Of the manner of preparing it TITSINGH either could not, or would not, give any information; neither did he know, whether the horn of the fea-unicorn be as effectual an antidote against the effects of the intoxicating liquors ufually drunken in Europe. If no other ingredient be fed in the compofition of the powder, experiments might easily be made to clear up all doubt relative to this circum

ftance.

Only one or two gold mines are worked in Japan; but then thefe are very rich and productive, yielding pieces of pure gold of the fize of a horfe's head. In this ftate the gold is dug out of the ground, and without undergoing any further procefs or purification, tranfported to a strong castle, where it is preferved in fubterraneous vaults, till troublesome times render the coining of it neceffary. TITSINGH poffeffes to complete a collection of Japanese coins, that they reach back to the commencement of the prefent epoch, i. e. 600 years before the birth of Chrift. He poffelles fome, which he believes to be still more ancient: they are all of gold or copper; for filver is in Japan confidered only as an article of commerce, The largest coin in his collection is of an oval form, about 6 inches long, 3 broad, and 2 lines in thickness, and milled on the edges like our European coins. It confits of the pureft gold, and TITSINGH eftimates its intrinfic value at about 300 francs. There are other more ancient coins in Japan of fo great rarity, that they are purchaled by amateurs at the high price of from 4 to 500 kopans. Tir. SINGH poffeffes feveral of thefe, and likewife another curiofity relative hereto, vix, a large Japanese book, in which all the coins from the time of the firft Dairi are reprefented. In his copy a Dutch tranflation and feveral interefting remarks, very beautifully written by the hand of the father-in-law of the emperor himself, are adjoined to each article,"

TITSINGH'S collection of Japanese curiofites may ferve to give us an idea of the degree of perfection which arts and fences have attained in Japan. To this collection, among others, belongs a botanical work in two large volumes, excel letly boun, ornamented on the covers nother of pearl and tortoie fhell, and cited in a case of precious wood. Fach lat (of the most beautiful filk paper)

ains the figures of feveral plats of darent kinds, coloured after nature. Staks, flowers, fruit, roots, and, in thort,

every thing to the minutest fibres, are painted with fuch fkill and fo naturally reprefented, that one is tempted to touch them to prove, whether the plants themfelves be not cemented to the paper. Under each plant is an infeription beautifully written, indicating its name and properties. The whole was executed by a Japanese lady, the wife of the emperor's first phyfician, who made a prefent of it to the prefent poffeffor. The plants, however, are not arranged according to any fyftem we are acquainted with; and the parts of fructification of all are not reprefented, but only of fuch where the pofition of the plants rendered them apparent: but there are no reprefentations and magnified figures of the leparate fexual parts."

Another of his curiofities is a very large map of the three Japanele iflands, which, and especially the fecond, are of greater extent than we ufually afflign to them, and whofe coafts have not quite the fame direction as on our maps. The chief points of the iflands are laid down according to the fame principles as our European. The different provinces are diftinguished by a different colouring, and the names thereot, and of the chief places, are inferted below, with numbers referring to the map and to a circumftantial defcription, which is likewife in the poffeffion of TITSINGH. This map was drawn by natives of Japan.

A third curiofity is a plan of the city of Nangafaki and its environs, fo well laid down and finished by an engineer in the fervice of the emperor of Japan, that no European could make it better.

TITSINGH likewife poffefes an illumined reprefentation of a volcano, by whofe laft eruption more than three hundred thousand human beings loft their lives. The picture of the eruption has been very happily executed by the Japanese artift. Between the flames on the middle declivity of the mountain a cattle is feen, which has fuffered as little as its immediately ad joining vicinity, which is ftill covered with green trees.

Even admitting that the diftinguished favor he enjoyed at the emperor's court, and his long refidence in the country, may, perhaps, have too much prepoffeffed TITSINGH in favour of Japan; yet, the appearance of his work cannot but be ex pected with impatience. Criticism will then feparate from it whatever cannot stand the telt, and the intelligent will find in it fresh materials to remove the obfcurity which fill envelopes that empire, our knowledge of which is ftill fo limited.

For

For the Monthly Magazine. LETTERS FROM MR. TOULMIN OF KENTUCKY (Continued from p. 117.)

:

LETTER II.

YOU will no doubt be feeling fome

I know not that any opportunity which has fallen in my way has been neglected. I wrote very fully upon our arrival. Mr. wrote by the packet to Mr. of Tiverton, to whom I have no further information to communicate refpecting mufic and I would recommend it to no one who diflikes flavery, and which must strike the most careless obferver, its confequences, indolence and dissipation, or who fears the influence of the examples of fuch habits upon the minds of children, to fettle in any part of Virginia eastward of the Blue Ridge. Beyond that I have not been, and therefore can fay nothing from perfonal obfervation; but it is generally faid, there are few flaves and much induftry. Yet where flaves can be had, I should fear they will increafe. The people are going to Kentucky from every place. I have feen multitudes of well-informed people, who all confirm the accounts of its fafety, its fertility, and its rapid improvements; fo that fociety has made a farther progrefs there than in most parts of Virginia. But no doubt its frontiers are dangerous, on account of the Indian war, which still remains in a very indecifive state. A great Aruggle has been made there for the abolition of flavery. They expect to fucceed by and by new flaves however are ftill purchased; and, I confefs, I cannot reconcile myself to the idea of fettling in any country, where I do not fee the way clear for its utter overthrow. There is a very fine country, which I have vifited, between the South-west mountain and the Blue Ridge, exceedingly well adapted to the growth of wheat; but there are no la bourers but blacks; and the white men who have come from Europe, have ufually become indolent through the influence of flavery.

M. R

:

introduced me to Mr. of Baltimore: I fent his letter, and Mr. S returned a variety of letters of introduction for me to different friends, with a very friendly letter to me, expreffing his wishes to ferve me, and faying that a gentleman of the Prefbyterian perfuafion urged my fettling in Baltimore, where he would infure my making by a fchool 240l. a year; and that another ftrongly recommended my going to Har Lifburg, near Carlile, in Pennsylvania,

Har

where I fhould be fure of fuccefs. rifburg will be in my way, and the fituation is juft fuch, I conjecture, as would beft fuit my English friends, fhould they not go back to Kentucky; but of courfe every thing must be uncertain, till I obtain far

information, fhall nothing

about it in my letters to Chowbent.

We expect to fet off to morrow, Monday, for Winchester, in the Valley of the Shenandoa; and, pursuing that Valley, to go to Hagar's Town, on the Maryland fide of the Potowmac; and to Carlifle and Harrifburg, in Pennsylvania.

I have had a fevere attack of the intermitting fever, fo prevalent in all the flat, eastern part of this country; though it is altogether unknown, when you get near even to the firft range of mountains. I probably firft took it by bathing at midday: but I hope it is gone; for yesterday, when I fhould have had the fit, I kept very well, having used plentifully bark and the faline mixture.

But I fhould fay, where I have been. I left and Mr. at Norfolk, from whence they came by water to Port-Royal, twenty miles below this town. I failed to Urbania, but did not find Mr. W- —, Captain G's friend, at home. Then I went by land fixty miles, where I met with a very friendly treatment, bought a horse, went up the country to Monticello, Mr. Jefferson's; Charlotte's-Ville, Col. Monro's, one of the Senators in Congrefs; Mr. Maddison's, and down to Port Royal, making it about 200 miles from Richmond. I was every where most hospitably received, travelling five days without fpending a half-penny. N- , too, was invited to every one's house in Port-Royal, though she had no letters of introduction with her. But it is expensive at public houses.

Laft Sunday I preached : but was forced to stop in the middle, it being my fever day; but I refumed it. The Virginians are wonderfully indifferent about public worfhip. There is a want of fchools; and a man of abilities might have, I believe, a good profpect of fuccefs in different places. This (Sunday) morning, I preached in the parish church, the minifter being from home. I had only a prayer of my own before and after fermon. The people had affembled, and were waiting for me: and I knew not that I was expected to preach till the clerk came to let me know it. We dined with Judge Jones, a plain, but mo intelligent, old gentleman. He is ju

going to let out upon the circuit. He ays, he has feldom any number of criminal caules. Most of them are for horfeHealing; none for highway robbery; and the few that are for houfe-breaking are for offences committed in the towns. The prices of ftocks on the 21st of August were, ix per cents. eighteen and a half; three per cents. ten; deferred ten-nineths; full thares in the Bank of the United States five per cent. advance. There is, you fee, an office opened in London for tranfacting business of this fort. This country will certainly not engage in a war unless they are driven to it by the conduct of one party, or particularly invited to it by the other. They are ardent for the French; but they with for peace. If, however, they fight, they will fight with vigour. Fredericksburg upon the Rappahannah, Virginia, 22d of Aug. 1793.

I

LETTER III.

CANNOT but feel a folicitude left your anxiety on our account, and your expectations of hearing from us, fhould have met with a difappointment, in confequence of the uncertainty arifing from the unhappy ftate of warfare in which the European powers are engaged. We wrote, however, immediately on our arrival by a merchant-fhip, and again from Fredericksburg by the last packet. We left that town on Auguft the 26th, in a waggon for Winchefter, behind the Blue Ridge in Virginia: the diftance about ninety miles. This carriage took us all together with our baggage. I fometimes rode in the waggon, and fometimes on horseback. This mode of travelling is very well fuited to the ftate of the roads, and is less uncomfortable than you would imagine; indeed there was nothing uncomfortable in it, but the circumftance of its taking us rather more than four days to go ninety miles. A caravan, however, fuch as are uled for ftage-coaches in this country, would be equally fafe, and, taking no baggage, would be more expeditious. The accommodations on the road are very indifferent; but, by having a ham with us, and fome bottles of good beer, and by having the precaution to have a couple of fowls dreffed for the next meal, when we came to a good inn, we could ftop at a spring upon the road, and make a very hearty dinner in the waggon. The worst circumftance was, that till we croffed the ridge (where the lands are fettled more fully, and by more induftrious people) we could not procure more than one bed in a night; but this evil was remedied by our having bedding enough with us, for Mr. , the

children, and the fervant. But, I am told, we came the worst road. According to the custom of the country eastward of the ridge, we were obliged to wait till our bread was made and baked, before we could have any breakfaft; to remedy which evil, I commonly rode on before the reft of the company, and got matters in forwardness. Though the houses were feldom better, if fo good, as Smith's Harp*, yet we were charged fifteen pence, about eleven pence fterling, for our breakfast each, except the children; but then we had tea, coffee, and a mutton-chop, broiled ham, or fome fuch thing: one day, indeed, apple-pye was added. Since I have been inPennsylvania, I have paid, at a neat house, but three fhillings, Pennfylvania currency, which is equal to one fhilling and nine-pence half-penny fterling, for a breakfast of tea and cakes; a dinner of boiled beef and broiled fowl, grog, and half a peck of oats. At every public houfe in this country, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, all the travellers fit down together, and likewife the mafter and mistress of the house. I speak only as far as I have feen. There is feldom any proper fupper, either in a public or in a private houfe; but they have often a little meat at tea, as well as at breakfast.

Upon arriving at Winchefter, I waited upon Mr. Belmain, the epifcopal minister, a most friendly and liberal man, to whom I was introduced by a letter from Mr. Maditon, who procured lodgings for us, faying, at the fame time, that if his wife had not been confined by illness, he should have requested us to be his visitors.

I left my wife and children at Winchester, finding our fituation there very comfortable, and other friends, to whom we had been introduced, expreffing hopes that the would continue there. This town contains, I fuppofe, three or four thousand inhabitants. I proceeded alone to the Potowmac; the navigation of which, it is expected, will be completed in eighteen months; though they ufe it now as far as within eight or ten miles of the Federal city. From thence I proceeded to Hagar's Town, in Maryland, a few miles north of the Potowmac, a good and pleafant town; and through Chambersburg and Shippawfburg, containing each ten or twelve hundred inhabitants, to Carlisle, which contains, I fuppofe, between two and three thoufand. The whole Valley, extending through Virginia, Maryland, and Penfylvania, confiits, in general, of fine, fertile land, fuch as is reckoned in Ken

A paltry inn between Taunton and Honiton, in Devonshire.

tucky

tucky of about the third rate, but fuperior to the greater part of the land weftward of the ridge. The country, however, is rendered lefs beautiful where cleared, by the fences being of rails inftead of live hedges. A large proportion of the inhabitants are Germans and their defcendants, and people

from the North of Ireland. The Germans

For the Monthly Magazine.

ACCOUNT OF THE TURKISH MANU

SCRIPTS BROUGHT FROM EGYPT BY BONAPARTE.

B

ONAPARTE has prefented, by the hands of C. Monge, three magnificent oriental manufcripts to the National-Libra

dren, and have in every town a church or two, where the service is performed in their mother tongue. However, they can ufually speak English. The generality of the other inhabitants are Prefbyterians, maintaining all the rigour of the Prefbyterian government; but the Epifcopalians are in general very liberal: and, I have no doubt, but that a small congregation might be formed either in Winchefter or Carlifle,

upon liberal principles, by any perfon of abilities, who had other means than his profeffion for his fupport. I have officiated both in the Epifcopal and in the Prefbyterian churches; and Mr. Belmain made a point of my ufing fuch prayers as I ap. proved. There is a college here fupported by government; but it is in fact only a fchool, in which fomething of philofophy, however, is introduced.

I came hither with the defign of proceeding to Philadelphia, New York, and Boston; but fuch alarming accounts have come of the putrid fever, now raging at Philadelphia, that I do not think it prudent to proceed and, as I fhould not like to go to New York without going to Philadelphia, I shall put off both for the prefent, especially as I do not think New York out of danger. Fifteen thousand perfons are faid to have left Philadelphia. Young W. Prieftley is at Lancaster, where I expect to fee him on Wednesday. I hall then proceed, probably, to Baltimore, Alexandria, and back to Winchester; after which, I propofe proceeding to Kentucky, whither great numbers are going; for the accounts which I receive from every one of that country are fo favourable, that I fhould not be juftified in paffing it by. Will you inform Mr.

that many

perfons of Winchester have no doubt but that a mufic-mafter would meet with the greatest encouragement there. Living is cheaper, and the climate and difpofitions of the people much better than at Norfolk. The nearest ports are Fredericksburg, Alexandria, and Baltimore. All kinds of cloth, Delft-ware, knives, &c. are dear. There is at prefent no profpect of the Americans engaging in the war.

Carlile in Pennsylvania, 119 miles west of Philadelphia, Sept. 23, 1793.

"The title of the Turkish manufcript is, Methláa él fáädeh oué yanabe él fadeb fy élmál-thalacem. (The beginning [orient] of fortune and the fource of fublimity in the fcience of talifmans) by Sydy Modhammed ben emyr Hbaçan elfá oudy. It is a collection of aftronomical, aftrological, geographical, real or imaginary monuments, with as ftrange explanations as are the figures themselves. It is easier to give a defcription than an analysis of it.-A vignette, which is neatly executed, repre fents the Sultan. He fits in the middle of a large hall, which is ornamented with a fountain; and has before him open books, an ink-ftand, and a clock in the fore-ground are two Ifchoghlans and two dwarfs. The twelve figns of the zodiac, with their thirty fix decans, form the subjet of the twelve following vignettes thefe figns are all perfonified."—[On the fish even, for here there is only one fish, fits a Turk with his legs croffed under him. Inftead of the Virgin we here find a Reaper in the act of cutting with a fickle three ears of corn. The Scorpion is here double. A warrior holds one of them by the tail in his hand. His drawn fword feems to threaten the fecond. Sagittary is half man, like the Centaur, and half beaft: the tail of the beaft has moreover a dragon's head. Aquarius draws water with a bucket from a quadrangular veffel or well. The circumftance that all the figns of the Zodiac are accompanied by a perfonification, feems fufficiently to account for the wide fpread prevalency of aftrology. It has ever been difficult for me to conceive, how uncultivated nations could hit upon the idea that objects which fo little affect the fenfes as the ftars fhould have fo great an influence on the fate of men. Bat they afcribe this influence not to the ftars themselves, but to the Beings

The

who

who govern them.-B.]- Fifty-fix fmall vignettes diftributed on two pages, reprelent the feven planets and the forty-nine arts and handicrafts. It delerves to be remarked here, that a Qadhy (Cadi, Jadge,) the executioner, the Sultan, and the musicians, are ranged in the fame vertical line. On the fix following pages we find reprefented the twenty-eight houfes of the moon and planets among the conPellations, one half of each of their emblematical figures being conjoined. This explains the origin of the moniters which the imaginations of the Egyptians created, as, for instance, the Sphinx, which is merely an attronomical figure, and reprefents the fans of the Zodiac under which the in ndation of the Nile happens.-A kind of map of the world or planifphere, which follows, conveys a very juft idea of the fcantinets of geographical knowledge among the Turks. The equator passes Eorizontally through the middle: the upper halt is indicated to be uninhabitable; the other half is divided into feven climates, which however fill only three-fourths of this half. About twenty fucceeding pages certain aftronomical obfervations in the form of tables."

[Among thefe tables there is one which contains only the numbers from 980 to 101; the horizontal rows running on in the natural order; but the vertical always increafing by eight. As this work was written in the 990th year of the Hegira; it would feem, that this table contains the years of the Hegira, and that it was intended to indicate the day of the week on which the year commences. For according to the Art de verifier les Dates, the years 980, 988, 996, &c. or the first vertical feries of the table, begin on the fourth day of the week; but the years 1036 and 1044 begin on Tuesday. In the firft vertical feries the first day of the year is throughout ftated to be on the first day

This paffage principally excited my curio fty. The most obvious idea was, that they were aftronomical tables. But that this is not the cafe, I can with certainty affert; and leven greatly doubt, whether they be aftronomical obfervations. The divifion of thefe pages into feven, or into twelve compartments (even days of the week, and twelve celestial Agra) teems rather to favour the fuppofition of their being aftrological obfervations. 1 have found very few ciphers in this volume; but enough to convince me, that th yemploy ed the decimal fyftem exactly as we do.-

MONTHLY MAG. No. 57.

-B.

of the week; in the fecond feries, on the third; in the fifth feries, on the feventh ; and in the feventh feries, on the fecond day of the week. The third, fixth and eighth vertical feries have not throughout the same a day of the commencement of the year. If this conjecture be well founded, it would feem that the author of this manufcript poffeffed no very great knowledge of the Turkish calendar.--B.—]

"With the ichnography of the temple of Mecca, and the profile of the Ké abeh, begins a new feries of pictures, of which the following are particularly worthy of notice, viz. the Pure garden of the Majefty of the Prophet (Mohammed's fepulchre at Medina,) which, according to the teftimonyof a muffulman pilgrim, is a genuine and exact reprefentation of that fepulchre;-the pharos of Alexandria, with a mirror at the top ;*-The mofque of the Ommiades at Damafcus ;-different temples of idols;-the Baths of Tiberias;-the wall of Gog and Magog;Alexander with two horns-he is walking in darknefs, his vizier carries a torch, &c.

"The fecond part of this manufcript is entitled Qor'i Dja'afaryeh (Divinations [fortes] by Dja'afar) F'lm él qora'i, is according to Hhadjy Khalfab the fcience by which we find out the predictions of letters with refpect to future events. This fcience is a diminutive of geomancy. But its prophecies or predictions are weaker and not fo certain as thofe of geomancy. The author gives a lift of feventeen prophets, with whofe names horofcopes may be formed. Thefe feventeen prophets are Chocib (Jethro, father-in-law to Mofes); Jyca (Jefus Chrift); Djerdjys (St. George); Younes (Jonas); Nouabb (Noah); Djekerya (Zachariah); Yahhyra (John the Baptill); Yoougouf (Jofeph); Daoûd (David); Mouça (Moles); Hhidher and Elyas (Phineas and Elijah); Yaqoub (Jacob); Soleiman (Solomon); Ibrahim (Abraham); Ifmail (Ifmael); Ayoub (Job). At each of the names we find an elegant vignette, which reprefents the fepulchre of the prophet, or fome chapel dedicated to him. If there pictures poffets not the merit of fidelity, or even of correct drawing; yet they may at leaft ferve to give an idea of monuments of this kind among the Eattern nations, and furnith our artifts with forms, which they

This figure does not agree with the efeription which the Arabian writers give of that tower. See Magaz. Encyclop. An. V. Tom. II. p. 384."

may