into a jar, where he fits up to the chin in water; when the jars are filled with counfellors, they proceed to deliberate on the great concerns of the people. This to be fure, forms a very grotefque idea; but the object is to tranfact the public bufinefs. They have been accuftomed to do it in this way, and can do it in no other. To them, therefore, it is rational and convenient. Indeed, if we confider it impartially, there feems to be no reason why a counsellor may not be as wife in an earthen jar as in an elbow chair; or why the good of the people may not be as maturely confidered, and as effectually promoted in the one as in the other. The established manners of every country are the standards of propriety with the people who have adopted them, and every nation affumes the right of confidering all deviations from their fashions and cuftoms as barbarifms and abfurdities. The Chinese have retained their laws and customs unaltered for ages immemorial; and altho' they have long had a free intercourfe with European nations, and are well acquainted with their improvements in arts and modes of civilization, yet they are so far from being convinced of any fuperiority in the European manners, that their government takes the moft ferious precautions to prevent the barbarifms of other nations from taking root amongst them. It employs the utmost vigilance and attention to enjoy the benefits of commerce, and at the fame time guard against innovations in the characteristic manners of these people. Since the difcovery of Sandwich Islands in the South Sea, they have been vifited by fhips of different nations; but the inhabitants have fhewn no inclination to prefer the dress and manners of foreigners to their own. It is even probable that they pity the ignorance of the Europeans they have feen, and hug themselves in the propriety of their own cultoms, and the fuperior advancement of their own civilization. There is nothing new in thefe obfervations; and I had no intention of making them when I fat down, but they obtruded themselves upon me. My wifh is to give you fome acconnt of the people of these new States, but I am far from being qualified for the purpofe; having, as yet, feen little more than the cities of New-York and Philadelphia, I have difcovered but few national fingularities amongst them. Their cuftoms and manners are nearly the fame with thofe of England, which they have long been used to copy. For, previous to the Révolution, the Americans were, from their infancy, taught to look up to the English as patterns of perfection in all s. I have obferved, however, one cuf tom which, for ought I know, is peculiar to this country. An account of it will ferve to fill up the remainder of this fheet, and may afford you fome amusement. When a young couple are about to enter on the matrimonial ftate, a never-failing article in the marriage-treaty is, that the lady fhall have and enjoy the free and unmolefted exercife of the rights of white-washing, with all its ceremonials, privileges, and appurtenances. A young woman would forego the most advantageous connection, and even disappoint the warmeft with of her heart, rather than refign this invaluable right. You will wonder what this privilege of white-washing is: I will endeavour to give you fome idea of the ceremony, as I have feen it performed. There is no feafon of the year in which the lady may not claim her privilege, if the pleafes; but the latter end of May is moft generally fixed upon for the purpose. The attentive husband may judge by certain prognoftics when the ftorm is nigh at hand. When the lady is usually fretful, finds fault with the fervants, is difcontented with the children, and complains much of the naftiness of every thing about her,-these are figns which ought not to be neglected; yet they are not decifive, as they sometimes occur and go off again, without producing any further effect. But if, when the hufband rifes in the morning, he should obferve in the yard a wheel-barrow with a quantity of line in it, or fhould fee certain buckets with lime diffolved in water, there is then no time to be loft: he immediately locks up the apartment or closet where his papers or his private property are kept, and putting the key in his pocket, betakes himself to flight: For a husband, however beloved, becomes a perfect nuifance during this feafon of female rage; his authority is fuperfe ded, his commiffion is fufpended, and the very fcullion who cleans the braffes in the kitchen becomes of more confideration and importance than him. He has nothing for it, but to abdicate, and run from an evil which he can neither prevent nor mollify. The husband gone, the ceremony begins. The walls are in a few minutes ftripped of their furniture; paintings, prints, and looking-glaffes lie in an huddled heap about the floors, the curtains are torn from the testers, the beds crammed into the windows; chairs and tables, bedsteads and cradles crowd the yard; and the garden-fence bends beneath the weight of carpets, blankets, cloth cloaks, old coats, and ragged breeches. Here may be seen the lumber of the kitchen forming a dark and confused mass: for the foreground of the picture, grid-irons and frying-pans, rufty rufty fhovels and broken tongs, fpits and 16 heads, "Find out their en'mies now. thou wretch, Tremble, "That haft within thee undivulged crimes "Unwhipt of justice !—" Clofe pent-up Guilt, "Raife your concealing continents, and afk "These dreadful summoners grace! —" This ceremony compleated, and the houfe thoroughly evacuated, the next operaten is to fmear the walls and cielings of every room and clofet, with brushes dipped in a folution of lime called white-wash; to pour buckets of water over every floor, and fcratch all the partitions and wainscots with rough brushes wet with-foap fuds, and dipped in ftone-cutter's fand. The windows by no means escape the general deluge. A fervant fcrambles out upon the pent-house, at the risk of her neck, and with a mug in her hand, and a bucket within reach, the dafhes away innumerable gallons of water against the glafe panes; to the great annoyance of the paffengers in the ftreet. I have been told that an action at law was once brought against one of these water nymphs, by a perfon who had a new fuit of cloaths fpoiled by this operation; but after long argument, it was determined by the whole court, that the action would not lie, in as much as the defendant was in the exercife of a legal right, and not answerable for the confequences: and fo the poor gentleman was doubly non-fuited; for he loft not only his fuit of cloaths, but his fuit at law. These smearings and feratchings, washings and dafhings, being duly performed, the next ceremonial is to cleanfe and replace the distracted furniture. You may have feen a houfe-raifing or a fhip-launch, when all the hands within reach are collected together recollect, if you can, the hurry, bufthe, confufion and noife of fuch a fcene, and you will have fome idea of this cleaning match. The misfortune is, that the fole object is to make things clean: it matters not how many useful, ornamental, or valuable articles are mutilated, or fuffer death under the operation: a mahogany chair and carved frame undergo the fame difcipline; they are to be made clean at all events; but their prefervation is not worthy of attention. For inftance, a fine large engraving is laid flat upon the floor; fmaller prints are piled upon it, until the fuperincumbent weight cracks the glaffes of the lower tier ; but this is of no confequence. A valuable picture is placed leaning against the fharp corner of a table; others are made to lean against that, until the preffure of the whole forces the corner of the table through the canvas of the firft. The frame and glass of a fine print are to be cleaned, the fpirit and oil ufed on this occafion are fuffered to leak through and spoil the engraving; no matter if the glafs is clean and the frame fhines, it is fufficient; the reft is not worthy of confideration. An able arithmetician hath made an accurate calculation, founded on long experience, difcovered, that the loffes and deftruction incident to two white-washings are equal to one removal, and three removals equal to one fice. The cleanfing frolic over, matters begin to refume their priftine appearance. The ftorm abates, and all would be well again, but it is impoffible that fo great a convulfion, in fo fmall a community, fhould not produce fome further effects. For two or three weeks after the operation, the family are ufually afflicted with fore eyes or fore throats; occafioned by a cauftic quality of the lime, or with fevere colds from the exhalations of wet floors or damp walls. I know a gentleman who is fond of accounting for every thing in a philofophical way. He confiders this which I have called a custom, as a real periodical difeafe, peculiar to the climate. His train of reafoning is ingenious and whimsical; but am not at leifure to give you a detail. The refult was, that he found the diftemper to be incurable; but after much ftudy he conceived he had discovered a method to divert the evil he could not fubdue. For this purpose he caused a small building, about twelve feet fquare, to be erected in his garden, and furnished with fome ordinary chairs and tables; and a few prints of the cheapest fort were hung against the walls. His hope was, that when the white-wafning frenzy feized the females of his family, they might repair to this apartment, and scrub, and feour, and fmear to their heart's content; and to fpend the violence or the difeafe in this outpoft, while he enjoyed himtelf in quiet at head-quarters. But then mert did not answe anfwer his expectation; it was impoffible it fhould, fince a principal part of the gratification confifts in the lady's having an uncontrouled right to torment her husband at least once in a year, and to turn him out of doors, and take the reins of government in her own hands. to the yard. The tradesman had neglected to enter the credit in his book; the defendant could find nothing to obviate the charge, and fo judgment went against him for the debt and cofts. A fortnight after the whole was fettled, and the money paid, one of the children found the receipt amongst the dirt in the yard. There is a much better contrivance than this of the philofopher's; which is, to co- There is also another custom peculiar to ver the walls of the houfe with paper: this the city of Philadelphia, and nearly alluding is generally done; and though it cannot abo- to the former. I mean that of washing the life, it at leaft fhortens the period of female pavement before the doors every Saturday dominion. The paper is decorated with evening. I at first took this to be a regulaflowers of various fancies, and made fo or- tion of the police; but on further inquiry namental that the women have admitted find it is a religious rite, preparatory to the the fashion, without perceiving the defign. Sabbath; and is, I believe, the only religi There is also another alleviation of the ous rite in which the numerous fectaries of hufband's diftrefs; he generally has the pri- this city perfectly agree. The ceremony bevilege of a fmall room or closet for his books gins about fun-fet, and continues till about and papers, the key of which he is allowed to ten or eleven at night. It is very difficult for keep. This is confidered as a privileged a ftranger to walk the ftreets on thofe evenplace, and ftands like the land of Gothen ings; he runs a continual rifk of having a amidit the plagues of Egypt. But then he bucket of dirty water thrown against his legs: must be extremely cautious, and ever on his but a Philadelphian born is fo much accuftomguard. For fhould he inadvertently goed to the danger, that he avoids it with furabroad and leave the key in his door, the houle-maid, who is always on the watch for fuch an opportunity, immediately enters in triumph with buckets, brooms, and brushes, takes poffeffion of the premifes, and forth with puts all his books and papers to rights! 4o his utter confufion, and fometimes ferious detriment had untied For inftance: a A gentleman was fued by the executors of a tradefman, on a charge found against him in the deceafed's books, to the amount of L. 30. The defendant was ftrongly in preffed with an idea that he had difcharged the debt and taken a receipt; but as the tranfaction was of long standing, he knew not where to find the receipt. The fuit went on in courie, and the time approached when judgment would be obtained against him. He then fat ferieufly down to examine a large bundle of old papers, which he on and difplayed table for the purpose. In the midft of his fearch, he was fuddenly called away on bufinefs of importance; he forgot to lock the door of his room. The houfe-maid, who had been long looking out for fuch an oppor tunity, immediately entered with the ufual implements, and with great elacrity fell to cleaning the room, and putting things to rights. The firit object that truck her eye was the confufed fituation of the papers on the table; thefe were, without delay, bundled together, like to many dirty knives and forks but in the action a finall piece of pa per fell unnoticed on the floor, which happened to be the very receipt in queftion: as it had no very refpeatable appearance, it was foon after fwept out with the common of the room, and carried in a diet pan prifing dexterity. It is from this circumstance It must be acknowledged that the ablutions I have mentioned are attended with o fmall inconvenience; but the women would not be induced, for any confideration, to refign their privilege. Notwithstanding this, I can give you the ftrongeft affurances that the women of America make the most faithful wives, and the most attentive mothers in the world; and I am fure you will join me in opinion, that if a married man is made miferable only for one week in a whole year, he will have no great caufe to complain of the matrimonial bond. This letter has run to a length I did not Sketch of the Life and Character of the rati fame, yet the inquifitive mind is not always content with reading or underfländing a work of genius, or contemplating the beauties of a fabric. Thus, in perufing a work of diftinguished merit, or viewing an ingenious piece of mechanism, when the first tranfports of our admiration fubfide, we want to be informed of the author, or artift. So the Marquis de l'Hofpital, when he first heard of the discoveries of the immortal Newton, exclaimed, “Does Mr. Newton eat, drink, and fleep like other men?" Anecdotes alone can fatisfy this laudable curiofity; but it has been a complaint, too often well founded, that moft of those concerning men of fcience, are generally buried in oblivion. It is owing to this neglect that one of the greatest mathematicians this age has given birth to, now lies undistinguished in a little country church yard; I mean, the great Mr. Emerson, who has enriched science with fo many valuable publications. What has already transpired respecting the fabject of the following Sketch, is, for the moft part, of a political nature: indeed, his life was an active one; but he joined theory and practice; and though Holland may boaft a Cochorn, and France a Vauban, yet England can boast their superiors in a Robins and a Watson. Henry Watfon was the fon of a grazier, who lived at Holbeach in Lincolnshire, where he was born in or about the year 1737 When twelve or thirteen years old, he was fent to Gofberton-school, then kept by Meff. Birks. Here his genius for the mathematics foon difcovered itself; and his application was fo great, that, it is faid, in a little time he furpaffed his masters: indeed, his progress must have been rapid, for as early as 1753, he cut a confpicuous figure as a mathematician in the Ladies Diary. About this time, the late Mr. Whichcot of Harpfwell, then and many years after one of the Members of Parliament for Lincolnfhire, hearing of young Wation's extraordinary abilities, fent for him, and had him examined by the master of Brigg school, whofe seport was fo much in his favour, that Mr. Whichcot, ever ready to encourage rifing merit, ufed his intereft and got him into the Royal Academy at Woolwich; and he foon after obtained a commiffion in the corps of engineers. Under that great mathematician, Mr. Thomas Simplon, then the Profeffor, he profecuted his ftudies, and continued to write for the Ladies Diary, which at that time was conducted by Mr. Simpfon, till 1751, the year after Sirapfon died. After being the Icholar, he became the friend and intimate of Simpfon, who always held him in the great eft efteem; and fuch was his opinion of Watfon's abilities, that at his decafe he left Gent. Mag. Jan. 1788. him his unfinished mathematical papers, with a requeft, that he would revise them, and make what alterations and additions he might think neceffary: and it is faid, that the Colonel employed much of his leifure-time in correcting and finishing them. One of these manufcripts of Simpfon, I am told, is a Treatife on the conftruction of Bridges: this the Colonel has finished, and it is hoped, that the mathematical world will not be déprived of it. During the war which broke out in 1756, he gave fignal proofs of his fuperior abilities as an engineer; particularly at the fiege of Bellifle in 1761, and at the Havannah in 1762. At the latter place, his skill was particularly put to the proof; for having declared at a confultation, contrary to the opinion of the other engineers, that a breach might be made in the Moro Caftle, then deemed impregnable, he was afked by the Commander in Chief, in what tim he would engage to make the breach? He gave for anfwer, that with a certain number of men and cannon (naming them) he would undertake to do it in forty-eight hours after the propofed batteries were erected. Accordingly he undertook it, and though he was ftruck down by the wind of a ball which paffed near his head, and carried for dead to his tent, yet he foon recovered and returned to his duty, and the breach was made in a little more than half the time. For this piece of service he not only received the particular thanks of the Commander in Chief, but of his Majesty. His abilities foon became too confpicuous to be overlooked by that eminent foldier and politician, Lord Clive, who fingled him out as an engineer qualified for great and noble enterprizes. Accordingly, he accompanied his Lordship to Bengal, for the purpose of carrying fuch plans into execution, which might be thought neceffary for the prefervation of the British acquifitions in that quar ter; or to affift his Lordship in any further operations he might think requifite for the intereft of his country It was not difficult for a person of the Co lonel's penetration, to fee the advantageous fituation of the Bay of Bengal. He knew that if proper forts were built, and the Englifh marine put on a tolerable footing in that part, they might soon become mafters of the Eaftern leas; he, therefore, got a grant of lands from the Eaft-India Company, for conAtructing wet and dry docks, and a marine yard at Calcutta, for cleansing, repairing, and furnishing with ftores, the men of war and merchantinen. A plan of the undertaking was drawn, engraved, and prefented to his Majefty, and the Eaft-India Company and fully approved of; and the works were carried on for fome years with a spirit and D vigour: vigour that manifefted the judgment and abilities of the undertaker: and though the utility of fuch a great and national concern, is too obvious to be infifted on; yet the Colonel, after finking upwards of 100,000l. of. his own property in the noble defign, was obliged to defift, to the eternal difgrace of this nation. It is very natural for the reader to afk, why the Colonel was flopped in his proceed. ings Time, perhaps, may answer this queftion; at prefent we must be content with conjectures. It is well known, that about this time the French had fufficient reafon to be jealous of the growing power of Great Britain, efpecially in the East Indies and it is alfo as well known how Lord Clive and his friends were treated both at home and in the Eaft-Indies, after the Earl of Chatham's administration. Colone Wation had determined to come immediately for England to feek redrefs; but, on confulting his friend Mr. Creaffy, (the, fuperintendant of his works) he changed his refolution. Mr. Creaffy reprefented to the Colonel, the lofs he would fuftain quitting fo lucrative an employment, as chief engineer, to the East-India Company; the gratification his enemies would receive on his leaving that country; the expences attending a voy age to and from Europe; the lofs the Company might experience during his abfence; and finally, the delay and uncertainty of the law. These confiderations induced him to fend Mr. Creafly in his ftead. This happened juft at the eve of the laft Spanish war; and, as the Colonel had great quantities of iron and timber in ftore, he refolved to build three hips, two of 36, and one of 32 guns; and in confequence, he fent inftructions to his agents in England to procure Letters of Marque: and Mr Creafly was to return with them over land. Thefe veffels were to crive off the Philippines, for the purpose of intercepting the Spanish trade between Manilla and China. This defign, however, was fruftrated, perhaps by the fame means that flopped his proceeding with the docks; for his agents applying for the letters, received a pofitive denial. the part of the nations then at war with the Company, and of the numerous cabale which perplexed and embarrassed their councils, he executed the works of Fort William, which will long remain a monument of his fuperior fkill, and, for its ftrength, may juftly be filed the Gibi altar of India. Nor are the works at Page Buge and Melancholy Point, conflructed with less judgment. But theie difappointments did not damp the Colonel's enterprifing fpirit; for, as foon as he heard of the ill fucceis of his agents in Tugland, he very prudently employed the two veffels he had finifhed, in commercial fervice. The third remains to this day un-; finished. Perhaps the Colonel has not left his fuperior as au engineer. For near ten years he was the thief engineer of Bengal, Babar, and, Orifla. The Faft-India Company, in a great meaarey owe their valuable poffeffions in that quarter to his unexampled exertions :: in fpite of party difputes, of bribery on But he did not confine his ftudies to the military fciences. In 1776 he publifhed a Tranflation of the celebrated Euler's Treatise, entitled, "Theorie complete de la Construction et de la Manguvre des Vaiffeaux." His motives for this undertaking will be feen best in the following extract from the dedication to Lord Sandwich. "The great variety of important knowledge contained in Euler's Theory of the Confruction and Management of Ships, and a wish to extend the benefit of his labours to fuch of my countrymen as are not converfant in the technical language of the original, have been my fole motives for attempting an English tranflation of that celebrated work. I shall be happy if the fuccefs of the learned profeffor, in treating the natural difficulties of the fubject, may excite the navigators and artists of this kingdom to render his theory more perfect, and to become as eminently fkilled in the fcientific, as they now confelfedly are in all the practical branches of their profellion. - This work is divided into three Books, befides a Supplement. Book 1. is upon the efforts of the water to bend the veffel- -Upon the means of giving to veffels a fufficient degree of stability Upon the rolling and pitching of vellels. Bouk 2. of the resistance which veffels experience in their courses, and upon the action of the rudder. Book 3. Upon the masts, and of the management of vesfils. The Supplement, is upon the action of oars, This the Colonel received in manufcript from Euler, just before he had finished the tranflation of what was published. But the Colonel has not given a mere tranflation ; for he has enriched it with many additions and improvements of his own; and he intended to have enlarged the work in a future edition, by making experiments for difcovering the refiftance of bodies when moving in a fluid, but I have not been able to learn if he has left any papers on the subjeA. This book, which is almost the only one of the kind in the English language, ought to be in the hands of every Mafter-fhipbuilder; for though the fubjects are handled fufficiently, yet fuch practical rules for conftructing vellels to advantage, mig drawn therefrom, as would amply repay the trouble of a clofe perufal. The Colonel has given the best proof of this in the Nonfuch and Surprize frigates; the first, of 36, and the other |
