ALMOST all the inhabitants of Scio

have country-houses, with gardens, badly kept up indeed, but where Nature makes ample amends for the negligence of Art. A wheel, to which earthen pots are fixed, being turned by a horfe, raifes the water from a brook or fountain to the height of feveral feet, in order to flow it over the whole extent of the garden, and to water the orange, citron, and pomegranate trees, with which it abounds. Under these trees are greens of, every kind, with a great quantity of melons and cucumbers. In Egypt they ufe the fame kind of machine, to raise the waters of the Nile, and to spread them over the adjacent country.

Notwithstanding the refidence of a great number of Turks in the town of Scio, the women enjoy the greatest liberty. Gay, lively, and engaging, to these attractions they would unite all the endowments of exquifite beauty, if they did not deform themselves by a moft abfurd, and, at the fame time, very inconvenient drefs. It grieves one to obferve this ftrange propenfity to destroy all the advantages they derive from Nature, while the Greek Ladies of Smyrna, and of fome iflands in the Archipelago, who better understand the female interefts, are folicitous to add the graces of a moft enchanting exterior to the powerful influence of native charms. The Ladies of Scio are univerfally like thofe women, whom studied finery becomes infinitely lefs than when

their tender limbs

Float in the loofe fimplicity of dress." It is really delightful to fee them fit in groups at the doors of their houses, working and finging in the fame moment. Their natural gaiety, and their earnestness to fell their work, render them extremely familiar with ftrangers, vying with each other in the most winning way of inviting them into their houses, and even taking them by the hand in order to compel them. One might imagine, at first, that they carried their complaifance too far, but the fuppofition would be wrong; for there is not a place in the world where the women blend fuch a lovely openness of manners, with fuch true womanly discretion.

On the coaft of Afia, oppofite Scio, is a

fmall town, anciently called Cyffus, but

now known by the name of Chifmé. It had been already celebrated by the great victory which the Romans gained there over the fleet of Antiochus, in the year before Chrift 191; and is recently distinguished by the total deftruction of the Turkish fleet by the Ruffians in 1770. The Turkifh fquadron was much fuperior to that of the Ruffians, it confifting of twenty-feven fail, of which fifteen were of the line. The Ruffians had only nine fail of the line, and fix frigates. For feveral days they had chaced their enemies, till at length the Turks, entering the Strait which separates the island of Scio from the continent, formed the line along the coast of Afia, to the north of Chifme. The next day, the 5th of July, the Ruffian fquadron approached them in three divifions, the first being commanded by Admiral Spiritow, the fecond by Count Alexis Orlow, and the laft by Rear-Admiral Elphinfton.

Admiral Spiritow quitted the line, in order to attack fingly the Turkish Commander, whofe fhip was the headmost of his fquadron. The engagement was very obftinate, and the rigging of the two ships being entangled, the Ruffians prematurely threw combuftibles, the execution of which was but too inftantaneous: for not being able to difengage themselves from the Turkish fhip, the fire feized both veffels at once, and they blew up together. Only twenty-four Ruffians were faved, among whom were the Admiral, his son, and Count Theodore Orlow. This noble veffel carried 90 brass guns, and had on board a cheft containing 500,000 roubles.

This dreadful event fpread univerfal confternation among the Turks. They instantly cut their cables, and by the most abfurd manœuvre imaginable, took thelter in the port of Chifme, where they were foon blocked up. On the 7th, at midnight, five of the Ruffian men of war came in sight of the harbour, and began a furious cannonade, fupported by the inceffant fire of a bomb-ketch; but they had foon recourfe to an expedient more terrible still, and more effectual. One of their fire-fhips having grappled a Turksh man of war, and the wind at that moment being very high, the whole Ottoman

keet

fleet was confumed, a few veffels except ed, which were feized by the Ruffian Boops, and preferved from the general configration t

All the inhabitants of Scio were fpectators of this awful scene; and fuch was the light from this conflagration, that they could diftinguish the minute incidents in every part of the port of Chifine. All the fhips were on fire, and with horrible explotions blew up fucceffively, as the Lames gained the powder. The fea was covered with wretches, who, fwimming through the wrecks and the flames, endeavoured to reach the fhore. The artil lery of the Turkish fhips, loaded as it was for action, was a new means of destruction, and almost entirely deftroyed the town and fort of Chifié.

Never was a victory more complete. Three days after the engagement, not a fingle boat remained to the Turks of that formidable navy, which had feemned pow. iful enough, not only to check the Ruffians, but to compel them perhaps to evacuate the Archipelago. If the unikil. ful manœuvres of the Turks may feem in fome measure to diminish the merit of the Ruffians, we must not forget the great fuperiority of their enemies. Those who know the particulars of this action agree, that the Ruffian Adinirals exerted them felves with equal conduct and bravery; and that they were nobly seconded by their Officers and inen. If they can be reproached with any fault, it is, perhaps, that they did not pursue their victory, nor reap all

the advantages from it, which, it is fince apparent, they might have done. But was it poffole for them to conceive what was indeed the actual condition of the Dardanelles? Could they poffibly have fuch a jutt idea of these famous fortrelles, as to know for certainty how little they were to be dreaded? Was it not poffible, mo.cover, that they had orders to ip tre an enemy whom their Sovereign whed to humble only, not to extirpate? However this may be, it is certain that every thing favoured the conquerors, and that it was in their power to have dictated terms of peace under the walls of the Seraglio. Nature alone defends the entrance of the Hellefpont: a rapid current increated by the north winds to frequent in these climates, often prevents the hips from palfing through this channel, which is too narrow to permit them to vary their courie according to the thifting of the wind. They run the rifque hen of being stopped oppolite the cattles, the heavy artillery of which, though wretchelly ferved, might be fuficient to fink them. But none of these difficulties exited at the period of which we peak. A trong Duth wind, which lasted many days, would have enabled the Ruffians to force this formidable paflige. The firft calties, which are the irongett, were mounted indeed with a great number of cannon, but scarce any of these were ferviceable, and the troops which guarded them precipitately fled at the mere light of fome Ruffian streamers.

E.

Τ

The characters were thus reprefented:

Mr. Parmefan, Mr. Willon; the three Candidates are, George Highflight, E:q; Mr. Quick; Charles Belfield, Efq, Mr. Whitefield; Sir Roger O'Shannon, Mr. Egan; Canvals, Mr. Bouth; Mac-Rhe