355 Defcription of the Views prefixed to this Number. HE town of Kirkwall is fituated THE on the Main-land of Orkney, an ifland called by the ancients Pomona. It was erected into a royal burgh when the Danes poffeffed it, and the charter of confirmation by King James the Third, is dated at Edinburgh, the laft day of March 1486. This Charter was afterwards ratified by King James the Fifth, and King Charles the Second. The Cathedral of Kirkwall is an ancient ftructure. It was founded by Rogwald, (Rolland?) Earl of Orkney, about the year 1137, and dedicated to his coufin Saint Magnus, the tutelary faint of the country. Afterwards, when the islands were recovered from Norway, it was confiderably enlarged and beautified by different bishops. It is built in the form of a crofs, of red free-ftone. Though at prefent, from the deficiency of funds, but meanly fupported, it is a venerable monument of the architecture of the times, and of the power of fuperftition in a remote country. It is 226 feet long, and 56 feet broad. The height, from the floor to the top of the fteeple, is 133 feet. The height to the main roof, is 71 feet. The caft window in the place of worship is 12 feet broad, and 36 feet high. The church is built with arches above arches, and thefe are fupported by 28 pillars, each 15 feet in circumference. The ficeple refts on four pillars of excellent workmanship, each 24 feet in circumference. There have been originally 100 windows, 72 of which are now fhut up. In the year 1670, the pyramid of the teeple was burnt, having been ftruck with lightning, by which fome of the ancient bells were deftroyed, but there ftill remains a chime of three. The ruin on the left fide of the plate is what is called the Bishop's palace. It was built by Patrick Stewart Earl of Orkney in 166, and, after his execution in 1614, became the refidence of the Bithops of O.kney. I To the Editor of the Edinburgh Magazine. SIR, HAD occafion lately to read fome part of Mr Bofwell's Lite of Dr Johnfon, wherein I find, that fo very imperfect a narrative is given of a circumftance in which I am interested, that I muft expect, from your impar tiality, the benefit of having my own account of that matter inferted in your refpectable publication, the channel of univerfal intelligence. reader will, I believe, acknowledge the propriety of one preliminary obfervation, which is, that I certainly had a right to be made acquainted with the purpofe of Mi B. to lay before the public the particulars of cur difcourfe, fo far as refpećted myfel. ; or, if he had formed no fuch purpofe at the time when I received his invitation, of having his intention made known to me, at any rate, before it was carried into execution. As he has followed neither of thole courtes, I mufl take up the matter as he has left it, and endeavour to do juice to myself Mr B. thinks proper to lay, that I Y y 2 I had indeed the honour to be a mong the guests of Mr Bofwell, at the Mitre Tavern, on the 6th of July 1763, of whofe converfation he gives fome account Vol. I. p. 231. Every chofe, unluckily, as the fubject of my fhould have thought of introducing in the company of English gentlemen, of whom I had heard that one was invincibly prejudiced against it, and fufpected that all might be under the influence of unfavourable prepoffion Johnfon's diflike of Scotland is well known, and formed a predominant part of his character. He entered into the fubject himself, and launched into an account of that kingdom by no means gratifying to a native of it, with that energy of voice and gesture by which, as well as by command of language, he was at all times eminent. ly diftinguished. During this time, although I had eyed this literary Dictator with fome attention, I made no remark of any kind whatever. But I now began to feel in behalf of my country; and I ventured, with fome timidity, to ask Dr Johnson whether he had ever been in Scotland?-Upon his anfwering in the negative to this queflion, I took occafion to fay, (as Mr B. chofe to remain filent) that although Scotland was in general lefs cultivated than England, the face of the country more mountainous, the foil perhaps lefs fertile, and the feasons furely more unfavourable; yet, that fome particular parts of North Britain Our author's memory is much in were certainly equal in beaury and ferfault, when he fays that I introduced tility to any in England and I any fubjea of converfation when I was mentioned particularly, if I rightly rehis gubit at the time above mention- member, the counties of Lothian and d. The moit inexperienced, and one Fifc. I do not recollect that I faid aof the youngest perfons in a company, ny thing concerning its wild and noble of whom I had never till that time profpects. Yet it is very poñible that feen an individual, Mr B. excepted, I may have mentioned the rude magwith whom I was very flightly ac- nificence of its highland regions. To quainted, I went there with the pur- all this Dr Johnfon replied imply in pofe of liftening, not of fpeaking, and thefe words: Sir, I believe the beft of receiving, not of giving information." thing in Scotland is the road to I believe I am not in general accufed of England." My memory preferves obtruding fubjects upon the perfons Doftronger trace of the rear of applaufe with whom I converfe. And of all wherewith fo many well-bred men fubjects whatever, the praise of my concurred in honouring this enuncianative country is the laft which I tion, than my ear retains at this mo I am perfectly fenfible of the aukward fituation wherein an individual is place, who is obliged to make bimfelf the theme of his own difcourfe: and I am alfo confcious, that many readers will confider the particulars of a converfation wherein that individual is folely interefled, as being wholly unworthy their regard. Of thefe, the former at prefent is unavoidable, and the later prefcribed by Mr Bofwell. Let me therefore try to make the best of both as they ftand. " ment ⚫ I have here delivered the fenfe of what I faid,-not the words in which it was ex out. ment of its found. My answer I diftinaly recollect was, that opinion was the judge of that matter; and that in mine, the best thing in England was the road to Scotland, for which, I added, that I very foon propoled to fet Of Dr Goldsmith's part of the converfation I have no knowledge.Certainly, I fhould have merited cenfure for affirming that the country a round Edinburgh is either rich or poor: for, although I know that the environs of that city are highly cultivated, I am ignorant of the quality of the foil. It is fcarcely worth mentioning, that we paffed from this fubject to the number of inhabitants in N. Britain. Johnfon eftimated them (I now believe truly) at 1,500,000-I faid, I believed they might amount to 2,000,000, and fubjoined, that I lived myfelf in the neighbourhood of a city that contains about 20,000 perfons. Thefe, Sir, are the particulars of the only converfation I ever had with Dr Johnion. I have often had occafion to repeat the circumftances above mentioned to my friends, although without having been called on, I fhould not have thought of making them known to the public. I cannot indeed authenticate this detail by Dr Johnson's own teftimony; yet the note at the end of the page will perhaps fatisfy the reader, that my fhare in the converfation of the evening was not quite fo frivolous, when I was led into it, as it appears to have been in Mr B's account, as to this con verfation, it has an obvious refer ence I cannot, in the conclusion of this letter, altogether overlook the occafion which the fubject of it prefents, of doing justice to my own opinion of the character of this great man, who, with all the faults and forbles that are afcribed to him in the writings of his contemporaries, will command the admiration of future ages, in his own, While I fee the mind of Johnson in the compafs of his understanding, the fplendour of his imagination, and the dignified cadence of his periods, I forget the foibles that diminish its radiance, foibles that ought now to be configned for ever to oblivion. And while I envy the fages of antiquity (whofe friends were ufkilled in the modern art of fhading), their claim. to the most perfect approbation, I mark with a fatisfaction, not perhaps altogether defitute of merit, the mind of this author breaking by ftrong and interrupted flashes thro' the cloud that furrounds it in the writings of his enemies, as well as of his panegyriits; alternately overshadowed by the breath of envy, or enveloped in the inceale of adulation. I admire his genius, honour his principles, love his virtues, and refpect his memory. I am, SIR, Your moft obedient, J. OGILVIE. MIDMAR, near ABERDEEN, Oa. 29. 1791. ⚫ I happened to be from home on a journey of fome length at the time when Dr Jon fon was in Aberdeenshire, and faw him only once after the 6th of Juny 1763. him however a copy of my inquiry into the caufes of infidelity, by Mr Richardfon, a Bookfeller in London, with a fhort letter, wherein I reminded him of our meeting at the Mitre Tavern, as an event that might have been erafed from his memory. His fetter to Mr R, who tranfmitted to hit the book along with the few lines I had written, is now before me in his own hand-writing. I tranfcribe it verbatim. SIR, You will do me a favour, by returning my respectful thanks to Dr. Ogilvie, for the kind prefent of his book; and let him know, that I take amifs to be fufpected of having forgotten him. I hope we fhall never forget each other. I am, Feb. 23. 1782. SIR, Your hamble fervant, SAM. JOHNSON. 358 Some Account of the New Colony at Sierra Leona, on the Coaft of Africa, ar fluted by Mr Clarkson to the Society in this Place for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. TH HE firft project of establishing a fettlement on the river Serra Leona, originated with the late benevolent Mr Jonas Hanway about the year 1786. Obferving in the ftreets and environs of London a number of poor and neglected natives of Africa, fubfifting in mifery on precarious charity, he formed the idea of fending them back to their own country, in a fituation in which they might be able at least to fupport themselves, and perhaps ultimately to benefit this kingdom. Three hundred of them were accordingly collected, and tranf ported to a place on the river Sierra Leona, where it was expected they would have it in their power to turn their induftry to a proper account. Unfortunately from mifinformation, in refpect to the climate and feafons in that part of the world, this little colony were fent out, and arrived in Africa at the most unfavourable period for forming a fettlement. The rainy weather fet in before they could provide fhelter; and, from their bad accommodations, joined to other hardhips to which they were exposed, a great mortality came on, which carried off more than one half of the Colenifts. One hundred and twenty, however, furvived all their diftreffes; and, when the more favourable feafon commenced, immediately took neafures for forming a fettlement, built a village, and began to cultivate the ground: the rudiments of a government were planned, and divine worship was regularly performed, and conftantly as well as decently attended. Even in this infant ftate they very early began to prove a confiderable check on the enormities of the Slave Merchants. Two particular inftances foon occurred, in which fome perfons had been kidnapped and carried off from the grounds which the colony occupied ;-councils were im mediately held,--the flave fhips boarded, the unfortunate captives brought back, and the captains of the veffels laid hold of and compelled to pay confiderable fines for their mifconduct. A feries of fuch proceedings would foon have produced confiderable inconvenience to the flave deal, ers, by reftraining, at leaft in the territory of the colony, the villainous and inhuman practices from which much of the gain of that traffic arises; the different flave factories in the neighbourhood therefore united for the deftruction of the infant fettlement. The African Kings were, by different means, ftirred up to attack them; and at laft a detachment of Africans, conducted, it is faid, by an European, attacked the new-built town, fet fire to it (the white conductor fetting the example), reduced it to a heap of ruins, and partly extirpated, partly difperfed, the inhabi tants. The Colonifts, ftruck with confternation at this difafter, and dreading immediate and utter deftruction, abandoned their fettlement, and took refuge in faftneffes and moraffes, where they were expofed to hardihijs that proved fatal to feveral. In hopes of relief, they found means to get feveral letters, ftating their wretched fituation, difpatched by different ships, addreffed to the perfons in London who had formed the plan of the fettlement. As flave fhips, however, were the only means of conveyance they could procure for these letters, not one of them was ever delivered, but all of them opened; and, on the con tents being known, immediately deftroyed. No anfwer being received to their letters, the fettlers began to lufpe& fufpect their miscarriage; and, as the only mode of effecting their deliverance, one of them at last offered and undertook to venture on board a Slave fhip, and go with it, firft to the Weft Indies, and then to England. He did fo, arrived safe, and gave the firft intelligence to the benevolent planners of the scheme, of its total mifcarriage, the means by which that had been effected, and the difinal fituation of the furviving Colonifts. The Gentlemen concerned inftantly refolved to attempt the relief of the fufferers. They difpatched a fmall reffel between 30 and 40 tons burden, under the care of M. Falconbridge furgeon, loaded with what might be most neceffary for men in their circumstances. M. Falconbridge found the fettlers in moft diftreffed circumstances, deftitute of every neceffary, and many of them ready to perish from difeafes contracted by their mode of living; many of thefe diforders he was able to cure, and collecting all the remains of the Colony, found feventy-four perfons ftill furviving. Thefe he brought together, and fettled in a proper fpot, where they built a village, and thus laid the foundation of the New Colony of Sierra Leona. Inured to the climate, and trained up by hardships and diftrefs, they must prove a valuable acquifition to the infant fettle ment. The Gentlemen in Britain, who had ftill an establishment on the African coaft much at heart, profiting by the errors in the first attempt, refolved to proceed with more caution, and on a better plan in the fecond. A tract of ground on the river Sierra Leona, about 20 miles fquare, lying in lat. about 9°, was pitched upon as the proper fpot, both on account of its central fituation in the vicinity of feveral navigable rivers, and on account of the depth of water at the place where the propofed new town was to be erected, the river being there, at low water, capable of floating a man of war almoft clofe to the fhore. The land befides appeared uncommonly fertile, and the climate with proper precaution by no means infalutary. Determined to proceed in all their tranfactions on the principles of the ftricteft equity and juftice, the affociated company, as the commencement of their operation, entered into terms with the feveral African princes, who claimed the property of this land, for the purchafe of what they required, The terms were fettled, the lands purchated at an expence of between two and three hundred pounds Sterling, and the African Chiefs made them over in perpetuity to the King of Great Britain. The next step was to apply for an A&t of Parliament, incorporating the Company, and impowering his Majefty to make a grant of the lands thus ceded to the new-eftablifhed affociation. To the paffing of this act, the greateft oppofition was made by the flave-merchants and Weft-India planters; but in fpite of their endeavours, it was carried through, and in confequence of it a grant of the land in the manner defired was obtained by the Company. Being thus put in poffeffion of a legal title to the ground, the next step was to procure a proper number of fettlers for its cultivation. By a particular claufe in the Act of Parliament, incorporating the Company, a pofitive refriction was laid againft their either countenancing or adopting the practice of flavery; it was to free fettlers alone, therefore, they were to look for a fapply of inhabitants. The 74 perfons already mentioned as the remains of the first Colony, were fure and ufeful hands, and were therefore regarded as the foundation of the fettlement. But their number was too fmall to carry on any extenfive plan, fresh fettlers therefore were neceffary. On enquiry it was found that many perfons, both white and black, |