: terwards exchange whatever they can hear of an advantageous market. Being extremely acute they well know how to improve all the advantages which the combination of fo many branches of bu finefs conftantly affords; the fpirit of commerce, which is the fimple art of a reciprocal fupply of wants, is well understood here by every body. They poffefs, like the generality of the Americans, a large fhare of native penetration, activity, and good fenfe, which lead them to a variety of other fecondary schemes too tedious to mention they are well acquainted with the cheapest method of procuring lumber from Kennebeck river, Penobscot, &c. pitch and tar from North Carolina, flour and bifcuit, from Philadelphia, beef and pork from Connecticut. They know how to exchange their cod fish and Weft Indian produce for thofe articles which they are continually either bringing to their ifland, or fending off to other places where they are wanted. By means of all thefe commercial negociations, they have greatly cheapened the fitting out of their whaling fleets, and therefore much improved their fifheries. They are indebted for all thefe advantages not only to their national genius but to the poverty of their foil; and as a proof of what I have fo often advanced, look at the Vineyard (their neighbouring ifland) which is inhabited by a fet of people as keen and fagacious as themselves. Their foil being in general extremely fertile, they have fewer navigators; though they are equally well fituated for the fishing business. Afhort Narrative of the late Gilbert Weft, L.L.D. The following Account of the late Dr. G. Weft, we have reason to affure our Readers, is perfectly au thentic. GT ILBERT WEST was the fon of the Reverend Doctor Welt. He had the misfortune to be deprived of his father whilst under the age of thirteen years, and juft too at the time when a mitre was expected for the doctor, through the intereft of a powerful friend, Lord Orford, who had gained the royal affent to raise him to that dignity. At this' early period of his life, he was left to the care of his difconfolate and diftreffed mother, who had not only her own lofs to deplore, but also the blaffed hopes of a young family. Gilbert Weft was fent to Eaton, and completed his education at Oxford. His mother was the eldest daughter of Sir Richard Temple, and fifter to Lord Cobham; a woman not more diftinguifhed for her beauty than for her exemplary conduct through life. Her marrying a clergyman, though a man of family, of learning, and high character, was fo refented by her brother Cobham, who hated (as he declared) the whole cloth, that he excluded her from his honours and eftates, and fettled them on his fecond fifter's male iffue, confining the little. marks of his brotherly attentions for his eldest fifter, to her fon Gilbert Weft. Lord Cobham prefented Mr Weft, while at Oxford, with a cornetcy in his own regiment. He was then reading di E 4 vinity a vinity, that being the bent of his inclination, and best adapted to his ferious turn of mind. Being thus called into the military line, he was naturally led to make frequent vifits from Oxford to Stowe, to gain knowledge of his uncle in his new profeffion, whom he looked up to with the greatest admiration; his lordship being poffeffed of brilliant talents, and a perfect know ledge of the world. To his lordfhip's captivating frandard, many of the first genius repaired, which gave rife to animated converfations and the difplay of wit on various fubjects. Among other topics, revealed religion had its turn for animadverfion; and was reprefented as a work of impofition, which a wife man must reject; and that the whole derived its fource from prieft-craft. This caught the honeft mind of Mr. Weft; and then not being able to anfwer the deluding arguments brought in fupport of thofe fatal errors, he imbibed this on principle, that there was no real foundation for the great truths fet forth in the holy fcriptures; but he never was brought to lofe fight of the Supreme Being in all his glorious works, to whom he ever paid the devouteft adoration. His love of virtue in its fullest extent, was fo great, that his actions throughout were confidered by those who knew him well, to be fo upright, as never to border upon vice. He was one of the students of Christ Church, Oxford, and from thence had his introduction into the Secretary of State's office, being nominated by that univerfity to answer the plan of government in fending fuch a given number of them to be initiated into the bu finefs of the state, in order to qualify them for foreign embaffies. Lord Townshend, then Secretary of State, received Mr. Weft with great marks of friendly regard, and honoured him with confidential bu finefs at his own houfe; and when his lordship attended King George the First to Hanover, Mr. Weft accompanied him. This gave a fair profpect for Mr. Weft's advancement; and certainly it must have taken place, had not his uncle Lord Cobbam become a violent oppofer of administration. Lord Townfhend, in confequence of it, told Mr. Weft very fairly, that he could no longer give fupport to his acknowledged merit, as his uncle stood in the way of his promotion; and any favour done to him, would be conftrued as a fervile court paid to Lord Cobham. Mr. Gilbert Weft, feeing that he must fall a facrifice to his alliance with Lord Cobham, quitted the scene of public business, foon after married, and fixed at Peckham in Kent; where his tranquil life was rendered truly pleafing by books, and a chofen few who frequently came there, and by their rational and unreftrained converse, enjoyed a felicity they could not find in the bufy world. His near relation, and long tried valuable friend, George Lyttelton, represented Mr, Weft in fo advantageous a light to Frederick, Prince of Wales, in whose service he then was, that his royal highnefs, on Mr Lyttel ton's recommendation, authorised him to acquaint Mr. Weft, that he intended to give him the edu cation of the young prince, his prefent prefent Majefty. This being communicated to Mr. Weft by Mr. Lyttelton, he took very deeply into confideration the importance of fuch a charge, and it led him to conclude, that no principles could be binding on the human mind which had not religion for their bafis. He therefore retolved to find out the true one, it pof fible, to reft Ins faith upon it, give comfort to his own mind, and qualify himself for the truft expect ed to be repofed in him. To effect thefe falutary ends, he determined to read the fcriptures with the utmost care, believing, if they were of divine infpiration, all feeming inconfiftencies were to be reconciled. Thefe important confiderations he offered to his worthy good friend, George Lyttleton, whose warm and excellent heart exulted on the noble and pious ideas thrown out on the occafion; and there enfued between these long loved and esteemed friends, the most interefting and affecting converfation, which the perfon who writes this had the fatisfaction to be witness to, and to their refolutions, at the fame time, to undertake their obfervations on the Resurrection and St. Paul; which were foon after given to the public, in 1747% In the year following, the univerfity of Ox ford created Mr. Welt Doctor of Laws, by diploma. The approbation given to thefe performa ces, put Mr. Weft upon a more exten five plan; as the cavillers faid, all objections were ftill in force, except the authenticity of the feriptures were proved. He there fore begun upon that great work, but got no farther than the three first chapters in Genefis, it pleafing the all-wife Difpoter to remove hin. to that glorious ftate, where ali he had been meditating upon in this imperfect one, was no doubt opened to his view. It is impoffible to defcribe the heartfelt delight he received in studying the holy fcriptures; and his mind was to illumined with these facred truths, and with holding as he did a contlant intercourle with the Divine Nature, that he feemed to be above the injuries of fortune, or pains of fickneis, looking forwards to a more permanent condition. His fublime piety, virtue, a mable and chee. ful difpofition, made him equally be loved and refpected; nor was ever any man more warmly and tenderly atta hed to his friends than he was. Mr. Weft bad too much dignity of character to admit of pride or fuperciliousnets; never beholding with icorn the imperiect characters, or in perfect pleasures of other men, he enjoyed with complacency, himself, the innocent pleatures of life, whether prefented to him under the form of beautiful nature or ingenious knowledge and content, he might be deemed, notwithstanding his claim to a high fituation, a happy man until he lost his only child, a fon at man's eftate, in whom he had placed much comfort and all his hopes. On receiving the fatal fhock of his death, he only emphatically faid, "My dear for is taken to a better Father ;" and with that pious reflection, he calmed his own forrows and those of his afflicted wife and fympathizing friends. He furvived his fon but one year, and died in 1756, aged about fifty. NATURAL NATURAL HISTORY. NE of the most remarkable Ο ΝΕ facts obferved in navigating the ocean, is that conftant and rapid current which fets alcg the coat of North America to the northwa d and eastward, and is commonly known to feamen by the name of the Gulf-ftream. It feems justly attributed to the ef fect of the trade-winds, which blowing from the eastern quarter into the great Gulf of Mexico, caufe there an accumulation of the water above the common level of the fea; in confequence of which, it is conftantly running out by the channel where it finds leaft refiftance, that is, through the Gulf of Florida, with fuch force as to continue a diftinct ftream to a very great diftance. Since all fhips going from Europe to any of the fouthern provinces of North America muft croís this current, and are materially affected by it in their courfe, every circumflance of its motion becomes an object highly interefting to the feaman, During a voyage to America in The rendezvous appointed for the fleet being off Cape Fear, our courfe, on approaching the American coaft, became north-westward. On the 23d of April the heat of the fea was 74°, our lati From the difference between civil and nautical time, it becomes neceffary to obferve, that the former is always meant in this paper. tude |