any means of fubfiftence, and perhaps, in their prefent recreant condition, afraid of becoming a prey to the Indians, they, in thefe unpleasant circumftances, fent back to the island to propose a capitulation to the Spanish commanders. They could obtain no other condition than that of returning with their arms in their hands, to become prifoners of war. Of this garrifon, four battalions, befides 100 of the artillery, were regular troops, the reft were regimented militia. It has been reported, that the Portuguese commander, Don Antonio de Mendoza, has been ordered home to answer for his conduct. It would not be fitting to omit, that a Portuguese fquadron of twelve fail, which had been stationed for the protection of the island, immediately fled upon the appearance of a Spanish frigate, which had been fent to reconnoitre, two days before the arrival of the fleet. The Spanish force proceeded to the Rio de la Plata, where it reduced the colony of St Sacrament and fome other places before the order for a ceffation of hoftility arrived.. In the mean time, the preliminaries of peace were agreed upon, and a treaty of limits concluded, between the courts of Spain and Portugal. These preliminaries have, fince the conclufion of the year, been extended, completed, and finally ratified, into the fullest and most perfect treaty of peace, union, and friendfhip, between the two crowns and nations. By this treaty, the King of Spain feems to have fully obtained that great object which has been fo long and fo ligently fought by that crown, and which he himself fo explicitly avowed, in the memorial that preceded his declaration of war in 1762, viz. That confidering the interefts of the Moft Faithful King as his own, he wishes to unite the one with the other, so that either in peace or is war, Spain and Portugal may be confidered as belonging to one mafter." The fame idea is ftill preserved and comprehended in the introduction or preamble of the prefent treaty, which contains the following words: " and by that means eftablish the most permanent indiffoluble union and friendship between the two crowns, which their natural fituation, the vicinity of their territories, the ancient and modern connections and confanguinity of their respective fovereigns, the identity of origin, and the reciprocal interefts of the two nations, claim." Thus was Portugal thrown into the arms of the house of Bourbon, and once more virtually become a member of the Spanish monarchy. It is faid that the has fince acceded to the family.compact; but whether any formal act of that nature has taken place, does not seem a matter of confequence, as the in effect acceded to it the moment the was under a neceffity of figning the prefent treaty. Nations are governed in their conduct by fituation and circumftance, not by wax or by fignatures. Thofe who defend the conduct of Portugal in this point, affirm, that fhe cannot be charged with meanness in refpect to herself, nor reproached with breach of faith in regard to others, for her conduct in this tranfaction. As the found herself, they said, abandoned by England, or, which was the fame thing, as the found that power incapable of affording the protection which she wanted, and had a right to expect, and was herself totally incapable of refifting that great force which inclofed her on all fides, and was ready to trample her to deftruction, she had no other refource than to fubmit to whatever terms were prescribed. Every person who has any concern in, and knowledge of, our political and commercial interests, must deeply lament the unhappy fituation of public affairs, which difabled us from preventing the completion of a scheme fo loaded with the most deftructive confequences to both. The actors had seen for some years that the time was faft approaching, which would prove favourable to the execution of this long-laid and favourite defign, and they were, during that time, affiduously preparing to feize the golden opportunity. All the quarrels about limits, and all the events of the petty war carried on in South America, tended to this fingle point. It may not perhaps be a very hazardous af fertion to advance, that of all the misfortunes that have been or may be the confe quence of our unhappy civil war, this event, excepting only the irrecoverable lofs of the colonies, would hold the first place as to magnitude and effect. RUSSIA, TURKY, and PERSIA. WHIST peace was thus preferved in one part of Europe, the afpect borne by the great empires of Ruffia and Turky feemed to portend a renewal of all the calamities of war in another. We have ventured in the course of the late war repeatedly repeatedly to hazard an opinion, that nothing less than the moft deplorable ftate of weakness, and irresistible neceffity, could ever induce the Porte to admit Ruffia to a free paffage through the Dardanelles, with an open trade, and the confequent establishment of a marine force on the Black fea. The events of the war were, however, fuch as compelled a fubmiffion to this neceffity. But when a full compliance with all the terms of this condition came to be demanded, and that Ruffia probably expected, and infifted, that they fhould be understood in the utmost latitude of every fenfe to which they could be extended in her own favour, all the fatal confequences which muft inevitably attend this meafure, again appeared to the Porte in their moft dreaded forms. They faw, that a compliance in the utmoft extent, would be at once to furrender the keys of the Ottoman empire; and, in fact, it would have been no lefs. Various delays and difficulties were accordingly thrown in the way, and the I veffels which had paffed from the Mediterranean through the Dardanelles, were ftopped at Constantinople, and have never been permitted to proceed farther on their voyage. In the mean time, fresh caufes of debate arose, and new troubles fprung up in the Crimea, which in fome degree ferved to leffen the attention to the prefent bufinefs; a circumftance highly pleafing to the Turks, who would by no means acknowledge the fmalleft dif. pofition to any violation of faith or breach of treaty. The entire independence of the Crim Tartars, and particularly their freedom of choice in the election of their Chans, had been laid down as principles not to be departed from by the late peace. As in other cafes of election, the great neighbours here endeavoured to influence the electors. Each had great influence as well as power. The Ruffians had a ftrong faction among the Tartars, exclufive of their troops; an order of men who are fuppofed to have no right to meddle in elections, but who notwithstanding frequently decide them. The Turks had a ftronger faction than the Ruffians, but no foldiers. Each had his favourite can didate. A double return of courfe enfued, and the names of Dewlet Gueray and Sahib Gueray were echoed by their respective partifans from one end to the other of the Crimea. Each fide now infifted with equal truth, that the Chan fupported by the other had not been elected by the free voice of the people. A civil war neceffarily enfued. The oppofite faction, by the aid of the Ruffians, drove Dewlet Gueray out of the country. His party notwithstanding revived with greater ftrength than before. Befides the affiftance they received from the Porte, the Nogais, Budziack, and other nations or tribes of Tartars who dwell without the peninfula, instead of being influenced by the Ruffians, difplayed their hereditary enmity by a vio lent oppofition to their Chan, whom they confidered merely as their inftrument to take a faft hold of the Crimea. A petty war has accordingly been continued, of little confequence to the rest of mankind, but in which the Ruffians, as well as their antagonists, have at different times been roughly handled. It would feem, upon the whole, that the two great principals are very unwilling to enter into a new war. If it had been otherwife, other fort of hoftilities than those we have mentioned, would ere now have taken place. It has been reported, and believed, that a great Wes ftern power, equally noted for ambition, and dexterity in intrigue, was the real fomenter of these differences, in order that Ruffia might be fo fully engaged at home, as not to have leisure to attend to, much lefs to interfere in, the dan gerous defigns which that power was preparing to carry into execution in another quarter of the world; more efpe cially as these measures were deeply to affect a state with which the court of Pe terfburg is in the clofeft union of al liance and friendship. Though this re port is highly probable, we cannot, how. ever, from the reafons which we have already ftated, help believing, that the Porte would have acted nearly the fame part, without any interference whatever. The war between Perfia and the Porte languishes on both fides, although it was declared with all the ufual folemnities at Conftantinople. The Perfians have not been able to purfue their fuccefs in the taking of Baffora with any effect. Their ill government, and inteftine divifions, probably difable them from any vigorous, or, at least, lafting exertion. They have been repeatedly defeated on the fide of Bagdat, only by the troops of that government; and in one action, it faid, that zoco of their troops were das ven into the Euphrates. On the other hand, it is reported, (and we have nothing but very uncertain reports from thofe quarters), that a Turkish Bafha, in the outfet of some enterprise against the Perfians, having entered Georgia without leave, and contrary to treaty, he was entirely defeated, and a great sart of his army cut to pieces by Prince Heraclius. It feems as if it were become neceffary, that fome great revolution fhould ere long take place in Afia. Nor does it seem very improbable, that one or two great and vigorous empires might fuddenly rife out of the ruins of the prefent miferable, decayed, and rotten fabrics. Ruffia is making a rapid progrefs to the highest state of greatnefs. Her commerce, population, and opulence, are daily increafing; her exports have been nearly doubled within the laft twenty years; the increase of people in the central and cultivated provinces, has held a reasonable proportion to that of their commerce and wealth; her annual revenue exceeds her annual expence by near three millions of roubles, being a balance of about 700,000l. a-year in her favour. A continuance of fettled government, and the bleffing of a wife administration, will in a few years place her power and greatnefs beyond all competition. The unhappy falling off of the British colonies, has exceedingly increased the commerce of Ruffia, as well as of the other north ern countries. Ruffian tobacco has rifen within twelve months to confiderably more than double its ufual price. SWEDEN and RUSSIA. THE King of Sweden paid a visit this fummer, in the character of Count of Gothland, to Petersburg, where he was received with all the fplendour and magnificence peculiar to that court. The prefents were in the fame grand ftyle with the entertainment, and the jewels of the Eastern world loft no part of their luftre in the frozen regions of the north. The autumn was attended with a moft dreadful calamity to the city and neighbourhood of Petersburg. It is a fault in the fituation of that city that it is liable to inundations; but that which now happened, was by far more extenfive and deftructive, than any thing of the fort which had ever been known before. A violent hurricane at the fouth-west, which began at two o'clock in the morning, Sept. 21. raised the waters in the short time of four hours, to the height of fourteen feet above the ordinary level of the river Neva. The city, and the adjoining flat country, were of course rapidly overflown; and the water continued at its extreme height for about half an hour. The diftrefs, terror, and calamity of the inhabitants, may be easily fuppofed to exceed all defcription: Many hundreds were drowned; thousands were ruined: The lofs to the ftate, and to individuals, was immense: The houses in the lower parts of the town were entirely covered, and many houses were unroofed in the beft parts: The quantities of goods and commodities of all forts that were deftroyed or carried away, in cellars, warehouses, or from the keys, were beyond all eftimation: The fineft trees in the palace-gardens were broken or torn up by the roots: The great bridge of boats over the Neva was carried away, and the greater part of the numerous leffer bridges destroyed: Ships were thrown into gardens, fields, and woods: Country-houfes and villages were fwept away or destroyed: In a word, the morning prefented the most dreary and lamentable fcene that any conception can be formed of. A happy change of the wind between fix and seven o'clock, releafed the people from their terror on account of their lives, and left them time to contemplate on calamities which had till then been partly covered by their danger. [39. 553.] GERMANY, &c. Ir is characteristic of the present time, for fovereigns not only to pay mutual vifits, but, laying by their state, to take journies into other countries, under the fame curiofity and defire of information, which impel private travellers to a like purfuit. The vifits and travels of great monarchs, are, however, fuppofed to be generally tinged a little with policy and matters of state. It seems as if their fre◄ quency might in time wear away all jealoufy upon thefe accounts. The active spirit, and ftrong difpofition to judicious inquiry, with an eager defire of obtaining every fpecies of useful information, which fo much mark the prefent Emperor of Germany's character, would have probably led him, in a feafon of tranquillity, to see the kingdom of France, independent of political mo tives, tives, and of the defire of vifiting his Royal fifter. He accordingly paid a visit to that country, and arrived at Paris a little after the middle of April. He lived and travelled (under the appellation of Count Falkenstein) like a very private gentleman, who was led more to travel by business than amufement. His affability, or rather a noble opennefs and freedom of manners, caught the hearts of all orders of mankind where-ever he paffed. His manner of life in Paris refembled nothing less than that of a monarch. He lived but little at court, and spent no time in forms; it was laid out with the attention of a philofopher, and the inquifitiveness of a statesman, in examining the different establishments of that country, whether civil, military, mercantile, or appertaining to any great order of manufacture. After fix weeks spent in this manner in the capital, he made the tour of the kingdom, to the Py. renees, in the fame fpirit. Europe has prefented little interefting matter this year, befides what we have taken notice of. A new treaty of alliance, which has taken place between France and Switzerland, would have been once a matter of confideration; but in the late very extraordinary change which the general fyftem of policy in Europe has undergone, is not of weight enough to deferve much reflection. The death of the Elector of Bavaria, which happened on the last day but one of the year, will unhappily render Germany again the theatre of war, and afford too much fubject for future hiftory. The Mifcbianza. A Bon Mot. [40, 367.] Plain Philadelphia Quaker, who had A heen feeing this grand raree-how (or medley of a fea and land triumph) made for the General upon his leaving America unconquered, in returning home, afked his friend, What was the English of thofe fhining French words, which the womantrumpeter in the ftarry gown, ftanding upon the top of the General's triumphal arch, held out from her trumpet? Being anfwered, That it was Fame trumpeting up to the fkies the General's glory, and founding forth, in letters of light, Tes Lauriers font immortels, or telling him, Thy Laurels are immortal;-after a fhort pause, Yea, truly (replied the Quaker), as immortal as the candle that glared through the oiled paper-letters that told us fo:-That being burned out, letters and Jaurels both died away together in the fauff. PARLIAMENT. [323.] THERE was a converfation in the House of Commons on Monday, March 29. on the question, Whether the mother-country be still bound by the offers made by her commiffioners to the revolted colonies, notwithstanding their nonacceptance of those offers?—A refolution of the fupply-committee was to have been on that day reported; but Mr Fox topped the bringing up of the report, by declaring, that this was a proper op. portunity, before the immenfe fums fo readily paffed in the commitee for carry ing on an American war, which might have been closed long fince, were irrevocably granted, to recal the attention of the Houfe to a declaration made by the Noble Lord at the head of the Ame rican department, which in his opinion demanded an immediate explanation. He referred to what fell from Ld George Germaine in the debate of Monday pre ceding, to this purport: That the A mericans having refused to accept the terms offered, by the commiffioners, G. Britain is not bound to grant them the terms therein offered, at the prefent of any future period: The obligation was made null and void by their rejection of. the propofed conditions of peace. He called this a fhameful violation of the public faith of the British nation, which would brand the memory of the prefent weak and wretched administration the lateft pofterity, Georgia had furren dered, he said, on the offers of our com miffioners, and confequently had an un doubted claim on Britain for the accom plifhment of the promises publicly made to America by the commiffioners. But if only a fingle American had laid down his mufket in confequence of the terms offered, be had a right to enjoy all the privileges held out by the commiffion. Ld George Germaine adhered to hi former declaration, That G. Britain wa not bound after the refufal of the condi tions tendered in the commiffion: The cafe was widely altered; and if the doc trine was to be maintained, that they had a right to expect these terms at any rate from the faith of this nation, they might carry on the war to the laft extre mity, and then claim the conceffion that had been made conditionally upag their return to allegiance. The conclu fion of the manifefto put the matter out of doubt; for it was there afferted, that in future the fame liberality could not in policy or justice be expected from G. Britain [40. 609.1. His Lordship faid, he would not fay that he would not do from generofity, what he was not obliged by juftice to perform. Let America afk for terms, faid his Lordship, and no man fhall be more ready than I will be to promote to the utmost of my power a reconciliation. Gov. Johnstone thought himself bound to call upon the Houfe to come to a clear decifion on this point, as it was of the utmost importance in the prefent difpofition of the Americans, for them to know what to truft to. For his own part, he should ever think, as a commiffioner, that the nation is ftill abfolutely engaged to fulfil the promise held forth in the commiffion, and at any future period, while that commiffion, and the proclamation grounded on it, remain in force: and, in his opinion, the Noble Lord's declaration ought to be retracted; for if it got to America, that parliament had adopted it, it would do more mifchief to cur caufe than the united armies of France and America. It was unjuft; as it allured men by promises, and then, becaufe the whole community did not accept the offers of the British government, which were binding on our part, it decla red they were not fo, and cancelled them. He thought his own honour, as well as that of his country, was at ftake; and if it was not difcuffed at prefent, he would take the earlieft opportunity to bring in a motion for the exprefs purpose of obtaining a direct resolution of the Houfe upon the subject. Mr Eden, another of the commiffion. ers, likewife ftated to the Houfe the fatal confequences of letting such an opinion go over to America in news-papers, or otherwife; for he had lived long amongst them, and had obferved, that they paid great attention to every thing that paffed in parliament relative to their affairs. For his own part, he thought the British nation was formally engaged to ftand to the terms offered in the com. miffion at that time, or at any future period. People had repaired, and were daily repairing to the Royal standard on the faith of the proclamation; and it would be very unfair to deprive them of The advantages of it. Mr Burke, in the most pathetic language, exclaimed against this conduct; VOL. XLI. and affirmed, that the credit and honour Gen. Conway reminded the House, Lord North felt himself delicately fituated, in being obliged to deliver his o pinion, left it might be improperly commented on, and thus tranfmitted to America. As an abstract propofition he was clear that we were not bound to adhere to the terms offered by the commiffioners; but acknowledged, that they would make a very good bafis for a future negotiation. He made a diftinction between the terms. Some, he faid, were of fuch a nature that they might be withdrawn without any breach of faith, while, on the contrary, the renunciation made by parliament of the exercise of taxation, was to be adhered to for ever, in every fituation of affairs, as it had received the moft folemn fanction from the three branches of the legislature: but to contend, that in the most brilliant moment of fuccefs, every term offered by the commiffioners fhould neceffarily be ob ferved, would in his opinion only ferve to perpetuate rebellion. All the commiffioners, his Lordship faid, had deferved extremely well of their country; their commiffion had produced good effects; their personal efforts had been advantageous to the state, and he did not hefitate to fay, that the prefent happy prospect of success might, in a great meafure, be ascribed to their embaffy: and fo far as regarded individuals, or provinces, who had returned, or should return, to the allegiance of this country, they certainly had a right to all the conceffions offered. He hoped this, being underftood, would prevent all mifunderftanding in America, and that the friends and correfpondents of America would reprefent it in a proper light. Mr Thomas Townshend declared himfelf fatisfied with this explanation of the intention of adminiftration; and he then gave the debate its proper direction,, to the fubject of the report. 1 On |