Malta; it bears the fame name; to eftablish the common received opinion, the Adriatic gulph must be made to extend to Malta; St. Paul's fhip must be driven to the South by a South-Eaft wind; he muft find barbarians in an ifland peopled by Greeks and Romans; the prow of his fhip must have ftruck in a rock; and laftly, he muft he bitten by a viper in a country where there are none. This differtation, curious as it is, I fhould not have now recapitulated, were it not for the following remarkable circumftance, viz. that the very learned Mr. Bryant, in his Obfervations and Enquiries relating to various Parts of antient Hiftory (published in 1767), has two Differtations, I. On the wind Euroclydon; 2. On St. Paul's fhip wreck; in both of which, particularly the laft, he has fupported the fame arguments as M. Giorgi, as your readers may fee, by referring to Mr. Bryant's works. Anecdote. THEN the Fourth had left the appearance of the moft gallant nobility of France, under the fame fun, covered with their blood, and within two days after, ftinking with the putrid fmell of ten thoufand moft excellent warriors; we now fee it at laft whitening with their bones. Our very dogs are turned wolves by overgorging themselves with blood; the blood of thofe who had themfelves been for fome time before employed in flaughtering a whole country, leaving behind them dead bones in the place of living men, and caufing helpless infants to perih, while fucking at the half-ftarved breafts of their famished mothers. Death now paid them in grofs what they had lent him by retail; but the reckoning is not fo to end-for God will require the lives of thousands at the hands of those by whofe commands they have fallen, and befides this, few of thofe grandees escape unflaughtered to their graves, because the great judge of all, even in this world, executes judgment. Sire, your port and countenance promise Woo Henry came up to the little nothing but high and generous defigns bridge of Monteontour, he found there, waiting to addrefs him, the petty juftice of peace, a tall, withered old man, with a long vifage, full of deep wrinkles, his eyes funk in his head, his beard long and white, and his habit very rough and flovenly. This man prefenting himself to make his harangue to the King, gathered all the courtiers about him, rather for a fhare in, the laugh which they fall into on fuch occafions, than expecting to hear any thing worth their attention. The orator immediately, with a grave and fad compofure, fpake as follows: Sire, fome of the antients, adorers of their Kings, called them Gods, others, more modeftly, ftyled them images of the Supreme Being: how, it is agreeable to reafon, that the image fhould refemble the original, we are pleafed with pictures that reprefent us truly, and preferve them carefully; but fuch as disfigure us, and have no right to the name they bear, we throw into the fire, and deftroy. The features of the face of God are jufice and mercy-Princes who are just and merciful are kept in the bofom of the Moft High, as his well-beloved portraits; but unjult and unmerciful Kings are images of him, who, being a murderer from the beginning, fpirits up the hearts of the great to command murders, and of nobles and armies to execute them, and to defpoil the face of the earth of its native beauty, by covering it over with hideous spectacles, fuch as we have lately feen on the plain you have now paffed over, which our eyes beheld one morning enlivened with if thefe depart from juftice, which is the only thing indifpenfibly neceffary to purfue, they very feldom produce the happy births we wish for, but, in their ftead, abortions of monftrous accidents, fuppofed to be only owing to crofs and unlucky fortune, when thoughtlefs gaiety speaks its opinion. But, Sire, be you inftructed, that when we go beyond the bounds that God has prefcribed us, he fattens us up for the flaughter, he raifes us beyond all meafure, to encreafe beyond meature, our fall from the precipice, thereby to fignalize the ftrokes of his judgment. Suffer, Sire, thofe mouths to utter their forrowful grievances which are daily employed in praying for you against all finifter accidents: our harangue is rough; you have furnished the matter. Tafte the fruit of what your hands have fown, and do not let our difcourfe only produce horror in you, without producing a change. God mixes his notices in the complaints he fends beforehand, as if he were willing to juftify himself; it was thus, when he ordained his thunder to ftrike the head of Dioclefian, he firft directed a thunderbolt to fall at his feet. May the King of Kings infpire you with falutary thoughts, and direct your actions to what is good. Teaching your hands, able as they have been in combat, to manage the fword gloriously, so to wield happily the fceptre of peace. The King flood astonished, and after a long paufe gave this anfwer; "I take your fpeech in good part, I thank you for it, and fhall never forget it." Extracts Extracts from the Authentic and Accurate ENERAL Mendoza, commander of Spanish cruizers at the entrance of the bay: They have taken Dutch, Danish, Swedes and Venetians on fufpicion, and carried them into Algefiras. G the Spanish camp at St. Roque, wrote place inet to gen. Elliot, that he had received orders from his court to cut off all communication at Gibraltar by land and fea. 22d. All the British in the neighbourhood of St. Roque, even children in the smallpox, were fent into the garrifon. The fubjects at a diftance, who could not come in on that day, were obliged to go to Portugal, and in their way from thence to Gibraltar by fea, fome of them were taken again by the Spaniards, and made prisoners. At this time fome Spanish barks in the port were fuffered to go away.. June 9th, gen. Elliot, and the greatest part of the field officers, his aid de camps, &c. had fent to St. Roque, to compliment M. Mendoza on his promotion to the rank of lieutenant general. Mendoza received them very coldly, and did not afk ahy but the general to take chocolate, which now made us fuppofe he had then fome intimation of the rupture that was to take place. July 7th. The Enterprize, fhip of war, in her paffage from Tetuan, was chafed by a Spanish man of war. The governor, at the advice of the naval commander, iffued letters of marque to several privateers then in port. They immediately went out, and captured forne small veffels. 11th. Don Antonio Barcelo's fquadron of four xebecs appeared in the morning to the eaftward with forty fettees. The Childers floop engaged one of the xebecs. The Panther and Enterprize got under way, but the xebecs put into Ceuta. However, many of the convoy were taken, laden with wine, brandy, molaffes, &c. We fent the crews through Landport Gate to Spain by themfelves.---Garrifon chearful and unanimous. 26th. Spaniards pitching tents about two miles in a ftraight line from the rock. The Illerim, Swedish frigate from Tangier, warned by the Xebecs against entering this port. The Swede anfwered, His orders were to put into Gibraltar, and he could not deviate from them. A Spanish frigate ftood for her, and fired two hot at her, which she returned, and then anchored under our guns. The next day fhe failed for Malaga, followed by three Spanish veffels. 29th. Several Spanish families fet out at Landport to Spain. 314. Since thatting up the communication 283 oxen and 116 fheep have been imported from Barbary. Aug. ad. A Dutch fhip, ignorant of the blockade, put in for water. She had 700 quintals of rice on board, which the governor purchafed for the troops. 1816. Scarce any thing efcapes the fifteen Gent. Mag. March, 1785. Sept. 11th. The Hare row boat of this a Dutch dogger laden with wheat behind the hill, and brought her in. The governor kept the cargo, and made the crew of the row boat a prefent of fifty pounds. 12th. Began to fire on the Spanish lines. Fired 500 fhot and fhells. 16th. This afternoon a thirteen inch shell from a fea mortar at Willis's, fell within a few paces of the artillery, which feemed to difconcert the enemy a good deal, not thinking we could throw thells fo far. 30th. Continue firing flot and small shells on the working parties in the lines, the latter with very good effect, often obliging the enemy to ftop. They are throwing up fand banks to cover their men from our upper batteries; making a boyau or covered way from their lines to their camp, and have demolished their ftoné guard houfes and fentry boxes; and are preparing platforms at their lines for additional cannon and mortars. We don't expect their fhot farther than the Bedlam Barracks, as the fireet pavement is only taken up fo far. We have raised traverses on the Esplanade, and across the street and line wall, as far as the grand parade, which feem to promise good fhelter for our men. The enemy have not yet fired a fhot at us. Oa. 9th. Carried up a 24 pounder to the very fummit of the rugged rock, at rock guard, and making a cart road to that and other parts of the hill. 11th. Fire about forty or fifty fhells a day. 14th. Fired from our gun on the fummit of the rock 1350 feet perpendicular height: the enemy cannot eafily cover themfelves from this battery. 20th.The Spaniards laid open to our view, three new batteries, between fort St. Philip and the gate into the lines, two of fourteen guns each, and one of feven guns. Nov. 7th. The privateer Peace and Plenty, of 20 guns, capt. Mackenzie, from Leg horn and Minorca for this place, forced afhore by the enemy's xebecks, &c. a little beyond Devil's Tower. The crew got afhore with the affiftance of our boats that went behind the hill on purpose, only one failor killed. The enemy burned the pri vateer. 14th. This day we were all highly delighted with the bravery and manœuvres of an English cutter in the Gut. About eight o'clock in the morning, fignals were made at the Spanish watch towers, of an enemy appearing from the weft; upon which, two large xebecs and feveral gallies got under way, as did Barcelo himfelf, and another fhip of the line and a frigate. The cutter foon made her appearance off Cabrita Point feeri fteering for the bay, wind N. W. A large xebeck having got near him, fired a fhot; the cutter then hauled her wind, and food to the fouthward; the xebeck and feveral others did the fame; the wind increafing, the cutter got well a-head, and the Spaniards dropped to leeward. As foon as the cutter ran clofe up with the Barbary fhore, the tacked and flood this way, and received the fire of the xebecs to leeward. A fifty-gun fhip and a frigate, finding that the xebecs were not likely to gain the windward of the cutter, ftretched across from Cabrita Point, to intercept her; they alfo dropped to leeward, whilft the cutter continued to keep well to windward. Barcelo, in his feventy gun fhip (the St. John Baptift) hove too under Cabrita Point, to keep the windward gage; the catter boldly pushed on, and fhot a-head of him with furprising velocity; Barcelo then gave her a broadfide, as did the fifty-gun fhip then off Europa, which the cutter returned, and flipping in between the two fhips, anchored fafely in the Bay. There were no less than 20 fail in chace of the cutter, which proves to be the Buck, of Folkftone, Capt. Fag. All Barcelo's thips are blackfraped, that is, they are dropped behind the hill and unable to recover their ftations, fo that we remain matters of the Bay, till they can work up. Dec. 27th. Having had much rain and cold weather for this week paft, it is obfervable, that the troops in the enemy's camp feel themselves very uncomfortably fituated, many of their tents blown away, others thattered to pieces. They are now employed in erecting thatched huts for their habitations, each hut sufficient to contain two or three companies. an hour's continuance, ever fince the year 1740; nor have we had fo much eafterly wind fince the year 1749. 10th. Many robberies have lately been committed; a man of the fifty-eighth regiment was this day executed for that crime. He feemed anxious to get out of the world, for he turned himself off above an hour before his time. A Neapolitan polacre, laden with barley, from Sicily for Lifbon, having been providentially blown near Europa, we compelled her to come in. Her cargo may be of effential fervice to the garrison. We now and then get fome trifling supplies from Barbary and Portugal, which only ferve to fill the pockets of the adventurers, without relieving the diftreffed, who are unable to purchase them. A finall fertee prize arrived lately with a fmall quantity of rice, which fold for three guineas the hundred weight. We have deferters coming in frequently from the enemy, who acquaint us, that they are all ready at the lines for an attack upon What are the poor people to do in the face of famine and fire? 13th. Spaniards fired fome fhot: one went through the roof of Mr. Quarten's house near Old Governor's Garden. 15th. An ordnance ftore fhip got in, and informed us the fleet from England, with a convoy for this place, were on their way. Joyful news indeed! In the night another brig with flour confirmed the account, and that Admiral Rodney had taken a rich convoy, 24 fail with a 64 gun fhip and fome frigates. All alive. 18th. The Apollo frigate with the glorious news, that Admiral Rodney had taken and deftroyed fix or seven SpaOur own fituation at this time appears ra- nifh fhips of the line off Cadiz; Barcelo ther alarming, there being a fcarcity of al- hauling clofe in at Algefiras, and making a most every thing. Firewood, four fhillings boom across the harbour, to fecure himself. and fixpence per quintal: flour, in the bakers 22d. Fourteen of the line, two of them hands, not fufficient for thirty days con- Spanish prizes, and thirty of the convoy atfumption, is fold for a fhilling per pound, rived. Our bay, fo long empty, now be. which is near fourteen guineas the barrel: came a wood. Don Juan de Langara y no fresh meat, except an old cow now and Huarte, the Spanish admiral, lodged in a then, which is fold for two fhillings the private house: he has feveral flight wounds. pound pork, two fhillings and fix-pence: The governor visits him daily, and fhews a fowl, fourteen fhillings: a goofe, a gui- him every mark of civility. He feems a good nea and a half: a turkey, two guineas: humane man. Since he has got the rank eggs, four fhillings and fix pence per dozen; of lieutenant-general, which has raised his and every other thing in proportion. A fpirits greatly, and indicates his king's ap. most melancholy profpect for the inhabi- probation of his conduct. tants, and the women and children in the army! The troops may hold out fome months longer; but if Providence does not relieve us foon, I tremble for the approaching conflict. 1780. Jan. 7th. It is remarkable, the exceffive hard wind that blew yesterday from S. S. E. without abating in the leaft, as this wind has not blown here, for upwards of Feb. 13th. Adiniral Langara and all his officers allowed to pass into Spain on their parole. Our fleet failed 23 of the line, Spanifh prizes included. Unluckily, few coals brought in the convoy. The prizes will ferve for fire-wood. Strength of the Garrison at Admiral Rodney's Departure. 4 Colonels-9 lieutenant colonels-7 majers jors-56 captains-99 lieutenants-54 enfigns-337 ferjeants 173 drummers-and 5068 effective rank and file. Artillery, with officers included, 568 Artificers company, with ditto, 124 N. B. Admiral Rodney brought out a very small supply of provifions for the troops, not fix months, but we had a pretty good flock in the ftores, on his arrival, owing to our having issued fresh meat, from Barbary, to the foldiers, in lieu of falt; a measure wifely adopted by the Governor, and carried into effect by the spirited exertions of Mr. William Davies, the garrison agent victualler. March 13th. A deferter informs us, that our laft shell killed and wounded 25 of the enemy. 19th. A Spanish feu de joye for the birth of a prince. April 14th. Hyena frigate from England in twelve days with fecret dispatches. She bad a brush with two or three xebecs. 20th. Edgar, 74, and Hyæna failed for England. May 3d. Laft Sunday evening, a fire in the Spanish camp confumed upwards of 200 furtling tents. The inhabitants erecting fheds to the fouthward, near Mount Pleafant, in daily expectation of an attack. 6th, A fham-fight in the Spanish army. 7th. Forty-feven British in a cartel from Spain. Sth, John Hill of the 39th, hanged for theft; a young man, but an old offender. His behaviour very becoming, and he died with furprizing refolution. Four Walloons deferted from the enemy; their horfe follow ed, took two, cut one to pieces, the fourth got into the garrifon, 18th. Garrifon fick ly, the small pox carries off 18 or 20 a week, moftly children. June 7tb. A little after one o'clock this morning, a fhip was discovered standing to wards New Mole. The Enterprize hailed her; they answered, "Fresh beef from Barbary." The Enterprize hailed again, and, fuppofing he was an enemy, fired at ber, and made the alarm fignal: on which the hip immediately burst out into a blaze, as did a fecond and a third that were near her; then others, to the number of nine, Our hips and the garrifon kept up a brisk cannonade towards the fire-fhips; boats were fent out to tow them off. Two of them dropt very near New Mole, and went into Rofia Bay, where the Panther lay at anchor: the others were too far out. They burnt furprizingly well for three hours; the mafts of Tome of them stood to the very last, and appeared as if under fail. I never beheld fo awful a fight!-the darkness of the night, illuminated by the blaze of the fire-fhips, and the fire of the garrison and our fhipping; the confternation of every one at fo fudden za alarm; and the fillness of the night be ing broke by the beating of drums and roaring of cannon, afforded a spectacle not eafily to be described! The enemy's defign feems to have been directed against our ftores in the New Mole and fhipping: no mifchief, however, was done, owing to the enemy's precipitation, in fetting fire to their fhips too foon, and not to any alertness in the garrifon; for it was near an hour, I believe, before our artillery exerted themselves. We expected to have been bombarded at the fame time from the lines. on this occafion, with his squadron ready to Barcelo was out, intercept our men of war, in cafe they had been obliged to cut their cables. morning following every thing was filent, The and we had the pleasure of feeing the mortified Barcelo returning to Algefiras, after his difappointments. There were above twenty veffels in the New Mole, at the time the firefhips were fent over. arrived from Portugal, one a privateer, the 8th. This morning two English veffels other with fheep, wine and oil. This must be a fresh vexation to Barcelo, who is, no doubt, tired of his fituation; and the more fo, that his vigilance and activity feemed to be thwarted by accident or providence, and not through any inattention or inability. 24th. A Spanish 70, two frigates and a xebeck ftood close in towards the Panther and Enterprize, and fired as they paffed; they did no damage to us, but had fome of their own killed and wounded. 27th. At two in the morning their gun-boats attacked the Pantber, without any effect. July 2d. enemy 103 British. In the night the PanOur cartel brought from the ther failed for England. Remain the Enterprize, Leflie, St. Fermin floop, Faulkner, with the Gibraltar and Fortune Noops. 4th. One hundred and three more British by the cartel. 8th. A Walloon deferter; he fwam from the battery this fide fort Negro. 12th, A boat from Barbary with fowls. 17th. Spanish gun-boats fired at our ships, only a gun or two. 19th. Another attack from the gun-boats. Pity we have not a few gunboats ourselves. 23d. A boat from Faro, with the taking of Charles-town and all the public news. 24th. Five British by the cartel. 31ft. A veffel from Minorca with fupplies, nearly taken behind the hill, but protected by our boats. Four victuallers failed for England, Aug. 3d. The Fox, Patron Pratts, a small fettee, with the mail from Faro, taken in the gut. A great disappointment. 12th. A brig coming in, fought all the Spanifh cruizers, until within gun-hot of Edropa, when it falling calm, he was boarded and towed off. We knew her to be the Dolphin brig, capt. Grant, with fupplies from Lisbon. This lofs chagrined us much. WAS fome time fince in a numerous company, where the expediency of travelling to men of birth and fortune was warmly disputed. as we thought her lost for want of due affift. ance. 16th. Our cartel brought in the crews of the Dolphin, Grant; Sally and Richard, Hays; Polly, Coffin; and a Capt. Wilfon. Sept. 9th. The enemy now keep us block aded clofer than ever; there are not less than eight or ten armed vessels under Cabrita Point, two or three at Tariffa, fix or eight at and about Tangier, three or four at Tetuan, fome at Ceuta, and, I believe, feveral off the gut's mouth; so that it is almost impoffible for any veffel to escape. Four gun-boats and two gallies form a chain every night, from Cabrita to Europa Point, and in the morning return to their anchoring place under the land. At Algefiras there is a frigate, three xebecs, and fome fmall cruizers; at Ceuta, zwo frigates, befides fmall veffels. When a fail appears standing for the Streights, fignals are made at the watch-towers along the coaft, which enables the cruifers to take their own time, and ftation themselves accordingly. On the land fide the enemy feem to be quiet enough, all their works being complete. They continue to erect ftore houfes in the camp, which, I imagine, are built at the expence of luch officers as can afford it. We have not been able to get an ox from Barbary ever fince the 12th of June lait, and every thing has become fo exceffive dear in the town, that it is difficult for perfons of moderate income to live: A turkey has been fold for 3 guineas. A goofe A large hen Soap Powder fugar Charcoal, per 25 pounds Fish, at the rate of Firewood, the cwt. I ditto. I ditto. 2 ditto. 2 fhillings perlb I ditto. guinea. 2 fhillings. 2s. 6d. Is. 6d. shillings. 2 ditto per lb. Onions, per 25 pounds I guinea.. And every thing else in proportion. 14th. Arrived this morning, under fayour of a dark night, a final fettee from Mahon, with thirty-one pipes of wine, and other neceffaries, which are fold at enormous prices many things for almoft their weight ip filver. Bitter they did not come at all; fur on the arrival of thofe paltry veffels, the pices of things are enhanced in the thaps, 23d. Our cartel brought over a midship. man, who confidently reported, that our outward und East and Weft India fleets are taken and carried into Cadiz. A terrible troke! agth. A Walloon ferjeant came in, dreffed like a farmer; a German, feems intelligent, and speaks English and French pretty well, He is not allowed to go about Like the other deferters, but is ftationed with part of the 58th on W. M. Hill, goth, The argument against it was warmly fupported by Academicus: who, after much declamation upon the fubject, concluded by faying in a very decifive tone of voice, that it ferved only to enervate and debase the minds of young men, to weaken their patriotifm, and entirely deftroy their religious. principles. His harangue was received by a majority of the company, with that applause which is generally given to thofe fentiments which coincide with our own paffions and prejudi ces. But this did not prevent Eugenio from taking up the argument on the contrary fide. He faid, that if he were convinced that the fight of other men and other countries was really attended with the ill effects afcribed to it by Academicus, no one would exprefs greater difapprobation of it than himself. But that the question still remained, Whether the fact was fairly ftated? whether the effects attributed to travelling itself were not owing to the incapacity or bad disposition of the traveller? and whether, to a man who is properly qualified, the contrary benefits may not be derived ? The first objection made by Academicus, he observed, was, that it enervates the mind. And if a young man flies from one capital to another, merely with a view to amufement, his defires, no doubt, will be highly gratified, and the dreaded relaxation of mind and morals will as certainly ensue. But are there no other objects in a foreign country deferving the attention of a rational man? Will a view of the different nature of the countries through which he paffes, the ftate of the liberal arts, their manufactures, their commerce, their manners, their forms of government enervate or debase his mind ? For my own part, faid Eugenio, I am not apprehenfive of any fuch effect. Nor could he fuppofe that the patriotism of an English traveller was in any great danger. Would any man who had a knowledge of our constitution, and was fenfible how excellent it is in itfelf, and how admirably adapted to the genius of the people, be difpofed to give the preference to any form of government established on the Continent ? On the contrary, when he fees the provinces of France deferted by all buy the poor, op prefied |