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Account of the Life of Baron Trenk. Written by hinfif*.

ARON Frederick Trenk was born of honourable parents in the year 1726. Till the 13th year of his age he was privately educated at his father's house. His ready capacity, and lively turn of mind, drew upon him the admiration and affection of his parents, who, in confequence, allowed him great indulgences; whereby he acquired very early a high degree of forwardnefs and felf-fufficiency, which afterwards grew up into a fpirit of prefumption and refiftance; two qualities which he allows to have been the fources of many of those difficulties and misfortunes that are related in the hiftory of his life.

friendship with Maupertius, and feve-
ral other philofophical and feientific
characters.

In the Autumn of 1744, when a
rupture took place between Auftria
and Pruffia, he accompanied Frederick
to Prague; after railing the fiege of
which, Trenk, in confequence of a
duel, and abfence from the parade at
the appointed time, was put under ar-
reft, and remained fo till the opening
of the next campaign in the Spring of
1745, when the Pruffian army march-
ed into Silefia, and beat the Imperial
forces at Strigau; an action in which
Trenk was wounded. In a fecond
engagement at Sorow, the Pruffians
were again victorious. It was a few
days after this laft-mentioned battle
that Trenk received a letter figned
with the name of his Hungarian rela-
tion Francis Trenk, an officer in the
Auftrian fervice. In this letter he
was invited to come over to the fide
of his relation, under promife of be-
ing made heir to his Hungarian e-
ftates. This letter Frederick Trenk,
who declares it to have been forged,
had no fooner read, than he shewed it
to his Commander, who, it feems, was
a favourite of the King, and jealous
of Trenk's rifing. Be it as it may,
Trenk was fufpected of treafon, ar-
refted, and conveyed to the Fort of
Glatz, from whence, after an impri-
fonment of many months, he contri-
ved to make his escape along with one
of the garrifon officers, named Schell.
In this attempt they were obliged to
jump over the ramparts, in doing
which, his companion dislocated his
ancle-joint. Schell being thus difab-
led, he was obliged to put him on his
back, and carry him and himfelf off
as well as he could. In this manner
did he pafs a river, which was only
partly frozen (for it was in the month
of December) and walk through fnow
the great part of the night. The next
I h..
Extracted from the German Memoirs.

By the time that he was thirteen, he had made fo much progrefs in his ftudies, that he was deemed qualified for going to the Univerfity, where he was accordingly fent. After he had remained here about three years, during which time he had applied himfelf to his purfuits with his former fuccefs, he was taken away by a relation (for his father had died while he was at college) an officer in the Pruffian fervice, to Potsdam, and was there prefented to the late King. "Some pertinent anfwers," fays he, "to Frederick's enlightened questions, my reinarkable growth, and my totally free and undifconcerted manner, pleafed his Majefty, and I immediately received the uniform of the body-guard, as cadet, with affurances of my future fortune according to the manner in which I thould conduct myself."

Scarcely had he been cadet three weeks, before the monarch was fo well pleased with his conduct that he promoted him to the rank of a Cornet, and, as a further mark of his approbation and favour, prefented him with a coftly equipage. Frederick at the fame time introduced him to his Literary Society; in confequence of which he became acquainted, and formed a VOL. VII.. No 40.

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morning, however, they found means to get a couple of horfes, rode away, and reached the Bohemian boundaries, where they had no longer any thing to fear from their purfuers.

After they had remained here about three weeks, in order to have the diflocated ancle cured, they fet off on foot, on the 18th of January 1747, from Brunau to Billitz, in Poland, provided with paffports as common Pruffian deferters, and with only a few fhillings in their pockets. It may be eafily imagined what hardships and dangers they must have encountered in fuch a journey, undertaken at such a feafon, and under fuch circumftances. On the 27th of February they arrived at the houfe of his fifter, who was married to a Pruffian officer. Here they promifed themselves thofe comforts which are at all times, but more especially in fuch a fituation as theirs, naturally expected by one relation from another. But how great was their aftonifhment, their diftrefs, and indignation, when they were told that the husband with-held his fifter from joining him, and threatened, if they did not immediately quit the houfe, to have them arrefted. Thus, inftead of having a hofpitable reception in his brother's houfe, they were obliged to pafs the night in a foreft! proceeding the next day, as the only remaining fource of hopes, on their way to his mother, who having heard of his fituation, with true parental tendernefs, met him on the road about the middle of the following month, March; and after having furnished him with money and other neceffaries, took leave of him, recommending him to go to Vienna, as the beft place for feeking his fortune.

Following his mother's advice, he went to Vienna; here having involved himself in fome difficulties on account of his relations of Hungary, he thought it prudent to retire, and accordingly quitted this capital towards the end of the Summer 1748, with the intention

of going to Holland, and from thence to the Indies: but having fallen in with fome Ruflian troops in the way, that were commanded by one of his mother's relations, he, on being offer ed a Captaincy, entered into the Ruf fian fervice. Some time after this his commander fent him with a party of invalids to Dantzick, from whence he was to transport them to Riga, where he landed, after having been expofed to a violent ftorm, and from thence to Mufcow. The Ruffian court was held there at that time, and he had the good fortune to meet with every friendship and affiftance from the Britifh and Imperial Envoys, Lord Hynd ford and Count Bernes. The court afterwards removed to Petersburgh, and Trenk went along with the fame; for he had now, by the intereft of his two juft-na ned patrons, gotten a post under Count Beltucheff, firft minifter of the then reigning Emprefs Eliza beth.

While he now feemed to be in the direct road to making his fortune, an accident happened which showed him that the King of Pruffia was refolved to oppofe his fuccefs at Petersburgh. This circumftance, together with the news of his relation, Francis Trenk's death, whereby he became heir to fome Hungarian eftates, made him leave Rufha and return to Vienna. In his way he paffed by Stockholm, Copenhagen, an Amfterdam, and from thence by the Hague to Vienna, where he arrived in 1750, after an abfence of about three years.

No fooner was he here, than he be came engaged in a law-fuit for the recovery of the eftates bequeathed to him; of which, however, after a long and expenfive procefs, he loft almoft all. To divert his mind under this difappointment, he made a tour into Italy, vifiting Venice, Florence, and Rome. On his return, he received a commiffion in one of the regiments which was garrifoned in Hungary, where he went to join it.

His mother's death requiring him to go to Dantzick, he made another journey thither in 1754, having obtained for that purpofe fix months leave of abfence. Here, after he had arranged his family affairs, he fell once again into the King of Pruffia's power. Having been feized upon in his bed, he was conveyed under a ftrong efcort to Berlin, and from thence to Magdeburgh. With the hiftory of his imprifonment at this fort, begins the fecond volume.

At Madgeburgh he remained dungeoned and fettered with heavy chains, nearly ten years, during which period he experienced all the miferies attendant on confinement, fuch as bodily and mental distraction, hunger, and difeafe, in the bittereft degree. On occafions, however, by force of money, he could procure himself fome means of comfort, fuch as better nourishment (for his prefcribed diet confifted only of bread and water) light, fire, paper, and books. With thefe laft, he diverted his mind from too much reflection on the horrors of his fituation. He even compofed a collection of poems, fuch as fables, tales, and fatires, of which many had a reference to his own fufferings, or to those concerned in them. It is remarkable, that he wrote them, not with ink, but with his own blood. Another occupation, not very different from this, ferved to pafs away his time, and amuse his fancy: this was etching or engraving, which, though executed with a miferable inftrument, and upon tin, was yet, by his great

application, brought to a confiderable perfection. The prints from these were generally allegorical, and ferved, as he thinks, as a help to his deliverance.

Amidst all thefe endeavours to confole himfelf during the continuance of his imprisonment, he did not leave untried others to put a stop to its continuance, by procuring his efcape. And here it is truly wonderful what artifices he devifed, what labours he endured, for the attainment of this end. It is hardly conceivable, how a perfon, loaded as he was with fo many irons, could find means to loofen them from him. Not only, however, did he effectuate this (having been furnished with a file) but he afterwards undertook, and nearly compleated the undermining of his goal; and was twice on the point of getting out by this method, had he not been overheard the first time by the centi nel without, under whofe feet he was working; and had he not the last time confeffed his project himself, in the hopes of working thereby on the king's generofity, and fo obtaining an ho nourable enlargement. In this, however, he was difappointed; and it was not till a confiderable time after the conclufion of the feven years war be tween Auftria and Pruffia that the Queen of the Great Frederick, whom the perceived to be one day in a remarkable good humour, hinted to the Imperial Envoy, that it was the proper moment for fpeaking in Trenk's be half. This was immediately done, and the Monarch pronounced his "Yes."

An Original Letter to J. C. Efq; London, on the Salmon Fishery on the Tweed.

DEAR SIR,

TH

1761. HE favour of yours, of the 9th of October, gives me the more pleafure, as it prefents me with an opportunity of fhewing with how much refpect I fhall employ my fmall abili

ties in anfwering your inquiries on our Salmon Fishery.

Qu. I. What number of fish may the river Tweed produce yearly?

Anfw. The produce of this river is variable, being feldom two years alike,

Hh 2

and

and for many feafons together unproductive, or the rents ill paid, while another time, for many subsequent feafons, the filmon are remarkably plenty. To obtain an account of the number of falmon caught in the river Tweed in one year, with tolerable accuracy, I have, by the affiitance of a well-inform ed perfon, collected a rental of every feparate fithery in the river for about 14 miles from its mouth (in all about 41,) the rents amounting to about 5400l. annually*.

The fame perfon alfo, thoroughly acquainted with the yearly expences neceffarily attending each individual fithing water, moderately computes the whole charges at 5000l. which together make 10,400l. Now, the number of falmon to pay these annual rents and charges cannot be lefs than twenty times that fum, viz. 208,000, ex. clufive of the gilfes and trout.

The gilfes are the falmon fry, and therefore of the fame fpecies: for, by the best-informed people, this is an admitted fact, that they return from the fea well-grown falmon.

In the latter end of the year the falmon make as far up the river as poflible, in order to fpawn; and, when they meet with a place fuitable, the he and he conjunctly form a hole in the fand or gravel, about 18 inches deep, wherein they caft their sperm together, and carefully cover it over with the fame materials, where it continues till the Spring, if not difturbed by the Winter's floods.

One of the two roes of the he-ff will, at this feafon, be fometimes twelve inches in length, and fix in circumference. As to the fize of the milt of the be-fif, I cannot fay.

1

About the latter end of March, or beginning of April, the young fry fhew themselves alive, very small at first, but

gradually arrive at the fize of about four inches in length, and are then termed here finoter, or rather, properly, finelts; though they certainly have no affinity, in fhape or hue, to that delicate morfel with which you decorate a difh of Tweed falmon at your London tables. This young fry hatten to fea with no fmall expedition. About the beginning of May, the river seems to be all alive. You cannot conceive any idea of their numbers. If a land-flood then happens, they are fwept away to fea more effectually, as, after it, fcarce any are to be seen.

Near the middle of June, the earlieft of them take the river again; they are then, in this fecond stage, called gilfes, and are about 12, 14, or 16 inches long. Thus they increase in numbers and fize till about the middle of July, which is, as we call it, the middle of gilfe-time, a period much looked for by the industrious and laborious poor.

The method of fishing for falmon is by a net of confiderable length, which the fisherman coils up on the fquare ftern of a flat-bottomed boat, nine or ten feet long, and four feet wide. The net is loaded, to fink at bottom, and buoyed up with cork at top, and in the centre of which is a pouch or bofom for the fish to be retained in. With his boat thus arranged, the fisherman, at the proper times of tide, which mutě be confulted, pushes off, and makes his circuit equal to the length of his ner, while his friends on fhore, or mounted on temporary stands in the river, are on the watch, with their advice, and with their afliftance, to forward his wishes, by helping the fish to, and keeping them in the nets.

The number of falmon gilfes and trout taken in this manner is almoft incredible. They fwim together in fhoals

This rental was taken in the year 1761, fince which time moft of the leafes have been renewed at an advanced rent. In one inftance, at the mouth of the Tweed, the fact is well known; the lease, which expired only a few years ago, was, with avidity, fecured at more than double its old rent, in the proportion, if I miflake not, of three to seven and a half,

fhoals promifcuously, but generally a large falmon leads the van. While they take the river, or advance to fea, this remark is the more obfervable, for then the light troops appear to be kept under the convoy of the captain of the fquadron.

Prodigious numbers are every day caught in fome part of the river; fome times a boat-load or two, on a ftand, at one tide. Nay, there was no lefs than 37 fcore (the way of counting among fishermen,) viz. 740, taken fome years ago at one haul or draught. It is common to take near 100 thus

once.

at

It is an object of regard for the farmer of the fishing-water to procure fervants, with whom he contracts for the season as sharers of, or co-partners in a fmall degree with him, in the profits. As they must often work while their mafter fleeps, intereft and advantage will neceffarily excite in them care and vigilance.

Qu. II. What methods are used in preparing and vending them?

Anf. Molt of, or generally all the falmon taken till April, or to the fetting in of warm weather, is fent to London in baskets, fresh, or, more properly, raw, unlefs now and then a veffel is prevented failing by contrary winds, and then the fish is fetched from on board to the cooper's office, boiled, pickled, and kitted. When the feafon changes, and the weather becomes warm, the falmon is all boiled, and pickled, and fent up to London in kits of about 18 pounds weight, and in half kits, when it often fetches a very high price.

About the middle of July, the London market being overstocked, and the

demand lefs, they fend only a part thither, thus boiled, pickled, and kitted t.

The Berwick coopers, about twenty in number, during this plentiful fea fon, falt down the overflow of fish in cafks, for a foreign market.

They have also another way, which they have newly adopted, of preparing falmon with fpices, and other aromatics, which they alfo fend abroad under the name of fpiced falmon.

The dried falmon fhould alfo be mentioned, by which they difpofe of very many, They are fplit down the chine, laid open, and falted for many days; then tied by the head, and hung up in any airy place, fhaded from the fun, till quite dry. They are dried with the head upward, for one obvious reafon, viz. that the effential oil and the juices of the fish more abundant in the head and jole, and on which its true flavour depends, are thus preferved in its interior fubftance. In a contrary pofition, it would, from the head, foon be lost, and much injure its prefervation, if not, in close and warm weather, even prevent its cure. They have the name of kipper'd falmon, and are fold in London for 9d. 1od. is. per pound.

Qu. III. What is the fishing feafon in the Tweed?

Anfw. The feafon for fishing com. mences on the 30th of November, the fealt of St Andrew, and ends on Michaelmas-day, though the corporation grant the indulgence of a fortnight longer, on account of the change of the ftyle; but it may be observed, that the fishing feafon begins much too early, as the interval of fix weeks is rely too fhort a time for the operations

now

The fish-cooper felects fome of his beft fifh for kits and half-kits, as prefents, or, as we call them, token kits. A half-kit ufually confifts of two joles, four middle pieces, and a tail-piece; that is to fay, a whole fish fplit down the chine. The fame method of filling is, I believe, attended to in the kit.

To make which lie compact in the fmall compafs of this kit, he takes from off the edge of the chine of the fresh fish a flice, or, as it is called, pleeten, quafi fplitting. This offal, when well dreffed, and garnished with the roe, or rowen, makes a difh in the early part of the feafon much admired.

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