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prifed by a number of Indians, taken prifoners, and all flain, except the hufband of the unfortunate Maldonada, whom they brought away to be facrificed upon fome more folemn occafion.

In the mean time, Maldonada began to perceive the general's evil intentions to her husband, and gueffed at his fate. Women, when injured, more frequently give an imprudent loofe to their paffions than men. She openly accused the general of cruelty and injustice; and he, to vindicate his reputation, had the woman fummoned before a court of foldiers, chiefly compofed of thofe who were devoted to his interefts. It is easy to imagine that here the found no pity: they brought her in guilty of mutiny, and Nunez himself condemned her to be expofed to wild beats in a foreft at fome distance from the Spanish garrifon. This fentence was immediately put in execution: Maldonada was led into a fpacious plain in the midst of the foreft, and there bound. to a large tree, which was the ufual place of binding criminals for execution. She had not been here long, when an old lion, from the thickest forest, came running towards her

with all the fierceness of famine. She now concluded herself loft; when the generous beaft, obferving her bound to a tree, repreffed his impetuofity, and instead of being her deftroyer, became her defender. He therefore crouched down by her, and kept off the tyger, the leopard, hyena, and every other beaft of prey that were attracted to the fame place. In this fituation, the hiftorian affirms, fhe continued for three days, encircled by a whole herd of wild animals, and protected by the old lion; when her husband, who had fortunately efcaped from the Indian enemy, happened to take this way in his return to the garrifon. He perceived a wretch unprepared for defence, and approaching, found it to be his wife. Upon his approach, all the animals except the old lion fled, and after mutual tears, the unfortunate woman informed him of all that had happened in his abfence.

Upon this they both fled to a tribe of Indians called Araucans, where he was foon constituted general among them. He taught them the art of war; and this nation is the most formidable enemy both of the Spaniards and Portuguese to this day.

For the NEW-YORK MAGAZINE.

Meffrs. SWORDS,

Every perfon who vifkes fuccefs to those plans which have a tendency to dif fufe information, I bumbly think ought to give his fupport to publications of a literary nature: And as yours is the only Magazine in this city, it ought to be encouraged both by a liberal fubfcription, and by the labours of writers. As I have hitherto given my mite of affiftance in one away, I now offer it in the other; and fhall, if acceptable, tranfmit you a few numbers ef' The FRIEND.'

The FRIEND. No. I. T muft always afford peculiar

Igratification to a refined and enlightened people, when they hear celebrated thofe means and inftitutions, which contribute, in a confiderable meafure, to advance them to an ele

The

vated degree of civilization. caufes which produce this defirable effect, are not a few. Among them may be reckoned commerce, and the intercourfe between nations and the fexes; and wars, in the opinion of

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fome, have no inconfiderable influence. But the chief and predominating caufe will be allowed by all to be education. Without this, many of thofe acquifitions which have been the boaft and glory of the world, would have been forgotten or def. pifed; men would relapfe into the forbidding state of fierce and gloomy barbarity, and the avenues to the temple of happiness would be covered with clouds of impenetrable darknefs. To enter into all the particulars which might be fuggefted by this copious theme, would lead me into too tedious a detail, and would weary one's attention: fome obfervations, therefore, of a general and more obvious nature, fhall folicit the indulgence of the reader.

The human mind rifes much in importance, when we confider it capable of perpetual advancement to wards perfection. Man is not in his attainments, like the brute creation, hurried on to a certain point, beyond which he cannot proceed, but is fufceptible of improvement during the whole of his exiftence. Agreeably to this idea, pofterity have always availed themselves of the knowledge of their ancestors, and have risen above them in refinement, unless their progress was interrupted by the intervention of fome great obftructing caufe.

In the early ages of the world, the neceffities of men obliged them to attend to those concerns which had more immediate respect to their fubfiftence and perfonal conveniencies. How to counteract the inclemencies of the feafons, to repel the attacks of wild beafts, and to provide for the prefent calls of nature, were the fole objects that engaged their anxious minds. Men in fuch a fituation had not leifure to attend to those means which contribute to improve and refine. But when the formation of fociety, by rendering men mutually

fubfervient to each other, had facilitated the acquifition of the neceffaries of life, they began to cultivate a tafte for elegance, and to improve their mental powers. From that time, fcience has been in a progreffive ftate, except at certain periods, when it has met with great and destructive oppofition. We, however, in this enlight ned age, behold it advanced to a glorious height, diffufing knowledge and happiness over a great part of the world.

Confidered with respect either to the religious or civil world, education must be esteemed one of the richest bleffings beftowed by indulgent hea ven on the favoured race of mortals. What but this drove from her gloomy throne the monster Superftition, and difpelled thofe infernal clouds in which he had enveloped the god-like human mind? What but this difclofed the odious nature of bigotry, and taught men to burst indignant from her fhackles? When education had its proper influence, the various branches of fcience were cultivated with avidity and fuccefs; knowledge broke in upon the delighted foul, and difcovered to men, the true dignity of man. Ages of free inveftigation fucceeded, and it required more than the bare affertion of any person, however fan&tified, to establish a point in matters which related to conscience. We are not now obliged implicitly to fubfcribe to any fyftem of faith, however artfully invented or zealously recommended; but, we may examine for ourselves before we adopt. Truth, in all her alluring forms, is prefented to our ravished view, and there is none who dares forbid to disclose the beauties of her perfon.

Religion comes invested with her own intrinfic excellence; bears her peaceful and unconstrained fway; and, by infusing the pureft benevolence and love, proves indifputably her miflion from the fkies.

And

And while the minds of men continue to be enlightened by the fun of fcience, we may fafely conclude they are at an infinite diftance from the dreadful reign of superstition.

Education will be placed in a light equally striking and endearing, when we view it as one of the ftrongeft fupports of liberty, and the firmeft barrier to the rights of man. The human mind, when properly enlightened, has fo juft an idea of her own importance and freedom, that all her powers are inftantly awakened, when an attack is apprehended on her invaluable rights. These are more dear than the light of the fun, more dear than life itself. What fpirit, poffeffed of the smallest spark of heroism, would not rather fall in death, than furvive to endure all the miseries of tyranny? What foul, illumined with only a fingle ray of liberty, would not rather bleed away her life, than live in all imaginable pomp, and be a flave? To ellablifh firmly, therefore, the privileges of a people, and to make them well acquainted with their natural rights, it is abfolutely necessary that the public

mind be properly informed. Then, if the leaft intimation be given of projects contrived to feize upon these facred bleflings, fufpicion, with her eagle eye, pierces the inmoft recesses of the foul, and feems to catch all her fecret emotions. But, let an actual attempt be made to wreft from them their privileges; let ambition once leap beyond the proper bound, or tyranny raise his iron fceptre, and immediately the trump of liberty shakes the continent: freemen take the alarm; they flock to their standard; they are ready to die, or conquer. The horrid inftruments of death, the trumpet's hoarfe clangor, the awful folemnities of war, and their aspects brave and determined, all confpire to enkindle the martial flame, and urge them on to invincible refiftance. They rush to the engagement actuated by one great foul, the foul of liberty. What tyrant, with his legions of flaves, can oppose fuch a force? His throne is fuddenly overturned from its foundation, and all his towering hopes fall to the ground. L.

Jan. 20, 1792.

To unfold the commercial advantages which our country possesses, muft certainly be an undertaking equally useful and pleafing. We have therefore taken the liberty to felect for our readers, a few heads from a publication which is now for jale in town, entitled, A brief Examination of Lord Sheffield's Obfervations on the Commerce of the United States.'-The candour and liberality with which it appears to be written, will make it acceptable to every unprejudiced reader; and the ability with which it refutes the injurious reprefentations of Lord Sheffield, refpecting our commerce, will render it peculiarly pleafing to every American.

IN

The CARRYING TRADE, N the opinion of Lord Sheffield, is loft to the people inhabiting thefe ftates, by their choice of independence. Let us examine the proofs. His feventh table ftates the inward tonnage of all the British provinces in North-America, in 1770, to have been 365,100 tons. From this amount are to be deducted the entries

in Newfoundland, Canada, NovaScotia, the two Floridas, the Bahamas, and Bermuda, being 33,458 tons, which leaves the entries in those provinces that are now the United States, at 331,642 tons. We are alfo to deduct the fhips owned by British fubjects, not refident in those thirteen provinces. Champion confi

ders

ders these to have been nearly the whole in the European trade, it is believed erroneoufly; but they muft have been very confiderable; yet the return of entries of American veffels for the last year, rendered by our treasury to the houfe of reprefentatives, though known to have been incomplete, from inevitable caufes, amounts to above 363,000 tons, exclufive of fishing veffels.*

It is manifeft, then, that the carrying trade, which refults almost unaided from an agriculture that fully lades 650,000 tons of veffels to foreign ports, is confiderably greater than what we enjoyed as British provinces. A very beneficial coafting trade (employing above 100,000 tons) has moreover grown up, partly from the variety of our productions and mutual wants, and partly from the introduction of manufactures, which, it was believed we could never attain, and with which Great Britain alone ufed to fupply us. The building of fhips has alfo increased, as we undertake hereafter to fhow, and the tonnage owned by the merchants of the United States, or late American provinces, was never fo great as at the prefent moment. It is believed, moreover, that the American carriers derive greater profit from the bufinefs, than the British nation, who build fhips two-thirds dearer, and who maintain themselves in what they poffefs of the carrying trade, at the expence of great bounties out of their public treasury, by burdenfome restrictions on all their dominions, but the island of Great-Britain; and by regulations to favour their fhipping, which increase the price of raw materials for their manufactures, and of bread and other food for their workmen and for their poor.

BEEF and PORK,

In the opinion of our author, are not

Our

likely to become confiderable articles of export, fo as to interfere with Ireland for fome time. The medium annual quantity exported from the United States, before the revolution, he ftates at 23,635 barrels. treasury return, for the last year, exhibits 66,000 barrels, befides 2,500 barrels of bacon, 5,200 head of horned cattle, and an equal number of hogs. The medium price of the pork was thirty-feven fhillings fterling, or about 8 dollars per barrel, and that of beef twenty-eight fhillings fterling, or about 61 dollars per barrel. Befides this exportation, 263,000 tons of foreign veffels, in a great degree, and all our own, were victualled from our markets. But a moment's reflection will convince any man who knows this country, that it will, in the courfe of a few years, offer to all foreign nations fuch quantities of falt provifions, efpecially of beef, as must seriously affect Ireland, where that article is fold at eight dollars per barrel. It is a fact no lefs curious than important to our provifion trade, that the French fleet has been fupplied with beef in the port of Bofton, at prices lower than the then current value of wheat-flour in any of our fea ports, although our exports of the latter article are fourteen times as great as those of Ireland. The owners of the interior lands of the United States, on which fettlements have but lately become confiderable, find a particular advantage in the raifing of cattle, because those animals transport themselves to the fea ports at a very small expence.

LUMBER.

The articles under this head are of the greatest importance to the Irish provifion trade, to British commerce ard manufactures in general, and particularly to the profitable management of Weft-India eftates. Lord Sheffield

* Our numerous coafters not being entered, but only renewing their licences in that trade, once a year, form no part of the 363,000 tons.

Sheffield is of opinion, that "moft of them may be imported from Canada and Nova Scotia, on as good, if not better terms, than from thefe ftates;" and that "Nova-Scotia will, at least for some time, have little elfe to depend on, but her fisheries, provifions and cutting of lumber." But the experience of 1790, feven years after thofe provinces began to regain order, inftructs us, that there were fhipt in that year, from the United States to Nova Scotia alone, 540,000 of ftaves and heading, 924.980 feet of boards, 285,000 fhingles, and 16,000 hoops.

The legislature of Jamaica (the imports of which ifland directly from the United States, might be eftimat ed, in 1784, at half our shipments to the British Weft-Indies) accompanied their addrefs to the British parliament, with proofs that only 20 bundles of hoops, 301,324 fhingles and ftaves, and 501,088 feet of Jumber, were imported into that ifland from Canada, Nova-Scotia, and St. John's, between the 3d of April, 1783, and the 26th of October, 1784, a term of nearly nineteen months! It appears probable, then, that they did not fupply their Weft-India brethren with more than one half of what they import, at this mature ftage of their fettlements, from us. It is to be remembered, that Jamaica drew no fupplies of our lumber through the Dutch and Danish iflands; though the Carribee, or more windward iflands at that time did. From 1768, to 1772, only 36,100 fhingles and ftaves, and 27,235 feet of lumber, were fhipt annually from the northern British colonies to the ifland of Jamaica.

In another page of the obfervations we are told, that hoops, ftaves ard boards may be fent out to the West-Indies from England, "becaufe the freight is lower than from the United States." Here again, the

writer of the observations is unfortu nate in his propofed means of fupply: for it appears that there were shipped, in the year above mentioned, to the European dominions of Great-Britain, 13,306,000 ftaves and heading, 3,000,000 feet of boards, 4,000,000 feet of timber, 253,000 shingles, and 6000 of hoops. We learn too, from Mr. Anderson's history of commerce, that there were exported from England to the West-Indies, in 1787, the value of 8ol. 1 25. 5d. fterling and no more, in boards, ftaves and other lumber, towards the fupply of the demand of those islands, which Lord Sheffield admits to have been, in 1770, about thirty-five millions of boards, fcantling, ftaves and hoops, and fifteen millions and a half of fhingles. It will appear to him an extraordinary fact, (and must excite a fmile in the graveft countenance) that the balance of the lumber account between Great-Britain and her Weft-India colonies, is actually againft the former: for we learn, from another of Mr. Anderfon's documents, that there were fhipt thither from thofe colonies, between Michaelmas, 1786, and the fame day in 1787, 3070l. 135. 11d. fterling, in boards, ftaves and timber. But if the project of shipping from Europe were as rational as it is wild, what would become of the low freights, upon which it is in part founded?--The lumber actually taken by the British Weft-Indies from the United States," exhaufted," as this writer mifreprefents them to be, would load all the veffels that depart from GreatBritain to the Weit-Indies; for it would fill above 100,000 tons of fhipping; and a large quantity of tonnage would fill be required for the coal, malt-liquors, wines, loaffugar, candles, foap, provifions, cordage, bale goods, nails, tallow, lime, carriages, &c. which are conftantly shipped thither from Europe.

The

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