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"is doubtful, but which is extreme"6 ly fertile; the other, which is "the frontier to this, is a mountainOus and rugged foil, enjoying a falubrious temperature; the third, which lies beyond the mountains to the eaft, combines "the dryness of the latter with the "s warmth of the former. By a happy combination of the pro. "perties of climate and foil, this province unites in a small compafs the advantages and productions of different zones, infomuch that pature feems to have defigned it for one of the most agreeable habitations of this continent. Sy. "ria unites different climates under "the fame sky; and collects within 66 a narrow compafs pleafure and "productions which nature has elfewhere difperfed at great diftances "of times and places. With us, for "inftance, feafons are feparated by "months; there we may fay they are only feparated by hours. If in Said or Tripoli we are incom. "moded by the heats of July, in "fix hours we are in the neigh bouring mountains in the temperature of March; or, on the other "hand, if chilled by the frofts of "December, at Belharrai, a day's journey brings us back to the "coaft, amid the flowers of May.

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vators, and the wandering or paf toral tribes. The former he fubdivides into three principal claffes ; firit, the pofterity of the people conquered by the Arabs, that is, the Greeks of the lower empire; secordly, the pofterity of the Arabian conquerors; and thirdly, the prefent ruling people, the Ottoman Turks. The paftoral tribes he divides into three claffes, the Turkomans, the Curds, and the Bedouin Arabs. It is remarkable that Syria has not refused, like Egypt, to adopt the foreign races, but that they are all equally naturalized to the country. Of thefe different races, the Druzes, defcendants of the Arabian conquerors, will moft excite the attention of the reader. Though completely infulated by defpotifm, they have maintained amidst the moun. tains of Lebanon (their country) a fpecies of freedom and independance unknown to the inhabitants of the neighbouring plains. The confcioufnefs of this fuperiority in their condition, has given an energy to their character, which diftinguishes them from the other people of Syria in an eminent degree. They are confidered throughout the Levant as reftlefs, enterprifing, hardy, and brave even to temerity, Only three hundred of them have been seen to enter Damafcus in open day, and fpread around them terror and carnage. No perfons are more nice than they in the point of honour; any offence of that kind, or open infult, is inftantly punished by blows of the kandjar or the mufquet, while among the inhabitants of the towns it only excites abufive retorts. It is worthy obfervation, that the Dru zes, and other inhabitants of Lebanon, are the only fubjects of the empire who poffefs a real property

The Arabian poets have there"fore faid that the Sannin bears "Winter on his head, Spring on his fhoulders, and Autumn on his "bofom, while Summer lies fleep "ing at his feet."The limits of our prefent undertaking will not allow us to enter fo fully into the history of the inhabitants of Syria, as the fubject deferves.-Monf. Volney divides the different races of men into two grand divifions; the fedentary inhabitants or the culti

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They are for that reafon fo attached to their eftates, that it is rare to hear of an alienation of lands among them. "Their peasants fear not "that the Aga, the Kaimacham, or "the Pacha, fhould fend his Djen"dis to pillage their houfes, carry "off their families, or give them "the baftinado." Such oppreffions

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are unknown in the mountains. is this fecurity which has been the original caufe of the population of their country, and which has given to the mountains of Lebanon, by nature fterile, all their fertility. The government of this fingular people is a well-proportioned mixture of monarchy, ariftocracy, and democracy.-The fituation of the other fubjects of the empire is truly deplorable. Monf. Volney compares the empire to a planta tion in one of our Sugar Iland's,

"where a multitude of flaves labour 66 to fupply the luxury of one great "proprietor, under the infpection of

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few fervants, who take good care of themselves. There is no "difference, except that the domi"nions of the Sultan heing too vaft "for a fingle adminiftration, he is "obliged to divide them into fmal"ler plantations and feparate go

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"ted abfolute and arbitrary to all "his fubdelegates. It is certain, to "ufe the expreffion of the Turks, "that the fabre of the Sultan de"fcends not on the duft, but this fa"bre he entrufts to the hand of his "Vizir, who delivers it to the Pacha, "from whom it paffes to the Motfel"lam, to the Aga, and even to the "loweft Delibafhe; fo that it is, in "fact, within the reach of the vileft "retainer to office, and its deftruc"tive edge defcends even on the "meanest heads."-The total population of Syria Monf. Volney eftimates at 2,305,000 fouls. The revenues he calculares at .1,281,250 fterling; not including the profits of the fub-farms, fuch as the countries of the Druzes, the Maronites, the Anfarians, &c. &e. The military eftablishment is by no means proportionable to what in Europe we should expect from fuch a revenue. All the troops of the Pachas united cannot amount to more than 5,700 men, both cavalry and in. fantry. The detail refpecting the divifion of Syria into Pachalics is particularly curious and interefting; the limits of our prefent plan will not however allow us to enter into it. We muft now conclude with the author's opinion refpecting the political ftrength of these countries.

"Syria and Egypt, compared "with refpect to the facility with "which they may be attacked or

defended, differ almoft in every "point. Egypt is protected from a "foreign enemy on the land fide "by her defarts, and on that of the "fea by her dangerous coaft. Sy"ria, on the contrary, is open on "the fide of the continent by the "Diarbekar, and expofed alfo on "that of the Mediterranean by a "coaft every where acceffible. It is

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Reasons for

Mediation of France and Pruffia in the affairs of Holland.
doubting the fuccefs of that mediation confirmed by the event. Negociations
carried on at Nimeguen and the Hague. Conditions laid down by the States of
Holland as the basis of an accommodation with the Stadtholder. Caufes which
rendered thefe propofitions inadmiffible M. de Rayneval fuddenly breaks off
the negociation and returns to Paris. Count de Goertz receives a letter of recal,
and returns to Berlin. Violent anim fity and mutual recrimination of the con-
tending parties on the failure of the negociation. The new form of government,
eftablished in the city of Utrecht, confidered as a model of perfection by the de-
mocratical party in other places. Difficult fituation and temporizing conduct of
the States of Holland, with respect to the prevalent democratic fpirit. Sud-
den and unaccountable changes in the political conduct and principles of the party
in oppofition to the Stadtholder difplayed in various places. States of Friesland
firft waver, and then, from being among the foremost in oppofition, appear de-
cidedly in favour of the Prince. M. de Rendorp changes fides in Amfterdam,
and carries over a majority of the fenate along with him. Immediate confequences

of this change; great alarm spread by it among the republican party. Means purfued by the leaders to remedy the defection of Amfterdam. Procure addrefes from feveral towns, with a view of gaining thereby a decided mvjority of votes in the affembly of provincial ftates. Failing in this attempt, they propofe in the affembly a refolution to fufpend the Prince of Orange from his remaining high offices of stadibolder and admiral-general. Foiled like wife in this, they endea vour to increase the number of votes in the provincial assembly, by affording a right of representation to several new towns; in which they are alfo defeated. Eftimate of the comparative frength and numbers of the contending parties. Retrofpect of the meafures purjued by Holland, for fupporting the city of Utrecht in its contumacious oppofition to the fates of the province. Unexpected revolution in the affembly of the States of Holland, who, following the example of Amferdam, adopt measures evidently favourable to the Stadtholder's interefts. General confernation and critical futuation of the republican party. Defeated in all their late attempts; with now a great majority of the provinces, and a greater of the people decidedly against them. Bold and hazardous measures become acts of prudence. Obliged to throw themselves upon the democratical party for fupport, and to call in the armed burghers to new model and fettle the state and confiitution. Thefe furround the fenate houses of Amfterdam and Rotterdam, purge them of thoje members who were adverfe to their defigns, place all power in the hands of their own party, and cftablish a dctermined majority in the ftates of Holland. These prepare to afft Utrecht by force of arms against the Provincial States. States general, who had hitherto preferred a strict neutrality, now take a decided part in oppofing the defign of Holland to fupport Uir chi by force of arms. Council of fate iffue an order firictly forbidding the officers in the fervice of Holland from marching their troops into the territories of any other province. Prohibition confirmed by the States general. Reply from the States of Holland. Firf blood drawn in a skirmish at Jutshaas, a village near Utrechi. . States of Holland order troops to the fuccour of Utrecht. Propofe a test 10 their officers. A great majority rejuje the test; are fufpended and new ones appointed. Sufpended officers taken into the protection of the States general, and their pay continued. Manifefto published by the Stadtholder, amounting nearly to a declaration of war against the ruling party in the province of Holland. Amfterdam. States general issue an order to general Van Reyffel, to break up the cordon or line of troops formed on the frontiers of Holland. Counter orders from the fates of Holland. Colonel Balneavis carries off the regiment which he lately commanded himself, with a battalion of another, from the fortress of Ouder ater to the Stadtholder. This example caufes a general revolt in the troops of Holland. [1

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Riots at

CHA P. II.

Arrest of the princess of Orange near Schoonhaven. Obfervations on the conduc `and principles on which the ruling party in Holland acted in that measure; with an account of the circumftances attending it. Confequences of that event, which change the whole face of public affairs in the republic, and intermingle foreign interests and connections with their domeftic contefts. Princess returns to Nimeguen. Strong memorial from the king of Pruffia, demanding immediate and ample fatisfaction, with due punishment to the authors of the outrage offered to the princess. Anfwer from the States of Holland deemed by the king unfatisfactory

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