pushed in, and a landing took place. As on the event of this meeting might depend fo much of our future tranquillity, every delicacy on our fide was requifite. The Indians, though timorous, fhewed no figns of refentment at the governor's going on fhore; an interview commenced, in which the conduct of both parties pleafed each other fo much, that the trangers returned to their hips with a much better opinion of the natives than they had landed with; and the latter feemed highly entertained with their new acquaintance, from whom they condefcended to accept of a looking-glafs, fome beads, and other toys. "Owing to the latenefs of our arrival, it was not my good fortune to go on hore until three days after this had happened, when I went with a party to the fouth fide of the harbour, and had fcarcely landed five minutes, when we were met by a dozen Indians, naked as at the moment of their birth, walking along the beach. Eager to come to a conference, and yet afraid of giving offence, we advanced with caution towards them; nor would they, at first, approach nearer to us than the diftance of fome paces. Both parties were armed; yet an attack feemed as unlikely on their part, as we knew it to be on our own. I had at this time a little boy, of not more than feven years of age, in my hand. The child feemed to attract their attention very much, for they frequently pointed to him and fpoke to each other; and as he was not frightened, I advanced with him towards them, at the fame time baring his bofom, and fhewing the whiteness of the fkin. On the cloaths being removed, they gave a loud exclamation; and one of the party, an old man, with a long beard, hideously ugly, came clofe to us. I bade my little charge not to be afraid, and introduced him to the acquaintance of this uncouth perfonage. The Indian, with great gentleness, laid his hand on the child's hat, and afterwards felt his cloaths, muttering to himself all the while. I found it neceffary, however, by this time to fend away the child, as fuch a clofe connection rather alarmed him; and in this, as the conclufion verified, I gave no offence to the old gentleman. Indeed, it was but putting ourselves on a par with them; as I had obferved, from the firit, that fome youths of their own, though confiderably older than the one with us, were kept back by the grown people. Several more now came up, to whom we made various prefents, but our toys feemed not to be regarded as very valuable; nor would they for a long time make any returns to them, though, before we parted, a large club, with a head almost sufficient to fell an ox, was obtained in exchange for a looking-glafs. Thefe people feemed at a lofs to know (probably from our want of beards) of what fex we were, which having understood, they burst into the most immoderate fits of laughter, talking to each other at the fame time with fuch rapidity and vociferation as I had never before heard. After nearly an hour's converfation by figns and gef tures, they repeated feveral times the word Whurra, which fignifies, Be gone, and walked away from us to the head of the bay. "The natives being departed, we fet out to oblerve the country; which, on inspection, rather difappointed our hopes, being invariably fandy and un promiling for the purposes of cultivation, though the trees and grafs flourish in great luxuriancy. Clofe to us was the spring at which Mr. Cook watered; but we did not think the water very ex cellent, nor did it run freely. In the evening we returned on board, not greatly pleated with the latter part of our difcoveries, as it indicated an increafe of those difficulties, which before feemed fufficiently numerous. "Between this and our departure, we had feveral more interviews with the natives, which ended in fo friendly a manner, that we began to entertain ftrong hopes of bringing about a connection with them. Our first object was to win their affections, and our next to convince them of the fuperiority we poffeffed; for without the latter, the former we knew would be of little im portance. An officer one day prevailed on one of them to place a target, made of bark, against a tree, which he fired at with a piftol, at the diftance of fome paces. The Indians, though terrified at the report, did not run away; but their aftonishment exceeded their alarm, 朋 looking at the fhield which the ball had perforated. As this produced a little fhynefs, the officer, to diffipate their fears, and remove their jealoufy, whiftled the air of Malbrooke, which they appeared highly charmed with, and imitated him with equal pleasure and readiness. I cannot help remarking here, what I was afterwards told by Monfieur De Perroufe, that the natives of California, and throughout all the lands of the Pacific Ocean, and in fhort wherever he had been, seemed equally touched and delighted with this little plaintive air. "January 1788. "Our paffage to Port Jackfon took up but few hours, and thofe were spent far from unpleafantly. The evening was bright, and the profpect before us fuch as might juftify fanguine expect ation. Having paffed between the capes which form its entrance, we found ourfelves in a port fuperior, in extent and excellency, to all we had feen before. We continued to run up the harbour about four miles, in a westerly direction, enjoying the luxuriant profpect of its hores, covered with trees to the water's edge, among which many of the Indians were frequently feen, till we arrived at a fmall fnug cove on the fouthern fide, on whofe banks the plan of our operations was deftined to com "The landing of a part of the marines and convicts took place the next day, and on the following, the remainder was difembarked. Bufinefs now fat on every brow; and the scene, to an indifferent fpectator, at leifure to contemplate it, would have been highly picturefque and amufing. In one place, a party cutting down the woods; a fecond, fetting up a blacksmith's forge; a third, dragging along a load of tones or provifions; here an officer pitching his marquee, with a detachment of troops parading on one fide of him, and a cook's fire blazing up on the other. Through the unwearied diligence of thofe at the head of the different departments, regularity was, however, foon introduced, and, as far as the unfettled state of matters would allow, confulion gave place to fyftem. "Into the head of the cove, on which our establishment is fixed, runs a small stream of fresh water, which ferves to divide the adjacent country to a little diftance, in the direction of north and fouth. On the eaftern fide of this rivulet the governor fixed his place of refidence, with a large body of convicts encamped near him; and on the weftern fide was difpofed the remaining part of thefe people, near the marine encampment. From this laft two guards, confifting of two fubalterns, as many ferjeants, four corporals, two drummers, and forty-two private men, under the orders of a captain of the day, to whom all reports were made, daily mounted for the public fecurity, with fuch directions to ufe force, in case of neceffity, as left no room for those who were the object of the order, but to remain peaceable, or perish by the bayonet, "As the ftraggling of the convicts was not only a defertion from the public labour, but might be attended with il confequences to the fettlement, in cafe of their meeting the natives, every care was taken to prevent it. The provoft martial, with his men, was ordered to patrole the country around, and the convicts informed, that the feyereft punishment would be inflicted on tranfgreffors. In fpite, however, of all dur precautions, they foon found the road to Botany Bay, in vifits to the French, who would gladly have dif. pented with their company. "While the convicts were on board fhip, the two fexes had been kept most rigorously apart; but, when landed, their feparation became impracticable, and would have been, perhaps, wrong. Licentioufnefs was the unavoidable confequence, and their old habits of depravity were beginning to recur. What was to be attempted? To prevent their intercourfe was impoffible; and to palliate its evils only remained. Marriage was recommended, and such advantages held out to thofe who aimed at reformation, as have greatly contributed to the tranquillity of the fettlement. "On the Sunday after our landing, divine fervice was performed under a great tree, by the Rev. Mr. Johnson, chaplain of the fettlement, in the prefence of the troops and convicts, whose behaviour on the occafion was equally regular and attentive. In the course of our HISTORY OF NATIONAL EVENTS. FOR THE YEAR 1788. A RECURRENCE TO THE GENERAL HISTORY OF RUSSIA AND TURKEY, AT THE CLOSE OF 1788. L' ET us now close our history of the occurrences of the year 1788, by taking a view of the fituation of thofe European powers who are at prefent moft confpicuous on the theatre of war. The severity of the winter, caufed a total ceffation of hoftilities among the belligerent powers; but each party retired from the field, with a determination, no doubt, of renewing hoftilities and as the war between them, if purfued to effect, may probably make a material change in the politics of Europe, in order to understand their future proceeding, a retrospect to the history of the Ruffians and Turks is abfolutely neceffary: and, firft, as to the Ruffians. A century has fcarcely elapfed fince the Ruffian name became familiar to this country. It was well known, that beyond the limits of Poland there existed a vast empire, covered with forefts and fnow, the capital of which was called MofCOW. The inhabitants of this climate were confidered barbarians, labouring under defpotic sway; and the nations of Europe refused to allow the czars a place among their kings. Divided for a long time into feparate fates, or torn to pieces by inteftine troubles and foreign wars, Ruffia was weak and ignorant; but their wars with the Poles and the Swedes taught them the neceffity of acquiring fuperiority by arts; and two of their czars, Micheal and Alexis, invited to their courts ar tizans of every description and country. Peter the First, whom chance brought to the throne, was wife and political: bred up in ignorance, he had ftill a genius capable of the greatest enterprizes; he only wanted ideas, and these he received from a Genevan of birth and merit. To fet an example to the Boyards, this monarch ferved in the quality of a drummer, and advanced gradually in his army. To form a navy he travelled; and in Holland, affuming the garb of a mechanic, learnt whatever belonged to thipbuilding: from thence he came into England, and learnt the ma thematical proportions to be ob ferved in conftructing fhips. His reign gave a new epocha of existence to the Mucovites; and fince his time, their strength and influence has encreased. At the commencement of this century, the Ruffians were without a military establishment. Since they beat the Swedes, under Charles the Twelfth, at Pultawa, and the Pruffian war of 1756, they have acquired the reputation of the second troops in Europe. At the fame period, the whole Ruffian marine confifted of a few ill constructed boats upon their lakes: at present they have a numerous and powerful navy of every rate on their feas. The Ruffians have alfo confiderably encreased their territories by recent conquefts: Livonia, Ingria, and Estonia, have been added to their dominions fince the commencement of the prefent century; and, within these fifteen years, they have acquired part of Poland, a vast tract tract between the Dnieper and the Bog, and at last the Crimea. The czar Peter directed, at first, his ftrength against the northern powers; in contending with whom he found it neceffary to draw forth all his forces, and to perfect himself and them in the art of military difcipline. By thefe wars he brought the refources of his kingdom to a level with thofe of Europe; and fue now turns against the Turks with all the advantages of a polifhed nation. Indeed, fince Ruffia has been formed into a confolidated empire, and extended her efforts beyond her own frontiers, her ambition has been conftantly directed towards Perfia and Turkey; and fince the commencement of the fifteenth century, there has not been two fucceffive reigns without an attempt of fome enterprize against them. Vaffalage ftill exifts among the Ruffians, though the empress has manumitted all the flaves on her own particular domains; nor have the inhabitants made any confiderable progrefs in civilization. Till about twenty-five years ago, the whole attention of government was confined to the formation of foldiers; the prefent reign alone has made legiflation an object; and if it be only by falutary laws that a country grows civilized, furely it requires time to give thofe laws operation. Let us now look back upon It is not more than a century purfued them into Europe, feized They then carried their arms east- The Turks did more; they threatened Italy, fubjugated the Moors, and at length poffeffed themselves of an empire comprifing one of the largest and moft beautiful portions of the earth. But, let us view, them in their prefent fituation. They have run exactly in an inverfe ratio with the Ruffians, their strength daily decreafing, and now exhibits all the fymptoms of diffolution; the origin of which is to be traced from the Ee 2 con pushed in, and a landing took place. As on the event of this meeting might depend so much of our future tranquillity, every delicacy on our fide was requifite. The Indians, though timorous, fhewed no figns of refentment at the governor's going on fhore; an interview commenced, in which the conduct of both parties pleafed each other fo much, that the ftrangers returned to their hips with a much better opinion of the natives than they had landed with; and the latter seemed highly entertained with their new acquaintance, from whom they condefcended to accept of a looking-glafs, fome beads, and other toys. "Owing to the lateness of our arrival, it was not my good fortune to go on fhore until three days after this had happened, when I went with a party to the fouth fide of the harbour, and had fcarcely landed five minutes, when we were met by a dozen Indians, naked as at the moment of their birth, walking along the beach. Eager to come to a conference, and yet afraid of giving offence, we advanced with caution towards them; nor would they, at first, approach nearer to us than the diftance of fome paces. Both parties were armed; yet an attack feemed as unlikely on their part, as we knew it to be on our own. I had at this time a little boy, of not more than feven years of age, in my hand. The child feemed to attract their attention very much, for they frequently pointed to him and spoke to each other; and as he was not frightened, I advanced with him towards them, at the fame time baring his bofom, and fhewing the whiteness of the skin. On the cloaths being removed, they gave a loud exclamation; and one of the party, an old man, with a long beard, hideously ugly, came clofe to us. I bade my little charge not to be afraid, and introduced him to the acquaintance of this uncouth perfonage. The Indian, with great gentlenefs, laid his hand on the child's hat, and afterwards felt his cloaths, muttering to himself all the while. I found it neceffary, however, by this time to fend away the child, as fuch a clofe connection rather alarmed him; and in this, as the conclufion verified, I gave no offence to the old gentleinan. Indeed, it was but putting ourselves on a par with them; as I had observed, from the firit, that fome youths of their own, though confiderably older than the one with us, were kept back by the grown people. Several more now came up, to whom we made various prefents, but our toys feemed not to be regarded as very valuable; nor would they for a long time make any returns to them, though, before we parted, a large club, with a head almott fufficient to fell an ox, was obtained in exchange for a looking-glafs. These people feemed at a lofs to know (probably from our want of beards) of what fex we were, which having understood, they burst into the moft immoderate fits of laughter, talking to each other at the same time with fuch rapidity and vociferation as I had never before heard. After nearly an hour's converfation by figns and gef tures, they repeated feveral times the word Whurra, which fignifies, Be gone, and walked away from us to the head of the bay. "The natives being departed, we fet out to oblerve the country; which, on inspection, rather difappointed our hopes, being invariably fandy and unpromising for the purposes of cultivation, though the trees and grafs flourish in great luxuriancy. Clofe to us was the fpring at which Mr. Cook watered; but we did not think the water very ex cellent, nor did it run freely. In the evening we returned on board, not greatly pleated with the latter part of our difcoveries, as it indicated an increafe of those difficulties, which before feemed fufficiently numerous. "Between this and our departure, we had several more interviews with the natives, which ended in fo friendly a manner, that we began to entertain ftrong hopes of bringing about a con nection with them. Our first object was to win their affections, and our next to convince them of the fuperiority we poffeffed; for without the latter, the former we knew would be of little importance. An officer one day prevailed on one of them to place a target, made of bark, against a tree, which he fired at with a piftol, at the diftance of fome paces. The Indians, though terrified at the report, did not run away; but their aftonishment exceeded their alarm, |