nerous motives; the acquisition of riches, and the attainment of honours, are the ruling passions of his soul. He manufactures many ingenious and useful implements of trade, and articles of traffiche supplies, by his activity, the markets for our subsistence-he weaves the cloth for our appareland builds the habitation that defends us from the cold and the tempest. But philosophy invented the loom, and taught the just proportions necessary for erecting a building. Caves and hollow trees were the dwellings of our rude forefathers, until philosophy dispersed the gloom of ignorance, and illumined the world! To her we are indebted for our widely-extended commerce; the prowess of our navy and our consequence among the belligerent nations; to her we owe our splendor and our power!

No nation can arrive at grandeur and importance unless aided by philosophy; and to shew, perhaps more clearly, the superiority of the Philosopher to the Citizen, let us suppose that philosophy has withdrawn her assistance from the Citizen. For a time, perhaps, he would not perceive his loss; but it is an obvious truth, that when we cease to improve, we soon lose the energies of our minds, which often terminate in insanity or folly. The human mind must, to keep it in healthful vigour, be ever making some accessions to its general stock of knowledge; necessarily loses a considerable share of its juvenile acquisitions, and, unless supplied by application, it must inevitably sink into nothingness and puerility.

States and empires, after they have attained the summit of grandeur and renown, generally decline, and become an easy conquest to the more powerful; and why is this because luxury and corruption disregard the hepts and suggestions of philosophy. Whils thick feel a thirst for knowledge; a

desire to be distinguished for ingenuity and arts; a patriotic wish to assist by our efforts the trade and prosperity of our country, we continue to improve, and are of service to mankind.

Activity, however, must be directed. Philo sophy to a citizen, is like a pilot to a vessel; it must be steered with skill and judgment, or it cannot perform with expedition and safety the object of its voyage. The citizen may work and toil, and, by chance, make improvement upon some of his productions, but he has no scale to work by-no skill in the powers of mechanism to guide him. The artist, taught by philosophy, hath arithmetical certainty to affift him in his labours: he knows that a given power will produce a certain effect; he makes improvement upon improvement, whilft the untutored citizen is left to blind chance in his occupation: he cannot perform his work so ingeniously, or so expeditiously, as the other; conse quently, foreign markets can be supplied with every article of manufacture much under the price by those whom philosophy assists. The inventions of Archimedes, at the siege of Syracuse, destroyed more Romans, and were infinitely more formidable than the besieger's valour.

If mountains are to be levelled, what immense labour and time would be requisite for the more active citizen to accomplish such an arduous task: the philosopher can perform it with facility. Are rivers too shallow for our craft to bring the produce of our inland counties to the metropolis? the philosopher meditates and remedies this disadvantage. Nature, in short, is improved by his discoveries, and by his exertions all difficulties vanish!

The citizen's activity, united with the philosopher's discoveries, is productive mutual advantage, but the chief merit is due mes philosopher,

who imparts his knowledge, which, like the sun, diffuses light, pleasure, and benefit to ALL mankind.

Fort Street, Nov. 16, 1801.

THE

Epitome of Natural History.

No. XI.

THE SHEEP.

J. S.

HE common sheep, with its varieties, dispersed through different countries, is the most respectable species belonging to this genus. Perhaps none of all the domestic animals is so beneficial to mankind as the sheep. Others may excel it in strength, ingenuity, and dignity of character: but, were we to be deprived of the services of any of our humble friends among the inferior animals, we should probably find, that the sheep could be less easily spared than any other.

From British naturalists, who have written in their native language, this animal has never received any other name than that by which it is commonly known. The French name is la Brebis ; the Latin name Ovis; Linnæus uses the names Ovis Aries.

The size, shape, and fleecy covering of the com mon sheep are well known. When its head is adorned with horns, they are most frequently twisted outwards, in a spiral form. In the ram, horns are, by many, regarded as a mark of superior strength and vigour. That ram is esteemed the best shaped, who has a thick head, a broad front, large black eyes, a broad nose, a long, high body, a large crupper and large reins, massy testicles, and a long tail. His colour should be white; his fleece full and heavy. Those ewes are preferred which have thick necks, large, soft, and silky Vol. 14, No. 59.

U

fleeces, large bodies, and a nimble motion in walking.

The sheep is not among the most sagacious of the lower animals. This species neither display the same natural dexterity and address, nor the same docility as the dog, the horse, and some other of the tame animals, whose mental powers are considered as the most remarkable. Yet, they are not absolutely stupid, as they have sometimes been represented. They are social: the flock follow a ram as their leader; the leader often displays the most impetuous courage in defence of his followers: dogs, and even men, when attempting to molest a flock of sheep, have often suffered from the saga. cious and generous valour of the rams. The mu

tual affection, at least, between the female parent and her progeny, is here sufficiently tender, and well adapted to its purposes. The ewe suekles her lamb with fondness; and, though her timidity, weakness, and want of formidable instruments of attack and defence, render her unable to make any powerful opposition to those who seek to deprive her of it, yet she bleats after it, and for some time laments its loss, with the tenderest complaints.A lamb separated, when young, from other sheep, fed with milk from the hand, and treated with tenderness and familiarity, displays considerable do cility, and often forms a strong attachment to its benefactors. Admitted to this intimacy with mankind, it is apt to be guilty of little, vicious tricks; but its mildness, and general inoffensiveness of manners, recommend it so strongly to human affection and regard, that it is usually a particular favourite of infancy and youth. Another instance, if not of the amiable qualities, at least of the saga rity of the sheep, is the dexterity with which it often eludes the vigilance of the shepherd, when

it wishes to steal some delicacy of food agreeable to its palate.

It is observable of this species, that they drink very little. The juice of the vegetables which they eat, and the dew and rain with which the grass is often moistened, supply almost all the moisure that they need.

The

Sheep, like other animals, are liable to various diseases. Water often gathers in their head, and produces a disorder which soon proves fatal: the feet of whole flocks are often affected with a sort of mortification, which makes them halt when they walk, and renders them almost unable to run: at other times, the young especially are liable to suffer a speedy death from the effects of noxious air evolved from their food in the stomach. dropsy, phthisic, jaundice, and worms in the liver, are also annually destructive to considerable numbers of sheep. Several sorts of insects infect this animal. A certain astrus or gadfly is very troublesome, by depositing its egg above the nose, in the frontal finuses: a tick and a louse likewise feed on the sheep, of which it is sometimes relieved -by the undistinguishing appetite of the magpye and the starling. The ordinary term of the life of those sheep, which escape disease and violence, is twelve or thirteen years.

1 The benefits which mankind owe to this animal are very numerous. Its horns, its fleece, its flesh, its tallow, even its bowels, are all articles of great utility to human life.

The horns are manufactured into spoons, and many other useful articles.

The manufacture of the wool into cloths, has long formed the principal source of the riches of -England. We know not, indeed, whether the simple Britons and the rude Saxons were acquainted with the important uses of wool; it is more