their refolution; and though the town was twice on fire in that time, they were neither difcouraged nor difconcerted by it. The Serafkier, Mahomet Wafa Waliffi, who was Governor of the place, was so overcome with grief and defpair, upon receiving an account of the lofs of the two late battles, that he put an end to his life, by taking a dofe of poifon. Another Basha was killed by the falling of a bomb; the garrifon however were not difcouraged, and appointed Demin, a Batha of three tails, and a brave man, who had more fortitude in oppofing ill fortune than his predeceffor, to be their Go

vernor.

In this manner was the fiege carried on for near two months, with the greatest labour, induftry, and refolution on the one fide, and an obftinate courage not fhort of defperation on the other as the garrison and inhabitants were in that unhappy fituation, which from the beginning scarcely admitted of a hope of relief or deliver ance. Continual fallies were made, with little advantage, but great lofs on both fides. The Burghers and inhabitants, who were very numerous, had from the beginning gone through all the hardships and dangers of the fiege, which they bore with the fame conftancy and intrepidity that the foldiers did; they fought like men wedded to the old dwellings and habitations, in which their ancestors had lived for a long fucceffion of years, in which they first drew breath themfelves, and who were determined to perish along with them.

In the mean time the Ruffians were pushing on their mines with indefatigable induftry; particular.

ly one of an extraordinary con ftruction, in which they placed great confidence, and which from the pedantry of a modern French Engineer, who was either the inventor or improver of it, received the ridiculous appellation of globe of compreffion, terms that convey no ideas, either of its construction or powers. In this mine, or rather complicated labyrinth of mines, interwoven and inclofed one within the other, it was pretended that a given quantity of gunpowder, would cause a greater explosion, and throw up a greater quantity of earth, than in any other method, This excited all the eagerness and expectation that naturally attend the refult of an untried fyftem; it however generally appears, that the greateit operations are produced by very fimple means,

Count Panin had made feveral overtures during the fiege to induce the garrifon to treat of a capitulation, to which they obftinately re fufed to liften. At length the globe of compreffion being brought to its due ftate for fervice, and charged with the amazing quantity of 400 pads of gunpowder, each pod amounting to about forty pounds weight, every thing being befides prepared for a form, and the army ftrengthened by the arri val of a reinforcement from General Romanzow, Count Panin once more fummoned the Governor to furrender, which was again peremptorily refused.

Every thing was then prepared to make the affault that night; Sep. 27. the troops destined to that fervice were divided into three columns, and marched to their respective ftations, with the greatest filence. The firing of the globe ofcompreffion

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was

was to be the fignal for the attack, which they hoped, befides ruining the outworks; might fhake down, or make a breach in fome of the principal walls of the town, and at the fame time bury the defenders, either under the ruins, or the mountains of earth which it was expected would have been thrown up. The Ruffians themselves were apprehenfive of the confequences of this dreadful mine, as it was not easy to define how far the effects of fuch an enormous mafs of gunpowder might extend; and the troops who were to make the attack in that quarter, were accordingly ftationed at a confiderable distance, with orders to advance with the utmost expedition as foon as the mine had sprung. To be prepared for all events, the troops were provided with petards for burfting the gates, as well as with ladders for fcaling the walls; and while one part were thus employed, another was to throw up entrenchments with the greateft fpeed on the glacis, fo as to fecure a lodgment there if every thing elfe fhould fail. Falfe attacks were to be made at the fame time to divert and distract the attention of the garrison, and the whole army was ranged upon the wings of the firft parallel, ready to fupport the affault, none being left in the camp but the fick and wounded.

The globe was blown up at ten o'clock at night, with a most horrible concuffion, which fhook the whole circumjacent country, and during the astonishment and confufion excited by this dreadful phenomenon, the three attacks were intantly begun, and carried on with the greateft vigour. It being foon perceived in the army, by the di

rection of the fire and the cries of the foldiers, where the affault was taking place with greateft effect, feveral of the most diftinguished officers, and a number of others who wanted to fignalize themselves, defired leave of the General to grant them an equal fhare of the honour and danger, with those that were already engaged, which he readily granted, and gave them four companies of chofen Grenadiers to attend them upon that fervice.

This felet detachment having eagerly joined the foreinoft troops, the example they gave, and the emulation they excited, foon became irrefiftible. Nothing was able to withstand their impetuofity. The double ditches at the foot of the glacis, were inftantly paffed and filled up; the double palifadoes before the covered way, were as foon furmounted or destroyed; a great ditch with a convette, two fathom deep and fix wide, was no longer an obstacle, and an outward wall was not able to flop their career.

The ardour of the troops kept pace with the rapidity of their fuccefs, and the body of the fortress was the next object of their impetuofity. The gates were tried in vain, for they were fo clofely and firmly plated with iron, that the petards had no effect. Scaling ladders were every where applied, and if they had not a fufficient number of their own, those they took from the enemy would have fufficed, who difputed every inch of the ground with the moft obftinate bravery, and had ufed the ladders to get over the works, but feldom furvived to carry them off.

The

The Ruffians at length got every where over the walls; and now a new and dreadful fight began in the dark, on and amongst the fortifications, in the streets, lanes, and paffages, and from the houses. The conflict became fo doubtful, fo extensive, and fo dangerous, that the Ruffians were under a neceffity of letting fire to the town, which they did in feveral parts at the fame time: the flames raged every where, but not with greater fury than the combatants; and the burning houfes increased the horrors of the night, by fhewing its calamities. Every street and lane the Ruffians gained, was by dint of fire and bayonet; and at the next turning, the defendants rallied, and renewed the fight with all their former obitiancy and defperation.

This dreadful fcene of rage, cruelty, bloodshed, and horror, continued the whole night; prefenting to view every scene of calamity and diftrefs that human nature is capable of undergoing, and every spectacle that is fhocking and terrible to it. The gardens, the fortifications, the ftreets, and the houses, reeked with blood, and were covered with dead bodies, while the flames ftill pointed out fresh objects of revenge to the Jurvivors.

At length, after ten hours continued fight, the flames and the affailants feemed to have vanquish ed every oppofition, and at eight in the morning the foldiers began to fhout and cry out victory. The Serafkier, who commanded the town, with most of thofe that fur vived, had by this time retired to the castle, where they found the

flames had already reached. A felect body of 1,500 cavalry, and 500 infantry, fenfible that the caftle could afford but a very temporary protection, took the nobler refolution of cutting their way through the enemy, or of perishing in the attempt. They accordingly made a defperate fally from the town, on the fide near the river, and cut their way through the Ruffian troops for fome time with great fury, and feemed to have a fair profpect of effecting their purpose. Fortune, fo generally the friend to courage, was, however, at this time wayward, and deferted it in its extremest need. A Ruffian Colonel of the Corps de Referve, with a confiderable body of cavalry, happened by chance to come full in their way, in the course they had intended to take, which was to gain the road towards Ackirman, and make their efcape that way. This cafual ren counter having checked their impetuofity, the neighbouring troops had time to recover from their firft furprize, and gathering round, attacked them furiously on all fides. All hopes of fafety and escape be. ing now at an end, they determined upon a cruel revenge, and by a fudden motion, made their way to that quarter of the Ruffian camp, where the fick and wounded were lodged upon feveral eminences, for their fecurity and better accommodation.

Count Panin perceived the danger, and immediately difpatched feveral generals, with all the troops that could be gathered in the hurry from the fortrefs and fuburbs, to prevent it, while he himself followed, and the whole

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army

army was every where in motion. The Turks were foon furrounded, and attacked on every fide by troops of every denomination; cavalry, infantry, coffacks, and hunters, fell on promifcuously as they came up; and made a noble defence; and the General was obliged to order the Artillery to be brought up from the hindmost parallel to play upon them; they, however, ftill fought it out with the greatest intrepidity, and were almost totally cut to pieces.

On the General's return from this engagement, he met a deputation from the Serafkier, who demanded a capitulation; this being refused, and the cattle at that time all in flames, he was obliged to surrender himself and his garrifon prifoners of war; the fire being fo urgent, that the Ruffians were obliged to remove them immediately to the camp for their preservation.

The total number of prifoners, including the inhabitants of all ages, amounted to 11,749, of whom 5.554 were Janizaries and Spahis, with their commanders, befides the Serafkier and two Bahas. The number of fouls in the town at the beginning of the fiege, were computed at 30,000, of whom one half were foldiers. the Ruffian accounts, which are the only ones we have, fay, that the defenders of the town, were, at the beginning of the last affault, near one-third fuperior in number to the whole army that befieged it. Such reprefentations, calculated to anfwer particular purposes, are more or less adopted by all nations, and fhould be received with many reftrictions. In the prefent inftance, this account of the numbers, as well as of the small lofs faid to be fuf

tained by the victors, tally very badly with the acknowledgments that are made of the defperaé valour and refolation fhewn by thẻ Turks; as well as with the natural and inevitable confequences that must attend one of the most cruel and defperate engagements that we have almost any account of in modern History; fupported for To long a time, and involved, along with the darkness of the night, in all the intricacy, confufion, and danger, which fuch a variety of ground, and fo many different fituations, among walls, ditches, narrow streets, and burning or falling houfes, were capable of producing; where judgment and difcipline were nearly out of the question, and every thing feemed committed to chance, fury, rage, and despair.

The fire continued for three days, and could not be restrained till it had confumed every thing. Thus fell, and totally perished, the ce lebrated town of Bender; famous, among other things; for the hofpitable reception and protection which it afforded to Charles the XIIth of Sweden, as well as for his long refidence in it after the fatal battle of Pultowa. As it was from its strength and fituation the grand Magazine of the Turks for their northern provinces, the Ruffians found a vait quantity of arms, bombs, granades, gunpowder, and other military ftores, befides above two hundred pieces of brass cannon, and eighty-five brafs mortars; they alfo took four horfe tails, fourteen batons of command, and forty pair of colours,

The country of the Budziack Tartars had fuffered all the calamities of the war from its firft breaking out; which affected them the

more

more fenfibly, as they led domeftic lives, were rich in flocks and herds, and cultivated the country in a confiderable degree. Their difpofition being to dwell in open pleafant villages, rather than in towns, they were entirely at the mercy of any enemy that became mafter in the field; or if they escaped barely with their lives, their property was totally loft. This year had been particularly fatal to them: General Proforowski had cruelly ravaged the country between the Nietter and the Bog: the upper part of Beffarabia fuffered in the fame manner from the army under Count Panin; and the lower part of the province, near the Blackfea, was experiencing the fame treatment, from the troops under Baron Inglefrom, who was fent by General Romanzow after the late victory, to lay fiege to Bialogrod, or Ackirman, at the mouth of the Niefter.

In this fituation, totally abandoned, and not a hope left of any timely relief from the Porte, feveral of their Mirzas or chiefs, to prevent the total ruin of their country. entered into a negociation, daring the fiege of Bender, with the Ruffians, and at length concluded a treaty, by which they renounced all connection and alliance with the Turks, and submitted themselves to be under the protection of Ruffia, on condiction of enjoying their religion, and all their ancient rights, liberties, and immunities.

General Romanzow, after the great victory of the 2d of Auguft, fixed his head quarters at Calpouk, which lies between the confluence of the Pruth and the Danube, and the Black fea; from whence he fent large detachments

over the former, to dislodge the Turks from their pofts in Waldchia; this was easily effected, ers cept at Ibrailow, which made an obftinate defence, and to which General Glebow laid fiege in form.

Kilia Nova, a ftrong town, fituated on the most northern branch of the Danube, not far from its entrance into the Black-fea, was befieged by another detachment of this army, and furrendered in the beginning of September, after eight days open trenches, on condition that the garrison, confifting of 4,000 men, and commanded by a Bafha of three tails, fhould be tranfported to the other fide of the Danube; that fuch of the inhabitants as chofe to go, fhould have the fame benefit, and in any cafe that their private property fhould be fecure.

Bialogrod, held to be the capital of Beffarabia, though Bender was a place of much greater note and importance, furrendered in the fame manner, in the begining of October, to Baron Ingletrom, after a fiege of only ten days; the inhabitants, confifting of about 6000 people, and the garrifon of 2000, were with all their moveables transported to the other fide of the Danube.

The citad-1 of Ibrailow made a long and brave defence, the garri fon being continually reinforced by the Grand Vizir, with fresh troops from the other fide of the Danube; and it was not till the latter end of November, that all their defences being nearly deftroyed, and the fortrefs reduced almost to a heap of rubbish, the garrifon took the refolution of abahdoning it by night, and making

their