THE inclemency of the winter, which in cold climates generally affords a temporary refpite from the fury of war, cannot have that effect when the Tartars are a party in it; on the contrary, that fevere feafon opens to them a new line of action, and is the time in which they commit the greatest ravages. Though the ftrength of the Ruffian lines, and the good difpofition that was made of their troops to cover the frontiers, were a confiderable check upon these cruel incurfions, they could not entirely prevent them; by which means the Ruffian Ukraine, as well as the adjoining provinces of Poland, fuffered greatly. Large tracts of country were every where burnt and destroyed, and numbers of captives, and great quantities of cattle, continually carried off. Genéral Romanzow, who commanded on the fide of Tartary and the Ukraine, did all that could be done to prevent these mischiefs; but the country was fo open, and the line of defence fo far extended, that no vigilance was fufficient to guard it in every part against the defigns of fuch an enemy.

There were about 60,000 Turks pofted during the winter in different places between Choczim,

Bender, and Oczacow. The greatest part of the grand army was affembled in the neighbourhood of Adrianople; another part was ftationed near Varna, a port town of Bulgaria, upon the Black Sea, and a third near the Danube. The Afiatic troops were very fickly, and fuffered two grievances, which feemed to them equally intolerable, the coldnefs of the climate, and the want of coffee; both of which were fo feverely felt as to caufe a very great defertion. The Turka being apprehenfive that the Ruffians would take advantage of the hardiness of their troops to carry on a winter campaign, and being fenfible of their own inequality in fuch a fervice, had deftroyed or removed all the provifions that were to be found in the countries near the Niester; a circumstance which now feverely affected their own troops in that quarter.

The following was faid to have been the state of the Ruflian armies in the beginning of the spring.

That under the command of Prince Gallitzin, was compofed of 31 regiments of foot, 40 regiments of horfe, and five of Huffars; together with 9000 offacks, a train of artillery of 100 pieces of cannon, and a suitable body of en

gineers.

gineers. The regiments of foot confifted of 2000 men, and thofe of horfe of 800 men each; by which eftimation, this army, exclufive of the train of artillery, confifted of 71,000 foot, including the Coffacks, and of 36,000 horfe, including the Huffars. The other army, under general Romanzow, contained 11 regiments of foot, four of horfe, and fix of Huffars, befides 10,900 Coffacks, amounting by the fame rule of calculation to 40,900 men, and the two armies confifting of near 150,000.

While the armies were employed in covering the frontiers, and in preparing for the enfuing campaign, the court of Petersburg was equally engaged in providing funds for the fupport and carrying on of the war. The contributions impofed upon the peasants were accordingly augmented a ruble and a half each per annum; which it was computed would raife one million and a half of rubles yearly. The province of Livonia was taxed 100,000 rubles per annum; and that of Efthonia 50,000. All perfons in civil employments are to pay 20 per cent. out of their falaries, and thofe that keep carriages are to pay five rubles for each horfe. It is however promifed, that these taxes fhall continue only during the war.

The empress alfo created, upon this occafion, a new council for political and military affairs, at which he is to prefide herself; and she has appointed feven noblemen to be members of it. All bufinefs, whether political or military, is to be under the direction of this council, and every member is to give his opinion in writing, upon the fubjects that come before

them; all the difpatches must be figned by the emprefs. To neglect nothing that might contribute to the fuccefs of the war, this princefs applied to her allies for the fuccours which they had ftipulated by treaty to furnish in certain circumftances, and which he now infifted upon receiving either in money or men.

In the months of February and March, Crim Gueray, Kan of the Tartars, at the head, fome accounts faid of 70,000 Tartars, fupported by 10,000 Spahis, having broke the Ruffian lines of communication, penetrated into the province of New Servia, which he totally ruined, having burned almoft every village in it. By thefe accounts. he carried off 14,000 families captive, took above 100,000 head of cattle, and burnt 154 towns and villages; and that the Ruffians having united to oppofe his return, he fought a bloody battle with them, in which neither fide had any caufe to triumph.

On the other hand, the Ruffian accounts take no notice of any lofs fuftained in New Servia, nor of the expedition in general; but give a fhort account that the Tartar Kan, having, at the head of a confiderable army, intended to attack fome redoubts, in which generaf Ifakow with about 4000 men was pofted, that general bravely marched out to engage them in the field, and gained a complete victory over them.

Both these accounts are probably in a great measure true. The devaftation made by the Tartars in New Servia, is not to be doubted; the number of the captives, and the greatnefs of the spoil, we may believe exaggerated. That in the

courfe

courfe of this irruption, general Ifakow met with a party of Tartars, and defeated them, is highly probable; every body knows, that the Tartars have no great inclination for thofe 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 exprefs 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 moft early, or the molt ample, yet fupported by the best authority, from fome ftrange 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 conquefts made, that exifted only in idea, make it neceffary to receive thofe, that feem fomewhat better attefted, 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, teftify the mischiefs he 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 some parties of Turks and Tartars, had again become formidable in Podolia, were routed by the Ruffians, and obliged to recrofs the Niester, with the lofs of their cannon, and fome magazines they had formed.

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 be- Apr. 2d. gin his march, the ftandard of Mahomet was difplayed, and carried 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 streets, or even to look through a door, or window; and a proclamation to that purpose had accordingly been made. The curiofity of two ladies was, however, too ftrong to be reftrained 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 facrifice their Christian 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 ambaffador's house. The houfe happened to be' ftrong, 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 minister'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 should have all the reparation that it was poffible 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 also sent the chief interpreter of the Porte with a rich present, 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 num bers of ufelefs domeftics, are con fequently unwieldy and flow in their motions. Though the grand vizir began his march from Conftantinople early in April, yet the delays incident to fuch incumbrances, and the difficulty of re gulating so vaft and undisciplined 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 Lanube.

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 decisive, before the arrival of the great Turkish force in that quarter. Having accordingly croffed the Niester with his whole army, he advanced to Choczim, where heen campt 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 difpofi- Apr. 30. tions, attacked the Turks in their entrenchments early in the morning, and notwithstanding an obstinate defence, and a dreadful fire from the fortress, 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 Ruffian army; but they had such 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 ftopped 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 most intelligible of thofe that had been published at Peterfburg. The firft, which had been brought exprefs to court by the Ruffian adjutant - general, and feemed thereby authenticated, was filled with the most 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 alfo 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 feemed already to determine the fate of the campaign, without any reverse 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 nim, 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 thanks 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 fortress 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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