SKETCH OF THE KAMTSCHATDALES. 1. THE Kamtschatdales are of low stature, have broad shoulders, large heads, swarthy complexions, long flat noses, prominent cheek bones, small sunken eyes, large mouths, thin lips, and very little beard. They are mild and hospitable, and live together in great harmony. They subsist chiefly on fish, which they most commonly eat raw; and their habits of living are extremely filthy; yet their manners are lively and cheerful; their songs full of gay images; and they possess the talent of mimicry to an uncommon degree. 2. They have two kinds of habitations, one for winter and the other for summer. The winter habitations are sunk some feet into the ground. In constructing their summer houses they place a number of posts at equal distances from each other, which serve as pillars to support a platform raised about twelve feet from the ground. This platform, covered with clay, forms the floor, whence the house ascends in the form of a cone, covered with thatch and dried grass. 3. They possess but few articles of furniture. Hunting and fishing are their principal employments. They have nominally adopted the Christian religion from the Russians, yet they know little more of it than the rite of baptism. A striking peculiarity in the Kamtschatdale manners consists in the use of dogs for the purpose of labour and travelling. 4. These dogs are not very large, but resemble the mountain or shepherd dogs of Europe. Every individual owns at least five of these dogs. In the summer, when their services are not required, they are left to provide for themselves, by ranging over the country, and along the sides of lakes and rivers; but at the approach of winter they regularly return home to their masters. They are harnessed in a sledge two and two abreast, with one peculiarly intelligent and well trained, placed in front as a leader. 5. For carrying an individual five dogs are commonly used; and a greater number for conveying baggage. It is said that a certain governor in the country used to travel in a sledge like a small house, drawn by a hundred dogs. The travelling sledge is in the form of an oblong basket, both ends of which are elevated in a curve. It is a box three feet long, and one foot broad, and is raised about three feet from the ground. 6. It is placed on two parallel planks or runners, bent upward in front like skates. The whole vehicle is very light, sometimes weighing only about ten pounds. The seat of the driver is covered with a bear's skin. He sit either astride, or more commonly sideways, like a lady on horseback. The highest achievement, however, is to drive standing on one foot. The utmost care is necessary in the driver in order to keep his seat, and also to prevent the sledge from being overturned. 7. The dogs are trained to the service when young; and are taught to obey the voice of the driver in setting off, stopping, turning to the right or left; but those that are well trained are guided rather by signals than sounds. For this purpose the driver carries in his hand a curved stick, which he employs also to preserve the sledge from being overset, and which is sometimes pointed with iron, to take a firmer hold of the ice, while the other end is provided with two iron rings, which serve as bells to encourage the dogs. 8. He turns them to the left by merely striking this stick upon the ice; or to the right, by striking the poles of the sledge; or stops their progress, by placing it between the snow and the front of the vehicle; or corrects them when inattentive, by throwing it among them; and to recover it, as he passes along, is the greatest test of his skill Note. Kamtschatka is a peninsula of Asia, which includes the north east extremity of that continent, and ex tends from 51° to 620 north latitude. The soil is miserably barren, producing but little grain to reward the labour of the cultivator. AUTHORITY OF VIRTUOUS AGE I. AGE in a virtuous person, of either sex, carries in it an authority which makes it preferable to all the plea sures of youth. If to be saluted, attended, and consulted with deference, are instances of pleasure, they are such as never fail a virtuous old age. In the enumeration of the imperfections and advantages of the younger and later years of man, they are so near in their condition, that, methinks, it should be incredible we see so little commerce of kindness between them. 2. If we consider youth and age with Tully, regarding the affinity to death, youth has many more chances to be near to it than age. What youth can say more than an old man, "He shall live till night?" Youth catches distempers more easily, its sickness is more violent, and its recovery more doubtful. The youth indeed hopes for many more days, so cannot the old man. 3. The youth's hopes are ill grounded; for what is more foolish than to place any confidence in an uncertainty? But the old man has not room so much as to hope; he is still happier than the youth, he has already enjoyed what the other does but hope for: one wishes to live long, the other has lived long. 4. But, alas! is there any thing in human life, the duration of which can be called long? There is nothing which must end to be valued for its continuance. If hours, days, months, and years, pass away, it is no matter what hour, what day, what month, or what year we die. The applause of a good actor is due to him at whatever scene of the play he makes his exit. 5. It is thus in the life of a man of sense; a short life is sufficient to manifest himself a man of honour and virtue : when he ceases to be such, he has lived too long; and while he is such, it is of no consequence to him how long he shall be so, provided he is so to his life's end. ANECDOTES OF THE REVOLUTION. 1. AFTER the defeat of our army on Long Island, in 1776, the remainder of our troops were reduced to a situation of extreme hazard, and by many it was supposed that a few hours would seal their fate. They were fatigued and discouraged by defeat, a superior enemy in their front, and a powerful fleet about to enter the East river, with a view of cutting off their retreat, and leaving them no alternative but to surrender. 2. The commander in chief resolved to attempt to extri cate his army from their dangerous situation, by evacuating the post, and crossing the river to New-York. The pas sage was found at first to be impracticable by reason of a violent wind from the northeast, and a strong ebbing tide. But providentially the wind grew more moderate and veered to the northwest, which rendered the passage perfectly safe. 3. But a circumstance still more remarkable was, that about two o'clock in the morning a thick fog enveloped the whole of Long Island in obscurity, concealing the retreat of the Americans, while on the side of New-York the atmosphere was perfectly clear. 4. Thus, by the favour of an unusual fog, our army, consisting of nine thousand men, in one night, under great disadvantages, embarked, with their baggage, provisions, stores, and horses, with their munitions of war, crossed a rapid river a mile or more wide, and landed at New-York undiscovered and without material loss. 5. The enemy were so near that they were heard at work with their pick-axes, and in about half an hour after the fog cleared off, the enemy were seen taking possession of the American lines, and they were astonished that our troops had got beyond reach of pursuit. Gordon, in his anecdotes, says, that a clerical friend, on this occasion, observed that, "but for the interposition of a cloud of darkness the Egyptians would have overwhelmed the Israelites upon the sea shore. 6. "And but for the providential intervention of the fog upon Long Island, which was a cloud resting on the earth, the American army would have been destroyed, and the hopes of every patriot bosom extinguished, perhaps for ever." On the retreat of our army from New-York, Major General Putnam, at the head of three thousand five hundred continental troops, was in the rear, and was the last that left the city. 7. In order to avoid any of the enemy, that might be advancing in the direct road to the city, he made choice of a different road till he could arrive at a certain angle, whence a cross road would conduct him in such a direction as that he might form a junction with our main army. It so happened, that a body of about eight thousand British and Hessians were at the same moment advancing on the road which would have brought them in immediate contact with Putnam before he could have reached the cross road. 8. Most fortunately the British Generals halted their troops, and repaired to the house of Mr. R. Murray, a quaker and friend to our cause; Mrs. Murray treated the British officers with cake and wine, and they were induced to stay two hours or more. By this happy incident Putnam, by continuing his march, escaped a rencounter with a greatly superior force, which must have proved fatal to his whole party. 9. I have recently been informed by the son and aid de camp of General Putnam, that had the enemy, instead of a halt, marched ten minutes longer, they would have reached the cross road, and entirely cut off the retreat of our troops, and they must inevitably have been captured or destroyed. It was a common saying among our officers, that, under Providence, Mrs. Murray saved this part of our army. 10. When in the year 1777, General Burgoyne's army was reduced to a condition of extreme embarrassment and danger, General Gates received what he supposed certain intelligence, that the main body of the British army had marched off for Fort Edward, and that a rear guard only was left in the camp situated on the opposite side of Saratoga Creek. 11. He determined therefore to advance and attack the enemy in their encampment in half an hour. For this purpose General Nixon crossed the creek with his brigade in advance. General Glover was on the point of following, but just as he entered the water he perceived a British soldier crossing near him, whom he called and examined. 12. By this British deserter, the fact was ascertained, that the detachment for Fort Edward had returned, and the whole British army was now encamped behind a thick brushwood, which concealed them from our view. This communication being made known to General Gates, the order for attack was immediately countermanded, and the troops were ordered to retreat; but before they could recross the creek, the enemy's artillery opened on their rear, and some loss was sustained. 13. This was a most critical moment, and a quarter of an hour longer might have caused the ruin of the two brigades, and effected such a favourable turn of affairs as to have enabled Burgoyne to proceed in his route to Albany, or a safe retreat into Canada. In his narrative of the expedition under his command, Burgoyne laments the accident which occasioned the failure of his stratagem, as one of the most |