self at the head of his command on foot, and with some warmth retorted, "well, sir, a few hours, perhaps, will prove who are brave." It was the intention of Gen. Gates to surprise the enemy in their encampment, while at the same time Cornwallis had commenced his march to surprise his antagonist. The contending armies had scarcely engaged in the conflict when our militia broke, and leaving their guns and bayonets behind, fled with the greatest precipitation.

6. Gen. Gates immediately applied spurs to his horse, and pursued, as he said, "to bring the rascals back," but he actually continued his flight till he reached Charlotte, 80 miles from the field of battle. (In this measure he was in some degree justified, as his object was, if possible, to rally and collect the militia with the hope of making a stand.)

7. The Baron de Kalb, at the head of a few hundred of continental troops, was left to cope with the whole British army, and he sustained the dreadful shock for more than an hour; hundreds of the bravest men had fallen around this undaunted hero, he himself in personal conflict was seen to parry the furious blows and plunge his sword into many opposing breasts. But alas! the hero is overpowered, having received eleven bayonet wounds, he faints and falls to the ground.

8. Several individuals of both armies were killed over him as they furiously strove to destroy or to defend. His Aid-de-camp, Chevalier de Buysson, rushed through the clashing bayonets, and stretching his arms over the body of the fallen hero, exclaimed, "Save the Baron Kalb! save the Baron de Kalb!" The British officers interposed and prevented his immediate destruction, but he survived the action but a few hours.

9. To a British officer, who kindly condoled with him in his misfortune, he replied, "I thank you for your generous sympathy, but I die the death I always prayed for; the death of a soldier fighting for the rights of man." His last moments were spent in dictating a letter concerning the continental troops which supported him in the action, after the militia had fled, of whom he said, he had no words to express his love and admiration of their valour.

10. Gen. Washington, many years after, on a visit to Camden, inquired for the grave of De Kalb. After looking on it a while with a countenance marked with thought, he breathed a deep sigh and exclaimed, "So there lies the

brave De Kalb; the generous stranger who came from a distant land to fight our battles, and to water with his blood the tree of liberty. Would to God he had lived with us to rhare its fruits."

11. Congress ordered him a monument. But the friend of St. Tammany stills sleeps" without his fame." I have seen the place of his rest. It was the lowest spot on the plain. No sculptured warrior mourned at his low laid head; no cypress decked his heel. But the tall corn stood in darkening ranks around him, and seemed to shake their green leaves with joy over his narrow dwelling.

12. But the roar of his battle is not yet quite passed away, nor his ghastly wounds forgotten. The citizens of Camden have lately enclosed his grave, and placed on it a handsome marble, with an epitaph greatly descriptive of his virtues and services, that the people of future days may, like Washington, heave the sigh when they read of "the generous stranger, who came from a distant land to fight their battles, and to water with his blood the tree of their liberties."

Fair Camden's plains his glorious dust inhume,

Where annual Ceres shades her hero's tomb.

Note. France, a country in Europe, is bounded north by the English Channel, east by Germany and the Alps, south by the Mediterranean and Spain, and west by the Atlantic Ocean, between 42° and 52° north latitude. The principal rivers are the Loire, Garonne, Seine, Scheldt, and Meuse.-Camden, in South Carolina, is situated on the Catawba river, 120 miles northwest of Charleston. The British evacuated and burnt the town in May, 1781.

RUINS OF BALBEC.

1. THESE magnificent ruins are described by Mr. Bruce as even surpassing what has been seen at Palmyra. He was particularly struck by the splendid vestiges of the great temple, supposed to have been dedicated to the sun. The castle of Balbec, or tower of Lebanon, is described by Father Leander, of the order of barefooted Carmelites, in his interesting travels, as a surprising monument of antiquity, built, according to the tradition of the natives, by Salomon. His relation is as follows:

2. Balbec is distant from Damascus, towards the north, about fifty miles, and on the southern side is watered by springs and rivulets, brought thither, no doubt, to fill the ditches by which it was to have been surrounded for defence, but which were not completed. It is situated on the lofty summit of a hill, in approaching which the facade of the castle is seen, having two towers at its right angles, between which is a great portico, resembling the mouth of a vast cave, and provided with very strong walls.

3. That on the right hand, by which the portico is at tached to the tower, from the west to the north, is com posed of four stones only, the fifth, which was to have completed the fabric, being deficient. The length of each of these stones is not less than sixty-two feet, and their breadth and height thirteen. These are so artfully brought together, without any cement, that they appear to be only one solid block.

4. The remainder of the wall to the left is of hewn stones, well cemented with quick lime, the smallest of which are 6 feet in length, and four feet six inches in height; there are many which are upwards of fifteen feet in length, but the height of all of them are the same.

5. Having entered the cavern by the grand portico, the traveller proceeds in obscurity to the distance of eighteen paces, when he at length perceives a ray of light proceeding from the aperture of the door which conducts to the centre. At each of the sides, and within this grand portico, is a flight of stone steps which leads to the subterraneous prisons.

6. Their aspect is horrid, and they are dangerous, inas much as they are wont to be frequented by banditties of robbers, who here plunder, kill, and bury such wretched travellers as are imprudently led by their curiosity to penetrate, and risk the descent without being well escorted.

7. Following the road above, by the cavern to the extent of fifty paces, an ample area, of a spherical figure, presents itself, surrounded by majestic columns of granite, some of them of a single piece, and others formed of two pieces, the whole of them of so large a dimension, that two men can with difficulty girt them.

8. They are of the Ionic order of architecture, and are placed on bases of the same stone, at such distances from each other, that a coach and six might commodiously pass

between them. They support a flat tower or roof, which projects a cornice wrought with figures of matchless workmanship: these rise above the capitals with so nice an union, that the eye, however perfect it may be, cannot distinguish the part in which they are joined.

9. At the present time, the greater part of this colonnade is destroyed, the western part alone remaining perfect and upright. This fabric has an elevation of 500 feet, and is 400 feet in length. In its exterior, and behind, it is flanked by two other towers similar to those of the first facade, the whole projecting from the wall, which withinside is provided with two loopholes, to keep off the enemy, in case of necessity, by the means of stones, fire, &c.

10. It also surrounds the colonnade, more particularly in the part which looks towards the east. At the left flank arises a temple which, tradition says, was the hall of audience of Solomon, in height at least 80 feet, and long and large in proportion. Its stories are all sculptured in basreliefs similar to those which ornament Trajan's column at Rome, representing many triumphs and naval engagements.

11. Several of these bas-reliefs have been defaced by the Saracens, who are the decided enemies of all sculp tures. Withoutside this grand hall is an avenue of the same size and breadth, where the traveller admires a large portal, constructed with three stones only, attached to which, in the middle part, serving as an architrave, is seen, in a garland of laurel interwoven with flowers, a large eagle, admirably sculptured in bas-relief.

12. At the sides of the portal are placed two columns, in one of which, although formed of a single stone, is a winding staircase by which to ascend to the architrave: the passage is, however, very narrow. There is in the vicinity another temple of an octangular shape, with a portico of superb architecture, and having three windows on the side opposite to the former.

13. On a large stone are inscribed these words in Latin: Diviso Mosei, on which Father Leander confesses he knows not what interpretation to bestow. Thrice he returned to visit this splendid vestige of antiquity: and on the last of these occasions, being well escorted, he proceeded to the distance of about a mile, to the foot of the mountains of Damascus, whence the stones, employed in its construction, were brought.

14. He measured the stone which remained there, and which has been already noticed as having been intended for the fifth in the construction of the wall: it had been hewn out on all sides, was lying on the ground, and was simply attached to the rock at the inferior part.

15. Its length and dimensions were such, that he could not conceive how it would have been possible to detach it, and still less with what machines to move, transport, and raise it to the height at which the others are placed, more especially as the sites, the roads, and the masses of rock, are such as to exceed in asperity whatever the imagination can picture to itself. In the vicinity of the cave whence these stones were drawn, is a very beautiful sepul chre supported by columns of porphyry, over which is a dome of the finest symmetry.

Note. Palmyra was an ancient and magnificent city of Asia, in 33° north latitude.-Damascus, now called Sham, was a city of Syria, situated on the river Barida, in 340 North latitude. This city is supposed to contain 80,000 inhabitants, principally Arabs and Turks. It is the great rendezvous of pilgrims from the north of Asia.

BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL.

1. On the morning of the 17th of June, 1775, the Americans had made a show of returning the fire of their enemies, by throwing a few shot from their light field-pieces, as if in mockery of the tremendous cannonade which they sustained. But as the moment of severest trial approached, the same awful stillness which had settled upon the deserted streets of Charlestown hovered around the redoubt.

2. On the meadows, to its left, the recently arrived bands hastily threw the rails of two fences into one, and covering the whole with the mown grass that surrounded them, they posted themselves along the frail defence, which answered no better purpose than to conceal their weakness from their adversaries. Behind this characteristic rampart, several bodies of husbandmen from the neighbouring