"At another time, I was upon the sea-shore, when there was felt a smart shock of an earthquake, and I saw two canoes that were lying upon the beach, shaken with it, The natives did not appear at all alarmed; but immediately began to shout as loud as they could, and to beat the ground with sticks, till it was over. I began to ridicule their folly and superstition; but they took no notice of it: they said they were sure Mowe was falling asleep, and they must rouse him; and began again to howl and scream and to strike the earth. "They supposed also that every man had an odooa or particular spirit attending him; and when any thing wonderful excited their attention respecting us or our goods or arts, as was the case with our cuckooclock, &c. they would say, "Oye be awa koo odooa fogee!" "O "dear, he has a spirit!" The odooa or particular spirit, which presides, as they suppose, over every one, sends afflictions and maladies if he is angry, and when irreconcileable, occasions the death of the person. It is to render him propitious that the relations so often wound themselves, and sometimes put some of the sick person's wives or domestics to death. "By this time, having become very fluent in the language, I extended my acquaintance, and was the companion of the chiefs in most of their expeditions and excursions. They much respected me, and esteemed me as a very entertaining companion; as I could now, with a ready familiarity of language, amuse them with tales and descriptions of European customs, inventions, and events; and understand their remarks and tales in answer. I had it now in my power also to entertain large parties in return, and had learned to join in their amusements with too great facility and pleasure. "I took pains also to endear myself to the chiefs by timeing my presents, and presenting them in the most approved and acceptable manner. My abbee being in a high state of cultivation, in the scarcest seasons abounded with fruits, and probably it would have been a chief source of supply to Mulkaamair. When scarcity desolated the country around, ripe plantains bended the branches of my trees, of which I would cut twenty branches and send them as a present to Mulkaamair, borne on the shoulders of forty men. This was the etiquette of Tonga: the manner of doing it rendered the present doubly valuable, and no present could be more acceptable and handsome than this, as Mulkaamair liked plantains more than all other fruits. "Though he was pleased with the presents sent him, yet he had a dignity of spirit, that prevented him, in the scarce seasons, from calling on me, even though he was in the neighbourhood, and but badly supplied with provisions. Had I been a native chief, he would have called without ceremony; but he was above seeking assistance from moolee, or the stranger. He was a man of such boundless generosity, that if I even went to him and asked him to let me have a field of his to culti vate, he would laugh, and say, "go "and take it," Hence, whenever I understood he was in the neighbour. hood, I always took care to dress a pig, and send it him; and he never omitted to return me equal kindness. This manner of bestowing. was surprisingly refined. If he sent me a pig, those who brought it would say, they had brought a 66 pig, but it was very small, and "intended for the servants, if I "would permit them, for Mulkaa"mair's "mair's sake, to accept it." The servants then rose, and thanked the bearer, whilst I had only to beckon assent, without any expression of obligation or thanks.. When they had departed, the servants would set it before me, and I ordered it to be dressed for the household. When it was ready, perhaps several persons in the neighbourhood would come in to partake of it, as was generally the custom at Tonga. "But amid all these interchanges of ease and indulgence, employment, and amusement, I could not prevent the intrusion of uneasy reflections. I enjoyed no true peace and happiness, my dereliction of all religion often so pained my conscience as to render me a burden to myself. So true is the declaration of the in spired oracles, "There is no peace "to the wicked." "Whilst proceeding in this career, however, I daily advanced in wealth and dignity. Ére long I purchased more land contiguous to Omotaanee, till my little abbee became a considerable estate. I engaged more labourers to cultivate my fields, and was very industrious in planting, dressing and cleaning them. I increased in favour with the chiefs, who esteemed me as a man of diligence and skill; and in time, I should, it is probable, have become as wealthy as many of the chiefs; as my land was very productive, and freed from the fadangyeer, or tax on labour, described above, which was a great burden to every other estate." PREPARATIONS OF THE FRENCH COURT FOR THE INVASION OF GREAT BRITAIN. “I [From MR. GOLDSMITH'S SECRET HISTORY OF THE WILL now take a view of the so much talked of invasion of the British Isles. "Immediately after the departure of Lord Whitworth from Paris, every possible insult and indignity was offered to the English, who were either so improvident or unfortunate as to remain in France. "Our countrymen, nay, even women and children, were treated more like criminals and savages than natives of a civilized country, whom chance had placed within his power. "He had conceived the most inveterate hatred to England and every thing English. He was determined, or at least wished to have it appear that he was determined to conquer this country. "He, therefore, collected an immense flotilla at Boulogne for the purpose of making a descent. "I have observed in a former part of this work, that one of Bonaparte's great advantages is, that there are a great number of unfortunate men in France, who, having been obliged to quit their country on account of their political opinions, are harnessed to the car of that universal usurper. It is from a person of this description, a native of this country, that I am enabled to give the following statement of what passed in the camp at Boulogne, just before its object was changed from from England to Germany; from this statement it will appear that the object of Bonaparte, after he began to be convinced of the impracticability of an immediate invasion of England, was to induce the Continental powers to commence offensive operations, that he might have an ostensible excuse for abandoning his so much boasted enterprize. "That before he heard of the triple alliance, he would have attempted a descent on this country, has never been doubted. What might have been his conduct with respect to this projected invasion, if a negociation had actually taken place between him and the allied powers, I will not attempt to discuss. I shall confine myself to what I have heard from the gentleman to whom I have above alluded. I will give the statement as nearly as I can in his own words: "There can be no doubt but "that Bonaparte never intended the "invasion of England, without hav"ing a large fleet of men of war "to cover his flotilla. This fleet "was daily expected about May or "June, 1805. It was that com"manded by Villeneuve, and which "was sent on purpose to the West "Indies, with no other object in "view, than to induce our fleets to go after them. "That fleet was to return to "Brest, where there were twenty"five sail of the line: it has been "well ascertained, that the com"bined squadrons of France and "Spain, under the Admirals Ville"neuve and Gravina, would have "amounted to forty-six sail of the "line, exclusively of the Brest fleet, "thus making together seventy "sail of the line, besides a Dutch "fleet at the Texel, of eight sail "of the line, and two fifty gun "ships. "At this period already Negoci"ations had commenced with Den"mark, for the surrender of her "fleet to France, which was to "have gone to Cuxhaven, from "whence Bernadotte's army, then " in Hanover, would have been em. "barked in it. "However, the combined fleets "of France and Spain did not ar"rive in Europe, until a month "after Bonaparte had received the "intelligence from Russia, respect"ing the triple alliance; and his "squadron was defeated by Ad"miral Calder. "I am persuaded, that from that "moment, which was in July 1805, "he had not the remotest idea of "making the boasted descent. "The news of Admiral Calder having met with, and defeated "the combined squadrons, reached "him when he was still at Paris; "and before he went to Boulogne, "pour faire la déscente! His rage against Villeneuve may be conceived; but it is difficult to be "expressed. The orders given to "the Admiral had been, that he "should return to Europe in May: "had this taken place, and had "Bonaparte been able to collect "his fleet in the Straits of Dover, "he certainly would have attempted "the invasion; for, at that period, "he had not received the news "from Petersburgh. "I am íot sufficiently acquainted "with either military or naval tac"tics, to judge how far he might have succeeded, admitting even "that his fleets would have escaped "the vigilance of ours, and have "all joined to lie off Boulogne. "The naval officers at Boulogne "always declared it to be almost "impossible impossible to reach the English shores; for it would have re"quired four days for all the ves"sels there to work out of the "harbour, and to form a line; "which would have been fifty "miles; extending from Etaples "to Calais. During that time, our diffe"rent squadrons would have joined; "the army on the English shore "would have been prepared; and "there can be no doubt, but that "if the fleet and flotilla had sailed "from the different points, more "than half would have been destroyed on that element, which "has always proved favourable to "the arms of Britain. "The army and flotilla were, "nevertheless, very formidable; the "former was upwards of 200,000' Istrong, and was to be disposed of "as follows: There were to em"bark at Boulogne 160,000 men; "at Calais 10,000; at Etaples "20,000; at Ambieteuse 20,000; "about 50,000 men were to be left "in and about Boulogne, as a Corps de Reserve; but a stronger Corps de Réserve, of more than "150,000 men, was posted en "Echelons, all the way back to "Metz, which no doubt was in"tended more as an advanced guard "against Austria. being placed in such a disagree"able situation, as to be obliged to " conduct into their own country "such a motley band. "There was also attached to the "army at Boulogne, a corps of " guides, to act as military inter "The flotilla consisted of about "3000 vessels, of three different "descriptions. The first were the "Praames; of these there were "only about 40; they had each "three masts, and lay very low on "the water; they carried six thirty"six pounders on each side, besides "one in the bow and stern; about "100 men could go in each of "drames. As the whole was a "these Fraames. "Of the second description were "the Canoniers, likewise of three preters. The commandant of "that corps was a Mr. Cuvelier, "an half-pay Colonel; but who had "of late become director of ballets "and pantomimes at one of the "minor theatres in Paris: he is "also a prolific author of melo "jeu de pantomime, nothing could "have been so ù-propos as the ap pointment of Mr. Cuvelier to a "command "command in an army destined "for the conquest of Britain. " "Farcical and ridiculous as this was to an attentive observer, Bonaparte did not wish it to be "considered a farce; he had cer"tainly laid his plans for the inva"sion of this country; he was fur"nished with the names of all our "officers in the army and militia, "which he obtained from a Scotch"man, whom he sent to this coun"try in 1804; and who was then, "and is now, a general of division " in the French army. "It may be depended upon, that "Bonaparte is as well acquainted "with our coast, and with every "creek and rivulet, as if he had "been a Kent smuggler all his life. "Men of every description, con"versant in English affairs, or who "could speak English, were ordered "to Boulogne, to assist him in his "farce. It was on that occasion "that General Clarke, now his mi"nister of war, an Englishman by "birth, succeeded General Duroc, as Secretary of his Imperial Majesty's Cabinet. "The company of comedians, belonging to the Théatre de Vaude"ville of Paris, were likewise or "dered to Boulogne ; and Mr. Barré, "the dramatic author, was appointed "director of it: his patent was made " out as Director of the Vaudeville "Company in London!! 66 "New pieces were written for "the occasion; in particular, a piece " called Dugay Trouin," was a "great favourite. This great Dugay Trouin, however, was nothing << more than the commander of a privateer, in the time of Louis XIV. and who, when he was prisoner " in England, broke his parole. "A great number of sçavans, << men of letters, &c. were also or"dered to proceed to Bologne. 1810. "An English printing press, with "Those who were not in Bona- "That an active correspondence "coast. "It was known, that a Special "Bureau was about that time established, at the French Office for Foreign Affairs, to keep up a "direct correspondence with certain "persons in England. The chief of that establishment is an old "member of the Constitutional Society; and a great friend of our leading English reformers. He "was one of those indicted for attempting to rescue his friend, Ar"thur O'Connor, at Maidstone. "Every appearance of inmediate "embarkation was kept up. The "biscuit was on board; the troops were constantly ordered in and "out of the boats, as also the "horses. Bonaparte, who had his "head-quarters at Ponte Brique, "two leagues from Boulogne, now " removed his head-quarters to the "town, in order to superintend the "embarkation of his armies. "One day, he ordered about an "hundred of his cockle-shells to go out of the harbour, to fight. "the tyrants of the seas, who were lying to, about three miles off. The English force consisted only "of three frigates, and a line of "battle L |