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LONDON MAGAZINE;

BEING

An Univerfal and Complete Monthly Repofitory

O F

KNOWLEDGE, INSTRUCTION and ENTERTAINMENT.
A Work far Superior to every Old Monthly Publication of the Kind
hitherto publifhed, or now publishing.

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More in Quantity, and a much greater Variety of New, Original, and Select Pieces (in Profe
and Verfe) on every curious and entertaining Subject, together with a greater and more elegant
Variety of beautiful Copper-Plates, than are to be found in any of the Lower Magazines.

HISTORY,..

POLITICS,

MANNERS.

ARTS,

The Whole compréhending a clear View of the

SCIENCES,

LITERATURE,

BIOGRAPHY,

321

E.ASHIONS,
TRADE,
PHILOSOPHY,

ENTERTAINMENT, POETRY,

And all the various AMUSEMENTS of the AGE.

AND INCLUDING,.

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Among a Multiplicity of other Particulars, Letters, Debates, and Differtations on various
Subjects, as well as Effays and curious Productions, relating to

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And other Mifcellaneous Subjects of Knowledge and Pleasure, which render this Work both
Inftructive and entertaining to the Nobility, Gentlemen, Merchants, Farmers, Tradefmen, and
all other Ranks of People of both Sexes, and all Ages.

With a faithful Regifter and Journal of the Whole Tranfactions, Intelligence, and Affairs, of each
Month, Foreign and Domeftic; Marriages, Births, Deaths, Promotions, Preferments, Bani..
rupts, Plays, Prices of Stocks, &c. and a Monthly, Critical, and Impartial Review of New
Books, and Publications.

The whole Published under the immediate Direction of

A SOCIETY OF LITERARY GENTLEMEN, OF LONDON.-

VOL V. for the YEAR 1789.

Embellished with the greatest Variety of ELEGANT, SUPER and NUMEROUS
COPPER-PLATES, executed with fuperior Excellence, by the very best
ARTISTS in LONDON, being worth more than the Price of the WHOLE
WORK.

LO NDO Np landed

Published MONTHLY, according to ACT of PARLIAMENT;

AND

Printed for ALEX. HOGG, at the KING'S-ARMS, Nói 16, Pater-nofter-
Row, and fold by all Bookfellers, Stationers, and Newfcarriers in Town
and Country,

[ Price only SIX-PENCE. ]

EXPLANATION

OF THE

FRONTISPIE CE.

N the left Side of the Plate, the Genius of Britain, accompanied by two
Perfonages, reprefenting France and Spain, appears feated, and as if de-
livering a public Addrefs. Over-againft her are feveral Figures, emblematical
of foreign and diftant Nations, in various Parts of the Globe, who come
to conciliate her Friendfhip and Alliance. In the Front of thefe is Mercury,
the Meffenger of the Gods, with other little winged Meffengers, waiting to
receive the Commands of Britannia, and to diffeminate her Exploits and
Events, political, military, and religious, through the Channel of the NEW
LONDON MAGAZINE, to the moft remote Countries. At the upper Part of
the Plate, on the right Hand, is a Company of Figures, emblematically repre
fenting the Train of Arts and Sciences, who attend Britannia, and liften to her
wife Dictates and Inftructions. At the Bottom of the Plate is a Collection of
different Sorts of Armour, denoting the martial Difpofition of the Britons,
whofe Atchievements and other Occurrences, with those of foreign Nations,
arc in this Publication faithfully collected, and tranfmitted to the public View.

This Day is Publifhed,

Calculated particularly for the FAIR SE X,

Price only SIX-PENCE, to be continued regularly,

Embellished with, 1. An elegant FRONTISPIECE.-2. PATTERN for working a WAISTCOAT
drawn and executed by a capital Artift.-3. The FAIR MAID OF THE INN...And, 4. A NIW
Song fet to Mufic.]

The NEW LADY'S MAGAZINE;

O R,

Polite, and Entertaining MONTHLY COMPANION for the FAIR SEX:
For JANUARY, 1789.

A Work devoted entirely to their Ufe and Entertainment, being far fuperior
to any other Publication of the Kind hitherto publifhed, or now publifhing.
Printed for ALEX. HOGG, at the King's-Arms, No. 16, Paternofter-Row, and
fold by all other Bookfellers in Town and Country.

Alfo, This Day is published,

The SUPPLEMENT FOR THE YEAR 1788.
Containing the Index, with a Variety of useful and entertaining Supplementary Articles:
Embellished with Elegant COPPER-PLATES, finely engraved by the best ARTISTS.

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THE

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HE diftinguished Encouragement which The New LONDON MAGAZINE has met with, demands our warmest Thanks: We with alfo to exprefs to thofe refpectable Correfpondents, who have fo eminently contributed to our Succefs, the high Sense we have of the great and conftant Affiftance with which they have, fas voured us.

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To our numerous Readers we owe much: An universal Circulation, and a confiderable Increase of the Numbers fold, are the most convincing Teftimonies that can be adduced of their Satisfaction; and we beg leave to affure them that we have by us, and are daily acquiring, not only a choice Collection of curious Materials, from the Works of the most celebrated and fcarce Writers, but a great Number of very interefting and elegant Pieces in Manufcript, among which are fome beautiful and affecting Tales, with many elegant Effufions of Poetic Fancy.",

In this copious Collection fomething will be found fuit. able to every Tafte; the Proceedings of Parliament, at this important Crifis, fhall alfo be faithfully registered! Our Courts of Law and Equity are every Term furnishing curious and useful Cafes, the Recital and Registry of which, we apprehend, will be useful in an eminent Degree to the Community at large: The Trials too of notorious Criminals have ever been thought of Confequence enough to be registered among the memorable Events of the Times, and fhall be particularly attended to by us. We may therefore with Truth affirm, that no periodical Production in Europe, of equal Extent and Price, is so well adapted

to

iv

PREFACE.

to the Amufement and Information of Families, and other Circles of Society, as this Univerfal and Complete Monthly Repofitory of KNOWLEDGE, INSTRUCTION, and ENTER

TAINMENT.

The Profeffions which are used at the Commencement of any Production of this Nature, are unneceffary when the public Favour has crowned the. Undertaking with Success. The Proprietors of The NEW LONDON MAGAZINE are happy to find, that the Manner in which their Work has been conducted has been generally acceptable: Their Attention has already received the Reward to which Induftry afpires; and therefore, apprehending no Relaxation in their Endeavours to deferve the Encouragement, they have been favoured with, they will not fo far diftruft the Candour, and Generofity of the Public, as to fufpect any falling-off in their Opinion, while they continue to merit Applaufe. The Exertions they' make fhall be he Criterion of their Gratitude; and they Left confident that as thofe Exertions fhall render them worthy of Encouragement and Support, a generous and liberal Public will not with-hold either.

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Nothing remains to be added to this Addrefs, but to repeat our Affurances, that no Labour thall be wanting, no Care fhall be omitted, nor Expence regarded, that may contribute to render this favourite Mifcellany worthy of the Public Patronage With, this View, we have folicited and obtained the Alliftance of Gentlemen of the first Reputation in the Republic of Letters, as well as the moft capital Artists, whofe joint Labours will enliven and improve, by giving fresh Spirit and Vigour to our Undertakings and every fucceeding Number of, The NEW LONDON MAGAZINE will exhibit a ftriking Specimen of our Defire to preferve our old, and to acquire new Friends.

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A concife Account of the Kingdom of PEGU. BY WILLIAM HUNTER, A. M.

TH

HIS country was formerly fubject to an independent prince of its own; but about forty years ago a revolution took place, by which it was reduced to be a province of the kingdom of Ava, and has fince been governed by deputies fent from thence, who may be removed at the pleasure of their fovereign. The whole country is low and flat, and the land can only be feen at a fmall distance from fea. The water is fo fhallow, even a great way off from the coaft, that navigators get into three or four fathoms before they are within fight of the fhore. The country, however, is far from being unhealthy. The natives are feldom attacked by diseases; and Europeans, who have lived there for many years, enjoy uninterrupted good health. Even during the rains, which all over India occafion the most disagreeable and fickly period of the year, the air of Pegu is temperate, and has an elafticity unknown at the correfponding season in any other part of India.

The inhabitants, fays Mr. Hunter, are of a mufcular make; their ftature is about the middle fize, and their limbs, in general, well proportioned. The complexion is fwarthy, being a medium between that of the Chinese and of the inhabitants of Bengal. In feature they resemble the Malays; their face is broad, their eyes large and black, the nose flat, the checkbones prominent, and the mouth extremely wide. They wear on the chin a tuft of hair, of unequal lengths; and fhave the rest of the face. Their teeth are always of jet black, which, however difgufting it may be to an European eye, is, among them, efteemed a great

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ornament; and accordingly they are at very great pains to accom plish it.

They wear various ornaments in their ears, many of them in com mon with other eastern nations; but one that appears to be peculiar to this people is a thin plate of gold, rolled up in the form of a quill, about the thicknefs of a fin

ger, which is thrust into a hole made in the ufual part of the ear, large enough to receive it. The foregoing defcription is chiefly appli cable to the Birmahs; that is, the natives of Ava, or their descen dants, who are now very nu merous here, as the government is entirely in their hands. The original inhabitants of Pegu have faces more nearly approaching to the oval form; their features are fofter, more regular, and seem to express greater fenfe and acutenefs than thofe of the Birmahs, with whom, in other respects, they nearly agree. The Birmahs, however, who pique themfelves on being defcended from the conquerors, and wish to be diftinguished from the nation they fubdued, ufe a badge for that purpofe, which we must conclude they value very highly, from the fufferings they undergo to obtain it. The thigh of every Birmah, including the hip and knee, is of a jet black, which has a very fingu lar appearance; and this mark they receive in their childhood. It is made by the repeated application of an inftrument with a great number of fharp points, placed clofe together, fomething like that used in carding wool, till the part is entirely covered with drops of blood. After this they apply a liquid of which galls is a principal ingredient. This excites a confiderable degree of fever; and it is computed, by the

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