472 A M H 
about a foot high ; toward the top it puts out two or three 
fmall lateral branches, with fmall trifid leaves, fawed on 
their edges, of a very dark green colour; at the extre¬ 
mity of the branches the flowers are produced in fmall 
umbels; they are of a fine blue colour, as are alfo the 
upper part of the branches, and the leaves immediately 
under the umbel; fo that, although the flowers are fmall, 
yet from their colour, with that of the upper part of 
the (talks, the plants make a pretty appearance, during 
their continuance in flower. If the feeds of this plant 
are fown in the autumn, or are permitted to fcatter, the 
plants will come up early the following fpring, and thefe 
will flower the beginning of June; but thofe which are 
fpwn in the fpring writ not flower till July; and, in dry 
feafons, the feeds will remain in the ground a whole year, 
fo that the belt time for lowing them is in the autumn. 
This plant is a native of the mountains of Siberia, from 
whence the 1 'eeds were lent to the imperial gardens at Pe- 
terlburgh, where the plants flourifhed and perfected their 
feeds, part of which were lent to Mr. Miller by Dr. Am- 
mann, which grew in 1759 in the Chelfea garden, where 
the plants annually produce feeds. 
When the plants come up, they w ill require no other 
care but to keep them clean from weeds, and, where they 
are too clofe, to thin them; for they do not thrive when 
tranfplanted, therefore the feeds lhould be fown where 
they are to remain. 
AMETHYSTINE, adj. Refembling an amethyft in 
colour. 
AMHA'R, or Amha'ra, a province of Abyflirtia, faid 
to extend forty leagues from eaft to weft. It isconlidcred 
as the moll noble in the whole empire, both on account of 
its being the ufual rClidence of the Abyffinian monarch s, 
and having a particular diale,ft different from all the reft, 
which, by reaf’on of the emperors being brought up in 
this province, is become the language of the court and 
of the politer people. Here is the famed rock Amba- 
gefnen, where the young monarchs were formerly confined. 
AM'HERST (Lord)-. This gentleman, who has fpent 
a long and aftive life in the ferviee of his country, was 
major-general and commander of the land-forces in the 
expedition againft Louilbourgh in the year 1758. The 
land-forces amounted to about 14,000 men, including feme 
light troops, fitted out for the peculiar ferviee of the 
country. The fleet arrived at Halifax, in Nova Scotia, 
on the 9th day of May, failed from thence on the 28th of 
the fame month, and, on the 2d day of June, appeared 
before Louifbourgh. For fix days they remained on the 
coaft without being able to effeft a landing, owing to the 
prodigious furf which fwelled all along the fhore, fo that 
no boat could poffibly live near it. Tire French, not 
trutting- to this obftacle, had drawn intrenchments-in eve¬ 
ry part where it might be poflible to land, fupported them 
with batteries in convenient places, and lined them with 
a numerous infantry. At length the furf, though violent 
at beft, was obferved to be fomewhat abated, and the ad¬ 
miral and general did not lofe a moment to avail them- 
felves of this firft opportunity of landing: they made all 
their difpolitions for it with the higheft judgment. The 
frigates were ordered to rake the enemy on the right and 
left, whilft the troops were difpofed for landing in three 
divifions. That on the left was deftined to the real attack. 
The divifions in the centre and to the right were meant 
only as feints, to draw the enemy’s attention to all parts, 
and to diff:raft their defence. The landing being effected, 
the centre divifion of the army moved forward, and was 
followed by the third divifion on the right; fothat, in the 
Gourfe of that day, the whole Britifh army made good 
their landing with inconfiderable lofs. The interval of 
calm weather,, which had befriended the operation thus 
far, was of very fhort continuance; it was fucceeded by 
tempefls, which continued feveral days, and caufeda pro¬ 
digious furf, which rendered it impoffibie to land the ar¬ 
tillery and ammunition necelfary to begin the (lege. But 
She excellent conduit of general Amherft, by degrees, 
A M H 
overcame all the difficulties of the weather, which was 
extremely unfavourable, as well as thofe of the ground, 
which' was rugged in- fome places, and boggy in others. 
At the fame time the garrifon defended the place with 
great refolution. Nor were the Frenchdeftitute of means 
of defence, for in the harbour they had five fail of the 
line, each of which could bring a broadfide to bear oa 
the Englifh troops as they advanced. It was therefore 
neceffary to fecure a point, called the light-houfe battery, 
which in fome meafure commanded the harbour. The 
poffefTion of this fpot greatly accelerated the reduftion of 
the place ; for, on the 25th day of June the ifland battery, 
which bad been a great annoyance to the befiegers, was 
effeftually filenced. Still, however, the advances were- 
very gradual, for the fhips in the harbour yet continued 
to fire with confiderable effeft. Fortunately, on the 21ft 
day of July, one of the fhips blew up, and fpread its 
flames to the two next adjoining, whereby they were pre- 
fently eonfumed to the water’s edge. This was a decifive 
advantage gained. The approaches were now brought 
near the covered way, and it was expefted that a lodge¬ 
ment would foon be made in it; the fire from the be/ieged 
grew lefs. By this time the fortifications had fullered 
great injury, and a confiderable part of the town was re¬ 
duced to allies; fo that the garrifon foon after became- 
prifoners of war, and amounted, with the irregulars and 
feamen, to 5637 men. 
According to the plan laid down in England, for the 
reduftion of Quebec and Montreal, we find general Am¬ 
herft in motion, with fome of his troops, as early as the 
firft of May, 1759. He arrived at Albany on the 12th, 
and fet'out for Fort Edward on. the 3d of June; the regu¬ 
lar regiments being ported on the road to bring up the 
provifions in the batteaux ; and all precautions were ufed 
to prevent a furprife. But, not to mention the difficulty 
of bringing up the batteau x, See. for tranfporting the army, 
fuch was the behaviour of fome individuals in that part of 
the world, without whofe concurrence nothing could be 
done effeftually, that general Amherft’s progrefs was 
greatly obftructed : the impediments he met with pro¬ 
tracted the time till the fummer was far advanced before 
he could get his forces acrofs Lake George. They landed 
on the 21ft of July, and reached the field where their 
countrymen had fallen with fo great a daughter, and were 
obliged to retreat, before Ticonderoga, in the preceding 
year; but which hitherto-impregnable port, the enemy 
judging fromthe precaution and wife difpolitions, and bold 
advances into their lines, with bayonets fixed, made by 
the approaching befiegers, that it would be impoffibie for 
them to maintain their port; and that their retreat from 
place to place, within the centre of operations, to cover 
Quebec, would do effeftual ferviee, and be much more 
eligible than to rifle the hazard of being made prifoners 
of war ; they did all that time would permit to difmantle 
their fortifications, and then retreated to Crown Point. 
This acquilition, without a blow, put general Amherfl 
into pofljeffion of a poft, that effeftually covered the fron¬ 
tiers of New York, and afforded him a fafe retreat in cafe 
of neceffity. For which reafon he ordered the fortifica¬ 
tions to be immediately reftored, and allotted a ftrong 
garrifon to proteft it after his departure. During his 
flay at Ticonderoga, he levelled the trenches and batte¬ 
ries, and filled up the road he had made from lake Cham¬ 
plain to the Saw-mill river, for carrying on the fiege, re¬ 
paired the works of the fort, fent 300 men to Fort George 
for provifions, See. and not only ordered brig-boats, built 
by lxis direftion, to be finifhed with all expedition ; but the 
French boats, which they funk before they retreated, to 
be fiflied up, that he might have a fuperior force of Hoops 
to the enemy on the lake. He forwarded every thing as 
faft as poflible, that he might get poffeffion of Crown Point 
without lofs of time. While the general was thus neceffa- 
rily employed, he continually detached Routing parties 
to reconnoitre, and to look from the mountains into Crown 
Point itfelf, and to watch the motions of a corps of tire 
enemyj, 
