of the Tartars, meffengers of government, who receive a band fome premium for their trouble. The Tartars, however, are fometimes robbed and flain by the wandering tribes, who in formidable bodies infelt the greater part of the Turkish dominions in Alia. An inftance of this happened only a month ago, when a Tartar, returning from Conftantinople to Bagdad, with 60co Venetian fequins, was attacked, robbed, and murdered, between Diar bekir and Moful. With refpect to the Arabs, the moft numerous clafs of inhabitants, there are a few refpectable men amongst them; but great numbers are extremely poor, labouring very hard for fmall wages. With a very little pay, however, they are enabled to fupport their families; for their drefs cofts them little; and their food confifts of dates, bread, and water, with which they are perfectly fatisfied; and indeed, though their food is fo fimple, they have, generally speaking, twice the strength of Europeans, and are able to endure much more fatigue. The ftreets in this city are fo extremely narrow, as frequently to admit only one horfe at a time; added to which, they are in many parts fo rough, as to make it difficult for horfes to pafs. Here is a Roman Catholic church, a tolerably good building; and the people of that perfuafion are not the least molested. Every perfon wears the drefs of the country, particularly muftaches. I met here with the famous Armenian Jofeph Emin, who had been many years in England, and has lately publifhed, in the English language, his travels and adventures, written by himself. He propofed going with his fon to Bengal, and thence to take him to England. I made him an offer to take his fon with me to England, as he would have been a very good interpreter, understanding the Armenian, Arabic, Turkish, and English languages. The fon, who was about feventeen years of age, was very willing to accompany me; but the father, after deliberating fome time, determined on following his original plan. Ufually, but very improperly, printed Tartar. See Campbell's Journey over-land to India," and other Works. It is pronounced Tâtár, the accent being on the laft fyllable. He had four brothers, Lawrence, Samuel, John; and Charles, all Gentlemen of confiderable landed property, and a fifter who married Colonel Fielding Lewis. His elder Virginia, where the family had been fettled a confiderable time. The anceftor of this Gentleman, about the period of the Revolution, refided near Cave, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, where he poffeffed fome property, which he difpofed of, and afterwards invefted the money in the purchase of lands in King George's County. At this place the Hero of America was born, on the 22d of February 1733. He was the eldest fon by a fecond marriage, and was educated under the eye of his father by a private tutor, from whom he derived a flight tincture of Latin, a grammatical knowledge of his mother tongue, and the elements of mathe matics. For a few years after leaving his tutor, he applied himself to the practical part of furveying, and was appointed furveyor to a certain dif. trict in Virginia; an employment rather creditable than lucrative. It however afforded him an opportunity of choosing fome valuable tracts of land, and made him thoroughly acquainted with the frontier country†. On the Governor and Council of Virginia receiving orders from Eng. land, in October 1753, to repel by force the encroachments of the French on the Western frontiers, along the rivers Ohio and De Boeuf, Mr Washington, then a Major in the provincial fervice, and an Adjutant General of their forces, was difpatched by General Dinwiddie with a letter to the Commander in Chief of the French on the Ohio, com plaining of the inroads they were making in direct violation of the treaties then fubfifting between the two Crowns; he had alfo inftructions to treat with the Six Nations and other Western tribes of Indians, and to engage them to continue firm in their attachment to England. He fet out on this perilous embaffy, with about fifteen attendants, late in October 1753; and fo far fucceeded, that on his return with Monfieur de St Pierre's anfwer, and his good fuccefs in the Indian negotiation, he was complimented with the thanks and approbation of his country. His jour nal of this whole tranfaction was published in Virginia*, and does great credit to his industry, attention, and judgment; and it afterwards proved of infinite fervice to thofe who have been doomed to traverfe the fame inhofpitable tracts. Soon after this, the defigns of the French becoming more manifeft, and their movements and conduct more daring, orders were iffued out by Adminiftration for the Colonies to arm and unite in one confederacy. The Affembly of Virginia took the lead by voting a fum of money for the public fervice, and. raising a regiment of four hundred men for the protection of the frontiers of the Colony. Major Washington, then about twenty-three years of age, was ap pointed to the command of this regiment; and, before the end of May, in the enfuing year, came up with a ftrong party of the French and Indians brother, Lawrence, went out a Captain of the American troops raised for the Carthagena expedition, and married the daughter of the Hon. William Fairfax, of Belvoir, in Virgi nia, by whom he left one daughter; who dying young, as well as his fecond brother alfo dying without iffue, the General fucceeded to the family feat, which, in compliment to the gallant Admiral of that name, was called Mount Vernon, and is delightfully fituated on the Potomack River, a few miles below Alexandria. For thefe facts we acknowledge ourselves indebted to "A Sketch of Mr Washington's Life and Character, dated Maryland, May 3, 1779," appended to a Poetical Epil tle from an Inhabitant of the State of Maryland," printed at Annapolis, 1779. * And in London under the title of The Journal of Major George Washington, fent by the Hon. Robert Dinwiddie, Esq. his Majesty's Lieutenant-Governor and Commander in Chief of Virginia, to the Commandant of the French forces on Ohio. To which are added, the Governor's Letter, and a Tranflation of the French Officer's Answer, with a New Map of the Country, as far as the Miffiffipi," 8vo. 1754. at the Court of Verfailles, and may be looked upon as the æra when the French Court began to unmask, and to avow (though in a clandeftine manner) the conduct of their Governors and Officers in America: they redoubled their activity and diligence on the Ohio, and in other places, during the winter 1754 and the following fpring. Virginia had determined to fend out a larger force; the Forts Cumberland and London were built, and a camp was formed at Wills Creek, from thence to annoy the enemy on the Ohio. In thefe feveral fervices (particularly in the conftruction of the forts) Colonel Washington was principally employed, when he was fummoned to attend General Braddock, who with his army arrived at Alexandria in Virginia, in May 1755. The defign of fending out that army was to pe netrate through the country to Fort Du Quefne (now Fort Pitt) by the route of Wills Creek; and as no perfon was better acquainted with the frontier country than Colonel Washington, and no one in the Colony enjoyed fo well established a military character, he was judged highly ferviceable to General Braddock, and chearfully quitted his com→ mand to act as a volunteer and aiddu camp under that unfortunate Ge neral. The particulars of the defeat and almost total ruin of Braddock's army, confifting of two thousand regular British forces and near eight hundred provincials, are too well known to need a repetition: it is allowed on all fides, that the haughty pofitive behaviour of the General, his high contempt of the provincial officers and foldiers, and his difdainful obftinacy in rejecting their advice, were the genuine caufes of this fatal difafter. With what refolution and fteadinefs the provincials and their gallant Commander behaved on dians at a place called Red-Stone, ed against by the British Ambaffador which he effectually routed, after having taken and killed fifty men. Among the prifoners were the cele. brated woodfman, Monfieur De La Force, and two other officers; from whom Colonel Washington had undoubted intelligence that the French force on the Ohio confifted of up wards of one thousand regulars and fome hundreds of Indians. Upon this intelligence, although his little army was fomewhat reduced, and entirely infufficient to act offenfively against the French and Indians, yet he pufhed on towards his enemy to a good poft; where, in order to wait the arrival of fome expected fuccour from New York and Pennfylvania, he entrenched himself, and built a fmall fort, called Fort Neceffity. At this poft he remained unmolefted, and without any fuccour, until the July following; when his small force, reduced now to less than three hundred, was attacked by an army of French and Indians of eleven hund red and upwards, under the command of the Sieur de Villiers. The Virginians fuftained the attack of the enemy's whole force for feveral hours, and laid near two hundred of them dead in the field, when the French Commander, difcouraged by fuch de termined refolution, propofed the less dangerous method of dislodging his enemy by a parley, which ended in an honourable capitulation. It was ftipulated that Colonel Washington hould march away with all the honours of war, and be allowed to carry off all his military ftores, effects, and baggage. This capitulation was vio lated from the ungovernable difpofiron of the favages, whom the French Commander could not reftrain from plundering the provincials on the outlet of their march, and from making a confiderable flaughter of men, cattle, and horfes. This breach of the capitulation was ftrongly remonftrat Ed. Mag. April 180. this this trying occafion, and in covering active to defend it as a Soldier. For the confufed retreat of the army, let every British officer and foldier confefs, who were refcued from flaughter on that calamitous day by their valour and conduct. After General Braddock's difafter, the Colony of Virginia found it neceffary to eftablish her militia, raife more men, ftrengthen her forts, undertake expeditions to check the inroads of the enemy, &c. &c. In all which important fervices Colonel Washington bore a principal fhare, and acquitted himself to the utmost fatisfaction of his country, by dif playing on every occafion the most perfevering industry, perfonal courage, and military abilities. He was again appointed to the command of the Virginia troops, and held it with fignal credit till his refignation in 1759, when he married the young widow of Mr Curtis, now his relict, with whom he is faid to have had a fortune of twenty thousand pounds fterling in her own right, befides her dower in one of the principal eftates in Virginia. From this period he became as affiduous to ferve the state as a Senator, as he had hitherto been }I, feveral years he reprefented Frederick county, and had a feat for Fairfax county, at the time he was appointed by the Affembly, in conformity with the general with of the people, to be one of their four delegates at the first general congrefs. It was with no fmall reluctance that he engaged again in the active scenes of life, efpecially as he took great delight in farming and improving his eftate. When, however, it was at length determined in congrefs, after every step to an accommodation had failed, to repel by force the invasion from Great Britain, the eyes of the whole continent were immediately turned upon Mr Washington. With one common voice he was called forth to the defence of the country, and it was perhaps his peculiar glory that fcarce an individual was to be found that did not approve the choice, and place the firmest confidence in his integrity and abilities. He arrived at Cambridge, in New England, in July 1775, and there took the fupreme command of the armies of America. (To be concluded in our next.) GENERAL WASHINGTON'S WILL. In the name GEORGE WASH God, Amen. INGTON, of Mount Vernon, a Citizen of the United Stites, and lately Prefident of the fame, do make, ordain, and declare this inftrument, which is written with my own hand, and every page thereof fubfcribed with my name, to be my laft Will and Teftament, revok. ing all others. Imprimis.-All my debts, of which there are but few, and none of magnitude, are to be punctually and fpeedily paid; and the legacies hereafter bequeathed are to be difcharged as foon as circumftances will permit, and in the manner directed. Item.To my dearly beloved wife, Martha Washington, I give and bequeath the ufe, profit, and benefit of my whole eftate, real and perfonal, for the term of her natural life, except fuch parts thereof as are specially difpofed of hereafter. My improved lot in the town of Alexandria, fituated in Pitt and Cameronftreets, I give to her and her heirs for ever, as alfo I do my household and kitchen furniture of every fort and kind, with the liquors and groceries which may be on hand at the time of my decease, to be used and difpofed of as the may think proper. Item. Upon the deceafe of my wife, it is my will and defire that all the flaves which I hold in my own of, be religiously fulfilled at the epoch at which it is directed to take place, without evafion, neglect. or delay, after the crops, which may then be in the ground, are harvested, particularly as it respects the aged and infirm; feeing that a regular and permanent fund be established for their fupport as long as there are fubjects requiring it, not truiting to the uncertain provifion to be made by individuals. own right shall receive their free don. To emancipate them during her life would, though earnestly wished by me, be attended with fuch infuperable difficulties, on account of their intermixture by marriages with the dower negroes, as to excite the most painful fenfations, if not difa greeable confequences, from the latter, while both deferiptions are in the occupancy of the fame proprietor; it not being in my power, under the tenure by which the dower negroes Item.-lo the Trustees (Gover are held, to manumit them. And nors, or by whatsoever name they whereas among those who will re- may be defignated) of the Academy ceive freedom according to this de- in the town of Alexandria, I give mife, there may be fome who from and bequeath (in truft) four thousand old age or bodily infirmities, and dollars, or, in other words, twenty others who, on account of their in- of the fhares which I hold in the fancy, will be unable to fupport Bank of Alexandria, towards the themselves, it is my will and defire fupport of a free-school, established that all who come under the first at and annexed to the aid Academy, and fecond defcription, fhall be com- for the purpofe of educating fuch orfortably clothed and fed by my heirs phan children, or the children of while they live; and that fuch of the fuch other poor and indigent perfons latter defcription as have no parents as are unable to accomplish it with living, or if living are unable or un- their own means; and who, in the willing to provide for them, fhall be judgment of the Trustees of the faid bound by the Court till they arrive feminary, are beft entitled to the at the age of twenty-five years; and benefit of this donation. The afore in cafes where no record can be pro- faid twenty fhares I give and beduced whereby their ages can be queath in perpetuity: the dividends afcertained, the judgment of the only of which are to be drawn for, Court, upon its own view of the fub- and applied by, the faid Trustees for ject, shall be adequate and final. The the time being, for the ufes above negroes thus bound are (by their mentioned: the stock to remain enmafters or mistreffes) to be taught tire and untouched, unless indications to read and write, and to be brought of failure of the said Bank should be up to fome useful occupation, agree. fo apparent, or a discontinuance thereably to the laws of the Common- of fhould render the removal of this wealth of Virginia, providing for the fund neceffary. In either of these fupport of orphan and other poor cafes, the amount of the ftock here children. And I do hereby express devised is to be vested in some other ly forbid the fale or tranfportation Bank, or public inftitution, whereby out of the faid Commonwealth, of the intereft may with regularity and any flave I may die poffeffed of, un- certainty be drawn and applied as der any pretence what foever. And above. And, to prevent mifconcep1 do moreover most folemly and moft tion, my meaning is, and is hereby pointedly enjoin it upon my execu declared to be, that thefe twenty tors hereafter named, or the furvivor fhares are in lieu of, and not in addiof them, to fee that his claufe re- tion to, the twenty thousand pounds fpecting flaves, and every part there given by a miffive letter fome years Nn 2 ago |