rage as well as the men; and it is as rare for an Indian to behave otherwife, as it would be for an European to fuffer as an Indian. On the other hand, the prifoners who have the happiness to please thofe to whom they are offered, have a fortune altogether oppofite to that of those who are condemned; they are adopted into the family, they are accepted in the place of the father, fon, or husband that is loft, and they have no other mark of their captivity, but that they are not fuffered to return to their own nation. To attempt this would be certain death. The principal pur pofe of the war is to recruit in this manner; for which reafon, a general who lofes many of his men, though he fhould conquer, is little better than disgraced at home, because the end of the war was not anfwered. They are therefore extremely care ful of their men, and never chufe to attack but with a very undoubt ed fuperiority either in number or fituation. STORY OF SIR FRANCIS ANDERSON'S RING [From Brand's History of Newcastle.} THE ftory of fir Francis Ander fon's ring is curious. He was mayor of Newcastle in 1559: ftanding on the bridge, he accidentally dropped a ring from his finger, which fell into the river: the marvellous part of the relation is, that fome time after, one of his fervants bought a fifh in the market, in the body of which the identical ring was found, and thus restored to its owner. In 1783, Mr, Brand faw the ring in the poffeffion of Mr. Edward Anderfon, merchant, who permitted him to take a drawing of it: he tells us, that the engraving on the figner feems to be a Roman antique; and he adds, that this Mr. Anderson has a deed of family property, the seal of which exhibits an impreffion an fwerable to that on this memorable ring, and is of a date prior to the fuppofed time of this extraordinary event, CHARACTERISTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, down to pofterity amongst the worthy as a faint, and his family refpected. When the operation was to begin, he was feated on a table, under one of the ends of the crofs pole: an incifion is made in each fide, under his ribs, to let in each hole a smooth iron hook, like those that let down a but of beer to a cellar in London, with a string from the rope that draws him up, round the breast, to keep him from pitching forward, and to keep him in the fame position. With the irons in his fide, he is drawn up in a moment with a pulley. When he is up, there is one over him, who croffes a rope to hold him there. His hands and feet are tied that he cannot ftir. But take notice, there are weights on the other end of the cross pole, to balance the perfon who is drawn up, and he who fixes him. So while the mufic is playing, fome are crying, others praying for him to get through his mifery. At the other end of the pole a rope is fixed, which a man takes hold of, and runs him round three times. Whenever he came to the fame place, they gave him a cheer; fo he had three cheers when he had gone round three times. He was taken down in a moment, a cordial given him, his wounds were dreffed, and he was carried home in triumph, with beating of drums, and mufic playing. Thofe who remain behind, dance in different companies. CHARACTER AND GENIUS OF THE GOVERNMENT, laws, and religion, as they improve, muft efface in all nations the traces of barbarity. But ftrong as is the hand of time, fome prominent features of the German character, noble and commanding, remain unaltered. From the age of Cæfar to the prefent period, they have not degenerated from their ancestors in hofpitality towards ftrangers, or fortitude against their enemies. Steady and perfevering, they have, with bravery equal to their fidelity, evinced their attachment toward their fovereigns. Exalted with the fpirit of liberty, or fired with the love of country, they have advanced through the thunder, unftained by the cruelty of war. In the operations of the mind, they are faid to be more laborious than bright, more imitative than inventive; but let us look back to the origin of printing, and of gunpowder, of etching and engraving, of the air pump, &c. &c. before we yield affent to this characteristic, As to letters, in no nation is learning fo generally diffufed, or more highly honoured. And from this literary protection and emulation proceeds that univerfal thirst for knowledge, which prompts the Germans to ftudy all languages, and render into their own, every improvement which is made in every art and fcience by every nation; whereby the German is now become the key to univerfal literature. As to the polite arts, in mufic they stand unrivalled. When Handel tuned his ftrains to the Meffiah, he raifed an altar to himself, on which he confecrated their fame. If we confider the low countries as conftituting part of Germany, in which empire they formerly were included, its claim to celebrity in painting is undeniably fupported by the Flemifh fchool. But though it be not admitted that the Netherlands fhould at this day be comprehended in any view of Germany, and fhould the Flemish school refufe to impart its rays of fame, and cast a luftre upon Germany, yet its highest claims to celebrity rest upon the German genius, that of the immortal Rubens, its brightest ornament, and first support. He was born at Cologne. Befide, where there is a fimilitude of natural, moral, and political caufes, we may conclude on a fimi litude of events. And on this ground, it were no more than reasonable to advance an argument of, or at leaft no preclufion from, an aptnefs for the fcience. And Albrecht, Durer, Mengs, and many others, rife to give authority to the remark. In poetry they poffefs, perhaps, more force than fweetnefs, more of the fublime than the pathetic, more wild flights of fancy than touching foftnefs, ideas moving fympathy, or delicacy of turn. But take them all in all, where shall we meet their like again! THE INHABITANTS OF NEW SOUTH WALES. TRAITS IN THE CHARACTEROFTHE WALES. [From White's Journal.] WE fat off early one morning to look at the branch of Broken Bay, which we had feen the evening before, and were led to it by a path hot very much frequented. At the head of this branch we found a fresh water river, which took its rife a little above, out of a fwamp. Such is the origin and fource of every river we have yet difcovered in this country; though few, when com pared to thofe in any other part of the world. It is very extraordinary that in all this extenfive tract, a living fpring has not yet been explored. On this river we faw many ducks and teal. Mr. Creffwell fhot one of the latter, and I fhot one of the former. They were both well tafted, and good of their kind. At the head of this branch we found the country rough and impaffable. Having followed the courfe of the river to its origin, we that day returned to Manly Cove, where we furprized two old men, an old woman, a grown-up girl, and thirteen children, in a hut. When the children faw us approach, they all gathered themselves clofely together around the girl; they cried, and feemed much terrified. The old men fhewed fuch diflike to our looking at them, that the governor and the rest of the party withdrew to fome little distance to dine. Some of the children, on feeing all the party gone but myself and another gentleman, began to laugh, and thus proved that their fears had vanished. When we joined the reft of the party, the old man followed us in a very friendly manner, and took part of every kind of provifion we had; but he ate none of it in our fight. The women and children ftood at fome distance, and VOL. III 19 beckoned to us when the men, of whom they feemed to ftand in very great dread, had turned their backs. As foon as we had dined and refrefhed ourfelves, the governor, by himself, went down to them, and diftributed fome prefents among them, which foon gained their friend fhip and confidence. By this time fixteen canoes, that were out fishing, came close to the fpot where we were, and there lay on their paddles, which they managed with wonder ful dexterity and addrefs; mimicking us, and indulging in their own merriment. After many figns and entreaties, one of the women ventured to the governor, who was by himself, and, with feemingly great timidity, took from him fome i̇mall fifhing-lines and hooks; articles which they hold in great eftimation This made her lefs fearful; and in a little time he became perfectly free and unrestrained. Her conduct influenced many others, who came on fhore for what they could procure, Many of them were painted about the head, breaft, and flioulders, with fome white fubftance. None of those who were thus ornamented came on fhore, till by figns we made them understand that we intended to offer them fome prefents; and even then only one of them ventured. To this perfon lieutenant Creffwell gave a white pocket handkerchief, with which fe feemed much pleased. Every gentleman now fingled out a female; and prefented her with fome trinkets, not forgetting, at. the fame time, to beftow gifts upon fome of her family, whom he took confiderable pains to make known, left they fhould fall into the hands of fuch as did not belong to her. It was remarked that all the women and children (an old woman excepted) had the little finger of the left hand taken off at the fecond joint; the flump of which was as well well covered as if the operation had been performed by a furgeon. While we were thus employed among the women, a body of men came out of the woods with a new canoe, made of cork. It was one of the best we had obferved in this country; though it fell very fhort of thofe which I have feen among the American or Mufquito-fhore Indians, who, in improvements of every kind, the Indians of this country are many centuries behind. The men had alfo with them some new paddles, fpears, and fifh-gigs, which they had just been making. They readily fhewed us the ufe of every thing they had with them. Indeed they always behave with an apparent civility when they fall in with men that are armed; but when they meet perfons unarmed, they feldom fail to take every advantage of them. Thofe females who were arrived at the age of puberty, did not wear a covering; but all the female children, and likewife the girls, wore a flight kind of covering before them, made of the fur of the kangaroo, twisted into threads. While we went towards the party of men that came out of the woods with the new canoe, all the women landed, and began to broil their fifh, of which they had a large quantity. There feemed to be no harmony or hofpitality among them. However, the female to whom I paid the most attention, gave me, but not until I afked her for it, fome of the fift which he was eating. She had thrown it on the fire, but it was fcarcely warm. Many of the women were ftraight, well formed, and lively. My com panion continued to exhibit a num. ber of coquettish airs while I was decorating her head, neck, and arms, with my pocket and neck. handkerchiefs, which I tore into ribbons, as if defirous of multiplying two prefents into feveral. Having nothing left, except the buttons of my coat, on her admiring them, I cut them away, and with a piece of ftring tied them round her waist. Thus ornamented, and thus delighted with her new acquirements, fhe turned from me with a look of inexpreffible archnefs. SELECT BIOGRAPHY. that honourable profeffion to which fir Charles Douglas was a confpicuous ornament. Poffibly, among the various events which will be mentioned in the course of these memoirs, many a brilliant and intrepid character will recognizewith peculiar fatisfaction-tranfactions which may awaken the remembrance of their own dangers and efcapes; engagements, in which themselves bore no undiftinguished part; and victories, which they contributed to obtain, and in the glory of which they largely parti cipated. Mr. Charles Douglas was born in Fifefhire, in the year 1729, the youngest, |