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per, for the benefit of mankind; and, by a proper medical treatment, his difpofition was fo much improved, that for a fortnight together he would not order the difcipline of the ftick, much lefs command any one to be deprived of his eyes or life. And especially when the attempt was made to affaffinate him on the borders of Mazenderan, he did not punish any one until he had coolly and deliberately inveftigated the matter. But after the departure of AIlavee Khan, his own phyficians, from the dread of offending him, fuffered the peccant humours again to predominate, when he returned to his old courfes; every day, for the most trifling offences, he would order fome to be deprived of eyes, and fome of life. At laft his cruelty had risen to fuch a pitch, that he had refolved to have a general maffacre of his Perfian troops, by the hands of the Afghans and Uzbecks, in whom alone he now placed confidence. But he was himself murdered the very night preceding the morning in which he had determined to put his bloody purpose into execution. "The following are the particulars of this event. On the night of the 11th of Jemady ul Sany, A.H. 1160 (or June 8th, 1747), near the city of Khojoon, three days journey from Mefhed, Mohammed Kuly Khan Ardemee, who was of the fame tribe with Nadir Shah, his relation, and Kufhukchee Bathee, with feventy of the kukfhek or guard, as well from a view to felfprefervation, as at the inftigation of their commander, bound themfelves by an oath to affaffinate Nadir Shah; but when the appointed hour arrived, fifty-feven of them being feized with a panic, refufed to join in the execution of the plot. The other thirteen, however, at night tore down the feraperdah, and entering the

* This account agrees, in a great meafure, with what Mr. Hanway fays of the VOL. II.

haram,killed the eunuch upon guard, who refufed them admittance; they then proceeded to the Shah. The fubftance of the various accounts is, that they dispatched him with a matchlock ball, with blows, and wounds, with fwords and knives, It is faid that at first he raged and abufed, and then humbly fuppli cated for mercy; but neither prevailing, he was obliged to fubmit to his fate *.

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The women, with the jewel-office and other valuable effects, having been fent on before to Kelat, under the charge of Naffirulla Mirza, efcaped the fury and rapine of the affaffins. At day-break, when the principal Omrahs affembled toge ther to investigate this aftonishing event, they found the trunk of Nadir Shah lying headlefs on the ground, and an old woman lamenting over the head. The troops and the country people now plundered the Shah's camp with that fury of which he had fet them the example in Hindoftan, Turan, Turkey, and other places. His head was fent to Aly Kuly Khan, his brother's fon, who had occafioned the confpi racy, in order to raise himself to the throne.

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Nine days after the affaffination, Aly Kuly Khan ordered the body to be removed to Mefhed, where it was buried on the fifteenth day, in the mausoleum which Nadir Shah had prepared for himself.

This prince was a brave and ex perienced foldier, poffeffed of an acute, difcriminating understanding, with activity, refolution, and fore fight; he knew very well how to conquer, and to make himself obeyed, but he was totally ignorant of the true principles of government, for the profperity of a kingdom; and the impetuofity of his temper, his cruelty and hardnefs of heart, fate of this defpot, in his "Travels through Perfia, by way of the Calpian Sea.” F

made

1

made his name univerfally abhorred and detefted.

After the death of Nadir Shah, his nephew Aly Kuly Khan, with the affistance of Thomas Aly Khan Jelayer, and others of the nobility, mounted the throne, and affumed the title of Aly Shah. He got poffeffion of ten crores of rupees in money, with gold and filver bullion,

and jewels to an incredible amount, with the peacock throne, and other riches, which Nadir Shah had depofited in Kelat. He put to death all the fons and grandfons of Nadir Shah, excepting Sharokh Mirza, the fon of Reza Kuly Mirza, by a daughter of Sultan Huffein. He appointed his own younger brother, Ibrahim Khan, his viceroy.

NATURAL HISTORY.

CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF THE ELEC

a fudden and violent fhock is re

TRICAL EEL, OR TORPEDO OF ceived, in all refpects like that

SURINAM.

BY WILLIAM BRYANT, ESQUIRE. [From Tranfactions of the American Philofophical Society.]

SURI

URINAM, a colony of South America, belonging to the States of Holland, abounds with as many natural curiofities as any country in the world. But that which I look upon to be as furprifing as any in it, and which I believe has not yet been accurately defcribed, is a fifh of the fpecies of eel, and is caught there in nets among other fifh; generally in muddy rivers, and I believe is found in most of the neighbouring provinces. In fize and

colour it is not unlike a common eel of Europe or America, and in hape refembles it more, except that it is thicker in proportion to its length, and the head is more flat and not fo pointed; but differs from them in this refpect, that it comes to the furface to breathe in the air. It is called by the Dutch Beave Aal, and by the English inhabitants the Numbing Eel. As to the other qualities, of which I mean chiefly to take notice, and which I think are as different from the torpedo of Europe, as the fish is in fhape, they are as follows

On touching the fifh as it lies in the water, in a tub provided for it,

which is felt on touching the prime conductor, when charged with the electrical fluid from the globe; and, like that, chiefly affects the ends of the fingers and elbow. Gently holding the tail of the fish with one hand, and touching the head with the other, a very violent fhock is felt in both elbows, and through the breast and fhoulders. I at firft imagined that the violence of the fhock proceeded from both arms receiving it at the fame time, and that the pain was no more than that of the two ftrokes added together; but I found myself miftaken. For upon feven perfons joining hands, and the first taking hold of the tail, (which may with more ease be held than the head) and the feventh at the fame time touching the head, we were all affected in both elbows, and that in the fame manner as I remember to have been in the electrical experi. ment, when feveral perfons take hold of the wire, and the equilibri um is reftored by the fluids paffing through their bodies.

on

I find the flock may be received through metallic fubftances: touching the fish with an old fwordblade, I was ftrongly affected. But arming it with fealing-wax, and taking hold of that part which was covered with it, the electrical fluid (I cannot help calling it fo) would

not

me

lecting a quantity of the fluid from the furrounding waters, or through the body of the perfon touching it, or has in its own body a large fund which it can difcharge at pleafure, I am greatly at a lofs to think or imagine.

Although it has no effect on the human body, when touched with a piece of wood, or indeed any other fubftance not metallic; yet an accident discovered to me, that on fome occafions the effect would be fenfible through wood. For one morning while I was standing by, as a fervant was emptying the tub, which he had lifted entirely from the ground, and was pouring off the water to renew it, and the fish left almoft dry, the negro received fo violent a fhock, as occafioned him to let the tub fall; and calling another to his affiftance, I caufed them both to lift the tub free from the ground, when pouring off the remains of the water, they both received fmart fhocks, and were obliged to defift from emptying the tub in that manner. This I afterwards tried myfelf, and received the like fhock. This fifa indeed was one of the largest I have feen, and but newly caught. For I obferve that after being fome time confined in a tub, and wanting perhaps their natural food, they lofe much of the strength of this extraordinary quality. I am fometimes apt to conjecture that this animal has the power of communicating the stroke when, and with what degree of force it will; and that it ferves it as a weapon of defence

fmart a fhock, that it occafioned ftrong contraction in the bendin mufcles of my fingers, and I coul not immediately let it go; but en deavouring to difengage my hand threw it on the ground; takin hold of it a fecond time, to retur it into the tub, I was more strongl affected than at first, and that no only in my hands and arms, bu throughout my whole body; th fore part of my head, and bac part of my legs fuffered principally and in the fame manner as on re ceiving a very fmart fhock from highly charged phial in electrica experiments.

On obferving that the fenfation occafioned by the fhock, as to the nature and degree of ftrength upor touching different parts of the fif was different, I was at first inclined to think it might be owing to it having an extraordinary faculty o containing more of the fluid in on part of its body than in another The tail part, to above one third of its length, occafions rather a numbness and tingling, than pain but on applying the end of the fingers to the back, head, and un der part of its body, it caufes : fharp pricking pain. This may poffibly be accounted for, by th difference in the texture of th furface of the fkin, as the man ner of the electrical fluid's comin from a glafs tube is different whe its furface is altered by bein rubbed with different fubftances, a has been lately taken notice of i a letter to the Royal Society.

SELECT BIOGRAPHY.

LIFE OF

CAPTAIN JAMES COOK. [Compiled from Dr. Kippis's late Publi

D

cation.]

URING the prefent period, the purfuit of foreign difcovery and enterprize has exceeded that of any other age or country: mariners have dauntlessly and repeatedly braved the dangers of rocks and fhoals, in purfuit of iflands hitherto unknown, and of paffages never before explored; travellers, of rank and fortune, have with equal courage traversed defarts and woods, in momentary danger of meeting wild and ferocious natives, or more deftructive beafts of prey, for the purpose of aiding geographical precifion. Their adventures are read with avidity; and are generally ho noured with approbation: but no traveller, or author, has rifen fo traveller, or author, has rifen fo high in the estimation of Europe, as the fubject of the following memoirs, captain James Cook; whofe fuccefs muft excite the applaufe even of dulnefs, and whose fate will often-perhaps in ages to come-bedew the cheeks of fenfibility.

Captain James Cook, the eminent British navigator, was born the 27th of October 1728, at Marton, a fmall village in the North Riding of Yorkfhire, about fix miles from Stockton upon Tees. His father, whofe chriftian name was alfo James, from his dialect was fuppofed to be a Northumbrian, and lived in the humble ftation of a farmer's fervant. He married a woman in the inferior rank of life; they were both, however, noted for a more than moderate portion of honesty, fobriety, and in dustry.

Young Cook received the first rus diments of his education at his native

place, from the fchool-miftrefs of the village: but his father, from the goodness of his character, having been appointed bailiff on Airy late Thomas Scottow, efq. he reHolme, a farm belonging to the moved thither with his family; and his fon James, being then about eight years old, was, by Mr. Scottow, put to a day-school in Ayton; where he learned writing, and the principles of arithmetic.

He was bound apprentice to a fhopkeeper at Staiths, a fishing town ten miles north of Whitby, before he had attained the age of thirteen; but having a strong inclination for a feafaring life, his paffion for which was probably ftrengthened by the opportunities he had of frequenting the company of mariners, on a vio lent quarrel with his master, he after, bound himself, for feven years, procured his discharge; and, foon to Meffrs. J. and H. Walker, of Whitby, both Quakers, and principal owners of two fhips employed conftantly in the coal trade. He continued to ferve, after the expiration of his apprenticeship, in the

coal and other branches of trade, as a common failor; but at length he was promoted to be mate of one of his master's veffels.

To this period, nothing strikingly portentous appeared either in his character or conduct: he did not ex hibit any marks of thofe fuperior abilities, which have done distinguifhed honour to his country, which rank him amongst the most celebrated navigators, and which render his name immortal.

In the spring of 1755, a war com menced between Great Britain and France. An order having been iffued from the Admiralty for ime preffing feamen, Mr. Cook, then in the river with his ship, to avoid be

ing preffed, entered voluntarily into his majesty's fervice, to try his fortune in another capacity. He repaired to a house of rendezvous at Wapping, and entered with an officer belonging to the Eagle, a fhip of fixty guns, commanded by captain Hamer. Captain, now fir Hugh Pallifer, was appointed, in the month of October 1755, to this fhip; and Cook's diligence, and attention to the duties of his profefLion, did not escape this commander's notice, who foon diftinguished him to be an able and active feaman.

On the 10th of May 1759, he obtained a master's warrant for the Grampus floop, at the inftance of the member for Scarborough; but this appointment did not take place, as the proper mafter of that veffel unexpectedly returned. However, four days after, he was made mafter of the Garland: but here again he was difappointed; for, upon enquiry, it was found, that the fhip had failed fome days before. As a recompence for this accident, on the 15th of May he was appointed to the Mercury, which was deftined for North America, to join the fleet under the command of fir Charles Saunders; who, in conjunction with general Wolfe, was then engaged before Quebec. During that memorable fiege, it was found neceffary to take foundings in the channel of the river St. Lawrence, directly oppofite the French camp at Montmorency and Beauport, that the admiral might be enabled to lay his fhips before the enemies batteries, and cover the British army, in an attack which the general intended to make on the French camp. This being a dangerous fervice, and as Cook's fagacity and refolution were now well known, captain Pallifer recommended him as a proper perfon to undertake it, and he was not difappointed; for Cook performed it in the most effectual manner, and to

the full fatisfaction of his employers. He did not, however, effect his pur pofe without great hazard: having been engaged in this bufinefs for feveral nights fucceffively, he was at length difcovered by the enemy, who fent a number of canoes filled with Indians, to furround him, and he had no other alternative but to make for fhore on the ifland of Orleans, near the guard of the English hofpital; to which he was fo closely purfued, that he had fcarcely leaped from the bow of the boat, which belonged to one of the hips of war, when the Indians entered it by the ftern, and carried it off in triumph. Before this period, there is reason to believe, that Cook had scarcely ufed a pencil, and was entirely unacquainted with drawing; but fuch were the powers of his mind, and his aptitude for acquiring knowledge, that he foon made himself mafter of every object to which he applied; and, notwithstanding the difadvantages under which he laboured, he furnished the admiral with a complete draught of the channel and foundings.

Our navigator alfo performed another important fervice while on the American station, which does no less honour to his memory, and equally deferves mention. The navigation of the river St. Lawrence is both difficult and dangerous, and was particularly fo then to the Englifh, who were fcarcely acquainted with that part of North America, and who had no chart, on the correctnefs of which they could depend. The admiral, therefore, having received fo favourable a fpecimen of Mr. Cook's abilities, appointed him to furvey thofe parts of the river below Quebec which navigators accounted to be most dangerous. This bufinefs he executed with the fame diligence, activity and fkill, as he had difplayed on the former occafion, When he had completed this

chart,

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