whose house concentrated the most interefting objects which the metropolis had to offer to his curiofity. At Cambridge he faw Dr Bentley, who delighted him with his learning, and amused him with his vanity; and enjoyed repeatedly the converfation of the blind mathematician, Saundersón; a phenomenon in the hiftory of the human mind, to which he has referred more than once, in his philosophical speculations.

With the learned and amiable man who was his companion in this journey, be maintained an uninterrupted friendfhip till 1766, when Mr Stewart died of a malignant fever. His death was accompanied with circumstances deep ly afflicting to Dr Reid's fenfibility; the fame diforder proving fatal to his wife and daughter, both of whom were buried with him in one grave.

In 1937. Dr Reid was prefented, by the King's College of Aberdeen, to the living of New-Machar in the same county; but the circumftances in which be entered on his preferment were far from aufpicious. The intemperate zeal of one of his predeceffors, and an averfion to the law of patronage, had fo inflamed the minds of his parishioners against him, that, in the first discharge of his clerical functions, he had not only to encounter the most violent oppo fition, but was exposed to personal danger. His unwearied attention, however, to the duties of his office; the mildness and forbearance of his temper, and the active spirit of his humanity, foon overcame all these prejudices; and, not many years afterwards, when he was called to a different fitua tion, the fame perfons who had fuffer ed themselves to be so far mifled, as to take a fhare in the outrages against him, followed him, on his departure, with their bleffings and tears.

Dr Reid's popularity at New-Ma char, (as I am informed by the respect able clergyman who now holds that living), increased greatly after his marriage, in 1940, with Elizabeth, daughter of his uncle, Dr George Reid, pbyfician in London. The accommodating manners of this excellent, woman, and her good offices among the fick and neceffitous, are ftill remembered

The Rev. William Stronach..

with gratitude; and fo endeared the family to the neighbourhood, that its removal was regarded as a general misfortune. The fimple and unaffecting language in which fome old men expreffed themfelves on this fubject, in converfing with the prefent minister, deferves to be recorded, "We fought against Dr Reid when he came, and would have fought for him when he went away,"

In fome notes relative to the earlier part of his history, which have been kindly communicated to me by the Reverend Mr Davidfon, minifter of Rayne, it is mentioned as a proof of his uncommon modefty and diffidence, that, long after he became minifter of New-Machar, he was accustomed, from a diftruft in his own powers, to preach the fermons of Dr Tillotson and of Dr Evans. I have heard alfo, from other channels, that he had neglected the practice of compofition to a more than ordinary degree, in the earlier part of his ftudies. The fact is curious, when contrafted with that ease, perfpicuity, and purity of ftile, which he afterwards attained. From some information, however, which has been lately tranfmitted to me by one of his nearest relations, I have reason to believe, that the number of original difcourfes which he wrote, while a country clergyman was not inconfiderable.

The fatisfaction of his own mind was probably, at this period, a more power ful incentive to his philofophical researches, than the hope of being able to instruct the world as an author, But, whatever his views were, one thing is certain, that, during his refidence at New-Machar, the greater part of his time was spent in the most in tenfe ftudy; more particularly in a careful examination of the laws of external perception, and of the other principles which form the groundwork of human knowledge. His chief relaxations were gardening and botany, to both of which purfuits he retained his attachment even in old age.

A paper which he published in the Philofophical tranfactions of the Royal Society of London, for the year 1748, affords fome light with refpect to the progrefs of his fpeculations about this period. It is entitled, An Effay on Quan tity, occafioned by reading a Treatife, in cubich Simple and Compound Ratios are

GEIKA

Palo was not a king, as Mr Vaillant fuppofes, though in great authority, and a kind of protector under the reign of his brother T'Gareka; as Umlao was under that of Khauta. This Palo raised an infurrection against Tquareka, on account of fome cattle which the king had taken to himself, In the beginning, the whole nation was involved in this infurrection; but afterwards they divided into two parties: one adhering to Tquareka; the other headed by Palo: hence arose a civil war, in which Palo defeated Tquareka, and made him prifoner; but restored him to his dignity. Tqua. reka then turned his arms against Palo, and was fuccessful: he captured, but, restored him reciprocally in his former office. Though Palo was not able to undertake any thing more against Tquareka, his offspring ftill retained that authority and influence in the nation which Palo once had; and his fon Chachabe fucceeded him, in his dignity, under the reign of Khauta. lao, the fon of Chachabe, acquired ftill greater authority; fo that his father Chachabe was, in fome meafure, fubordinate to him. Khauta, though he had feveral fons, transferred the royal dignity to the family of Palo;

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and appointed Geika, the prefent king, to be his fucceffor, his father being dead. I do not know the reafon of this ftep; but I conjecture, that the great power and influence of the fons of Chachabe over the nation, induced him rather to give way to the course of things, and to gratify the nation, by this generous ftep, than to expofe his children to a violent oppofition. Geika being a child when Khauta died, he was tutored and educated by his uncle Tzlambi, who was invefted with the character of regent. When Geika. came of age, he claimed the royal dig-, nity; but Telambi confidering himfelf injured, by the appointment of Khauta, refufed to acknowledge his pupil as his king, and resolved to maintain himself by force of arms against Geika. Tzlambi had eight or nine, brethren, men of great power, who joined him in this rebellion; as alfo the children of Khauta who were numerous. All the Caffres refiding between the Sunday's River and the Great River, under Talouza, and, feveral others of Tzlambi's brethren, formed a feparate army and affifted Tzlambi. Several actions decided in favour of Geika: at length it was, agreed by the rebellious captains to at

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Crimes and Punifoments. Adultery, ftrictly fo called, is not punished; but if a man, fingle or married, has an unlawful commerce with another man's wife, he is put to death, but the woman is not punished. Before Geika's time, every man had the right to avenge himself by killing the perfon guilty of fuch a connection; but Geika has taken to himself the execution of juftice in this cafe. If, notwithstanding this, a man avenges himfelf, Geika takes from him a fine of fome beasts.

Murder is fometimes punished by paying fome cattle: a part of which is taken by the king to himself; the reft is given to the parties who have fuffered by the crime. When I lived at Quakoubi, fome Caffres had fent out a boy of the kraal, without the confent of his parents, who were abfent, to watch the cattle: he was devoured by wolves; and Geika made them, who had fent out the boy, pay to his parents feven cows and two oxen.-But, in moft cafes, murder is left unpunished: it is only aggravating circumstances which makes it a crime in the eyes of this people. When the Caffres had murdered the three Englishmen, who had faved their lives, laft year, from shipwreck on the coaft, and Mr D'Buys reprefented it to Geika, as a barbarous cruelty, the king was aftonished, and defended the action, faying, "It was well done, as they, being ftrangers, had nothing to do in the country any more than the wolves."

Smaller crimes, as thefts, &c. are punished by a mulet of beafts, or by beating the guilty perfon with a ftick; in which cafe the king is almost always executioner. The Caffres feldom steal, except it be from ftrangers, or from the king himfelf, whom they almost daily rob of his cattle; and who rarely punishes thofe thefts, if they be not extravagant.

When the king or any other perfon of diftinction is taken ill, a forcerer is fent for, to difcover the caufe of the difeafe; which is always fupposed to derive its origin from the enchantment of fome malevolent fubject; and the perfons whom he afferts to be guilty, are immediately put to death.

If the perfon who is to die be abfent, the king fends executioners to the kraal, where he lives; and though this is known to the whole kraal, the

perfon himself whom this deadly meffage concerns, remains ignorant of it, as nobody will attempt to warn him of his danger, not even the wife who fleeps in his arms, till the moment of execution.

The most common method of putting a perfon to death, is by ftabbing him with affagays. Sometimes they fplit a tree in two pieces, and bending them backwards, place the condemned perfon between them, after which they let the two pieces loofe, which, by the violence of the preffure, kill him, or confine him till he dies. Sometimes they make ufe of ants, which gradual ly confume the fleth of the unhappy fufferer; but this is more commonly put in practice as a torture than as a punishment.

A man who is condemned to die, often escapes death by the indulgence of those who are charged with his execution. They lead him afide to a remote place, and there they throw their affagays at him; but in fuch a manner, that they leave him room to escape their hands, and to take his refuge in another country. The king feldom

notices these evasions.

Looking over the foregoing articles, I find that I had forgotten to mention, among their other cuftoms, their mode of mourning.-A Caffre, on the death of his wife or child, leaves his kraal, separates himself from the fociety, and retires into a wood or defert place, where he lives for one or two months: he then throws away his cloke, and begs for another; and having got one, he returns home.

The Caffres rarely paint their faces with different colours, as the Hottentots do; but often paint their face and body uniformly red, with the duft of a kind of red chalk, men and women; the latter especially adorn their arms, backs, and breafts with cicatrices of the fize of grains of wheat, placed in regular rows, which are commonly double, triple, and fometimes quadru ple. These cicatrices are formed by thrufting a pointed iron through the fkin, and pulling it forcibly up, fo as to remain prominent above the furface of the body, and to form a kind of bas relievo work.

I must also mention a peculiar kind of moufe, which I met with north of Caffre-land. It is of a fine bluish grey

colour;