degree, that they are not to be paffed but obliquely, the landing place being frequently a mile below the place of embarkation, and heavy veffels, built of timber, could not be brought up against the stream to ferve again.

They therefore make large boats of a kind of basket work, which they cover with skins. As there must be always great plenty of hides in fo numerous an army, they are easily made. They are very light and manageable, and yet they will carry above fifty horfe, and are capable of tranfporting the heaviest artillery.

The Afiatics have an invincible dread of fire-arms, the true cause of which lies in the inexperience of their leading men, who never underftood the advantages of difcipline, and who have kept their infantry upon too low a footing. Their cavalry, though not backward to engage with fabres, are extremely unwilling to bring their horfes within the reach of guns; fo that they do not decline an engagement fo much through fear for their lives, as for their fortunes, which are all laid out in the horse they ride

on.

Such of the natives as have been difciplined and encouraged by Europeans, and formed into a regular infantry, under officers of their own, and generally known by the name of Seapoys, have familiarized themfelves to fire-arms, and behaved well behind walls; and when we give them ferjeants to lead them on, they make no contemptible figure in the field.

Nothing is fo ruinous to their military affairs as their falfe notions of artillery; they are terrified with that of the enemy, and foolishly put a confidence in their own; placing

their chief dependence on the largest pieces, which they neither know how to manage nor move. They give them pompous and founding names, as the Italians do their guns, and have fome pieces which carry a ball of 70 pounds, When we march round them with our light field pieces, and make it neceffary to move thofe enormous weights, their bullocks, which are at beft very untractable, if a shot comes among them, are quite ungovernable, and at the fame time are fo ill harneffed, that it occafions no small delay to free the reft from any one that shall happen to be unruly or flain.

In war with the Afiatics alone, we have a much greater advantage in their being fo very tenacious of their old manners, than in their want of bravery. Not only the prince himself, but every raja, who has command of all the forces he can bring into the field, be they more or lefs, always appears among them mounted on an elephant, and is at once the general and enfign, or ftandard of that corps, who keep their eyes conftantly on him; and if they lofe fight of him for a moment, conclude that all is loft, Thus we find, Aureng-zebe gained two battles by the treachery of thofe who defired his two victorious brothers to get down from their elephants, mount their horfes and purfue the vanquished; their troops miffing them, immediately difperfed. The fame practice, continued to this day, affords our engineers a fair opportunity of deciding the fate of a whole detachment, by one well directed difcharge of a fix-pounder; and thofe enormous beasts, now feem to be brought into the field for no other end than to be a mark for our artillery.

Another

Another great obftacle to their fuccefs in war, is their fuperftition, particularly their obfervance of lucky and unlucky days.

Being fond of all kinds of beafts of prey, they keep great numbers of them, and often vifit them before they give battle; and if they find them heavy and dull, they think it a bad omen, and a reason fufficient to poftpone their intended defign of an action; and on the other hand, the accidental fury of the animal is regarded as a happy omen. They have alfo a custom of matching two wild beafts, commonly elephants; and having given their own name to the one, and that of the enemy to the other, they bring them together to fight in prefence of their army: But in this cuftom they are not altogether to be condemned for fuperftitious folly, fince they have the policy to make it a very unequal match, and to give their own name to the strongest.

But what is the greatest obftacle of all, to their becoming a military people, is, that those who have once had fuch fuccefs in the field, as to obtain the name of Fortunate, being thereby confidered as invincible, and in confequence unmolefted for a time, are willing to fave the need lefs expence of an army. For this reafon there are few veterans, and moft of their armies confift of an affemblage of various people haftily brought together from different parts; fo that there can be no fuch thing as difcipline, without which, numbers are but an impediment, and bravery ineffectual.

Notwithstanding they have fo feverely fuffered by being furprised in the night by the Europeans; they can never be brought to eftablifh either order or vigilance in

their camp: And when they have acted with us as allies, the most earnest remonftrances could never prevail with them to be fufficiently upon their guard, when in the neighbourhood of the French, or to quit their ground in the morning, to co-operate with us, in furprising the enemy.

At the clofe of the evening, every man eats an inconceivable quantity of rice, and many take after it some kind of foporific drugs; fo that about mid-night, the whole army is in a dead fleep. The confequence of thefe habits is obvious; and yet it would appear a strange propofi tion to an Eaftern monarch, to endeavour to persuade him, that the fecurity of his throne depended upon the regulations of the meals of a common foldier; much less would he be prevailed on to restrain him in the use of that opium, which is to warm his blood for action, and animate his foul with heroism. It muft fill the mind of an European foldier at once with compaffion and contempt, to fee a heap of these poor creatures folely animated by a momentary intoxication, crowded into a breach, and both in their garb and impotent fary, refembling a mob of frantic women.

And there is certainly an appearance of effeminacy in the Eastern drefs, which has at all times greatly contributed to leffen their military character with the European nations, who, from their own habits and prejudices, will naturally receive a ftrange impreffion, upon feeing a body of horfe in filk or cotton robes.

There is, however, no character. they are fo fond of as that of a warrior; and as they have no other notion of government, they have

been,

been, from time immemorial, continually at war with one another.

A general account of the Canadians, from Charlevoix.

After all, it is a little their own fault, if they are ever expofed to want. The land is good almoft every where, and agriculture does not in the leaft derogate from their quality. How many gentlemen throughout all our provinces would

neceffaries of life; but there is little paid to the king; the inhabitant is not acquainted with taxes; bread is cheap; fifh and flesh are not dear; but wine, stuffs, and all French commodities, are very expenfive. Gentlemen, Gentlemen, and thofe officers who have nothing but their pay, and are befides encumbered with families, have the greatest reafon to complain. The women have a great deal of fpirit and goodnature, are extremely agreeable, and excellent breeders; and thefe good qualities are, for the most part, all the fortunes they bring their husbands; but God has bleffed the marriages in this country in the fame manner he formerly bleffed the patriarchs. In order to fupport fuch numerous families, they ought like wife to lead the lives of patriarchs; but the time for this is paft. There are a greater number of noblesse in New France than in all the other colonies put together.

The king maintains here eight and twenty companies of marines, and three etats majors. Many families have been ennobled here; and there still remain feveral officers of the regiment of Corignan-Salieres, who have peopled this country with gentlemen who are not in extraordinary good circumftances, and would be ftill lefs fo were not commerce allowed them, and the right of hunting and fishing, which is common to every one.

tants of Canada, did they but know it! And can those who languish here in a fhameful indigence be excused for refufing to embrace a profeffion, which the corruption of manners and the most falutary maxims has alone degraded from its ancient dignity? There is not in the world a more wholesome climate than this: No particular diftemper is epidemical here; the fields and woods are full of fimples, of a wonderful efficacy; and the trees diftil balms of an excellent quality. Thefe advantages ought at leaft to engage thofe, whofe birth Providence has caft in this country, to remain in it; but inconftancy, averfion to a regular and affiduous labour, and a spirit of independence, have ever carried a great many young people out of it, and prevented the colony from being peopled.

These are the defects with which the French Canadians are, with the greatest juftice, reproached. The fame may likewise be said of the Indians. One would imagine that the air they breathe in this immenfe continent contributes to it; but the example and frequent intercourse with its natural inhabitants, are more than fufficient to conftitute this character. Our Creoles are likewife accufed of great avidity in amaffing; and, indeed, they do things with this view, which could hardly be believed if they were not feen. The journeys they under

take,

take, the fatigues they undergo, the dangers to which they expofe themselves, and the efforts they make, furpass all imagination. There are, however, a few lefs interefted, who diffipate, with greater facility, what has coft them fo much pains to acquire, or who teftify lefs regret at having loft it. Thus there is fome room to imagine, that they commonly undertake fuch painful and dangerous journeys out of a tafte they have contracted for them. They love to breathe a free air; they are early accuftomed to a wandering life; it has charms for them, which make them forget paft dangers and fatigues; and they place their glory in encountering them often. They have a great deal of wit, efpecially the fair fex, in whom it is brilliant and eafy. They are, befides, conftant and refolute, fertile in refources, courageous, and capable of managing the greatest

affairs.

I know not whether I ought to reckon amongst the defects of our Canadians, the good opinion they entertain of themselves. It is at leaft certain, that it infpires them with a confidence, which leads them to undertake and execute what would appear impoffible to many others. It must, however, be confeffed they have excellent qualities. There is not a province in the kingdom where the people have a finer complexion, a more advantageous ftature, or a body better proportioned. The ftrength of their conftitution is not always anfwerable; and if the Canadians live to any age, they foon look old and decrepid. This is not entirely their own fault, it is likewife that of their parents, who are not fufficiently watchful over their children, to pre

vent their ruining their health at a time of life, when if it fuffers it is feldom or never recovered. Their agility and addrefs are unequalled ; the most expert Indians themselves are not better marksmen, or manage canoes, in the most dangerous rapids, with greater skill.

Many are of opinion, that they are unfit for the fciences, which require any great degree of application, and a continued study. I am not able to fay whether this prejudice is well grounded, for as yet we have feen no Canadian who has endeavoured to remove it, which is, perhaps, owing to the diffipation in which they are brought up. But nobody can deny them an excellent genius for mechanicks; they have hardly any occafion for the affistance of a mafter, in order to excel in this fcience; and fome are every day to be met with, who have fucceeded in all trades, without having ever served an apprenticeship.

Some people tax them with ingratitude, neverthelefs they seem to me to have a good difpofition; but their natural inconftancy often prevents their attending to the duties required by gratitude. It is alledged, they make bad fervants, which is owing to their great haughtiness of fpirit, and to their loving liberty too much to subject themselves willingly to fervitude. They are, however, good mafters, which is the reverfe of what is faid of those from whom the greatest part of them are defcended. They would have been perfect in character, if to their own virtues they had added those of their ancestors. Their inconftancy in friendship has fometimes been complained of; but this complaint can hardly be general, and in those who have given occafion for it, it pro

ceeds

ceeds from their not being accuftom ed to conftraint, even in their own affairs. If they are not eafily difciplined, this likewife proceeds from the fame principle, or from their having a difcipline peculiar to them felves, which they believe is better adapted for carrying on the war against the Indians, in which they are not entirely to blame. More over, they appear to me to be unable to govern a certain impetuofity, which render them fitter for fudden furprizes, or hafty expeditions, than the regular and continued operations of a campaign. It has likewife been obferved, that amongst a great number of brave men, who distinguished themselves in the last wars, there were very few found capable of bearing a fuperior. This is, perhaps, owing to their not having fufficiently learned to obey. It is however true, that when they are well conducted, there is nothing which they will not accomplish, whether by fea or land; but in order to this, they must entertain a great opinion of their commander. The late M. d'Iberville, who had all the good qualities of his countrymen, without any of their defects, could have led them to the end of the world.

There is one thing, with refpect to which they are not eafily to be excufed, and that is the little natural affection most of them fhew to their parents, who for their part difplay a tenderness for them, which is not extremely well managed. The Indians fall into the fame defect, and it produces amongst them the fame confequences. But what, above all things, ought to make the Canadians be held in much efteem, is the great fund they have of piety and religion, and that nothing is

wanting to their edudation upon this article. It is likewife true, that when they are out of their own country, they hardly retain any of their defects. As with all this they are extremely brave and active they might be of great fervice in war, in the marine, and in the arts; and I am of opinion, that it would redound greatly to the advantage of the ftate, were they to be much more numerous than they are at prefent. Men conftitute the principal riches of the fovereign, and Canada, fhould it be of no other ufe to France, would ftill be, were it well peopled, one of the most important of all our colonies.

The Epiftle from the yearly meeting, held in London, by adjournments, from the 11th day of the fifth month, 1761, to the 18th of the fame, inclufive.

To the quarterly and monthly meetings of friends and brethren, in Great Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere.

Dear friends and brethren!

UN

INDER a fenfe of that ancient love and life, whereby we were gathered to be a people, we tenderly falute you; earnellly defiring that grace, mercy and peace, through the knowledge of God the Father, and his beloved Son, may abound amongst you.

We have renewed caufe, humbly to acknowledge the gracious condefcenfion of the God of all our mercies, manifeftly to us in this our affembly, whereby our fouls have been comforted in his prefence, our hope in his falvation renewed, and the bond of true fellowship again

con