\ 
544 
themfelves in a row on their hands and 
feet; and endeavour by ftretchings and 
diftortions of the body, during which. fome 
times the mof indecent poftures occur, to 
render every part thereof more pliant. 
Then they all at once jump up, form a cir- 
cle, hold one foot up, and hop round in a 
circle on the other, whi! with both hands 
they inceffantly ftrike theirthighs. After 
this they alter their pofition, fo that, in- 
ftead of going round in a circle, they hop in 
a ftraight line from one end of the arena to 
the other, either acrofs or lengthwife ; and 
as often as they approach the wall, they 
beat time to the mutfic by firiking back- 
wards with one of their feet a board lean- 
ing againft it. At laff they place them- 
felyes inrows. Some then take into their 
hands two {mooth-turned cylindrica] blocks 
of wood, weighing from 15 to 20 pounds, 
and having at one end a handle: thefe 
they place upon their fhoulders, and make 
with them various motions, now holding 
them up over their heads, then throwing 
them back over the fhoulders, or forwards, - 
&ec. Others take a bow, above one and a. 
half arfbine long, which is called D/chzz, 
and has exa€tly the fhape of a bow for 
_ fhooting arrows, except that inftead of the 
bowftring it has a thick heavy iron chain, 
to each link of which ten or more {mall 
pieces of tin-plate are appended: by mo- 
ving this bow from one fide to the other, 
they beat time to the mufic. They con- 
clude the fpectacle by running round in a 
circle, with the above deferibed inftru- 
ments in their hands, till they are fa- 
tigued. 
As foon as the gymnaftic exercife is fi- 
nifhed, the players retire to the ftage where 
they had undreffed themfelves: here pro- 
per attendants, who for that purpofe are 
attached to the Wardifh-Chanas, and whofe 
office is fimilar to that of the fricatores and 
traGatores of the antient Romans, rub 
their whole body ftrongly with their hands, _ 
and ftretch all the joints, to render them 
the more pliant: after this perfrication, 
they cover themfelves up warm, to pre- 
vent their catching cold ; and repofe after 
their faticue. 
The chief art of the Wardi/h game con- 
fifts in this, that all the movements of the 
body are regulated by the mufic. There 
are therefore particular mafters who give 
inftructions in the art: and it is generally 
believed, that it is an exercife beneficial 
not only to thofe in health, but likewile to 
mvalids, efpecially to fuch as labour under 
difeafes arifing from an obftructed per- 
{piration. [C. v. H.] 
That thefe gymnaftic exercifes are com- 
Burgoyne Vindicated. 
: _ (July 
mon throughout Perfia, and that in every 
town there are appropriate edifices for it, 
though in fome places other regulations 
are eftablifhed, and variations in the per- 
formance take place, appears from Wilkam 
Franklin's Obfervations on a Tour jrom 
Bengal to Perfia, where that travel.er de- 
{cribes the fanfe national-game, as he faw 
it exhibited at Schiras. 
oe —— - 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. | 
SIR, 
HE writer who figns himfeif Huma- 
nitas in your laft number, begins by 
charging the gentleman who drew up that 
impartial account of the life of the illuf- 
trious Wafhington, publifhed in your ma- 
gazine, with too much candour, becaufe he 
has not been forward to proclaim kis coun- 
try’s difgrace, for I fuppofe that was what 
he meant by ** exceeding in point of can- 
dour, in whathe fays,;? &c. ‘¢* It is cer- 
tain, (fays Humanitas) that the Britifh 
orces committed fome horrid atts of bar- 
barity.”” But it is equally certain that it 
was not the Britifh troops alone who were 
guilty, for many wanton cruelties were 
committed by both parties in that unnatu- 
ral war. General Burgoyne’s proclama- 
tion (certainly a very reprehenfible one) 
was never acted upon, it was not his com- 
pofition, his march was never difgraced by 
one act of barbarity; on the contrary, in 
the orders he iffied, he forbade the Indians 
ufing the hatchet on the defencelefs, on 
pain cf difmiffion from theeamp. Noman 
ever deferved the charaéter of a davage (as 
Humanitas is pleafed to call him) lefs than 
General Burgoyne. To a ftriét attention 
to military diicipline which conftitute the 
foldver, were united the condefcenfion and 
mildnefs of manner, the diftinguifhing cha- 
racteriftic of the gentleman and the fcholar. 
By inferting the above, you will oblige 
London, March 19th, 1800. 1. A.M. 
———EE 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N feveral numbers lately of -your ex-. 
cellent mifcellany have appeared fome 
interefting accounts of the new fyftem of 
meafures of France. In additionto thefe, ~ 
we remark with pleafure (page 31 for Fe- 
bruary laft) a note by W. H. N. commu- 
nicating a notice, very flattering to this 
our own country, namely, that the firt hint 
of taking the radix or ftandard of that fyf- 
tem from the meature of the meridian, was 
given by our countryman Mr. Edward 
Wright, about two hundred years ago. 
Being ftruck with the curiofity of this cir- 
cumiftance 
