seemed to have intended to remain in this country,

and gave orders for a painting room for himself to be built in Lanarkshire; and I am not certain but it was actually erected. But he has not found the climate and situation of the country to suit his constitution and there is reason now to suspect he will finish his life in that country in which the best part of it has been spent.

;

The reader must not confound the object of our present memoir, with another young man of great hopes in the same line in Britain, of the same name; which he will frequently meet with accompanying fketches for modern publications in England.

The engraving that accompanies this is done from a very highly finished painting by Mr Skirving, a native of East Lothian in Scotland, now at Rome, for Lord Gardenstone; and now in his lordfhip's collection. It has been shown to many judges, who are well acquainted with Mr Hamilton, who all admit that it is a most striking likenefs. Our young artist has, with his usual accuracy, hit the likeness very exactly. This, it is believed, is the only print of that celebrated artist that has ever been given to the public.

i

Guthrie

A COURIER fately arrived from our countryman Billings, commander of the naval expedition fitted out at Kamtchatka, for the purpose of discovery, says, that the Japanese merchant and seaman, Code, who will make the subject of another article, is arrived at Ochotík, to embark for his native country, according to the orders of her imperial majesty, with the son of the inspector Laxman, who was to see him safe home, and probably deliver some message to the emperor from the court of Russia. But by the account of the said mefsenger, both father and son were at Ochotfk; so that if the able naturalist Mr Laxman, (a portait of whom I send you,) formerly professor of chemistry and mineralogy in the imperial academy, should take it in his head to accompany his son in the voyage, we have great reason to expect much more scientific information from that island, that ever has reached Europe as yet.

Laxman is equally strong in botany, and in the other branches of natural history, so that if his almost invincible aversion to publishing can be got over, we may see something interesting. The inspector's son is unknown to us, from the distance at which he lives; although we make no doubt but he is well qualified to make useful observations, from the advantage of such an instructor as his father.

It was this young gentleman who discovered the curious mount, (probably of volcanic origin,) on the coast of the sea of Ochotfk, which I believe is taken notice of in one of my former literary budgets, consisting of a whitish matter like volcanic ashes, with one side stuck like a pudding stone with roundish red vitreous pebbles; the other with white of the same kind. The father gave us some of both when last here.

From the information received by captain Billings's courier, we are now enabled to continue the general notices on his expedition begun in last budget, but which must be acknowledged to be very superficial and vague, as none of his dispatches have or will be published, till her imperial majesty fhall give orders to communicate a narration of the whole to Europe at large. The only circumstances then known are from his mefsengers, the Kamtchatka hunters, merchants, c. who occasionally come down here, and to which little credit can be given for accuracy. However was I to give a general opinion on the expedition, I fhould suppose, that as the same icy barrier which put limits to the great captain Cook's northern course, still opposed itself to captain Billings, we have rather to expect local surveys, than important discoveries in seas navigated by able British navigators, who examined them with attention, before the present commander was ordered to explore them; so that his not furnishing much new matter, if so it fhould turn out, will rather reflect ho nour on his predecessors than difhonour on himself.

All we know of his expedition is, that he has surveyed the islands of the Rufsian Archipelago, with the coasts of America and Rufsia to a certain distance, where his instructions directed him. He has sent a number of dresses from the islands, with a variety of birds and quadrupeds; but the cases contain only some new species and varieties, no new genera. Indeed it is much to be doubted if any new genus of animal exists in the habitable parts of the globe.

In this last voyage, after having looked for Sind's Islands, (I presume in the spot laid down by that navigator,) which he found no traces of, he stood away for the continent of America; from whence we hear of nothing remarkable, but his finding a race of people opposite to the Tchutki coast, very nearly in the state of nature, who spoke the language of the Tchutski, and applied to him for protection against that savage people, who make yearly descents in America, plunder every thing they meet with, and carry back with them a number of captives as slaves. It appears that the Tchutki set out in a number of boats, rest themselves, and collect their force at two islands half way over, and from thence stand over in the night, and fall unexpectedly on these poor harmless people on the coast of America, by the natural rights of man, as they told the interpreter of Billings, his courier now here: at least their answer was exactly to that purpose; for they insisted, that they had a right to any thing that their courage and force could procure; claims which will soon not be confined to the Rufsian Tchutki, or I am much mistaken.

Captain Billings then stood across to the Tchutski Nofs, where he landed, and found the complaints of the Americans but too well founded; as that people were in fact served by American slaves, one of which, a woman, he bought of them, and will bring down here. The captain had dispatched an officer of Cofsaks, well versed in the Tchutski language and customs, to engage them to permit his pafsage by land with a small suite through their country; and that same interpreter he found waiting his arrival at the Tchutki Nofs, with some of the chiefs of that bold and independent nation, who had agreed to his request under a promise of tobbaco and other trifles in high estimation with them. He therefore set out under their conduct; and after being carried by water, along the south coast of the promontory, crossed over by land to ex.

amine the north; from which from which he set out in sledges drawn by rein deer, for Yakuts; where he arrived almost dead with fatigue, after a journey of nine months from his landing at the Nofs.

During this long and tiresome journey, where little presented to amuse the travellers, he was several times in danger of being cut off, from the jealousy his astronomical observations excited in the natives; but above all his measuring the road with a line, whilst driving slowly upon deep soft snow. His interpreter now here, (the same sent as messenger,) thinks, that nothing but the awe the Tchutski stood in, of his armed fhip left at the Nofs, saved the travellers; as he over heard them occasionally talking of the vengeance his crew would take of the