Of fecuring our American Colonies. 2779 ception of the women, children, and "cattle of the place. This was fuffi"cient to protect them from infult: " and I do not know that the Iroquois "ever made themselves masters of one "of thefe forts. They rarely ftaid long enough to block them up; and thers, fuch efpecially who have an in- 66 "All this country," fays Charlevoix, fpeaking of the French fettlements on the fouth east fide of the river St Laurence, was for a long time the "theatre of many bloody fcenes, being "during the Iroquois war, the most ex"pofed. They came down into the colony by a river that falls into the "St Lawrence a little above the lake of "St Peter, and from hence it took their name; but has fince been call'd the "Richlieu, and at prefent the Sorel. The "ifles of Richlicu, which thefe Indians a. B fell into first in their defçent from this "river, ferved them both for places of retreat and ambuth. But when this paffage was cut off by building a fort at the mouth of the Sorel, they took E "another rout thro' the country above and below it, and particularly fell upon the district of St Francis, where they had the fame opportunities to plunder, and exercifed cruelties too Thocking to be defcribed. From "hence they would fpread themselves thro' the whole colony: fo that to be "fafe from their fury, it became necef"fary to build a fort of fort in every parish, as a refuge for the inhabitants at the firft alarm: in each of thefe were one or two centinels maintain'd night and day; they were provided "with fome field pieces, or at leaft G patereroes, to keep off the enemy, "and to give the inhabitants warning 86 to be on their guard, and to ferve as **fignals for fuccour. Thele forts were "no more than large enclosures made "with pallifadoes baftioned, or elfe ftrengthened with fome redoubts. The parish church and the partonage "houfe were built within this en"clofure; which had befides room "fufficient, in cafe of need, for the re [GENT. MAG. June, 1752.] more rarely did they attempt to take "them by affault: this was too full "of danger for favages, who had not "defenfive arms, and who are not fond "of victory at the expence of their "own blood: the other was not at all "agreeable to their method of making "war. There are however two at"tacks made by the Iroquois upon the "fort of Vercheres, contrary to their "ufual manner, in the annals of "Canada, to perpetuate the memory "of the valour and intrepidity of two " Amazons.” H The author proceeds to relate the particulars of thele two memorable actions; which are no otherwise to our purpose, than as they demonftrate the ferviceablenefs of fuch forts; which may put a stop to the incurfions of an enemy that hopes for fuccefs only by furprize, tho' defended but by a woman of fome prefence of mind, and perfonal courage; and may give fuch an alarm as fhall caufe a precipitate or very hazardous retreat. "Charlevoix, in other places of his work, obferves as a fault in the first fettlement both of the French and Englife colonies, that they neglected to form themfelves into towns, or compact villages for their eafier and better defence, by which neglect they have both received confiderable checks from enemies comparatively despicable. The English in particular make very little provifion against the fur prizes or fudden efforts of their neighbours; and this, with their inaptitude for war contracted from their application to commerce and agriculture, has brought them into contempt with the favages, who have remarked that a handful of French keep populous and flourishing colonies at a bay for a long time together. And indeed, if we cannot learn the art of gaining the affections of our Indian neighbours, which the French boaft of as a fecret poffeffed only by themfelves, it is incumbent on us to fupply this defect by our care to put it out of their power to hurt us; not omitting in the mean time to learn, as we may from Charlevoix, by what means the French have been able to attach to them)felves fo strongly fome of the Indian ΝΑ nation. 278 Forts neceffary-Obftinate Pimple cured. And here doubtlefs the first care fhould A be to feize, fortify, and garrison a few well chofen pofts at the head of our feveral frontier colonies; after this, fuch enclosures as are above defcribed, and a few light horie of the huffar kind might be posted in fome of thefe inland forts; who might purfue and harrais B the Indians in their retreat, who have nothing to fear from foot of lefs agility than themselves in a march*. It is certain the French efteem the villages of Iroquois and Abenakie chriftians their beft defence against attempts which the Englife of New York, and New Eng- C land may make on the fide of their fine lettlement at Montreal; and it is highly expedient for us powerfully to protect and fupport, and diligently to profecute the million already begun at Albany on the frontiers of New York, and to establish the like at fort Augufta in Georgia, and at Chinetto or Minas in Nova Scotia: P and I think the ftatefman need not difdain, I am fure he will not repent of the ecclefiaftick's affiftance in this point. The method above described is particularly applicable to Nova Scotia; the nature and form of which country require only a few well fortify'd poits on the weft, north,and eaft fides,of itrength fufficient to be maintained against an enemy able and expert in forming fieges. The heart of the peninfula after this might be fettled with all fafety in the method above mentioned; and the fouth would fettle itfelf falt enough. P. S. In a former letter which you favoured with a place in your Magazine, (See. Vol. xx. p. 495.) I took notice, in order to introduce the planting of logwood in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Babama islands, &c. that a great * Particularly a good post is wanting on that part of the Sorel, which runs from the frontiers of New York to the lake Champlain z from whence the fame river directs its courfe north west till it falls into the St Laurence between Montreal and Quebec. This would not only cover New York on the weft, and New England in fome meature, but would open a paflage by water inot the heart of the French fettlements on the banks of St Laurence, and might be of prodigious use if an attempt on French Canada in any future war should be made. E variety of the most useful productions; of nature, both animal and vegetable, were found in latitudes more diftant, from each other, than are Honduras and North Carolina, of which I mentioned fome inftances: Charlevoix, Vol. iv. furnishes another in the Candleberry myrtle, which, he says, is very common thro' out all North America, from Acadia or Nova Scotia to Luifiana, i. e. from about north lat. 45. to north lat. 30. and perhaps to cape Florida, which is fituated nearly in 25, and upon the whole makes a difference of zo degrees in latitude; and this is nearly the difference between Honduras and the northern part of North Carolina; but there is only 14 degrees difference between South Carolina and the southern part of Georgia and Campechy, tho' perhaps upon examination thefe trees might be found growing fpontaneously much north of Campechy, a point well worth enquiry. Mr URBAN, 1748 me a pimple in the roof of IN a young lady in Maryland her mouth, about the bignefs of a fmall pea, it was then at its full growth; the told me he had not been, for feveral months clear of it three days together. When the pimple increafed to the fize just mentioned, it would break, and ter; it would form again in a day or from it would run a clear pellucid watwo, and gradually increafe to its former fize, and then break. It gave her very litte pain, but the defired me to relieve her; I gave her feveral gargles and dofes of falts without fuccefs: after trying to no purpose two months to relieve her, I entirely left off all endeavours. Sometime afterwards, I accidentally heard her say she fcarce drank once a week, tho' the daily dined on flesh; the drank that day, and I defired her to take notice how many days fhe abstained gain, fhe told me the had not drank for from liquor. When I fpoke to her afeven days; the caufe of her complaint was then difclofed, and the remedy very obvious. I defired her to drink a draught of water every day, and told her it would certainly cure her. She Hthing daily, but at last I prevailed on exprefs'd a great diflike to drinking any her to do it, and fhe never fince has been troubled with the pimple. F G I am, Sir, Yours, &c. 280 The GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE VOL: XXII. Part of ARIA DN E's Epifle to THESE US. • A Specimen of a NEW TRANSLATION of OVID'S EPISTLES, intended to be printed for the Benefit of the Author, who requests that those who approve, and are willing to encourage fuch an. Undertaking, would be pleafed to fignify their Approbation to the Printer at St JOHN'S GATE. NEW TRANSLATION. H where! oh where, unhappy, fhall I ftray? Now dreadful fancy threatens ev'ry woe, Quid faciam? que fola ferar ? vacat infula cultu. A OLD TRANSLATION, Lone and helpless in this defart place, From all Crete's hundred cities I am curft, nurft. Betray'd my father, who that crown does wear. When to your hands the fatal clew I gave, Ah, perjur'd Thefeus, I thy love furvive, Imagine that fierce wolves are howling there, rife, Or fancy bloody fwords before my eyes. On one fide royal, and on both divine. Me quoque, qua fratrem maltaffes, improbes Effet, quam dederas, morte foluta fides. Morfq; minus poena, quam mora mortis, babet. Quis feit, an bac favas tigridas infula babet Neve trabam ferva grandia penfa manu: M Mr URBAN, W Poetical ESSAYS; JUNE 1752. North America, March 20. E are frequently entertain'd in this part of the world, through the channel of your Magazine, with the praifes and conquefts of the British fair in verfe. Give me leave then to prefent you, as fome fmall return, with the following verses, infpir'd by a real paffion for a lovely American. But by an American I do not mean an Indian, but one defcended of British parents, born in America; many of whom, whatever those unacquainted with North America may imagine, both in point of beauty and merit, are an honour to their mother country, and feem rather (with due deference to the Britifb ladies be it spoken) to have improv'd, than degenerated by being tranfplanted into another I am, Yours, &c. BRITANNO-AMERICANUS. The fiftb ELEGY of JOANNES SECUNDUS's firft Book, intitled JULIA, imitated. America. climate. in To Ο NE lovely maid alone my thoughts em- Alone the caufe of all my griefs and joys. thine. Far happier thus fufpended I should be, It has been faid when the three fons of Diagoras, who were all victors in the olympic games on the fame day, placed their crowns upon their father's head; a philofopher cried Now die Diagoras, for thou canst not be a god.' The ftory of Iphis is fung by Ovid. He was deeply in love with Anaxarete, and meeting with no return, he hang'd himself before her door. She was quite unmov'd at the fight, for which (as the poet feigns) the was turn'd into a stone. 281 Yet ftill those stars, my Julia's rolling eyes, reft. Ah! why fhou'd Julia thus her bliss delay, And fallen rofes fade before their time, Where they fhall never fade, and never part. arms Do you referve these more than mortal charms? Thofe ruby lips, where fweeteft fragrance grows, charms Fall, fortune's victim, to fome ruftic's arms. your care, Ye guardian powers, that make mankind |