perhaps, friendly connections. Nevertheless, from the reafon I have premifed, I hall follow him in his remarks, and I truft, eftablish the accuracy of the tatements originally made by my benevolent friend; at the fame time, being fully impreffed with the juft caution of Tully, that "Quantum à rerum "turpitudine abes, tantùm te à ver"borum libertate fejungas *."

1. "In the first floor I visited there were 42 beds; 10 cribs for fingle per fons, and the others had two in "each bed, there being 74 in this "room." (Neild.)

after Neild's departure and publication.
5. The windows and cafements.
"finall; the latter all broke; the win
"dows dirty, and almoft covered with
"cobwebs." (Neild.)

The incorrectness of the prefs in pe riodical publications, is to be regretted rather tar cenfured, for the frequency of errors, efpecially in the first paper of the month, which is the laft print ed, and fonetimes within 48 hours of completing the work for delivery. On fome occafions, when the sheet has been fent for correction, I have been profeffionally engaged, and Neild, per haps, in a diftant dungeon, which af ford an apology on account of the incorrect wording of the paffage above No objection is flated to this affer quoted; for, in reverting to Neild's tion; it appears to have been intro- rough notes before they were copied duced to fhew the dimenfions of the for the prefs, this fentence is Toom; its amplitude would, in fome thus expreffed: "The window panes degree, tend to leffen the unhealthines and fatality that had been too prevalent the poor in At the entrance, and in the n this workhoute.

2. room, is a moft indecent and offenfive privy, fomething like a watchman's box, and to much out of reand to fituated, that the fexes pair, cannot be feparated where decency "moft requires it." (Neild.)

This privy, at the entrance of the long room, was fo much out of repair, and the door of it fo fituated, that it could not with decency be used by either fex, This uncovered receptacle was too filthy for defcription, and hance, for the fake of delicacy, the Epithet of offenfive was merely ufed but it was offenfive to a very great degree.

3. The paupers ate, drank, and flept on their beds, having no other room to live in." (Neild.) This is admitted, confequently requires no farther remark.

4. "The floors, from their filthy "flate, could not have been fwept for "a long time." (Neild.)

John Gurney defcribes the rooms as having been whitewashed, a fubject neyer adverted to by Neild. The circumflances of fweeping and washing muft have been merely hearfay, or fublequent report; for, under the beds were collections of flue, and on the windows an infinity of cobwebs. These proceffes might have been introduced

*We Thould be as careful of our words as of our actions; and as far from fpeaking hs from doing ill,

really

and cafements fmall, the latter all "thut; the windows aloft covered “ with cobwebs, the air throughout

extremely impure." But of what ever nuniber or lize the windows night be would not avail any thing, the cafements being fhut, and the air rendered thereby extremely impure.

As John Gurney affures the publick that he qualified himself to give a clear elucidation of charges, it might be expected that the cobwebs with which the windows were thick hung, would not have efcaped his attention unless they had been removed in confequence of Neild's having noticed them. Perhaps the fpiders were defignedly pro tected for the purpofe of catching flies, as a gentlenian told me his coachman did in his llable windows, to catch the flies which otherwife were extremely troublefame to his high-mettled horfes in the faine manner as Hector St. Johnt encouraged hornets to build their nefts in his parlour, which he thus defcribes: "In the middle of my parlour [

have a curious republick of induf "trious hornets; their nett hangs to "the cieling, on the fame twig of "which it was fo admirably built and " contrived in the woods. Its removal "did not difpleafe them, for they find "in my house plenty of food, and I

have a hole open in one of the panes "of the window, which anfwers all their purpofes. By this kind ufage

Letters from an American Farmer, by J. Hector St. John, a Farmer in Penfylvania, 4BP P. "they

they are become quite harmlefs; they live on the flies, which are very troublesome to us throughout the "fummer; they are conftantly bufy in catching them, even on the eye"lids of my children.?

the fame caufe, offenfive privies.

perhaps, have been told, as he was at Glafgow Tolbooth, "Sir, they are not "full yet; we generally empty them once a fortnight.'

John Gurney afferts that there are no erections that could warrant the nanie of privies. Let them then be called night-flools; and what advan tage is gained, or fact altered? Neild Captain Stedman* found ftill more has been repeatedly blamed for indeli important advantages from domefticated cacy in ufing the terms neceflaries, bees. On the 10th" (May 1776), fewers, tubs, &c.; and is night-ftools he obferves, I was vified by a neigh- lefs indelicate? If he had added that bouring gentleman, whom I con- fome of thefe were nearly full, he would ducted up my ladder (which led in-have (poken the truth, and might, to his chamber); but he had no fooner entered ny aerial dwelling "when he leaped down from the top to the ground, roaring like a nad"man with agony and pain; after which he inftantly plunged his head into the river; but looking up I foon difcovered the caufe of his diftrefs to "be an enormous neft of wild bees or Waffee-Waffee, in the thatch, directly above my head, as I ftood within my door; when I immediately took to my heels as he had done, and ordered them to be de"molished by my flaves without delay." This, however, was not done, in confequence of one of the flaves af furing him that they, by refidence in room, would prove harmless to the inhabitant; to prove which he made the flave first enter his room quite naked, without being molefted. He adds, "I then ventured to follow, and I de

"

his

clare, upon my honour, that even "after fhaking the nett, which made "the inhabitants buz about my ears, "not a fingle bee attempted to fting Co me! This fwarm of hees I fince kept unhurt, as my body guards." Prior to thefe guards, Captain Stedman, who received frequent prefents of provifions from the amiable flave Joanna, whom he afterwards married, could not keep his brother-officers from depredations upon them.

6. There was a leaden fink in the "room, down which was conftantly "thrown every fpecies of filth."Neild.) The original note from whence the manufcript for the prefs was copied, is not in, but near the room, and room in the next line is omitted. Neild thinks that it is juft on the outfide of the door but John Gurney, from his locality, can afcertain its exact fite.

7. Every other room was equally filthy as the one defcribed, and from

* Narrative of a five years expedition againft the revolted Negroes of Surinam, vol. II. p. 236,

With respect to the number of rooms vifited by Neild, his minutes do not afcertain; there were, however, many and he informs me by letter, that he thinks he omitted none of any confequence. Those he vifited had the cafements shut.

8. The beds contained two, and very frequently three perfons each, but in one there was a family of feven.

As to the number of perfons fleeping in one bed, Neild took his information from the woman who attended him ; the afked at the feveral beds how many perfons flept in each, and noted down her anfwers, fo that, if there were any error as to the precife number, it was no fault of his.

With refpect to the boys room, and the infirmity of one, whofe urine paff ed completely through the bedding, and was fuffered to accumulate to a putrid degree on the floor, Neild could not be miftaken; for when he entered his remarks on paper he was accompanied by a gentleman of the greatest refpectability, and of whofe skill the excellent hofpital in Norwich bears indubitable proofs, and of whofe humanity and attention to “ the fick in prifon," the gaol-book affords an honour able and lafting record*. On this fub ject, therefore, I imagine that John Gurney muft have been misinformed, 9. Five rooms, and not feven..

Neild was not at the workhouse when the Small Pox proved fo fatal. Whether the number of rooms was five or feven, in which the fick and wel were promifcuously mixed together, he cannot hence determine, but he was told feven. The number fignifies nothing, as to the fubject of mifina nagement, or the nature of the fact.

* The prefent Mayor of Norwich,

If

Iconfefsit g gave me pain to fee fo diftinguifhed an individual Bridewell the next day rather confirm

las Henderfon keeper, he is by trade a weaver, and has a workshop near the prifon; falary 301. Chaplain, none. Allowance, four pence a day to all who Surgeon, Mr. Sands; makes a bill, mitted to haid labour, who are in are unable to work, but prifoners comhealth, have their earnings only to fublift upon.

might be IMPROPERLY ufed under lefs humane gudans." Does he then, mean to affert that they were ever PROPERLY ufed! Could a gen tleman, who has laudably exerted himfelf with the reft of his humane brethren in favour of the African race, on whom the iron cravat of Rayner is a frequent punithment, doubt the IMPROPRIETY of applying thefe inftruments on a defence lefs youth! Can any Guardians of the poor be humane, who fhould thus yoke the children intrufted to their protection? Under a senting cells, fix for men, and fix for woment thus publickly avowed, would Voltaire have afforded an eulogy, which could alone apply to univerfal Beneficence?

Two fmall courts, with a fewer in each; that for the men has a pump and a covered paffage 49 feet long and 6 feet 5 inches wide, where prifoners are allowed to walk one hour in the

day. On the ground floor are 12 fleep

men, feparated by a lobby or pallage 18 yards long and 2 yards wide. Each cell is 8 feet 4 inches by 6 feet 2, and 8 feet high to the crown of the arch, fitted up with wooden bedfieads, firaw, and two rugs each. Over thefe are two work-rooms, that for the men 28 feet by 16 feet 4, and 8 feet 6 inches high, into which two fleeping cells open; the one has two beds in it and is 21 feet by 8, with a fire-place; the other holds one bed. The women's work-room is 22 feet by 16 feet 4, and their two fleeping cells open into it. In one of thefe was a man very ill (ap

"Je ne puis m'empêcher de dé"clarer, que je les ettime un peuple vraiment grand, vertueux, plein “d'industrie, d'intelligence, et de "fagelle. Ce font des gens ani"més des principes les plus étendus de bénéficence, qu'il y ait ja"mais en fur la terre. Leur charité, le porte fur toute la race du genre humain, ne refufant à per-parently dying) of the bloody flux, who fonue les miséricordes des dieux. "Enfin, c'eft peut-être le feul par"ti chez les Chrétiens, dont la pratique du corps entier, réponde conftamment à les principes *.' We read afterwards that, directed efforts to do good, are too frequently attended with mischief" This, as negatively applicable to Neild, has been verified; for his efforts have been attended with good, confequently they have been well, not ill-directed; many inftances of which fhould have concluded this Letter, had it not been already too much extended by J. C. LETTSOM.

"

"ill

**In this place it was our intention to have infe-ted Mr. NEILD's Defcription of the GAOL at NEWCASTLE-UPON TYNE, and the fmaller Gaol called the CASTLE GARTH, and alfo of MORPETH GAOL; but, want of room compels us for the prefent to conclude with,

MORPETH COUNTY BRIDEWELL, has been built about fix years. Nicho

*Encyclopédie (Le Chevalier de Jaucourt) T. ii. p. 648. folio, 1765. (TremLleures)

had been committed as a vagrant. The door of each cell has an aperture of nine inches fquare, is well lighted and window. Act and claufes not up. The ventilated, and a grated and glazed keeper but lately appointed. There is a good garden behind the houfe which the prifoners might be occafionally employed in, and if fome of the windows in front were flopped up, and others made at the back of the keeper's house, he would have a complete command of the two court-yards, which prifoners might then have the conftant ufe her of prifoners, 9th September 1802, of. Keeper pays window-tax. Num four.

HOUSE of CORRECTION at Hexhain, keeper, Jofeph Daglifh falary 301. and the HOUSE of CORRECTION at Tynemouth, keeper, Robert Robfon; falary 301. Thele two prifons are under the fame regulations as that at Morpeth. JAMES NEILD.