"ther, is eighty or a hundred "werfts in a day) directly toward "the north, upon the ice, without "difcovering any fland: that it "had not been poffible for him "to proceed any farther, the ice "rifing there in the fea like moun"tains: that he had climbed to the top of fome of them whence he was able to fee to a great dif"tance roundabout him, but could "difcern no appearance of land: "and that, at laft, wanting food "for his dogs, many of them died, "which obliged him to return."

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Befides thefe arguments, which proceed upon an admiflion of the hypothefis, that the ice in thofe feas comes from the rivers, there are others which give great room to fufpect the truth of the hypothefis itfelf. Captain Cook, whofe opinion refpecting the formation of ice had formerly coincided with that of the theorists we are now controverting, found abundant reafon, in the prefent voyage, for changing his fentiments. We found the coaf of each continent to be low, the foundings gradually decreafing toward them, and a ftriking refemblance between the two; which, together with the defcription Mr. Hearne gives of the copper mine river, ford reafon to conjecture, that whatever rivers may empty themfelves into the Frozen Sea, from the American continent, are of the fame nature with thofe on the Afiatic fide; which are reprefented to fo be fhallow at the entrance, as to admit only small veffels; whereas the ice we have feen, rifes above the level of the fea to a height equal to the depth of those rivers; fo that its entire height must be at least ten times greater.

VOL. XXVII.

The curious reader will alfo, in this place, be led naturally to reflect on another circumflance, which appears very incompatible with the opinion of thofe who imagine land to be necellary for the formation of ice; I mean the different state of the fea about Spitfburgen, and to the north of Beering's Strait. It is incumbent on them to explain how it comes to pafs, that in the former quarter, and in the vicinity of much known land, the navigator annually penetrates to near 80 north latitud; whereas, on the other fide his utmost efforts have not been able to carry him beyond 71°; where, moreover, the continents diverge nearly eaft and weft, and where there is no land yet known to exift near the pole. For the farther fatisfaction of the reader on this point. I fhall beg leave to refer him to Obfervations made during a voyage round the world, by Dr. Forfter, where he will find the queftion of the formation of ice, fully and fatisfactorily difcuffed, and the probability of open polar feas difproved by a variety of powerful arguments.

hall conclude thefe remarks with a thort comparative view of the progrefs we made to the northward, at the two different feafons we were engaged in that purfuit, together with a few general obfervations relative to the fea, and the coaft of the two continents, which lie to the north of Beering's Strait.

It may be obferved, that in the year 1778 we did not meet with the ice till we advanced to the latitude of 70°, on August 17th; and that then we found it in compact bodies. extending as far as the eye could reach, and of which a part or the

M

whole

whole was moveable, fince, by its drifting down upon us, we narrowly efcaped being hemmed in between it and the land. After experiencing both how fruitlefs and dangerous it would be to attempt to penetrate farther north, between the ice and the land, we flood over toward the Afiatic fide, between the latitude 69° and 70°, frequently encountering, in this tract, large and extenfive fields of ice; and though, by reafon of the fogs, and thickness of the weather, we were not able abfolutely and entirely to trace a connected line of it acrofs, yet we were fure to meet with it before we reached the latitude of 70°, whenever we attempted to ftand to the northward. On the 26th of Auguft, in latitude 693, and longitude 18.4°, we were obftructed by it in fuch quantities as made it im. poffible for us to pafs either to the north or weft, and obliged us to run along the edge of it to the fouth fouth-weft, till we faw land, which we afterwards found to be the coaft of Afia. With the feafon thus far advanced, the weather fetting in with fnow and fleet, and other figns of approaching winter, we aban doned our enterprize for that time.

In this fecond attempt, we could do little more than confirm the obfervations we had made in the firft; for we were never able to approach the continent of Alia higher than the latitude of 67°, nor that of America in any parts, excepting a few leagues between the latitude of 68° and 68° 25′, that were not feen the laft year. We were now obftructed by ice 3° lower, and our endeavours to puth farther to the northward, were principally confined to the mid-fpace between the two coafts.

We penetrated near 3° farther on the American fide than on the Afia. tic, meeting with the ice both years fooner, and in greater quantities, on the latter coaft. As we advanced north, we ftill found the ice more compact and folid; yet as, in our different traverses from fide to fide, we paffed over spaces which had before been covered with it, we conjectured, that most of what we faw was moveable. Its height, on a medium, we took to be from eight to ten feet, and that of the highest to have been fixteen or eighteen. We again tried the currents twice, and found them unequal, but never to exceed one mile an hour. By comparing the reckoning with the obfervations, we alfo found the current to fet different ways, yet more from the south west than any other quarter; but whatever their direction might be, their effect was fo trifling, that no conclufions, refpecting the exiftence of any passage to the northward could be drawn from them. We found the month of July to be infinitely colder than that of Auguft. The thermometer in July was once at 28°, and very commonly at 30°; whereas the last year, in Auguft, it was very rare to have it fo low as the freezing point. In both feafons, we had fome high winds, all of which came from the fouth weft. We were fubject to fogs, whenever the wind was moderate, from whatever quarter, but they attended foutherly winds more conftantly than contrary ones.

The traits, between the two continents, at their nearest approach, in lati ude 66°, were afcertained to be thirteen leagues, beyond which they diverge to north eatt by eatt and weft north weft; and in latitude 699, they become 14° of longitude,

or

or about one hundred leagues, afunder. A great fimilarity is obfervable in the appearance of the two countries, to the northward of the ftraits. Both are deftitute of wood. The fhores are low, with mountains rifing to a great height farther up the country. The depth of water in the mid-way between them, was twenty-nine and thirty fathoms, decreafing gradually as we approached either continent, with the difference of being fomewhat fhoaler on the American than on the Afiatic coaft, at the fame diftance from land. The bottom, in the middle, was a foft flimy mud; and on drawing near to either thore, a brown fand, intermixed with small fragments of bones, and a few fhells. We obferved but little tide or current; what there was, came from the weftward."

He commences with Poland, and has interwoven into his account of that kingdom, a particular relation communicated to him by Mr. Wraxall, of the attempt made by the confederates to affaffinate the prefent king, in 1771*. He afterwards gives a tolerably circumftantial, and yet not too diffufive, an account of the government of Poland; the legiflative part thereof confifting of the king, the fenate, and the equeftrian order, in a general diet affembled; the executive part, according to the new establishment made by the diet in 1775, being vefted in the permanent council, conftituted from the three different eftates of the king, fenate, and equeftrian order. Of all thefe different etates feparately, of the permanent council, its departments, and its duties, and of the general diet, he speaks fully and diftinctly. His account of the country itself only proves to us how ill adapted and infufficient is its government, to overbalance and reftrain the oppreffive, indolent, and wafting power of its nobles.

His character of the king of Poland, Staniflaus Auguftus, is the one generally adopted in favour of that monarch; namely, that of an amiable man, a gentleman, and a fcholar.

From Poland Mr. Coxe proceeds to Ruffia, and enters minutely into fome particular periods of the hiftory of that kingdom, concerning which hiftorians have not at all agreed. The various accounts given by different authors of the Czar, who reigned under the name of Demetrius, are difcuffed with great judgment and penetration; and the different authorities concerning his

identity being brought, as it were, to a focus, the reader is better enabled to form his own determination on the fubject. Mr. Coxe inclines to think him the real fon of the emperor Ivan Vafliliovitch II. With equal minutenefs Mr. Coxe enters into the hiftory of the princefs Sophia Alexiefna, fifter to Peter the Great, and regent during his minority, and takes great pains to do away the different afperfions thrown upon her character by almoft all the historians who have treated of that period. That the princefs Sophia Alexiefna excluded Peter from all thare in the government as long as the was able, appears evidently to be the cafe; that the did fo without having recourfe to any peculiar acts, either of feverity or oppreflion with refpect to him, is as evident: "when the genius of Peter acquired the afcendancy," it is as evident that he did not use his fuperiority over his rival with equal moderation and temperance. Ferocious and penetrating, the thorteft way to his objects, with him, was always the best, and once clearly feeing his way, he purfued it by means fo ftrong, decifive, and powerful, as made art and nice conduct unneceffary in their execution.

We cannot here help obferving, that the regular difcuffion of controverted and detached parts of history, (though extremely useful in itfelf) is but ill fubmitted to by readers of travels, voyages, and fuch like. The mind, alily led on, and interefted by the force of narration fimply, is with difficulty led out of its road to the confideration of any fpecific or given subject of magnitude.

But whatever is naturally and intimately connected with the narrative, neither branching out from nor returning to it too abruptly, keeps the attention alive and unbroken.

Petersburgh and its environs, the different refidences of the prefent Empress of Ruffia, her court, her mode of life, her business, her pleafures, and amusements*, are deferibed and treated in an entertaining and eafy mauner. In the fecond volume of his work, Mr Coxe commences with relating the particulars of the Revolution of 1762, which placed the prefent Empress on the throne of Ruffia, in exclufion of her husband, Peter III. As the weakness of his condu& enabled her, fo his ill behaviour towards her, in fome measure juftified the fteps the took on this occafion. If the intention of imprisoning her can be clearly and fatisfactorily brought home to Peter, the conduct of the Emprefs then ftands in a ftill fairer light, and felf defence may be urged as her leading motive.

Here follows the hiftory of prince Ivau, great grandfon of the Czar Ivan Alexievitch, elder brother of Peter the Great. This unfortunate prince fucceeded his aunt the Emprefs Anne, when he was only three months old, and in little more than a year afterwards was depofed and inprifoned by Elizabeth, together with his parents, Anne of Mecklenburgh, and Anthony Ulrick, prince of Brunswick. A prifoner from his cradle, he was at laft killed in his twenty-third year by the officers who guarded him in the fortrefs of Schluffelburgh, and who,

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Count Burchard Chriftopher Munich, fon of Danish officer, was born at New Huntorf, in the county of Oldenburgh, on the 9th of May, O.S. 1683. He received an excellent education; and, in the 17th year of his age, entered into the fervice of the Landgrave of HeffeDarmstadt, who, on account of his knowledge in tactics, conferred upon him the rank of captain. He ferved his first campaign in 1701, when the emperor Jofeph, commanded against the French; and was prefent at the fiege of Landa w. In 1705, he was employed as a major by the Landgrave of Heffe-Caffel; and learned the art of war under the duke of Marlborough and prince Eugene. He diftinguithed himfelf for his cool intre, idity in everal engagements and fieges, and particularly at the battle of Malplaquet, when, in recompence for his bravery, he was made lieutenant-colonel. Being, in 1712, dangeroutly wounded at the battle of Denain, he was taken priloner by the French; and foon after his release, in the enfuing year, raised to the command of a regiment.

"In 1716, he quitted the Heffian, and entered the Polith fervice, under Auguftus II. and was foon promoted to the rank of major-general; but, in 1721, being infulted by count Fleming, the king's fa.ourite,

he went into Ruffia, and was received in the most honourable manner by Peter I. Being charged by that great monarch with the execution of feveral important trufts, both civil and military, he fucceffively filled the highest pofts in the army and ftate. He was created marihal by the empress Anne, and placed at the head of the war department; he obtained the command of the army against the Turks, and proved his military talents by his fucceffes in the campaigns of 1737 and 1738.

Soon after the death of the emprefs, he advifed, planned, and executed the arreft of Biren; and was rewarded by the regent Anne with the office of prime minifter. But as he was difcontented at not being appointed generaliffimo, and as his power and ambition gave umbrage to the court, he requested permiffion to refign his employments, and was aftonithed at the readiness with which his request was granted. Inftead of repairing to the Pruffian court, to which he was ftrongly invited, he imprudently remained in Ruffia, flattering himfelf with the hopes of being reinftated in his former dignity; and was arrested on the 6th of December, 1741, by order of Elizabeth. The oftenfible reafon of his difgrace was, that he had perfuaded the empress Anne to nominate Ivan her fucceffor; but the real caufe, as I was informed by a perfon of veracity, who received it from count Munich himself, was that, by order of that emprefs, he had taken into cuftody one of Elizabeth's favourites.

"Munich was brought before, a committee appointed to examine the ftate pritoners; being fatigued with repeated queftions, and perceiving M 3

that