the bason was filling. The whole scene was indescribably pleasing; but what interested us most, was the circumstance that the strongest jet came last, as if the Geyser had summoned all her powers in order to shew us the greatness of her strength, and made a grand finish before retiring into her subterraneous chambers. Our curiosity had been gratified, but not satisfied. We now wished to become acquainted with the mechanism of this wonderful engine, and obtain a view of the springs by which it is put in motion: but our wishes were vain, for they are hidden in "a tract which no fowl knoweth, "and which the vulture's eye hath "not seen," which man, with all his boasted powers, dare not approach.~ I have often contemplated with surprize, the steam engines constructed by human art; but whatever I may survey of the kind in future, can only be viewed with comparative indifference, after having beheld the operations of one which owes its formation to the great ARCHITECT of the Universe. Here we perceive, within a small compass, what HIS power can effect, and yet this is only part of his ways. The thunder of his power, who can understand!

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spray and steam, that we could not "be satisfied with a distant view, but "hastened to the mount with as "much curiosity as if it had been the "first eruption we had witnessed.— "However, if she was more interest"ing in point of magnitude, she gave "the less satisfaction in point of du"ration, having again become quiet "in the course of 5 minutes; whereas "her less gaudy, but more steady "and persevering companion, con"tinued to play till within four mi"nutes of 6 o'clock."

you

You may form some idea of our situation, when I inform that we slept two nights on a spot, where only about 20 or 30 feet separated us from the fiery regions: about ten yards from our tents, the earth was so hot, that on turning up a little of the

surface, I could not hold my hand in it, and that all around us were hissing and sprouting pits, to the number of near a hundred; yet I did not consider myself in any danger. It was otherwise when I crossed the sulphur mountains in the North, where there was, every minute, danger of my horse falling with me into burning pools of brimstone, among which my way to the east lay. Were I to tell you of the ice mountains, which move backwards and forwards almost every year on the sand-rivers, which it took me an hour to ford, and others that ran 8 or 9 knots an hour, and took my horse nearly off his feet; how my man and horses were actually carried away once; you would only suppose I attempted to impose on your credulity. Indeed, when I now look back myself, I should be inclined to view these events as illusions of the imagination rather than realities, did not my journal prove their truth.

Next year, if spared, I intend to travel round the western half of the Island, and then return to my native country. I must beg you will purchase for me, and send by the same ship, half bound, Silberschlag's Geogonie, 4to, Berlin, 1780, with 15 copperplates, and Orkneying a Saga. Both books are indispensable.

EBENEZER HENDERSON.

Trial of JOHN PATERSON and GEORGE
CHARLES, for Sheep-stealing.
HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY.

MONDAY, the 12th of Dec. 1814,

came on the trial of John Paterson, drover or dealer in sheep and cattle in Burnhead, in the parish of Eddleston, county of Peebles, and George Charles, flesher in Musselburgh, charged with stealing fifty lambs and seven sheep, from the farm

of Raeshaw, in the parish of Heriot, and county of Edinburgh, belonging to Mr Alexander Tweedie and James Bryden, his servant, on the night of Sunday the 21st, or morning of Monday the 22d of August last.

The pannels pleaded not guilty to the indictment, and Mr Smail Keir, as junior Counsel for Paterson, stated, that his client's defence resolved into a general denial of the libel, and he trusted that in the course of the evidence he should be able to prove a complete alibi. Mr Cockburn, as junior Counsel for Charles, stated, that his client's defence was, that he had fairly purchased the sheep and lambs in question, from the other pannel, Paterson, in fair dealing, and sold them in the open market.

The declarations were admitted by the Counsel for both pannels, and were read by the Clerk of Court.Paterson, in his first defence, admitted that he knows Charles, and had sold him some sheep on the 16th of August, and had no dealings with him since. That he was at Peebles on the 21st of August, and slept that night at his brother's at Burnhead, which he did not leave till Monday at midday, when he came to Howgate with some lambs. He emitted three declarations, which were much to the same purpose.

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Charles's declarations were then read, and stated, that he had bought some lambs from Paterson early on the morning of the 22d, when he called the declarant out of bed at Swarehouse; that he drove the sheep to Musselburgh, and afterwards sold them to G. Kedzlie, flesher in Musselburgh. In a second declaration he adhered to the above statement, after being confronted by the pannel Paterson. In the third declaration he said that Paterson wore a blue coat with metal buttons when he sold him the sheep.

The public prosecutor then brought

for.

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