entertainments were given at the fenate-house; between which and the fort was a fpacious open place where they played off the fireworks. Upon thefe public meetings, a great many tables were covered for all degrees of perfons; one for the Czar and the grandees; one for the clergy, one for the officers of the army, one for thofe of the navy; one for the merchants, fhip-builders, foreign fkippers, &c. all in different rooms; the Czarina, and the ladies, had their rooms above stairs; all these tables were ferved with cold meat, and fweet meats, wet and dry, interspersed with fome dishes of hot meat: thefe entertainments commonly ended with very hard drinking. After dinner, the Czar' went from one room and table to another, converfing with every fet according to their different profeffions or employments; efpecially with the matters of foreign trading vessels, inquiring very particularly into the feveral branches of their trade. At these times, I have feen the Dutch skippers treat him with much familiarity, calling him by no other name but Skipper Peter, with which the Czar was highly delighted. In the mean time, he made good ufe of the information he got from them, always marking it down in his pocket-book.'

The Emperor having been informed how much his fubje&s fuffered from law-fuits, by the avarice of thofe they employed, in delaying to end a procefs, while any money was to be got from their clients, now took the matter into confideration, and ordained that a fufficient number of lawyers and attornies fhould be employed, and that each of them fhould have a handfome yearly falary, for which they should officiate to all his fubjects, in every matter of law, gratis; and to prevent one perfon being preferred to another, they were obliged to infert every fuit as it was laid before them in their daily regifters, and proceed in them according to their dates of entry, without refpect of perfons; and whoever should be found to accept bribe or fee, or dilatory in forwarding a procefs at law, fhould be knouted and fent to Siberia into perpetual banishment: and whatever fubject should conceive himfelf injured by the judge's fentence, might appeal to the Emperor in perfon. This new regulation was highly acceptable to all his Majefty's fubjects, but more efpecially to the lower clafs: and as they had hitherto no written laws, the emperor caused a code to be compofed of the civil law, in as plain, fhort, and eafy a method as poffible, agreeable to the method which Marshal Weyde had formerly adopted in compiling the military law; which was contained in a small pocket volume, printed in the Ruffian and German languages, and of which every officer had one given him for his inftruction.'

Mr. Bruce gives the following account of the Kalmuck Tar

tars:

• The Kalmucks inhabit a vaft territory, lying between the Wolga and the river Jaick, toward the Cafpian fea, and poffefs the left fide of the Wolga from hence near to Aftrachan, in all which immense tract there is not fo much as one fingle houfe to be feen, as they all live in tents, and remove from one place to another in queft of pafturage for their large herds of cattle, confifling of horfes, camels, cows, and sheep; they neither fow, nor reap, nor make hay for their cattle, fo that they live without bread, or any fort of vegetable; and

in the winter their cattle fare as other wild beafts. Their food is fleth (efpecially that of horfes), filh, wild-fowl, and venifon, and have a great plenty of milk, butter, and cheefe; but mare's milk is the most efteemed among them, and from it they make a very strong fpirit, of which they are very fond; it is clear as water, but I could never learn how it is made. The Kalmucks are divided into an infinite number of hordes, or clans, every one under their own particular Chan, and all of thofe acknowledge the authority of one principal Chan, who is called Otchicurti-chan, or the King of Kings, and who derives his pedigree from the great Tamerlane. He is a very potent prince, and lives in great fplendor; is formidable to all the neighbouring Tartars, and to the Ruffians themselves, who are obliged to keep confiderable garrifons on the right fide of the river, all the way from Saratof to Aftrachan to prevent their excurfions, as the Kalmucks are in poffeffion of the oppofite fhore, and are alfo under the neceffity of furnithing the Négayan Tartars about Aftrachan with arms to defend themfelves, in the fummer, against the incurfions of the Kalmucks, who formerly used to come every fummer to ravage the country of the Negayans about Aftrachan, but fince they have been made fenfible of the effects of the fmall arms and cannon now put in their hands by the Ruffians, they content themfelves with coming once a year to the great plains of Aftrachan for the conveniency of food for their cattle, at a feafon when their more northen poffeffions are quite deftitute of it. This is commonly done with not less than one hundred thoufand men, and they rarely return without having received their accuftomed prefent of bread, brandy and tobacco, from 'the governor of Aftrachan.

There is no doubt but the Ruffians are powerful enough to curb the infolence of these vagabonds, were it not for the confideration of a benefit arifing from the traffic for their furs and horfes, which they bring every year in great abundance to Afrachan'; and alfo for the fervice they are of to the Ruffians in their wars with the Turks and Crim Tartars, being accounted the most alert at pitching and removing their tents of any people in the world, which they are accuftomed to by their conftant incurfions to fome or other of the neighbouring countries. It is principally from this view that the Ruffians looked upon it as a piece of policy rather to allay their fiercenefs by fome prefents, which, however, by continuance of time, they now -demand as an obligation, than to engage in a war against a multitude of vagabonds, who have fo little to lofe; having neither house nor fixed refidence in all their dominions, but live the year round in tents covered with felts, in which, however, both for neatnefs and conveniency, they far exceed all the neighbouring nations, even thofe who live in fixed habitations.

The Kalmucks, as well as the other nations of Great Tartary, are Pagans. As to their perfons, they are of a low ftature, and generally bow-legged, occafioned by their being fo continually on horfeback, or fitting with their legs below them; their faces are broad and flat, with a flat nofe and little black eyes, diftant from each other like the Chinefe; they are of an olive colour, and their faces full of wrinkles, with very little or no beard; they have their heads, leaving only a tuft of hair on the crown. The better fort REV. Dec. 1782.

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of them wear coats of ftuff or filk, above which they wear a large, wide, fur coat of fheep-fkins, and a cap of the fame: in the time of war, they cover their head and body with iron net-work, which they call a pantzer, the links of which are fo clofe, that it is proof against any kind of weapons except fire-arms, as a bullet will break it, and generally carries fome broken pieces into the wound, which makes them ftand in great awe of fire-arms. Their only weapons are the fcymitar, lance, and bow and arrow; but they are coming into the ufe of fire arms, which, in time, will make them more formidable. Their cattle are large, and their fheep are of the largest kind, having great fat tails, weighing from twenty-fix to thirty pounds; their ears hanging down like our dogs, and instead of wool they have foft curled hair, fo that their skins are all converted into fur coats. Their horfes are but fmall and of a bad fhape, but swift, hardy, and ftrong, and many of them pace naturally, and trot at an incredible rate. They eat the flesh of camels, cows, and sheep, but universally give the preference to that of the horse.

They are, in their own way, the happiest people on the earth, being fatigued with no kind of labour, but diverting themselves with fishing and hunting; and I can conceive nothing preferable to their way of living in the fummer: but in winter they are obliged to cross the river, and live on the bare plain of Aftrachan, where their only firing is the dried dung of the cattle, and the cattle themselves ftarving on the fcanty produce of a barren defart. Here they remain till the fpring, when their former habitation, on the eaft side of the river, is Overflowed for near a month to a vast extent by the melting of the fnow, and their country appears one continued fea overgrown with trees: as foon as this fubfides, they return with great joy, fwimming their loaded camels and cattle over the river, where the intervening islands make their paffage easiest. It is to be obferved, that the Kalmucks, when they go upon any expedition, have no regard either to bridges or boats; they no fooner come to a river, than in they plunge with their horfes, and fliding from their backs hold faft by the manes till they get over, and then immediately mount again, and so proeeed.'

Our Author's account of the Circaffians, of the Dagestan and other Tartars, and of the Coffacks, is exceedingly amufing; but we do not mean to do more than excite our Readers' curiofity; and fhall therefore refer them to the work itself for further entertainment, after adding the following account of a Banyan woman, refident at Aftrachan, burning herself on the death of her husband.

• The Armenians have one of the fuburbs of this city allotted for their refidence, and carry on a great trade from hence into Perfia; but the Banyans without doubt contribute moft to its flourishing condition. They are a fort of Pagan Indians, whofe principal purfuit is trade, and have their factory within the city. One of their chief merchants dying at this time, his widow defired leave of the Emperor to burn herself with his corpfe, according to the cuftom of

their country: but his Majefty, unwilling to encourage fo barbarous a custom, refufed her requeft; and the Indian factory were so much diffatisfied with it, that they threatened to withdraw from the city with their effects. His Majefty, finding no argument could prevail on the woman to alter her refolution, at last gave them leave to do as they thought proper. The corpfe being dreffed in his cloaths, was carried to fome little distance from the town, where a funeral pile of dry wood was raised, and the body laid upon it: before the pile were hung Indian carpets, to prevent its being feen. The wife in her best apparel, and adorned with ear-rings, feveral rings on her fingers, and a pearl necklace, attended by a great number of Indians of both fexes, was led by a Bramin, or priest, to the funeral pile, which on her approach was kindled: fhe then diftributed her upper apparel and jewels among her friends and acquaintances, of whom he took her laft farewel with a great deal of ceremony, and the pile being in full flame, and the carpets taken down, the leaped into the midst of the fire; her friends then poured quantities of oil over her, which foon fuffocated her, and reduced both corpfe to afhes, which were carefully gathered and put into an urn, to be conveyed to their relations in India.

This barbarous cuftom was first introduced upon a political acCount; for polygamy, caufing abundance of heart-burning and jealoufy among the women that were rivals in their husband's affections, it often happened that fuch as thought themfelves neglected, used frequently to procure their husbands deaths; wherefore, to make them the more careful of the lives of their husbands, it was ordered that those wives only, who were willing to accompany their husbands to the other world, by being burned with his corpfe whenever he died, fhould have the reputation of being honeft and virtuous; and fuch as would not give that proof of their affection, fhould be deemed infamous for ever after the death of their husband. Notwithstanding the obligation to burn with their hufbands, impofed no other penalty on fuch as refused than being accounted infamous for not conforming to fuch a dreadful cuftom, yet fuch was the fense of honour and love for reputation among the Banyan women, that there are innumerable examples among them, of fuch as have voluntarily facrificed their lives upon the burning pile: and what makes them undergo this with fo much cheerfulness, is a perfuafion, that if a woman has fo great an affection for her husband, as to burn herself with him after his death, the fhall live with him in the other world feven times as long, and fhall enjoy him with seven times as much fatisfaction as she has done in this, without a rival; fo that they look upon this kind of death, as a paffage through which they are to enter into the enjoyment of those pleasures, of which they had but a fmall fhare in this world. This cuftom prevails only among the Banyans, and not in general over India.'

This work was originally written by Mr. Bruce in German, in the form of a journal, and was afterwards (in 1755), when he had closed the fcene of his military life, tranflated by himself into English. It is now publifhed for the benefit of his furviving family.

ART. III. The History of the fecond Ten Years of the Reign of George the Third, King of Great Britain, &c. From the Conclufion of the Third Seff on of the Thirteenth Parliament, in 1770, to the End of the Last Seffion of the Fourteenth Parliament of Great Britain, in 1780. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Evans. 1782.

TH

HE Author of this volume enters upon a wide field. He endeavours to trace the rife and progrefs of our prefent troubles both at home and abroad through all the fteps of domeftic discontent and foreign intrigue. He explains the dispute about the Falkland or Malouine islands. He then details the growing apprehensions of the nation, and the preparations which were made for war. The feebleness of government had awakened the refentment of many individuals, and the liberty of the prefs was exercifed with a fpirit which gave offence. The Attorney-general, affuming powers which did not belong to him, filed informations, and carried on profecutions with a view to detract from the rights of the fubject; and some of the judges were earnest to reduce the trial by juries to a mere formality. By difcretionary and dangerous exertions, papers were pronounced to be treasonable, and juries were directed to find them fo. The awful dignity which ought to furround juftice was wounded; and the people at large expreffed the keen indignation with which they received infults that ftruck at the very existence of their independency. This fubject is treated by our Author with the care which it merits.

He then exhibits an account of the petitions of the clergy concerning their fubfcription of the Thirty-nine Articles; records the business of the royal marriage-bill; and enumerates the attempts which were made for a revolution in the affairs of the Eaft India Company. On this laft head, the Author is very minute; and he appears to have been at great pains in going over the voluminous reports concerning the affairs of the Eaft.

The Author now turns his attention to the commencement of hoftilities in America, and to the profecution of a war, the most ruinous and unfortunate in which England has been ever engaged. This is the moft important branch of his performance; and, it is but juftice to him to observe, that he has been induftrious to obtain the best information. The last event of confequence, which he defcribes, is the riots in June 1780, which were fo general and so remarkable.

In the execution of his task, the Author aims at impartiality; and he no where difcovers the zeal of a partizan. He is neither a determined Whig, nor a pertinacious Tory. He feems to have made it a rule to fteer in a middle courfe. As a fpecimen of his fpirit, manner, and language, we fhall tranfcribe the following paffage:

4

• The