pected to furnish much in the narrative. In the year 1766, he married Miss Mary Dun, daughter of Dr. James Dun, who, for nearly 70 years was a teacher in the grammar school at Aberdeen. This lady still survives him. Her brother succeeded Mr. Beattie in the grammar school. We are informed by Dr. Beattic, himself, that the greater part of the Minstrel was composed in the year 1768. It is probable that his great anxiety to qualify himself for the discharge of his professional duty, had interrupted the strong bent of his genius to cultivate the Muses. However, he returned with new vigour to his favourite amusement; and the Minstrel, or the Progress of Genius, has enrolled his name in the list of the most distinguished poets. On the 12th of December, 1770, he received the degree of doctor of Jaws from king's college, Aber. deen. In the year 1771, at the end of the session of the college, he proposed to visit London. His fame, as a man of genius, easily procured him letters of introduction to the most celebrated literary characters in the metropolis. Mr. Boswell had the honour of introducing him to Dr. Johnson; and his other friends exerted themselves to procure for him as favourable a reception as his great merit deserved. After remaining a short time in London, he returned to Aberdeen, and felt those agreeable sensations which those only who have experienced unexpected success can estimate. In 1773 he again went to London, and on the 30th of June was prosented to the king, at the levee, by lord Dartmouth. The levee was on that day exceedingly crowded. Dr. Beattie had, however, the distin. guished honour of conversing with the king for five minutes, a mark of attention not conferred upon ordinary men, and which those who are in the greatest favour do not always presume to expect. In the year 1790, Dr. Beattie edited, at Edinburgh, Addison's papers, in 4 vols. and wrote the preface. About this time be sustained a great loss by the death of his eldest son James Hay Beattie. The doctor wrote a very interesting account of this excellent young man. No one who has any taste for good writing, for simplicity of language, and nar. rative composed of a selection of the most interesting incidents, will, I am persuaded, be satisfied with perusing it only once. Dr. Beattie never completely recovered the shock he received by his son's death, who, though young, had given the most undeniable proofs of great abilities, and promised to be an ornament to that university whereof he was a member, and to be a source of comfort to his parent in his declining years. In the year 1791, Dr. Beattie went to London, accompanied by his son, Montague Beattie. This young man, who was about ten years younger than his brother, died in March, 1796, of a disease similar to that which cut off his brother. These, and other misfortunes, to use the words of the poet, "har"rowed up the soul" of Dr. Beattic, and his health, never at any time good, was thereby very considerably impaired. Of late years he entirely seques tered himself from society, and even the kind attentions and Civilities of his friends and admirers, were not relished relished by him. Premature old age, with all its infirmities, had made rapid advances upon him, and, for three years before his death, he kept the house, and was for a great part of that time confined to his bed. If 1 mistake not, the last time he ventured out to take a short walk, was in the month of June, 1800. He was then very corpulent, and discovered extreme debility. After he had endured much bodily pain, and in a great measure had become insensible even to what he himself was suffering, Dr. Beattie died, at Aberdeen, upon the 18th day of August, 1803. His person was about the middle size, of a broad square make, which seemed to indicate a more robust constitution than he really had. I have formerly mentioned that he was, during the whole course of his life, subject to attacks of head-ach, which, upon many occasions, interrupted his studies. His features were exceedingly regular: his complexion was somewhat dark his eyes had more expression than those of any other person I remember to have seen. It will be admitted, that if he was not, at the the time of his death, the first literary character in the united kingdom, he was second or third in the list. Description of the Persons, Dress, Customs, and Manners of the Inhabitants of the Island of Celebes, with other Particulars. The men and women of the island of Celebes are not tall, nor handsome in their persons, but short and thick set. They have a flattish face, but not thick lips. Their colour is of a yellowish copper or reddish colour; their manners are not graceful, and they are revengeful and jealous. The men are very ingenious with edged tools. They are warriors, attend to the field, and the building of houses, canoes, and proas, in which they are very expert. The women are engaged in cooking, pounding of rice and corn, going to the gardens, and attending to all domestic concerns. The children are kept under no fear or order, and are punished from the whim or caprice of their parents. I have often seen a mother, when displeased, throw stones and billets of wood at her children. The men are capable of carrying great burdens on their backs, enduring great fatigues, and of fasting a long time; and will, with ease, travel forty or fifty miles a day. They are long-lived, and live very temperately. Intoxication is not frequent among them, though they are occasionally exhilarated bydrinking toddy, which they collect from the cocoa-nut tree in the following manner: The branches on which the nuts grow, when young, are taken and tied together, and the nut is not suffered to grow upon them; the sprouts are cut off at about one foot from the end, and under these they fix a bamboo, into which the toddy runs. The bamboo is emptied night and morning, and the branches are cut away about onc-eighth of an inch at a time, which creating a fresh wound, the liquor runs again, and is again caught in like manner. In a dry season the roots of the tree are watered, to increase the toddy, 3 D4 which which runs with great freedom in this manner. The liquor itself is agreeable and intoxicating. The dress of the men is simple, the climate not requiring much clothing. It consists of short breeches, half way down the thighs, and drawn tight, to keep out insects; and those who can afford it, wear a country cloth as a wrapper: some even go to the expence of a white cloak, which they put on occasionally when dressed. The women wear a wrapper, with a short gown made of red silk gauze, if to be had; if not, they are ornamented with bangles, made of large brass wire, round their ancles and wrists. The young women of fashion or consequence, wear their left thumb nail to a great length, and wear over it a case, except when they are full dressed. Some of the rajahs and priests wear wooden shoes, to keep their feet from the wet. These are made with a wooden pin, with a head stuck in the upper sole of the shoe, and which is kept on the foot by keeping the pin of it betwixt the great and the next toe, and by some management of the toes themselves. Their mode of living and cookery, is simple: it consists of rice, cocoanuts, sago, and Indian-corn: the latter they often boil into ommani, They cat but two meals a day; one about twelve o'clock at noon, the other just after sun-set. They commonly dress their food in Dutch copper kettles, or in their own country pots, made of clay, but which do not long stand the fire. It is customary to cover their dishes, when at meals, with a lid made of the nissa leaf, which much resembles that of the sago tree; these leaves are dyed in ornamental colours, and are often inlaid. They look very neat, and last a long time. It is a custom to eat with their right hand, and wash with their left. Their modes of life are simple, and their disorders are few. They do not understand much of physic. They pretend to cure a great deal by enchantment. The betel-nut is their principal medicine. If any part of the body be in pain, the patient sends for a rajah, who. on his arrival, feels the place, and taking a large quid of the betel-nut. and pronouncing some words to himself, blows it on the place affected; which is esteemed a perfect cure. But if the complaint be a fever, they often bring in a drum, which is beaten by two men, one at each end. If that do not succeed, they sometimes beat a brass kettle, which they continue beating until the recovery or death of the patient. If the latter, the kettle and drum are im mediately thrown out of the house: the drummer and physician are turned out also. I was once present at this drumming prescription, and witnessed the death of a poor girl. An old rajah once applied to me to be cured, but I shook my head, and told him that it was not in my power, as he was too old to be cured. A young priest was one day working in his proa, in the heat of the sun, which brought on a violent head-ache. He applied to me to be cured. Well knowing that his com plaint was nothing more than the effect of the heat of the sun, I pro posed to bleed him; a custom with which the natives were not acquainted. He was at first much afraid, but at last consented, on my assur ing him that if he died, or received any injury, my life should answer for it. I then sharpened to a point a cock's gaff, or spur, and bled him. He, and those about him were at first much alarmed at the sight of the blood; but I encouraged them, and after bleeding him, and taking a pound of blood, I loosened his bandage, and bound up the wound, or dering him to remain quiet for two or three days. He found himself much better the next day, and wanted to go to work, but I would not permit him. In two days his head was less heated, and he went to work as usual. Afterwards many patients applied to me, but I did not choose to lose the reputation of curing a young priest, or run the risk of my life. I therefore left off practice, and would bleed no more. The Malays have a notion, that if a man can cat when he is sick, he will recover; if not, that he will die. I, however, saw two or three men, who were wounded in the battle of Dungally, eat very heartily of rice, but who did not recover. The natives bathe twice a day in fresh water rivers. This is, however, sometimes dangerous, on account of alligators, which infest the whole coast, and frequent the mouths of rivers. The women bathe twice a day, once in the morning, immediately after rising. When bathed, the hair is put up in a smooth manner; they then pick a flower or sprig of some kind, which they fasten on the top of the head: they also gather two little blossoms of flowers just in bloom, and put them in their ears, through the holes where they wear their ear-rings. This is the dress of the day, and they reckon it a token of good luck. When the rajah's wife goes to bathe, she is attended by four or five respectable women of the place; and she never appears in public but with these attendants. It is the custom for women to bathe the second day after they are delivered; but they prefer salt water to fresh. They are fond of colours, and love those that are strong, bright, and gaudy; such as red and yellow. They have the art of dyeing, and set their colours very well, but do not expose them to much wet. They make cotton cloths, which they weave; and they are very good and strong. Cotton grows in great abundance, which they clean by, a kind of turning machine, and do it very well. Government, Wars, Swearing of A legiance, Punishments, and Slatery. Amongst these people the government is arbitrary. There is one head rajah, who rules over many others. He resides in a house which stands separately from any other building. Near it is his judgment seat, where he spends the greater part of the day; and all who have business with him apply there. When a rajah dies, his eldest son succeeds him. Any one desirous of speaking with the head rajah, must go to his judgment seat: on ap proaching it, the person squats down and makes his obedience, which is done by putting both his hands together, and then carrying them up to his forehead. The rajah then asks him his business, which he delivers. The rajahs are dressed in what they they call a segoun, which is a wrapper, and a pair of short trowsers; and they wear a handkerchief round their heads. Their priests wear a turban. Wars are not frequent with these people. When one rajah is going to war with another, he consults with the priest, to know if he shall be successful. The priest demands of him when he had the first notion or idea of it, and upon turning to 2 little book which he keeps for the purpose, he tells him he will or will not be successful. If the priest says in the affirmative, the rajah proceeds; if not, the rajah puts up with the affront which the other rajah had given him. When a rajah goes to war, he applies to the priest for a bill of safety, which he gives him. It is written, I believe, in Arabic letters. Some bind it on the arm, some on the forehead, with the faith, that while they carry it about them, they shall not be killed. The men are courageous, cunning, and enterprizing. They despise cowards. Prisoners taken in war are made slaves, and sold. They are valued at from twenty to thirty dollars each. Their arms consist of a cress, which is a long iron dagger with a short handle; the tips of which are sometimes presented by rajahs as great presents, where men have been courageous. These tips are made from the ends of the horns of cattle; and whenever bestowed in reward of valour, are much valued. Their spears, the growth of the betel-tree, are about eight feet long, and shod with iron. They never suffer their spears to go out of their hands, but strike their objects with great nicety. A caliavo is a shield made of wood, which the warrior uses in battle. When the rajah of Dungally made war with the rajah of Parlow, be gave a feast; and being present at it, I was witness to his calling in all the people who were there, and who were not of his tribe, to swear alle giance, which was done in the following manner :-They cleared a piece of ground, six or eight yards square, and at one end of it made up a fence of sago limbs, three feet high, behind which, the rajah Arvo sat on a mat. Tuan Hadjee, being a foreigner, and a head man, first swore allegiance. This he did by taking a cress and shield, and going through the manœuvres of war with great violence and agitation, naming the different tribes that were or ever had been at war with the rajah, vowing vengeance on them, and allegianes to him. He then dropped the cress and shield, and, proceeding to the rajah, seated himself by his side. Another took up the cress and shield, and tearing his handkerchief from his head, and pulling his hair over his face, went through the same ceremony, but appeared to be in the greatest rage, and sometimes sticking the cress into the fence near where the rajah was. flaving gone through the ceremony, he laid down the cress and shield; when they were taken up by others in succession, until all had taken allegiance. If a man has committed a trifling offence, which does not deserve death, he is sold for a slave, to pay the trespass: part of the purchase money goes to the rajah. If the sale of this man does not pay the amount, his wife and children are also sold. The highest price for a young man is about thirty dollars, or £.5 16. sterling. The cost of others |