Massena.

No nation in Europe has experienced a greater degree of degeneracy than the inhabitants of modern Italy. Does this proceed from fuperftition that degrades; tyranny that humbles and debases; or an unmanly refinement, that bursts into ecftacies at the warblings of a Caltrato, unmans the fex, in order to charm the ear, and cuts off the fource of population, to gratify the momentary longings of a debauched appetite!

It has been afferted by a refpect able traveller, that the defcendants of a nation which once enriched the world with fcience and the arts, and afforded the noblest monuments of human virtue and human kill, notwithstanding the cruel yoke of the Maffulmans, ftill call to mind the greatness of their ancestors. We are affured, they not unfrequently hint that they are fprung from thofe Greeks who were no lefs memorable in arts than arms, and not only recapitulate the feats of their progenitors, but actually point out the fcenes of their glory.

Notwithstanding appearances, this is precifely the cafe, and perhaps, in a ftill greater degree with the defcendants of the ancient Romans. Among them, too, firft arofe the free and independent little commonwealths of Europe, and the feeds of early liberty have not yet been entirely choked by the triple fervitude of civil, religious, and foreign domination. In addition to this, the foundations of a new republic have lately been laid in a claffic foil, and the names of Buonaparte, Maffena, Cervoni, &c. may ferve to remind them in fome degree, of the Brutufes, the Catos, and the Scipios of antiquity.

Maffena is now about thirty-fix years of age. He was born in Nice, at a period when it appertained to the House of Savoy, into whofe fervice he entered early in life. The repro ach is not peculiar to the

court of Turin, that, without protection, merit cannot make any progrefs. How many officers of talents in our country have beheld the bastard legitimate fon of a lord taking rank and precedence of them, in confequence of fuperior intereft? It was well obferved by an English fubaltern, "that, in order to attain a rapid promotion, he would rather be backed by a rotten borough, than poffefs the military talents of Turenne!"

Maffena became an enfign in the Sardinian army, and an enfign he might have remained to this moment, had he chofen to continue in that fervice. But a better destiny awaited him, and in purfuit of that, he threw up his commiffion, and entering into a French legion, foon diftinguished himself.

It was at the capture of Sofpello, that he firft developed his military talents, and it was entirely owing to him, that Saorgio, in the campaign of 1794, yielded to the republican arms. For this fervice, he was rewarded with the rank of general of divifion.

No fooner was Buonaparte appointed to the command of the army of Italy, than the local knowledge, intrepidity and experience of Maffena, pointed him out as an able officer, capable of feconding his views, and advancing his progrefs. We accordingly find him, in the spring of 1796, " acting a brilliant part, under the arms of that celebrated commander, at the battles of Montenotte and Monte Lezino, against the Sardinian army, in which he had formerly ferved as an obfcure individual.

He was alfo prefent at the fucceffive actions of Millefimo, Dego, Mondovi, and Coffaria, in all of which he diftinguished himself by the impetuous valour with which he attacked the armies under Proveyra and Beaulieu.

He was no lefs fuccefsful against Wurmfer, and contributed not a lit

tle

ancient policy. But this is not all:

the cruelty difplayed by her nobles, can be only equalled by their improvidence.

It is completely in the power of France to enfranchife their difcontented fubjects, on the Terra Firma, from a government they deteft; to leave the capital in poffeffion of only its fens and its marfhes; to diffolve the Council of Ten, which is dread. ed by all except those who exercise its odious prerogatives; and fo to humble the ftate in the person of its Doge, that he fhall no longer be al lowed even the mockery of "wedding the Adriatic !"

ON N the 29th of June 1793, difcovered an ifland from on board the Shah Hormazier, of Calcutta, then in company with the Chefterfield, in latitude 9o. 28'. S. and 146o. 57'. E. longitude, by good obferva

tion.

This new-difcovered land is called TATE'S ISLAND, in honour of MrTate, of Bombay.

On the Ift of July, the ships anchored in nine fathom water, about twelve miles to the eastward of Tate's Island; when it was propofed by Captain Bampton, of the Hormazier, to fend a boat from each ship to found two reefs of rocks, extending to the northward from the north point of the island to the fouthward from the fouth point.

The boats were accordingly difpatched; and when they had approached within about half a mile of the island, they perceived that the inland was inhabited.

The natives made figns to the feamen to come afhore; but the day being then far advanced, and not hav ing a fufficient quantity of arms and

ammunition in cafe they were attack. ed, they thought it most prudent to make the best of their way back to the fhips.

When the natives faw they were about to return, many of them leaped into the water and swam after the boats, while others of them launched two or three canoes, and foon came up with them. They bartered bows, arrows, and fpears, for fmall penknives, beads, &c.—Some of the natives went afterwards on board the fhips, and traded there in the fame articles.

They are a ftout, well-made people, woolly-headed, and in ftature refemble the defcription given of the New Guineas, as well as in complexion. They appeared to be humane and hofpitable people from their behaviour while on board.

After they had left the Hormazier, it was perceived that they had ftolen a hatchet, and several small articles, which might have been expected, as it is common amongst most favages.

On the 2d of July it was propofed

by

by Captains Bampton and Holt to man one boat from the two ships, and fend her afhore, to fee if there was any water to be had, and alfo for a party to go up to the highest point of the island, to fee how far the land extended to the weftward, as the fhips were then looking out for Foreft's Streights.

Mr Shaw, chief Officer of the Chesterfield, was appointed to this duty. Captain Hill, of the New South Wales corps, Mr Carter, Purfer of the Hormazier, and Mr Hafkett, paffenger, propofed to accom. pany him, in order to make some obfervations on the foil, produce, and inhabitants, of this new difcovered illand.

On the 3d, in the morning, thefe gentlemen having provided them. felves with prefents for the natives, confifting of pen-knives, fciffars, razors, beads, &c. and with plenty of arms and ammunition, in cafe of attack, embarked on board a boat, and at noon reached the ifland.

The natives received them very kindly, and conducted the boat to a convenient place for landing. After they had gone afhore, and distributed fome prefents among the natives, which they appeared to be very much pleafed with, it was propofed, that Mers Shaw, Carter, and Haskett, fhould proceed to the top of a high point of land, and that Captain Hill fhould stay by the boat with the four feamen.

They accordingly armed them felves with a musket each, and a fufficient quantity of powder and ball to begin their journey properly accoutred.

There were by this time great numbers of the natives, men, women, and children, affembled round them; the men and children quite naked, and the women with no other covering than a leaf over fuch parts as nature had taught them to conccal.

The gentlemen, when properly

equipped, made figns to them tha they were in want of water, on which with the greateft chearfulness, they conducted them to an excellent spring of water, frequently kiffing the hands of the party on the way, crying out, "Wabba! Wabba!" which they fuppofed to be water in their language.

After the gentlemen had examined the water, they made figns of be.' ing defirous to afcend the hill; the natives readily conceived their meaning, offered to conduct them, and appeared to be very happy in the strangers company.

They had proceeded about three quarters of a mile up the hill, when they were conducted to a level fpot of cleared ground, where grafs was growing, and feveral young plantain trees fpringing up in the midst of it, and the number of birds chirruping among the bushes that furrounded this fpot, made it appear romantic.

Here they were invited to fit down, to which Meffrs. Carter and Shaw confented; but on Mr Hafkett's faying "he suspected they had fome defigns on them," Mr Carter replied, that he believed them to be a fet of innocent creatures, and made figns for fomething to drink.

A boy was immediately dispatched, and fhortly after returned with two cocoa nuts, which were given them to drink. After Mr Carter had drank, he got up and gave his musket to Mr Hafkett to hold, while he took a sketch of the landfcape, as it then appeared to his view.

The natives feeing the two mufkets in Mr Hafkett's hands, defired to hold them for him ; he gave Mr Carter's to one of them, but kept his own cocked, the muzzle directed towards the breast of him who held it.

As foon as Mr Carter had finifhed, he took the mufket from the native, and chid Mr. Hafkett for his fear, mentioning repeatedly that they were an innocent race of men, and Mr Shaw acquiefced in his opinion.

After

After refreshing themfelves they made figns to the natives to proceed further up the hill, which they did not feem inclined to, but rather with ed them to go down to the valley that appeared clear and pleasant from the place they were then in, which was furrounded by bushes and fhrubs. When the natives perceived that their vifitors were determined to afcend the hill, they followed in great numbers, hallooing and fhouting moft hideously on the way.

Mr Hafkett ftrictly obferved their motions; as they were continually making figns to each other, and frequently pointing towards him, he intimated thefe obfervations to the other gentlemen, and begged them for God's fake to be on their guard, for the natives were certainly bent on mifchief.

At length, about half paft two P. M. they reached the fummit of the hill, on which they found a clear spot of ground of fome acres in extent: the natives here kiffed their hands frequently, and, very kindly to all appearance, invited them to fit down and reft themfelves; which, however, they declined to do, the day being fo far fpent.

Here they had an opportunity of taking the view which was the object of their journey; they faw the reefs extending as far as the eye could reach; but no land to the Weftward of the ifland, except a large fand bank nearly even with the water's edge, and not far from the ifland.

At the fame time they alfo perceived a great number of the natives round the boat, who they fuppofed were trading with Captain Hill. When they had made their obfervations they began to defcend; by degrees the natives contrived to feparate the three gentlemen at eight or ten yards from each other, infinuating themselves between them in the path, which was but narrow, under the pretence of affifting them down the hill.

Mr Haskett perceived boys of about 14 or 5 years of age lurking in the bathes as they paffed, with bundles of fpears and arrows, of which he informed Mr Carter, who was the foremoft in the path, and asked Mr Shaw, who was behind them, if he faw them? who anfwered in the affirmative.

Mr Shaw begged the other gentlemen to be on their guard; and Mr Haskett propofed to Mr Carter to turn all the natives before them, as he could plainly perceive they were. bent on murdering them; but Mr Carter faid, he thought that would fhew figns of mistrust or fear, and that he thought it were better to go on as they were, and be all upon their guard.

They had got down the hill the greatest part of the way in this manner, when they were met by a very old man, who kiffed Mr Carter's hand first, and then attempted to kiss Mr Hafkett's, but was not permitted; he then went on and kiffed Mr Shaw's, who was then in the rear.

Immediately after Mr Hafkett called out, They want to take my mufket from me;" and Mr Carter exclaimed, "My God! my God! they have murdered me!" Mr Haikett difcharged his mufket at the next man to him; on the report of it the natives all fled into the bushes.

but

Here was a horrid fpectacle for Mr Hafkett to behold; Mr Carter lying on the ground in a gore of blood, and Mr Shaw with a large cut in his throat under the left jaw; luckily they were both able to rife and proceed down the hill with all poffible (peed, firing at the natives wherever they faw them.

When they arrived on the beach they called out "Fire! fire!" But what must have been their feelings, when they perceived Captain Hill and one of the feamen dead upon the beach, cut and mangled in a fhocking manner; they fhortly after perceived

two

two of the seamen, floating on the water betweenthe boat and the beach, with their throats cut from ear to ear. After fome difficulty the unhappy furvivors made a shift to get on board the boat.

They found that the natives had taken all their provifions, boat cloaks, &c. ftarted the water out of their kegs, and left the fourth failor dead in the boat, cut and mangled in the fame shocking manner.

They tried to get in their grapnel, but found it impoffible, it was fo entangled amongst the rocks by the natives. They therefore cut it; and Meffrs. Shaw and Hafkett got out two oars and pulled off fhore, whilft Mr Carter kept the natives off with his musket. But they found great difficulty in getting out of the reach of their fpears and arrows, as the wind blew fresh on shore.

At length they found they could weather the point of the island by hoisting the fail, which the natives most fortunately had left behind them, and it was hoifted according

ly.

Mr Hafkett bound up the wounds of his unfortunate comrades with their handkerchiefs; but Mr Carter was fo weak from the lofs of blood, that he was obliged to lye down in the bottom of the boat, while the other two were spectators of the fate of their deceased companions.

They saw very distinctly those voratious cannibals dragging the bodies of Captain Hill and the feamen up towards large fires prepared on the occafion, yelling and howling at the fame time.

Between nine and ten they cleared the point of the island, when it was propofed by Mr Shaw to run under the lee of it, and endeavour to get to the fand bank they faw from the top of the hill; that being the only method they could take, as they might reasonably hope, when they had not returned to the ships as expected, Ed. Mag. June 1797.

boats would be fent in queft of them the next morning.

They, therefore, hauled up under the lee of it, and made faft a club of iron wood, which the cannibals had left in the boat, to a nine pound lead, which had alfo escaped their notice; these they bent to the lead-line, and let it go, in hopes it would ride her till the morning.

They then committed the body of the murdered feaman to the deep, and returned thanks to the Almighty for delivering them from those inhuman monsters.

The pain the two wounded gentlemen felt, and the anxiety of them all, deprived them of reft all that night. When day-light appeared, they found they had drifted nearly out of fight of the ifland, and to the leeward of the fand bank.

It was impoffible to reach the bank; they therefore confulted refpecting what was beft to be done in their perilous fituation.

They examined what was left in the boat, and found fome knives and fciffars in the ftern locker, but to their great forrow the compafs was gone, and all their provifions and water. There was alfo Mr Hafkett's great coat left in the boat, but nothing elfe.

Left now totally to Mr Shaw, as to what were the best steps to take, as the other two were neither navi. gators nor feamen, he informed them, that the wind was then fair to run direct for Timor, which lay nearly Weft of them, and he fuppofed they should reach that island in about ten days. He could not think the ship or boats would ever find .hem, and the longer they delayed bearing away, the lefs able they would be to perform their voyage without provifions and water.

They therefore all agreed to ftand away to the weftward; and trust themfelves to that Providence who had delivered them from the cannibals of Tate's Illand.

Ani.