MR EDITOR, FOR THE SCOTS MAGAZINE. EMBOLDENED by your polite reception of my few obfervations on Provincial Coins, (Scots Magazine for March laft, p. 184), I have to fuggeft by way of fupplement, that a fixth clafs of devices, worthy of diftinction and imitation, ought to have been included. Some derive confiderable dignity from their recording hiftorical events, or fhew "the very age and body of the time, its form and preffure," in bearing fymbols of the high spirit of political party which is characteristic of thefe days. The naval victory of the first of June 1794: the nuptials of the Prince of Wales, and Duke of York; and the imprisonment of Ridgeway and Symonds are recited on London half-pence. One exhibits Paine on a gibbet, as a worthless criminal; while others clafs him with Sir Thomas More, and mention him with applaufe, &c. With regard to future improvement in the fabric of Coins, it fhould have been remarked, that among the best pieces recently publifhed, not a few are formed deftitute of the date of the year when they were iffued; of fuch are most of the half-pence of Kempfon of Birmingham bearing public buildings; on thole of Skidmore of Holborn, although the periods when St Andrews and St Lukes churches were founded *Two small typographical errata occur in that paper, which permit me to take this opportunity of noticing; on p. 186. col. a. for " Mr Bonftone," read " Mr Boulton," and in the following line, for "principal" read "principle." ACCOUNT OF THE THE fluctuating State of Public Credit throughout Europe, the Obfervations which have lately been made on the Conduct of the Bank of England, and the threatened Progrefs of the French in Italy, unite in rendering the following Extract peculiarly interefting in the present Crisis. THE fyftem and practice of funding, are given, no year appears for the coin: Caermarthen half-penny has the ironworks, and the Stratford one commemorates Shakespear, and tells, what every body knows, the years of his birth and death; but thefe pieces are registered into no æra of time with refpect to themselves. In monuments fo lafting, this is a moft deplorable and radical defect: The omiffion cannot be too feverely reprobated, nor its future correction too earnestly entreated and enjoined. Mr Boulton's improvement is differently modified, in different pieces; fome having circular, and others ellipti cal portions of the field, bearing the more interesting fubjects of the defign, funk in deeper then the level of the exterior parts. The original of this beautiful invention feems to have been from the hand of Dupré, a Parifian artist, in his fine "Medaille, qui fe vend cinq fols chez Monneron," struck on the first great era of the French Revolution in 1790. It should finally be obferved, that as the tradefmen who iffue provincial curcency, are in fome cafes, perfons of no great knowledge or taste, it is the duty of the engravers or undertakers employed by them, to fuggeft the defigns and form, which might confer the greatest degree of refpectability on the appearance of their coins. For this purpose the attention of Artifts is humbly follicited to the papers of From the Country,} April 1796. CIVIS, liberal curiofity to trace the outlines of its origin and progrefs, not only as it was, in fome degree, the model of all those which have fucceffively arifen in Europe; but, as it powerfully evinces the extensive commerce and credit of the Republic, at that early period, and when these advantages were exclufively confined to the Italian States. property; and when, in the year 1453, that conqueror made himself master of Pera, the fhock given to their commerce and credit was fo great, as to induce them to make over to the body of credi tors the city of Caffa, and every other colony or poffeffion in the Black Sea. The calamities, foreign and domestic, were fuch at this period, that the shares At the beginning of the fifteenth cen- fell fixty-feven per cent. before the year tury the Genoefe, from the expence 1464. But, when Francis Sforza, attending their wars, and from other Duke of Milan, became Sovereign of caufes, having contracted a confiderable Genoa, the wisdom and vigour of his public debt, mortgaged the revenues government foon revived its credit. Such to the perfons who had thus advanced was the confidence excited by these money to the State. In 1407 the in- qualities, that the Bank of St George dividuals were formed into a corporate voluntarily refigned to him, in 1465, body, and eight administrators, or direc- the Sovereignty of Corfica; he, nottors, were appointed to regulate its con- withstanding, declined its acceptance, cerns. The creditors themselves chofe and immediately restored it to that thefe, who were not only declared in- body. dependent of the government, but poffeffed a power of determining finally all matters relative to their conftituents. The Doge and the Supreme Council of State, when they entered on the administration, took an oath never to interfere with, nor violate the privileges of the Bank. It became neceffary, in 1444, to add eight new directors, who conftituted a separate and distinct board from thofe originally appointed; and a council was afterwards added, compofed of one hundred proprietors, vested with unlimited powers. The fluctuations in the value of the ftock appear to have been very conGiderable, and to have always born an exact proportion to the profperity or misfortunes of the Commonwealth. In the first year after the institution of the Bank, the troubles, which were exited by the Guelf and Ghibelline factions, greatly reduced its value; but, on the election of a Doge, acceptable to both parties, in 1415, and the restoration of a temporary calm, the stock, or fhares, rofe 44 per cent. Previous to the capture of Conftantinople by Mahomet the Second, the Republic refigned to the Bank the Ifland of Corfica, as a fecurity for their Under his fon, Galeazzo, Caffa was loft, the Genoefe commerce fuffered fevere depredations, and the State was again rent by y civil war and commotion: but, in 1488, Louis Sforza having made himself master of the Republic, credit revived under his administration, and the shares in the Bank rose proportionally in value. In It is a matter of equal admiration and attention, that, during all the revolu tions, confpiracies, and political convulfions, with which Genoa was affected, no Prince ever attempted to violate the privileges enjoyed by the Bank, or to invade the public credit, infeparably connected with that inftitution. 1508, when Louis the Twelfth, King of France, entered Genoa as a conqueror, caufed the records and archives of the commonwealth to be burnt, and conftructed a citadel at the expence of the vanquished citizens; he caused a folemn declaration to be registered, importing, that the fociety of St George fhould remain in the poffeffion of all its ancient rights and prerogatives. To this inviolability was owing its permanent credit, which, though continually shaken, as conftantly revived. After the middle of the fifteenth 4 H 2 Century To increase the fingularity of the inflitution, its administration was as permanent and unchangeable as that of the Republic was agitated, mutable, and century, fome of the most effential and ment and poffeffion of all these powers. important functions of the fovereign. power were devolved on, and executed by, the Bank; nor is it easy, in many cafes to difcriminate its acts and authority, from those of the ftate itself. In fluctuating. No alterations ever took 1484, that Society received the city of Sarzana in depofit, and immediately fent a garrifon thither. When Corfica revolted, in 1497, they dispatched forces to reduce the inland to fubjection, and named the general, to whom the expedition was entrusted. At the peace of Cateau, in 1559, Henry the Second, King of France, restored his Corfican conquefts, not to the Republic, but to the Society of St George. In like manner, when the infurrection began anew in that island, in 1563, the fame Company profecuted the war to its conclufion; and the oath of fubmiffion, taken by the rebel chiefs, when they laid down their arms and returned to their allegiance, in 1568, was tendured by, and received in, the name of the Bank. It continued long afterwards in the enjoy place in its mode of regulation and government. The Republican and independent Powers were fettled for fome time in the fame city, without their producing any fort of difcord or shock. It has, however, been matter of inquiry and difcuffion, whether, notwithstanding the advantages which Genoa derived from fo vaft a fource of public credit, the establishment did not accelerate the decline of the State. This question is one, which, depending upon principles of finance, it is difficult to refolve; but the facility which the Bank lent to many operations of commerce, and the fecurity which it held out to those who had vefted in it their property, unqueftionably tended to give a confideration to the Republic, after the lofs of her colonies and diminution of her trade. REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS. Journey from Prince of Wales's Fort in On arriving at the end of his journey, Mr Hearne found the copper-mine river extremely different from the defcription which the Indians had given of it at the factory. Instead of being navigable for fhipping, as they had reprefented, it was fcarcely navigable for a canoe; being very full of fhoals, and there being three falls in fight at once. Mr Hearne intended to make a furvey of the river, but his defign was interrupted by the measures of the North American Indians who accompanied him. Three of them had been fent out as fpies to fee whether any of the Efquimaux inhabited between the river fide and the fea. Their difcovery, and its consequences, shall be re lated in Mr Hearne's own words, as a fpecimen of his narrative: "Ar this time (the 16th of July 1771), it being about noon, the three men who had been fent as spies met us on their return, and informed my companions that five tents of Efquimaux were on the weft fide of the river. The fituation, they faid, was very convenient for furprifing them; and, according to their account, I judged it to be about twelve miles from the place (at which) we met the fpies. When the Indians received this intelligence, no farther attendance or attention was paid to my survey, but their whole thoughts were immediately engaged in planning the beft method of attack, and how they might fteal on the poor Efquimaux the ensuing night, and kill them all while afleep. To accomplish this bloody defign more effectually, the Indians thought it neceffary to cross the river as foon as poffible; and, by the account of the fpies, it appeared that no part was more convenient for the purpofe than that where we had met them, it being there very smooth, and at a con- was as unnavigable as it was in those fiderable diftance from any fall. Ac- parts which I had surveyed before, and cordingly, after the Indians had put all which entirely correfponded with the their guns, fpears, targets, &c. in good accounts given of it by the spies. order, we croffed the river, which took up fome time. When we arrived on the Weft fide of the river, each painted the front of his target or fhield; fome with the figure of the Sun, others with that of the Moon, feveral with different kinds of birds and beafts of prey, and many with the images of imaginary beings, which, according to their filly notions, are the inhabitants of the different elements, earth, fea, air, &c. On inquiring the reason of their doing fo, I learned that each man painted his fhield with the image of that being on which he relied most for fuccefs in the intended engagement. Some were contented with a fingle reprefentation; while others, doubtful, as I fuppofe, of the quality and power of any fingle being, had their fhields covered to the very margin with a group of hieroglyphics quite unintelligible to every one except the painter. Indeed, from the hurry in which this business was neceffarily done, the want of every colour but black, and the deficiency of skill in the artist, most of those paintings had more the appearance of a number of accidental blotches, than "of any thing that is on the earth, or in the water under the earth;" and though fome few of them conveyed a tolerable degree of the thing intended, yet even these were many degrees worfe than our country fign-paintings in England. When this piece of fuperftition was completed, we began to advance toward the Efquimaux tents; but were very careful to avoid croffing any hills, or talking loud, for fear of being feen or overheard by the inhabitants; by which means the distance was not only much greater than it otherwife would have been, but, for the fake of keeping in the lowest grounds, we were obliged to walk through entire swamps of stiff marly clay, fometimes up to the knees. Our courfe, however, on this occafion, tho' very serpentine, was not altogether fo remote from the river as entirely to exclude me from a view of it the whole time: on the contrary, several times (according to the fituation of the ground) we advanced fo near it, as to give me an opportunity of convincing myfelf that it It is perhaps worth remarking, that my crew, though an undisciplined rabble, and by no means accustomed to war or command, feemingly acted on this horrid occafion with the utmost uniformity of fentiment. There was not among them the leaft altercation or feparate opinion; all were united in the general caufe, and as ready to follow where old Matonabbee led, as he appeared to be ready to lead, according to the advice of an old Copper Indian, who had joined us on our first arrival at the river where this bloody bufinefs was first propofed. Never was reciprocity of interest more generally regarded among a number of people, than it was on the present occafion by my crew, for not one was a moment in want of any thing that another could fpare; and if ever the spirit of difinterefted friendship expanded the heart of a Northern Indian, it was exhibited in the most extenfive meaning of the word. Property of every kind that could be of general ufe now ceafed to be private, and every one who had any thing which came under that defcription, feemed proud of an opportunity of giv ing it, or lending it thofe who had none, or were most in want of it. The number of my crew was fo much greater than that which five tents could contain, and the warlike manner in which they were equipped fo greatly superior to what could be expected of the poor Efquimaux, that no less than a total maí facre of every one was likely to be the cafe, unless Providence fhould work a miracle for their deliverance. The land was fo fituated that we walked under cover of the rocks and hills till we were within two hundred yards of the tents. There we lay in ambush for fome time, watching the motions of the Efquimaux; and here the Indians would have advised me to stay till the fight was over, but to this I could by no means confent; for I confidered that when the Efquimaux came to be surprised, they would try every way to efcape, and if they found me alone, not knowing me from an enemy, they would probably proceed to violence againft me when no perfon was near to affift. For this reafon I determined to accompany them, telling telling them at the fame time, that I ter. One alternative only remained, While we lay in ambush, the Indians performed the laft ceremonies which were thought neceffary before the engagement. These chiefly confifted in painting their faces; fome all black, fome all red, and others with a mixture of the two; and to prevent their hair from blowing into their eyes, it was either tied before and behind, and on both fides, or else cut fhort all round. The Bext thing they confidered was to make themselves as light as poffible for running; which they did, by pulling off their ftockings, and either cutting off the fleeves of their jackets, or rolling them up close to their arm-pits; and though the muskettoes at the fame time were fo numerous as to furpaís all credibility, yet fome of the Indians actually pulled off their jackets and entered the lifts quite naked, except their breechcloths and fhoes. Fearing I might have occafion to run with the reft, I thought it also advisable to pull off my ftockings and cap, and to tie my hair as close up as poffible. By the time the Indians had made themselves thus completely frightful, it was near one o'clock in the morning of the feventeenth; when finding all the Efquimaux quiet in their tents, they rushed forth from their ambuscade, and and fell on the poor unfufpecting creatures unperceived till clofe at the very eves of their tents, when they foon began the bloody maffacre, while I stood neuter in the rear. In a few feconds the horrible fcene commenced; it was fhocking beyond defcription; the poor unhappy victims were furprised in the midst of their fleep, and had neither time power to make The fhricks and groans of the poor expiring wretches were truly dreadful; and my horror was much increased at seeing a young girl, seemingly about eighteen years of age, killed fo near me, that when the first spear was stuck into her fide fhe fell down at my feet, and twifted round my legs, fo that it was with difficulty that I could difengage myself from her dying grafps. As two Indian men pursued this unfortunate victim, I folicited very hard for her life; but the murderers made no reply till they had stuck both their fpears through her body, and transfixed her to the ground. They then looked me fternly in the face, and began to ridicule me, by asking if I wanted an Efquimaux wife; and paid not the smallest regard to the fhrieks and agony of the poor wretch, who was twining round their spears like an eel! Indeed, after receiving much abufive language from them on the occafion, I was at length obliged, to defire that they would be more expiditious in dispatching their victim out of her misery, otherwife I fhould be obliged, out of pity, to affift in the friendly office of putting an end to the exiftence of a fellow-creature who was fo cruelly wounded. On this requeft being made, one of the Indians haftily drew his spear from the place where it was firft lodged, and pierced it through her breaft near the heart. The love of life, however, even in this most miserable state, was fo predominate, that though this might juftly be called the moft merciful act that could be done for the poor creature, it feemed to be unwelcome, for though much exhausted by pain and loss of blood, fhe made feveral efforts to ward off the friendly blow. My fituation and the terror of my mind at beholding this butchery, cannot easily be conceived, much lefs defcribed; though I fummed up all the fortitude I was mafter of on the occaiion, it was with difficulty that I could refrain from tears; and I am confident that my features must have any refistance; men men, and chil- feelingly expreffed how fincerely I was dren, in all upwards of twenty, ran out of their tents stark naked, and endeavoured to make their escape; but the Indians having poffeffion of all the landfide, to no place could they fly for fhel affected at the barbarous fcene I then witneffed; even at this hour I cannot reflect on the tranfactions of that horrid day without shedding tears.' " |