[290] STATE of the BAROMETER in inches and decimals, and of Farenheit's THER MOMETER in the open air, taken in the morning and at noon; and the quantity of rain-water fallen, in inches and decimals, from the 31st of October 1787, to the 29th of November 1787, near the foot of Arthur's Seat. VIEWS IN SCOTLAND. CULZEAN CASTLE, the Seat of the Earl of CASSILLIS. T HIS Caftle is fituated on a rock overhanging the sea, and about 80 feet above its level, in the centre of a fine bay of that name on the coaft of Carrick, the most fouthern district of Ayrshire. Upon the prefent fite ftood formerly the old Castle of Culzean, of which the annexed Plate is a picturesque view, the refidence of that family before they fucceeded, in the perfon of Sir Thomas Kennedy the laft Earl, to the title and honours of Caffillis. The prefent noble edifice was erected by David, the prefent Earl of Caffillis, after a plan of Meffrs Adam; and, from the very fine ftone which the neighbourhood fupplied, may vie both in defign and execution with the first feats in the kingdom. At the bottom of the rock, immediately under the caftle, is fituated the Cove of Culzean, well known in the legendary tales of that country, and celebrated by (Burns) our Scottish Bard, in his poem of Hallow-e'en. Several paintings of great value are in the poffeffion of the family of Caffillis, but none of these are yet removed to Culzean Castle. Among the rest which remain at the old houfe of Caffillis (fituated upon the banks of the Doon, about 7 miles from CulzeanCaftle) is a most exquifite painting of Mary Queen of Scots. In a future Number, we mean to give a View of the present Edifice. Original Anecdotes of the Fight at Varnitza, near Bender, in which Charles prifoner by the Turks *. TH XII. of Sweden was taken HE Turks and Tartars, having for three weeks blockaded the house in which Charles the XII. lived, came at last to the refolution of storming it. On Sunday the 1ft of February 1713, they began to cannonade it, and foon forced the entrenchments, which the King and fome Swedes defended for fome time with the greatest bravery. The King having alone escaped, retreated to the house, and dismounted at the door, where he was received with open arms by M. Roos, who begged him to enter without delay into his apartment. "No, faid the King, I will stay here, to fee what the Turks mean to do." In the mean time, the enemy continuing to fire, M. Roos, conjured him to ftand at leaft within the door; but the King, on the contrary, furioufly prepared to run into the court, when M. Roos laid hold of the helt of his fword behind, thinking to keep him back; but he inftantly undid the clafp, and broke from the faithful Roos, who then run, and catching him in his arms, "Now, fays he, your Majefty fhall not efcape me." He then brought him into the house, and ordered the door to be barricaded. As foon as the King difengaged himself, he hafted to the hall, where his domestics were warmly oppofing a number of Turks, that had already made good their entrance into the house. As foon as these were diflodged, he placed five or fix men at each window, and with this handful of people, he kept at bay, for the fpace of eight hours, the whole army of the Turks and Tartars, He run from chamber to chamber, animating the courage of his men, and carrying in his hat, powder and ball, which he diftributed to each in his poft. He even fearched the dead bodies for ammunition. After this he left the hall, fhutting that door of it which led to the anti-chamber, and entered an apartment Nn 2 apartment called the Chamber of Du Ban, marechal of the court, which was not fufficiently guarded, as he had not a fufficient number of men to place in every corner. This was told to M. Roos, who inftantly ran to feck him, but he had hardly opened the door of that chamber, when he difcovered his mafter in the midst of three Turkish foldiers, who had their fabres already Jifted up. He immediately fired upon one of the Turks, who had his back to the door, and killed him. The King did not perceive the affiftance that had been afforded him, till the room was filled with smoke, that he could hardly diftinguish this faith ful fervant. But obferving, that one of his enemies was killed, he difpatch ́ed the fecond at one blow, and Roos, with another piftol-fhot, rid him of the third. Is it you again, my dear, Roos, cried the King, who have faved me! He then wiped, with his handkerchief, the blood which run from two wounds he had received from the Turks, as they were feizing him and afked what had become of the reft, who had abandoned him in fo daftardly a manner? When he learnt, that they were either killed or taken prifoners," Let us join then, fays he, in the hall, the few that remain to us." At this time, the Turks having endeavoured to scale the house, and enter it by the windows, were vigoroufly repulfed. They returned, however, to the charge; but the Swedes kept up fo brifk a fire, that the enemy were at laft obliged to retreat. All these attempts having failed of fuccefs, the Turks collected a quantity of ftraw, and placed it on the fide of the marechal du Ban's chamber, which was at that time empty, and fet it on fire, when the flames foon gained the rest of the house. When the Swedes found their fituation, the King cried to M. Roos, "Bring fome people with you, and let us go up to the garrets, and try if it is poffible to extinguish the fire. But as they were attempting to open the door of the anti-chamber to reach the stair-cafe, they were prevented by the flames; feveral of the men who stood befide the King, had even their faces and cloaths burnt with it. They got, how ever, to the apartment above the hall, and the King ordered them to endeavour with their carabines, muskets, and fwords to pull down the roof; but the fire had made fuch progrefs, that this prince and all his fuit were forced, in order to fave themselves, to leap through the flames before they could reach the ftair-cafe. The fire having now feized the hall, the King commanded all to leave it, and to fortify the ports that were still tenable. "Let us go, my friend, faid he to Roos, and ftill defend this fmall num ber! Let us get to my bed-chamber: it is now the only place where we can make any resistance." He always fought with the fword, but at this time he took the carabine that M. Roos held, and faid to him: "See, there are fome Turks coming." There were really four coming with piftols prefented. The King fired and killed one of them, but the others continued to advance. M. Roos a gain conjured his Majefty not to expofe himself fo much. Perceiving that he was deaf to all entreaties, this ho neft and faithful fubject ftept in between him and the window, faying, It is better that I fhould fall than your Majefty. Thefe words were scarcely uttered, when the Turks fired, and a ball ftriking him on the fore-head, he fell dead in the arms of his Sovereign. In the mean time, the fire made rapid approaches from all quarters, both from the roof and at the windows, fo that the fire-arms from time to time went off of themfelves: on which the Swedes came to the refolution of fallying into the court, where, while they were fighting, like men defperate, the King cried to them: "Well done, my friends, let us defend ourselves to the laft extremity." He Foreign Literary Intelligence. He had his back against the wall, and though the flames fell upon his people on every fide, from the roof and from the windows, they kept their ground for the space of an hour. The King perceiving, however, that the Turks, in great numbers were continually advancing: "Let us retire, my friends," cried he, to the few of his fubjects that remained," and take poffeffion of the Chancery." As they were preparing to fet off for that place, the Turks perceived it, and got before them; and the King, TH 1293 doubling his fpeed, in order to prevent their entering, entangled his fpurs among the rubbish and fell. The enemy then poured in upon him in great numbers, and conducted him in tri umph to Bender. It was now eight o'clock in the evening, and the attack had begun at noon; fo that a fmall number of Swedes, as brave, and as determined as their mafter, made all the efforts of valour, which we have juft mentioned, for eight hours against feveral thousands of Turks and Tartars. Foreign Literary Intelligence. HE younger Forfter who went round the world with Captain Cook and publifhed an excellent account of the voyage, is now Profeffor of Natural Hiftory at Wilna, and Privy Counfeller to the King of Poland. He has lately published a small book in 8vo, called Formule infularum Auftralium prodromus. The intention of the author is to give an accurate defcription of the plants of the fouthern regions. He informs us, that of 488 fpecies, which he defcribes in this prodromus, 254 are unknown in Europe. The Countefs Dowager of Bentink has juft published at Amsterdam, a Catalogue of a Collection of Antique Medals, in large 4to. fuperbly printed, and illuftrated with engravings of fuch of the medals as are fingular or moft rare. It is as uncommon to find a lady of her rank attached to fuch ufeful ftudies, as to find a perfon fo intelligent in the fubject as fhe is. The catalogue is arranged in a fyftematic order, and difplays great erudition. The Countess promifes a confiderable fupplement, containing other rare antiquities, and a great number of defigns by the masterly hand of Weissbrod at Hamburg. The Imperial Academy of Sciences at Petersburg, has published another volume of Memoirs. It contains ma ny important papers on Mathematics, Aftronomy, and Natural Hiftory. Among other ufeful facts, we are informed, that the plant called Bedde, by the travellers into Bucharia, is the medicago faliva, or lucerne ; and that the youchan is the artemifia auftriaca of Jacquin, which grows in the moft barren places, and continues to vegetate under the fnow. M. Sokoloff gives the following as an excellent method of amalgamating copper. Add fal ammomiac, or common fea-falt, to a folution of the vitriol of copper; then precipitate the copper zinc, tin, or iron, and it will mix with the mercury. There is a fubfcription propofed in Paris for publishing a French tranflation from the German of the Travels of P. S. Pallas, in five volumes 4to. with one volume of plates. These travels were made in the different provinces of Ruffia, and the northern parts of Afia, and contain interesting and curious facts on zoology, botany, mineralogy, phyfics, aftronomy, and efpecially on the manners, cuitoms, religion, languages, traditions, monuments, and antiquities, of the people in these parts. The merits and ge nius of the author are well known. There is alfo undertaken at Paris a compleat tranflation of the works of Linnæus. Fire Fire, that great agent in the phenomena of nature, is at prefent fo much the object of inveftigation with philofophers, that one half of the work now publifhing at Paris, called Phyfique du Monde, is taken up with the history of the ancient and modern opinions with regard to fire, with the different theories of authors, and an Occount of its various effects on the three kingdoms of nature. The 8th volume of this work is now in the prefs. Another large work is juft publifh ed on the fame fubject in German at Vienna. M. Peyffonel has published, in 2 volumes 8vo. a Treatife on the Commerce of the Black Sea, a fubject which has employed his thoughts for the greater part of his life, having been collecting facts, and taking notes of information, from Turks, Greeks, Armenians, on the advantages which France might reap from this trade fince the year 1750*. M. Falk has published a third volume of Memoirs, defigned to illuftrate the Topography of the Ruffian Empire. This is a very important work, which we cannot examine at length, and have therefore introduced it in this place, to felect a few facts from the different volumes. The Memoirs of Falk, and the companion of his journey, Bardanes, relate to the whole country between Peterfburgh and Moscow, and from thence to the Kolomnar, to the governments of Riaefan, of Penfa, and Tambow; to the countries watered by the Medewiza, the Southern Don, and the Terek; to Cafan, Aftrachan, the country of the Calmouks, Tobolfki, the Ob, Bucharia, and China, &c. There is in the village of Morfcha, in the governmnent of Penfa, a diftillery, which furnishes every year 60,000 gallons of eau de vie. At Terek they plant, in great abundance, the ricinus, from whence they exprefs good oil for burning; and their oil for eating is procured from the feeds of the fefamum, propofed to be culti vated in the fouthern parts of Ger many. In 1771, in the fifteen dif tricts of the government of Ufa, to 697 births there were but 364 deaths. of which four were from 81 to 89, one of 90, another 91, one of 100, another of 121. Our author obferves, that the Aral was formerly joined to the Cafpian, which we have already mentioned, on the authority of M. Pallas, was once probably united to the Euxine. The bed between the Aral and the Cafpian was faid to be filled with fand in confequence of a tempeft; but it is more probable that the fand was accumulated after the communication was destroyed, by the wa ters being drawn off; for, on every fide, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, the land has gained on the fea; and the bed of the waters which united the Cafpian and the Euxine is little changed, though the waters have disappeared. The fecond volume relates to minerals and plants: the plants are arranged according to the fyftem of Linnaeus. At Terek and Aftrachan, inftead of fugar to preferve the fruits, they ufe the juice of the ripest, softest raisins, boiled to the confiftence of a syrup. The leaves of faxifrage are dried, and fold under the title of the tea of Tfchagir; and, in all Siberia, they are put into boiling water after being rubbed between the hands, and used as the Chinese tea. The Tartars employ the threads, of motherwort, and of feveral kinds of nettles inftead of hemp and flax. The Calmucs eat the root of the wild ranunculus. The third volume contains the hif tory of animals, with plates of the quadrupeds and birds. The Caban and the Cafan are filled with wild horfes, which go in troops of from five to twenty. There, and in Bucharia, are found alfo herds of wild affes. The Tartars are faid to make paper with the bark of the mulberry tree. We must not conclude this sketch *The remainder of this article from the Crit. Rev. without |