Jehan (Prefte Giani; for Gehan in the Perfian and Indian languages fignifies the world), which is as much as to fay, a meffenger of the world; or an univerfal apofle. The Neftorian patriarchs always appropriated to themfelves the pompous title of CATHOLICUS *, which fignifies, as every one knows, almoft the fame thing. Now, if we can admit that the miffionaries of the Neftorians came into thefe countries (which almost every competent judge in fuch matters will allow) then the Neftorian patriarch and Prefter John are one perfon; at least according to the rules of etymology. And this Prefter John being a chriflian, he must have been the Catholicus of the Neftorians; or perhaps only a bishop fent by the Catholicus, who in these diftant regions affumed a greater title than was ftrictly due to him. In the pursuit of thefe enquiries we fhall find this Prefter John, or this Neftorian Catholicus, to be likewife one and the fame with the Dalai Lama. Prefter John was heard-of earlier than the Dalai Lama. In the country of the Mongouls, where Prefter John is faid to have formerly refided, they knew nothing about a Dalai Lama before the time of Kajuk-khan, one of the defcendants of Tfchingis-khan f. Among the Europeans, Pere Andrada is one of the first who men tions him, about the year 1624 1, and Bernier fpeaks of him as of a ftrange novelty It deferves to be remarked, that the old writers, whilft they take notice of the Neftorians and Prester John, fay not a fyllable of the Dalai Lama. But no fooner are they become acquainted with the Dalai Lama, than they ceafe all mention of Prefter John and the Neftorians in Mongolia and Tibet. All thefe circumflances feen fufficiently to prove that the Catholicus, Prefte Gehan, and Dalai§, are only one person. An Account of the Sufferings of Lady Harriet Ackland, in the Campaigns of 1776 and 1777, in Canada. The following extraordinary Example of Female Excellence is taken from Lieutenant-General Burgoyne's State of the Expedition into Canada. "It would exhibit (fays the General) if well delineated, an interefting Picture of the Spirit, the Enterprize, and the Diftrefs of Romance, realized and regulated upon the chafte and fober Principles of rational Love and connubial Duty. Indeed one cannot well imagine the Female Frame capable of Supporting fuch extreme Diftrefs; and the General relates *See Differtation de la predication de la foi Chretienne a la Chine, par M. Renaudot, dans les anciennes relations des Indes, et de la Chine, p. 238, & feqq. Rubruquis, chap. xix. Marco Paolo, lib. c. 51. Gaubil, p. 105. & 143. Du Halde, tom. IV. p. 575. Voyages, vol. II. p. 309. Dalai, in the language of the Mongouls, fignifies a fea, or ocean, and in a metaphorical fignification, an immense distance. the the Story in a Manner that does knowing what she did, and perhaps Honour to his Feelings. Canada in the beginning of the year 1776. In the courfe of that campaign the had traverfed a vaft fpace of country, in different extremities of feafons, and with difficulties that an European traveller will not eafily conceive, to attend her husband, in a poor hut at Chamblée, upon his fick-bed. In the opening of the campaign of 1777, the was restrained from offering herself to a fhare of the hazard expected before Ticonderoga, by the pofitive injunction of her husband. The day after the conqueft of that place, he was badly wounded, and the croffed the Lake Champlain to join him. As foon as he recovered, Lady Harriet proceeded to follow his fortunes through the campaign, and at Fort Edward, or at the next camp, fhe acquired a twowheel tumbril, which had been conftructed by the artillery, fimilar to the carriage ufed for the mail upon the great roads of England. Major Ackland commanded the British grenadiers, which were attached to General Frafer's corps, and confequently were the most advanced poft of the army. Their fituations were often fo alert, that no perfons flept out of their clothes. In one of thefe fituations a tent, in which the major and lady Harriet were afleep, fuddenly took fire. An orderly ferjeant of grenadiers, with great hazard of fuffocation, dragged out the firft perfon he caught hold of. It proved to be the major. It happened, that in the fame inftant fhe had, un not perfectly awake, providentially made her escape, by creeping under the walls of the back part of the tent. The first object the faw upon the recovery of her fenfes, was the major on the other fide, and in the fame inftant again in the fire, in fearch of her. The ferjeant again faved him, but not without the major being very kverely burned in the face and different parts of the body. Every thing they had with them in the tent was confumed. This accident happened a little time before the army had paffed the Hudfon's river. It neither altered the refolution nor the chearfulness of lady Harriet; and fhe continued her progrefs, a partaker of the fatigues of the advanced corps. The next call upon her fortitude was of a different nature, and more diftrefsful, as of longer fufpence. On the march of the 19th, the grenadiers being liable to action at every ftep, the had been directed by the major to follow the route of the artillery and baggage, which was not expofed. At the time the action began, fhe found herself near a fmall uninhabited hut, where fhe alighted. When it was found the action was becoming general and bloody, the furgeons of the hofpital took poffeffion of the fame place, as the moft convenient for the first care of the wounded. Thus was this lady in hearing of one continued fire of cannon and musketry, for fome hours together, with the prefumption, from the poft of her husband at the head of the grenadiers, that he was in the moft expofed part of the action. She had three female companions, the the baronefs of Reidefel, and the wives of two British officers, major Harnage and lieutenant Reynell; but in the event their prefence ferved but little for comfort. Major Harnage was foon brought to the furgeons, very badly wounded; and a little while after came intelligence that lieutenant Reynell was thot dead. Imagination will want no helps to figure the ftate of the whole groupe. From the date of that action to the 7th of October, lady Harriet, with her ufual ferenity, flood prepared for new trials! And it was her lot that their severity increasfed with their numbers. She was again expofed to the hearing of the whole action, and at laft received the fhock of her individual misfortune, mixed with the intelligence of the general calamity; the troops were defeated, and major Ackland, defperately wounded, was a prifoner. The day of the 8th was paffed by lady Harriet and her companions in common anxiety, not a tent, nor a fhed, being ftanding, except what belonged to the hofpital, their refuge was among the wounded and the dying. I foon received a meffage from lady Harriet, fubmitting to my decifion a propofal (and expreffing an earnest folicitude to execute it, if not interfering with my defigns) of paffing to the camp of the enemy, and requesting general Gates's permiffion to attend her husband. Though I was ready to believe (for I had experienced) that patience and fortitude, in a fupreme degree, were to be found, as well as every virtue, under the most tender forms, I was aftonished at this propofal. After fo long an agitation of the fpirits, exhaufted not only for want of reft, but abfolutely want of food, drenched in rains for twelve hours together, that a woman should be capable of fuch an undertaking as delivering herself to the enemy, probably in the night, and uncertain of what hands fhe might fall into, appeared an effort above human nature. The affiftance I was enabled to give was fmall indeed; I had not even a cup of wine to offer her; but I was told fhe had found, from fome kind and fortunate hand, a little rum and dirty water. All I could furnish to her was an open boat and a few lines, written upon dirty and wet paper, to general Gates, recommending her to his protection. Mr. Brudenell, the chaplain to the artillery (the fame gentleman who had officiated fo fignally at general Frafer's funeral) readily undertook to accompany her, and with The circumftances attending the funeral of this brave officer were very remarkable:Early in the morning general Frafer breathed his laft-and with the kindest expreffions of his affection his laft request was brought to me, that he might be carried without parade by the foldiers of his corps to the great redoubt, and buried there. About fun-fet the body of general Frafer was brought up the hill, attended only by the officers who had lived in his family. To arrive at the redoubt, it paffed within view of the greatest part of both armies. General Philips, general Reidefel, and myself, who were standing together, were struck with the humility of the proceffion they, who were ignorant that privacy had been requested, VOL. XXIII. F might with one female fervant, and the major's valet-de-chambre (who had a ball, which he had received in the late action, then in his fhoulder) the rowed down the river to meet the enemy. But her diftreffes were not yet to end. The night was advanced before the boat reached the enemy's out-pofts, and the centinel would not let it pafs, nor even come on fhore. In vain Mr. Brudenell offered the flag of truce, and reprefented the ftate of the extraordinary paffenger. The guard, apprehenfive of treachery, and punctilious to their orders, threatened, to fire into the boat if they ftirred before day-light. Her, anxiety and fufferings were thus protracted through feven or eight dark and cold hours; and her the fubject of them was a woman; of the moft tender and delicate frame; of the gentleft manners, habituated to all the foft elegances, and refined enjoyment, that attend high birth and fortune; and far advanced in a state in which the tender cares, always due to the fex, become indifpenfably neceffary. Her mind' alone was formed for fuch trials! Tranflation of a fort Extract from. a Journal kept by C. P. Thunberg, M. D. during his Voyage to, and Refidence in, the Empire of Japan, in a Letter addreffed to the P. R. S. [From the Philof. Tranf. Vol. 69.] SIR, URING my fhort refidence reflections upon that firft reception Din London, where you did could not give her very encouraging ideas of the treatment fhe was afterwards to expect. But it is due to justice at the clofe of this adventure to fay, that he was received and accommodated by general Gates with all the humanity and refpect that her rank, her merits, and her fortunes deserved. Let fuch as are affected by thefe circumftances of alarm, hardhip, and danger, recollect, that me the honour of introducing me might conftrue it into neglect. We could neither endure that reflection, nor indeed reftrain our natural propensity to pay our laft attention to his remains. The inceffant cannonade during the folemnity; the steady attitude and unaltered voice with which the chaplain officiated, though frequently covered with duft, which the fhot threw up on all fides of him; the mote but expreffive mixture of fenfibility and indignation upon every countenance: thefe objects wilk remain to the last of life upon the minds of every man who was prefent. The growing duikineis added to the feenery, and the whole marked a character of that juncture, that would make one of the finest fubjects for the pencil of a mafter that the field ever exhibited. To the canvafs, and to the faithful page of a more important historian, gallant friend, I confign thy memory! There may thy talents, thy manly virtues, their progrefs and their period, find due diftin&tion; and long may they furvive!-long after the frail record of my pen thall be forgotten. 6 friends, friends, the following fhort extract of a journal which I kept regularly during a refidence of fixteen months in that diftant country. To you; Sir, it is already known, that I was fent out by the directors of the Botanic Gardens at Amsterdam, and fome other eminent men of that place; first to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence to Japan: in order to investigate the natural hiftory of thofe countries, and to fend from thence feeds and living plants of unknown kinds, for the use of their collections in Holland. At the furft of thefe places I refided three years; and during that time had the good fortune to obferve and defcribe many new fpecies both of animals and vegetables. In the year 1775 I failed from thence for Batavia, and after a short ftay there, embarked on board a Dutch fhip, called Staveniffe, bound for Japan, in company with the Blyenburg. On the 21st of June, we failed and paffed Pulo Sapatoo, the coaft of China, and the island Formofa. On the 13th of Auguft we made the land of Japan, and the day after were off the harbour of Nagafacci, the only one in that empire where foreign fhips are allowed to anchor. During this paffage we met with fevere gales of wind, in one of which the Blyenburg, having received much damage in her mafts, parted company, and (as we afterwards learned) was obliged to go back to Canton, to refit. We failed into the harbour of Nagasacci with our colours flying, and faluted the Papenburg, the emperor's and emprefs's guard, and the town itself. During this time there came on board of us two over banjofes, feveral interpreters, and inferior officers, and fome people belonging to the Dutch factory. Thefe over banjofes may be compared to the mandarins of China: a place is prepared for them upon the fhip's deck, and fome of them (for they are frequently changed) must be present when any thing is taken out of, or received into, her. They infpect every thing, mufter the people, give paflports to fuch as go on fhore, and every day report to the governor of Nagasacci the proceedings on board. A The attention and care with which thefe gentlemen execute the orders iffued by the Imperial Court in 1775 is well worthy of relation. The moft minute articles which are carried out of a fhip undergo a jealous infpection, both when they are put into the boats, and when they are landed from them; and the fame caution is used in embarking goods from the shore. Bedding is ripped open, and the very feathers examined; chests are not only emptied of their contents, but the boards of which they are made are fearched, left contraband goods fhould be concealed in their fubftance. Pots of fweetmeats and of butter are stirred round with an iron fkewer. Our cheefes had a more narrow infpection; a large hole was cut into the middle of each, and a knife thrust into the fides of it in every direction: even the eggs were not exempted from fufpicion; many of them were broken, left they fhould conceal contraband goods within them. |