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AMONG thofe who have deferved tigable industry and perfeverance to

well of their country, it would be unjust if we omitted to enrol the name of the late Mr. Orme; a man whofe labours for the illustration of Indian Hiftory, whether we confider: his fidelity and perfpicuity, or the claffic elegance and animation of his Ayle, will ever rank him among the best hiftorians of the eighteenth century, and justify the appellation that has fometimes been given him, of the British Thucydides.

Mr. ORME was born in India about the year 1738, his father having for fome time held an exalted station in the fervice of the Honourable Com pany.

At an early period of life he was brought to England for his education, and placed in the celebrated feminary at Harrow, where he continued till 1742, when he returned to India under the patronage of the Company, and was in courfe of time advanced to a feat at the Council Board, which he held dur ing the important and eventful period of the war which broke out in the year 1756; the refult of which was, that by the wifdom and prudence of the Coun sil, and the great military kill and enterprifing fagacity of Lord Clive, and Colonels Lawrence and Coote, the French loft Pondicherry, Mahé, and Gingee, and were entirely expelled from the Continent.

In 1760 Mr. Orme returned to Eng. land, and fat himself down with indeta

compofe, from original documents which he had been long collecting, as well in France as in India and England (for he was well acquainted with the principal Commanders of both nations), that elegant and invaluable work, his "Hiftory of the Military Transactions of the British Nation in Hindoftan, from the Year 1745;" which received from the Public the ftrongeft teftimony of its merit,and certainly communicated more real information relpecting that exten five country, than all the books which had been published prior to his time. Indeed, it may truly be said, that India was fcarcely known to Europeans be fore the appearance of that work. The Maps, Views, and Plans of the battles, fieges, &c. taken by the chief engineer, Mr. Call, by which the History is illuf trated, are particularly valuable; the Maps efpecially, as being laid down from the actual marches of the British and French armies.

The first volume of this interesting work, which contained a particular account of the affairs of India, down to the commencement of the war between the English and French in 1756, was published in 1763; a fecond edition, with confiderable improvements, appeared in 1773; a third, ftill further improved, with the addition of a very copious index, in 1781; and the fourth and lat, alfo reviled and corrected by the Author, in 1799. The fecond volume investigates the rife and progress

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of the English commerce in Bengal; gives an account of the Mahommedan government from the year 1200, when it was first established there; and carries on the general history from the calamity which befel the English fettlements in Bengal in 1756 to the Peace of 1763 and was first published in 1778.

In the year 1782, Mr. Orme pro duced another most laborious work (though comprised in an octavo vo⚫ lume), collected by very arduous refearch not only from printed books in various languages, but from the old records of the East India Company, and other MS. collections to which he gained ready accefs: It appeared under the title of "Historical Fragments of the Mogul Empire, of the Morattoes, and of the English Concerns in Indoftan, from the Year 1659." To this work he gave the humble title of "Frag. ments," with the hope of obtaining farther information refpecting that important period in Eaftern hiftory.

"The degradation (fays he) to which the fovereignty of the Moguls was at this time (1758) reduced, in every province of their dominion, proceeded from evils, which had been increasing ever fince the death of AURENGZEBE, and cannot be developed without a general view of his reign, as well as the reigns of his fucceffors. This period comprises one hundred years. The events, if we had acquired the knowledge of them in time, would have formed a proper introduction to the later portion of history, which we have already published: and the narrative they require is too extenfive to find place as an infertion in the continuation of that work. We therefore give it apart, and only in the character of FRAGMENTS, which the want of more materials difables us from difpofing into a more regular form.

Again: "We are not without hopes, that fome of the many in India,who have the means, will fupply the portions of information which are deficient in thefe fragments, and must otherwise always continue out of our reach. The knowledge is well worth the enquiry; for, befides the magnitude of the events, and the energy of the characters, which arife within this period, there are no States or Powers on the Continent of India, with whom our nation have either connexion or concern, who do not owe the origin of their prefent

condition to the reign of Aurengzebe, or to its influence on the reigns of his fucceffors."

In another part he fays, "Befides the publications that we have enumerated, we have gained information concerning SEVAGI, and of events to a later period concerning the early times of the Morattoes, from cotemporary records belonging to the East India Company. The earliest which mentions SEVAGI is of the year 1673. Could we have difcovered the whole feries with the collateral branches of correfpondence, from the year 165c, the FRAGMENTS We now publish would have acquired fome authentic additions; but the labour would have exceeded the conception of any of our readers, excepting the keeper of the records of the India House."

Mr. Orme's account of the famous Sevagi, the founder of the present nation of the Morattoes, is very curious and interefting. This man drew his lineage from the Rajahs of Chitore, who boaft their defcent from Porus, and are esteemed the most ancient estab. lishment of Hindoo Princes, and the nobleft of the Rajpoot tribes.

In the course of his researches for the materials of this publication, Mr. Orme had collected other valuable information, which he then defigned to have given to the world; but his delicate habit and weak conftitution at the latter period of his life did not permit him to accomplish the task of arranging them for the public eye with the accuracy neceffary to fatisfy himself of the propriety of printing them.

The erudition and amiable manners of our Author obtained him the esteem and friendship of most of the literati of his time: and he was fome years back in the frequent habit of meeting a felect company, whofe converfations were ufually held in the pure languages of ancient Greece and Rome, with which he was as familiar as with his native tongue. For the advantage of confulting in the original the ac counts of the early navigators to India, he had also studied and acquired a competent knowledge of the Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch languages.

His library, indeed, was a strong indication of his extenfive acquirements and correct tafte in every path of literature; not only as it contained the choiceft editions of all the claffic authors, ancient and modern, but as

having many of them enriched with notes of his own hand-writing in the refpective languages of their authors. In short, he feems to have scarcely ever read a book without making some remarks in the margin, tending either to the correcting of error, giving force to argument, or extending information.

A life devoted to constant study having much impaired his conftitution, naturally a weak one, Mr. Orme retired about ten years ago from his houfe in Harley street, to Ealing, a pleafant village eight miles west of London: and as he had then no intention of paying more than occafional visits to town, in April 1796 the principal part of his library was fent to the hammer of Leigh and Sotheby, who found ample employment for a ten days' fale. He,

however, made a felection of his books, which were removed to Ealing, and occupied his mind, whenever his health would permit, till the time of his death; for he retained all his faculties to the last moment of his existence, which terminated January 14, 1801, in the 73d year of his age.

Mr. Orme at the time of his death, held the office of Hiftoriographer to the Eaft India Company, and was by many fuppofed to have held the pen for Lord Clive, in 1764, in his admirably written "Letter to the Proprietors of the Eaft India Stock.". This, from the intimacy which then fubfifted between the parties, and the elegance of the compofition, appears to have been by no means an improbable conjecture.

LOSS OF THE INVINCIBLE, OF SEVENTY-FOUR GUNS.

Or this truly lamentable event we have the following interesting par.

ticulars:

EXTRACT OF A LETTER EROM A MIDSHIPMAN OF HIS MAJESTY'S LATE SHIP THE INVINCIBLE, TO A FRIEND IN TOWN, DATED YARMOUTH, MARCH 18.

"Only two days have elapfed fince I laft wrote to you, and in that short space the most melancholy accident has happened, namely, the total lofs of our fhip. We fet fail from Yarmouth on Monday morning for the Sound, to join the fleet under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, and, about two o'clock in the afternoon, the fhip ftruck on a fand bank, where the beat most violently for upwards of two hours, when her mafts were cut away, and the immediately got into deep water. Her anchor was then caft, and we all thought ourselves fafe; for, notwithstanding the leaked confiderably, the water gained but little upon us. Our fignals of diftrefs were heard and anfwered by a cutter, which immediately bore down to Yarmouth, to give intelligence of our distress; and we therefore hoped, with the affiitance that thould arrive, to be able to fave the hip, as well as ourselves. But God. ordained it otherwife. The rudder being unfortunately gone, the fhip became unmanageable, and, in the evening, the again drove on the bank, when

we all gave ourselves up for loft. Through God's providence, however, a fishing fmack, at this awful juncture, hove in fight, and the Admiral, myself, and two or three more, fucceeded in getting on board of her; but the rest, in endeavouring to do the fame, lost all the boats they were able to get overboard. In this melancholy condition, the remained till the following morn ing, when, fhocking to relate, the entirely funk, we being all the time fpectators of the diftrefsful fcene, without any poffible means of affording the fuf ferers the lealt affiftance, as any attempt to that effect would only have involved ourselves in the general calamity. By God's providence, however, the ship's launch, full of men, at length got clear of the wreck, and by her affistance, we were enabled to fave fome others. In the whole, about one hundred and ninety five are faved. The greater part of the officers, including the Captain have unfortunately perithed. For my own part, I have left every thing but the cloaths I now wear, two fhirts, and three pair of stockings, with part of my money."

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main-maft was immediately after cut away. The fhip, to the infinite joy of the crew, then dropped from three and a half into 17 fathom water, where, however, unfortunately losing her rudder, the foon became unmanageable, and was again driven upon the bank. A fishing fmack now approached the wreck; on which two boats belonging to the Invincible were ordered out. On board one of thefe, the Admiral, the Purfer, four Midshipmen, three of the Admiral's fervants, and fix or eight feas men, reached the fishing-fmack in fafety, as did also the other boat full of people. Both of them immediately returned to the fhip, but on re-approach. ing the fmack, one was forced away, and every perfon on board would inevitably have perished, had not a collier which happened to be paffing by at this critical moment happily picked them all up. This veffel afterwards afforded every afhitance that humanity urged, or that she was capable of giving, and was the means of faving the lives of many of the crew. The fishingfmack, with the Admiral on board, being unable to afford the leaft affiftance to the fhip, remained at anchor during the whole of Monday night. On the approach of day, the Mafter of this vef fel expreffed an unwillingness to go any nearer the wreck; but Admiral Totty, in direct oppofition to him, caufed the cable to be cut, and immediately proceeded to the fhip. Melancholy, how. ever, to relate, while he was doing every thing of which human exertion is capable, to affift the unhappy people on board, the wreck once more got into deep water, and gradually funk, to the infinite diftrefs of the Admiral and other fpectators, who were nearly frantic with grief at this tremendous fcene of human mifery and deftruction. While the hip was thus rapidly going down, the launch was hove out;-as many of the crew as the could poffibly hold instantly jumped on board, and had only time to clear the poop, when the veffel, with 400 fouls, entirely difappeared, and went to the bottom. A number of unhappy fufferers attempted to get on board the already overladen launch, but as no more could be permitted to enter without the certain lofs of the whole, they were ftruck away with the oars, and in a few feconds became wholly ingulph'd in the piti lefs waters.

Captain Rennie, after the hip had

funk, attempted to swim to the launch, and after a fevere exertion got within reach of the oars, when, exhautted with fatigue, and unable to make any farther effort, he calmly refigned him. felf to his fate: lifting up his hands, as if to implore the bleffing of Heaven, and immediately after placing them upon his face, he went directly down without a struggle. Thus perished a brave and meritorious Officer, whofe eminent virtues as a man enfured him the esteem of all who knew him, and whofe profeffional fame, had he furvived, bid fair to render him an orna. ment to his country. All the other commiffioned Officers of the thip, except Lieutenants Tucker and Quafh, together with all the Officers of Marines, and most of their men, likewife went to the bottom.

About 70 or 80 of the crew were faved by means of the launch, the whole of whom had affembled upon the forecaftle; but all thofe who remained in the poop were loft.-The total number who thus found a watery grave, amounts to upwards of 400, among whom were feveral paffengers, on their way to join other thips belonging to the North Sea fleet. The number faved, including Officers, is ftated at 195.

This afflicting difafter is attributed folely to the ignorance of the Pilot. He belonged to Harwich, and was taken on board at Sheernefs. Instead of tak ing the hip through the ordinary channel from Yarmouth, he fteered her through the narrow paffage of the Cockle; and when the ran upon the Sands, he infifted that the fatal fpot was not laid down in any chart. In this point. however, he was foon confuted by the Ganner of one of the fhips of Admiral Parker's fleet, who was only a paffenger on board the Invincible. This man foon convinced the Pilot of his error, by thewing him the exact spot distinctly marked. But the Pilot is among the numerous fufferers, and, in common charity, death muft now be confidered as having expiated all his faults. When the mizen-maft went overboard, he alfo fell from the deck, and was never after feen.

The Lively cutter was for several hours within fight of the wreck, but was unable to afford the distressed people the least affiftance. A boat from Winterton was very active on the occafion.

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