Galle, on the south-west coast, the Dutch have the strength of their government, and here their fhips take in their cargoes for Europe. Colombo and Negambo, lie on the weft fide of the island, in the part called the Cinnamon coaft: the former is the principal ftation in the colony at the latter the fineft cinnamon is procured. The company have introduced the culture of pepper and coffee, the chief of which is drawn from the country about Matara.

The town and forts of Trincomale are fituate on the eaft fide of the island, in 81 52" of eaft longitude, and 80 45 of north latitude, on a narrow ftrip of land, running between the fea and a gulf which forms the harbour, and which is entered within land from a very fpacious bay. On the 5th of January 1782, the British fleet, commanded by Sir Edward Hughes, appeared before Trincomale, which being defended only by three officers and forty foldiers, was foon taken. The governor with the chief of his force, retired to fort Oftenburg, which ftands on a hill commanding the harbour; but the place was taken by storm fix days after. The harbour, in which the most numerous fleets may anchor with the greatest fafety, was highly ferviceable to the British fleet, on account of its vicinity to the coaft of Coromandel, and the opportunity it afforded of refitting the ships

that received damage, either in tempefts or in action. On the 12th of April following (at the very instant that Sir George Brydges Rodney was gaining a complete victory in the West Indies) a defperate, but indecifive engagement was fought, near Ceylon, between the British and French Admirals, Sir Edward Hughes and M. de Suffrein: after which, the harbour of Trincomale received the British fleet, while the French commander availed himfelf of that of Batacola. Another indecifive engagement took place on the 6th of July; but a ftrong reinforcement of fhips and foldiers having joined the French fleet, the commander proceeded to attack Trincomale, Auguft 16, which, together with fort Oftenburgh, was reduced in five days. Two days after, Sir Edward Hughes appeared off the place with his fleet. This brought on another engagement, which was bravely fuftained by the English against a great fuperiority of force, but produced no advantages on either fide. During the continuance of the war, the poffeffion of the harbour of Trincomale gave the French a great afcendency in the Indian feas. Trincomale is once more in the poffeffion of the British; and, for the particular account of this important conqueft, we refer to the London Gazettes in this number.

TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY OF SCOTLAND.
a curiofity, and a fpirit of inquiry after
thefe hidden fources of amusement and
wealth. In the following account of
Scotland, it is intended to give a de-
fcription of the various minerals, hither-
to discovered, and to point out the
places where they have been found. But,
in doing this, great minutencfs regard-
ing the properties and proportions of
every mineral or fofiil cannot be ex-
pected, as most of them have never been
analyfed, and many of the mines found
in Scotland, have never been wrought,
nor the metals affayed. Befides, fuch
defcriptions could only be of fervice to a
few who are advanced in that science;
a more general account will, therefore,

TILL very lately, there was no connected account to be found of the agriculture, population, antiquities, curiofities, and natural productions of Scotland; and although most of these very important articles are particularly noticed in that very valuable and patriotic, but voluminous work, the Statistical Ac. count of Scotland, yet the mineralogy of the country is there but flightly touched upon. This may be partly owing to that branch of science being but little, till of late, attended to, and partly to the difficulty of procuring information on the fubject. Scotland, however, is pregnant with mineral treafure; and one chief object of the prefent undertaking is, to excite

fully anfwer the purpose of this under 2thtaking.

extent. Of late, a very rich mine of
antimony has been fet a-going, richer,
it is believed, than any that is at pre-
fent known in the world. Befides, it
may be obferved, that the difcovery of
mines has been, in most instances, very
accidental. Very few of the metals are
found in a pure state; they are, in ge-
neral, like earth in their appearance,
without any degree of metallic lustre ;
hence they do not readily attract notice.
An early opportunity fhall be taken, of
giving a fhort account of the materials
that commonly accompany metals, of
the ufual indication of their prefence,
and of the effect which metallic mix-
tures have upon the foil.

As the plan is comprehenfive, and
the materials, for many articles of it,
only to be got from perfons interested
in these inquiries, we folicit the aid and
affiftance of fuch of our readers as can
furnifh any materials for rendering this,
account accurate and complete.-The
following is a lift of fome of the mine-
rals, and precious ftones found in
Scotland, of all which more particular
notice will be taken in the sequel of this
account *

•

SCOTLAND.

1

The plan intended is, to give, in
a fhort compafs, a defcription of the
external appearance of each county or
district. To point out the scenes of
any memorable events, or the birth-
place or refidence of any patriot, man
of letters, or remarkable character-to
defcribe the ftate of fociety, and of
agriculture; and finally, to take notice
of the fofils and minerals, that have
hitherto been found in each district.
In this way, the traveller will be made
acquainted with fuch objects as may
appear worthy of his notice or inquiry;
and the inhabitant and landlord may be
furnished with fome hints to promote
inveftigation and refearch, which may
be the means of enriching themselves
and benefiting their country.

It has been often obferved, that peo-
ple are, in general, better acquainted
with other countries than their own.
Ambition, curiofity, and a fort of pride
of feeing what only the rich few can ac-
complish, drives many to foreign lands.
They fatisfy themfelves in thinking,
that their own country will, at all times,
be within their reach. Hence it happens,
that we are, in general, indebted to fo-
reigners for the topography and natural
history of our own country. It would
furely be a better as well as a more na-
tural way of proceeding, to make our-
felves first acquainted with the laws,
government, agriculture, natural pro-
ductions, &c. of our own country, and
thus lay a foundation for judging of
thofe of others, and making the
per comparifon between them.

pro-
Scotland cannot, at prefent, fhow
many of the precious metals, but con-
fiderable quantities, both of gold and
filver, have, at different periods, been
obtained from her bowels; and it is
more than probable, that the time is
not far diftant, when, in many counties,
thefe treasures will again be laid open.
We have been long famous for our lead

mines. Iron-ftone and iron-ores we
have in abundance. Copper has been
discovered in various places, though,
at prefent, it is no where wrought to any

*Most of the gems and precious stones have been found in Scotland, the diamond excepted.

Pearls are found in the long-shaped fresh water mufcle, called the horse muscle, (mydifcovered in the eftuaries of moft of the ri tilus, cygnius, and anatinus.) They have been vers of the north. Pearls are also found in our common oyfters, and in the common muscle, though of a small size.

The Sapphire has been found in feveral places, of different fhades, from a deep red to a tranfparent white, and of equal hardness with the oriental.

The topaz is found in many places of the Highlands, of various colours; the most beautiful are thofe that go by the name of Cairngoram, or Caringarom stones, from the mountain where they are found; they are in cryftals of fix fides.

The ruby and byacinth are found near Ely
in Fife. They are found mixed with the
fand of the fea, but the rock which runs

under the fand is full of them; few, how-
ever, are of any fize or very pure.

Emeralds are found in feveral different

places.

Amethys

fer the origin of its population. In the Gaelic, Scot or Scode fignifies a corner, or fmall divifion of a country. Others obferve, that, in the fame language, the word Scuit fignifies a wanderer, and fuppofe that this may have been the origin of Scot.

Granite, of a very fingular appearance, is found near Portory, and, it is believed, is found no where elfe. When polifhed, the figures very much refemble the Hebrew

characters

The foffils and ores found in Scotland are

various. It abounds with coal and limestone; variety of iron ores; cobalt, red, green, and yellow; filver, gold, lead, antimony, bismouth, &c. zeolites, micaceous ftones, afbeftus, great variety of amianthus, fhorles, and varieties of curious earths. All thefe will be particularly noticed, in describing the places where they are found.

REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.

AS it may be a gratification to our readers to fee a minute account of the manner in which duels authorised by law were formerly conducted, we will lay before them the following extract; premifing that, though the formalities ufed on fuch occafions, were regulated E by the heralds, the battle itself was enjoined by law, the trial by battle being part of the jurifprudence of the country, not only in former periods, but at this present day; for, though it be now fallen into difuetude, Blackftone fays that "the law which allowed fuch a mode " of trial has never been repealed :"

Inquiries into the Origin and Progress of
the Science of Heraldry in England, &c.
By James Dallaway, A. M. Fellow
of the Society of Antiquaries. 4to.
L. 2:2:6. Boards. White.

"ANCIENTLY when one perfon was accused by another without any further witness than the bare ipfe dixit of the accufer, the accufed party making good his own cause by ftrongly denying the fact, the matter was then referred to the decifion of the fword. If the parties were noble, the king himself was always present at the combat, feated on a scaffold, attended by the earl marshal and high conftable of England, who were to fee that no undue advantage was taken by either party. The conqueror was then declared innocent, and the vanquifhed guilty.—

The feventh of June, a combate was foughte before the King's palace at Weftminster, on the pavement there, betwixt one Sir John Annesley knight, and one Thomas Katrington efquier.

The occafion of this ftrange and notable triall rofe hereof. The knight accufed the efquier of treafon, for that where the fortreffe of Sainte Saviour within the ifle of Conftantine in Normandie, belonging fometime to Sir John Chandos, had bin committed to the faid Katrington, as Captayne thereof, to keepe it against the enemies, he hadde for money folde and delivered it over to the Frenchmen, when he was fufficient ly provided, of men, munition and vittayles, to have defended it against them; and fith the inheritance of that fortreffe, and lands belonging thereto, had apperteyned to the said Annesley in righte of VOL. LVIII.

his wife, as nearest coufin by affinitie unto Sir John Chandos if, by the falfe conveyance of the faid Katrington, it had not bin made away and alienated into the enimies hands, hee offered therefore to trie the quarrell by combate, againft the faide Katrington, whereupon the fame Katrington was apprehended, and putte in prifon, but shortly after fet at libertie againe.

Whilft the Duke of Lancaster* during the time that his father King Edward lay in hys laft fickneffe, did in al things what liked him, and fo at the contemplation of the lord Latimer, as was thought, hee released Katrington for the time, fo that Sir John Annefly could not come to the effect of his fute in the meane time, till nowe. Such as feared to be charged with the like offences, stayed the matter, till at length, by the opinion of true and auntiente knights, it was defyned, that for fuch a foreign controverfe that hadde not rifen within the limmittes of the realme, but touched poffeffion of thynges on the further fide of the fea, it was lawful to have it tryed by battayle, if the cause were firft notified to the coneftable and marfhal of the realme, and that the combate was accepted by the parties.

Hereupon was the day and place appoynted, and all things provided readie, with lyftes rayled and made fo fubftantially, as if the fame fhoulde have endured for ever. The concourfe of people that came to London to fee this tried, was thought to exceede that of the king's coronation, fo defyrous were men to behold a fight fo ftrange and unaccuftomed.

The king and his nobles, and all the people being come togyther in the morning of the day appoynted, to the place where the lyftes were fet up, the knight being armed and mounted on a fayre courfer feemely trapped, entered first as appellant, staying til his adversarie the defendant fhould come. And shortly after was the efquier called to defend his cause, in this fourme. Thomas Katrington defendant, come and appeare to fave the action, for which Sir John Annefley knight and appellant, hath publiquely, and by writing, apelled thee: he being * The famous John of Ghent.

G

thus