cution. From thence he fets out for Mofcow, intending to pass the winter in that city, and gradually to eftablish the feveral regulations and changes, which he had made in the laws, manners, and cuftoms of Ruffia, He likewife puts his finances into a new order; after which he expedites the works undertaken on the river Veronife, at Afoph, and in an harbour which he was building upon the Palus Mæotis, under the fort of Taganrok.

The Porte, alarmed at these preparations, fent an Ambaffador to him with her complaints; to which he made anfwer, that he was as much a Sovereign in his own dominions, as the Grand Seignior was in Turky; and that it could be no violation of the peace to render Ruffia refpectable on the Euxine Sea.

Upon his return to Petersburg, finding the new citadel of Cronflot, whose foundations had been laid in the fea, intirely finish. ed, he provides it with numerous artillery, In order to establish himself in Ingria, and to wipe off the difgrace received before Narva, he esteemed it neceflary to make himself master of that city. While he was making the preparations for the fiege, a fmall fleet of Swedish brigantines appeared on the lake of Peipus, to oppofe his defigns. The Ruffian half-gallies come out to meet them, a brisk engagement ensues, and the whole Swedish fquadron, carrying 98 pieces of cannon, is taken. After this victory, the Czar befieges Narva by fea and land; and, what is very extraordinary, he lays fiege at the fame time to Derpt in Estonia.

Who could imagine that there had been an University at Derpt? Though founded by Guftavus Adolphus, it never acquired any fame, as a feat of learning. Derpt is known only by thefe two fieges. Peter inceffantly goes from one to the other, to forward the attacks, and to direct the different approaches. Schlippenbach, the Swedish General, was at that time in the neighbourhood of Derpt, with about two thoufand five hundred men.

The garrifon expected, every moment, he would attempt to throw fuccours into the

town.

But Peter prevented this defign by a ftratagem, worthy of more frequent imi. tation. He orders Swedish uniforms, colours, and standards, for two regiments of infantry, and one of cavalry. The pretended Swedes attack the trenches, and the Ruffians feign a retreat; the garrison are thereby deluded to make a fally; the mock combatants join their forces, and fall upon the Swedes, one half of whom are killed, and the other half get back to the town.

Schlippenbach comes up foon after with an intent to relieve it, but is intirely defeated. At length Derpt is obliged to capitulate, just as Peter was going to order a general affault.

At the fame time the Czar received a confiderable check on the fide of his new city of Petersburg; which did not however hinder him from going on with the buildings, nor from preffing the fiege of Narva. We have already taken notice, that he had fent a fupply of men and money to King Auguftus, whom Charles was ftripping of his crown; but both thofe aids proved ineffectual. The Ruffians, having joined the Lithuanians, who adhered to Augustus, were intirely routed in Courland by Lewenhaupt, the Swedish General. Had the victors directed their efforts towards Livonia, Eftonia, and Ingria, they might have demolished the Czar's new works, and baffled all his grand defigns. Peter was every day undermining the outwall of Sweden, and Charles did not seem to regard him; being engaged in a purfuit, lefs advantageous to his people, but more glorious

to his arms.

On the 12th of July, 1704, only a fingle Colonel, at the head of a Swedish detachment, had obliged the Polish Nobility to proceed to the nomination of a new King, on the field of election, called Kolo, in the neighbourhood of War faw. The Cardinal Primate, and feveral Bishops, fubmitted to the will and pleasure of a Lutheran Prince, notwithstanding the menaces and excommunications of the fupreme Pontiff In fhort, they were obliged to yield to a fuperior force. No-body can be ignorant of the manner in which Stanislaus Lerzinsky was elected, and how Charles XII. caused him to be acknowledged, as Sovereign, by a confiderable part of the Polish nation.

::

Yet Peter would not abandon the abdicated King, but grew more liberal of his fuccours, as that Prince became more unfortunate; and, while his rival bufied himfelf in making Sovereigns, he employed his time in beating the Swedish Generals in Eftonia and Ingria, and in forwarding the fiege of Narva, where things were now ready for an affault. There were three famous baftions, at leaft their names were fuch, being called Victory, Honour, and Glory. The Czar carries them fword in hand. The befiegers force their way into the town, where they fall immediately to plunder, and commit the moft horrid barbarities; a practice but too common at that time, both with the Swedes and Ruffians.

Peter fet an example on this occafion, capable of conciliating the affections of his

Zz2

new

new fubjects. Seeing his men intent on flaughter and pillage, he runs from place to place to flay their fury, and refcues feveral women out of the hands of thofe barbarians. After he had killed two of the brutes, who refused to obey his orders, he entered the town-houfe, whither great numbers of the citizens were retired for shelter; and there laying his fword, seeking with blood, upon the table: My fword, fays he, is not ftained with the blood of the inhabitants, but with that of my own foldiers, which I have fpilt to fave your lives."

Peter the Great keeps Poffeffion of all Ingria, while Charles the Twelfth is triumphant elfewhere. Rife of Menzikoff. Petcitburg fecuicd. The Czar executes his Defigus, notwithstanding the Victories of the King of Sweden.

Peter, being now mafter of all Ingria, conferred the government of that province on Menzikoff, giving him at the fame time the title of Prince, and the rank of Majorgeneral. The pride and prejudice of other Countries might find fault with a Sovereign for raifing a paftry-cook's boy to the poft of General and Governor, and to princely digmity; but Peter had accustomed his fubjects not to be furprised at feeing him prefer men of abilities, to perfons who had nothing to recommend them but their high birth. Menzikoff happened, by a very lucky accident*, to emerge from his original obfcurity, when he was very young; and to be placed in the Czar's family, where he learnt feveral languages, and qualified himself both for the cabinet and for the field: Having had the art of ingratiating himself with his mafter by his wit and humour, he ftrengthened his intereft by more important fervices. He ufed all poffible diligence in forwarding the works at Petersburg; where, by this time, the Czar had erected a great number of houses, of ftone and brick, with an arfenal and magazines; and had likewife finished the fortifications. The palaces were not raised til! fome time after.

No fooner was Peter fettled in Narva, than he made an offer of further fuccours to the King of Poland, who had been lately dethroned: He engaged to fupply him with

a fresh body of troops, befides the reinforcement of twelve thousand men, which he had already fent to that Prince. Accordingly, on Auguit 19, 1704, he gave orders for General Repnin to march from the frontiers of Lithuania with fix thousand horfe and fix thoufand foot. All this while he did not lofe fight of his colony of Petersburg: The buildings went on; the navy was improving; and fhips and frigates were upon the ftocks at Olonitz; thele he took care to fee finished, and brought them himself into the harbour of Petersburg. It was generally his cuftom, upon his return to Moscow, to make a triumphant entry. In this manner did he revifit his capital the prefent year, from whence he made only one excurfion, to affift at the launching of his first thip of 80 guns, upon the Veronife; the dimenfions of which he himself had drawn the preceding year.

As foon as the feafon approached for opening the campaign in Poland, May, 1705, he made hatte to join the army, which he had affembled on the frontiers of

Lithuania, in order to affift Auguftus. But, while he was thus endeavouring to fupport his ally, the Swedes had fitted out a fleet, which threatened the deftruction of his new fettlements of Petersburg and Cronflot. This fquadron confifted of two and twenty fhips of war, carrying from fifty-four to fixty-four guns each, befides fix frigates, two bomb ketches, and two fire-fhips. The land-forces, on board the tranfports, made a defcent in the little ifland of Kotin. But a Ruffian Colonel, named Tolboguin, having caufed his regiment to lie flat on their bellies, while the Swedes were landing, ordered them to rife up on a fudden; and they made fo brisk and fo regular a fire, as obliged the enemy to retreat in the utmost confufion to their fhips, abandoning their dead, with the lofs of three hundred prifoners.

In the mean time, the Swedish fleet hovered fill upon the coaft, and threatened Peterburg. The land-forces made another defcent, and met with the like repulfe. A body of troops were advancing at the fame time by land from Wyburg, under the command of Meidel, the Swedish General;

and

and had taken their route by Shluffelburg. This was the most formidable attack that Charles XII. had yet made, against the territories, either conquered, or created by Peter the Great. But the Swedes were repulfed on every fide, and Petersburg was faved.

The Czar, on the other hand, was marching towards Courland, and wanted to penetrate as far as Riga. His plan was to make himself mafter of Livonia, while Charles completed the reduction of Poland, under the obedience of the new King. Peter continued fill at Vilna in Lithuania; and Marfhal Scheremetow was approaching towards Mittaw, the capital of Courland; but there he met with Lewenhaupt, a General celebrated for many victories. The two armies engaged at a place called Gemauers-hof, or Gemauers.

In matters depending on experience and difcipline, the Swedes, tho' inferior in number, had always the advantage: The Ruffians were intirely defeated, and loft all their artillery. This battle was fought on July 28, 1705. Peter, after three defeats, at Gemauers, Jacobftad, and Narva, ftill retrieved his loffes, and even converted them to his advantage.

After the battle of Gemauers, he marches a large army into Courland, fits down before Mittaw, makes himself master of the town, and lays fiege to the citadel, which he takes by capitulation, September 14, 1705.

The Mufcovites at that time were famed for diftinguishing their fuccefs by rapine and plunder, a practice of too great antiquity in all nations: But Peter had to changed this cuftom at the taking of Narva, that the Ruffian foldiers, now appointed to guard the vaults in the castle of Mittaw, the ufual bu rying-place of the Great Dukes of Courland, finding that the bodies of thofe Princes had been dragged out of their tombs, and ftripped of their ornaments, refused to undertake the charge, till they had sent for a Swedish Colonel to examine the place; who gave them a certificate, acknowledging that the troops of his own nation had committed this outrage.

During these transactions, a report was fpread throughout the Ruffian empire, that Peter had been totally defeated at the battle of Gemauers; a report which did him more mifchief than the lofs of the battle. The remainder of the ancient Strelitzes, in garrifon at Astracan, emboldened by this false intelligence to revolt, murdered the Governor of the town. Peter was obliged to send Marthal Scheremetow with a body of forces, to quell the infurrection, and to punish the ringleaders.

The Czar feemed to be in a moft ticklish fituation, from a combination of circumstances that greatly made against him; such as Charles's good fortune and valour; the forced neutrality of Denmark; the rebellion of the ancient Strelitzes; the murmurings of a people fenfible of the restraint, but not of the utility of the late reformation; the diffaffection of the Nobility for being fubjected to military difcipline; and, laftly, the exhausted ftate of the revenue; yet he was no way difpirited. He foon quelled the revolt; then, providing for the fecurity of Ingria, and making himself mafter of the citadel of Mittaw, in spite of the victorious Lewen haupt, who had not a fufficient force to oppofe him, he found himself at liberty to march an army through Samogitia and Lithuania.

Peter had now the fame glory as Charles XII, of riding triumphant in Poland. Having advanced as far as Tikoczin, he had a fecond interview with King Auguftus, whom he endeavoured to confole under his mif fortunes, promifing to avenge his caufe. At the fame time he made him a prefent of a few standards, which Menzikoff had taken from the troops of his rival. From thence they fet out for Grodno, the capital of Lithuania, where they refided till the 15th of December. At their parting, Peter left him both money and men; and according to custom, after having made a very difficult and laborious campaign, went to spend a part of the winter at Mofcow, with the view of encouraging the arts and sciences, and of giving vigour to his new laws.

Tranfactions, Vol. LI.

its infpection. [See the fubfequent cut.] I

have endeavoured to make it as accurate as

poffible in all its proportion; yet am afraid I have made the ears a fmall matter too long. There is a figure of it in the London

Magazine

Magazine for December last, which has no refemblance at all to it, except in the ears, which the engraver, who drew it, has made to turn forwards, contrary to nature. However, the following defcription will, I believe, be the proper account of it:

It is fomething taller than the largest-fized cat, being about fifteen inches high at the fhoulders; flender and light, though ftrong. The head is finall in proportion to the rett, and the neck flender. It has nothing fierce in its afpect, but is mild, and very tame. It is exactly of a fawn-colour, having its cars black on their outfides, and lined with white hairs, and fome white round the root of each ear; it is alfo white under the throat and belly, and a little fo on the backs of its limbs. Its eyes are fmall, and its head like that of a cat, but fomewhat flenderer; its legs are genteel and straight, with the paws of a cat, having the power of dilating and contracting its toes, which are armed with strong crooked nails, in the fame manner as a cat or tyger does; and its actions are like thofe of a cat. I fat and watched its motions, and faw it lick its foot, and rub it over its face feveral times, exactly like a cat; and was told by the man who fhewed it me, that, if it is offended, it hiffes. I examined its teeth, and find them in the fame number and manner with thofe of a cat. And, as to its food, they give it raw mutton every day; and when it is fick, which it often is, they give it a live fowl, or rabbit, which it feizes eagerly, and lies upon it without motion, for a confiderable time, to fuck the blood; and this proves a certain cure. The figure fhews it to have alfo a tail like that of a cat.

None of the natural hiftorians have any account of this animal, that I have yet feen, except the learned Dr. Walter Charleton * who has a bad figure of it, engraved at the expence of Dr. John Lawfon, his cotemporary, of the College of Phyficians, as it appears in an infcription at the bottom of the plate, wherein the head is, contrary to truth, very large and strong in appearance, the tail like that of a fox, and the whole as ftrong as a maftiff dog: The name given it in the plate is the fame with this, but differently fpelled, thus, Siyah-ghush.

This author very juftly ranks it among the cats, and has given fuch an account of this animal, as well deferves the notice of this learned Society, of which I have made the following English extract :

6 Among the wild cats, which vary according to the difference of climate, manner of living, and the like, none is more worthy of notice than that which is now kept in the park of our Sovereign King Charles II. It was fent to the King by an English Gentleman, who was Governor of our mercantile affairs in the dominion of Surat, and is called, among other names, in the Perfian language, Siyah-ghuth, that is, Black-eart, all along the coaft of Coromandel, and indeed all over India. It is about the fize of a fox, but like a cat in its form; and has the cunning and cruelty of a leopard, with the limbs or a cat, but longer and stronger; having fo much ftrength, that I faw it kill a hound, that came in its way, in a moment. The legs are thick fet with hair, and its nails concealed under them, which are never extended but upon feizing its prey, which is common to lions, panthers, and domestic cats. But what feems peculiar to this animal is, that, having jumped upon his prey, he lies upon it unmoved, holding his bite, as if he was dead, whether for joy, or in order to drink the blood of the creature. The great men in India have them bred up tame, because of their dexterity in catching birds, hares, rabbits, and fuchlike; and fuch is their craft and fierceneis, that they will feize even a fox; but their keepers will not fuffer them to attack any thing above their ftrength, and therefore they only fet them at cranes, geefe, ducks, pheasants, partridges, peacocks, and fuchlike game, which they feize by many kinds of deceit, to the great pleafure of the fpectators ; and catch thofe timid animals, the hare, rabbit, fawn, goat, &c. by fwift running, and fometimes by craft.

When they are fick (which, from overgorging their ftomachs, they often are) their keepers fteep a piece of tender meat in human urine, and feed them with it; and, being bruifed or tired by over-hunting, they give them fome mummy, wrapped up in their meat, and a warm place to rest in till they recover.'

It is faid of this animal, that he follows the lion at a distance, in order to feed on what he leaves of the animals he destroys. To illuftrate this, Dr. Charleton quotes a paffage from the Apolog. of Sheich Saadi, which was written five hundred years before, and published in Perfic and Latin, by Georgius Gentius; which is in English as follows:

This Black-ear is afked, • What makes him keep company with the lion, and feem fo officious to pleafe him?' to which he answers, That I may feed on his leavings, and lead my life fafely under his protection. To which it is replied, Since you live under the shadow of his protection, and draw fuch benefit from him, why do you not approach nearer to him?' He answers,

If I took your counfel, and come near to him, I fhould not be fafe from his fury a

moment.'

Now from this particular account by the learned Charleton, and my own obfervations on him and his actions, I am inclined to rank this animal among the cats; and join with Linnæus, who, in his Ordo fecund. has a fifth fpecies of Felis, which agrees well with the principal characters of the animal before us: His words are,

Felis cauda elongata, auribus-
penicilliformibus.'

PROCESS I.

For Purifying OIL in a moderate Degree, without almoft any Expence. T AKE an ounce of chalk, powdered pretty finely, and half an ounce of Hime, flacked by lying expofed to the air;

put them into a gallon of stinking oil, and, add half a pint of water, and mix that with having mixed them well together by stirring, them alfo by the fame means: When they have ftood an hour or two, repeat the stirring, and continue the fame treatment, at convenient intervals, for two or three days..

After,