a long stick in his hand, and a short tobacco-pipe in his mouth, with its head inverted. This rock is limeftone upon a layer of blue flate.-Pursuing the course of the brook for about two hundred yards further, we reach Raven-ree, a rocky promontory forty yards high, and fpotted with ivy, yew, and other evergreen shrubs.-Afcending the mountains a little further, we foon enter Kingfdale, which is a remarkably level, and, confidering its high elevation, a fertile valley, about a mile in length, and three hundred yards broad; with the mountain Gregroof on the north; Whernfide, one of the highest mountains in England, on the fouth-eaft; and a high ridge extending from thence on the fouth, Towards the head of this fecluded vale, under the northern fkirts of a mountain, ftands a folitary farm-houfe, called Breadagarth, furrounded with a few meagre-looking fields, while all the furrounding country has the appearance of a wild unfrequented defert; with here and there two or three theep peeping from among the rocks. The limestone here affumes the most fantaftic appearance, particularly on Gregroof, where the mountain feems, at fome time, to have undergone a fort of anatomical operation; when the coating of earth or mufcular parts have been taken away, and the rocky bones of this huge monfter left to the infpection of the naturalift and philofopher. Seven tiers of perpendicular naked rocks, with floping intervals (exhibiting fcanty portions of earth) one above another, like the ribs of a skeleton, run along the fides of this mountain; but, contrary to the direction of ribs in animal nature, they run parallel to the spine.-We purfue our journey along the north fide of the vale, with the winding brook on the right, till the path leads us clofe by Keldhead, where the rivulet emerges from a fubterraneous paffage, which it enters at Yordas Cave. This fecond fource of the brook is a deep circular bafin, which, our guide informed us, lately proved fatal to an unfortunate tailor, who, having been working at Breadagarth, and returning home in the night, had ftepped half a yard out of the road, as he paffed Keldhead, and tumbled upwards of fifteen yards down a floping height into the pool below, where he was found drowned the next day. We warily and flowly pursued our directed route, while our guide went across the vale to Breadagarth to procure a light, and his large candlestick, which he always leaves there to be in readinefs. The road before us, though little frequented, is the only one in or near this valley: it croffes the hills, on the north fide of Whernfide, into the pleafant vale of Dentdale. "Having travelled about four miles from Ingleton, we find ourselves at Yordas Cave, one of the principal objects of this excurfion. It is fituated, near the eaft end of the vale, under the mountain Greg-roof, and to which we turn a little out of the road, on the left, over a carpet of bent grafs interfperfed with fragments of gray rock.--The cave does not appear till we get through fome theepfolds, and are within a few yards of its entrance, which is rather alarming; for we no fooner defcend gently through a rude arched opening, four yards by feven, like the gateway of fome ancient caftle, than we fee ftones of enormous weight pendent from the roof, apparently loofe, and ready to fall down upon our heads. From thefe furprising objects our attention is directed to the folemn and gloomy manfions which wề now enter, when the noife of a waterfall is heard at a distance. The roof rifes to a height concealed in darknefs, and large drops, diftilling therefrom, fall among the tones at the bottom with a folemn found: this, added to the flowing of an invifible ftream, heard juft before us, and the flipperinefs of the loofe ftones under our feet, roufes cur apprehenfions for perfonal fafety, and we ftop fhort.-Our guide now places himfelf upon the fragment of a rock, and ftrikes up his lights, consisting of fix or eight candles, put into as many holes of a ftick, with which, by the help of a long pole fixed therein, he can illuminate a confiderable space. His tobacco-pipe, being prepared and lighted, is held in his mouth: with his flambeau in one hand, and a ftaff in the other, the cock of his hat being placed before, he gives us the fignal of a march by, Now come along.'Though under the conduct of fuch an experienced leader, and affured that the danger is merely imaginary, we journey on with cautious fteps. The cave opens into an apartment fo fpacious and extenfive, that, with all the blaze of our elevated candles, we could fcarcely fee either its roof or its walls. On turning to the right, we immediately lofe fight of day; the noife of the cataract increases, and we foon find ourselves on the brink of a fubterraneous rivulet.-No cave in romance, no den of lions, giants, or ferpents, nor any haunts of ghofts or fairies, were ever defcribed more frightfully gloomy and difmal than this now before us. After paffing the brook, and cautiously proceeding thirty or forty yards further, we are under the neceffity of climbing over a rugged heap of huge rocks, which had fome time or other fallen from the roof or fides of the cave; but now are incrufted over with a fmooth calcareous substance. Being at length more habituated to darknefs, our lights had a better effect; the high finooth roof and walls were feen diftinctly, as well as the curious petrifactions hanging therefrom. On the right, we obferved, among several other curiously incrufted figures, a projecting one, which our guide called the Bishop's Throne, from its great refemblance to that appendage of a cathedral; on the other fide, a feemingly emblematical monument fprings from the wall, about three yards above the floor, with various uncouth reprefentations, of which that of a lion's bead is the most conspicuous. Another confufed mafs of incrufted matter bears fome refemblance to a large organ. We now enter a narrow pafs of five or fix yards, where the roof is fupported by feven pillars: there is only room for one perfon in breadth; but the height is very confiderable. The internal brook pushes along this crerice, which renders it the most difficult part of our fubterraneous excurfion, and which, after great rains, effectually excludes a paffage. The flipperinefs of the ftones had nearly occafioned an unpleasant event during cur viht to this cave; our guide, with his collection of luminaries, tumbled into the brook, and had nearly left us in darknefs; but when he fell, we were more particularly afraid left he should drop into fome deep chaim of the rock, which might have proved fatal. How ever, he arofe without receiving much injury; and, refuming our journey, we foon reached the calcade which we had heard for fome time at a diftance: it iffues from an opening in the rock, -- and falls about four or five yards into a Circular apartment, roofed with a fine dome. This apartment fome vifitants have named the Chapter-house. The broad sheet of water, the spray arifing from the fall, and the beautiful petri. factions, all illuminated with the light of the candles, produce effects in this natural edifice which the puny efforts of art may attempt to imitate, but in vain. Near the Chapter-house, there is an opening, through which a perfon may creep, and arrive at other large apartments; but we did not attempt the experiment. The colonnade affords a number of curious receffes: its pillars are broad, extremely thin, rudely indented, and perforated in several places. On our return, we could difcern the nature and dimenfions of this spacious cavern more distinctly. Its walls are a fort of black marble, the roof pretty fmooth, and beautifully veined with red and white; the floor is ftrewed with ftones and pieces of rock. The whole length of this,fingular cavern is between fifty and fixty yards; its breadth thirteen yards; and height forty-feven feet.-On entering this cave its area enlarges every way, and we reach the oppofite wall, after walking about twenty-three yards: the principal part, just described, lies to the right; but it extends alfo on the other hand, and unfolds fome wonderful clofets, called Yordas Bedchamber, Yordas Oven, &c. Here alfo the brook buries itself still deeper, and proceeds under ground to Keldhead, before mentioned. This brook rifes in the moun tains above Yordas, and falls in among the rocks juft before it reaches that cave. "We leave the dark excavations with redoubled fentiments of gratitude towards the Almighty, for the bleflings he affords us in the light of the fun, which, after being buried for fome time in thefe murky regions, we now enjoy with ftill greater pleasure. "Our guide feriously remarked to us, that this place had formerly been the refidence of a giant called Yordas; from which circumftance he accounts for its name. The hiftory of this cave records two remarkable facts. About half a century ago, a lunatic escaped from his friends at or near Ingleton, and lived here upwards of a week in the winter feafon, having previously provided himself with cheefe and other provifions. provifions. Snow being on the ground, was fagacious enough to pull the heels off his fhoes, and fet them on inverted at the toes, to prevent being traced. Since that time, a poor woman, big with child, travelling alone through this inhofpitable vale, to Dentdale, was taken in labour, and found dead in this cave." P. 208. in a manner, demolished by thofe finkings, amounted to eighteen, among which was Mr. Littledale's elegant manfion; and between fixty and 'eighty families deferted that part of the town.-The furniture was saved 'out of all the houfes, except two. The pavement in George Street was rent in many places. "Skilful coal-viewers were immediately employed to inspect all the old workings which were acceffible; and their report, that no further 'danger was to be apprehended, quiet'ed the minds of the inhabitants, and brought them back to thofe deferted dwellings which were not shook by the alarming accident. No further < COAL-WORKS AT WHITEHAVEN. "THE coal-works, being near the fea, are very convenient for the shipping; fome of these mines are worked many hundred yards under the fea, and others beneath the town. This latter circumstance, in its confequence, occafioned great alarm to the inhabit-calamity has enfued.' ants fome years ago, which is thus recorded in the Hiftory of Cumberland, taken from the provincial newspaper of this town. "About two o'clock, on Monday, the 31ft of January 1791, in the afternoon, the ground fuddenly fhrunk in the garden of H. Littledale, Efq. be'hind his houfe in Duke Street, and 'the noife of fubterranean waters was 'heard on the spot, by a fervant there at work. Near the fame time, the 'ground funk in a garden behind the 'houfe once occupied for the Difpen'fary, in Scotch Street, and in the ⚫ burial-ground behind the Anabaptifts' 'meeting-house, in Charles Street, all ' on the north fide of the town. "This event created much alarm, ' as it was evident it proceeded from "the falling in of fome of the old coal'works; and it afterwards appeared, 'that a great difcharge of water had 'flowed in upon the working pits, and 'two men and a woman, with five 'horfes, were drowned in the works. "On Wednesday evening, another ' plot of ground funk, within a few 'yards of the former fettling in Mr. 'Littledale's garden; and other finkings, though much more trivial, were obferved in different places. This 'accident was attributed to a work'man in a new drift unfortunately 'ftriking into a drowned wafte, or old ' working. Several workmen and horfes ' were faved from the fate of the others, by remaining in their workings till 'the water ran off, which was in about two hours after its old lodgment had 'been pierced. "The number of houfes which were, "Coal, it is fuppofed, was firft raised here about one hundred and fifty or one hundred and fixty years ago; and fince which time the workings have increafed rapidly. It is conjectured that, at prefent, about eighty thoufand waggons of coals are annually raised in thefe collieries; each waggon being equal to a chaldron and one quarter, London meafure; containing twenty-four Cumberland bushels, or feventy-two Winchefter bufhels, and weighing, in general, from forty-two to forty-four hundred weight. 'Here are coal-pits three hundred and twenty yards deep, which are fuppofed to be the deepeft coal-mines in the world. As they extend to a great distance under the fea, fhips of large burden fail over where the miners are at work. Some very powerful fire-engines have been erected to draw off the water; one of which has two boilers, of fifteen feet diameter each, a feventy inch cylinder, and eleven and half inches working barrel. Its maximum in working is fifteen ftrokes, each fix and a half feet long, in a minute: twenty-seven gallons water are drawn by each stroke, which is four hundred and five gallons per minute, or nine thousand two hundred and forty hogfheads in twentyfour hours. "The coals are brought to the harbour in waggons, along a railed way of an easy descent, and are carried by their own weight, with about two tons of coals in each. They are thus conveyed, on the fame declining level, till they are brought above the veffels, and then at once projected down hurries into the fhips. The coal-ftaith is on the the weft fide of the town, adjoining the harbour, where five veffels of three hundred tons burden are frequently loaden from the hurries at the fame time," P. 463. XXVI. Edwards's Hiftory of the British Weft Indies. Vol. III. (Concluded from p. 124.) INHUMAN BARBARITY OF VICTOR HUGUES TO THE ROYALISTS. TOWARDS the British, the terms granted by the enemy were fufficiently liberal, but the condition demanded for the French royalifts, that they should be treated as British fubjects, was declared inadmiffible; all the favour that could be obtained for them, was the fanction of a covered boat, in which twenty-five of their officers efcaped to the Boyne. The reft of the miferable royalifts, upwards of three hundred in number, were left a facrifice to the vengeance of their republican enemies. Finding themfelves excluded from the capitulation, they folicited permiflion to endeavour to cut their way through the enemy, an attempt which must have ended only in the deftruction both of themselves and the British. There was a faint hope entertained, however, that Victor Hugues (whofe character was not at that time fufficiently developed) would relent on their furrender. In this expectation, however, these unfortunate people were cruelly disappointed, and their fad fate cannot be recorded without indignation and horror. The republicans erected a guillotine, with which they ftruck off the heads of fifty of them in the short space of an hour. This mode of proceeding, however, proving too tedious for their impatient revenge; the remainder of thefe unhappy men were fettered to each other, and placed on the brink of one of the trenches which they had fo gallantly defended: the republicans then drew up fome of their undifciplined recruits in front, who firing an irregular volley at their miserable victims, killed fome and wounded others; leaving many, in all probability, untouched: the weight however of the former dragged the reft into the ditch, where the living, the wounded, and the dead, shared the fame grave; the foil being inftantly thrown in upon them. "Thus was the whole of this fertile country (the fingle fortrefs of Matilda excepted) restored to the power of France, and placed under the domination of a revengeful and remorfelefs democracy. General Prefcott, who commanded the Matilda Fort, fuftained a long and moft haraffing fiege, from the 14th of October to the 10th of December. His conduct throughout, as well as that of the officers and men under his command, was above all praise. He maintained his pofition until the fort was no longer tenable, and having no other means of faving his reduced and exhausted garrifon from the fword, he was obliged at length to abandon it by filent evacuation. Three line of battle fhips had indeed arrived in the interim from Great Britain, but they came only to behold the triumph of the enemy. With this adverfe ftroke of fortune clofed the campaign of 1794 : its career for a while was glorious beyond example; and if the very unhappy ineafure of reducing the number ofthe troops at the outfet, had not taken effect, or if, as foon as the news of the capture of Martinico had reached England, a ftrong reinforcement had been sent to the fcene of action, it cannot be doubted that Guadaloupe would have still continued in poffeffion of the English, and the page of hiftory remained undefiled with thofe dreadful recitals of revolt, devaftation, and malacre, which I fhall foon have the painful task of recording, to the fhame and everlasting difhonour of the French character, and the difgrace of human nature. Our gallant commanders were fortunate, in being allowed to withdraw in time from an atmosphere polluted by tuch enor mities. Worn down by conftant exertion both of body and mind, affailed by an unprincipled faction with the bafeft calumnies, and oppreffed by the melancholy and daily profpect of a gallant army perishing of difeafe, they were happily relieved from infinite anxiety by the appearance of the reinforcement before mentioned, in which arrived General Sir John Vaughan and Vice-admiral Caldwell; to the former of whom Sir Charles Grey, and to the latter Sir John Jervis, furrendered their refpective commands, and on the 27th of November failed for Great Britain." P. 438. CRUELTIES CRUELTIES TO THE BRITISH PRISONERS. "THE first measure of the French commithioner, on taking poffeffion of Fort Matilda, difplayed in the ftrongeft manner the bafenefs and ferocity of his character. The body of Major-gene ral Dundas had been buried within the walls of that fortress, and a ftone placed over it with a suitable infcription. This humble memorial, which a generous enemy, in every civilized part of the earth, would have held facred, was immediately deftroyed by orders of this favage defpot, and the remains of the deceased hero dug up and thrown into the river Gallion. This mean and cowardly difplay of ineffectual vengeance, was made the subject of boafting and triumph in a public proclamation, worthy only of its author *. "The miseries of war feem, indeed, to have been wantonly aggravated by this man, to an extent never known among the rudeft and most barbarous nations. In the village of Petit Bourg lay many fick and wounded British Toldiers, who had been taken prifoners with Colonel Drummond at Point Bachus. Thefe unhappy men made an humble application to Victor Hugues for medical affiftance and freth provifions. Their petition was anfwered by a death-warrant. The vindictive conqueror, instead of confidering them as objects of mercy and relief, caufed the whole number in the hof pital, and among them it is faid 'many women and fome children,' to be indifcriminately murdered by the bayo net: a proceeding fo enormously wicked, is, I believe, without a precedent in the annals of human depravity t "After fuch conduct towards men who were incapable of making either refiftance or efcape, it may well be fuppofed that revenge was not tardy in the purfuit of its victims among the To be inhabitants of the country. accused of actions, or fufpected of principles, hoftile towards the new government, was to be convicted of treafon. Accordingly, perfons of all conditions, without refpect to fex or age, were fent daily to the guillotine by this inexorable tyrant, and their execution was commonly performed in fight of the British prifoners. "Victor Hugues, having taken thefe and other meafures for fecuring the quiet poffeffion of Guadaloupe, determined in the next place (his force being inadequate to a regular attempt againft any of the other inlands) to adopt a fyftem of hoftility against fome of them, which, though well fuited to his character and difpofition, was not lefs outrageous and fanguinary than unprecedented among civilized ftates. To this end he directed his first atten tion towards Grenada and St. Vincent's, expecting to find in each of thofe iflands, adherents fit for the project which he meditated. * * ‡.” P. 441. "So much has been heard of Victor Hugues, that it may be agreeable to the reader to be informed of his origin and early purfuits. He was born of mean parents in fome part of old France, and was placed out when a boy, as an apprentice to a hairdreffer. In that occupation he went originally to Guadaloupe, where he was afterwards known as a petty innkeeper at Baffe Terre. Failing in that pursuit, he became mafter of a small trading veffel, and at length was promoted to a lieutenancy in the French navy. Being diftinguished for his activity in the French revolution, he was afterwards deputed, through the influence of Robespierre, to whofe party he was strongly attached, to the National Affembly. In 1794, he obtained the appointment of commissioner at Guadaloupe, with controlling powers over the commanders of the army and navy; and proved himself in every respect worthy of his great patron and exemplar, being nearly as favage, remorfelefs, and bloody, as Robefpiene himfelf." "I am unwilling to give this anecdote to the public without quoting my authority. I relate it on the teftimony of the Rev. Cooper Williams, chaplain of the Boyne, who quotes Colonel Drummond himfelf; and it is confirmed by a declaration drawn up by General Vaughan and Vice-admiral Caldwell. Colonel Drummond himself was confined to a prifon-fhip, and, by particular orders from Victor Hugues, to fwab the decks like the meanest feamen." "N. B. At this interefting period the hiftory clofes. Death abruptly terminates the author's labours." |