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thing elfe; feven hundred and fifty cloths for wrapping round them, three thoufand ounces of gold, which is thirty thousand dollars or crowns, are allowed by the ftate for their maintenance. Thefe princes are hardly used, and, in troublefome times, often put to death upon the fmalleft mifinformation. While Mr. Bruce was in Abyffinia, their revenue was fo grofsly mifapplied, that fome of them were faid to have died with hunger and of cold, by the avarice and hard-heartednefs of Michael neglecting to furnish them with neceffaries. Nor had the king, as far as ever Mr. Bruce could difcern,

that fellow-feeling one would have expected from a prince refcued from that very fituation himfelf; however that be, and however diftreffing the fituation of thofe princes, we cannot but be fatisfied with it, when we look to the neighbouring kingdom of Sennaar, or Nubia. There no mountain is trufted with the confinement of their princes; but, as foon as the father dies, the throats of all the collaterals, and all their defcendants, that can be laid hold of, are cut; and this is the cafe with all the black ftates in the defert weft of Sennaar, Dar Fowr, Selé, and Bagirma,

NATURAL HISTORY.

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PRODUCTIONS OF KAMCHATKA.

[From the Travels of Count Benyowfky.]

AMCHATKA produces metals. Near Avatfet I found iron ores, and near Girova the ore of copper. The mountains afford rock cryital, fome fpecimens of which are green and reddifh; the natiyes of the country ufe it to make heads for their javelins. The only kind of trees which grow in Kamchatka are a fpecies of baftard fir, cedars, willows, and birch; the cedar affords a grain which the natives are very fond of the bark of the willows and the birch ferves them instead of bread. The only ufeful plant in this country is the farana, which flowers, and affords fruit in the month of Auguft. The natives of Kamchatka make a large provision of this fubftance, which, together with cavear, forms a certain pafte, which they think delicious, but upon which I think I never could fupport life. Befides the farana, government has caufed another plant to be collected, under the name of Vinovaya, from which

KAMCHATKA produces me

a kind of brandy is diftilled, which produces a moderate revenue, but is hurtful in its ufe, as nothing can equal the poifon of this plant. The governor would act very prudently by prohibiting this diftillation, and importing a larger quantity of brandy from Europe.

Kamchatka makes no great figure with refpect to animals. The first rank belongs to the dog, which ferves inftead of draught horfes, and, after its death, affords a fkin for the cloathing of man. The dogs of Kamchatka are large, but active and laborious; they are fed with opana, which is a compofition of ftale fifh and the bark of the birch, but they are most commonly obliged to feek their own food, which they find in the rivers produced by the hot fprings, where they find fih.

The fox comes next after the dog; its fkin is gloffy, and there is no fur in Siberia which can be put in competition with the fox's fkin of Kamchatka.

The ram of Kamchatka is excellent food; its fkin is highly valued, and its horns are likewife an article of commerce; but of late years the

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number of this fpecies has greatly diminished.

The fable is very common in Kamchatka, and the natives continually hunt this animal, as do likewife the hunters. The number of fables brought to market laft year from Kamchatka amounted to fix thoufand eight hundred.

The fur of the marmotte is very warm and light.

Bears are very numerous in Kamchatka; their difpofition is gentle, and they do no mifchief, except in their own defence. The hunters are obliged to hunt the bear for fubfiftence, but it often happens that they get torn, though the bear very feldom kills a man. It feems as if this animal fpared the life of the creature it no longer fears: they have never been known to hurt women. Thefe creatures are fat during the fummer, and lean in winter.

AMPHIBIOUS ANIMALS.

THE manate refembles a cow in the form of its head. The females have two nipples, and hold their young against their bofoms. The French have named this animal lamenti, from its cry. It has a black rough skin, as thick as the bark of an oak, and capable of refifting the troke of an hatchet, The teeth of

the manate are preferred to ivory. Kamchatka affords annually of thefe between two hundred and fifty and three hundred. The flesh of the manate refembles beef when full grown, and veal when young.

Kamchatka likewife affords bea-' vers. The fur of this creature is as foft as down; its teeth are small and fharp, but its tail fhort, flat and broad, terminating in a point. Beavers are catched here with the line, and fometimes they are fhot under the ice.

The fea-lion is of the fize of an ox; its cry is dreadful; but, happily for navigators, it is one of the figns of the vicinity of land during the fogs, which are fo common here. The fea-lion is a timid animal; it is ftruck with the harpoon, or fhot with the mufket, or bow and arrow.

The fea-calf is found in great abundance near all the iflands and headlands of Kamchatka; it never goes far from fhore, but enters the mouths of rivers to devour fish. The fkin of the fea-calf is used to make bufkins. The inhabitants of Kamchatka take this animal with the line.

Kamchatka affords a large quantity of different kinds of fish, from the whale to the smallest species; but the birds of this country are few.

SELECT BIOGRAPHY.

SKETCH OF THE

LIFE OF DR. FRANKLIN.,

BELL.D. and F. R. S. was born ENJAMIN Franklin, efq. in 1706, and brought up in the profeffion of a printer; in which capacity he worked fome years as

* Mr. Watts foon difcovered in him that vigour of intellect which has been fince univerfally acknowledged; and often affirmed,

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with an oath, that his young American compofer," as he called him, would one day make a confiderable figure in the world.

there, "Few men can give you more information on that fubject than myfelf, for I was originally in the printing trade." His love of fcience can be traced from an early period. A letter of his to fir Hans Sloane, dated June 2, 1725, is ftill extant. He appeared here in the line of his bufinefs; but had procured letters to, and was well received by, Martin Folkes, efq. afterwards prefident of the Royal Society, and, through him, was known to Dr. Clarke. He was not, however, gratified with a fight of fir Ifaac Newton, which he often lamented, and which he had laboured to obtain. Great age and increafing infirmities prevented an introduction to fir Ifaac.

In 1735, Mr. Franklin had a fevere pleurify, which terminated in an abfcefs on the left lobe of his lungs, and he was then almoft fuffocated with the quantity and fuddennefs of the difcharge. A fecond attack of a fimilar nature happened fome years after this, from which he foon recovered, and did not appear to fuffer any inconvenience in

This prediction the old man lived to fee, in part, verified; perhaps, in his own opinion, completely fulfiled: for it can scarcely be fuppofed that he could have conceived the occurrence of thofe extraordinary events that tailed his "compofer" to the fummit of human greatnefs, and contributed to his fhining as a negociator amongst princes, or the legislator of a rifing ftate; or that the climax would clofe with his enjoying a portion of fovereign power.

"Dear Child, I condole with you; we have loft a most dear and valuable relation; but it is the will of GoD and Nature that these mortal bodies be laid afide, when the foul is to enter into real life; it is rather an embryo ftate, a preparation for living; a man is not completely born until he be dead. Why then fhould we grieve that a new child is born among the immortals, a new member added to their happy fociety? We are spirits. That bodies fhould be lent us, while they can afford us pleasure, affift us in acquiring knowledge, or doing good to our fellow-creatures, is a kind and be

his refpiration from these diseases.→→ His own idea of death may be collect ed from a letter which he wrote about thirty-five years ago to Mifs Hubbard, on the death of his brother, Mr. John Franklin, of Bofton, who was father-in-law to that lady.

In 1759, he published "An hiftorical Review of the Government of Pennfylvania;" and in 1760, "The Interefts of Great Britain confidered, with regard to her Colonies." In 1773, he attracted the public notice by a letter on the duel between Mr. Whateley and Mr. Temple. On the 29th of January 1774, he was heard before the privy council, on a petition he had long before prefented, as agent for Maffachusetts Bay, against their governor, Mr. Hutchinfon; when the petition was abruptly difmiffed, and Mr. Franklin removed from the office of deputy poftmaftergeneral for the colonies. Previous to this period, he is faid to have ufed his utmost endeavours to prevent a breach between Great Britain and America; and it is perhaps to be lamented that his counfels were nevolent act of God. When they become unfit for these purposes, and afford us pain inftead of pleasure, instead of an aid they become an incumbrance, and answer none of the intentions for which they were given, it is equally kind and benevolent that a way is provided by which we may get rid of them. Death is that way. We ourselves prudently chufe a partial death. In fome cafes, a mangled, painful limb, which cannot be restored, we willingly cut off. He who plucks out a tooth, parts with it freely, fince the pain goes with it; and he that quits the whole body, parts at once with all the pains, and poffibilities of pains and dif. eafes, it was liable to, or capable of making him fuffer. Our friend and we are invited abroad-on a party of pleasure that is to last for ever-his carriage was first ready, and he is gone before us; we could not all conveniently start together: and why fhould you and I be grieved at this, since we are foon to follow, and know where to find him? Adieu! B. F."

a reality enfued, with an almoft prophetic fagacity.-In May 1774, difpute arofe in the affembly at Georgia, concerning his agency. His conference with Dr. Fothergill, for negociating with America, 1774, may be feen in Dr. Lettfom's "Menoirs of Dr. Fothergill." In the Tummer of 1775, he returned to Philadelphia, and was immediately elected one of their delegates to the Continental Congrefs. In the December of that year he arrived at Paris, and foon after took the houfe which lord Stormont had previously occupied.

The testimonies of Franklin's merit were conceived in the highest ftrain of panegyric. In the year 1777, lord Chatham adverted, in a remarkable fpeech, to his diffuafive arguments against the war, and to the fagacious advice of the American Newton. Upon his reception in the French Academy, D'Alembert welcomed him with that wellknown line which revived the boldnefs and the fublimity of Lucan"Eripuit cœlo fulmen, fceptrumque ty

rannis."

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ment, he failed for Cowes, where a veffel was ready to convey him to Philadelphia. He was received there, on the 15th of September, with univerfal acclamation.

The memories of the aged are not fuppofed to be retentive. The truth, however, feems to be, that the tabler of the memory becomes callous at a certain period; nor is it fufceptible of new impreffions, and particularly of verbal knowledge. Franklin was an exception to this rule; he acquired French after feventy; he spoke fluently, and even fcientifically, in that language. In his French embaffy, Dr. Franklin became the ton, the fafhionable topic of modifh converfation; the ladies had hats à-la-Franklin; and crowds of belles and beaux often fluttered after him in the garden of the Thuilleries. His converfation was rendered valuable not only by a love of truth, but by an accuracy of definition which he had acquired from mathemnatical ftudy. Speaking of the late count de Vergennes, the French minifter, and having accidentally faid that he was a man of honour, he immediately added, "I call him a man of honour, because he never made me a promife, nor even gave me a hope, that he did not amply fulfil." In fociety he was fententious, but not fluent; a liftener rather than a talker; an informing, rather than a pleafing companion: impatient of interruption, he often mentioned the cuftom of the Indians, who always remain filent fome time before they give an answer to a quel tion, which they have heard atten

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focieties in Europe, where a fentence can fcarcely be finished without interruption.

He has left iffue one fon, governor William Franklin, who was a zealous and active loyalift during the late revolution, and now refides in London; and a daughter, married to Mr. Richard Bache, a merchant in Philadelphia. To the two latter he has bequeathed the chief part of his eftate, during their refpective lives, and afterwards to be divided equally among their children. To his grandfon, William Temple Franklin, efq. he leaves a grant of fome lands in the state of Georgia, the greatest part of his library, and all his papers, befides fomething additional in cafe of his marriage. He has alfo made various bequests and donations to cities, public bodies, and individuals; and has requested that the following epitaph, which he compofed for himfelf fome years ago, may be infcribed on his tombftone

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Without an endeavour to rob the French of that genuine liberty which conftitutes them the first free people on earth, it must be owned, that Dr. Franklin had a great fhare in bring ing about the American revolution; which in fome degree, no doubt, con tributed to that fabric now erected in France.

The principles and qualities of electricity were scarcely known in the last age. The electric fluid was barely mentioned at the end of Newton's Optics. It was referved for Franklin to investigate its properties; and of that branch of science he may be confidered as the father. Theory was advanced to practice and utility by the invention of the conductor. Nor were his obfervations confined to this fcience. There were few fubjects of common utility upon which he did not comment, none which he did not improve and illuftrate; of which, his Advice to Servants-to Tradefmen-to Settlers in America-on the Cure of Smoky Chimnies-Rules for Clubs and for Converfation-Maxims to convert a great into a small Empire, written with the cauftic fpirit of Swiftabundantly prove. To be generally ufeful, that he might be univerfally celebrated, feemed to be his ruling principle; and if his happiness increafed in ftrict proportion to his fame, Dr. Franklin enjoyed more than ufually falls to the human lot.

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