Formerly it was the custom in the Highlands of Scotland to fortify the hills and eminences with works that were in thofe early times almost impregnable: the inhabitants were then fierce and barbarous ; engaged in continual wars, and infpired with animofities that were only to be extinguished by death. The country appeared barren and defolate, the habitations were in glens, in the hollows of rocks, or inclosed in thofe fortified places, from whence they iffued and fell upon their enemies by furprize, or challenged their competitors to fingle combat. In New Zealand, on the oppofite fide of the globe, the fame appearance of the country indicates the fame difpofition of the inhabitants. The hills, the rocks, and eminences abound with hippah's or strong forts, one of which I have copied to ftrengthen what I have here advanced; the houfes are but few; and cultivation, especially on the weftern part of the ifland, fcarce practifed: the people are rude, daring, favage, hoftile, and blood thirty, even to the devouring of their enemies, or those whom they can overcome: They were found faithlefs, treacherous, and incorrigible." As it grew dark," fays the writer of Cooke's first voyage, ("though civilities had paffed in the day) they fung their war-fong; two or three muskets were fhot amongst them and they difperfed, threatening to come in the morning with a greater force. In this there was some appearance of generofity; but they forfeited all credit when in the night they came fecretly, hoping to find the people afleep; but, difappointed, they ftole away.' In other islands in the South feas, where the lands appeared cultivated, the plantations abounding, the houses frequent, and the communications free, our navigators found the inhabitants civilized, friendly, open, courteous, and hofpitable. If thefe indications bad ftruck the late Captain Cook in the light here reprefented, it is probable he might have rejoiced the nation by his return in safety. The iland O.wye-he, where he was unfortunately affaffinated, prefented the unpromifing appearances before noticed; the inhabitants had raised ftone-walls upon the heights for their defence; they came armed; rushed on refolute; and were not to be diverted from their purpose by the dangers with which they were threatened. Hence it hap-. pened that this much-to-be-lamented navigator became a sacrifice to his in cautious intrepedity. This is the more to be regretted, as a former narrow escape might have taught him circumfpection. It is thus related: "On the 28th of July (1775) in the morning, they came in fight of two iflands; the low inland the Indians called Taffua, and the peeked island they called Eka-u-u. At fix the launch was fent for water-the Indians came about her in fwarms-one seized a cartouch-box full of ammunition, others feized the officer's fowling-piece, and others feized the cooper's bucket with his adze, and inftantly made off.The boat's crew fired at them-they dropt the bucket, but kept the adze, the fowling-piece, and the cartouchbox. As the likelieft means to oblige them to restore their plunder, the Captain caused a large failing canoe to be feized, to which they made great oppofition; but, on the approach of a party of which the commander himself was the leader, the favages all but one man jumped over board; but it was not till the veffel was hawled upon the beach that he could be prevailed upon to quit his property; and when he did, he made towards the Captain, armed with a defperate weapon, which he brandifhed with one hand over his head, and with the other denounced defiance. It was in vain that figns were made to stop his approach; the Captain was obliged to fire in his own defence-his death would otherwife have been inevitable." From this fortunate escape, it would have been happy, if the Captain had forborne to expofe himself to the like danger. Defcription of the Plate. The fortification here reprefented is raifed on a high cliff wholly inacceffible from the water, which furrounds it on three fides; and to the land it is fortified by a ditch and a bank raised on the infide. There had been a row of pickets both on the top of the bank and along the trench of the ditch on the outfide; thofe on the outfide had been driven down into the ground, inclined towards the ditch, and projecting over it; but of these the thickest posts only remained, the marks of fire affording evident traces that it had been affaulted by an enemy. The editor remarks, that fuch is the fituation and natural firength of this fort, that it might easily, if occafion required, be rendered impregnable to the whole country.-See Hawkefworth's Voyages, Vol. II. p. 34. The following account of the malfacre of the English garrifon, of Fort Henry, in 1757, exhibits at once a Ariking instance of the ferocity of the Indian favages when employed in the fervice of civilized nations, and of the perfidy of the French. [Extraded from Carver's Travels } General Webb, who commanded the English army in North America, having intelligence that the French troops under Monfieur Montcalm were making fome movements towards Fort William Henry, he detached a corps of about 1500 men, confifting of Englifh and Provincials, to ftrengthen the garrifon. In this party the writer went as a volunteer among the latter. The apprehenfions of the English General were not without foundation; for the day after the arrival of the reinforcement they faw Lake George, (formerly Lake Sacrament,) to which it lies contiguous, covered with an immenfe number of boats; and in a few hours they found their lines attacked by the French General, who had juft landed 11,000 regulars and Canadians, and 2000 Indians. Colonel Monro, a brave officer, commanded in the fort, and had no more than 23co men with him, the provincial detachment included. With these he made a gallant defence, and probably would have been able at laft to preferve the fort, had he been properly supported, and permitted to continue his efforts. On every fummons to furrender fent by the French General, who offered him most honourable terms, his andwer repeatedly was, that he yet found himYelf in a condition to repel the mott vigorous attacks his hefiegus were able to make; and, if he thought his prefent force infufficient, he could foon be fupplied with a greater from the adjacent army, But the Colonel having acquainted Gen. Webb with his fituation, and defired fome fresh troops, the General dispatched a meflenger to him with a letter, wherein he informed him that it was not in his power to aflift him, and therefore gave him orders to furrender up the fort on the best terms he could procure. This packet fell into the hands of the French General, who immediately fert a flag of truce, defiring a conference with the Governor. They accordingly met, attended only by a fmall guard, in the center bctween the lines; when Monfieur MontGENT. MAG. February, 1780. calm told the Colonel that he was come in perfon to demand poffeffion of the fort, as it belonged to the King his matter. The Colonel replied, that he knew not how that could be, nor fhould he furrender it up while it was in his power to defend it. The French General rejoined, at the fame time delivering the packet into the Colonel's hands: "By this authority, faid he, do I make the requifition." The brave Governor had no fooner read the contents, and was convinced that fuch were the orders of the Commander in Chief, than he hung down his head in filence, and reluctantly entered into a negotiation. In confideration of the gallant defence the garrifon had made, they were to be permitted to march out with all the honours of war; to be allowed covered waggons to transport their baggage to Fort Edward, and a guard to protect them from the fury of the favages. The morning after the capitulation was figned, as foon as day broke, the whole garrifon, now confifling of about 2000 men, besides women and ch.ldren, were drawn up within the lines, and on the point of marching off, when great numbers of the Indians gathered about them, and began to plun der. The troops were at firft in hopes that this was their only view, and fuffered them to proceed without oppofition. Indeed it was not in their power to make any, had they been fo clined; for, though they were permitted to carry off their arms, yet they were not allowed a fingle round of ammunition. In thefe hopes however they were difappointed; for pretently fome of the favages begin to attack the fick and wounded, when fuch as were not able to crawl into the ranks, notwithfanding they endeavoured to avert the fury of their enemies by their flricks or groans, were foon difpatched. Here the troops were fully in expecta ion the difturbances would have en led, and the little army began to move; but in a fhort time they faw the front divifion driven back, and difcovered that they were encircled by the favages. They expected every moment that the guard, which the French by the articles of capitulation had agreed to allow them, would have arrived and put an end to their apprehenfion's; but none none appeared. The Indians now began to trip every one, without exception, of their arms and cloaths; and thofe who made the least resistance felt the weight of their tomahawks. The writer happened to be in the rear divifion, but it was not long before he shared the fate of his companions: three or four of the favages laid hold of him, and whilft fome held their weapons over his head, the others foon difrobed him of his coat, waiftcoat, har, and buckles, not omitting to take from him what money he had in his pockets. As this was tranfacted close by the paffage that led from the lines on to the plain near which a French centinel was pofted, he ran to him and claimed his protection; but the Frenchman only called him an Englith dog, and thruft him with violence back into the midst of the Indians. He now endeavoured to join a body of the garrifon that were crowded together at fome diftance; but innumerable were the ftrokes that were made at him with different weapons as he paffed along. Luckily, however, the favages were fo clofe together, that they could not ftrike to hurt him without endangering each other; notwithftanding which one of them found means to make a thruft at him with a fpear which grazed his fide, and from another he received a wound with the fame kind of weapon in his ancle. At length he gained the fpot where his countrymen stood, and forced himself into the midft of them; but before he got thus far out of the hands of the Indians, the collar and rifbands of his thirt were all that remained of it, and his flesh was feratched and torn in many places with their favage claws. By this time the war hoop was given, and the Indians began to murder thofe that were nearelt to them without diftin&tion. It is not in the power of words to give any tolerable idea of the horrid fcene that now enfued. Men, women, and children, were dispatched in the moft wanton and cruel manner, and immediately fcalped. Many of thefe favages drank the bloud of their victims as it flowed warm from their fatal wounds. We now perceived, fays the writer, tho' too late to avail us, that we were to expect no relief from the French; and that, contrary to the agreement they had fo lately figned to allow us a futficient force to protect us from thefe barbarities, they tacitly permitted them; for the writer adds that he could plainly perceive the French officers walking about at a diftance difcourfing together with apparent uncon cern. For the honour of human nature I would hope, fays he, that this flagrant breach of every facred law proceeded rather from the favage difpofition of the Indians, (which he acknowledges is fometimes almoft impoffible to control, and which might now unexpectedly have arrived to a pitch not eafily to be reftrained,) than to any premeditated design in the French Commander. An unprejudiced obferver would however be apt to conclude, that a body of 10,000 chriftian troops must have had it in their power to prevent the maffacre from becoming fo general. But, whatever was the caufe from which it arose, the confequences of it were dreadful, and not to be paralleled in modern hiftory. As the circle in which the writer ftood inclosed was by this time much thinned, and death feemed to be approaching with hafty ftrides, it was propofed by fome of the most resolute to make one vigorous effort and endeavour to make their way through the favages; the only probable method of preferving the lives of those who now remained. This, however defpeate, was refolved on, and about 20 fprung at once into the midst of them. In a moment they were all feparated; and what was the fate of the writer's companions he could not learn till fonte months after, when he was informed that only fix or feven of them effected their defign. Intent only on his own hazardous fituation, he endeavoured to make his way through his favage enemies in the best manner poffible; and I have often, fays he, been astonished fince, when I have recollected with what compofure I took, as I did, every necessary step for my preservation. Some I overturned, being at that time young and athletic; and others I paffed by, dexterously avoiding their weapons, till at last two very ftout chiefs of the most favage tribe, as I could diftinguish by their drefs, whofe ftrength I could not refift, laid hold of me by each arm, and began to force me through the crowd. I now, continued he, refigned myfelf to my fate, not doubting but they intended to dispatch me, and to fatiate their vengeance with my blood, as I found they were hurrying towards a retired |