courfe of this irruption, general Iakow met with a party of Tartars, and defeated them, is highly probable; every body knows, that the Tartars have no great inclination for those fort of engagements that afford nothing but blows; and that, as they have no point of honour in view, when they have plundered a country, they confult nothing but the means of efcape, and the prefervation of their booty.

We cannot avoid to express our regret, at the extreme faultinefs of all the accounts that have been published of the tranfactions of this war. No regular detail of facts has ever been given, and many of the accounts that have appeared, were fo extravagant as to fuperfede all poffibility of belief. Vague, contradictory, and unfatisfactory as they are, we are obliged to make use of them, for want of better information; and can only endeavour to judge, from the confequences, what degree of credit was due to them. Our own gazette, which used formerly to convey fome information, and though not the most early, or the molt ample, yet fupported by the beft authority, from fome frange referve or negligence, has fcarcely fo much as announced, the war between these great powers. The accounts that have been given of battles won, that were never fought, and of conquests made, that exifted only in idea, make it neceffary to receive those, that feem fomewhat better attested, with a great degree of referve and limitation.

The Kan of the Tartars died foon after his return, in confequence of the violent fatigues he underwent in this expedition. His death was a great lofs to the Turks, as

he had a more military turn, and was, by much, a better officer than any in their army. The concern they expreffed for his death, and the acknowledgments they made of the great fervices he had done the Porte, testify the mischiefs hẹ had done to the enemy. The Grand Signior appointed his nephew, Dowled Gherai, who had been his vizir, and acquired fome reputation in that ftation, to be his fucceffor, in prejudice of his eldeft fon, who had accompanied him in all his expeditions.

About the time of the invafion of New Servia, the confederates of Bar, who, affifted by fome parties of Turks and Tartars, had again become formidable in Podolia, were routed by the Ruffians, and obliged to recrofs the Nielter, with the lofs of their cannon, and fome magazines they had formed.

Apr. 2d.

While thefe tranfactions paffed on the borders of Poland, great preparations were made in, Conftantinople for opening the campaign. When the grand vizir was ready to begin his march, the ftandard of Mahomet was difplayed, and car ried with great pomp and folemnity through the city to the camp, all the Turks attending it in proceffion. Upon this occafion, it is death for any Chriftian to appear in the freets, or even to look through a door, or window; and a proclamation to that purpose had accordingly been made. The cu riofity of two ladies was, however, teo trong to be restrained either by the proclamation, or the danger, and had like to have been attended with the most dreadful confequences.

The wife and daughter of the

Sieur Broynard, the refident from the court of Vienna, were the heroines, who fcorned to betray the rights of the fex, or to facri fice their Chriftian freedom to Mahometan bigotry or rage. Thefe ladies accordingly placed themfelves at a window; from whence they beheld the proceffion; but were foon perceived by the Turkish populace, who in the greatest rage and fury, immediately affaulted the ambaffidor's houfe. The houfe happened to be strong, and the domeftics numerous, who ran to their arms, and made a vigorous defence. A dreadful fray enfued, in which a great number of lives were loft; but the populace having at length made their way into the houfe, they found the minifter's lady, and brought her down into the court, where they were making preparations to ftrangle her, when fortunately a party of Janizaries arrived, who faved her life, and difperfed the outrageous croud. The grand vizir expreffed great forrow for this infult, and begged the minifter would look upon it, as an act only proceeding from the blind fury of an infatuated multitude; he at the fame time affured him that he fhould have all the reparation that it was poflible to procure. A few hours after, the vizir fent the imperial minifter a rich prefent of jewels for his lady, and a bag, which was found to contain the heads of the three principal rioters. The Grand Signior alfo sent the chief interpreter of the Porte with a rich prefent, to apologize, directly in his own name,

for the affront.

The Turkish armies being always encumbered with women, with immenfe quantities of unne

ceffary baggage, and great nums bers of ufelefs domeftics, are confequently unwieldy and flow in their motions. Though the grand vizir began his march from Conftantinople early in April, yet the delays incident to fuch incum→ brances, and the difficulty of regulating fo vaft and undifciplined a multitude, retarded him in fuch a manner, that it was near the latter end of the month, before he could advance from Adrianople, with the grand army, towards the Danube.

difpofi- Apr. 30.

In the mean time prince Gallitzin, who commanded the Ruffian army on the banks of the Niefter, thought this a proper time to attempt fomething decifive, before the arrival of the great Turkish force in that quarter. Having accordingly croffed the Niefter with his whole army, he advanced to Choczim, where he encampt in fight of a body of 30,000 Turks commanded by Caraman Pacha, and entrenched under the cannon of the town. The prince having made the neceffary difpofitions, attacked the Turks in their entrenchments early in the morning, and notwithstanding an obftinate defence, and a dreadful fire from the fortrefs, at length beat them out of the trenches. The Turks endeavoured to cover their retreat, by detaching a large body of cavalry to attack the right wing of the Ruflian army; but they had fuch a warm reception from the artillery, that they foon retired in great diforder. General Stoffeln, and prince Dolgorucki, were then ordered to purfue the fugitives, at the head of eight battalions; which they did fo effectually, that they followed them into the fuburbs of

Choczim

Choczim, and their purfuit was at length only stopped by the pallifadoes of the fortrefs. Soon after the town was fet on fire by the redhot balls, and a great number of Jews and Chriftians took refuge in the Ruffian camp.

This account of the affair was given after the retreat of the Ruffian army over the Niefter; and as it was the laft, fo it was by much the moft intelligible of thofe that had been published at Peterfburg. The first, which had been brought express to court by the Ruffian adjutant - general, and feemed thereby authenticated, was filled with the moft glaring abfurdities. The officer who commanded a battery on the Ruffian right wing, was not only faid to have defeated the whole Turkish cavalry by two difcharges of his artillery, but also to have routed the entire army; the Janizaries and other foldiers having immediately run away from their trenches and abandoned the camp, for fear, of the third of thefe dreadful fires.

From this advantage over the Turks in their trenches, together with the defeat on the fame day, by general Proforowski, of a confiderable detachment that was coming to reinforce their army, it might have been reasonably fuppofed, that Choczim would have fallen immediately into the hands of the Ruffians. In the midft however of this rapid tide of fuccefs, which seemed already to determine the fate of the campaign, without any reverfe of fortune with which we are acquainted, we fee the victorious prince Gallitzin repafs the Niefter with precipitation, while he is clofely and VOL. XII.

eagerly purfued by the beaten enemy in Poland. The circumftances that attended this retreat were fo extraordinury, that even an attempt was not made to defend the paffages of the river, and the Turkish cavalry over-run the neighbouring country, burnt fome fmall towns, and deftroyed fome Ruffian magazines.

The reafons affigned in the Ruffian accounts for retiring from Choczim, were, that it was garrifoned by 18,000 men well provided with artillery; that feveral great bodies of Turkish troops appeared in the neighbourhood; that the country was fo wafted, that the army could not be fupplied with provifions; and that Prince Gallitzin, not having fufficient artillery along with him, fufpended his intention of befieging the place for the prefent.

The defire of establishing a belief of fuccefs was not however. confined to the Ruffians. A pompous account was published in Conftantinople, of the great victory gained by the Ottoman troops over their enemies; and the Grand Signior went publicly to the mofque, to return tharks to Heaven, where the Iman bestowed on him the flattering title of Gazi, or Conqueror.

In the mean time, general Romanzow made an attempt upon the important fortrefs of Oczakow, which, in the manner, as well as the fuccefs, feemed fimilar to that. made by prince Gallitzin upon Choczim. This town, which is the capital of the Budziac Tartary, lies on the western shore of the great river Nieper, or Borifthenes, where it falls into the Black Sea; and along with the advantage of a to

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with the feveret enmity all thofe Poles who did not coincide with his patriotic views, by aflisting the Ottoman forces and the Confederates, in restoring its liberty, and in the expulfion of the Ruffians. At the fame time he promised fupport and protection to all thofe who affifted in this defign. This example had been fet by the Ruffians, who long before iffued a declaration, that a fimple acquiefence or neutrality, would not be deemed fufficient caufes of protection or fafety; but that all Poles, who did not avowedly declare themselves on their fide, were to be treated as rebels. By thefe inhuman declarations, the unhappy Polanders were reduced to the cruel dilemma, of being treated as rehels by one of their officious friends and protectors, let them take which fide they would; nor was a quiet and humble fubmifion to the powers in being, fufficient to preferve their lives or properties.

In the mean time the grand Turkish army moved very flowly, and the vizir had uncommon difficulties to encounter. It may be easily conceived how hard it was to preserve or establish order among fuch ferocious crowds, compofed of different nations, who hated or defpifed one another; who were totally unacquainted with all manner of difcipline, and who never before had been in a camp, nor had feen any kind of fervice. The of ficers were as incapable of agreeing among themfelves, as they were of obeying their fuperiors; and the feveral corps which they commanded having efpoufed their quarrels, have been upon the point of deciding them by arms. The janizaries, who always used to fet the

example of order and difcipline to the other troops, were now almost as licentious as any of the reft. The peftilence alfo raged in the camp, which added to the difficulties that the general had to encounter.

As far as we can judge by his conduct, and from fuch accounts as have appeared, the grand vizir feemed well qualified for the arduous talk to which he was appointed. Senfible of his own defects, he endeavoured to fupply by his natural caution, prudence, and fagacity, the want of military knowledge and experience. He cautiously abftained from bringing an overgrown and tumultuous crowd to a general action, but endeavoured by degrees to habituate them to difcipline, and to the regularity and order of a camp. In the mean time he made effectual ufe of the fuperiority of his cavalry: the forces on the frontiers were continually fupplied by strong detachments, who had an opportunity of trying their courage and acquiring experience, without a defeat being attended with any dangerous confequence.

These feem to have been the outlines of this general's conduct, and the principles upon which he continued fo long a time encamped at Ifackee, upon the banks of the Danube. In the mean time prince Gallitzin made preparations for paling the Niefter, and for again attempting the fortress of Choczim. To this purpofe he left general Rennecamp with a confiderable body of troops in his camp, to divert the attention of the enemy on the oppofite fide. This ma nœuvre had the defired effect, while the prince at the head of the greater [C 2]

part