Such as this fubject is, if with any merit, you may depend upon the correctnefs of the drawings.

LETTER II.

Fort St. George, Feb. 25, 1788. AS you mean to fend the elegant drawing of Peruntaloo to Sir Jofeph Banks, you may acquaint him from me, that the little brother is fuf

pended by the os pubis; an elongation of the fword-like cartilage of Peruntaloo having anaftomofed with that bone at the lymphyfis.

The lower orifice of the ftomach feems to lie in the fac or cylindrical cavity between the two brothers on the right-fide, and what may be reckoned the right hypochondre of the little one, as that part is tumid and full after eating.

The alimentary canal must be common to both, as the anus of the little one is imperforate.

There is a bladder of urine diftinctly perceived, which occupies

the left fide of the fac, or left hypochondre of the monster.

Befides which, there remain only the facrum, offa innominata, and lower extremities perfect.

Peruntaloo fays he has as complete a fenfe of feeling with every part of the body of his little bro ther as of his own proper body, tions you faw, and making water and this may account for the erecdiftinctly; but this volition does not extend to the legs or feet, which are cold in comparison with the reft.

EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE.

Peruntaloo, fon of Chindrahpah Nayandoo, of the Gentoo Caft. He was born at Popelpahdoo, feventy miles weft from Mufilipatnam. He is thirteen years of age, and measures four feet fix inches and a half in height.

Fig. 1. Natural pofition.
Fig. 2. Reverfed pofition.

OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, 1789. ATURDAY, November 7, a tragedy, written for the clofet, by Mr. Hayley, and called MARCELLA, was miferably reprefented at Drury Lane theatre. This piece had been fome time in preparation at Covent Garden; and left the manager of that houfe fhould engrofs all the fame and all the profit, Mr. Kemble got it up in lefs than a week. The incidents, though tragic and important, are not managed with fufficient art to keep the attention alive. So that, between the defects of the piece, and the embarraffments of the performers, its farther progrefs was most effectually precluded. The audience were afterwards regaled with the Follies of a Day, cut down to three acts.

The 14th, at the fame theatre, a new comic opera was performed, called the ISLAND of St. MARGUERITE, writ

For fome conjectures on this fingular myftery in modern hiftory, with a few

ten by Mr. St. John, author of Mary Queen of Scots. This piece was originally defigned for a reprefentation of the affault of the Baftille, in which was incorporated the story of the Man with the Iron Mafk: but all thofe paffages which bore political allufion to the French difturbances, were expunged by order of the licenfer. Mr. Kelly reprefented this much-talked-of prifoner; and Mr. Bannister the fisherman, who found the plate thrown into the foffe that furrounded the caftle walls, on which the name of the man with the mark was fuppofed to have been engraved. Mrs. Edwards, Mifs Romanzini, and Mrs. Crouch, had parts allotted them, built, however, on fiction, to give the whole a dramatic effect. The scenery is splendid, the views being well defigned, and executed with much fkill; and the dreffes entirely new and rich. It would perhaps be uncandid to enumerate its deanecdotes of the man who wore the mask, fee page 493.

352

fcas,

fects, as the opera appears in a mutilated ftate, which neither author nor manager could avoid. The fecond reprefentation was attended with fome alterations.

The 19th Mrs. Henry appeared at Drury Lane theatre for the firft time, in the character of Mrs. Sullen. She is poffeffed of an elegant person, and a good voice; if not thrown in the fhade, The may become a valuable acquifition.

At the fame houfe, on the 24th, was represented a new comic opera called The HAUNTED TOWER, written by Mr. Cobb, a gentleman whom we have already noticed as the author of feveral other pieces. The mufic is partly by Mr. Storace, and partly compiled from the works of the most eminent mafters: fome of the tunes, however, are hackneyed. The author was ably fupported by the performers; the principal of whom were, Kelly, Dignum, Sedgwick, Bannister, jun. Mrs. Crouch, Mifs Romanzini, and Signora Storace. The fuccefs of the piece must be attributed to these aids; not to the ingenuity of the author, who feems to have truffed too much to the powers of the mufic, and the excellence of the actors.

At COVENT GARDEN, the beginning of November, a Mr. Harley affumed the very difficult part of SHYLOCK; and, confidering that he had to combat with a great predeceffor, fuftained the character with much propriety, particularly in the fcene with Tubal.

A few nights after the appearance of MARCELLA at Drury Lane, that tragedy was brought forward at Covent Garden theatre, and certainly in a much fuperior file. But the attention of the manager, and the exertions of the performers, were inadequate to the purpose of rendering it popular; fo that, however Mr. Hayley may charm in the clofet, it is clearly evident, that his productions are not adapted to the ftage. The plot of this tragedy is by no means uninteresting: Marcella, daughter of the Governor of Barcelona, is addreffed, with her father's confent, by Lupercio, to whom the gives a ring as a token of her approbation, The governor has a deformed fteward, named Hernandez, who impudently afpires to the hand of the young lady; but this the father treats with levity. Marcella, however,

before the period fixed for her nuptials, fees and becomes enamoured of the young Alonzo; and therefore employs the deformed fteward to obtain her ring from Lupercio, whom he murders: bearing the ring in triumph to his mistrefs, he demands her perfon as the reward of his fervices; but the treating his fuit with difdain, he contrives to meet her in a lone tower, where he accomplishes his brutal purpose by forte. Marcella, unable to sustain the guilt and infamy with which the is now loaded, informs Alonzo that the was privy to the affaffination of Lupercio, and that Hernandez was the murderer. The fteward, finding himself betrayed by his mistress, declares her the part ner of his guilt, and triumphs over Alonzo, by telling him that he had enjoyed his bride." Hernandez then ftabs himself; and Marcella, having taken poifon, expires in the arms of her father.

The 18th, his Majesty, with the Queen and the three eldest Princeffes, visited this theatre, to fee the DRAMATIST, a comedy, by Mr. Reynolds. It being the King's first visit fince his recovery, the houfe was uncommonly crouded, and many hundreds were totally excluded. The heartfelt fatisfaction and the joy which appeared on this occafion in the countenance and the manner of every individual-and the ardent and reiterated tokens of congratulation and gratitude which met his Majefty on his firft entrance, and continued during his ftay-may be imagined, but cannot be defcribed. The Queen teftified her feelings by her tears.

Mr. King, on the 20th, appeared for the first time, after an abfence of fixteen months: he was never engaged at this theatre till now, and made his entrance in Touchstone, in the As You Like It of Shakespeare. His meriti this character is too well known to be here repeated. The audience received him with a degree of warmth, border ing on enthusiasm.

The 27th was revived, the comic pat tomime of the Touchstone, containing a proceffion which was intended as a reprefentation of the deftruction of the Bastille, if the lord chamberlain had not interfered.

STATE