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Impeachment of Mr Haftings.

licentious, fary of the foldiers, are never imputed to the general. Individuals in the fervice of the Com. pany have been guilty of rapacity, extortion, and bloodshed. But are the Company or the Governor Ge neral of India to be charged with the crimes of their fervants? when thefe are criminated, let them be tried; and if found guilty, condemned. There point the thunders of parliamentary vengeance; there exhauft the rage of patriot zeal! One of these, a criminal of note, was lately arraigned; the name of Rumbold is ftill on the records of parliament. Him, though a felected victim to violated juftice and to the vengeance of mankind in an ignominious manner, you have allowed to efcape. When you have abfolved the guilty, will you punish the meritorious? after you have released Barabbas, will you condemn the faviour of India?

Upon the whole, whatever may be the particular decifion with regard to Mr Haftings in this country, the general voice of mankind will bring in their verdictNot Guilty.

Having thus ftated what might have been faid on both fides of the queftion in St Stephen's Chapel, on the memorable thirteenth of June, we intended to have added many observations, tending to throw light upon fo celebrated a question; but as this article has already fwelled to an unusual length, we fhall conclude with a fingle obfervation. On reviewing the characters of the most diftinguished perfonages who were

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employed in the executive branches of government during the laft war, the chief, if not fole object, of almost all of them, was, to amafs immenfe fortunes,-except Mr Haftings. His object, during a government of thinteen years, was the profperity of the India Company, and the glory of the British empire. Ambition he had; but it was an ambition of an honourable kind, an ambition that was connected with all the elegant feelings, and productive of all the noble virtues, of human nature. When we confider his varied talents and qualities, as a general, a politician, a friend to his country, and a patron of letters, pofterity, we believe, will justify us in applying to him what an elegant hiftorian affirms of the most amiable of the Roman heroes, Nil non laudandum aut dixit, aut fecit, aut fenfit; a hero, too, who, like Mr Hallings, was impeached for pecculation by a tribune of the people, and who, after hearing the charge with a gallant magnanimity, replied, "Romans, it was on this day three years ago that I triumphed over Carthage; let us proceed to the temple in order to give thanks to the gods!"

Modern history, as well as ancient, affords ftriking proofs, that the fate of empires often depends on fingle men. Had Mr Haftings been sent to America, and General Howe to Bengal, in all probability the hiftory of the last war would have been inverted; we would have loft our poffeilions in Ajia, and retained the new World. Engl. Rev.

Obfervations on the City of Tunis and the adjacent Country; with Remarks on the Conduct of the English and French, in regard to the Trade they carry on in the Mediterranean and Levant. By Mr EDWARD STANLEY, fome time refident in Tunis.

TUNIS, the capital of the kingdom fo called, is fituated on a rifing ground, befide a lake of the

fame name, and is about four miles in circuit, containing three hundred thousand inhabitants,

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The ftreets are narrow, as in most hot countries; and, not being paved, dirty in winter and duty in fummer. The houfes are in general low. Most of them have a porch or gateway with benches on each fide covered with mats, where the mafter of the houfe tranfacts his bufinefs and receives his friends; no perfons, except on some extraordinary occafions, having any further admiffion. In the houses of the Confuls this porch ferves by way of exchange for the merchants, captains of veffels, brokers, &e. to meet and tranf act their business. Beyond this is an open court paved with marble, ftone, or glazed tiles, according to the ability of the owner, covered over and fheltered from the fun and weather by a strong cotton or linnen cloth, which is fixed to the wall, and by pullies may be folded or unfolded at pleasure: when entertainments are given, the company meet in the court, which is always kept very nice and clean.

When the house has two stories, there is fometimes a cloifter in the court, and a gallery over it; the rooms are the whole length of the court and galleries, but very feldom communicate, the ftairs going up from the porch or court. It is common to fee a whole family living together in one chamber.

Among people of diftinction, the walls are hung with filk hangings half way down, contrived to hook on and change at pleasure, according to the feafons; they are alfo furnished with mats for the shoulders to lean against.

Moft of the water ufed in this city is rain water, preferved in tanks or large cifterns, which hold fufficient to ferve the families five or fix months. The roofs of the houses being flat and nicely terraced, on the first appearance of rain the conduits are topped up to prevent the dirt and filth running into the ci

fterns; when they find the roofs clean, the pipes are opened, and the water runs in. Almost every ciftern has the bafe of a marble column hollowed out to cover the mouth. Thousands of them being put to this ufe all over the country, the remaining parts of the columns have been broke and used indifcriminately with other common ftones in their buildings. The court of the great Mofque at Tunis, is adorned with many beautiful columns of different orders. I was informed feveral very fine ones are within the mofque; but as the Moors are more fuperftitious than the Turks, no Chriftian is fuffered to enter. Tunis is furrounded by a wall, but too weak to refift the regular attack of an enemy. The air is wholesome, and much improved by the great quantities of wild rofemary, maftick, and other aromatics used in heating the ovens and bagnios.

The markets are plentifully fupplied with all the neceffaries of life : beef and mutton at a penny per pound, poultry in great abundance, more efpecially pigeons, the largest and finest I ever faw. The people of these countries being great breadeaters, this effential article is uncommonly cheap and good; and that made by the French baker for the ufe of their factory, the houses of Confuls, and the better fort of Chriftians, is the best and sweetest perhaps in the world.

Great quantities of bread are fold in the market-places: the proper officers who go round to infpect the weights and examine the quality, on finding it fhort, immediately apply the baftinado to the feller, knowing it must be his fault in not seeing his bread full weight. The markets for corn, wood, charcoal, &c. have each their respective quarters, where bufinefs is carried on with great regularity, and finished by nine in the morning during the fummer heats.

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and the adjacent Country.

There is great plenty and variety of pot-herbs and falads, with a continual fucceffion throughout the year; melons and water-melons in great abundance, and very cheap. Provifions of all forts, not only excellent, but at fo moderate a price, that a labouring man may live throughout the day with bread, meat, and herbs, comfortably and well for threepence. The Conful's drogoman affured me his family, confifting of himself, his wife, his wife's mother, and a maid, all expences included, amounted to no more than twentyfive pounds Sterling per annum. A book formerly belonging to Mr Laurence, British Conful in the year 1722, which contains an account of his expences, make the amount fixtyfour pounds Sterling for the yearly maintenance of ten or twelve perfons in family; provifions are confiderably raised fince that time. The expences for the family of the prefent Conful, then confifting of fourteen perfons, amounted to two hundred pounds Sterling per annum.

The Bazar or receptacle for merchandise where the different crafts carry on their trade, is of great extent, divided into quarters, covered over to shelter them from the fun and rain.

Each trade in general works by itfelf, as taylors, fhoe-makers, &c. The Jews, who have the whole of the filver-business in their hands, make a large affortment of articles for this place and the inland country, all very coarfely fabricated: these have their diftinct Bazar. ufed frequently to vifit their quarter to buy medals; as most of the gold and filver medals fall into their hands, being brought by the country people, who fell them for the intriafic value of the metal.

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Great numbers of medals are found in this country, particularly after the heavy rains in October,

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fome of them worthy the attention of the curious. Mr Molinari, late Swedish Conful, had a fine cabinet of medals and engraved ftones, many years collecting by the family of his lady. I am informed, fince his death, they have been purchased by the King of Sweden.

The inhabitants of this country, who are true Iconoclaftes, mutilate and deftroy every noble remnant of antiquity. When they find a medal, their method is to spit upon and fcour it with fand, and thereby commonly deface both the figure and legend.

The Jews are very numerous at Tunis, being computed at thirtythousand; they have their fynagogues, and are governed by two Alcaids, chofen from among themselves, and approved by the Bey.

The fame cuftom prevails here as in the Levant, that no bufinefs is tranfacted without their mediation, they being the general brokers. They are, however, for the moft part poor, and ill-treated by the Moors, whom they dare not offend. Such among them as have property make but little appearance with it.

The market for black flaves is held on Friday in the Bazar, on a place like a flage, raised about three feet, with benches round, and a platform in the middle, to walk them up and down, and fhow their limbs to the purchasers; no Christian is allowed to buy a black slave. I have feen many among them, of both fexes, with fine regular features very different from the Guinea blacks. Thefe people are brought to Tunis from the interior parts of Africa by caravans which come regularly once a year, but from what part I could never learn. I was informed by a merchant, that they were five months on their journey, bringing oftrich feathers, gold duft, flaves, gums, and a variety of other articles, which

they

they fell and exchange for goods proper to carry back.

The bagnios both for men and women are numerous and much crowd ed; frequent washings being an ef fential article of the Mahometan religion. The expence of the bath each time is, at the moderate price of two afpers.

The coffee-houfes are chiefly kept by Greeks; the coffee ufed by them is from the French islands, and the price an asper a dish.

The houses of the European Confuls, all fituated near the Eaft or Sea Gate, are comfortable good dwellings. The Fenduc or Factory of the French nation, confifting of feveral commercial houfes, is inclofed within their own walls, and governed by a Conful and Vice-Conful appointed by the King, under controul of the Chamber of Commerce at Marseilles.

As I am on this fubject, I beg leave to make fome few remarks re

fpecting their trade. In almoft e very port of the Mediterranean and Levant to which a veffel can approach, or where there is a probability of trade, the French have a Conful or Vice-Comful. Ships of war are cruizing to protect their veffels from pirates, which are common on thofe feas. The Conful has a code of laws for his rule, and merchants and captains of vessels are under his controul. The port-fees are moderate, confequently not burdenfome to trade. The difference between this method of acting and that of the British Confüls, caufed a very intelligent perfon to remark, that it appeared to him, the French Confuls were fent out for the protection of trade, and the British Confuls for its oppreffion. The French Conful and Vice-Conful are appointed with falaries fufficient to fupport their rank and dignity, but not permitted to trade on any pretext whatever: confequently they act with more im

partiality between the merchants and natives. The Vice-Conful is a check upon the Conful; and if his behaviour is liable to reproach, it is his indif penfable duty to inform the Chamber of Commerce.

The reverfe is practifed by the English. Confuls are fent out with fmall falaries, and fome without any. They are permitted to trade; their office gives them credit, and protects their persons from arreft; they are liable, by misfortunes in butinefs, and often by misconduct, to become bankrupts. This hurts the dignity of the nation, and makes it a reproach in foreign countries. In the courfe of very few years, severeign British Confuls have become bankrupts; and, making moft shameful dividends to their creditors, have been pointed at as they went thro' the streets, with There goes the bankrupt Conful."

The English Conful appoints his Vice Conful; who has a very poor pittance, arifing from perquifites and other fmall fees of office; and being liable to be difmiffed by his fuperior on the moft trifling occafion, can be no manner of check on the Conful.

As an Englishman, jealous of my country's honour, I should be happy to fee thefe matters under fome better regulation, being perfuaded, if they are not, the little trade remaining to us in the Mediterrancan and Levant, will in a fhort time be lost. The British nation formerly poffeffed a great fhare of this trade, but it is now dwindled to a fhadow; and, I may venture to fay, by bad management alone. On my return to England, I was extremely concerned to find the board of trade abolished; an institution, if well directed, effentially neceffary to a country like ours: I am of opinion, if it was again eftablifhed, and proper perfons, well acquainted with commerce, to prefide, it would be attended with great ad

and the adjacent Country.

vantages, particularly at, this time, when new fyftems of trade are forming; which will in a great measure change the face of commercial affairs, not only in the eaft, but in many other parts of the world.

I beg leave to add, for the information of fuch of my readers who have not vifited Marseilles, that from eight hundred to one thousand veffels are employed from this port in the Mediterranean and Levant trade, making feveral voyages in the year.

It is imagined that France gains more by this trade than by any other branch of her commerce; the quantities of woollen cloth fhipped from Marseilles are fcarcely credible, the whole Levant being clothed by the French.

Their local fituation, it must be confeffed, gives them very great advantages over the English; but these have been ftrengthened by proper attentions paid to their articles, particularly to the colours of their clothes, which are in great esteem among the Turks.

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their own confumption, they are chiefly fupplied from irance.

The kingdom of Tunis is fuppofed to be one hundred and eighty miles in length and two hundred and fifty in breadth; fituated in a fine wholfome air and fertile foil, faturated with faline particles of fo loofe a contexture, that very little labour is required in the cultivation of it; a yoke of oxen being fufficient to plough an acre in a day. It produces corn of all kinds, except oats, in the greatest abundance. After the firft rains, which generally fall about the tenth of October, and continue with great violence for eight or ten days, they begin to fow wheat and barley a month later; the harveft falling the latter end of May or the beginning of June. If it ins for two or three days in the begin ning of April, the crops are generally fecure, and the harveft plentiful; but failing of fuch, feafonable fhowers, which fometimes happens for two or three years together, great diftrefs enfues; no magazines of any kind being provided. The entire fubmiffion which they pay to the will of God, and their firm reliance on his Providence, make them imagine fuch precautions altogether ufelefs, and even impious,

They import to Tunis, Spanish wool, coffee, fugar, fpices, cloths, linnens, and a great variety of other goods: Exporting corn, oil, wax, hides, filks, and other commodities the produce of the country. I a forry to fay, that there is not an About the middle of this century, English commercial houfe, of any the harvests in the neighbouring degree of note, from Algiers to A-kingdom of Tripoly having failed lexandria in Egypt.

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The Spanish wool is worked up into Berretti, or finall fcull-caps, by the Tunis cap-makers, who fupply the whole Levant with this article ; which indeed makes one of their

principal ftaple manufactures: the blankets, hykes, burnooles, and other woollens, being chiefly made at Sufa Sfax, and along the eastern

coaft.

There are looms for filks, velvets, &c. but as thefe articles are not made in fufficient quantities for VOL. IV. N° 19.

for five or fix years fucceffively, for want of thefe latter rains, the inhabitants were reduced to the greatcft extremity, and obliged to emigrate in fuch numbers, that the country was almost depopulated, upwards of fixty thousand having fettled in the kingdom of Tunis.

The air all along the coaft is pure and wholefome. The hot weather generally fets in in the beginning of June, and lafts until the middle of September, being tempered by the conftant fea-breeze that blows from nine E

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