61. Columbus was carried in his fetters to the Spanish court, where the king and queen either feigned or felt a fufficient regret at the conduct of Bovadilla towards the illuftrious prifoner. He was not only released from confinement, but treated with all imaginable refpect..

62. But, altho the king endeavored to expatiate the offence, by cenfuring and recalling Buvadilla, yet we may judge of his fincerity from his appointing Nicholas de Ovando, another bitter enemy of Columbus, to fucceed in the government, and from his ever after refusing to reinftate Columbus, or to fulfil any of the conditions on which the difcoveries were undertaken.. 63. After two years folicitation for this or fome other em.. ployment, he at length obtained a fquadron of four fmall vef fels, to attempt new difcoveries. He now fet out, with the ardor and enthusiasm of a young adventurer, in queft of what was always his favorite object, a paffage into the South Sea, by which he might fail to India. He touched at Hispaniola, where Ovando, the governor, refufed him admittance on fhore, even to take fhelter during a hurricane, the prognostics of which his experience had taught him to difcern..

64. By putting into a fmall creek, he rode out the form, and then bore away for the continent. Several months in the moft boisterous feafon of the year, he fpent in exploring the coaft round the gulf of Mexico, in hopes of finding the intended navigation to India.. At length. he was fhipwrecked, and driven afhore on the island of Jamaica.

65. His cup of calamities feemed now completely full. He was caft upon an ifland of favages, without provifions, without any veffel, and thirty leagues from any Spanish settlement. But the greatest providential misfortunes are capable of being embittered by the infults of our fellow creatures.

66. A few of his hardy companions generouflly offered, in two Indian conoes, to attempt a voyage to Hifpaniola, in hopes of obtaining a veffel for the relief of the unhappy crew. Af ter fuffering every extremity of danger and hardship, they arri ved at the Spanish colony in ten days. Ovando, through per fonal malice and jealoufy of Columbus, after having detained thefe meffengers eight month, difpatched a veffel to Jamaica, in order to fpy out the condition of Columbus and his crew, with pofitive inftructions to the captain not to afford them any relief..

76. This order was punctually executed. The captain an roached the fhore, delivered a letter of empty compliment from

Ovando to the admiral, received his anfwer and returned. An bout four month afterwards a veffel came to their relief; and Columbus, worn out with fatigues, and broken with misfor tunes, returned for the last time to Spain."

68. Here a new distress awaited him, which he confidered as one of the greatest he had fuffered in his whole life. This was the death of queen Ifabella, his laft and greatest friend.

69. He did not fuddenly abandon himself to defpair. He called upon the gratitude and justice of the king, and in terms of dignity demanded the fulfilment of the former contract.

70. Notwithstanding his age and inarmities, he even folicit ed to be further employed in extending the career of discovery, without a profpect of any other reward but the cofcioufnefs of doing good to mankind. But Ferdinand, cold, ungrateful, and timid, dared not to comply with a fingle propofal of this kind, left he should increase his own obligations to a man whose ser vices he thought it dangerous to reward...

71. He therefore delayed and avoided any decifion on thefe fubjects, in hopes that the declining health of Columbus would foon rid the court of the remonftrance of a man whofe extrao dinary merit was, in their opinion, a fufficient occalion of def troying him.

72. In this they were not difappointed.. Columbus lan guished a fhort time, and gladly refigned a life, which had been worn out in the most effential fervices that perhaps were ever rendered, by any human character, to an ungrateful world..

A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE LATE WAR IN AMERICA,

•THE attempts of the British parliament to raife a reve

late war,

nue in America, without her confent, occafioned the which feparated this country from Great Britain. 2. The firft attempt of confequence was the famous Stamp Aa, March, 1765. By this, the Americans were obliged to make use of ftamped paper, for all notes, bonds and other legal. inftruments; on which paper a duty was to be paid..

3. This act occafioned fuch general uneafinefs in Americs, that the parliament thought proper to repeal it the year after it was made.

4. But the next year (1767) the Tea A was framed, by which a heavy duty was laid upon tea, glafs, paper, and many other articles, which were much used in America. This threw the colonies into confufion, and excited fuch refentment

among the people, that the parliament, three years. after, took off three fourths of the duty.

5. The duty was ftill difagreeable to the Americans, who en tered into refolutions not to import and consume British manufa&tures.

6. A few years after (in 1773) the people of Boston, who were determined not to pay duties on tea, went on board some fhips belonging to the Eaft-India company, which lay in the harbor, and thew all the tea overboard. In other parts of America violent oppofition was made to British taxation,

7. This oppofition enkindled the refentment of the Britif parliament, which they expreffed the next year (1774) by shutting the port of Boston which ruined the trade of that flourish ing town. This act was followed by others, by which the con ftitution of Maffachusetts was new modelled, and the liberties of the people infringed.

8. These rafh and cruel measures gave great and univerfal alarm to the Americans. General Gage was fent to Boston, to enforce the new laws; but he was received with coldness, and opposed with spirit in the execution of his commiffion.

9. The affemblies throughout America remonftrated and pe titioned. At the fame time many contributions of money and provifions from every quarter, were fent to the inhabitants of Bofton who were fuffering in confequence of the port bill.

10. The fame year troops arrived in Bolton to enforce the wicked and uujuft acts of the British parliament. Fortifications were erected on Bofton neck, by order of General Gage; and the ammunition and ftores in Cambridge an1 Charlestown were feized and fecured.

11. In September, deputies from most of the colonies met in Congrefs at Philadelphia. Thefe delegates approved of the conduct of the people of Maffachusetts; wrote a letter to General Gage; published a declaration of rights; formed an affoci ation not to import, or use British goods; fent a petition to the King of Great Britain; an addrefs to the inhabitants of that kingdom; another to the inhabitants of Canada; and another to the inhabitants of the colonies.

12. In the beginning of the next year (1775) was paffed the Fishery bill, by which the norther colonies were forbid to fish on the banks of Newfoundland, for a certain time. This bore hard upon the commerce of thefe colonies, which was in a great meafure fupported by the fishery.

13. Soon after, another bill was paffed, which reftrained the trade of the middle and fouthern colonies, to Great Britain, Ireland and the Welt-Indies, except under certain conditions. Thele repeated acts of oppreffion on the part of Great-Britain, alienated the affections of America from her parent and fove. reign, and produced a combined oppofition to the whole fyl tem of taxation.

Preparations began to be made, to oppofe by force, the execution of these acts of parliament. The militia of the coun try were trained to the ufe of arms, great encouragement was given for the manufacture of gunpowder, and measures were taken to obtain all kinds of military ftores.

15. In February, Colonel Leflie was fent with a detachment of troops from Bolton, to take poffeffion of fome cannon at Salem. But the people had intelligence of the defign-took up the drawbridge in that town, and prevented the troops from paffing, until the cannon were secured; fo that the expedition failed.

16. In April, Colonel Smith and Major Pitcairn were sent with a body of troops, to destroy the military ftores which had been collected Concord, about twenty miles from Boston. At Lexington the militia were collected on a green, to oppofe the incursion of the British forces. These were fired on by the British troops, and eight men killed on the spot.

17. The militia were difperfed, and the troops proceeded on to Concord, where they destroyed a few ftores. But on their return they were inceffantly harraffed by the Americans, who, inflamed with just refentment, fired upon them from houfes and fences, and purfued them to Boston

18. Here was fpilt the first blood in the late war; a war which fevered America from the British empire. Lexington opened the firft fcene of the great drama, which, in its progrefs, exhibe ited the most illustrious characters and events, and clofed with a revolution, equally glorious for the actors, and important in its confequences to the human race.

19. This battle roused all America. The militia collected from all quarters, and Bolton was in a few days befieged by twenty thousand men. A ftop was put to all intercourfe be tween the town and country, and the inhabitants were reducedto great want of provifions.

20. General Gage promised to let the people depart, if they would deliver up their arms. The people complied; but when the general had obtained their arms, the perfidious wretch refu fed to let the people go.

21. In the mean time a fmall number of men, under the command of Colonel Allen and Colonel Eafton, without any public orders, furprised and took the British garrifon at Ticonderoga, without the lofs of a man.

22. In June following, our troops attempted to fortify Bunher's hill, which lies in Charleftown, and but a mile and an half from Bolton. They had, during the night thrown up a small breaft work, which fheltered them from the fire of the British

cannon.

23. But the next morning the British army was fent to drive them from the hill, and landing under cover of their cannon, they fet fire to Charlestown, which was confumed, and marched to attack our troops, in the intrenchments. A fevere engage ment enfued, in which the British fuffered a very great lofs both of officers and privates.

24. They were repulfed at firft, and thrown into diforder; but they finally carried the fortification with the point of the bayonet. The Americans fuffered a fmall lofs, compared with the British; but the death of the brave General Warren, who fell in the action, a martyr to the caufe of his country, was feverely felt and univerfally lamented.

25. About this time, the Continental Congrefs appointed George Washington, Efq. a native of Virginia, to the chief command of the American army. This gentleman had been a diftinguished and fuccefsful officer in the preceding war, and he feemed destined by heaven to be the faviour of his country.

26. He accepted the appointment with a diffidence which was a proof of his prudence and his greatnefs. He refufed any pay for eight years laborions and arduous fervice; and by his matchlefs kill, fortitude and perseverance, coducted America. thro indefcribable difficulties to independence and peace.

27. While true merit is esteemed, or virtue honored, mankind will never ceafe to revere the metaory of this Hero; and while gratitude remains in the human breast, the praises of WASH INGTON fhall dwell on every American tongue.

28. General Washington, with other officers appointed by Congrefs, arrived at Cambridge, and took command of the American army, in July. From this time the affairs of America began to affume the appearance of a regular and general oppo fition to the forces of Great-Britain.

29. In autumn a body of troops, under the command of General Montgomery,, besieged and took the garrifon at St.