until I could procure a proper match for the young lady. In this fate of aftonishment the roufed me out of my reverie, by faying, Liften, my dear friend, do not afflict yourfelf; your Aphanafia will not be unhappy. She loves you, and will always love you. She cannot call herself your wife, but you may keep her as your child. Immediately after which the faid, Shall it not be fo, my dear papa ?'

"She added, that he would be contented to live in the country where I hould fix my abode, and should enjoy perfect happiness in feeing me, and calling me father. Her hopes, the faid, were to enjoy perfect repofe in the bofom of my family, as fhe was refolved to renounce marriage entirely; and the only promife the requested of me was, to confider her as my own daughter, and permit her to change her cloathing, with a view that, when cloathed as a man, the might be less embarraffing to

me.

62 May the 4th. This day a council was held to judge Mr. Stephanow, who bad again tranfgreffed on the fcore of Mifs Nilow, and fentence was paffed, that he fhould be excluded, in every refpect, from their meetings, and from all command among the affociates. Juft before the breaking up of the committee, Mifs Aphanafia prefented her felf in the dress, and with the arms of a man, and the company named her Achilles. Her figure in this dress was charming, and the certainly had as much courage as it is poffible for a woman to have.

"On the 6th, after having nominated perfons to the administration, and caufed the inhabitants to make oath that they would do nothing without the confent of me or my companions, during the whole time we fhould continue at Kamchatka, I effected my departure, and the bufinefs was tranfacted to the great contentment of both parties, though from different caufes. At eleven o'clock in the evening, I arrived at Tfekawka, where I was received with enthufiafm by my companions and by Mr. Cfurin, commander of the corvette, who affured me that the veffel would be ready to fail on the 11th of May,

"On the Sth, fourteen exiles arrived from different places, and begged me to receive them into our fociety, which was agreed to. At fix o'clock the veffel, having undergone a complete repair, was rigged, and twenty-two bears were this day falted as part of our fea ftock; and on the 11th of May the whole company embarked, hoifting the colours of the confederation of Poland."

We find at this place a fhort extract of the different voyages undertaken to the eastward of Kamchatka, the manufcripts of which were found in the Chancery. The defcription of Jakutzk, the remoteft town in Siberia, is worthy notice.

"This town lies in the fixty-third degree of north latitude, at the distance of one hundred and twenty-five French leagues from Ochoczk, a town and port on the eastern coaft of the frontier. Jakutzk is fübject to the government of Irkuczk, and is under the command of a voivode. In the year 1764 it was reckoned that forty thoufand fouls were fubject to the government of this town, including the whole nation of the Jakutt Tartars, a wandering people, who occupy the immenfe deferts which form this province. The town is inhabited by exiles and Coffacks, who are always armed in readiness to keep the Jakutt chiefs in dependence. On the banks of the river Lena ftands a fortrefs built in wood; the garrifon of which confifts of one hundred and fifty foldiers. Several rich merchants are fettled in this town, who carry on the fur trade. All the caravans that pafs from Ruffia to Ochoczk or Kamchatka are obliged to winter in this town, on account of the great quantity of fnow and the exceffive cold, which prevents them from going forward during the whole winter, which lafts full eight months.

"In the year 1770, a confiderable quantity of cannón, anchors, cables, and other marine ftores, arrived in this town deftined for the port of Ochoczk, where it was intended to establish a more confiderable sea force; but the impoffibility of drawing thefe heavy articles by dogs, obliged government to give up the project. I found one hundred and twenty-five officers exiled in

this province, who, finde the reign of the prefent empress, have been banished into this barbarous country! The communication between this town and Ochoczk is kept up by the Jakutts, who are obliged annually, in the month of June, to provide fix thousand horfes. The caravan employs three months on the road from here to Ochoczk, and the horfes pafs no further than Judoma; from whence dogs and fledges are made ufe of to carry their merchandize to Ochoczk.

"When I came myself along this road, on which I was detained ninetyfive days, I faw no more than eighty horfes, with which we were fupplied, and all thefe, except feventeen, died on the road. It is impoffible for government to remedy this inconvenience, which, in procefs of time, must cut off all communication by land with Ochoczk. The profpect of this event has engaged the Ruffian government to make preparations for fecuring the navigation of the river Amour, which falls into the fea to the fouthward of the ifland Sachalin, and runs through the fouthern parts of Siberia.

"The port of Ochoczk is formed by a river of the fame name. The entrance of this harbour is due north. The town is built on the banks of the river, and a pretended fortrefs commands the harbour. The exiles are employed in fea affairs, and there is no year which is not fignalized by fome revolt. This difpofition, which is maintained by defpair, will open the entrance of Siberia to the first comer, and I can confidently affirm, that the arrival of the first foreign veffel will produce a revolution in Siberia for from Ochoczk to Tobolczk there are at least one hundred and fixty thousand exiles, or their defcendants, all bearing arms. The different hords of Tartars would join the common caufe to overthrow the Ruffian dominion. This event cannot be far diftant, and Ruffia will find herfelf, by a ftroke of this nature, deprived of all that fupport which alone enables her to play a principal part in Europe, by virtue of the confiderable augmentation of

her revenue.

"Several veffels are difpatched yearly From this port: one to Idziga; one to Tigil; three to Kamchatka, and eight

or ten to the Aleuthes iflands. The cargoes of thefe veffels confift in tobacco, a fmall quantity of flour, brandy, gunpowder, and fome toys. On their return they bring back the skins of fables, martins, beavers, foxes, rostomaks, bears, ermins, elks and copper, which they have for fome years paft brought from Beering's ifle. The Ruffians have hitherto carried on this trade without interruption; but fince the desertion of feveral exiles, who have fixed their abode in the Aleuthes iflands and entered into alliance with the favages, feveral veffels have been taken, and their crews cut off. Several others likewife have furrendered their veffels, and have established themselves in these lands, instead of returning to Siberia, The fpirit of defention being thus excited among the common people, veffels are no longer fitted out but with apprehenfion; and the parties concerned petition government to put troops on board each veffel, to keep their crews in fubjection. But who can answer for the ideas of the foldiers: they likewife are men, and the love of liberty may have its influence on them as well as on others.

"Ruffia is indebted, for the peaceable poffeffion of this trade, only to the diftance and the fecrefy it preferves refpecting its advantages, and the indolence of the other ftates of Europe, which have not made fufficient enquiries into the fources of the power of this vaft monarchy. The immenfity and extent of its poffeffions appears incredible to them, and prevents them from adopting the opinion, that, with the flighteft facrifice and exertions, its force may be overthrown, and destroyed at pleasure.

"The greatest advantage which Ruffia might derive from Kamchatka, befides its furs, would be to establish fmelting works for iron and copper. Unfortunately, however, the cruelty with which the Ruffians have treated the natives has diminished the number. For, at the arrival of the Ruffians, their number was reckoned at feventy thoufand, and during my ftay it fcarcely amounted to eleven thoufand, a number which muft in future be ftill more diminifhed by the oppreffion they fuffer. They are forced to contribute annually

a num

a number of flaves for the fervice of the foldiers and Coffacks, and are befides compelled to the fea fervice."

The 12th of May, the count failed from the harbour of Bolfha, in the corvette Peter and Paul, having on board feventy-five doing duty; nine women, and twelve pallengers. On the 20th they arrived at Beering's ifland, and discovered that it was inhabited at the time by an adventurer named Ochotyn, who behaved in the moft friendly manner to the count and his affociates.

"Mr. Ochotyn was a man of family in Saxony, and ferved under the emprefs Elizabeth, in the rank of captain, in the regiment of Smolenskoi, which he left for the employment of adjutant to general Apraxin. When that general was arrested, by order of the emprefs, he was himself likewife fent to prilon, with Mr. Baron Klufewfky, who is ftill an exile at Jakutzk, under the name of Fiskin. Mr. Ochotyn was not delivered from prifon until he was fent as an exile into Siberia. On his arrival at Jakutzk, he obtained the favour of being fent to Ochoczk, where he engaged himself on board a fhip fitted out for catching beavers. He made two voyages in this veffel, but, during the third, having fecured the attachment of fifty of the crew, he feized the veffel at the Aleuthes iflands, with which he made prize of two others, whofe crews joined his for

tune.

of his affertion, to baron Laffert, a Pruffian officer, who was exiled to Kolima, and returned to Europe in 1760.”

In

From Beering's ifland, the crew coinpelled their leader to fteer northward of Kamchatka, with a view of reaching the American coaft. They perfevered till they arrived in the fixty-fixth deg. N. when, from the number of large maffes of ice, fome of which ftruck and damaged the fhip, the count was permitted to alter the courfe, and to steer for China. Almost every page of the count's journal is occupied with fresh inftances of the perfidy of Stephanow, who continually excited the fpirit of mutiny among the people yet does our hero, notwithstanding his perfonal safety was highly endangered, always appear as the criminal's advocate, by mitigating the rigour of the fentences paffed on him by the affociates. In truth, the picture which the count draws of his lenity in this inftance, but ill agrees with fome other of his tranfactions. one of Stephanow's frolics, fereral cafks of water, and fome of brandy, were staved; in confequence of which the whole crew were driven to the utmoft diftrefs. The little provision and water left, the count shared equally, at once, to each man, reserving a little bifcuit for the women: some of them devoured the whole at once, and dreadful would have been their fituation if the intrepid count had not devifed a means of relief-he ordered the skins on board to be cleaned, and dreffed with oil, which was found eatable. In this dilemma, they fortunately arrived at an ifland, ftocked with every neceffary, which they named Liquor Ifland, and where a party infifted on continuing, impelled by a view of difcovering gold mines. To divert them from this purpofe, which was pretty ftrongly upported, the count had recourfe to ftratagem; he reprefented the great inadequacy of the number of women to the men, and advised a voyage to Japan, in order to feize a fufficient number of females, and then to return and settle on this ifland of abundance. This propofal met univerfal approbation; and, on the 28th of July, they arrived at Japan, where their reception was extremely favourable. Ulikamhy, chi of a large diftri&t, treated the count with

muck

much politeness; and, after hearing him declare that he worshipped the fame God as the Japanefe-the creator of all things-loaded him with prefents, and gave him and those of his country, liberty hereafter to enter into a free trade with them; as a teftimony of which, he prefented the count with a flag, to be again fhewn when he might hereafter return on a trading project; and, befides, entrusted to his care a young man of the country, whom he was to carry fafely back.

The count, ready again for fea, perfuaded his companions to give up the idea of returning to Liquor Ifland; and fet fail, on the 2d of Auguft, for Canton in China, to difpofe of their furs; from thence they intended to proceed for Europe, in hopes of engaging fome power to countenance them in returning, to form a refpectable coJony on the Japanese coaft.

The count touched at feveral other parts of this coaft; but his reception was by no means fo friendly as he had at first experienced. In the courfe of their progrefs, they piratically boarded a small bark richly laden; but, in doing this, the bark ftruck the corvette, which fprung a leak; a part of the crew, and among them the count, took to the yawl, in hopes of towing the veffel into the island of Ufmay Ligon, one of the Lequio iflands: the yawl, however, overfet, two of the affociates were drowned; and it was with no litte difficulty that our hero faved his own life, after fuftaining an uncommon fhare of danger and fatigue.

At this period of the count's hiftory, the tranflator has thought proper to conclude the first volume.

[To be continued.]

BRUCE'S TRAVELS. CONTINUED

FROM P. 262.

PURSUING the fubject of the origin of characters or letters, Mr. Bruce fays, but two original characters obtained in Egypt. The firft was the Geez, the fecond the Saitic, and both these were the ofdeft characters in the world, and both derived from hieroglyphics.

Thebes was built by a colony of Ethiopians from Sire, the city of Seir, or the Dog Star. Diodorus Siculus VOL. II.

fays, that the Greeks, by putting O before Siris, had made the word unin telligible to the Egyptians: Siris, then, was Ofiris; but he was not the fun, no more than he was Abraham; nor was he a real perfonage. He was Syrius, or the dog ftar, defigned under the figure of a dog, because of the warning he gave to Atbara, where the first obfervations were made at his difengaging himself from the rays of the fun, so as to be visible to the naked eye. His firft appearance was figuratively compared to the barking of a dog, by the warning it gave to prepare for the approaching inundation. Mr. Bruce believes, therefore, this was the firft hieroglyphic; and that Ifis, Ofiris, and Tot, were all after inventions relating to it. It is not to be doubted, that hieroglyphics, but not aftronomy, were invented at Thebes, where the theory of the dog ftar was particularly inveftigated, becaufe connected with their rural year.

Mr. Bruce gives an account of the fluctuating ftate of the Indian trade, which was much hurt by military expeditions of the Perfians; he defcribes its revival under the Ptolemies, and its decay under the Romans; to the birth of Cyrus. This prince having taken Babylon and flain Belshazzar, became mafter of the whole trade and riches of the Eaft. Whatever character writers give of this great prince, his conduct, with regard to the commerce of the country, fhews him to have been a weak one; for, not content with the prodigious profperity to which his dominions had arrived, by the misfortune of other nations, and perhaps by the good faith kept by his fubjects to merchants, enforced by those written laws, he undertook the most abfurd and difaftrous project of molefting the traders themfelves, and invading India, that all at once he might render himself master of their riches. He executed this fcheme juft as abfurdly as he formed it; for, knowing that large caravans of merchants came into Perfia and Affyria from India, through the Ariana, (the defert coaft that runs all along the Indian Ocean to the Perfian Gulf, almost entirely deftitute of water, and very nearly as much fo of provifions, both which caravans always carry with them

PP

he

he attempted to enter India by the very fame road with a large army, the very fame way his predeceffor Semiramis had projected one thousand three hundred years before; and, as her army had perifhed, fo did his to a man, without having ever met with the leaft fuccefs.

His fon and fucceffor, Cambyfes, was equally unfortunate; for, obferving the quantity of gold brought from Ethiopia into Egypt, he refolved to march to the fource, and at once make himself master of thofe treasures by rapine, which he thought came too flowly through the medium of com

merce.

Cambyfes's expedition into Africa, obtained a celebrity by the abfurdity of the project, by the enormous cruelty and havoc that attended the courfe of it, and by the great and very juft punishment that clofed it in the end. It was one of those many monstrous extravagancies, which made up the life of the greatest madman that ever difgraced the annals of antiquity. The bafeft mind is perhaps the moft capable of avarice; and when this paffion has taken poffeffion of the human heart, it is ftrong enough to excite us to undertakings as great as any of thofe dictated by the nobleft of our virtues. Cambyfes, amidst the commiffion of the moft horrid exceffes during the conqueft of Egypt, was informed that, from the fouth of that country, there was conftantly brought a quantity of pure gold, independent of what came from the top of the Arabic gulf, which was now carried into Affyria, and circulated in the trade of his country. This fupply of gold belonged properly and exclufively to Egypt; and a very lucrative, though not very extensive commerce, was, by its means, carried on with India. He found out that the people, poffeffing thefe treafures, were called Macrobii, which fignifies long livers; and that they poffeffed a country divided from him by lakes, mountains, and deferts. But what ftill affected him most was, that in his way were a multitude of warlike fhepherds. Cambyfes, in order to make peace with the fhepherds, fell furioufly upon the gods and temples in Egypt; he murdered the facred ox, the apis, deftroyed Memphis, and all the public

This

buildings wherever he went. was a gratification to the shepherds, being equally enemies to thofe that worshipped beafts, or lived in cities. After this introduction, he concluded peace with them in the most folemn manner, each nation vowing eternal amity with the other. Notwithstanding which, no fooner was he arrived at Thebes (in Egypt) than he detached a large army to plunder the temple of Jupiter Ammon, the greatest object of the worthip of thefe fhepherds; which army utterly perifhed without a man remaining, probably covered by the moving fands. He then began his march against the Macrobii, keeping clofe to the Nile. The country there. being too high to receive any benefit from the inundation of the river, produced no corn, fo that part of his army died for want of provifion.

A detachment from another part of his army proceeded to the country of the Shepherds, who, indeed, furnished, him with food; but, exafperated at the facrilege he had committed against their god, they conducted his troops through places where they could procure no water. After fuffering all this lofs, he was not yet arrived beyond 24 deg. the parallel of Syene. From hence he dispatched ambassadors, or fpies, to difcover the country before him, finding he could no longer rely upon the thepherds. These found it full of black warlike people, of great fize, and prodigious ftrength of body; active, and continually exercised in hunting the lion, the elephant, and other monftrous beafts which live in thefe forefts. They fo abound with gold, that the moft common utenfils, and inftruments were made of that metal, whilft, at the fame time, they were utter ftrangers to bread of any kind whatever; and, not only fo, but their country was, by its nature, incapable of producing any fort of grain from which bread could be made. They fubfifted upon raw flesh alone, dried in the fun, especially that of the rhinoceros, the elephant, and giraffa, which they had flain in hunting. On such food they have ever fince lived, and live to this day, and on fuch food Mr. Bruce himself lived with them; yet ftill it appears ftrange, that people confined