Gn R:O Ni. C, L-E, 
his country. On his return from 
that expedition, in 1780, he was 
promoted by the earl of Sandwich 
to the rank of lieutenant; in which 
capacity he failed, till the conclufion 
of the war, with capt. King, who 
had the higheft efteem and friend- 
fhip for him. Being impatient of 
an inattive life, in the year 1787 he 
folicited employment of lord Howe, 
then at the head of the admiralty ; 
but, unfortunately for the naval fer- 
vice of this country, his application 
proved ineffectual. This refufal 
anduced him to draw up a plan of 
difcovery, and a propofal for open- 
ing an intercourfe by fea between 
-Kamtfchatka and Japan, and’ the 
northern parts of China ; which 
was laid before the- emprefs of 
Ruffia, and fo well approved of by 
her, that fhe immediately fent an 
officer exprefs to invite him over to 
carry it intoexecution. He arrived 
at Peterfburgh the latter end of 
1787; but the war with the Turks 
breaking out, puta ftop to’the in- 
tended expedition, and he was pre- 
vailed upon to accept the command 
of a fhip of the line. In the various 
engagements that have taken place 
in the Baltic, fince the commence- 
ment of hoftilities between Ruffia 
and Sweden, he has borne a very 
active part, and has been honoured 
with repeated marks of the em- 
prefs’s favour; and doubtlefs, had 
he lived, would foon have arrived 
at the firft rank in her fervice. He 
Was a man of ftrong natural abili- 
ties, greatly improved by cultiva- 
tion; and poflefled a high fenfe of 
honour, and a liberal enlightened 
mind, To the manly courage, and 
the open generofity of a Britifh 
failor, he united, in an eminent de- 
gree, the education and the man- 
ners of a gentleman, To thofe who 
L215 
had the pléafure of knowing him, 
his death is deeply diftrefling ; and 
to his country the lofs of fo accom- 
plithed an officer will not eafily be 
repaired. : 
At his head-quarters in 
Moravia, of a fever, in con- 
fequence of an operation he under- 
went for an obftruction in the ure- 
thra, Field-marfhal Laudohn, com- 
mander in chief of the Auftrian 
forces. His impatience under the 
medical applications, the impetuous 
ardour of his character, and the 
knowledge, above all, of his im- 
portance in the war, contributed to 
irritate his mind, and promote the 
violence of the fever. He refifted 
the application of cataplaims, before 
and after the incifions were made, 
with a fatal obftinacy, which raifed 
the inflammation to fuch an height, 
that he expired under the acceffion 
of the fever. He was born in 
1716; was a native of Livonia; 
and defcended from a Scottifh fa- 
mily. 
14th. 
SEPTEMBER. 
We have at length had, 
in the perfon of Prince 
Poninfki, Grand Trea- 
furer of the Crown, a ftriking in- 
ftance of the inftability of fortune, ' 
or more properly fpeaking, of the 
certain retribution which fooner or 
later awaits thofe who build their 
own greatnefs at the expence of the 
reputation of their country. It is 
unneceflary to recount either the un- 
limited power he poffeffed at the 
famous Diet of Delegation, of which 
he was Marfhall, and of the Divi- 
fion of Poland, or the inal pro- 
cefs inftituted againft him, after an 
interval of fixteen years, for having 
[90 4] at 
Warfaw, 
Sept. 1. 
