972.

SIR SIDNEY SMITH.

diately on its agitation. See a curious Dissertation on the subject, read before the Natural History Society of Edinburgh, December, 1796, in Skrimshire's Essays on Chemistry.

During my stay at Rochester, being the time of the general election, I had the pleasure of seeing SIR SIDNEY SMITH, the Hero of Acre, who had been that day chosen member for Rochester, chaired amidst the acclamations of the multitude! Harassed by the fatigues he had undergone on this occasion, and covered with dust, he exhibited none of those traits of the dauntless warrior, ever ready for the defence of his country. Little would a stranger have thought that this individual, of so unmartial an appearance, had repelled successfully the Emperor of France in his progress towards the conquest of the world. I followed him to the inn; the concluding words of his address to the populace still vibrated in my ears, and are worthy of remembrance,-" Britons united-may defy every foe; your Constitution is, of all constitutions, the most favourable to practical liberty-be only true to your COUNTRY!"

Sir Sidney having recently conducted the King of Portugal to the Brazils, his Majesty made him a present of an estate, when he nobly liberated the slaves upon it! Humanity is the concomitant of true bravery.

I am, Sir,

Yours, &c.

СНАТНАМ HILL;

LETTER III.

GILLINGHAM; RAINHAM; MILTON OYSTERS;

THEIR HISTORY; SITTING BOURN; CURIOUS ADVERTISEMENT; THEOBALD, EDITOR OF SHAKESPEARE; FAVERSHAM; ITS POWDER MILLS; INVENTION OF GUNPOWDER; ITS POWERS, AND EFFECTS ; EXTRACTS CONCERNING ITS ORIGIN, FROM MILTON, ARIOSTO, AND SPENCER; ARREST OF JAMES THE SECOND; ILLUSTRIOUS VISITORS; FAVERSHAM ABBEY ; BOUGHTON-HILL; HARBLE DOWN; BECKET'S SLIPPER; SIR THOMAS MORE'S SKULL; Can

TERBURY.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

ASCENDING the hill from Chatham, on the road to Canterbury, we enjoy a view of the country. On every side objects present themselves to our attention. Hills and dales, orchards and gardens, churches and farm-houses, with the meanderings of the Medway, crowd upon the eye, and delight the imagination. We now discern this beautiful river winding down with its serpentine evolutions to Sheerness, where it is soon lost in the German.

Ocean:

Then fair Medway, that, with wanton pride,

Forms silver mazes with her crooked tide! BLACKMORE.

Ships of the first rate are built on its banks, and, gliding along its bosom, present a scene of grandeur and majesty.

We soon passed through the little village of Rainham; its church is remarkable for some ancient monuments, particularly an elegant marble statue of Nicholas Tufton, Earl of Thanet. Under

one of the chapels is a vault belonging to that family.

A few miles onward we reached Milton and Sittingbourn; the former on the left, and the latter in the road, but both entitled to a distinct mention.

Milton is a place of antiquity, situated at the head of a creek that runs into the Swale, which separates the Isle of Sheppy from the German ocean. The church is neat; and the town is governed by a port reeve, chosen on St. James'sday. Here is an Oyster-fishery; and its productions are much esteemed in London. As the oyster is a curious and nutritive kind of fish, a few particulars may be detailed respecting it. This delicious sea-fish, it has been remarked, occupies in the scale of nature a degree the most remote from perfection; destitute of defensive weapons, and progressive motion, without art or industry, it is reduced to mere vegetation in perpetual imprisonment, though it every day appears to enjoy the element necessary to its preservation.*

Sittingbourn is a post-town, consisting of one long street, with excellent inns. Being the great road from London to Dover, the landlords are not wanting of employ. A singular mode of advertising the Red Lion Inn, in one of the provincial papers, was had recourse to some years ago; I was favoured with a copy of it, by my friend, Mr. C. at Rochester, who had kept it by him as a curiosity :

Having given the history of Oysters in my Sail down the Medway annexed to my Excursion to Windsor, I say not a word more on the subject.

LEWIS THEOBALD.

"Red Lion Inn, Sittingbourn.

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"William Whitaker having taken the above house, most respectfully solicits the custom and support of the nobility, gentry, &c.

"The antiquity of the above inn, and respectable character which it has in history, are recorded as under:

"SITTINGBOURN, in Kent, is a considerable thoroughfare on the Dover road, where there are several good inns, particularly the RED LION; which is remarkable for an entertainment made by Mr. John Norwood, for KING HENRY the Fifth, as he returned from the battle of Agincourt in France, in the year 1415, the whole amounting to no more than nine shilling and nine-pence; wine being, at that time, only ONE PENNY a pint, and all other things proportionably cheap!

"P. S. The same character, in a like proportionate degree, W. WHITAKER hopes to obtain, by his moderate charges at the present time."

Sittingbourn gave birth to Lewis Theobald, the son of an attorney. He is remembered for his edition of Shakspeare, and his contest with Pope, from whom he received sarcastic treatment. In the year 1720 he brought out a tragedy, called the Double Falsehood, parts of which he ascribed to the pen of Shakespeare. This circumstance, however, was disputed. It was afterwards proved, by Dr. Farmer, that the immortal bard had no concern with this production.

Quitting Sittingbourn, and travelling onwards

.376

INVENTION OF GUNPOWDER.

seven miles, we perceived the town of Faversham on the left hand, a little way from the road; it consists of four long streets, and has about 2,000 inhabitants. It is of antiquity; several Roman urns and medals having been dug up in its vicinity. The church is neat, and its steeple forms an embellishment in the landscape of the surrounding country. The town stands on an arm of the Swale, and in its neighbourhood are many powder-mills belonging to government. In 1767, in 1781, and in 1793, some of these mills blew up, with tremendous explosions. Numerous lives were lost; and many buildings were damaged. One would imagine that few would engage in such a hazardous mode of livelihood; but light labour, and constant pay, are found to be sufficient inducements. With respect to the composition of gunpowder, if we suppose it to be divided into a hundred partsseventy-five parts consist of nitre, fifteen of charcoal, and ten of sulphur. These ingredients are blended together, by long pounding in wooden mortars, with wooden pestles, and a small quantity of water. The mixture is then formed into a stiff paste, which being forced through wire sieves, is broken into small grains, or becomes granulated. These grains being then shaken, or rolled in a barrel with some powder black lead, are rounded by the friction, and are glazed by the powder of the lead. Its force and explosion, when set on fire, are occasioned by the expansion of the elastic aerial matter which it contains. Gunpowder is