All the dear tranfports of the warm embrace,
When mutual love infpired each raptured face!
Muft all, alas! be fcatter'd in the wind,
Nor thou bestow one lingering look behind!

Such the lorn parent's and the fpoufe's woes,
Such o'er the ftrand the voice of wailing rofe
From breast to breaft the foft contagion crept,-
Mov'd by the woeful found the children wept;
The mountain echoes.catch the big-fwoln fighs,
And through the dales prolong the matron's cries;
The yellow fands with tears are filver'd o'er,
Our fate the mountains and the beach deplore,
Yet firm we march, nor turn one glance afide
On hoary parent, or on lovely bride.

Though glory fir'd our hearts, too well we knew
What foft affection and what love could do.
The laft embrace, the braveft worft can bear;
The bitter yearnings of the parting tear
Sullen we fhun, unable to sustain

The melting paffion of fuch tender pain.

MANNERS of the INHABITANTS of the MAURITIUS.
Taken from the very interesting History of that Island, just published,
By CHARLES GRANT, Viscount de Vaux.

The Ifle of France was an abfolute defert when Mafcaregnas difcovered it. The French, who firft eftablished themselves there, were certain planters, from the Ifle of Bourbon, who brought with them fimplicity of manners, good faith, an hofpitable difpofition, and an indifference for riches. M. de la Bourdonnais, who may, in fome degree, be confidered as the founder of this colony, brought fome workmen along with him. When, however, he had rendered this island interefting by his labours, and it was thought convenient as a ftaple for their commerce of the Indies, perfons of all conditions fettled in it.

The agents of the Company, who poffeffed all the principal employments in the ifland, exercifed too much of that financial difpofi

tion, which is difcouraging to thofe who are employed in cultivat ing the earth. The whole of the public establishment was at their difpofal; they, at the fame time, controlled the police, the civil adminiftration, and the magazines of the ifland; fome of them cleared the land and built houses, all of which they difpofed of at a very high price, to thofe who had ventured hither in hope of advancing their fortune. There was confequently a great outcry against them; but the power was in their hands, and complaint was of no avail.

Several perfons in the marine fervice of the French India Company fettled here. They had long complained, that while they encountered dangers, and fuffered fatigues, in fupport of the Eaft Indian commerce,

others

others acquired the emoluments of
it. As this fettlement was fo near
to India, a fanguine hope of advan-
tage from fixing in it, animated their
minds, and they became its inhabi-

tants.

Several military officers of the Company arrived here; they were very refpectable perfons, and fome of them diftinguifhed for their birth. They could not imagine that an officer would debafe himfelf fo far as to receive orders from a man who had formerly been a clerk in an accompting-houfe, though he might condefcend to receive their pay. Nor did they like the failors, who are too peremptory in their manners. On becoming inhabitants, they retained their original difpofition, and confequently did not advance their fortunes.

Some of the King's regiments put in here, and made fome ftay; while feveral of the officers, allured by the beauty of the climate, and the love of repofe, were induced to eftablish themselves in the ifland: but every thing was at the difpofition, and submitted to the power of the Company.

The inhabitants were alfo increafed by the arrival of fome miffionaries of the order of St. Lazarus. To complete the fettlement of this ifland, fome merchants, with fmall capitals, arrived, and found it without commerce. Thefe people augmented the abufes of money job. bing, which they found already established, and employed then felves in forming petty monopolies; they foon became obnoxious, and obtained the name of Banians or Jews. On the other hand they af fected to defpife any particular dif. tinctions of the inhabitants, and were fond of propagating the opinion, that, after having paffed the line, a general equality prevailed.

Such was the fituation of this co

lony when it was ceded to the King in the year 1765.

One part of the inhabitants, who were attached to the Company from gratitude, beheld with pain a royal adminiftration; while the other part, who had fo long looked for the favour from a new government, feeing it principally occupied in plans of economy, were proportionably chagrined and difappointed.

The foldiers furnish a confiderable number of workmen, as the moderate heat permits the white people to work in the open air; though they have not been rendered fo beneficial to the colony as they might have been, in a more enlarged difpofition of their capacities.

Though the fea-faring people are always going and coming, they have, neverthelefs, a confiderable influence on the manners of the colony. Their policy is to complain alike of the places which they left, and of thofe at which they arrive: they have always bought too dear and fold too cheap, and think they are ruined if they do not gain an hundred and fifty per

cent.

An hogfhead of claret cofts five hundred livres, and every thing. elfe in proportion. It is fcarce cre dible, that the merchandize of Europe is dearer here than in India; and that Indian commodities. fetch a higher price here than in Europe. The maritime people are fo neceffary to the inhabitants, that, they are held in great confideration.

The greater part of the married people live on their plantations; and the women feldom vifit the town, but when they are tempted by a ball, or are called to perform fome effential duties of their religion. They are paffionately fond of dancing; and no fooner is a ball announced, than they come in their palankeens

4a interefting Account of the LIFE of the PRINCESS WOLFENBUT

TEL of RUSSIA.

very fingular Character who refided at the Mauritius.

[From the fame Work.]

The Countefs of Konifmarck, mother of Marshal de Saxe, attended on the Princess when he was brought to bed of a dead child, and nurfed her with unceasing care; being fenfible, however, if the Princefs recovered, that he would perish, fooner or later, from the brutal nature of the Czarovitz, formed a plan to gain over the women belonging to the Princefs, to declare that the and the infant were both dead. The Czarovitz accordingly ordered her to be interred without delay, and without ceremony. Couriers were difpatched to the Czar to inform him of the event, and all the courts of Europe put on mourning for the bundle of fticks which was interred!

In the mean time the Princefs, who had been removed to a retired fpot, recovered her health and ftrength; when poffeffed of fome jewels, with a fum of money which the Countess of Konismarck had procured for her, and clothed in the drefs of common life, fhe fet off for Paris, accompanied by an old German domeftic, who paffed for her father. She made but a fhort ftay there, and having hired a female fervant, proceeded to a fea-port, and embarked for Louisiana.

Her figure attracted the notice of the inhabitants, and an officer of the colony, named D'Auband, who had been in Ruffia, recollected her.

It was, however, with fome difficulty that he could perfuade himfelf of the reality of what he faw. Indeed it was scarce poffible to believe, that a woman in fuch a fituation, could be the daughter-in-law of the Czar Peter.

However, to afcertain the truth, he offered his fervices to the pretended father, and at length formed an intimate friendship with him; fo that they agreed to furnish a houfe, and live together at their common expence.

Some time afterwards the zettes, which arrived in the colony, announced the death of the Czaro. vitz. D'Auband then declared to the Princefs his knowledge of her, and offered to abandon every thing to conduct her to Ruffia.

But fhe, finding herfelf infinitely more happy than when she was with. in the verge of royalty, refufed to facrifice the tranquillity of her ob fcure fituation, for all that ambition could offer her. She only exacted a promife from D'Auband to maintain the most inviolable fecrecy, as well as conduct himself towards her as he had hitherto done.

He made the most folemn decla. ration that he would obey her com. mands; and it became his intereft to be faithful. The beauty, underftanding, and virtues of the Princefs, had made a very deep impreffion on him, and habitual intercourfe had ferved to ftrengthen it. He was amiable and young, and she was not infenfible to his attentions. They continued, however, to live in their ufual way, but became every day dearer to each other.

The old domeftic, who paffed for the father of the Princess, at length died; and fhe could no longer, according to the rules of decorum, live with D'Auband as she had hitherto done, under the apparent authority and protection of a parent. In this delicate fituation, D'Auband unfolded to her the difpofitions and fentiments of his heart; and propofed to add a new veil to her real condition, by becoming her husband. She confented to his propofition; and this Princefs, who had been def tined to wear the crown of Ruffia, and whofe fifter actually wore that of the German empire, became the wife of a Lieutenant of Infantry. In the first year of her marriage the had a daughter, whom the nurfed and educated herself, and instructed

in