but he foon recovered, and, on the 2d of January, arrived at Briechen, where he continued two days; and, on the third, went and lay at Kinaird. The next day he arrived at Glames, and lay there that night. Next morning he made his public entry into Dundee, with the Earl of Mar on his right, and the Earl Marifchal on his left hand, being followed by about three three hundred Gentlemen on horfeback. At the defire of his friends he remained an hour on horseback in the marketplace, allowing the people to perform the ceremony of kiffing his hand. He then went and dined at Stuart of Garantully's, where he lodged that night. Next day he left Dundee, and dined at Castle-Lyon, a feat of the Earl of Strathmore's, and lay that night at Sir David Tripling's, and on the 7th of January arrived at the palace of Scoon, the ancient place of the coronation of the Kings of Scotland, where he feemed refolved to stay till that ceremony was performed.

On the 9th of January, about noon, he made his public entry on horfeback into Perth, and reviewed fome of the troops, that were drawn out on purpofe. He expreffed great fatisfaction at the appearance of the men, and was much pleated with the Highland drefs, which he had never feen before. In the evening he returned to Scoon, where he began to form a regular Council, and to perform feveral acts of State. He published fix proclamations; for a general thanksgiving for his fafe arrival; for praying for him in Churches; for the currency of all foreign coins; for fummoning the meeting of the 1. convention of eftates; for ordering all fenfible men, from fixteen to fixty, to repair to his standard; and for his coronation on the 23d of January.

On the 16th of that month a grand Council was held, at which all the Chiefs of the rebels were prefent. At the opening of it, the Pretender delivered himself in a set speech to this effect:

I am now on your repeated invitations come among you. No other argument need be used of the great confidence I place in your loyalty and fidelity to me, which I intirely rely on. I believe you are already convinced of my good intentions to reftore the ancient laws and liberties of this kingdom; if not, I am still ready to confirm to you the affurance of doing all, that can give you fatisfaction therein.

"The great difcouragements, which prefented, were not fufficient to deter me from coming to put myself at the head of

my faithful subjects, who were in arms for me; and, whatsoever shall enfue, I shall leave them no room for complaint, that I have not done the utmost they could fexpect from me. Let those, who forget their duty, and are negligent of their own good, be anfwerable for the worst that may happen. For me, it will be no new thing, if I am unfortunate. My whole life, even from my cradle, has fhewn a conflant feries of misfortunes; and I am prepared (if fo it please God) to fuffer the threats of my enemies, and yours. The preparations, which are making against us, will, I hope, quicken your refolution, and convince others, from whom I have affurances, that it is now no time to dispute what they have to do if otherwise, they fhall by their remiffness be unmindful of their own safety, I fhall take it as my greatest comfort, that I have acquitted myself of whatever can be expected from me. I recommend to you what is necessary to be done in the prefent conjun&ture; and, next to God, rely on your council and refolution.'

This fpeech was dispersed with great induftry; but the Council foon came to a refolution to abandon the whole enterprize, the first opportunity they should have to do it decently. They were not in circumftances to ftand the attack of the royal army, which was now re-inforced with fix thoufand Dutch: but it was necessary to conceal this refolution from their own people, till the proper measures were concerted to have them all difperfed with the greateft fafety, without expofing them to the infults of the roval army. Had the refolution been made public, it would have had this confequence, that the common people would be fo difpirited, as not to be capable of taking care of their fafety; and fome of them perhaps might have had thoughts of revenging upon their leaders the danger, into which they had been drawn. For this reafon the Council gave out, they resolved to fight the King's troops; and accordingly, made all the preparation neceflary for fuch an undertaking, as if they had really intended it.

Expresses were fent to the Earl of Seaforth, the Marquis of Huntley, and many others of their friends, to return fpeedily to the army at Perth. Their head quarters were fortified in the belt manner; and people of all ranks were zealous in pronoting the work. Nothing was to be fern till the very day they abandoned the place, but the greatest industry in throw.png up

were ready for the intended attack of the enemy, which was refolved in a Council of War, notwithstanding the rigour of the season.

On the 21ft, two hundred dragoons were lent, under the command of General Guelt, to view the road, and discover fome of the difpofitions of the rebels. This party, though only fent to reconnoitre, put the rebels into the utmolt confufion at Perth. Some country people, whofe fear magnified the number of the detachment, carried news to the town, that the Duke of Argyle and all the army were within a few hours march. This' ftruck the whole rebel army with the greatest confternation; and the panic continued, till parties, fent out as far as Tullibardine to view the country, returned with the report of the falfehood of the rumour.

Colonel Guelt, being returned, acquainted the Duke of Argyle, that the roads were fo covered with now, that it would be impoffible for the army to pafs, efpecially the artillery and heavy carriages, except the fnow was removed; upon which feveral thousand people from the country were fummoned in to clear the roads.

On the 24th, the Duke and General Cadogan went out with a party to view the country, and haften the workmen employed in clearing the roads. This likewife alarmed fome of the enemy's advanced pofts, but did not, as the other, each Perth.

The day before and that day it thawed fuddenly: and the thaw was followed by a great fall of fnow, which hindered the workmen employed in cleaning the roads, who had now all their work to do over again, and rendered the defigned march almoft impracticable. This inclined most of the Generals to defer the march of the troops till the fea on was more moderate, none of them having feen a campaign in fo cold a climate: but the Duke was refolute in the measures taken, especially as he had pofitive orders from above, to attack the rebels without loss of time.

On the 26th, the Duke ordered two regiments of dragoons, and five hundred foot, to advance to Dumblain with directions to poft a strong party at the demolished bridge of Down.

[To be continued. ]

HE Cormorant is about fize

Thus formed with the groffeft

diftinguished from all other birds of this kind, by its four toes being united by membranes together, and by the middle toe being toothed or notched, like a faw, to affift it in holding its fishy prey. The head and neck of this bird are of a footy blacknefs; and the body thick and heavy, more inclining in figure to that of the goofe than the gull. The bill is ftraight, till near the end, where the upper chap bends into a hook.

But notwithstanding the feeming heavi nefs of its make, there are few birds more powerfully predaceous. As foon as the winter approaches, they are feen difperfed along the fea-fhore, and afcending up the mouths of fresh water-rivers, carrying deAtruction to all the finny tribe. They are most remarkably voracious, and have a molt fudden digeftion. Their appetite is for ever craving, and never fatisfied. This gnawing fenfation may probably be encreafed by the great quantity of fmall worms that fill their inteftines, and which their unceasing gluttony contributes to engender.

difagreeable fmell, and is more fœtid than even carrion, when in its most healthful flate. Its form, fays an ingenious modern, is difagreeable; its voice is hoarfe and croaking; and all its qualities obfcene. No wonder then that Milion thould make Satan perfonate this bird, when he fent him upon the bafeft purposes, to survey with pain the beauties of Paradife, and to fit devifing death on the tree of life. It has been remarked, however, of our Poet, that the making a water-fow! perch on a tree implied no great acquaintance with the hiftory of nature. In vindication of Milton, Ariftotle exprefsly fays, that the cormorant is the only water fowl that fits on trees. We have alfo feen the pelican of this number; and the cormorant's toes feem as fit for perching upon trees as for fwimming; fo that our epic bard feems to have been as deeply verfed in natural biftory as in criticism.

Indeed, this bird feems to be of a mu!tiform nature; and wherever fish are to be found, watches their migrations. It is feen as well by land as lea; it files in

fresh-water lakes, as well as in the depths of the ocean; it builds in the cliffs of rocks, 2 well as on trees; and preys not only in the day-time, but by night.

Its indefatigable nature, and its great power in catching fifh, were probably the motives that induced fome nations to breed this bird up tame, for the purpose of fish ing; and Willoughby affures us, it was once ufed in England for that purpose. The defcription of their manner of fishing is thus delivered by Faber: When they carry them out of the rooms where they are kept to the fish-pools, they hood-wink them, that they may not be frighted by the way. When they are come to the rivers, they take off their hoods; and having tied a leather thong round the lower part of their necks, that they may not fwallow down the fish they catch, they throw them into the river. They prefently dive under water; and there, for a long time with wonderful fwiftnefs, purfue the fish; and when they have caught them, rife to the top of the water, and preffing the fish lightly with their bills, fwallow them; till each bird hath, after this manner, devoured five or fix fishes. Then their keepers call them to the fift, to which they fly; and, one after another, vomit up all their fish, a little bruifed with the first nip given in catching them. When they have done fishing, fetting the birds on fome high place, they loose the ftring from their necks, leaving the paffage to the ftomach free and open; and, for their reward, they throw them part of their prey; to each one or two fishes, which they will catch moft dexterously, as they are falling in the air.'

At prefent, the cormorant is trained up in every part of China for the fame purpofe, where there are many lakes and canals. To this end,' fays Le Comte, they are educated as men rear up fpaniels or hawks; and one man can manage an hundred. The fisher carries them out into the lake, perched on the gunnel of his boat, where they continue tranquil, and expecting his orders with patience. When arrived at the proper place, at the first fignal given each flies a different way, to fulfil the talk affigned it. It is very pleasant, on this occafion, to behold with what

fagacity they portion out the lake or the canal where they are upon duty. They hunt about, they plunge, they rife an hundred times to the furface, until they have at last found their prey. They then feize it with their beak by the middle, and carry it without fail to their master. When the fifh is too large, they then give each other mutual affistance: one ferzes it by the head, the other by the tail, and in this manner carry it to the boat together. There the boat-man ftretches out one of his long oars, on which they perch, and being delivered of their burthen, they fly off to pursue their sport. When they are wearied, he lets them reft for a while; but they are never fed till their work is over. In this manner they supply a very plentiful table; but still their natural gluttony cannot be reclaimed even by education. They have always, while they fish, the fame ftring faftened round their throats, to prevent them from devouring their prey, as otherwife they would at once fatiate themfelves, and difcontinue their purfuit the moment they had filled their bellies."

As for the reft, the cormorant is the best fisher of all birds; and though fat and heavy with the quantity it devours, is nevertheless generally upon the wing. The great activity with which it pursues, and from a vaft height drops down to dive after its prey, offers one of the most amufing fpectacles to those who ftand upon a cliff on the fhore. This large bird is feldom feen in the air, but where there are fish below; but then they must be near the furface, before it will venture to souse upon them. If they are at a depth beyond what the impetus of its flight makes the cormorant capable of diving to, they certainly escape him; for this bird cannot move fo faft under water, as the fish can fwim. It feldom, however, makes an unfuccefsful dip; and is often seen rising heavily, with a fish larger than it can readily devour. It sometimes alfo happens, that the cormorant has caught the fish by the tail; and confequently the fins prevent its being easily swallowed in that pofition. In this cafe, the bird is feen to tofs its prey above its head, and very dexterously to catch it, when defcending, by the proper end, and fo fwallow it with ease.

DE