song _The Whistle_, and _To Mary
in Heaven_, were written within three days of each other, it might be
not altogether labour lost, for it would establish an exceedingly
curious literary anecdote. But the bearing it has on the whole affair
of Highland Mary--one of the most deeply interesting passages of
Burns's life--is such as, in our opinion, to make every other
justification superfluous.

FOOTNOTES:

[2] _Life and Works of Burns._ Edited by Robert Chambers. 4 vols.
Edinburgh: 1852.

VISIT TO THE COPPER-WORKS OF SWANSEA.

Our first glimpse of the copper-works was obtained in the 'gloaming'
of a lovely night in August last year, as we rattled over the Landore
viaduct of the South Wales Railway. On each side of us, we could
behold, given out by the chimneys, innumerable flashes of lurid flame,
which rose like meteors into the atmosphere, and scattered around a
brilliant light, that was seen in the distance to blend with the
waters of Swansea Bay. The scene was very beautiful, and singularly
picturesque: we could have wished our enjoyment of it prolonged; but
soon the shrill whistle, the escape-valve, and the lamps of the
station, admonished us that our journey had come to an end.

Our principal object in visiting Swansea, was to obtain some
information concerning the important business of copper-smelting, for
which this port has now become so celebrated. Few of our readers, who
have not enjoyed our opportunities of seeing them, can form any
accurate conception of the vast extent and great economical value and
importance of the Swansea copper-works. Indeed, the copper trade is
far from being popularly known; and the reason is obvious. Iron, which
is very widely distributed in the British islands, is invariably
smelted wherever it occurs. Copper, on the contrary, is only mined in
one or two localities; and it is never manufactured on the spot. This
process is performed almost exclusively at Swansea; and hence the
copper trade of the country is confined to a few individual houses,
and these are in a locality alike remote and unfrequented by the
everyday tourist.

At the period when the first copper-work was established on the banks
of the Tawy, about a century ago, Swansea was comparatively an
insignificant village. It is therefore to this branch of industry the
town and port are chiefly indebted for their remarkable rise and
progress. The population in 1801 was only about 6000; while in 1851,
if we inclu