GASTRONOMY--GATTERER. 



373 



arranged certain large-bellied glass vessels, filled with 

 clear water, in a particular place, with burning 

 torches about them. They then prayed in a low tone 

 to a divinity, and proposed to him the question which 

 they wished to have solved. Then a chaste and unde- 

 filed boy, or a pregnant woman, was to notice with 

 care all the changes that took place in the vessels, 

 and at the same time to wish, to implore, and even 

 to demand, an answer from the divinity. The spirit 

 addressed at last gave the answer by certain images 

 appearing in the vessels, whicli betokened future 

 events. 



GASTRONOMY; the science of eating and 

 drinking. The gastronomy of the Romans was gross 

 and luxurious ; in modern times, that of the French 

 is, among epicures, most approved. See the Paris 

 Almanack des Gourmands. The new series, from 

 1825, contains songs by Beranger and others. 



GATES, HORATIO, an American officer, who distin- 

 guished himself during the revolutionary war, was born 

 in England, in 1728. He early embraced the career 

 of arms, and rose to the rank of major by the force 

 of merit alone. At the capture of Martinico, he was 

 aid to general Monkton, and, after the peace of Aix- 

 la-Chapelle, was for some time stationed at Halifax, 

 in Nova Scotia. Seven years afterwards, he was 

 again called into active life, by the breaking out of 

 a new war, and was with Braddock when that unfor- 

 tunate commander was defeated, in 1775. In con- 

 sequence of a severe wound which he received in the 

 battle, he was for some time debarred from active 

 service ; and, at the conclusion of the peace, he 

 repaired to his native country. He soon, however, 

 returned, and purchased an estate in Virginia, on 

 which he resided until the commencement of the 

 revolutionary war in 1775, when he was appointed 

 adjutant-general by congress, with the rank of briga- 

 dier. In July, 1775, he accompanied the command- 

 er-in-chief to Massachusetts, where he continued 

 until June in the following year, when he received 

 the chief command of the army which had just 

 retreated from Canada. This appointment gave 

 great umbrage to general Schuyler, who had hitherto 

 superintended the forts and garrisons of New York, 

 and now expressed his determination to resign unless 

 the injury were redressed. Congress, in consequence, 

 endeavoured to reconcile the pretensions of the two 

 generals, by assigning to them authorities in some 

 measure independent on each other. Schuyler was 

 directed to provide and equip a naval armament, in 

 order to obtain and preserve the command of the 

 lakes and rivers which maintained the communica- 

 tions between Canada and the maritime and Hudson 

 country, and Gates was enjoined to co-operate in this 

 service as far as lay in his power. But they were 

 only able to equip about fifteen vessels, half of which 

 were little better than boats, which were placed 

 under the command of Arnold, who was opposed by 

 a much superior force under Carleton. The first step 

 of Gates occasioned some surprise and much clamour. 

 The American forces had retreated to Crown Point, 

 where such ravages were made among them by the 

 small-pox tliat Gates abandoned that fortress, and 

 concentrated his army at Ticonderoga. This move- 

 ment, which opened to the enemy the whole naviga- 

 tion of lake Champlain, was greatly condemned by 

 Washington and all the field-officers. The unexpect- 

 ed retreat of general Carleton relieved them from the 

 necessity of defending Ticonderago. After this 

 retreat, Gates marched with a considerable detach- 

 ment to the assistance of general Washington, and 

 continued with him, during his operations in the 

 middle colonies, until the spring of 1777, when he 

 resumed his command on the northern frontier. 

 Here he was shortly afterwards superseded by Schuy- 



ler. But, hi August following, when Burgoyne had 

 obtained possession of Ticonderoga, defeated St Clair, 

 occupied fort Ann and Skeensborough, and had 

 arrived at fort St Edward, on the upper branches of 

 the Hudson, Gates was reinstated in the command. 

 At fort St Edward, Burgoyne remained for some time, 

 in order to collect necessaries, and then, passing the 

 Hudson, encamped at Saratoga. Gates immediately 

 put himself in motion with an equal force, and, Sep- 

 tember 19, an almost general engagement took place 

 without any decisive result. October 8, another 

 action occurred, in which the British were totally 

 defeated, and, on the 16th, Burgoyne surrendered 

 witli his whole army. This was, perhaps, the most 

 important achievement of the whole war, or the one 

 which had the greatest effect in giving it a favourable 

 result. About this time, when the popularity ot 

 general Gates was at its highest point, intrigues were 

 commenced for elevating him to the station occupied 

 by Washington, which were as shameful as they 

 were unsuccessful. How far he himself was engaged 

 in them, or whether he was concerned in them at all, 

 it is not in our power to state ; nor should we wish 

 to enter into any details respecting it. 



In June, 1780, Gates received the chief command 

 of the southern districts. In this quarter, the affairs 

 of the colonies were in a very bad condition. Charles- 

 ton had been taken, and general Lincoln captured. 

 When Gates assumed the command of the southern 

 army, it scarcely amounted to 1500 men, badly sup- 

 plied in every respect. After collecting all the troops 

 he could, and equipping them as well as he was able, 

 he advanced against the enemy, whom he met, Au- 

 gust 16, under Cornwallis, at Camden, where the 

 Americans were totally defeated. About fifty days 

 after this disaster, general Greene was sent to super 

 sede Gates, whose conduct was subjected to the 

 investigation of a special court. After a long and 

 tedious inquiry, he was finally acquitted, and rein- 

 stated in his command in 1782 ; but, in the interim, 

 the war had been brought to a glorious termination 

 by the capture of Cornwallis. 



When peace was made, he retired to his Virginia 

 estate, and, in 1790, removed to New York, having 

 first emancipated all his slaves, and provided for 

 such of them as could not provide for themselves. 

 On his arrival at New York, he was presented with 

 the freedom of the city, and, in the year 1800, was 

 chosen a member of the state legislature, in conse- 

 quence of the critical balance of parties at that time, 

 but resigned his seat as soon as the purpose for 

 which he accepted it was gained. He died April 

 10, 1806, in the 78th year of his age. General Gates 

 possessed a handsome person, rather inclined to cor- 

 pulence in the middle of his life ; was courteous in his 

 manners, and kind and generous in his disposition. 

 He was a classical scholar and a sincere Christian. 



GATINAIS, or G ASTIN AIS ; anciently a country 

 of France, which, in the eleventh century, had counts 

 of its own ; it was afterwards joined to Anjou. It 

 afterwards belonged partly to the government of 

 Orleans, and partly to the government of the Isle of 

 France, and was distinguished by the names of Gati- 

 nais Orleanais, and Gdtinais Franfais. It now forms 

 part of the departments of Seine-and-Marne, Seiiie- 

 and-Oise, and Loiret. 



G ATTERER, JOHN CHRISTOPHER, a German writer, 

 born at Lichtenau, in the territory of Nuremburg, 

 1727, studied at Nuremberg and Altdorf, devoting 

 himself particularly to historical science, obtained a 

 place in the gymnasium at Nuremberg, went, 1758, 

 as regular professor of history, to Goitingen, and died 

 there in 1799. He made himself master of the whole 

 province of history and its auxiliary branches, geo- 

 graphy, genealogy, heraldry, diplomacy, numismatics, 



