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SEtE(

mmmi^ssas^

THE

WORLD :

OR, THE

^vmnt ^tate of t^t mntnmt.

BEING

A General and Complete Collection

MODERN

VOYAGES AND 'TRAVELS.

Bv CAVENDISH PELHAM, Esg.

EMBELUIHED WltK CfWAHDI or

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY

=d£4

THE WORLD WAS A^L BEFORE THFM.

MILTOX.

VOL. II.

JLotitiott:

WWTM. n W.nRATPORD, MOWK^OURT, TEMPLE-BAR, ro„

J. STRATFORD, No. 112, HOLBORN-HILU

180S

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SUBSCRIBERS

PELHAM'S WORLD.

*■■ '.-/.■/

His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence

Her Royal Highness the Princess Mary

Lord Joiin Campbell

Right Hon. Lord Rendleshain

Right Hon. Lord Newboroiigh - *'

Lord Charles Bentinct

His Excellency the Portugeusfe Envoy

Admiral Hervey ,

Lord Cochrane ' i

Admiral Bertie

Right Hon. Lord Hood ;

Aclmiral Martin

Admiral Sir Samuel .Hoo(^

Admiral Otway

•Sir JOHN AUBREY, R.irt.
Capt'. Ailyer, Royal Navy
C'apt. Rol)crt Andrews, Harwich
J, Aldridgc, Esq. Croiiitbrd-place
James Sumiiel Atkins, Es<|. Newiiigton
'Pym Attwood, Esq. Koyui Navy

Mr. Moses Aljiaiiams, Sliei-rncss

■ — Abrey, Spiingtield, Essex

-^ William /iiulrews, Great Wild-street

— William Aliens, Newtaktleou'ryne

— Alcock, Red Linn-square

— Atkinson, Uennet-row

— Attias, I'avement, Moorfields

Mrs. Apgel, Newington, Sarry

t;!--

Capt. Barker, Royal Navy •

Caut. Brisliane, RoyaVNa'vy

I, S. Barlow, Ks(|. Lot'ge .«ii.i

Henry Baxter, Esq. 'I'OmpIc

— - Biowi^ Esq. Golden-lane Brewery

Mr. Rail, Farm-street Bfrkley-square

— T. Bankes, Siitlon

— Raker, Wood-slreet

— James Barr, Govan

— Barrow, Davies-strect, Berkley-square

— John Hataiile, Peter-street, Bishopgate

— Balterslcy, hftocklort
' — Bcasfey, Loi'ip Acre

— Samnel Beaufoy, Berniondsey

— Bedford, Mount-street

— Benjamin Belcher, Royal Marines

— John Benn, Upper East Sniilhfield

— C Bennet, 'I urr.-Lee. \,< »■ <-<

— Ijentley, C ho ley

— Benton, Leaden liall-streft

-- Benyon, Lamb^s Condiiil-street

— VVilliam Berridge, Halton Garden

— William Berry, Manchester

— John Betts, Chi;rchrow, St. John's

— Bird, Camden lown

■ — Bishop, Woodsloc|L-street

— William Black, HowerUe luce-court
Vol. U. No. 130.

Mr. John Blackwell, Field-terrace

— BInndell, Coram-place

— Booth, Marple

— Boston, Down-street

— Boston, Brook-street, New-road
- Boutiville, PetBr-street

— Charles Bowers, Somers Town

— Boys, Nortli-slreet
-^ Brown, Bethnal-green

— Brown, JSines-street, IjOng Acre

— 'r. Brufton, Burton

— Muckee, Blee(ling-hart-yi)rd

-- Buckee, jnn. Bleeding-hart-yard

— Jaines Butler, Sairton-;ilrcet

— Samuel Buxton, Stoke

Capt. Chambri-s, Roval Navy - '
Capt. Cani|)!)L'll, Kirk-h.dl
Thomas Caldwall, Esti. .Nialdou
William Campbell, Esq. (^i)an
H. Cafiipion, Estp Portsmouth
Sanmel Card, Esq. Syiiii)nds-iiia
George H.^Caventlish, lisq, ., ,

Isaac Chalmer, Esq. Liverpool
John Cunninglum, bfii. Craigendsi

Mr. John Capcncf, jun. Knightsbridge

— William Carey

— Bagnall Cartenler, Biackheath

— Thomas Carter, Thornbury

— Williaui Charles, Cock-lane

— Benjamin Chester, \\ are

— Clark, Bernard-street, Brunswick-square

— Thomas Cl.uke, Red-cross-sirect

— Clegg, Rochdale

— Thomas Collins, Whistlers-court

— Collins, Charles-street, Hampslead-road

— J Compion, Fenciuirch-itruel

— D.Cooper, Tinlwislle V., . .• -'■ ,

• — 'Cooper, Glossop . i • *f " -• I

— Cox, Sutton-street, Southwark

— Crane, Kirby-street

— Crumble, ' Pritst-alley
•^ John Cunniugltiun

» A

Mr. Jeremiah Cunningliam. King-atretfc.
— John Curtis, College-street -•V-':.

Miss Cowderoy, Hatcliff *., ' ,

Capt, George Davies, HuH
(!apt. On^nmond, Royal Navy
Ootlore Inm.cen/.o dellii Lena, [,ucche<c
George Peter Drummond, Esq. Bristol

Mr. Dark, Ix)wer York-street

— William Uaun, Drury-lane

— Davic-i, Burr-street

— William Davies, Westminster

— Davis Mill-Poi)d-street

— David Ddvy, Demnark-street •

— John Day, Clifton

— De Bromer, Chanae-alley, CornhiU

— Dickinson, Stockport

— Dupree, Princes-<-treet

— William Dyer, Gee-*treet

E. - ,

Capt. Edgell, RoyatNavv

Capt. Samuel Fldn'ionds, \Valworth

Capt. Edwards, Dover-street

Erancift Edwards, Esq. Bolsovcr-siri-et

Mr. Henry Edmonds, Brick-lane

— Eilinonds, Tooley-street

— Edwards, GainsforH-street, Southwark

— Richard Edwards, I'entonville

— John. EUic<Kk, Little GuilUford-strcet

— William Ellis, Bristol

— Elliot, Mortimer-sftcet

— Emery, Reading

— Evans, Buckle-street

Mrs. Ewart, Clai-ges- street, Piccadilly

<;■'•■■•'■

• .!• ■. ' , „

F.: . . .,;. i - .....

Capt. Fairiey, Berkley-lodge'
Capt. Fillowes, Royal Navy

G. Fisher,

'»

G. Fisher, Esq. Doncascr

J. G. Fraiiklyo, Esq. Blackmorp, Essex

Simon FiazcT, Es(i. Wexlord

Mr. Fagc, Tooley-street

— Fairley, Gree'nfield-slreet

— Thomas Farmer, Uxford-street

— Thomas Farnborough, Bishopston

— Daniel Fedarb, Canterbury

— Feldwi'ck, Brook-street, titzroy -square

— Fletcher, Stockport

— John Flinii, Cliarles-street

— John Fogden, Berkley-street

— John Fon-cst, St. John-siiuare

— Francis James Fowkes, Nortl>-green

— Fox, SafTron-hill

— William Freestone, Tolworth

Mts. Fletcher, Magnay -place, Hoxton

Colonel Graham, Inverary

Capt. Jami-s Goddard, Cork

Capt. Gordon, Royal Navy

Dr. Garlic, \liddleton

Abraham Gell, F.sq. Baltimore

James Gilchrist, Esq.

— — Goldsniid, Esq. Great Alie-strcet

W. C. C. Graham, Iwq. Gartmore

Leonard Gritnths, Esq. Llandovry

Mr. Gardiner, Chiswell-street

— William Garlic, Waler-sitle

— Joseph Gascuigne, Leadeiihall-street

— Geraditch, Great Castle-street

— Gladstone, Dock-street

— Edward Glover, Bow-strwt, niooms-
bury

— Gfoyd, St. Andrew's-street

— William Gold, Portsoa

— John Goodman, Limehouss

— Matthew Goiigli

— Gould, Cheneys-street

— A niinial Griffiths Wednesbury

— William Grint, Wych-street

— William Groom, jun. Knightsbridge

— Ricjiard Gulliver

Rev. Dr. Hirschell, Bury-ttreet

Capt. Harford, Royal ^Javy ••*■■

Capt. D. Flalton, Yarmouth

Francis Halsted, Esq. New-roa«l

T. Harrington, Esq. Bristol

John Paterson Hart, F>sq. Pope's-head-alley

Hurle, Gent. Devonshire-street

Mr. E. Hackney, Stockport

— William Ilailfii-ld, Manchester

— Joseph Hale, Blandford-slreet

— Samuel Hall, Nottingham
— • George Halvcy, Nottingham

— Goorge Harris

— Samuel Harrison, Battle- bridge

— James Hartness, Tothill-street

— Matthew Harvey, Calmer

— Harvey,^ Houndsditch

— William Hatherton, Manchester

— Cliarles Hatton, Manchester - .

SUBSCttinERfi. NAMES.

Mr. Hatton, Fleet-market

— William Hawyes, Hill-street

— Richard Hayes, Manchester

— Thomas Haynes, Paddinaton

— i David Henry, Paisley, North Britain

— Kdmuml Hepple, Bank, Moiiputli

— Hewit, Doncaster

— M. Hey, Somerset-street

— D. Hiatt, Shiplake, Oxou

— Hine, Charles-street

— Hill, Farm-street, Berkley-square

— Holmes, St. James's-walk, Clerkeuwell

— R. Hopkins, Chapel-place

— Hou'^, 'foken-house-yard

— lioward, Fann-srtreet

— John Howell, Birmingham

— Hughe?, Piinlico

— Jolm Hughits, St. Pancras

— Hunt, lulifax-street

— George W. Hunt, Little.-Halifax-street

— William Hussey, Glasgow

— George Hutchinson, Kingsand

— James Hutchinson, Paisley

— Robert Huxley, Crooked-lan«

Miss Halliwell, Long acre

I&J.

Capt. Ingleficld, Royal Navy
C'Uuuhus Jameson, Ks<|. Brighton

— Israel, E.sq. Great Prescott— street

Mr. Jackson, Highgate»hill

— Magnus Jackson, Nottingham

— Thomas Jackson, Manchester .-•. •

— Jackson, Silver— street

— Jackson, Bed Lion-street »

— Jacobs, Chiswell-street

— George Jameson, Dailington

— lley, Somerset-street

— R. Ingram, Manchester

— John Johnson, Exeter-court

— Thomas Johnson, Lisson-grove

— John.son,. White-street

— T. Johnson, Manchester

— Johnson, Anmdel-street

— J. Johnson, Exeter-court ' ;\ -^

— Jones, Canteen, Chelmsford

— Judson, Grub-street .'

Miss Jones, Curtain-road ,-,-"•■.

'- '■ ' K. " -^

Sir Richard King, Bart.
Capt. William Kent, Royal Navy
Capt. Knox, Royal Navy
Francis Keinbcr, Es<). Burton

M». James Keating, South-street

— Keately, Derliy

— Kcelon, SontliMoulton-street

— Jolm Kennedy, Gallon, Glasgow

— Isaac Kerby, New-court, St. John-street

— Robert Kervlake, Brixton

— Kernoit, Wormwood-street

— W. H. King, Fleet-lane

— Kirk, Charliworth

— John kirk, Spon-street, Coventry

— Kirkman, Chapel en le Frith

— Jonathan Knapton, Rio Janerio

Capf. Lye, Royal Navy

James Lamant, Esq. Arran-castle

Samuel Laugrish, Esq. Cambridge

David Ijttourhe, Esq. Dublin

Henry Lee, Esq. Dover-place

George IJoyd, Es(). Llangelly

H. W. Looker, Esci. Clapham-road-place

Mr. Lang, Kingland-road

— Gilbert Lang, jun.

— Lawson, City-road

— Leaver, Shoe-lane

~- Lee, Gutldford-strcet, Bninswick-squara

— Stephen Leigli. Dover

— Lester, Gvle-street

— Levy, White-niw

— Andrew Liddell, Glasgow

— I'homas Locock, James-street

— G.Lloyd, St. Andrew's-street , .

— Lucy, Little King-street

,; ' M.

Capt. Macleod, Inverness

Capt. Maddocks, Norton-hall, Cheshire.

CapL James Martin, Blackwall

Capt. Maxwell, Royal Navy .'

Capt. Miller, St. Johns

Capt. Mills, Royal Navy

Dr. Monro, Adelpbi-terrace

William Mansell, E^q. Windsor-castle ■'

James Money, Esq. Bristol

koger Moser, Elsq. Frith-street

Anthony Matthews, Gent. Portsca

Mr. Malard, Foley-strcet.

— I'liom^is March, Denmark-court

— Marshal, Derby

— Martin, Upper Gower-stret

— Samuel Martin, Phillips-gardens

— Samuel Mason, Fareham

— George Mason, jun. Fareham

— Mi*lev, Hodge

— Jolm Mc'Crindle, Fordhouse, Argyle-
shirc

— James Mc'Pherson, Glasgow

— Mac Shenne, North-street

— Alexander Menzies, South Lambeth

— Stephen Miller, Glasgow , . (, .

— Miller, Casllo-strect, Holborn

— Miller, Old Gravel-lane

— Monk, Brandon'srow

— Moore, Little St. Thomas Apostle

— Morris, Vioe-court

— Morris, Chapel-street, Westminster -

— Morris, Palace-street

— John Mudie, Glasgow

— Murphy, Doncaster

MisB Mackenzie, Green-street m
Miss Mc'Carty, Banner-street . •

Sir Evan Nepean, Bart.

Rev. Christopher Bi-amble Nay lor, Rector

of Reculver, Kent
Rev. Christopher Naylor, Rector of Se*

rernby, Lincolnshire

Mr.

)ad-p1ace

ck-3quare

Ihcshire

castle -'

ica « ■ .

ourt :X

dens

e, Argylc-

Lambeth

rn >•:,

Lpostle
minster

lor, Rector

ctor of Se-

Mr.

Mr. Nannock, Cannon-street
— Kaylor, IJislio|)»({atc-«trret
— - I.NiclioUs, Gainsl'ord-streft, Southwark

Sir Edward O'Brirn, Bart.
Sir. W. Oglander, Bart.
Colonel O'Kellr, Charles-street, Man-
chester-square
Capt. Oliver, Chapel-house
Capt. R. W. Otway, Hoy a! Navy
John Oglivie, Esq. Carron-house
Samuel B. Oswald, Es(|. Park Farm-
pi act;
James Outrim, Esq. Clare-place

Mr. John Olive, St, Catherine's-square'

— Oliver, Chapel-place

— Openshaw, Uury » !
-- Peter Oriel, St. MartinVlane -

'■••,.,", ■ «?: ■ ■ ■

Sir James Parry, Grange-home
Capt. Edward Price, Bedford-plactt
Capt. Pcriam, Gloucester-row
Capt. Perry, We?t-str<vt
Capt. Prusion, Roval Navy
Capt. C. Paviu', Itoyal Navy
liconard Park, Esq. Gibraltar

Mr. Pankort, West-street, Somers-town

— N. L. Pannier, Leicester-place

— Parsons, Lower John-street

— John Pairidge,. Francis-street

— George Potter, Artiljery-street

— Charles Pratt, Old Cavendish-stecrt

— Price, St. Gmrge's-place

— John Prout, Bristol

Mrs. Frances Powell, Carlton-house, near .
Newark

Capt. Rcnny, Royal Navy

Capt. Richardson, Royal Navy

Capt. George Ross, Lynn

Rev. W. P. Rciil, Slape-house, Brid|)ort

T. L. Robins, Esq. sen. R. N. Southampton

Mr. John Raiison, Sproughton -

.— Ravenscroft, Serli-street

— James Renney, Glasgow

— James Rensliaw, Manchester

— J. Reynolds, Burton

— James Reynolds, Boston

— Thomas Rich, HollK)rn-hUl , ^^f^ ,

— James Richardson, Bostor. . ^/

— Ridings, Holton

— William Right, Westniinstor

— Roberts, Styal

.— G. Robinson, Drury-lanc

— Tliomas Roe, Coventry

— Alex. Rowland, Kirby -street

— J. Rusher, Reading

— Rust, Kent-street

— . Edward Rutter, Wcdnesbury

SUBSRtBETlS.

Sir Pliillip Stephens, Bart.
Capt. William Scrle, Limehoine
Capt. Shepherd, Royal Navy
Capt. Simpson, Shorehanr
Capt. James Sims, Berniondsey
Leonard Smithson, Es(|. Chalk Abliey,
^— Solomons, Esq. Great Prcncoi- street
William Smart, Gent. Portsea

Mr. Edward Sampson, Deptford

— Scott, Frith-street

— James Scott, Old Compton-strect

— Edward Scrivener, Gough-tquarc

— Seawood, Deutlbrd

— John Selby, Grangemouth

— Stodart, Cherry Ganlen-street

— Shepherd, Wliitechapel

— Caleb Shepherd, Aldgate

— Silk, Old Nicholas-street

— James Smith, Hom-chnrch, Esse>e

— John Smith, Gray'srinn-place

— Smith, Bund-street

— George Snoad, Rye

— Solomon, Castle-street

— Sparry, Great Bath-street

— Splitberger, Newcastle-court

— Springate, St. John-street

— Springwheeler, Duke-street

— Stables, Abingdon-strcet

— Stephen Slandley, Wolverhampton

— Steel, Catherine-street

— Stephens, Onslow-strect

— Stewart, Upper Shadwell

— Tliomas Still, College-street

— John Store, Charlotte-street

— James Storey, Denmark-court

— Street, Basing-lane

— Such, Blackman-street

Mra. Elizabeth Storey, Fitzroy-square

Capt. Tower, Royal Navy

Capt. Tucker, Royal Navy

Capt. Turnbull, Ottery

Joseph Terry, Esq. Huinpstead

Samuel Tuiton, Esq. St. Thomas's-square

Turton, fsq. St. James's-sqiiare

Mr. Jame^ Taylor, Paisley

— Taylor, jun. Slough

— J. Taylor, Tiieobald's-road
— ■ TV'illiitniTeirord, Glasgow

— Thickbi-oom, Spon-itreet, Covtuiry

— JDavid Thomas, Bishopigate-aircoi

— Thomlinnon, Ilodge

— Tomlinson, Rosomon-strect

— Chri. Thompson, Little ChapelNilreet

— Jacob Tomlui, Stjuiley-liall, Clitheroe

— John Tuck

— Turnbull, Tower-Uill

Capt. Upton, Royal Navy
Capt. Uvkins, Boston

Mr. Unwin, Betbnal Grccri-rv»ad

V. '''-■

Capt. Vanxittart, Royal Navy

Mr. T. Vasev, Monmouth-conrt

— W. Vise," F. M. S. Spuldint;

— Yisick, Webb-street

"'^■""^:■■^%^•^■ ■':;

^ . ", f ■ .

Sir Robert Williams, Bart. ■

Colonel Wrotighton, Adwickle-street, near

Doncaster
Capt. Wallis, Orford Ness
Capt. Wainriijht, Roval Navv
Capt. David Willian'is, Welch Pool
Capt. Woolcombe, Royal Navy
Dobson Willoughlw, Esq. Hampstead
G, ^VIlite, Esq. Doncaster
J. White, Esq Doiic^ister ,
■ ' " Wioley, Esq. Bruiiswic k-squatc
Andrew Wdsoii, Fjsq. Renfrew
W. Walter, Gent Southampton
Mr. George Wallace, Chartes-strcet

— Wall, Nottingham
■i— Waller, Princes-square

— J. Walter, Evesliam-builidings

— Ward, Bolton

— Ward, Hinckley

— John Wateman, I.uddesdown ;
—• Richard Weake, Ghellenliam

--• Thomas Weatliejhead, Eyre-strect

— William Weaver, Denmark-court

— John Webster, Walsall

— John West, London-wall

— W. West, jun.

— George Westbrook, Plough-conrt

— John Wheeler, Terrant liinlon, Doi'se't

— James White, jun. Paisley

— J. ^^ iggins, Satlron-hill

— John Wigzi.Il, Canterbury

— J.Wigzell, Green-street, '1 heobald'a-road

— John Wilcox, Beverley

— J. Wild, Bury

— George Wilkins, Derby, three copies

— Wilkinson, Blackburn

— Eleazer Williams, Oxford-street

— Thomas M'illiams, Gibraltar

— Williams, Hermitage-street

— Williams, Ely-place

— \Villiamson, Eton College

— G. Willis, Manchester

— Willson, Cannon-street

— Archibald Wimiing, Glasgow

— William Witney, Fyfield

— W(xi(l, Alirincham

— Wood, Turninill-street '

— William Woltou, Wiilinhall

— William Wright, Westiuiibtcr

— Wiliiatn Wright, Postcrn-row

— Pcler Wrigiit.-Paisiley

Miss Chai'lotlu Wviidiiam, Charlotte-street
' Y. .

Capt. Young, Royal Navy
Lieut. Yates, \h>\ al Nav v" ' ■

Litut. Yoiir.gev, lloyal ^3avy '' '

Tliomas Yoiiiig, Esq. C'obhani '■■•''

Mr. Ga)rgeYeomans, John-street, MinDries

— John Voi-ng, jun. Stob-liill, NoriUuni.
berland

^ Young, East Smiihiidd ,

ii»yiM»
!

'*>.

*^¥

LIST of the PRINTS, with the PLACES for 4hdr INSERTION.

r^it Conceprioii May ' . • . .- .
6- Ruins or ihc temple of Hermopotis
•^ Man and Woman of New JSoaliud •
"6 Iiih.ibifantHpf Manilla
■C Antique Staiiic at Thttbais . - -

■ — in
— 11

-via

•»'. J,';
14

Remains of tho Temple at'Latapolis
Inhabilallls of Port <les Franfoit
TomlwatSilislis ■ . - .

^Voman of Tongataboo and Aqiboyna
Egyptian Sphinx. -' >■» •«*,

fiance M Otulir;t« - ■» ,' -^
Temple of Horraontis •!

Female Of Qiahi-ito bringing a PKsent
yiw and Boy of Cape DiemAn
"" HI of Hie Bedouiiii

jiie of Abbu A^andour
> of file World -

'lit

I 'K' i

.if

lalc of Port des Fran^oi*
uan Pigaon Houses, Ac. - •
insit)f Canopus
'Man of tht! Admiralty Ifilandf -
Antique Fragment's, " A Hawk," tc,
A DanceatPaiifjaimatoo . . .
View in tho Island of Uouio
Mourod, or Moiiret, Bey • •

Onloa, of Wagiou . . »
I'lanticollecied by Sonnini
SoaOttiir . . . , -
Manner of trafrllingin Kampttchatka
(iistniraeuts of Now Caledonia -
iifagpio of Njw Caledonia
hipitw iHese ' .

Black S\. iiK> Dicman -

King of (j, bringing Presents

White Jkar ....

Antique Fragments ( Fig 1. Osiris)
Persons of Pares . . . -
People of Tschutskiu . -

Caps of Ooiialaiika - • •

It Snitg Coroiir Co'o ...
Ma I (ind Woman of Sandwich Inlands
\ Mbhi in OlaliPJie -
V Hut of Terra del Fu^go
«'~~^5 1 A Hippah in New ^jAland
"fi Cleoirftra's.Netdle,'&o.
" Woirtin of ^iitorina

.Vomi'n of Nfo' . • - .
Kish of tht Nile • • ■

W<>meo of Arpenlierra - - * ■
tloliimn at Aiiiii>opeli% &c.
The Port of Uap|icisch\vyl
Pe.is4litry of SwitztrUhd . -
Fountain of Vevay, . .
l>ersanlry of SwiWerUiid , - •
I^plandei-s - ' " "

Palace at Petcrsbiitgh
Peasantry of Switser'aiid
Inliabitanii of Grocniand
Mode of travelling of the Yakoules
(Janoes Used by.ttlie 'U(Ocnlan>lers
Neptune of tlio Chinese • .

Antique Fta,^ment» (rritgicMa.sk)
View in tiio Ri«cr. Uottuton •

Fribuig • • " " *

Macoa In China ... •, •

F'iHli of the Nile (the Schall)

Hut of a Calniuc of Eminence

American. Indian ...

Thu Ebtchange at Kuttcnlam

Alexandria ....

Man iuid Woman of Mexico

Remains of Genetjisc

Uelft Gate, Rotterdam ...

Muntniusard, near Uijon

Kish of the Nili; ...

Man of New Caledonia

Antique Fragment!', (A Buetle, &c.)

Stoiii- of Proclamation at Venice

Karakakooa Bay - - . - .

.Antiqtie Fr.igments, (Head of Isis)

Woman of New Calcdoiiia

Map of Spain and Portugal ' «

Prison at Venice ... - .

Bolcherctzkol, in Kamtichatka'

Temple of Fortuna VIrilis

' Concord « . - -

Suburbs of .Maplen ^ . ■ .
Uulph of Naples ...

lituantegung, of the Chinese
View of 'Naples, Plate I.

■ Do .Plate 11. . .

Chinese working tlie Chain Pump
The Inca of Peru cons^rating, &c.
Rejoicing of the Mexicans' ^ -
Sjiecimeiis of Fgyptim Architecture
"— — Sculpture
Entertainment

Russian Evenhig

Mexican I'rie^ts

Map of Kurope

iK>iii>ehuld Divinities, d'c,

Miiarsen, in Holland

king Dyke ^ . . '

Map of Africa ^ , .

Puasants of VriesUnd

Map of South America '

lUtWng Children at Mojeo -

Msrrijg'r Ceromojiy of Canada

Mip of North America

■ Asia ,- . .

Costume nf Spain
Map of W. Ichereii
Kivi-r Scheldt - . . ,

ToscalipntH, of tho Mexicans
Oibtunie of Mn.ior>a . -
figiirejin the ToripL' of Dendera
Brainali, thi; Idol of the Hindoos
Figures ill the Teiiplc of Ujjidera
I'esciliijoca, of tho Mesicans
Figiirss in tho Tnn|>le uf Dendera

Do. : ■

Mui4i|iies of Abou Marilour
Peasants of Mi^jnrca and iMinorca
View of Avaloii

^tun ...

Island uf
Frankfort
Nurembei^g
Hiniloo!> arid

Serpents

ff^liiOJ Cuiemouy of the Mexicans
■J' ■■,•'

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in the Printin*. Such of the Plates us have hee)r in any Manner injured by the Number of Impressions taken qf, are
restokd to their orij^inal Perfection, others hav(^been Aewly engraved; and wliere any Alteration, or Emendation could
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»v<'« I

VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD

''-il;< Dl'KING • •.<■%'•

.»♦■

The Years 1785. 178(5, 1787. and 1788, ^ ,^ u.'l^r, lit\r\ .■'

K'fiV

iS3^ L.l FEUOrSM.

-' i 'l '.' .. ■''''■' ' ■> ■'■',•> ' '( ti

.-/ fj'viiifi ■*;..<■ v , lA,

;5»' jiJo.iaoJ' ij; i;ii;-f{v?»»;i.&3 i|iv>f |•^^:J - , (V -^i J *>iJ'>ji» i'.. i'cJ iwU i. > ;>i:^i '.iV.* 'h f^'?.

TilE publications of various <.'ircumnaviga-
tors, especially tho.4e of (he inimurtal Cook,
liavc excited an almost universal interest in the
perusal of Voyages and Travels. The Voyages
of diiferent English navigators, in e.vtending
human knowledge, claimed the admiration of
the whole world. All Europe therefore held in
the highest estimation Captain Cook's great
talents, and the firm disposition of his mind.
But in 90 vast a field there will be room to ac-
quire fresh knowledge for centuries to corae-^
coasts to survey; plants, trees, fish, and birds
to describe ; minerals and volcanoes to observe ;
nations to study, and perhaps to render more
happy ; since a farinaceous plant, or a new
epecics of fruit, must be un inestimable benefit
to the inhabitants of the islands in the South
Sea.

These reflections suggested the project of a
voyage round the world, und scientific men of
every class were enrolled in the expedition. M.
Dagalet, of the Academy of Sciences, and M.
Monge embarked in the character of astrono>
iners ; the former on board the Houssole, and the
latt«r on board the Astrolabe. jVI. de Lanianon,
a member of the Academy of Turin, undertook
the department of geology. The Abbe Moiigrs
superintended the progress of the dilFerent
branches of physics. M. de Jaissau was selected
for the botanical department. ]VI(>ssienrs Pre-
vost, uncle and iiefthew, were engaged to pnint
every article belonging to natural history. M. Du-
fresne, u great patia'alist, , was tedded by the con-
trol ler-generul of the finiuiccs. And latsUv, M.

Vol. II. No. LXIV. '

Diichi: dc V'aiicy was I'ligaged to eiiibark, in
order to depict the dresses and scenery of the
difierent countries the navigators might visit.
All the learned bodies in the kingtioni Mere,
oil this occasion, anxious of raaiiil'esting (heir
zeal for the progress of the Arts and Sci-
ences.

The marosthal De Castries, nnnistcr of the
marine, who recommended La Perouse to his
Majesty for the command, ordered the different
ports to furnish the vessels with whatsoever
might contribute to the success of the expedi-
tion. Having been empowered to appoint his
own ofticcrs, he chose for the command of the
Astrolabe, M. de Langle, a post captain, who
had distinguished himself in the Astree, in the
expedition to Hud.son's Bay. Oflicers innume>
rable ufiering themselves to La Perou«e and M.
de Langle, they soon selected from among them
such a number of distinguished professional ta-
lents as they required.

Having received his instructions. La Perouse
sat oft' for Brest on the 1st of July, where he ar-
rived on tha 4th, and found the equipment of
two frigates in great forwardness. By the 10th,
the whole quantity of things contained in the
Roussole was incredible. M. de Cloiiard, La
Perouse's second captain, had stowed her with
great zeal and ingenuity : the Astrolabe was
furnished with the same articles as the Boussole.
On tlic 1 1th, the frigates were in the road, and
had a favourable season for their dcjiarture. M.
Dilector ordered tfifein to anchor there with
hakbour moorings, that, when the wind should

■i

-iiwrrrTT' rx

rasn

PERpUSE't VOYAGE ROtJND THE WORLD;

riiii iiii n'lmimwilM—

"ii-ifiT'n Tiftinr n

t
t

1 .1
P

permit them to sail, tlMv might have nothing
to debut to slip the cables*.

But the object of their putting in al Madeira
could not be attained : the price of wine having
been raided to such ar. excessive height. La Pe>
rouse found it almost impossible to purchase a
supply, he therefore ordered every thing to be
prepared for sailing on the following day, which
was the 16th of August. But, before his de-
parture, he received an additional present from
Mr. Johnston, consisting of rum, preserved
citron, and a barrel of dry wine, a hundred
bottles of Malmsey Madeira, and an inunehse
quantity of fruit.

After only three days' run. La Perouse anchor-
ed at TeneniTc on the I9th in the afternoon. This
island, which is not embellished with a single
tree, seems entirely parched up, and formed, of
different strata of lava, and other volcanic matter.
8ooii after his arrival at Teneriffe, he caused an
observatory to be erected on shore; the parti'-
culnrs resulting from which are too mintite to be
specilied in this place. Several observations were
made relative to the latitude and longitude at
Santa Cruz in Teneriflc, the position of which
thev think may be fixed at 18" 36' 30" west
longitu.k>, and 2S« 21' 30' north latitude.

On the 30th of August La Perouse sailed with
a fresh breeze from the north-east, having taken,
sixty pipes of wine on board each ship, which
came from Oratuva, a small town situated on
theotherside of the island. The Marquis de Bran-
ciforte, governor-general of the Canary Islands,

faid the navigators the greatest attentions during
is continuance in the road of Santa Cruz. The
run, as far as the line, was attended by no re-
markable circumstance : but a few days after La
Perouse's departure from Teneritfe,. he lost that
clear sky which is only to be found in the tcm-
peiate zone.

At sun-set on the 16th of October, .La Pe-
rouse got sight of the island cf Trinidada; and
at ten the next morning, he was only two leagues

* This Toyagc, which is highly interesting in its present
slate, would have afforded a complete body of Taltiable in.
formation, had not the tragical catastrophe occurred. If
any hope remains, it appears to be fitllacioas, and will daily
become more so.

The westerly wind detained the vessels ia the road till the
1st of Anigust, on which day tiwy sailed from Brest Uoad
to Madeira, where they arrired on the I3th. Before they
were well at linchor, Mr. Joknson, an English merchant,
sent a boat laden with fruit on board La Perouse's ship.

distant from the south-east point, which bore
north-west. Seeing the Portugueae fla^ flying
in the midst of a small fort, surroundea by hvu
or six wooden houses, his curiosity was excited,
and he resolved to send a boat ashore to learn
the particulars of its evacuation or cession by
the English: he saw, from its appearance, that
Trinidada would neither aflinrd him the wood
or water which he required. He hailed the
Astrolabe, and consulted with M. Dc Lungic on
the propriety of sending a boat to enquire
what supplies the island could afford them. la
consequence of which M. De Langle dispatched
the pinnace, commanded by lieutenant De Yau-
juas. M. De La Martiniere, and Father Rece-
veur accompanied that officer. They landed,
with much difficulty and danger, at the hciul
of the creek, between two rocks. M. De Vau-
juas saw about two hundred men at this post,
fifteen of whpm were in uniform, and the rest
in their shirts. No satisfactory inforniution could
be obtained on any subject that was ugiluted,
the conimandant thinking himself justifiable in
disguising, (he truth in every particular, lie
preteiided that, hia. garrison, consisted of four
hundred men, and that his fort was defended
by twenty guns; though not a single one mount*
ed appeared in the neighbourhood of the esta-
blishment. The officer was so much ashamed or
afraid of exposing the miserable state of hia
settlement, that he would not suffer any one to
leave the beach in search of plants : After many
external tokens of kindness and civility, he ad-
vised M. De Vaujuas to return on board, as-
suring him that the island could not fur-
nish him with any thing; that provisions were
sent every six months from Rio Janeiro, and that
they could not procure a sufficient quantity of
wood and water for the garrison. His detach-
ment readily assisted in putting off the pinnace.
From the report of Messieurs de Vaujuas and
Boutin, it was apparent that the island.of Tri-
nidada could not furnish a sufficient supply of

After having paid Iiis respects to the gOTornor, La Pe>
rouse vrnt to dine with Mr. Johnston, from whom ho had
received such polite and hospitable treatment. On the folu
lowing day he breakfasted at the delightful country.scat of
Mr. Murray, the English consul. Uis eyes could onVy be
drawn off from gazing.at this enchanting villa, by the. cap-
tivating charms of the consul's three nieces, who came to
prove to him that nothing was wanting to add perfection tf»
that enchanting abode.

vood

FRUOUW^ VOYAGIi: R')UND THF WORLD.

lich bore

ftg flying
id hy fivo
• excited,
to learn
eggion by
mce, that
tlie wood
1 ailed the
Lang'lc oil

0 enquire
Ihem. In
Itspatched
i De Vau-
h«r Rece-
!y landed,

the hciul
. De Yau-
this post,
d the rvtit
tiun could
i ugi<ated,
iti liable in
iilar. lie

1 of four
I defended
>ne mouot-
r the est»>
ishamed or
ftte of his
iny one to
ifter many
ity, he ad-
board, as-
I not fur-
igions were
o, and that
quantity of
iis detach-
e pinnace,
'auju48 and
ind of Tri-

supply of

irnor, La Pe-
\rhoin ho had
On the folk
ouiitry*se)rt of
could only be

, by thc.cap;

who caiiio to
I perfectioato

irond «nd water. La Perouse therefore deter-
mined (o steer immediately for the island of St.
Catherine^ on the coait of Brazil* where Fre-

zier anu Admiral Ansor found ample means of
gratifying all their wants *. , ,-

SECTION II.

1,. .i «.- ^...

Description of the Inland of St. Catherine, Sgr. Departure frmn--Arrtxal at Conception'.

THIS island is extremely fertile, producing
all sorts of fruity vegetables, and corn, al-
most spontaneously. It is covered with trees of
everlasting green, but they are so curiously in-
terwoven with plants and briars, that it is im-
possible to pass through the forests wit 'i c it open-
ing a path with a hatchet: to add to the di'^'w^ulty,
danger is also to be apprehended from snakes
"whose bite is mortal. 1 he habitations are bor-
dering on the sea. The woods are deligitlfully
fragrant, occasioned by the orange trees and other
odoriferous plants and shrubs which form a part
of them. But amidst all these advantages^ the
country is extremely poor, and totally destitute
of manufactured commodities : the peasants are
ragged, and almost naked. The soil, which is
well calculated for the cultivation of sugar,
remains untilledi as they are too poor to pur-
chase slaves for that necessary purpose. The
whale-fishery is indeed successful, but it belongs
to the crown, and is farmed by a company at
Lisbon, which has three large establishments on
the coast. They kill about four hundred whales
nnnually, the produce of which is sent to Lisbon
by the way of Rio Janeiro. The inhabitants
<lerive no advantage from this fishery, as the go-
vernment does not grant them such franchises
and immunities as to invite commerce to their
shores ; one of the finest countries in the universe
will perhaps remain miserable, and useless to the
mother country.

The arrival of the two frigates here spread

* Oa the SSth of October onr narigators were overtaken
by a luust Tiolent storm : at eight in the evening they -<Tere
liicrally in the centre of a circle of fire: the lightning flash-
ed from erery point. The flame called Corposanto, other-
wise named Jack with a lantern, settled upon the point of
the conductor. The Astrolabe had also a Corposanto at her
mast-head. From that day the weather continued bad till
the arrival of the frigates at the Island of Saint Catherine.
On the 0th of November La Pteruuse anchored between Saint
Catherine's and the Main, in seven fathoms water*

wood

great terror through the neighbourhood. The
dilFerent foris lircd sevoral alarm guns, which in-
duced La Perouse to anchor earlier than he in-
tended, and to send an officer on shore to state
his pacific intentions. M. de Pierrevert, who
was employed on this business, found the little
garrison of the citadel, all under arms. It con-
sisted of forty men, commanded by a captain ;
who sent off an express to the governor Don
Francisco di Baros, brigadier of infantry. This
circumstance, confirmed by the Lisbon Gazette,'
produced immediate and positive orders that the
ships and their crews should be furnished with
whatever they required, at the lowest price ; and
an officer was appointed to attend on each of the
frigates.

On the 9th of November La Perouse hauled
in towards the fortress : and on the same day
he went ashore with M. de Langle, and several
officers, to pay his respects to the conimandant,
who saluted him with fifteen guns. An equal
number was returned by La Pcrousc's ship. The
next day he dispatched his Lieutenant Boutin,
accompanied by several respectable gentlemen
engaged in the Voyage of Discovery, to the
town of Nostra-Senora del De&tero, to return
thanks to the governor, for the abundance, which,
owing to his care and attention, they enjoyed.
The boats of the Boussole and Astrolabe came
back the following day at eleven o'clock, and
announced a speedy visit from Don Antonio Di
Gama, major-general of the colony. He did

After a njivigation of ninety-six days, not a person was
sick on board. Neither rain, nor fugs, nor the change of
climate had impaired the health of our crews. Provisici.a
of an excellent quality had indeed been provided, and every
precaution taken that prudence could sng^t st. To keep up
the spirits of the ships' companies, dancin/^ from eight to
ten was enjoined them every evening, w'-cd the weather
permitted.

not

)»,gWff^'^"'

pgROUSE'8 VOYAGE ROUND TttE WOTltD.

I.)

nbi «(titio. hbwevM, till the IStli, when he
brought La Perousc in obliging; letter from hit
cominanding officer * .

The inhabitants of the island of St, Catherine
«re inild^ gentle, obliging, and hospitable ; but
the,v are Miiperstitious, and so prone to jealousy,
that their wives are never permitted to appear in
public. The officers killed several birds ui this
island, of the aiost. l>ea«itifully variegated plu-
mugo; and .-inong others a fine rollicr, a species
iMtr desorilRHl by Buifon, though very common
iil-thisrouuiry.

La Porotts? purohasod at St. Catherine's a saf-
fici^it f|uaj>tHy *>»' oxen, hogs, and poultry, td
fred the ahijj's coHipany at nea for a month. His
inardenitrwds also prtivided witli kernels df oranges
tM«d lemons; and with the seeds of the cotton
vhrub,>!ii)d Indian corn: as well as with all the
vi>g4'(ables vvliiob (he inhabitants of tlie islands
of the HotiOi Sea are known to be in want of.
On the day uf departure, la Perouse gave the
AHtrolabe new signals, on a more extensive scale
thurn those which had before been adopted. They
^vere destined to^ navigate in the midst of fogs,
nM in tempesflious seas; circumstances which
required additional precautions. It was also
agreed between the two respective commanders,
that, in case of separation, their first rendezvous
should be the harl>our of Good Succcks, in Le-
nmire's Straits, if they should wot have passed
its latitude on the 1st of January; and the second.
Point Venus, in the Island of Otaheite. It Avas
also agreed that, his researches in the Atlantic
Ocean should' be confined to hh Gh^amk de la
Boche, not having sufficient time to sock a pas*
sage to the southward of Sandwich Land.

The weather contiinied fine till the 28th of
November, when a violent gale of wind rose
from the eastward. After variety of calculations,
iand a fruitlps.s search of forty days, during which
lime five gales of wind were experienced, the

^ La IVruusu had preferred the island of Saint Catherine
to Rio Janeiro, t» avoid the forms obs«Rvcd ia largu cities,
ivkidi uccoiiiou much loss of time; and experiencQ taught
Jiim that it combined niAny other advantages. ProviitioDS of
ail kinds were abundant: a larfC' ux coat oulyvight dullur.s ;
» ^^1 wei^iiiiiK one hnndrod and fifty poumis, half that
iuai! two tiu'kiuii were pujrcbascd for adullar: live hundred
oranges weif kuM f^r lest than half a dollar: and vi^ep
tables were pxtn-nu-ly reasonable. To procure fish, ijt wan
only ncccssiirv to cast tl c net, and almost instantly to hawl
it up full of till! aquatic tribe.

il- During his run through the Straits of Lcmairc, at half

idea of the existence of hk Grande dila Rdblk
vmi abandoned. La Perouse exprcstiy said, " I
am fully persuaded that /8/(! Ctra;i(9f, like Pepv'i*
Island, is the creation of fancy: the account of
La Roche, who pretends to have senn lofty
trees upon it, being entirely destitute -of founda-
tion."
On the I4th of January the navigators struck

f round on the coast of Patagonia ; and on the
1st they got sight of the north point of Gallegos
river on that coast. On the 2^ at noon (hey
set the Cape of the Virgins, bearing west, four
leagues distant.

6n (he^5th, at two o'clock, Im Perouse took
bearings a league to the southward of Cape San
Diego, forming the west point of the Straits of
I.(eniaire. At three he cntere<i the Straits, and
saw some breakers which extended about a mile:
he also perceived others nuich further in thb
offing, which induced him to steer to the south*
east to avoid them. Be soon discovered tliey
wefe f) rodncdd by the cnrrents, and (hat the reeft
of Cape San Diego wer« not fbr off*. Blowing
a fresh breeze, from the north, he ventured to ap^-
proach Tierra del Fuego, and ranged along it
within half a league of the bud. After acme
deliberation, as the wind ^as fair, he abandoned
the idea of putting in at the hapbour of Good-
Success, and vesolved to stand on, without losing
a moment, to double Cape Horn. He consider-
ed that if he steered for the islalid of Juan Fer-
nandez, he was certain of procuring wood and
water, with refWshments fat superior to the
Penguins of the Strartyf.

On the 9th of February Ite %a« abreast of the
Straits of Magellan, and Bteerii^ fol" Juan Fer-
nandejs. He had passed over the -pretended land
of Drake, without bestowing much time in the
search of it, being convinced that it did not
exist. Examining the quantity of provisions be
hud on board. La Perouse discovered that h^

r Tf-T-

a league distance from Tierra del Fncgo, lie was surround.
cilby whales; as they had aeror berte itinlelitod, they were
not in the least alarmed at tlie ships, but sivnm maju8iic:illv
and securely vrMt'in pistol-shot of thrtn. They will prok.
bably remain sovereigns of these seas tUltthe fisbennen eo iv
meoco hostilities agaiant thorn us at Gmcniaad or Hpitzber^
gaii. An additional motive for giviiig up the idea of toiirhi.
log at the Bay of 'iood Suocom, was, that the author bad
long been projecting a n?\v plan for his vovn:{r, CMiCi^niing
which he oouisi aot absolatdy d«ctd»., till niter having
doubled Cape Ham.

had

i Jt6 la Rdklh
s«1y sftid, " I
^; like Fepv'u
iR accDunt of
e . sewn lofty
e 'cf founda-

gators struck
; and on the
it of Gallegos
At noon they
[ig; yfcst, four

Peroiwe took
of Ciipe San
he Straits of
e Straits, and
about H mile:
irther in thb
to th« south-
icrttefed tliey
that the reefi
hff. Blowing
ntured to ap^-
igeii along it
After some
he abandoned
jour of Good -
vithont losing
He oonsider-
of Juan Fcr-
ng wood and
^rior to the

ibreast of the
foi* Juan Fer-
»retcnded land
li time in the
at it did not
provisions be
yered that hk

lie was siiri'oiinil.

li'dtert, tlicv won*

iwaiB niajusiicnlly

They Milt proi.

lawl Ar HpitzlN:r»
the idea of.toiiclu.
It (ihu author bad
iya$;r, rMictTiiini;
ill] at'Uit having

bad

1B55H?!!

■«

f i

*
(■^J

k.':

P^EAOTJSE's voyage nOUND TftE WMLtt.'

N^-

.lind very little flour and bread left in store;
having been obliged, as well as M. dc Langle,
to leave a hundred barrels at Brest. The worms
had also !aken possession of the biscuits^ and
consumed or rendered useless a fifth part of
them. Under these circumstances, La Perouse
toreferred Conception to the island of Juan
Fernandez. Knowing that this part of Chili
abounded in corn; that it was remarkable cheap
there ; and that he should find every other n'-*icle
of food, in abundance, and on reasonable terms,
he resolved to alter his course a little to the
westward.

The Bay of Conception is about three leaguL»s
wide, from east to west, and the same depth

from north to south. Bottom is found upon
the coast from the island of Santa Maria to the
entrance of the Bay. En'leavours were made
with glasses to find the ci<y of Cortreption, which,
according to Frezier's plan, should have been
at the bottom of the B;* y ; btit nothing could be
discovered. In the evening some pilots came on
board, who said the city had been destroyed by
an earthquake in 1751. Conthming to ply to
windward, at nine in the evening the frigates an-
chored in nine fathoms water, at about a league
from the anchorage of Taleaguana. It is re-
markable that the two ships, after having doubled
Cape Horn, arrived at Chili without having 3
single man indisposed in either of them.

SECTION III.

Description of Conception, its Inhahitants, ^c. — Manners and Customs of the Inhabitants-
Arrival at Easter Island.

THE Bay of Conception is a most excellent
. harbour : the water is smooth, and almost
without any current, though the tide rises six
feet three mches. The bay is sheltered from
every point but the north. Which, in these cli-
mates, blows only from the ^nd of May to
October, which is also the rainy season. The
weather is constantly wet while that Moi^sooii
continues.

The new city of Conception, after the destruc-
tion of the old one by an earthquake in 1751,
was not resolved on till 1763 : the bishopric, the
cathedral, and the religious housed, were all
transferred to the new town, which is of con-
siderable extent; the habitations being only one
story high, the better to resist tlie earthquakes
which happen ann^ially. The new town, which
contains about ten thousand inhabitants, is the
residence of the bishop, and of the major-g^rie-
fal, who governs in the military department*.
Biut notwithstaiiding all these advantages, this

* There cannot bo a more fek'iiU^ suil than that of this part
of (Jhili, Corn prodtiRes sixty for onu; tlio vineyards arc
wonderfully proituctiro, and the plains aro ooverrd nith
flocks, wHich ihnltiply boyond iina^tinution. A fat ox may^
be pnrchaied here for ciglit dollars, and a sheep for three
quartefs Of adollar. A great number of • ww aro annually

^ "Die gofd annually collected in thn bishopric of Con.
dtption, is estimated at about two hundred thousand dollars.
Vol. II. No. LXIV.

colony ma^iCs but little progress in prosperity
or population: the influence af the govermnent
counteracts that of the climate. The produce
tions of this kingdom, under proper manage-^
ment, would suffice for the food and marufac-'
tores of half Europe, and yet the counny is
destitute of commerce. A few small vessels in^
deed arrive here yearly from lama, with tobacco>
sugar, and some articles of European manufac-^
ture, which the wretched natives can only pur*
chase at second or third hand; heavy duties hav
ing been imposed upon them first at Cadiz, theri
at Lima, and afterwards on their entering Chili.
Thev can only give in exchange wheat, which is
of little value, nides, tallow, aiid a few planks ;
so that the balance of trade is always against
Chili. It seems evident that if Spain does not
change its system. Chili will never reach that
pitch of popularity which might be expected
from its climate, soil, and situationf .
The women wear a kind of plaited petticoat^'
_ formed

killed, of which the hides and tallow only are presrrTcdi^
and sent to Lima. This island is also remarkable for the
loD^evity of it.^ inhabitants : many of the natires of con-
ception have completed a century.

+ This country produces a small quantity of gold: § most
of the rivers being auriferous, an inhabitant can earn about

There are single plantations in St. Domingo wA/^jiro-
duce us large a quanlitif.

C . half

PEROUSE's VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

formed of antique gold and silver slufia. These
petticoats, however, are never summoned upon
duty but on gala days, and may be entailed in
a family; descending, in regular gradation, from
the grandmother to the grand-daughter. A small
number of females, however, are thus gorgeously
habited, the majority have barely sufficient to
conceal their nakedness.

, Sloth and superstition, have peopled this coim-
try with nuns and monks ; the latter of whom
are the greatest profligates in America. The
common people of Conception have a great pro-
pensity to thieving; and the women are far from
being difficult of access. They are, in general,
a mongrel race; but the true-bred Spaniards are
polite and obliging in the extreme.

La Perouse was hardly at anchor abreast of
Talcaguana, when a letter was brought him
from M. Quexada, commandant pro tempore, in-
forming him that he and his suite should be re-
ceived like fellow-countrymen. This letter was
accompanied by a large quantity of refreshments,
-which poured in from every quarter. Obliged
to attend to the refitting of the ship, and some
other pressing emergences. La Perouse could tiot
go immediately to the governor to thank him for
his flattering epistle, yet resolved to take the
earliest opportunity of acquitting himself of that
duty; but the governor was too expeditiousj
and came on board the Boussole, attended by the
principal oHicers of his colony. The following
day La Ferouse returned the visit, accompanied
by M. de Langle, and many of the principal of-
ficers. They were preceded* by a detachment of
dragoons. M. Quexada^ M. Sabatero, com-
mandant of the artillery, and the town-major,
-went to meet them at a league's distance from
Conception ; and they all entered the house of
M. Sabatero, where an elegant dinner was pro-
vided for them; and at night a splendid ball
vras given, to which the principal ladies of the
place were invited.

kalf a dollar a-day by washing the earth ; bnt, provisions
being abundant, he has few iiicitemuiits to labour. Unac-
qaaiiited with luxury and arts, he has no energy to oppose
to Bloth. Tbe ground lies waste and uncultivated ; a few
hours devoted to the washing of the sand of their rivers,
exempts them from the necessity of let> niog any trade or
employment, where industry or ingenuity is required.

* It is well linowD that they sometimes bleed their horses
and oxen, and drink the luscious beverage.

i iui La Perouse coaceived himself under obligations t

The dress of these ludica had iivwy singuT.ir
appearance: a plaited petticoat^ exposing half
the leg, tied below the waist: stocking.^, striped
with white, red, and blue; and short shoes so
constructed as to give the foot the appearance
of being circular, are the ]icculiarities of the ball-
dress of the ladies of Chili. They wear no
powder in their hair, which is divided in braids,
extending down their backs. Their corset is
usually composed of gold or silver stutt', and
covered with two short cloaks of muslin and
wool, of various colours. When in the streets,
and the weather is cold, they cover the head
with their woollen cloaks: when sitting in a room
they generally place them on their knees. With
the muslin cloak, the ladies of Conception dis-
play infinite grace by the judicious shifting of
that article of apparel. They are beautiful, ami
in some degree fascinating: foreign navigator<^
are no where received with so much kindness
and civility as in the city of Conception. The
ball concluded about midnight.

The Indians of Chili are converted, by tlie in-
crease of horses, oxen, and sheep, into a nation
of Arabs, resembling those that inhabit the
deserts of Arabia. Continually on horseback,
they regard an excursion of two hundred leagues
as a moderate journey. In their peregrinations
they are accompanied with their flocks and herds^
and are supported by their flesh and milk, and
ofiten by their blood*. Of the skins of these
animals they form their bucklers, curiasses, and
helmets. The introduction of two domestic
animals, has greatly influenced the manners of
tin; tribes from St. Jago to the Straits of Magel-
lan : their old customs, dress, and manners, are
laid aside, and they now resemble the Tartars,
more than their ancestors who existed two cen-
turies agof.

But in the midst of these diversions and ar'nse-
ments, the principal object was not to be tur-
gotten. On the day of his arrival La Perouse

' had

all the iuhabitants, his gratitude induced, him to give a gc.
ncral entertainment before his departure, and to invite all
the ladies of Conception. A large tent was pitched near
the sea, and a dinner provided for one hundred and fifty
persons who should condescend to partalie of it. After
the repast, a dance ensued ; which was followed by a briU
liunt display of fireworks, and a balloon; On the follow,
ing day the crews of both the frigates were liberally enter,
tained in the same tent. La Perouse and M dc Langle
were at the head, and each o£Bcer, down to the lowest

sailor.

PEROUsr/rt voYAor, rhlnd the world.

«ry singular
posing lialf
ug3, striped
irt shoes so

appearance
jof tlicball-
icy wear no
•(i in braids,
;ir corset is
x stiitt', and

muslin and
n the streets,
er tlie head
,ng in a room
Lnees. With
necption dis-
18 shifting of
leautiful, and
;n navigator*
uch kindness
option. The

;«d, by t!ie in-
iiito Si nation
t inhabit the
)n horseback,
mdred leagues
peregrinations
icks and herds,
and milk, and
skins of these
curiasses, and
two domestic
le manners of
aits of Magel-
1 manners, are
e the Tartars,
listed twoccn-

lonsandar't'sc-

not to he lor-

al La Pi^-rouse

had

him to gWe a gc-
, and to invite all
it was pitched near
hundred and flfty
take of it. After
followed by a briU
I1-. Onthefollow-
erc liberally enter-
and M dc Langle
own to the lowMt

lailor*

I. ^\

i.l '

had slgnilicd that he sliould sail on the 15th of
Match, and that if the vessels should be ready
before that time, every man should be permitted
to go and amuse himself on shore. Though he
' apprehended this promise would create dispatch,
he feared the consequences might be pernicious :
he knew that wine was very common at Chili,
and he also knew that every house in Talca-
c-uana was a tavern: he knew also that the
f()wcr classes of the women were as compliant as
the ladies at Otaheite. No disaster, however,
succeeded their voluptuous revels.

At day-break on the 15th, La Perouse made
the signal to prepare to sail; but the wind had
Settled at north. On the 17th, about noon, a
light breeze sprung up, with which he got under
w.'iy. It was so very faint that it only carried
liim two leagues out of the bay, where be re-
mained becalmed in a heavy swell. Whales
surrounded him during the night, and came so
close to the vessels that they threw water on
board from their spiracles. On the 8th of April,

about noon. La Perouse saw Easter Island, which
bore Avest 5*» south, distant twelve leagues.
During the night he ranged along the coa3t of
that island, at three leagues distance. At Hay-
break he steered for Cook's Bay, which is well
sheltered from easterly winds. AieJ^ven he wa.4
only a league from the anchora^."" The Astro-
labe let go her anchor, and the Boussole did the
same; but a sudden shelving of the bottom per-
mitted neither of them to hold. They were
therefore obliged to heave them upi and make
two boards to regain the anchorage. The ar-
dour of the Indians was not restrained by this
accident. They swam after the ships and came
on board smiling, supposing themselves in per-
fect security. They were not in the least ap-
prehensive of being carried away from their
native land, though they were naked and un-
armed; a bundle of grass girt round their loins
with packthread, to preserve decorum, con-
stituted the whole of their cloathing.

^»';

SECTION IV.

Easter Island — Occurrences in that Island — Manners arid Customs of the Inhabitants.

EARLY in the morning every preparation
was made fur landing. This part of Easter
Island rises about twenty feet from the sea. La
Perouse expected to fina many friends on shore,
having loaded with presents alt those who had
come from thence the preceding night; but
from the knowledge he had acquired of other
navigators, he thought it might be necessary to
prevent their .usual depredations, by operating

sailor, vr&f seated according to his rank on board. Wooden
bowls were substituted for plates and dishes.

The major-general then g.-iTe afcle, to which all the of.
ficers and respectable inhabitants were invited.

* About five hundred Indians, all unarmed, waited to re-
ceive the navigators on shore : a few of them were cloathed
in white or yellow, and the rest were naked: tho faces of
some of them were painted red; and not a few of them were
tatooed. With countenances expressive of joy, they ad-
vanced to tender their hands to facilitate their landing. That
business being accomplished, an inclosurc was formed with
armed soldiers, ranged in a circle, leaving a space void, in
which a tent was. afterwards pitched. La Perouse then
ordered the different animals to bo brought on shore, as well
as tbe lerenl articles he iatended to bestow ai presents. He

upon their fears. He therefore ordered the land-
ing to be conducted with some military parade.
It was accordingly effected with four boats and
twelve armed soldiers. M. De Langle and him-
self were followed by all the passengers, and
such officers whose presence was not absolutely
necessary on board the two frigates, amounting
in the whole to about seventy persons*.

The Indians, as before observed, were un-
armed,

had strictly enjoined his people not to fire at the Indians,
but to endeavour by mild and civil trcatrnt-iit, to prevent ra.
pacity and outrage ; but this clemency soon increased tho
number of these troublesome islanders to about eight hun-
dred, among whom there were one hundred and fifty
women. The features of these females were alluring, and
their favours were to be purchased by a moderate pre-
sent.

While the attention of the men was attracted by these
seducers, they were plundered of their hats and handker-
chiefs. The whole groupe were evidently accomplices in
the robbery, for as soon as they had .iccomplished their
views, they all fled at the same iostaut. Finding, huw.
ever, that the French visitants did not make use of firearms,
they instantly returned, renewed their caresses, and eagerly

sought

ML, '■

■4^

f^i

1 j '.

P'?nOUSF,'« VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

armed, except a few of them who hud a kind
of slight woudcn clut>. Some of thcin assumed
nil apparent superiority over the others, which
induced Lu IVrouse to consider the former as
chiefs, and therefore distributed some medals
amons^ them. Iianging them round their necks by
a chaui ; but he soon discovered that these se-
lected persons were the most notorious oifenders;
and, tlioug'h they pretended to pursue others
who had Ixt'ii accused of lurceiiicH, it was easily
perceived tliat they never intended to overtake
them.

ITaving hut a few bouri to rpniain upon the
island, and wishing to employ his time to the
best advantage. La P< rouse leJY the c«»re of the
tent, and other particular!), to his first lieutenant
M. D'Escmes. A division was tlien made of the
persons tMigi««';ed in the ndveiitiire : one part,
iiiuler the command of M. De Langle, was to
penetrate into the interior of the island to en-
tourage and promote vegetation, by disseminat-
ing seeds, &c. in a proper soil ; and the other
division undertook to visit the monuments, plan-
tations, and habitati4>n», withit> the compass 9f
a league of the establishment. The largest of
the rude busts upon one of the terraces, is four-
teen feet six inches in height, and the breadth
and other particulars appeared to be propor-
tionate.

>"Vith respect to the population of this coun-
try, some diniculties seem to arise. Out of
twelve hundred persons who collected to greet
the arrival of the navigators in the Bay, not
more than three hundred wotnen appeared. Per-
haps many of tiiein, either from delicacy, or a
due attention to their children and domestic af-
fairs, had remained in their humble niausioas.

The monuments which now exist, appear to
be very ancient: they are situated in Morals, (or
burying places ) as generally supposed, a large
quantity of bones being always to be found nea"
them. The form of their present government
has so far equalized their conditions, that they
have no idea of erecting a colossal stutiie to per-
petuate the memory of any particular chief.

sought for oppordmitics to commit new deprrdafloiis. After
due insiMH-Hon uf tliu tricks and fallacies put in practice to
iHib the enamoured Frenchmen, La Peroiise ordered them,
to prevent dangerous consequences, torcstoii^to tile soldiers
and sailors the articles that they had' bwn pilfering.

* The basts of colossal size, which have alruadV been

Those pompous images are now superseded by
small pyramidical heaps of stones, the upper-
most of which is whito-washcd. These species
of mausoleums are usuallv erected on the sea-
shore. A native signified tnat one of these stones
covered n tomb, by falling prostrate on the
ground ; and afterwards, elevating his hands to-
wards the sky, wished to convey an idea that
they believed in a future state*.

A small part of this island is ui.iler cultivation.
It is, however, generally agreed, that three
days' labour of an Indian tvilfiirocure him sub-
sistence for a )'ear. From the ease with which
the necessaries of life are procured. La Perouse
supposed the productions of the earth were in
common. lie was convinced, indeed, that the
houses were common, at least to a whole villaffe
or district. One of these habitations near nu
tent was tliree hundred and ten feet in length,
ten feet in breadth, and ten feet in height to-
wards the middle. The whole erection is capa-
ble of containing two hundred people. It forms
a kind of hamlet of itself, but is totally uiifur-
nislied. Two or three small houses l ppear at a
little distance from it. La Perouso does not pre-
tend to decide whether the women are common
to a whole district, and the children to the re-
public; but he asserts that no Indian seemed to
exercise the authority of a husband over any one
of the females. If they are private property, it
is a kind of which the possessors are very li-
beral.

Some of the houses are siibterranebus ; others
are built with reedi, which are methodically arr-
ranged, and form a sulficient defence from the
rain. The building is supported by pillars of
compact lava, resembling stone. It seems clear,
as Ca))tain Cook observes, that there is a strong
aifinity between this people, and those of the
other islands of the South Sea: they have th^
same language and features, and their cloth is
fabricated of the bark of the mulberry tree.

Perhaps these islanderc fbrinerly cnjoyetV the
same productions as tirose of the Society Islands.
The fruit trees must have perished with drought,

noUci^d, demonstrate (hat small progress has been made here
in sculpture. They arc formed, by a Volcanic production,
known by (he name of Lapillo ; so soft a stbnu that Cap.
taiu'Cook's olVicurs supposed it to have been, composed uf a
kihd of mortar iiardcucd in the air.

]

Tscded by
he uppei-
ase Hpccies
n the sca-
hcHe stones
ite on the
8 hands to-
I idea that

cuUivntion.
that three
re hitn sub*
with which
La Peruuse
rth were in

d, that the
hole vil!affe
lis near his
: in length,

height to-
ion is capar

e. It forms
AMy unfur-
t ppear at a
loes not pre-
are common
n to the rc-
n seemed to
[wer ai»y one

property, it
are very Ir-

ebus; others
hodically arr
nee from the
l)y pillars of
: seems clear,
e is a strong
those of the
ley htt\e Ih^
Iheir cloth is
rry tree,
enjoyed the
ciety Islands.
nth drought,

s becii made licre

anic production,

st'ono that Ca.\u

a composed ot a

1 ]

hi
en
di
II

PEHOUSE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORI.I).

«S well a» the dogs and hogs, water * being es-
sential to their existence; but man can reconcile
himself to any thing: in Hudson's Straits he
can make the oil of the whale his bavcrage, and
drink the sea-water like the Albatrosses 'at Cape
Horn.

Returning about noon to the tent, with the
intention of going on board, in order to permit
the next in command to come on shore. La
Perouse found almost ever}' man without either
hat or handkerchief; so much had forbearance
encouraged the audacity of the thieves, that he
also experienced a similar depredation. An
Indian, who had assisted him in descending from
a terrace, rewarded himself for his trouble by
taking away his hat. La Perouse, however,
did not order him to be pursued, that he might
be punished for his transgression : but at the
hour of two he returned on board, and M. de
Elonard, his next in command, appeared on
shore.

Two officers of the Astrolabe arrived soon
after to inform La Perouse that the Indians had
boon perpetrating new outrages, from which
serious consequences might ensue. Some of
them had dived Under water, cut the small rable
of the Astrolabe's boat, and taken away her
grapnel. The discovery was not made till the
plunderers had proceeded a considerable way
into the interior of the island, when two officers
and .some soldiers went immediately in pursuit of
them, but they were saluted by a shower of
stones. A musket, loaded only with powder,
and fired in the air, created no intimidation
among them. It was therefore thought neces-
sary to fire another piece charged with small shot;
some grains of which perhaps annoyed the
Indians^ for the stoning instantly ceased, and

* In times Tcry remote the inhabitants were so imprudeat
as to prohibit the salutary shade, by cutting down all the
trees, and thus exposing their country to the rays of the
tun, and rendering it destitute of streams and springs : tiiry
knew not that in (mall islands encompassed by an immeiiso
ocean, the coolness of land covered with trees can alone
Stop and condense the clouds, and attract to the mountains
abundant rain to furnish springs and rivuliits on all sides.
Islands (kprivcd of this adrantage experience a most dread,
ful drought, which, by gradually destroying the shrubs and
pTauts, renders them almost uninhabitable.

•i These people cannot have the same idea of theft which
civilized nations have, for they hardly appear to be ashamed
of such practices. They were, however, convinced that
they had committed an improper or unjustifiable action, or

Vol U. No. LXV.

fortuna.e mariner
the officers were enabled pea'ce
their tent, but it was found im possible 'i many
take the robbers. They quickly relumed ilh
appeared among the multitude as usual, recom-
menced the od'crs of their women, and were m
friendly as they had been when they first pre-
sented themselves. About six in the evening,
every thing was rc-embarked, the boats had re-
turned on board, and a signal had l>een made ta
prepare for sailing. M. Dc Langle gave La
Perouse an account of his tour into (he inlerior
part. He also furnished another striking trait
of the portrait of these inlanders, in the foltow-
ing anecdote. A sort of chief, to whom M. Do
Langle made a ])rejient of a male and fetnalc
goat, received the animals wUh one hand, and
robbed him of his handkerchief with the ather f.

They endeavoured to allure the Frenchmen
by forcing young girls of thirteen or fourteen
years of age to come for the puiposes of viola-
lion, for which they claimed a stipulated reward-.
La Perouse declares that " not a single French-
man made use of the barbarous riglit (hiit was
given him; and if there were some moments dcr
dicated to nature, llie desire luid c<»nsi'nt were
mutual, and the women made (lie first advances."'

The arts- of the Society Isles were exercised in
this country, though in an inferior degree, for
vant of raw materials. Their coast appeared
not to abound in fish, and the inhabitants feed
principally on vegetables. Their chief suste-
nance is derived from potatoes, bananas, yams,,
sugar canes, and a small fruit resembling grapes,
growing on the rocks on the sea-shore. A few
fowls are sometimes seen upon the island, but
they are not sufficiently abundant to be reckoned
among the articles of provision.

The natives cultivate the fields with care and

why should they have fled to avoid punishment, whiC'Ji
they feared, and perhaps thought they merited. Had the
navigators continued long in the island, they would certain!/
hi' 'c intlicted such chasrisements on these depredators as
W'i'e conimensurato to their crimes, as lenity in the extrcmve
might have been productive of disagreeable consequences.
The most consummate rogues of Europe are not greater
hypocrites than these islanders; all (heir caresses and ci*
vilitios arc feigned ; their countenances never express a
single sentiment of truth. It was necessary to bo most dis*
trustful of that Indian to whom we have been kind and li.
beral, and who appeared to be so much under the influence
of gratitude as to be eager to return for it a thousand little-
serviced.

B iageauiiji.

4 ':<

! I

PEROUSE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

^^h

^''^^'.ertilice the earth with grass,

4^uot up, lay in heaps, and burn ;

with the ashes of which the soil is rendered more
prolific*.

SECTION V.

Obsen^atims of M. De Langle, on the Manners, Customs, ^c. of the Inhabitants of Easter
Island — Cultivation of the Soil, Sgc. — Departure from Easter Island — drrival at Sandwich Island;
^c. -—Departure — ipnii. May, Junk, "'**'^

1786.

MDE LANGLE, accompanied by Messrs.
. Dagelet, and sevcrul others, went about
two leagues from the shore to the westward,
and, proceeding from house to house, visited
many plantations of yams and potatoes. The
soil of these premises was judged proper for
the propagation of their seeds, and the gardener
who attended them, sowed carrots, cabbages,
beets, maize, and pumkins; signifying to the
Islanders, as well as they were able, that they
would germinate and produce roots &nd fruits
for their support. They perfectly understood
the benevolent intention of their visitors, and
pointed out the particular spots where they
were desirous of seeing these new productions.

M. de Langle met with no small shrubs, ex-
cept the paper mulberry tree, and the mimosa.
After proceeding about two leagues to the east,
he returned southward towards (he shore, and
perceived, by the assistance of telescopes, a great
number of monuments, many of which were
overthrown, and in a perishable state. One of
the largest measured sixteen feet ten inches in
height, consisting of a light porous lava; its
breadth over the shoulders was six feet seven
inches, and its thickness at the base two feet seven
inches.

Perceiving a small village, M. de Langle di-
rected his course towards it : one of the houses
it coutaiiied was constructed in the form of a

* Tb« navigators could not quit the Uland without some
4blique censures on the conduct of its inhabitants. " We
landed among them," said they, " merely with a view of
Tendering them service ; wc loaded them with presents ; we
caressed their children ; wo disseminated useful seeds to en.
rich their country ; and gave them sheep, hogs, and goats,
4hat they might replenish tho land. Wc demanded nothine
in return. — But bow were w« rewarded for our generosity!
They threw stones at us, and rubbed us of every thing that

^ On the edge of the crater, on that side towards the sea,
o iftttutf almost destroyed hif time, sufficiently proves tftat

canoe reversed, and measured three 'hundred
feet in length: the ruins of several other ha-
bitations were visible. The monuments and ter-
races here were numerous; and on some of the
stones, of which those terraces were composed,
rude sculptures of skeletons were exhibited.
Holes were observable, which were stopped up
with sim'itar substances, whence it was supposed
that they might now form a communication with
the caverns containing the bodies of the dead.
An Indian, by very expressive signs,' signified
that they were first deposited there, and after-
wards ascended to Heaven. Several pyramids
of stones were ranged upon the sea-shore, and in
the vicinity of (nese pyramids some human
bones were scaltcrod. In the morning seven dif-
ferent terraces were visited, upon which many
statuAs were seen, some upright, and others de-
faced and injured by time. A mannikin of reed,
representing a human figure ten feet in height
presented itself: from its neck hung a net, re-
sembling a basket, covered with white stulT,
which seemed to be filled with grass. By the
side of this bag the figure of a child was re-
presented, about two feet in length. This man-
nikin which, from its appearance, could not
have existed many years, was perhaps a model
of some statue intended to be erected to the me-
mory of some chief f.
Though these islanders were hospitable, and fre-
quently

could be taken away " Under o(her circumstances it would
perhaps have been imprudent to show them so much lenity ;
but as La Perouse had resolved to go in the evening, he
hoped they vould attribute his sudden departure to a dii>
approbation of their proceedings, and be induced to act
with more integrity on future occasions.

■f At the loiUh end of tbo island was seen the crater § of
an old volcano, the the, depth, and regularity of which
excited our surprize. Grass having sprung up on tho sides^

tkt volcano ka$ betn extinct for several ages. ■

•wamps

PEROUFS'S VOYAOF, ROUND THE WOm.T).

mdered mere

J of Easter
dwich Island,

irce 'hundred
ul other ha-
lents and ter«
some of the
re composed,
re exhibited.
3 stopped up
kvas supposed
inication with
of the dead,
gns,' signified
re, and after-
3ral pyramids
-shore, and ia
soiue human
line seven dif-
I which many
nd others de-
inikin of reed,
feet in height
ing a net, re-
1 white stuflf,
;rass. By the
child was re-
This raan-
cc, could not
rhaps a model
ted to the me-

itable, and fre-
quently

umstances it would
u 10 much lenity ;
1 the evening, he
parturo to a dii-
)c induced to act

cen tlic crator § of
igularity of which
ig up on the sidci)

f«i.

iwamps

aueoily gave the party potatoes and sugar-canes,
ley never lost an opportunity of robbmg them,
when they could do it safely. Hardly a tenth
part of the soil is cultivated, and the lands which
arc cleared are without any kind of enclosure :
tlie remainder is covered with a course grass,
even to the summit of the mountains. It being
the rainy season when the party were there, the
earth appeared to be moistened about a foot
deep. Some holes on the hills contained fresh
water, but they no where saw the least appear-
aucc of any kiiid of stream, nor did they observe
among the people any kind of instrument for the
cultivation of their grounds *.

The navigators took their departure from
Cook's Bay. on Easter Island, the ,10th in the
evening. They h)st sight of it the following
day about two o'clock, being then about twenty
leagues off. The woatlier was remarkably clear
till the 17th, and then shifted to the north-cast ;
when the crew began to catch bonetas, which
attended the frigates to the Sandwich Islands,
and furnished provisions for the ships' companies
for about six weeks. This salutary food pre-
served all of them in good hcallh. Not a sick
person was to be found on board either of the
two frigates. They traversed unknown seas ;
their course being nearly parallel to that of
Captain Cook in 1777, when he sailed for the
north- west coast of America ; but they were
about eight hundred leagues more to the east-
ward. La Perouse flattered himself, that in a
distance of about two thousand leagues, he should
make some discovery : to facilitate which, sailors
were perpetually at the mast-head, and a pe-

twampt appearing at (he bottom, and the fertility of the
adjacent landu, suflicicatly demonstrate that the subterra-
neous fireii have been long extinct. Night obliging the party
to return towards the ships, they saw near a house a con.
(iderablo number of children, who tied at their approach.
Perhaps this habitation was the abode of all the youth of the
district; as they could not poiiibly all belong to two wo-
men who appeared to have the care of them: the little dif.
fcrcnce in their ages seemed farther to countenance this ob.
serration. On their return to the tents, thoy presented to
three of the natives the three different species of animals
which they had destined for them.

* The most probable conjectures resujipting the govern.
Dient of these pe6ple are, that Riey compuse a single nation,
which is divided into .is many districts as there are morais ;
the villages being erected near those places of interment.
The products of the earth seem to belong to all the re-
spective inhabitants of the district. As the men, without
any regard to doUoacy, offer their women iadiicriminately

ciiniary reward oflfered to the fortunate mariner
who should first discover the land.

After M. Dagelct, in this run, had made many
lunar obsRrvutions, which agreed extremely well
with tlic, tiiiic-keepors of M. Bcrthoud, La Pe-
rouse discovered on the 7th of May, a great
number of birds of the petrel species, man of
war, and Tropic birds; the last two species df
vshich lire remarked for not appearing at any
great distance from land. Mtiny turtles wefe
also observed passing uloiigside. The Astrolabe
caught two of them, which were said to be de-
licious. On the liiOth La Perouse passed through
the midst of the supposed cluster of Los Majos,
without perceiving the least appearance of an
island ; on the 28th he saw the moiuitains of.
Owhyhee, covered with snow, and afterwards
those of Mowee, which are less elevated. At
nine be beheld the point of Mowee. He also
perceived an island bearing West which the
English had not seen, and which was not to be
found in their chart, and which in this parti-
cular is very defective; though whatever is laid
down from their own observations merits the
highest encomiums *)*.

About a hundred and fifty canoes were seen
putting off from the shore, laden with fruit and
(logs, which the Indians proposed to exchange
for pieces of iron of the Frenih nsivigutors.
Most of them came on board of one or the other
of the vessel», but they proceeded so fast through
the water that they filled alongside. The Indians
were obliged to quit the ropes we had thrown
them, and leaping into the fea swam after their
hogs; when taking them into their arms, they

to strangers, it cannot be supposed they belong to any one,
in particular. It also appears that, when the childri'ii are
weaned, they are committed to the care of other women,
who, in every respective district, undL'rtake the tnsk of
rearing them. The whole popul.ition may be estimated at
about two thousand people ; but it may reasonably he sup^
pused that the population was iriorc considerable, before
the trees were d'jstroyed. It does not appear that life is
long extended in these regions, for not a single man in the
island appears to exceed the age of sixty. five.

t The island of Mowee, which he coasted along at about
a league distance, had an enchanting appearance: ca^cadis
were beheld, falling from .the summits of the mountains,
and descending tb the sea, after having laved the nunurous
habitations of tlie natives. The tne't which crowned tho
mountains, the verdure, and the bananas which emb^lli^h-
ed the cabins, all contribute to operate so forcibly on tho
souses of tho beholders, that they experienced the most ex-
tat'n sensations.

emptied

PEROUSR'S VOVAGK HOUND THF WORT.D.

)•

|a.

.«

emptied tlieir oanoex of i\\e wiiter> and resumed
(hnir scat. Upwards of tWrty canoes were thus
successively overset ; hut though the commerce
was Bg^reeable to both parties, no more than
fifteen hojB^s, and a small quantity of fruit could
be procured. The navigators were deprived of
the opportunity of bargaining for upwards of
three hundred more hogs, by this ludicrous and
vnexpected accident*.

La Perouse stood west and north-west to gain
tlie anchoriige where the Astrolabe had already
brought up, about a third of a league from
shore. They lay sheltered from the sea breeze
by a high bluff, capped by clouds. The Indians
of the villages eagerly came alongside in their
canoes, bringing hogs, bananas, potatoes, and
stuffs, forming certain partieulars of dress, as
articles of commerce. Not choosing they should
come on board till the ship was completely at
anrhor, tliey were informed that she was taboo f ,
which they seemed perfectly to understand. M.
de Langl.'.', who had not adopted the same ex-
pedieiitj had his deck iiistaiilly crowded by them;
but they were so do( ile and obedient as to be
easily prevailed on to return to their canoes.
When permitted to come on board, they mani-
fested a fear of giving offence, and in all their
commercial dealing gave proofs of their fidelity.
They were mricli pleased with pieces of old iron
hoops, and had sufficient address to procure
them on the most advantageous terms.

The night was calm, with the exception of a
few gusts, which were of short duration. At
dav-break the long-boat of the Astrolabe was
detached, with M. de Vanjuas and others, to
sound a deep bay, where it was supposed better
anchorage might be found, but this new an-
chorage did not appear to be preferable to that
which they occupied. At eight in the morning
four boats of the two frigates were in readiness

* F.ach of these canoes coutainrd from throe to firo men :
the size was generally about twenty. four feet in length, one
in breadth, ami one in depth. One of these dimensions
weighed abont lifty pounds. • Willi those fragile re^sels the
inhabitants of the islands traTcrsp channels twenty leagues
across, like that between Atooi and Wohaoo, where the
sea runs extremely high ; but they are snch expert swim,
mors that no dangers by water can deter them. As the na-
tigators adranced, the mountains seemed removetl to the
interior of the island ; and they no longer saw any cas.
cades: the trees were thinly scattered in the plain, the
villages consisted of only ten or twelve cabins each, and
tUo»e wore >ery rcuioic from each other. They regretted

to set otf; the two first eonttiincd twenty tnned
soldiers, commanded by a lieutenant: M. du
Langlc, accompanied by all tho passengers and
officers not on actual duty, were in two others.
This preparation alarmed the natives, who from
the dawn of the day had been alongside in their
canoes. They continued their traffic, as usual,
but did not follow the party on shore. About
one hundred and twenty persons, including both
sexes, waited for them on the beaeh. The of-
ficers and soldiers were first landed : the latter
fixed their bayonets, selected a certain spare of
ground, and made such dispositions as would
have been necessary in the presence of 'i enemy,
These forms did not seem to deter the inhabitants;
the women, by the most expressive gestures
convinced them that they were disposed to grant
them any ac4 of kindness they could require :
and the men were anxious to know the motive
of their visit, that they might anticipate their
wants. Two Indians, who seemed invested with
authority over the others, gravely addressed'
them in a long harangue, the purport of which
they could not comprehend, and each of tlicm
presented a pig. M. de Langle, in return, gave
them medals, hatchets, and several pieces of
iron. His liberality had a wonderful effect ; the
women redoubled their caresses, but they wero
far from being alluring; their features wanted
softness and delicacy; and some traces were dis-
covered of the ravages of a certain disease which'
they had not long been acquainted with.

After having visited the village, M. de Langle-
gave ojdcrs that six soldiers, with a Serjeant, should
accompany him : the otlicrs were left upon the
beach, under the command of M. de Pierrevert,
the lieutenant : to them was committed the pro-
tection of the ships' bouts, from which not a.
single sailor had landed |.

The party re-embarked at eleven o'clock in

^________ very

the country they had K;ft behind them, and found- bo shelter
till they saw before them a rugged shore, where torrents of
lava had formerly Oowed.

+ A wiord whix^h. In their religion, signifies a thing they
cannot touch, or a consecrated place, into which they aro
not permitted to^ntev. Dtxna gives a rocabulary of the
language of the Slindwich Islands, in which the word taboo
signifies embargo: though, in his plural, he explains the
ceremony of lying under taboo in the same manner as Cap.
tflin Cuok has done.

:|: Tho soil of this iiiland is principally formed of a de-
composed lava, and other Tolcanic matters : the water
which tho inhabitants driukis brackish, drawn from shallow

wclls^

n
fr

the

ch«

PEROUSPs VOYAGE HOUND THE WOIII H

twenty trmrd
nant: M. do
tassengers and
in two others,
es, who from
nf^side in thoir
iflic, as usual,
jhore. About
including both
*ch. The of-
ed : the latter
rtaiii spare of
ions ns would
' of '1 enemy,
he inliubitunts;
•ssive gestures
)08rd to grant
:ould require :
low (he niutive
iiticipate their
[| invested with
k'ely aJdressed-
port of wliich
eaeh of tlien»
iu return, gave
eral pieces of
rful effect; the
[but they wero

atures wanted
ces were dis-
isease which

with.

VI. de Langlfr
•jeant, should-
lift upon the
e Pierrevert,

tted the pro-
which not a,

en o'clock in
very

foiind' no shelter
'here torrents of

ifii's a thing they
which they are

>cabiilary of the
the word taboo
he explains the
manner as Cap.

formed of a do-
irs : the water
rnfroin shalln\r
wells*

TCry good order, and arrived on board about
noon; where M. de Clonurd had received a visit
from a chief, of whom he had purchased a cloak,
and a helmet adorned with red feathers : he had
also purchased a hundred hogs, a quantity of
potatoes and bananas, plenty of stuffs, jnats,
and various other articles. On their arrival on
board, the two frigates dragged their anchors :
it blew fresh from the south east, and they were
driving down upon the island of Morokinne,
which was however at a suQicient distance to
give them time to hoist in their boats. La Pe-
rouse made the signal for weighing, but before
they could purchase the anchor, he was obliged
to make sail, and drag it till he had passed Mo-
rokinne, to hinder liiui from driving past the
channel.

As he did not entirely get his anchor till five
in the afternoon, it was too latr to shape his
course between the islund of Kainui and the
west part of Mower: till eight the breezes were
so light that he could not run above half a
league. At length the wind settled at n()rth-
cast, when he stood to the westward. At the
dawn of day he btielched towards the south-
west extretnity of the island of Morotoi. This
island seemed to bo uninhabited in this part,
though, according to the English account, it is
very populous on the other side. It is re-
markable that in these islands the most healthy,
fertile, and populous parts are always to wind-
ward *.

to rilix {

SECTION VI.

.^i'.v^i!'i I At:-

departure from the Smidxiich hlaiids — Siindnj Occurrences — Description of the liaij of Port rles
Frimcuin — Manners, Customs, ^c nf the .InUabitants-r-Tri{\}\c iKith them—JvsE, July, HSG.

THE fresh stock t^i at had beet) pro^tircd at
the Sandwich Islands, afforded an agreeable
and salutary subsistence to the companies bf the
two frigates ft>r about thr«h;'Vecks. The hrtgs,
hwvever, ' could ' not he preserved aliye for want
of water and food. The crew were obliged to
follow Captain Cook's method of salting them;
but the greater number of them were so small
that salt only tended to corrode thcro, which
rendered it necessary 'to consume them as soon as
possible.
On the 6th of June the trade winds no longer

wells, one of which will hardly furnish half a barrel of
water in a day. Three or four tillages presented theni-
sulvcs, which contained about ten or twelve houses each ;
they arc covered with straw, aud the roofs have two de.,
clivities: the height of the door is about three feet and a
half, and .he habit.ilinns cannot be entered without stoop,
ini;: it is shut by a simple hatch, which can be opened with
the greatest facility. The fnrnijure consists of mats, which
form a very neat covering, upon which they lie down : their
kitchen utensils are large calabashes, which they mould to
any shape they plea.se while they are green : they also varnish
and wrnanient them. Sometimes they glue them together,
and form very large vessels of them : and their glue pos.
sessed the quality of resisting water. Their stiilTs, of which
they have great plenty, were made of the paper mulberry,
tree. At their return they wer« harai-^ued by. some
women, who presented them several pieces of StufJj Mhich
were paid for with hatchets and iron nuilii.

Vol. II. No. LXV.

accompanied our navigators: of this they were
convinced from several circuinstanrrs : the wind
shilYed to south-east, and the hkv became dull
and whitish. They were much afraid the v sliould
soon have cause to regret the loss of the fine
weather, which had hitherto preserved them in
so excellent a state of health. La Perouse's
apprehensions of fogs were quiikly realized.
They began on the 9lh of June, and ihoy had
no clear weather till the 14lh. The humidity
was extreme; the fog, or rain, had pcnctr.ited
through all the sailors' cloathing : uut a ray

* On the first of June, at six in the evcnitig, he I ;:td
cleared all the i-ilands, and had n it euiplii\e(l niorc liian
forty-eight hours in examining Ihi'in, and fiT'ern d.iys in
elucidating a very important point in geogr.i hy, us it \x.
punges from (he French charts five or .^ix inlands wliieh
have no existence. The fishes, which had followed ns from
I'^aster Island, now disappeared. Ii i< certain that the s.kiio
shoal of these aci^atic animals followed the fri^aU's lifleeo
hundred leagues: several, which liaJ been wounded by the
French harpoons, retained a mark on (hem b) wtiieh they
were perfectly known : the people, daily saw anJ recolK-ct-
ed, the same fish tli:vt we had seen the preceding night. Had.
they not stopp(td at the Saudwich Islands, th>y » t<ti!d pro.
bauly have followed; them two, or (hrei; hniwlreil l.:j.;ues,
or till they could conic to>: a. tcmpevaluro which suited
them. , ' o-,?,.- 1 • 1. i.L-.. !.;....; ,ii. I ^.:

PER0U3F/S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLDl

il i

of, <he sun appeared to dry them. Being of
opinion tliiit cold wet weu<her was the principal
cause of the scurvy. La Perouse ordered stoves,
iiiied wiih burning coals, to be placed under the
half deck, and betv/een the declis where the
jieople slept : he returned to every sailor their
HiinncI under waistcoats and breeches, which he
liad kept in reserve for them from their depar-
ture fioni Cape Morn. He also distributed to every
seaman and soldier a pair of boots. liis surgeon
likewise proposed that a slight infusion of bark
should be mixed with their grog at breakfast,
whii h might have salutary effects without de-
stroying the relish of the beverage. This mixture
was directed to be prepared secretly, as (he crewg
might otherwise refuse to drink their grog: but
as none of them perceived what had been done,
no murmuring arose concerning this new regi-
men *.

A fair wind accompanied the navigators from
their departure from the Sandwich Island.^, till
they landed at Mount St. Elias. As they ad-
vanced to the northward, tl'.cy saw sea-weeds
pass by, such as they never had beneld till then ;
a head, of <he magnitude of an orange, termi-
nated a stalk of about forty feet in length.
W hales and wild geese convinced them that tliey
were approai liing land. Early in the mu ning
of the 23(l they descried it : a sudden dispersion
^of the fog opened to them the view of. a long
chain of mountains covered with snow. They
distinguis-hed Behrin's Mount Saint Elias, the
summit of which appeared exalted.

The sight of land, though generally agree-

* Mrny other precautions were attended with the greatest
success; a caipeiiter eonstriirted, from a pl.in of M. de
Liingie, a rorii-null, which proved infinitely scrviceabfe.
The pursers, convinced that kiln-dried corn might be pre-
served better than tlour and biscuit, proposed to take a
quantity of it on board. Mill-stone* were provided, and
four men were required to keep them in proper motion.
At length, however, it appeared that the grain was only
broken, and not ground, and that the whole day's labour
of four men, rcHeved every half hoar, produced only
twenty.five ponnds weight of in perfect flout. The corn
forming half our store of provision, the crews would have
l>een much embarrassed, had not M. dc Langic, assisted by
a sailor that hai5 formerly been a milllcr's boy, adapted to
the milLstoncs the movement of a windhmill. He first con-
trived sails tit be turned by the wind, which he found to be
a kind of improvement; but he afterwards introduced a
handle, which rendered the project in some degree compleat.
By this new metlkod petfcst tout wa» obU^e' aa4 about

able after a long voyage, afforded them liltTe
satisfaction. Immense heaps of snow, covering
a barren land without trees, had no charms for
them. I A black rock, of immiense height, des-
titute of all verdure, formed a striking contrast
to the whiteness of the snovv. A thick fog en-
veloped the land during the 35tb, but or. the
26th the weather became very fine, and the coast
appeared at two in the morning, with all its-
windings. At two o'clock in the afternoon a
calm rendered it necessary for La Perouse to
come io an anchor. At six in the moriiinu' he
had dispatched his long-boat, under the com-
mand of M. de Boutin, to reconnoitre (his bay
or channel. Messrs. de Monti and de Yauiuaa
quitted the Astrolabe f^r the same purpose: and
they brought up to wait the return of these of-
ficers: the general opinion was that it was sup-
posed the woody point of the inland was either
a channel, or formed the mouth of a great river.
About nine in the evening the three boats, how-
ever, returned, and three officers unanimously
declared, that there was neither channel nor
river; that the coast only formed a semicircular
hollow in the north-east, am) that there was no
shelter from the most dangerous winds. As M.
de Monti's landing was attended with great dif-
ficulty, and as he was the comujiander of this
little division. La Perouse gave the B^y thp ap-
pellation of MoHti Bayf. He then made the
signal for getting under way, and as the weather
appeared formidable, he embraced the advantage
of a breeze to run to the south-east, and gaia
an offing ^.

Thi»

two hundred weight of corn could be daily ground with
ease.

+ Monti Bay is neither more or ]css than the anchorage-
of Uixon on the '23(1 of Alay ; m\ anchorage sheltei-cd from
all wiiiils, by the corner of an isfand whicli furms a kind
of jetty, to which he gave the name of Port Mulgrave.

I On the 1st of July, abont noon they wore i;i;ar eiioiiirh
to distinguish men, had there been a:.iy upon (he slicre, by
the assistance of their perspective glasses ; but (hi'y saw
breakers which rendered a landing impossible. A' uvo in
the afternoon a falling in of the coast wa^ perceivcil, wliich
a jpcared to t)e a line bay. La Perouse disijalclied the j jlly
boat, commanded by IM. de Picrrevert to recoi.noitn; it.
The Astrolabe a!ao sent two boats for the sauh iv.irpose!
commanded by Messrs de Flassan and Bontervilliurs. The
report of the gentlemen ltti>t mentioned was so favourable
that La Perouse resolved to shape his course towards the
passage. He soon perceived Indians, who shewed signs of
fHendship by hanging up skins and white cloaks ; and
I leveritl

PKROUSPs VOYAGE ROUND THE WOTILW.

ed ihcm liltTe
now, covering
10 charms for
e height, dcs-
iking contrast

tliick fog en-
ti, but on the

and the coast
, wilh all its
L' afternoon a
<a Pfroiise to
e morning ho
idcr the conj-
oitro this hay
id de Yaujiias
purpose: and
1 of these of-
lat it was sup-
nd was either
' a great river,
e boats, liow-
' unanimously

channel nor
1 semicircular
f there was no
inda. As IVf.
tvith great dif-
^ander of this
Bisy the ap-

en made the

8 the weather
the advantage
^ust, and gain

Thi»

iily ground wilh

n tlic anclioragc-
^o .'•hi'lloii-d from
ell fnniis a kind
rt Miiljjiavc.
^cTc i'.L'ai'c'ii()iij;h
»n llii' slif'ri', by
; but (liL-y s^w
ibie. A', iwo ii)
pcrfrivfil, wliith
palclicd till' j )\ly
I recoiiiioitri! it.
• saiiii purpose,
terwlliurs. The
pas so favoitrablo
urse toward* <he
> shewed signs of
ito cloaks; and
•eveiitl

This port, wTiich had never been discovered by
any other navigators, is situated tliirty-three
leagues to the north-west of that of Los Reme-
dios, and ab.mt two hundred and twenty-four
Ican-ucs from Nootka. The calmness of tlie in-
terior of the bay we found extremely delightful,
and the place was honoured with the name of
Port de Frmicais. La Boussole came to anchor
in the ba}- at half a cable's length from the
shore : the Astrolabe did -the same. M. Boutin
having been afterwards sent to sound the bay,
found an excellent bed of sand ; afterwards both
the frigates gained a good anchorage-
While the navigators were cotnpelled to stay
at the entrance of the bay, they were continually
surrounded by the canoes of the Indians. In
exchange for iron * they were ofTered fish, and
variet_^' of skins ; as well as sundry articles of
dress, and the natives displayed much ability in
their commercial dealings, but iror» was more
eagerly coveted than any other medium of barter.
They indeed consented to take some pewter pots
and plates, but they received them with indif-
ference. Iron was their favourite metal : a dag-
ger of it hung from the necks of many of them.
Seeing the ^rencliinen examine these daggers
>vith great attention, they intimated to them that
they never used them but against bears, and
other beasts of the forests. Some of them were
formed of copper, a metal not uncommo>i
among them, though chiefly used for col'iss,
bracelets, and other ornaments. The points of
their arrows are also tipped with it. Some of
their toys were composed of brass, well-known
composition of copper and zinc; a circumstance
whi'.'h induced the French traders to suppose
the metals tfvey produced came from the Russians,
the factors for the Hudson's Bay Company, or

several ranors of thi'in were flshint; in the bay. At seven
tliey were bcfori; it: the wind was light, and the ebb.tidc
so hfroni; that it was impossible to stem it. The Astrolabe
was rapidly driren out with it, and the Boussole came to
an anchor, to prevent being drifted away by the current,
of the direction of whieh Ija Perouso was then i^^iiorant,
but when he foiiml that it set towards the otfing, he weighed
anchor and rejoined the Astrolabe.

* Virgin, or native iron, though very rare, has been
found in Sweden, (Jermany, at Senegal, in Siberia, and at
the island of th« Klbc^ La Peruusp said he fonnd it at
Krba.longa, a village two leagues to the northward of
Bastia, the capital of Corsica ; it was spre.id with great pro-
fusion in the mass of a rock, situated on the sca«shore, and
consUntly ondvr the octacdral form. The existence of
native iron is itili further proved, by the examples which

from the Spaniards. The love of gold is not
more prevalent in Europe than that of iron is in
this part of America f.

When the navigators had established them-
selves ii|ion this island, they were visited by almost
all the Indians of the Bay. The report of their
arrival having spread itself to the adjacent parts,
several canoes arrived tilled wilh otters' skins,
which the natives bartered for knives, hatchets,
and bar-iron. The sea-otter is supposed to be
more' common here than in any part of America.
The Astrolabe caught one, which probably had
escaped from the Indians, as it was severely
wounded. It weighed seventy potinds, and per-
haps had attained its full growth. The ^ a-
ottcr is an amphibious animal, remarkable for
the beauty of its skin. The Indians of Port
Francais call it skccter. Some naturalists have
noticed it under the denomin.'.tion o^ suvicoviennc,
but the description of that animal iu Buffon ha»-
no affinity with this, whieh has no resemblance
of the otter of Canada, nor that of Europe.

On their arri'.al at their second an^'horage,
the navigator.s established an observatory on an
island within a muskei-shot of the ships : there
they pitched tents, and formed a settlement for
the tinle they stipposed they should continue ia
this port. As all the Indian villagt^s were on the-
continent, they Jhouiiht tliey should be perfectly
secure upon this litlie island, but they were soon
convinced of their inistiike. They indeed knew
the Indiaiii weie all thieves, but they did not
suppose ilicy Wf'ie such adepts in thievery as to be
able to carry on the most difliciilt projects in the
art. Ttiey watched every niji^ht *'i)r a favour-
able opportunity of comuiittiog their depreda-
tions ; and though an excellent ^Uiud Avas kept
on boaul, they often deceived their vigilance.

exist ill the areatep part of the cabinets of natural history,
am! by tho opinion of Stahf, Liniia'iis, MargratF, &c.

+ On the day of their arrival '• y rec'.'ivei a visit from,
tire chief of the principal village; but before he attemptedi
to come on board, he seemed to address a ft-rvent prayer to
the Sun : he afterwards delivered an elaborate speech, which
terminated with melodious sona;s ; the Indians in his canoe
accompanied him by repeating the same air in chorus. Most
of (hem then appeared on board, and danced \o the sound
of their own voices for about an hour. L" Pcronse made
the chief several presents, which induced him to berome so
troublesome, that he every day continued live or six hours
on board: and if these presents v.ero .iMt fre;jnently re*
peated, ho went away dissatisfied, muttci tag some threats,
vrhioh indeed were not ituch regarded.

Nothing.

I hA

(■

I! I

» I i '.1 .

^i'

t^ ,

i i

PEROUSE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

Nothing was icclaimed that had been stolen, i»
order to prevent quarrels, and their disagreeable
consequences *.

Messrs. de Langle, de Monti, and Dagelet,
with several other officers, were anxious to as-
cend the ghicier: with inexpressible fatigue, thej
attained the distance ot* about two leagues, in

the course of which they were obliged to leap
over clefts of an astonishing depth : yet they
were unable to descry any thing but a continua-
tion of glaciers and snow, which lieemed to have
no other termination than at the summit of^
JNIount Fair Weather.

- i .> SECTION VII.

Conliniie at Port dcs Francais — A melancholi/ Accident occurs — Particulars of Departure —
Port dcs Francais described — Its Productions— J\''atural History — JManncrs and Customs of the
Inhabitants— Their Propensities— Language— July, . 1 ■/ SU.

ON the following day the chief came again
oil lK)aril the Roussdle ; better attended and
dressed than usual ; and, after variety of singing
and dancinji:, otlercd to sell to La Pcrouse the
islan'i (in wliith the observatory had been placed;
meaning, it is presumed, to reserve to himself
and his associates the right of plinidcring from
it. "Without questioning his right of trans-
ferring the property to another, or mentioning
a doubt whether he could execute a legal in-
strument of conveyance, he accepted the chiefs
'offer; and gave him, as a valuable considera-
tion for the land, several yards of red cloth,
knives, hatchets, nails, and bar-iron. At the
same time he compliraenled his suite vvitli several
presents. The bargain being thus completed,
he sent to take possession of tie island with the
usual formalities.

Having taken in as much wood and water as
was required, the navigators esteemed thenis«'lves
the most fortnnate of men in having arrived at
such a distanie from Europe without having a
sick person among them, or any one afllicted

* This rxccs"! of liMiity rentk'rcd the islaiulers extrcnu-'y
insolent, l)iit fja Foroiise ciidoavoiiri'il to convince them of
the superiority of (he I''renrh iirins. l-'xperinients .shewing
the eflicacy of cannon ami niusi|uet-balls were exiiibiled,
and expert marksmen kiiicd (lie birds (tying over their
heads. Not intiniidiited, however, by any thing that could
he done or threatened, (hoy piirsueil (heir former courses,
and compelled La Perouse (o tai;e away (he setdement lie
had made upon the island; but before (hey could arconi.
piiiih their intention, they contrived, in spite of cen(inel.>>,
to carry off n any of (he efleets; and had the address to in-
trpdnco themselves into ISI. I<aiiris(on's (ent, where lie
slept, and took away an ornamented niu.squet, as well as
the clothes of two ollicers, who hail pj.iced them Uiider their
bolster. They were unperceived by twelve soldiers upon

with the scurvy; but a lamentable misfortune
now awaited them. The following inscription,
composed by M. dc Lamanon, will briefly relate
the particulars of this melancholy event.

" Ou the 14th of July, 1780, the frigates
Boussole and Astrolabe, which sailed from Brest
tlie 1st of August 1785, arrived in this port.
From the care of M. de la Perouse, commatider
in chief of the expedition, of the viscount dc
Langle, commander of the second frigate, of
Messrs. Clonard and de Monti, second captains
of the two ships, and of the other officers and
surgeons, none of the diseases which are ineident
to long voyages had afflicted our ship's com-
panies ; M. dc la Pcrouse found himself happy
in the reflection, as did all the others, of having
been from one end of the world to the other,
through every kind of danger, and of having
visited people reputed to be barbarous, without
losing a single man, ox shedding a drop of blood.
On the 13th of July, at five o'clock in the morn-
ing, three boats set off for the purpose of laying
down the soundings upon the draught which

guard. In (his las! robbery, the loss of iin original memo,
randum book was much regretted, in which was written all
the astronomical observations s''':u their arrival iii the I'oil
des Francais.

To form a conception of (his bay, let ns suppose a
bason of water of an nnfavosirable de|ith in (he middle,
bordered wi(h excessive high mountains covered w ith snow,
w'ithont a blade of grass, and condemned to perpetual
sterility. Not li breath of air ruffles the surface of thks
water; though sometimes a tremendous noisj is occasioned
by the fallinn of enormous pieci-s of ice from five diirerent
glaciers. Thi' air here is generally so calm, and the silencu
so profound, that a man's voice may be heard the distance
of half a league, us well as the noise of some sea-birds,
who build their iici>i' in the cavities uf these rocks.

had

PF.ROUSK'S A'OYAGK ROUND TFTF, WnHIJ).

li)

l)Iiged to leap
pth : jet tliey
)ut a coiitiniia-
ieemcd to liave
lie suiutnit of^

'tfS

iVMy

Departure —
Customs uf the

ble misfortune
ug inscription,
11 briffl)' relate

event.

5, the frijratcs
iled from Brest
1 in this port,
sc, comtnaiider
lie viscount dc
)nd frigate, of
iecond captains
ler oQlcers and
ch are incident
ir ship's coui-
himself liappy
ers, of having

to the other,

nd of having
irous, without

rop of blood,
in the morn-
pose of laying

ranght which

original moino.
Ii ^^ils written all
nival ill flic I'orl

!t lis suppose a

h in the niiilille,

ored with sn;»w,

I to (icrpotuiil

surfiict; of tlii.s

iisi) is occ'usioniHl

oin five (lillcrciit

and the Kiienifj

ani the distiiucn

some sca-hlrtU,

rocks.

had

bad been made of the bay. They were com-
manded by M. d'Escures, lieutenant of the navy,
and a chevalier of St. Louis. M. de la Perouse
had jj;iven him instructions in writing, which ex-
prossly charged him not to approach the current,
but at the moment he conct'ived himself at a suf-
ficient distance from it, he found himself drawn
in by it. Messrs. de la Borde, brothers, and de
Flassa, who were in the boat of the second fri-
gate, were not afraid of exposing themselves to
danger, bv flying to the assistance of their com-
panions, but they, alas ! shared the same un-
happy fate. The third boat was under the
orders of M. Boutin, lieutenant of the navy.
This oflicer, contending with courage against the
breakers during the space of several hours,
made the most vigorous but useless exertions to
assist his friends, and was only indebted for his
own safety to the superior coii.'^tiuclion of his
boat, to his own enlightened prudence, joined
with that of M. Lapraise Moulon, lieutenant of
the frigate, his second in command, and to the
activity and ready obedience of his crew, con-
sisting of Jean Marie, cockswain, Lhostir, le
Bas, Corentin Jers, and Moners, all four sailors.
The Indians seemed to participate in our sorrows,
which were extreme. Moved, hut not discon-
raged by our misfortunes, we sailed the 30th of
July, to continue our voyage.

" The names of the officers, soldiers, and
sailors, who were lost on the 13th of July, at
a quarter past seven o'clock in the morning.
" The Bolssole.

" Qlficers — Messrs. D'Escures, de Pierrevert,
de Montarnal.

" (-rcw — Le Maitre, first pilot; Lientot, cor-
poral and cockswain ; Prieuf, Fraichot, Ber-
rin, B(>lct, Fleury, Chaub, all seven soldiers ;
the oldest not thirty-three years of age.
" The AsTtioi.ABE.

" Officers — Messrs. de la Borde Marchain-

* Upon tins lamciifahle i\ nt, M. de la Peronsc declared
that his sorrows have siner l.ien frequently aeconipanied by
his tears; that time con I I nut assniine his grief ; and that
every object recalled to his mind the loss 'hey had siisfained,
in circumstances where' such a catastropho could not be
dreaded or apprehended.

+ Our travellers also saw a niorai, by which they were
convinced that these Indians were accustomed to burn tlieir
dead, and to preserve only the head. This motiuuient con-
sisis of four stakes, which support a little wooden cliani-
ber, w here the ashes of the dead arc deposited in cofbns ;

Vol. 11. No. LXY.

ville, dc lu Borde Boutervilliers, brothers,
Flassan.

" CVciU— Soulas, corporal and cockswain ;
Philiby, Julien "? Penn, Pieure, Rabier, all lour
soldiers; Thomas Audrieuse, Goulvrn Tarreau.
Guillaume Duquesne, all three captains of the
tops, in the flower of their age.

" At the entrance of this harbour perished
twentv brave seamen.

" Reader, whoever thou art, join thy tears t»

ours

'• *

By contimn"ng at the entrance of (he bay,
more knowledge of the manners and customs of
the Indians was acquired than could have been
expected at the other anchorage: the ships lay
near their villages, which they CaWy visited.
Almost every hour furnished fresh cause of
complaint against them; though they continued
to experience from the navigators the most evi-
dent proofs of benevolence and generosity. They
brought sonie pieces of the wreck of the boats,,
which had been -driven upon the eastern coast,
and intimated, by signs, that they had hnried
one of the unfortunate suilerers on the shore.
M. dc Clonard, and two other officers, on re-
ceiving this intelligence, directed their course
towards the east, accompanied by these Indians,
to whom they had been extremely liberal. The
officers were conducted over a very frightful
road, by their guides, who demanded a fresh
payment every half hour, or threatened to re-
turn. At length they fled with pregipitation
into the woods, when the officers were convinced
that the rep(>rt was fabricated merely to extort
presents from them. In this journey thev saw
immense forests of large fir-trees ; some of w hiclt
were five feet diameter, and seemed to exceed a
hundred and forty feet iti height. They were
not surprised at the manoeuvres of the Indians,
as, upon all occasions, they had manifested con-
siderable address in stealing f.

they opened these coflins, examined a packet of skins which
enveloped the head, and carefully replaced every article,
addiuf; several valuable presents. The huli.ins who were
present at this visit, seemed rather dLsconcerted, but in.
slanlly M'Izcd the presents which the travellers had left.
But if those people reluctantly permitted the travellers to
visit their tombs, liu-y would not suU'er them to approach
their cabiiw, till they had previously removed all their
women, who were olijecfs of extreme disgust.

Strange Ciuioes dailv entered the bay, and whole villages
quitted it, yielding their places to othen. These Indians

f lit

PEROUSE'S VOYAGE ROU»D THE WORLD.

*•■ i

i'i

This canoo had timbers and whales like the
French boats: the wood-work was extremely
well executed, and had a covering of seals' skin,
serving as a kind of sheathing, so ingeniously
formed that the best European artist could with
difficulty imitate the work. This covering was
deposited in the moral, near the cofllus with the
ashes; and the frame, elevated upon stocks, re-
mained bare near this monument.

On the yOth of July, at four in the afternoon,
La Pcrouse got under way : the horizon was so
clear, that he perceived Mount Saint Elias, dis-
tant at least forty leagues, bearing north-west.
At eight in the evening, he was three leagues to
the southward of the bay.

This biiy or harbour, to which La Pcrouse
gave the name of I'oiH dcs FrcnicaiS; is situated
in 58^* 31' north latitude, and 13i)" 50' west
longitude. In different excursions, he says, he
found the high-water mark to be l.^ feet above
the surface of the sea. The climate of this coast
is iufinitely milder than that of Hudson's Bay,
in the saitie degree of latitude. Pines were seen
of six feet diameter, and a hundred and forty
feet in height. Vegetaiion is vigorous during
three or four months of the year. Plenty of
celery, endive, sorrel, lupine, the wild pea,
and yarrow were found, which were eaten in
soups, ragouts, and sal lads; all which perhaps
contributed to keep the crews in perfect health.
The woods abound with strawberries, rasbcrries,
and gooseberries ; (he dwarf willow, elder, and
different species of briar ; the gum poplar tree,
the poplar, and superb pines, proper for the
masts of the largest ships.

The rivers abound with trout and salmon, but
in the bay were taken some fictans *, some of

arc so much in dread of the channel (hat thov nen-r entered
it but iit slack water. By the aid of glass - 't appeared,
that when they were between the two poiiifR, a chief or
elder rose up, and extended his arms towards the Siiin, in the
attitude of addressing prayers to it, whilst the others con.
tinned paddlinfi; with great earnestness. The meaning of
this custom being required, it appeared that seven largo
canoes had been lust there a lillle time before, and the
eighth had been with ditTiciilty saved : the Indians who
escitpcd this misfortune, consecrated it either to their God,
or to the memory of their sutferers.

* A flat fish, not unlilic the turhot, but longer, the back
covered with blaek scales; those >n Europe arc much
smaller.

A fish similar to cod, but generally larger. It is easily
taken, from its greediness.

+ This fish rescmbtcs the whiting, but is larger; the

which exceeded a hundred pounds in weight.
There were also ling, the single thornback,
plaice, and some capclansf. 'The navigatori
preferring salmon and trout to ail these fishes,
were furnished with greater quantities of them
that they could consume. They had little
angling, and that only with the line : thc) had
not leisure to haul the seine, which required
twenty-five men to draw it ashore. Muscles wore
profusely scattered over that part of the shore
which is uncovered at low water, and small
limpets are abimdant upon the rocks. In the
hollows of, these rocks were observed several
species of whelks and other sea snails. Large
cockles were also found upon (he sand of the
beach J.

Nature has furnished inhabitants to (his fiight-
ful country, who differ from those of civilised
countries, as the scene in contemplation differs
from the cultivated plains, of France : as rude
and barbarous as their soil is rocky and barren,
they inhabit (his island to destroy its population :
eternally hostile to (he animals, they despise the
vegetable 8ubs(ances which surrounds (hem.
Their arts indeed are somewhat advanced, and
civilization has made some progress, but their
ferocity requires much softening, and (heir ma.n-
ners nmch polishing. Their mode of life ex-
cluding .all subordina(ion, they are constantly
agitated by revenge or fear. Irritable, and
prone to anger, bloody quarrels frequently
arise. Perishing for want in winter, because
they cannot then be successful in the chase ; they
fatten on abundance in the summer, as an hour
employed in fishing will support a whole family
for a day : the remainder of which is devoted
to idleness or gaming, to which they are as

flesh of it is soft, pleasant, and easy of digestion : it is
common on the coast of Provence, and is named the ;jot»r
priest,

J The hunters discovered in the woods, ])Ienty of bears,
martens, and squirrels; and purchased from the Indians
the skins of the brown .ind black bear; as well as of the
beaver, the ermine, marten, little grey squirrel, Canadiivn
marmot, and the red fox. There is no great variety of
birds, though the individuals are numerous : the thickets
swarm with nightingales, black birds, and yellow hammers.
In the pairing time their singing was deligliiful. The white
headed eagle was seen towering in thq air, and the largo
species of the raven A king,fisher was killed, and %
beautiful blue jity. Several sea.birds were also observed,
such as gulls, cormorants, wild geese, and the red-footed
guillcmor,

much

Is in weight.
5 thornbark,
le navigatora
these fishes,
ities of (hem
y had little
tie: fhe) had
ich required
VIoscles wore
of the shofe
» and small
cks. In (he
rved several
ails. Large
mud of tlie

0 this fiight-
of civilized

atibn differs
le : as rude
and barren,
population :
despise the
iinds them,
vanced, and
s, but their

1 their ma.n-
of life ex-

! constantly
itable, and

frequently
?r, because
jhase; they
as an hour
hole family

is devoted
hey are as

gestion: it is
iinetl ihc pour

nty of bears,

this Indians

»oIl as of the

cl, Canadian

it variety of

the thickets

uw hainnuTs.

Thc'Hhitf.

nd the largo

illed, and a

so observed,

0 rud.footcd

>.*

'id':!

k .}

;;**»' J*

^ li'">

■*?'■

iHW

■Mis

""%!■

T.;^(j%.I

'»:

■"tii

ti^.

much

' -4

'S^.^IIPIJIP^JIHIP^ -W^IF— »^i3»^

i " ■ *,1

■■C

,^-

vSv,t7.i?.v-WT?If4fe«rtpt>^-1->-sVn^

^^nmmmii^

ESX-:;

•#.

SiBwSS

A lii

^' i^

PEROUSE'S VOYAGF, ROUND TMK WOFn.D.

tniich addicted as the inhabitants of great
cih'es.

La Perouse says he has been a witness of the
injustice and deceptions of these pe(»ple, who
h ive been described as good, Ixrraiisc they arc
nearly in a state of nature; but this same niiture
is only admirable in her masses, she is negligent
of ail details. We cannot traverse woods
which the hand of civilized man has not ren-
dered passable; or, in other words, we cannot
form society with a man who is in a state of
nature; because he is barbarous, wicked, aiui
deceitful. In (his opinion he a(!kno\vlcdp,es him-
self to have been confirmed by liis o,.:i ujc-
lancholv experience. But he never exerciKcd
the fi)rce which had beeii intrusted to him for
repelling the injitstice of these savages, jiud he
did not recollect that men have certain establisii-
ed rights, which are not to be violated with im-
punity *.

None of the ships' companies ventured on
shore, without being well armed and in force :
the Indians were so terrilicd by their firelocks,
that eight or ten Europeans could keep a whole
village in awe. The surgeon-majors of the two
frigates, imprudently hunting by themselves,
were attacked by the Indians, who attempted to
force their musqucts from them, but without suc-
cess. La Perouse gave the name of village to
three or four wooden sheds of twenty-five feet

* Indians, in thi-ir canoes, continnally snrrnunilcd the
frigates; passing two or throe honrs in observation before
Jliey began to e.xcliange fibhcs for otters' skins. They em-
braced every opportunity of robbitit» us, and tore off siicli
iron as niij;ht bo conveniently cohveycd away : and they
wero parlieiilarly eiitjaged in forming projects for com.
initting depredations in the night. La I'erouso solicited
some principal persons among them to come on board Ids
frigate, and was extremely liberal to them ; yet these very
men wlio had been so favourably distinguished, could not
depart w itiiout pilfering a nail or an old pair of breeches.

When he caressed their children, and made them small
presents, the parents did not seem delighted with his I)eiio.
volence; they were only indnred, by seeing these favours
conferred upon their ollspring, to ask to accompany I hem
when they rame on board, lie often saw the father take
advantage of the moment of his fond assidnilics to jjleasethe
child, to seize and conceal under his garment whatever hiy
M'ithin his reach. When he had loaded the Indians \\ iih
presents, he sometimes expressed a desire for a few of their
articles of trilling value; but these tiials of their genero.
isity were always made in vain. If these people had any

i) The inside of the~'> tl-iicUings exhibits a complete phiiiir
of (Jilt iiiiiljilth, imioli'iicu and Idiiiu'ns: in one corner arc
throxiH the bones, and remaiiiiin; fragments of victuals left

in length, and fifteen in breadth ; sheltered only
to windward with planks or bark of trees. A
fire appeared in the middle, and flat li.slr and
salmon were drying in its Kuioke. Eighteen or
twenty persons inhabited each of these sheds ;
the men on one s^le, and the women and chil-
dren on the other. Every cabin seemed to form
an independent colony : each of them had its
canoe, and a kind of chieff .

During the suujiner the Indittns wander in the
difierent bays, seeking their provision like seals;
and in winter they visii the interior country,
hunting beavers and other animals. Dogs arc
their familiar !V:end(i ano associates: three or four
of them are usually seen in every cabin ; they are
small, and not unlike the siiephord's dog of
Biiilon: they seldom bark, but hiss like thu
Bengal jat kal Compared to other dogs, (hey
are as savage as their masters are to civilized
people. The men wear different small ornaments
pendant from the ears and nose, scarify their
arms and breasts, and file their teeth clu^e to
their gums; using, for the last operation, a sand-
stonj formed into a particular shape. They
paint the face and body with soot, ochre, a;. J
plumbago, mixeil with train oil, making them-
selves most horrid figures. When completely
dressed, their flowing hair is powdcrci, and
plaited with the down of sea-birds : but per-
haps only the chiefs of certain distinguished fa-
virtues, he had not siitficieut |)encfra(ion to perceive (hem ;
eternally quarreling among themselves, inditTercnt to their
children; and above all, tyranis to their wom;>n, who are
destined to the most laborious and disagrceabit; cm|)loy-
ments.

+ He ventures to assert t-hat this bay is inhnbited only
in the favourable soasou, and that the Indians di'sert it on tlic
appioach of winter, as he never saw a cabin that was
sheltered from the rain. The canoes were constantly enter,
ing and quitting the bay, accompanied with »heir houses
and furniture, which consisted of a numb^-r o'' k'imU bi>xes :
these boxes are arranged at the entrance of their cabins,
which abound with nastiness and stench. For the (icrform.
ance of the most necessary occasion, th 'v never remove
farther than about two steps, and they neither consult
privacy nor shade: should such urgencies ha,ipen during a
re|)ast, they coolly take their places again after the e.im.
plelionof the business §. Their wooden utensils in cookiry,
which are never washed, serve for dish, pl.>to, or 1; •ffe.
As these vessels- will not endure fire, they heat tiio water
with red-hot tlint.stonos, which are perpetually changed for
others equally hot, till the food is ready to be served up.

(it their mtaU, in another are heaps of fish, piecqa of stinks
ingjieshf grease, oil, iSfc. Dixon's Voyage, 173.

m ilic

pi-:no['j^F,'>< VOYAGE ROUND THE woni.n.

■i fi

milics arc <liiis dpcorntcd. Their shoulders are

■ covered with a skin, and the rcRt of the body

reuiiiins naked, exeept the head, on which is

generally worn a little straw, hat, plaited with

trfeat taste and ingenuity. S(»metimes indeed the
lead is decorated with two horned bonnets of
eaaies* feathers. Their head-dresses are cx-
Iremcly various, the grand object in view being
only to render themselves terrible, that they may
keep (heir enemies in awe. Some Indians have
skirts of otters' skin. A great chief wore a
shirt composed of a tanned skin of the elk, bor-
dered by a fringe of beaks of birds, which, when
dancing, imitated the noise of a bell. A com-
mon dress among the savages of Canada, and
other nations in the eastern parts of America*.

The stature of these Indians is hardly dif-
ferent from the French: their features are va-
rious, and their eves have some e^pressiim, but
never beam forth a sentiment of tenderness.
Their skin is brown, from their exposure to the
air ; but their children when infants, are as Tair
as (hose of France. The frame of their body is
feeble; a weak sailor would overcome the
strongest of them in wrestling. Many of their
legs seemed swelled, and none of them appeared
to have attained any ••onsiderable age. La Pe-
rouse says he saw oniy one woman who seemed
to have reached the age of sixty.

The Indians in this part of the world, have
made greater progress in the arts than in morals,
and tiicir industry exceeds that of the inhabit-
onts of the South Sea Islands. The Americans
of Poi't fh's Frnncais are capable ol" forging
iron, of forming copper, and of spinning the
liair of difterent animals; with the aid of a
needle, they can fabricate, with yarn, a tissue
not inferior to French tapestry. And they can

* The chi. f, who always conducts the vocal concert,
'piits on a lur!;e cloak inadi' of the elk.skin, tanned, round
the lower part of which is one, or sometimes two rows of
'dried berries, or the beaks of birds, which make a rattling
noise whenever he moves, Dixon\<i Voijuge, 212.

This custom appears generar%nioM4; the colonies, which
inhabit the north-west coast of America. It is extended
even to the inh!tl)i(ants of Fox Islands, and the Aleutian
Islands. See Voxels Translationof New Discoveries by the
Russians.

La Perousc never saw any tatooinj; here, except on the
arms of a few women; but many of them are addicted (o
a custom which renders them more hideous. The lower
lip of all of them is slit at the root of the i^ums, as far as
tlie mouth extends; they wear something like a wooden

i«

improve this tissue by ingenioiisly intermixing it
with narrow stripes of otters' skin, which gives
a glossy appearance to their cloaks resembling
the iinest silk shag. They plait hats and bas-
ketf^ with reeds with inimitable skill, and figure
on them very tolerable designs ; they even en-
grave figures of men and animals in wood and
stone with some degree of accuracy; and inlay
boxes with nu)ther of pearl with great elegance.
To their ornaments of serpenti.ie, they give the
polish of marble. Their hostile weapons are
the dagger already mentioned, a lance made of
wood or iron, and a bow and arrows. Among
their trinkets were seen pieces of yellow amber,
but it was not known whether they were the
produce of their own country, or whether, like
the iron, they received it from the old continent
by the attentions of the Russians.

The seven canoes mentioned to have been lo.-^t
at the entrance of the harbour, were thirty-four
feet in length, four in breadth, and six in depth ,
dimensions well appropriated to long \oyugcs.
The passion of the.-e Indians for gaming is
astonishing, and they pursue it with great avi-
dity. The sort of play to which they are most
devoted, is a certain game of chance: out of
thirty pieces of wo(»d, each distinctly marked
like the French dice, .they hide seven : each play,4
in succession, and he who guesses nearest to the
whole luunber marked upon the seven is the
winner of the stake, which is usually a hatchet
or a piece of iron. This gaming, however,
creates a kind of gloomy melancholy.

La Perouse says he has frequently heard these
people sing; and when the chief honoured him
with a visit, he generally paddled round the
ship singing, and crossing his arms as a token
of amity : he then ventured on board, and rc-

howl resting against the gums, to whicii this lower cut lip
serves for a support; tiic lower part of the mouth con.
secpienlly projects two or three inches. These women,
«lu> were extremely disgusting, covered with skins stinking
and uiitanned, excited devircs in some of our people of
eminence: ihey at first app^-ared coy, started diliieulties,
and by their u'^'stures signified they ran tlie risk of their
lives; but tluir scruples being overcome by propir pre-
sents, they did not object to the Sun's being a witness to
thi-ir amours, and peremptorily refused to retire into the
wood. This planet is probably the God of these peo|>le,
to which they frequently address their prayers : but no
priests nor temples were to be seen, nur the least trace of
any worship. . ■■,\ i

' ' • *• - 1 ' ' , hearsed

f^> w^*iS^ii'>^-^y,i1c,iiV" ■;

m^^mmmmm^^im^'^

PEROUSE'i VOYAOR ROUND THE WORLO.

Iparsoil a kind of pantoniiraCj renrenenting com-
j.its, disaster*, and death. The air which
iinhtTcd in the dance was agroeabic, and not dcs-
lituto of harmony. French characler« cannot
fexpress the language of these people: they have
indeed some articulations similar to those of the
French, but they are wholly strangers to many
)f thorn. The frequency of the letter K, and
the double consonants, render t!iis language ex-
tremely rough; but it is conuderably less gut-
Irel among the men than the \/omen, who fuid
jt difficult to pronounce the labials, the piece of
Iwood fixed on their under lip operating as an
impediment. There seems to be a great aflinity
[ill sound between this language and that of
iNootka sound; in both the k is the prevailing
letter, and appears in almost every word.

Though La Perouse admits that he saw no
[proofs or traces to convince him that these
llndians are cannibals; but the practice alluded
to is so g«;neral among the Indians of America,
that he should p>*obably have had this trait to
add to their picture, had they been at war, and
captured any prisoners*.

What immediately follows, u La PerouM
very justly observes, can only be interesting to
navigators and geographers. At length, after s
very long run, on the 11th of September, at
three in the afternoon, the navigators got sight
of Fort Monterey, and two three-masted vessels
which lay iu the road. Contrary winds obliged
them to come to an anchor two leagues from
the shore, in forty- Hve fathoms, and the next
day they brought up in twelve fathoms, two
cables' length from the land. The commander
of these two ships, having been informed by the
viceroy of Mexico, of the probable arrival of
the two French frigates, sent u« pilots in the
course of the night. It is remarkable that,
during the whole of this long run, encompassed
with tbe thickest fogs, the Astrolabe always con-
tinued within hail of the Dous.-)(>lf, and vras
never at a greater distance from her, till La
Perouse ordered M. de Laugle to reconnoitre the
entrance of Monterey,

SECTION VHI.

Description of Monterctf Bay — Of Ihe Tteo Cdlifoinias — Mamiers and Customs of the independent
Indians— C rain, Fruits, and Puise — Quadrupeds, Shells, ^c. — Military Conatitttiion-'JMissions. ■

THIS bay is formed by New Year Poipt to
the north, and Cyprus Point to the south:
it has di opening of eight leagues, and nearly
six of depth to the eastward. The sea breaks
there with a roaring sound which is audible at
the distance of a league. The number of whales
^vhich are seen here creates surprise, as much as

« Captain J. Moarcs has sufficiently proved, in the nar-
rative of )iis voyages, that the iuhabitants of the north-west
coa,st of America »re cannibals.

Variety of considerations induced La Perouse to deter-
mine, in case of a separation, to give M. de Langlc a new-
rendezvous. He had previously fuctl on the ports of Los
Ilemedios and Noutka, and proposed not to go into bar-
bour but at Monterey; the last port being preferred be-
cause it was the most distant, and a greater quantity of
water would be requited there. The disaster at Port de^
Fraitcais occasioned some changes in the staff establishment.
M. Darbaud, a midshipman received orders to act as en.
sign, and .VL Broudou, a spirited young volunteer, was
appointed lieutenant.

+ The coasts of Monterey Bay arc generally enveloped
in fogs, which render it difficult to approach them. With.

Vol. n. No. LXVL

their familiarity. They firequently spouted at a
small distance from the ships, and the water
thuB scattered emitted an oftensive stench f.

Thetie Indians are small and feeble, but ma-
nifest a desire of liberty and independence; Uieir
colour resembles that of the negroes who.se hair
is not woolly, they are skilful in managing the

out tills inconvenience, few would be more easy to land
upon. Plenty of pelicans were seen ia the sea : they are
a species of birds tliat seldom ai)pear more than five or sw
leagues from land. Though our navigators first saw them
in Monterey Bay, they are very common over the whole
coast of California. A lieutenant colonel, resident at
Monterey Bay, is governor of the Californias, including an
extent of more than eight hundred leagues in circunjfcrcnce ;
but his subjects consist of only two hundred and eighty two
cavalry, whp garrison four or five small forts, and furnish
detachments to oach of the twenty.five missions or parishes
in the two Californias. So inconsiderable is the force to
restrain about Qfty thousand wandering Indians in this ex.
tensive part of America ; among whom about ten thousand
are supposed to have embraced Christianity, ,

bow.

PKROUSE'L VOYAGF ROUND TITF, WORLD.

bow. Their perseverance in hunting the larger
Bnimals iH rcniarknhle. Our navigators saw un
Indiiin, with a stug'H head fixed upon his own,
proceed on all fours, and imitate the manners
of the animal he meant to represent: in this
manner the nalivcs perform their parts, till they
arrive within a convenient distance of herds of
stags, and then terminate their existence with a
flight of arrows.

Loretto, the only presidency of Old Califor-
nia, is situated on the east coast of this pimin-
sida, and has a garrison of fifty-four troopers,
who furnish detachments to fifteen nu'ssions : the
duties of which are performed by Dominician
friars. About four thousand Indians, converU'd
and residing in these fifteen parishes, are the sole
produce of the long labours of the ditlerent re-
ligious ordors, wliich have succeeded each other.
By Vcnega's History of California it appears
that the progress of these missions have been
very slow. Spanish piety has hitherto maintain-
ed these missions and presidencies at a vast ex-
pence, for convpiting the Indians of these coun-
tries. A new branch of commerce would be
more advantageous to Spain than the rich mines
of Mexico; and the climate and soil, together
with the abundance of all kinds of poultry, would
give this part of America a preference to Old
California ; the barrenness and insalubrity of
which would be poorly compensated by the few
pearls collected at the bottom of the ocean*.

The land is inexpressibly fertile; farinaceous
Toots and seeds succeed wonderfully in it; corn,
pea!!e, and maize, can only be equalled by those
produced in Chili: the medium produce of corn
is more than seventy to one. The climate is
very suitable to fruit trees, though they are
rarely found there. Among the forest trees are
the ever-gn'en oak, the stone-pine, the cyprus,
and the occidental plane tree: tht^rc is no under-
wood, a smooth verdant carpet beautifully covers
the ground. Vast savaimatis, or meadows,
abound with g.inie of every denomination. The

' * Prior <<) ♦(!(' Spaiiii'li siltlpmeiUs, the natives of Caiifor-
'Mia riilfivatt'd only mai/.o, and wen' prinripully Mipportcd
by hunting and lisliin!;: iisli and i;'""*' of ••vory (IcnoMiin.-i-
f'u'a are extremely plenty in litis »oiintry : su^^t, hares, nnd
T.abbifs are iimnrrous : ritters and seals abound in it; to the
nortinvard, during the Winter, beaf?, wolves, foxes, und
■wild cat.s are the romriioh spoil. The thickets and plains
contiiin hjr(!;e qnantirieR of sinall fjrey tnfted partrid^e.s,
■whirh are fai and deliriously flavonred. The trees nru te-
■iiiitcd by a great Tariety of birds; among which arc tit-

land is light and sandy, and is supposed to derive
its fertility from the humidity of the air, it being
very partially watered: the nearest stream to the
presidency is distant about two leagues. This
rivulet approaches the mission of Saint Charles,
and is called by the old navigators Carinel River.
La Perouse, after his digression respecting the
missions, proceeds to inform his readers, that,
on the evening of the 14tli of September, he an-
chored at two leagues from the shore, in view
of the presidency and the two ships iu the road.
Guns hud been frequently fired to point out tlie
anchorage, lest the fogs should conceal it. At
ten in the evening, the captain of the corvette
L(i Favorite came on board the Boiissolc, and
olFcred to pilot the two French frigatws into the
port. Li. Princesse, the other corvette, had also
dispatched \ pilot on board the Astrolabe. It
appeared that these were two Spanish ships, com-
manded by Don Estevan Martinez. A small
navy was established by the Spanish goverinncut
in this port, under the orders of the viceroy of
Mexico, consisting of four corvettes of twelve
guns, and one goletta. They are destined to
supply with necessaries the presidencies of North
California; and they are sometimes dispatched
as packet boats to Manilla, when the orders of
the court require the utmost expedition.

The navigators weighed anchor at ten, and
anchored in the road about noon : they were sa-
luted with seven guns, which they returned; and
La Perouse sent an officer to the governor with
the Spanish minister's letter, which had been
forwarded to him in France before his depar-
ture. It was addrcs.^ed to the viceroy of Mexico,
whose authority extends to Monterey, a hundred
leagues, over land, from his capital.' M. Fages,
rommandant of the two CHlifornia.s, had received
c;ders to receive the French navigators with
great civility and attention, and tiio.sc orders
were punctually obeyed;, tlicy did not confine
themsclveglo personaKivilitics; oxen, vegetables,
and milk were sent on board iw groat abundance.

mire, sparrows, speckled wond-peckers, and tropic birds.
Those of prey art; the a;reat and .small falcon, the" goss
hawk, the sparrow hawk, the white-lieailoii caijle, the
blark viiltiin-, the raven, and the lar^o owl. The ponds
and sca-shore exhihit to view dilferont speeies of kuHs, the
wild-diK-k, the i(rey and whitu pelican with yellow tuffs,
herons, bmall sea- water hens, curlews, cormorants, and
rins plovers. A bec.eaU'r was taken here, which some or-
nothologists allirm to be peculiar to the old Contiuuut.

The

PF.ROUSR'g VOYAGE UOUND TUF, WOULD.

The same eagerness to obli}^ was munifusted by
the commanders of tlie two corvettes, uiid the
com lamlant of the for< ; eacli of them seemed
to claim an exclusive right to administer to the
wants of the navigators: and, after adjusting
accounts between these Spaniards and Frencii-
men, the former could hardly be prevailed on
to receive any money as a consideration for the
articles they had been supplied with. Vegi:-
tables, fowls, and milk, were absolutely furnish-
ed gratis, and the oxen, sheep, and corn were
so moderately rated, that they uii^ht in a great
deujree, be considered as given instead of sold.
To these acts of gt-nerositv may be added, the
obliging demeanour of M. Fajes; bis house,
with ail his servants, was solely at the disposal
of the French navigators*.

The company were received with all possible
politeness and respect: the president of the mis-
sions, in his sacerdotal vestment, with the holy
water in his hand, waited to receive them at the
entrance of the church, which was splendidly
illuminated as on their highest festivals: he then
conducted them to the foot of the high altar,
where Tc Dextm was sung in thanksgivings for
their arrival. Before they entered the church
they passed a range of Indians: the parish
church, though covered with straw, is neat, and
decorated with paintings, copied from Italian
oiiginals. A picture of Hell is then- re [ircsented,
in which the imagination of Callot is absolutely

* Tlio holy fathers of Uiu inistiiui) of Suiitt Charles soon
arrived at Ihc pn-^idcncy, and invited (he ollkirs of (ho
fort and the two frigates to dine »itii them. The latter
eagerly accepted their invitation, and a day was agreed on
for that purpose. M. Fagcs requested to be of the party,
and undcrtvok the (ask of providing horses. After pat^sing
over a small plain, where herds of eattic were seen, and
in whirh only a small number of treex had been provided to
shelter thesuanimalsfrom rain and excessive heat, the party
ascended the hills, and were surprised ■.'.th the sound of
bells announcing their arrival; the monks haviuii rercivcd
intelligence from a horseman detached for that purpose.

+ These cabins are wretched in the extrone : tht y are
round, four feet in heiptht, nnd six in diameter: the timber.
work consists prineijially of stakes, and ei;;hl or ten bundles
of straw over the whole forms a pretence of defeiidins; the
inhabitants from wind and rain : nwre than half tli!" cabin
continues open in fine weather. The Indians, however, are
happy to have two or three bundles of straw in reserve, in
case of accidents: the exhor(a(i()ns of the missionaries
could nerer induce them to alter their ntode of architecture :
thiy say they delight in plenty of air, and that it is often
necessary to set hre to their habitations, when they arc in
ilanger of being devoured by myriads of lieas. It is matter,

exceeded ; but the senses of new converts must
be struck with the most lively impressions. A
representation of Paradise, placed opposite to
that of Hell, is supposed to produce less etf'ect
on them. In returning from church, they re-
passed the same row of Indians, male and fe-
male, who had never deserted their post during
the Tc Dvum: the children had removed a little,
and formed groups ruiuid the missionary's
house, wlii( h is opposite the church. The vil-
lage, which is on the right, consists of about
fifty cabins, which form dwelling places for
seven hundred and forty persons, including
men, women, and children, which compose the
mission of Saint Charles f.

The colour <»f these people resembles that of
the negroes: their store-houses are built of
brick, and pointed with mortar; their horses,
oxen, and matty other particulars, give this
country the appearance of a habitation of Saint
Domingo, or some other West-India colony.
The people are collected together by the sound
of a bell ; arid conducted to their work, and all
their exercises by one of the rtdigious. L'nfor-
tunatcly the picture is still more perfect: men
and women were seen loaded with irons, others
were lixed in a frame resembling the stocks; and
the noise of the strokes of a whip assailed the
cars of all ])reseut, a proof that this punishment
is also admitted here, though it is said not to
be exercised with severity X.

indeed, of no great importance, for they can build anot(icr
in the course of a few hours. The independent Indians,
as hunters, find it ofteji convenient to change their places
of abode.

\ The monks give the following account of the govern-
ment of the religious community aTiong the missionaries;
for no other name can be applicable to them : they are su>
periors in temporal as well us ■^piritual alTairs ; and the pro-
ducts of the land are under their control. Seven hours in
the day are appropriated to labour, and two to prayers.
On Sundays and festivals four or five hours are devoted to
prayer, and (he remainder of their time dedicated to ' rest
and divine worship. Corporal punishments are inflicted on
all those Indians who neglect pious exercises, and many of
their (-ins incur the chastisement of chains or the stocks.
In a Word, from the moment a new convert is baptized, he
is considered as if he had pronounced eternal vows; if he
should escipe, with a view of returnii)!; to the independent
^illa^^es. he is three times summoned to return ; and, on his
refii'^nl. they claim the assistance of the governor, who dis-
patches soldiers to force hi'" from the protection of his
family,^ aud conduct him to :!.e missions, where he is sen-
tenccd to sutler flugolhition with a whip.

. The

ft Ais these peoj4e are hostile to Vmr ncigUloins, th-^ caimol remove themsckcsfurllur than lucnlj/ m Ihiitj/ kcgius.

I l!

Ii ;

! I

PEnOUSF's VOYAGE ROUND THE WCRT.1-).

Tlje Indians, as w^H as the inissioiiari^'s, rwe
with the sun, and devote aii hour to prayers
and mass; during which time a species of
boiled food is prepared for them : it consists of
barlev meal, the grain of which has been roasted
previous to its being boiled. It is cooked in
the centre of the square, in three large kettles.
This repast is called atole by the Indians, who
consider it as delicious, if is destitute of salt and
butter, and must consequently be insipid to a
Frenchman. A person is deputed from every
cabin, to receive the portion for all its inhabit-
ants, in a vessel formed of bark : no disorder or
confusion arises in the distribution of the allot-
ments ; when the coppers are empty, they give
what remains at the bottom to those children
"who have most distingui-shed themselves in their
lessons of catechism. Three quarters of an
hour being exhausted in this meal, the partakers
return to their labours; some to plough, others
to dig, and others to be employed in their re-
spective domestic occupations, but always under
the inspection of one or more of the religious.

The women have little more to attend to than
their housewifery, their children, and the roast-
ing and grinding of several grains: the latter
operation is long and laborious, as they employ
no other means than that of crushing it in pieces
with a cylinder upon a stone. M. dc Langle,
liowever, seeing this operation, gave the mis-
sionaries his mill, with which four women could,
in one day, perform the work of a hundred ; and
sufficient time would then remain for them to
open the wool of their sheep, and to manufac-
ture their stufi's. But the religious, almost
wholly occupied in their heavenly interests, arc
so regardless of their temporal welfare, that they
liave neglected to cultivate Ihe common arts, So

* The rewards givca are small distributions of ^rain, of
which the little cakes arc made, which are baked cii burn,
ing coali ; and on grand festivals the ratio is beef, which
by many of them is eaten raw, especially the fat, which
Hie natives prefer tu the most excellent butter and rheuse.
They arc very expert in skinning animals ; and, vh m thiy
pcrceUe they are fat, they express a kind of voluptuous
plusurc by .;roaking like ravens. Sonietiincs they are per.
viUted to iiunt and fish upon their own account, w hcii on
iheir rcti-.-n, they usually make the missionaries a present
«if a part 'J what they mvc procured. The women rear
f }wls in the ear irons of t.ieir cabins, with the eggs of which
tacir childriTi arc fed. These fowls, <s well as the cloaths
o ' the Indians, arc their own property: they are also en.
tf :ted to little articles of household furniti're, and thos" pe.
CKliar to the chase. No instances arc related of tiicir ha?.

great is the austerity of their practice, tliat they
will not indulg themselves with a chimney in
their apartments, notwithstanding the severity
of the winter in that coimtry. At noon, when
the dinner was announced by the bell, the Indians
quitted their empiuyments, and sent for their
proportions as at breakfast : but this second meal
was more substantial than th« former, being im-
proved with corn and maize, and pease and benn'^ ;
the Indians call it poii.ssiUn. Alter this meal,
they again return to their labour, till four or
five: afterwards they pass an hour at evening
prayers, and a new dole is provided like that at
breakfast.

The Indian women, having no earthen or me-
tallic ves!«els frr this operation, perforn? it in
baskets made of bark, over some lighted char-
coal: they turn them with that rnpiditv, that
they facilitate (he swelling and bursting of the
grain, without setting lire to the basket. The
best roasted cofti;e is not prepared with that ad-
dress and ingenuity whicli these women display
iu the preparation of their corn. It is regu-
larly distributed to them every mokning, and the
most trivial dishonesty, when detected, is pu-
nished by whipping: but tlie women never re-
ceive this species of correction in public, but iu
a distant and enclosed place, imagining perhaps
that their cies might create too much compassion,
and LJuce them to revolt. The latter receive
th- ir punishment exposed to public view, to serve
as an example. Before the strokes are given,
the^ usually ask pardon, which has considerable
eflect in weakening the force of them, but they
never recede from their stipulated number*.

The converted Indians preserve those ancient
u?ages viV-ich arc not prohibited by their new
religion; the same cabms, games, and dresses.

ing rc'bcd each ether though they have no otlier fastening
than a bundle of slr;.w placed across he entrance, The
reader will, h )wever, reUect that there is uo furniture iu
these habitations.

In the niissiDns, the men have sarrifir.ed more to 'Chris-
tianity than the women, as tiiey were habituated to po'v.
gamy, and permitted to espouse all the sisters «f a family.
The women have acquired t'lc exclusive ri^ht of receiving
the caresses of one i.an only. At the expiration of an
hour, after supper, they confine, under luck and key, all
those whose l.usbanJs are absent, and all young girls ex.
cecding the age of nine years. Hut tliesc p-ecautiuMs were
often found inellectual, men being fr ,.-ientiy seen in tlia
stocks, and ..omen in irons, for hii- .J deceived the vigi.
lanco of thi'sj indefatigable feinaltiii.

The

PFJLOUS.E*s VOYAGK ROUND Tttf. WORLD.

iice, til at tlicy
a chimney in
g the severity
Lt noon, when
ell, the Indians
sent for their
vis second nical
mor, being ini-
ease andbenus;
Ifer this meal,
ir, till four or
iur at evening
3d like that at

earthen or me-
perforn? it in

s lighted char-
rnpidity, that

bursting of the

0 ba*ket. The
cl with that ad-
women display
n. It is regu-
Dining, and the
etected, is pu-
jmen never re-

1 public, but in
igining perhaps
ich compassion,
e latter receive
ic view, to serve
ekes are given,
las considerable
hem, but they

number*,
those ancient
by their new
and dre.oses.

no other fastening
he untrance. TIte
IS no fitruiturc iu

^-d more to '^hrisi-
abituutuU to po'.»-
utcrs of a faiiiil} .
right of rucuiving

expiratJuM of an
luck and key, all
II young girls ex.

("-ecautioiiN were
mxtiy Sttcn in tliM
lect'lved the tigi.

The

The dcess of the ricliest «oniiists of an ottftrs.'
skin cloak, to cover their loins, and descend
below the groin: the most ind-olent are satisfied
with a simple ^iece of linen cloth, furnislted by
the misskpn to coAceal' their nakedness ; a cloak
of rabbits' skin, tied under the chin, serve . as
a veil fur their shoulders: the rest of the body
remains absolutely naked; except the head, which
is sometimes ornamented with hats of straw, cu-
riously matted or plaited. The women have a
cloak of dcei' skin, tanned; those of the missions
make a small bodice, with sleeves, n-l tlie same
material. Tbis> with a small apron of rushes;
and a petticoat of stag's skin, which descends
to the middle of the leg, is the whole of their
apparel. Girla under the age of nine years have
only a simple girdle, and boys are completely
naked.

The Indians of the ranchcries, * or independent
villages, arc accustomed to paint their bodies
red and black, when they are in mourning : but
the missionaries have prohibited the former,
though they tolerate the latter, these people
being singularly attached to their friends, 'the.
ties of family arc less regarded anong them than
those of friendship: the children shew no filial
respect to the father, having been obliged to
quit his cabin as soon as they were able to pro-
cure their own subsistence : but they ate infinitely
more attached to the mother, who has reared
them with <he greatest tenderness, and never cor-
rected them but when they have exhibiied marks
of cowardice in their little engagement!* with
children -of the'.f own age. The aged men of
the rancherics, who are become incapable of
hunting, are 8up|)ortcd at the joint expence of
the village, by the individuals of which they
are highly respected. The arms of the inde-
pendent savages are the bow and arrow, pointed
with a flint very curiously wm'ked f. '• > '•

The Indians, under the control of the mission-
aries, b'jliove their superiors have an immediate

*Tho io'Ieprndont villages arc sn called.

+ They neither cat their prisoners, ni>, *''<>ir enemies
JMliich thoy have Klitiii iu battle; but wlteii they have >...;-
ji|nislied and killed eminent chiefs, or other co'.ingeoiis
iineu, they have sometiniofi eaten pieccH of the' a, lusii to
I gratify their revenge than to pay hontaije to their valojr ;
If'Hily convinced also that such food would inspire tlieii) vitli
[additional courage. In the Canailiau style, they sen!p
[the vanquished, and piuck out thoir eyes, which they
ipreserTc in excellent perfection as. tokous of thoir vie.

Vot. II. No. LXYI.

communication with GoA, and that (hey (kily
pirevail on him to descend upon the altar. Pro-
tected,, under this opinion, the fathers live iu
perfect security in the viHagcs ; not having evf o
their doors shut whilst they are asleep. Homi-
cide is iiardly known among the independentK,,
und when it does happen it ntily incurs contempt ;,
and if a man loses bis life from the blows ■ of
several persons, he ia supposed to have deserved
his fate, by having drawn so many enemies upon,
him.

A Spanish commissary at Monterey, named M.
Vincent Vassadrc y Vega, brought orders to the
governor io collect all the otter skins of his mis-*
sions and presidencies, govern'nent having re*
served to itself the exclusive commerce of them;,
and M. Pages assured La Perouse that he could
annually furnish twenty thousand df'them. The
Spaniards wt -.e ignorant of the importance of this
valuable peltry till the publication of the voyages
of Captain Cook: that excellent man has navi-
gated for the general biMiefit of every nation; his
owp enjoys only the glory of the enterprize, and
that of liaviijg gi\.;n him birth |.

New California, though extremely fertile,
cannot boast of having a single settler: a fe\«
soldiers, married to Indian women, who dwell
in the forts, or who are dispersed among the
diA'urent missions, constituting the whole Spanish
nation in this district of America, "i'lie V^rnn-
ciscan missionaries arc principally Europeans ;
they have a convent at Mexico. The viceroy is*
now the sole judge of all controversies in the dif-
ferent missioiit-i. Don Bernardo Galves having
united all the powers, Spain allow; four hun-
dred piasters »<> eiicli missionary, two of which
arc appropriii'ed to a parish : supernumeraries
rticeive no siiiaiv. Money indeed is useless in a
country where PoHiing can be purchased : beads
are roiisider<!fl a.i the only money of the Indians.
The i'onvent of Mexico, instead of piastres, sends
the value in oiil'ct.s; such as wax church-candles.

tory. They burn tlieir dead, audi deposit their ashes in
ni'nais.

;;: The otter, an amphibious animal, is common over the
vliolu western roast of America. The Indians, who are
not so good seamen as th;* Esquimaux, and whoso boats at
.Monterey are formed of reeds, cafch theni on the land with
snares, or fell them iu tiie earth with lar^e bticks. But to
ensure success in this mode of atbick, they inii.'-t taiefully
roiinc^al theinselv s bcliind th ockt'', iis, ou th't least noise,
(h . tiinid auimol /lunges iutu the water.

vrine,

'28

PE«OUSK's VOYAGE ROUND THK WOULD.

wine, (ill, sugar, and chocolate. The salary of
the governor is four thousand piastres'; of the
lieutenant governor four hundred and fifty. The
captain inspector of the two hundred and 'eighty-
three cavalry has a salary of two .thousand
piastres. Eight piastres is the price of ar good
horse; an ox is worth five piastres.

La Perouse having received favours from the
soldiers, sent them a present of a piece of blue
cloth. He also made presents to tho' missions of
stufl's, coverlits, iron tools, beads, and sundry
lit(l(! articles, which might be nocossary or con-
venient for (hoai. The president did not nog'-
lect to inform the whole village, that it was be-
stowed on them by their ancient and faithful
allies, who professcnl the same religion as the
Spaniards. This intelligence operated on their
gencrosily so eflbctually iTiat each of them brought
a bundle of hay or straw on the following
day, for the accommodation of the sheep and

oxen which were destined to be taken on
board *,

On the- evening of the 22d, every thing was
on board, .an(>, leave had been taken of the go-
vernor and missionaries. The navigators carried
awaiy large quantities of provision, and trans-
ferred the poultry-yard of M. Fages, and that
of the religious to the ben-coops of the two fi i •
gates. They also received from the relii>-i(>u>t
large supplies of grain, pease, and beans: their
oilers of payment were obstinately resisted, ac-
companied with the followin,^ rcplv — " Thev
were tli« administrators, not the proprietors of
the property of the missions."'' — On the morning
of thc'y4th, they sailed. /;;/'•

This section is f lUowitd by an account of some
aittronomical observations; remarks on tfa( ac-
curacy and use of, time-keepers, and a vocabut
laiy of the laitgujige of the difllrrut colonies
adjacent to Monterey.

SECTION IX. -^i** -Jf- t'^^fi^-tJ i^ •• •

C *! Montcreii — Discover .Veckcr's hland — In Danger of pen'shiiig on a Sunken' Jiork — .S'. rch
'i» after the Isles de la Mira and des Jurdins-^Lfii^criplioh of thcJslaud of Assumption — Anchor
^ in the If and at JMacao—^Arrixal at Macao — JJescri^Aiim of it — Depart un' from it- -Landing vn
ti the Island of Lnconia — Enter Manilla jiajj—^lnihoragc at Cavite — <Sii!PTi:MBi:n, 1780—

■^^'Jaxvary, February, 1787.

■.'Mi ; wn~-'.yi Hftii- «>'«.»/ ,i^ii(<'n, ■>»»>,<») i^i'a:*.'Jt.U; o,\o'

THE object of La Perouse's voyage being
new discoveries, and the progress of naviga-
tion in seas not much known, Ik; a* ',ded the
frequent tracks. He was obliged, however, to
keep in the zone of the trade winds, as, without
their assi.'itance, he could not reach China in six
months; and consequently could not ])wrsue the
ultimate design of his voyage. Since the taking
of tlie Manilla Galleon by Admiral Anson, and
«ven during the course of two ages, no progress
has been made respecting the knowledge of this
sea till the discovery of the Sandwich Islands;
the Resolution, tbe Discovery, the Boussole,
and the Astrolabe being the only ships which
have tieparted from the tracks foWowcd by the
galleons for a ptriod of two iiundred years.

* Of wood anil water .T'compef-Mit mipply was prociirptl ;
t^c botanists lost no opportiiiiity of rndcarouring tu iiu
croasi! their cjllcrtioii of plants, but tlie Fciuon was very
unravourablo. The miii(*raloi;ist.s were as zealous and al.
must as uufortiiiiatv [as tlic botanists: they found blockii of

Calms niid contrary winds detained La Perouse
two dayt- in sight of jMonterey. Afterwards
noting the U);iii;itudeas.signed to the I^land Nostra
Seiiora de la tiorta, he entertained less hope '^! I ,<^
meeting with it, than of blotting it out f -m
the charts; for islands improperly determined ; ■
specting latitude and longitude, had betti <
main in oblivion till accurate observations have
actually been made.

On the '.lA of November the frigates were
surrounded with noddies, terns, and man-of-wiir
birds; and on the 4th they made an island which
bore west. At five in the morning of the .5th,
they were only three leagues from the island, ami
La Perouse hailed the Astrolabe to make sail a-
head, and prepare to anchor.

granite, some fragments of porphyry, but no rue of
nictfll. Shells are nut abundant : oysters wore fou i.l, the
pearls of which equal in sizo auU beauty those of Cc^loii;
ur thc'Gulph of Persia.

Tins

PF.IlOUSrC's VOYAGK ROUND THE WORLD.'

be iftken on

every thin_s>^ was
ikcii of the go-
vigators carried
ion, and (rans-
[<'as^v3, and (hat
i of the two fri-
ll tlie religions
uid boans: their
e\y resisted, ac-
reply — " They
c proprietors of
Oil the inornint^-

arcount of iioinc
iirks ou tb( ac-
, and a vocabu-.
ifllrfut colonies

nplion — Anchor
it~-LaH(Uug vn
HBi:«, 178ti—

lied La Peroiisc
Afterwards
le Is! and Nohtra
lod h'S!) hope I
ng it ont f ';
determined
had bctti '^ i
(servations have

ac frigates ^ver(•
and man-of-wiir
an ishind which
in"; of the oth,
the ishind, and
to make uail a-

biit no 'iM- i)f
rs won; foiri.U t!.i".
those of Cc^loii;

This

This small island is little more than a rock of
abont five hundred toises in length. Not a tree
is io be seen on it, but a great deal of grass is
visible on the top: the rock is much distigured
bv the dung of various birds: the extremities
of it are perpendicular like a wall, and the sea
broke aronnd it witli such violence as to reader
it impossible to think of landing. La Perouse
named it Isle Necker: during the diiy men were
(Continually occupied in looking out iU the mast
head; the weather was squally, with rain: at
r>nn-set it was fine : birds iiiimuierable were
moving around them in ditlercnt directions. At
the cK>se of the evening, the moon being at full,
it was so light that they thought they might
venture to stand ou. From the time of quilting
M(mter'^v to the present moment they hud not
known a finer night or a smoother sea; but these
flattering appearances bad almost occasioned the
destruction of our navigators. About an hour
jKist one in the morning La Perouse saw breakers
lit two cables' length u-head of the ship; the sea
being : o smooth, the sound of them was hardly
hrard : the Astrolabe perceived them at the same
time, though at a greater distance from tbein
than the Boussble; both the frigates instantly
hauled to port, with their heads to the south-
east. L'l Perouse gave orders for sounding:
they had nine fatlionis, rocky bottom ; soon after
ten and twelve fathoms, and in a quarter of an
hour got no ground wi 'i sixty fathoms. They
had just escaped the most imminent danger to
wliicli navigators can be exposed: hap|iily lio
disorder or confusion arose; for the slightest
negligence in working thte ship, io remove our-
»irives froin the breakers, must have accelerated
«ur destruction. For almost an hour they saw
lie continuation of these breakers; but they
st't'tched away in the westward, and lost sight
of them in about three hour-;*.

» JIail not tliis r<>'-k bwn ini;re particularly rocoimoitor-
t'll, il> 'its would inriiaps have ri'maiiwil with respect to
the ri-ality of its o.xisteiice ; but La Perouse, anxious that
na\l^atiirs .sliuuld no longer bf exposcil to it, made a signal,
at day-break, to tack and find it once more. Alright in
the luorniu!; lie saw it in the north. north-west; he rrowded
rail to near it, and soon perceived au inlet or split. rock,
the diameter about iifty toises, and near twenty.five fa-
thorns in hejght : it was situate upon the north-west ex.
ifeiuity of this reef of rocks, the south-east point of w hich
tiad so nearly proved fatal: it extended about four leagues
iu that point of the compass. He perceived, between the
islet uiid the south-east breakers, three sand banks, not
elevated more than four feet aborc the level of the sea; a

After some judicious obserratioi>s on the know-
ledge use, and existence of the trade winds^
La Perouse observes that be had directed his
course with an intention to pass between Mira
Island, ahd Desert and Garden Islands; but be
declares <hart their names occupy spaces on the
charts, where no land ever was, and thus impose
upon navigators. The island of Assumption, to
which tlie tiesuits have attributed six leagues of
circumference, from the angles now taken was
reduced to half, and the highest point is about
two hundred toises abovd the level of the sea.
A more horrid place cannot be conceived. It
was a perfect cone, as black as a coal, and very
niortifving to behold, after having .enjoyed, in
imagination, the cocoa nuts and turtles expected
to be found in some one of the Maianne Islands.
Some few cocoa-nut trees indeed appeared, which
occupied a very small |)art of the island, in a
hollow of about forty toises, wlK?re they were
sheltered from the cast wind: this is the only
place where ships can possibly come to an an-
chor, in a bott«)m of thirty fathoms, black sand,
extending about a (piarler of a league. La Pe-
rOi!!ie'i boat was sent on shore, under tli6 com-
mand of M. Boutin; as well as that of the As-
trolabe, in which M. dc Laiigle himself em-
barked: fortunately the boats retiu'ned at two,
and Mie Astrolabe got under way. M. Boutin
assured La Perouse that the island was infinitely
more horrible than it appeared at a little dis-
tance: torrents of lava formed ravines and pre-
cipices, bordered by a few stunted cocoa trees.
Several persons were employed from nine in the
morning till about noon in picking up about a
hundred cocoa-nuts; and they experienced inucU
dilficulty in taking them to the sea-shore, though
the distance was very inconsiderable. 'Fhe lava
from the crater covers the whole side of the cone
almost to the sea: the summit never was visible.

greenish kind of water, not seeming to be above afathom deep,
separated them : rocks nearly level with the water, ou
whitli the sea broke with great violence, encircled this
shoal, and defended it from the fury of the waves. He
coasted aUntg it at about the distance «f a league on the
east, south, and west side: on the north only a bird's eye
view 'could be obtained from the mast-head; the length of it,
from the south-cast to the north-west is about four leagues.
it is twenty-three leagues distant to tiiu west.iiorth-west^
from Xeeker's Island. It may be approached with safety
within thr distance of four leagues. .\s this dangerous
rock had nearly terminated his voyage. La Perouse gave it
the uainc of iirtsfc (/c* i'Vfi'a/a. ' ., '..,;„,.,. ,.„.^..„„,,.,

sri."'n"<^ ^^ \ '■■u^ s>,

Vt.«i

Aih;.!V''"S

■■■p

PmOVSE'^ YOYA.GE ROUND THE WORLD.

■' h

:f.

bawg.Alwav* Cftpped«riUv a heavy <5loadr 'Hut
sipji^ke CQttW not he percQured, the; sulphur which
]:^D|i'e||;f^tl3r, fainted th&iOiisek mffioieatlj proved
t)|^ it y^!i^ mt quitei exitinBtyt or tiiat the last
e^lip^op pf 4t !Wa4 at no remote petidd 1

^oFtunatQly no $uppijr of water was required
till vye reached Cluna : the.sailon saw none of
this valuahle fluid hut in the hollows of the
rji^lu, yrhere it was preserved as ia a vessel, and
the most capacious of theih did not contain two
gallons. i)uring the night an immense quantity
of bii^ds surrounded the twa frigates; which
"W^re supposed to be the inhabitants of the Mangs
and Uracadj which are' only rocks. Most of
thfm were species of man-of-wari birds, and nod-'
4ie9,. with some terns, gulls^ and tropic birds.;
The Boussole now, for th Sr«t time, made a
litt^; Walter, which La Perou. -• «(ed to the

decay of the oakum about the se^ i the water-
line. It was uot ])os8ible for the caulkers to re-
gul|(te this work at sea, but it became tlieir first
employment after the arrival of the. ships in
MfjCaoTAadf.

ha. Perpuse did not mean to touch here, the
B^^shees having before been often visited, and
haying nothing particularly interesting^ liaving
(leterniiued the position, he continued his course
tow^rd^. China; and on the first of January,
ITi^iT, be found bottom in sixty fathoms: a num-

* Froiri every circnnistancc it appeared that neither human
crcattfre, nor qiiadniped, has ever songht an nsylum on
this island. A few large crabs were indeed percoired, one
of n^hich was taken qn, board: it is more than prolMble
that this crustaccQps animal has forced the sea.birds from
tnc island, by devouring their eg{;s, which ihny always lay
ubon land. At the aVidiorage \vc only saw tlirre or four
noddies, but M. de Langle, while upon AsttninpHun Island,
lulled a bird of a black colour, not uiiiike ivhit' is generally
t^jped a black bird.

The naturalists found several fine shells iu the cavities of
the rocks : several plants M-crc also rollncted, and three or
four different species of the banana frees. No other fwlies
•wike seen than the red ray, the small shark, and a .sea.^er.
pent about three inches in diameter. The cocoa-nuts and
4B(j few objects of natural history wo had procured, had
cicbosed the boats and their crews to serious dans^urs. M,
Boutin, w)io was under the necessity of throwing himself
into the sea,' to debark and get on board again, hud been
Wdunded in the hands bv leaning on (he sharp edged rocks,
\rhUh Tic could not possfbly ;i void. M. do Langle also got tlic
tleUifr of severa) imminent risks inscparal^Ie from landings
od^Such small islands, especially of so circular a form,

'■(■ On the 28th onr navigators made the I^ashee ^ Islands,
of which Admiral Byron has given an erroneous account
respecting longitude : that of Captain Willis, is more correct.

her of fishing boats surrounded him the next
day; but their attention was divierted from oUK
navigators by •xtreroel}' bad weather. Besides,
their mamior ' of flashing would uot permit them
to gratify tljeit curiosity by a transient visit: they
were using vfery long neta, which they dragged
over the bottom, and which required twa kSurj
to haul it up with dexterity. On the HA of Ja-
nuary our navigators made the White Rock. In
the evcniag they andhored to the northward of
Ling-ting' Island, and the following d^iy. in
Macao 'Road.

Cloudy weather had prevented ua from per-
ceiving the town, but at noon it cleared up:
and the navigators made it firora tlic west a degree
south abowt three ksagues. La Perouse seat a
boat on shore, commanded by M. Boutin, to in-
form the govwnor of his. arrival, aud that he
intended to continue m the road in order to re-
fresh the ship's companies, M. Bernardo Alexis
deLemos, governor, of IVIacao, received this of-
ficer with great politeness, and promised him
every assistance within his power. He iuime'^
diately aeut a Malay pilot on board, to conduct
them to the auchocage at Typa. At day-break
they got under way, and at eight brought up in
three fathoms and a half, the town of Macba
bearing north-west five miles ;}!■.

The Chinese trade with the Europeans to an

: inunense

They passed within a lejiguo of the two rocks which arc
most to the southward: they ought ■ I'athef tu be called
"islets, without rcgardifig the authority of Dampior; the
least of them ibuing hi^lf a league in cirunnifersiicc: and
though nut Mropdy,,,if copt»iivi plenty, of grass oq t|ie
east.sidf.

+ The navi^tors dime to an anchor alongside o^ S
K lench <lute, r omtnandcd by Mv da Rithery, ensign in th«
navy, which had come from IManilla. M. de llichevy had
the preceding evening, accuntpaniul the Maluy pilot, and
brought a plentiful supply of fresh meat, pulse, fruit, and
other seasonable refresnments. As soon as the ship was
moored, La Perouse went on shore with M. de Langle, to
thaiik the governor for hii kindness to M. Boutin, and en.
treat permission to have his cstahlishmout on shore, that he
might erect an observatory. M. de Leiiins received them as
rountrymcn ; and every fa.vonr they requested was instantly
complied with. lie offered them his house ; and, as he was
unacquainted witlithe French langnage, his wife, an amia-
ble young Portuguese, obligingly ubdortook the office of
interpreter: Dnuna Maria du Saldjgnabad, twelve years be-
fore marficd M. du Lemos attaoa; sopn aflt;r which I^a
Perouse, then conunAnd^er of the (lute la Seiine, happened
to be in that city: she kindly reminded him of tlds circnm.
stance, wbioh was strongly impressed ofi his memory, and
pleasantly remarked that, « He was a(i old acquaintance."

Then

i Baehii »r Bachi ItlandSf so named bj/ JFiiliam Damper, from the name of a vcdl-knonn intoxicating liquor

him the next
iert«d from oux
ither. - 6«sides«
ot permit th«iQ
aieiit vjbsit: they
h they 4fia^ed
lired twa herur$
11 the ^ of Ju"
hi«:Rock. Ill
: northward of
lowing d^y. iu

d u&froni per-
it cleared up:
lie weat a degree
Peroufle seat u
, Boutin, to in-
J, and that be
in order to re-
krnardo A|exi»
ecdved this of-
promisfd biin
t. He iinnicr
urd, to conduct
At dny-break
t brought up ill
awfl oC Mtica«»

ir«peans to an
iouuense

) rocks which arc
thct tu be called
of Dampior; the
rouniferancc : an4
, iff grass OQ the

>^ atongfide of a
erVt ensign in tiM
A. dc lUcheiy had
Maluy pilot, and
pulse, fruit, and
I as the ship was
M. Ac. Lanffle, to
. Bontin, and on.
on shore, that ho
s rcci'ivcd them as
sted was instantly
c ; and, as he was
lis wife, an ainia.
took the office of
, twclfc years be-
\ after which I.a
i Seiti^, happened
m of ttitt circnm.
his memory, and
Id acqnaintanco."
Then

itiitg liquor.

Wfi

U P

a{)ii

Jorf,
ions

11(1

flieii,
II red

LT fli

lies ;

I prid*

l>lvfd

|Jic w

i;tiir(

atlifi

(arms

elev

3a,

Id no

V(>

-^fPpHPq H r P «f P^ i,"l IP I WWm^ 'IM ■

PKROUSK's VOYAGls: llOUXD THK WORLb.

. 5;

G
<

1 1

I in

[jmmrnsc ainomit, upwards of one third of which
lis paid in silver, the rest in English cloth, Ba-
tavian (in, opium from Patuii, cotton from Ben-
gal and Surat, and in sandal wood and pepper
iVoiii the coast of Malabar. Many articles of
luxury are also carried from Europe. In c\-

whicli are in a neglected state, would nof be
regarded by Europeans, tiiough tlicy arc .suH-i-
cieiit to awe the wliole maritime forccH of tlie
Chinese. A mountain also commands the coun-
try, on which a detachment mia^ht hold out a
very long siege. The Portuguese of Macao,

hlieir black and green tea, and some chests of
[raw silk for the European nninufactures. Their
jciiina ware, with which they ballast their ships,
land from which they derive very little prolit, is
[too miimporlant to be noticed. There is not a
Inatiou in the world that carries ou so advaiita-
!,cous a commerce with strangers as the Chinese,
jiior one that imposes such hard conditions, vexa-
Itions, and restraints: every cup of tea, drank in
|]uirope, has created some kind of humiliation to
those who purchased it at Canton, and who have
llteailed over half the frlobe to bring this fasci-
lating leaf into their markets. The following
renume fact will illustrate the Chinese charac-
An English gunner, making a salute by
rder of his superior olHccr, killed a Chinese
slierman, who had imprudently, and without
he knowledge of (he gunner, placed himself
ivithin the range of the uuisket. The Governor
f Canton deuianded and obtained the gunner,
n a promise that he would do him no injury,
ecliiriug- he could not be guilty of such iu-
ustice as to punish an involuntary homicide.
clyinu,- ».r. this assurance, the unfortunate man
as di'iivered up, and about two hours after-
anls he was hanged.

Aiacao, situate at the mouth of the Tigris, is
apable of receiving a sixty-four gun ship into
s road, at the entrance of Typa; and in its
ort, below the city, ships of seven hundred
>ns half laden. The entrance of (his ])ort is
cfended by a fortress consisting of two batteries,
id three small forts. These fortilications,

cliango for these the Chinese give nothing but i thinking more of their religious than their mili-
tary duties, have erected a church on the ruin*
of a fort which crowned this niountuin, and
formed a post almost impregnable.

The Portugiuvse limits extend ho farther than
about a league frcnu the city : they are bounded
by a wall, and guarded by a few soldiers, under
a manderiu. This manderiu is iudeed the real
governor of Macao, and the person to whom the
Chinese owe obedience. lie has not the privi-
lege of sleeping within the enclosure of the
limits, yet he may visit the place, inspect the
custom-houses, &c. And on these occasions the
Portuguese must salute him with five guns.
But no European is permitted to set a foot on
the Chinese coimtry be^'ond the wall : an attentpt
of that kind would subject any person io .'e
mercy of the Chinese; for such an indiscreti'^'n
large su;ns might be demanded of him, or he
might sufl'cr detention as a prisoner. Some of
the oflicers of the frigates wantonly exposed
themselves to this risk, but it fortunately hap-
pened that no serious consequences arose from
their levity*.

The viceroy of Goa appoints all the military
and civil ollicers at Macao. The governor, and
the sciiiitors are nominated by him. He has
lately appointed the garrison to consist of ono
hundred and eighty Indian seapoys, and one
hundred and twenty militia: the soldiers are
armed with staves, the oHicer onl, being per-
mitted to \M'ar a sword; but, on no occasion to
Use it against a Chinese. If a robber of that
nation is detected in breaking open a door, or

Ihcn, callini; all her rhildruu into licr jircspncc, sIii- as.
grud liiin that it was tiius she always prosoiiti'd hcrsolf to
fir frioiuls; (liat their t'diration was the ol)ji-ct of all her
^ivs; tliat sht; w us pruud uf callini; herself their inotl.vr,
tpridt! which slio trusted hu would forgive, as sho was re.
»lvi'd to iutroiliire hcnsclf to her f'ricmds with all hor faults,
iiie wltuli! iiiiivor.su could not exliililt a. more enchanting
ielurc: the (iuost of children, saluted and caressed by a
lotlier of the most amiable deporiivient. To lier personal
liarms and private virtues, she added a firm eharacier, and
elevated mind. Thf adiniuistration of M. do Lemon at
loa, would have been highly adTantaj^eou!! tu that colony,
M ((uvei'iiuu'.nt continued hiia iu tb>t( di^tiufuishcd ufiicc

Vol. U. No. L.Wl,

for a linger lurtn tliaii three } ears, and jjiven him time to
accustom the Cliiiiesc (o a resisiauce of wliitli they h.ad
even lout the reeolleelion.

*■' The po))ulation of Macao is psdinatcd at twenty thou,
saud, tif whirl) about one hundred are Portuguese by birth ;
two thonsaiul rort(if;ue-.e Tudiaus, <if half blood; about
the same number of ("aliVe slaves, who act in the cai)aci(y
of ibunftslics : thf re.-.t are Chinese employed in comnierca
or ditl'ercnt occupations, lint though most of them ariS
inulattoes, they would deem it disgraceful to exercise any
mechanical art for the maintenance of themselves and fami.
lies. Their feelings, however, are not injured by earnestly
and contiuually soliciting charity from pubscugers.

purloining

PKnOlJSK's VOYAGE

HOUND TIIK WOKM).

— - ■ — •' -^

' 'ill

: 1/

purloming any effects, he must not be arrested
without the greatest precaution: if a ;iol(iicr, in
his own defence, should unforlunatrly kill him,
lie is delivered over to the fifovcrnor, and hang-
ed in the nvirket-place. But if a Chinese kill
u Portuguese, he is examined bv the judges of
hiii own nation, who make a pompous parade of
fullilling all the formalHies of justice, but al-
ways connive at the evasion of i(. The Por-
tuguese, hoMcver, have lately made a H|iiri((;d
effort, which rcflectf honour on them. A s«apo)
having killed a Chinese, they sliot bini them-
selves in the presence of the Mandarin, and
would not submit the decision of the afl'air to
those of his own country*.

This is a handsonjc city, and has several fine
remains of ils ancient opulence: the principal
houses are now occupied by the super-cargoes of
different companies, who are obliged to pass the
winter in Macao: the Chinese compel them to
quit Canton on the departure of their last vessel,
and will not suffer them to return thither till the
arrival of the European ships in the following
monsoon. Macao is au agreeable residence
durinr the winter, principally on account of the
5uper-,argoes who inhabit it, who are generally
men of distinguished merit, and arc enabled from
their situation to be liberal and obliging. The
navigators, from the object of their mission, ex-
perienced the most (lattering reception: had they
possessed no other title than that of Frenchmen,
ihey might have been considered as orphans, the
French East India Company having no j'cpre-
sentative there at that period.

To M. Elstockenstrom, the principal agent of
the Swedish East India Company, La Perouse
acknowledges great obligations to be due. lie

** The senate of Macao consists of a governor, whn \nc-
ride<!, and three vcrcadorefi, who aiidifc thi- city accoiinls.
Two judges of orphans are next in rank, win) take chart^e
4)f the property of minors, the noininaiion of (iilors and
gnnrdians, the regulation of testaments, and siiceessions :
but appeals from their sentence may be prosecuted at (ioa.
The other causes, civil or criminal, are tried in the first
instance, by two scnaters, named judges.

TheTrocureur of the city is the medium of communi-
cation between the governments of Portugal and China ; he
is answerable for all strangers who reside at IVIarao during
the winter, and receives and transmits the reciprocal conu
plaints of the respective goTernments; he is the only pcr-

(j When Captain Dixon teas desirous of procuring fresh
provisions for the ship'x vompany, no time teas lost in tnaking
necessary enquiry for that purpose; hut he found it impos-
sible to avoid a number of impositions ; and that ci-crjj ves-
sel xcas suppiitd xiith zihatever provisions they aan/cd by an

readily utidcrtook, at his departure, tlie sale of
all his p/'Ury. The value oi those articles was
If n limes less than at Uie period when captains
(iore and King arrived at Canton; six expedi-
tions having this year been undertaken by flu*
English on the north-west coast of Anierira,
Some difficulty now arose with respect to the
landing of the peltry, and their warehousing at
Marao: the senate, to whom the French consul
addressed himself, refused permission; but the
governor, understanding it was the property of
the sailors, who were employed on an expedition
for the general benefit of mankind, ventured, in
this instance, to depart from the general rules
which had been prescribed io him+.

The climate of the road of Typa is, at tliis
season of the year, precarious: most of the crews
were afilictcJ with colds, accompanied with a
fever; which yielded to the salutary temperature
of the island of Luconia, when they approached
it on the 15lh of February. The north winds
enabled La Perouse to stand to the eastwarti, and
he would have made Piedra Blanca, Inid thev
not speedily come round to the ea^-t-south-east.
From the instructions he had received at Macao,
respecting the best track to follow to Manilla, a
diversity of opinions prevailed: the easterly
winds, blowing with violence, induced him to
haul close to the starboard tack, and to shape ■
his course to leeward of Bank dc Pratait, whirli \
all the charts had erroneously laid down till
Caplain Cook's third voyage: Captain king, h\
accurately fixing the latitude of it has biHiijl
highly serviceable to navigators who coast fro i.i
Macao to Manilla.

Our navigators sailed along the lUoco coast, |
at the distance of two leagues, and perceived, in j

son who is not removeable at pleasure from his situation
That of the governor is held for the ttrm of three years:
the otiier majjislratrs are changed annually. An appeal li< ^
to Goa from all decrees of the senate ; their known inalii-
lity renders this law extremely necessary.

+ La Perouse having received proofs of the knavery nf
the Crompador^, an olTicer usually employed to prociiri'
provisions, iie was dismissed ; and the commisr.ary of pre-
vision went daily to market, as in every European city, t
|)urchasc every article that was required : in cohseqiience vi
this the expence of a whole month was less than the ci-
travagant imposition of the first week.

officer culled a Crompador, xrho alteays demanded a cumahmu.
or gratnitfi of three hundred dollars, exclusive of the profit)
xchich ttould arise to him from serving us xtith provkiom'j
Dixon's Voyage, p. 292.

tliel

PKiJOUSICS VOYAGK ROUND THF. WOnLD.

of the knavery ni 'jM
ployed to prociiri' ii
ommisr.ary of pro. jjl
European city, to ||
in coirtscqucnce of
less than the e.t- :

(he port of Sanla Cruz, a small two-masted
vessel, wliicli was probably lakiug in a carjifo of
rice for China. On the UOlh thcv doubled Cape
Buliano, and on the 2lst saw Point Capones,
which bore cast; they worked up io giin the
anchoraj^e, which docs not extend more than a
leaa;uc from the shore. Tliey saw (wo Spunisli
vessels, which appeared to je afraid to open the
entrance of Manilla Bay, out of which the
easterly wind blew strong, remaining under tlic
shelter of the land. Tliey made a stretch to
the south of Marivella Island, in hopes of enter-
ing the north channel; but, after several tacks,
they resolved to bring up in the port of Ma-
rivella, to wait for a fair wind, or a more fa-
vourable current. They came to an anchor there
in eighteen fathoms ; the town bore north-west
by west, and the Hogs (Ics Povcs) south by
east. This port, which is open only to the
south-west winds, is good liolding ground.
''^ Wanting wood, ^t'hich he knew was dear at
Manilla, La Percuse came to a resolution of
remaining tweriy-four hours at Marivella to
procure some; und early the next morning all
the carpenters of the two frigates were sent on
shore with the longboats: the rest of the ships'
company, with the yawl, were reserved for a
fishing party, but they were unsuccessful, as
they found nothing but rocks and very shallow
water. About noon La Perouse went on shore
to the village, consisting of about forty houses,
built of bamboo, covered with leaves, and as-
ocnded by a ladder: all the n)aterials of such a
house, including frame and roof, could not
exceed the weight of two hundred pound.s. A
large edifice of hewn stone fronts the principal
street; and, though in a ruinous fitale, two brass
guns appear at the windows, which serve for

* This reverend shei)iierjl, was a young miihitfa Iiuliun,
uiio inhabited (he decayed iiiansion already deseribed: some
earthen pots, and a small wretched bed were the principal
articles of his furniture. He said his whole parish, con.
sitting of about two itundred pcrKons, were ready, at tlic
least warning, to hide tliemselvcs in the woods to escape (he
outrages of the Moors, who frequently make di'scents upon
these coasts : they are so daring, and many of their c "uiies
so negligent, that they often penetrate as far as the ex.
tremity of Manilla Bay. AVhilc our navigators were at
Cavitc, seven or eight Indians were tiiken away in their
canoes at a small distance from the entrance of the port :
even the passage boats from Cavite (o Manilla, ^rerc cap.
turcd by these same ferocious Moors. They undertake
these enterprizes in light rjw boats; and are opposed by
the Spaniards with an urmamcnt of galleys, which are so

embrasures. This parish is so miserably poor,
that only a small hog. and a dozen fowls could
be purchased in it. The curatCj however, pro-
ciu'ed a young ox, which he positively asserted
was (he eighth jjart of the only herd in the
parish *'.

The curate had three small antelopes, which
he refused to sell, alledging that he intended
lliom for the governor of Manilla: there would
have been, however, no probability of keeping
them alive, they were so small and delicate, not
exceeding a rabbit in si/e: the male and female
represented the stag and the hind in miniature.
Some beautiful birds, with varied vivid plumage,
were seen in the woods, but the forests weie n-n-
dered so impenetrable by being incumbered with
climbing shrubs, that little game could be pro-
cured. In the village some stabbed turtle-doves
were offered for sale: they obtained this name
from having a red spot on the breast, resembling
a wound given by the cut of a knife.

On the approach of night our navigators em-
barked, and prepared for sailing the next day.

La r

erouse

hired

as a

pilot.

an OK

Indian,
who had been sent to him by the captain of
one of the Spanish ships; the terms agreed ou
were fifteen ))iastres to pilot him to Cavite.
Early on the 2 5tli he sailed ; and, though it is
only seven leagues from Port de Marivellc io
tliat of Cavitc, he was three days in making this
run. Though M. Dcpres's plan is incorrect, he
would have been a better guide than the Indian
pilot, who nearly ran aground upon the bank of
St. Nicholas. The water in this bay is so smooth
th'i* the .shoals in it ciuinot be discovered ; but,
in vorking into it, it is always necessary to keep
the island de la Monha open with the north
channel of Marivcllc, and to put about when

Tory slow in their motions that they have never taken any
of them.

The oflicer next in dignity, after the curate, is the alcache,
who enjoys (he honour of bearing a cane with a silver
head : his authority over the Indi.ins is so great, (hat (hey
dare not sell a fowl without his permission, or (ill he has
ascertained the price: he lias also (he privilege, on accoun(
of governraen(, of being the sole vender of tobacco for
smoaking, of which the Indians are extravagantly fond.
This tax, which has lately been imposed, is (hough( an in.
(olerable grievance by (he poorest cltiss of riie people, and
has occasioned several revoKs : La Peroust^ observes, (hat
he should not be much astonishod if it produced consc.
quences, as extraordinary as the duty npoa tea and stamp,
paper did in North America.

' "•' ' " ■" •" ' ■ ' this

PEROUSE's VOYAGK HOUND THE WORLD.

1 I

this island begins to' be shut in. On the *^8th
the navigators came te an anchor in the port of
Cavite, in three fathoms, at two cables' length
from tiic town. Twenty aaya elapsed in their

run from Macao to Cuvitc, but bad they follow-
ed the ancient custom of the Spaniards and Por-
tuguese, in piissin^ to the northward of Kanit
de Pratas, thcv would have been much longer,

SECTION X.

^irrival at Cavitc—How received bji the Commandant— J\I . Boutin dispatched to the Governor Ge-
neral at .Manilla — His Reception— Details respecting Cuvile — Description of Manilla — Penances
during Pansion JVeek—Dutt/ on Tobacco — Continuance at Mavilla— Departure from Voxite —
Encounter a Jiank in the Channel of Forworn'— Particulars of the Pescadorc, or Ponfr-hou
Islands — Run along Kami Island — The Frigates enter the Sea of Japan, and run alovg the Coast

of China—Run
J\lAY, 1787.

along the Coast of Corea — Qnelpert Islands-— Da gelet Island, t^v. — ^ipnii..

THE navigators were hardly anchored at the
entrance of the port of ''^.ite, when an
officer from the commandant cante on boArd to
request them lU)^ to go on shore till orders were
received from the Governor General, to whom
he shoidd dispatch a Courier, when he knew the
motives of their arrival. They informed him
that they wanted provision, and permission io
rciit their ships, to enable' them to continue
their voyage without delay: but; before the
Spanish oilicer had left (hem, the commandant
of the Kay, having perceived their ships, arrived
from Manilla*. He told our navigators that he
. had been informed of their arrival in the Chinese
seas, and that the Spanish minister, in his letters,
had long announced them. Afiter some farther
conversation he permitted M. Boutin, La Pe-
rouse's lieutenant, io accompany him in his
boat to mention their arrival to the govH"nor-ge-
neral, and to solicit his orders that their several
demands might he fullilled before the .5th of
April; the nature of their voyage requiring that
the two fiigates should be under sail the tenth. ■
M. Basco, governor-gent:ral of Manilla, re-
ceived the »flicer with gieat politeness, and is-
sued positive orders tliat nothuig should retard
their departure.

He also ordered the connuandant of Cavile to
procure them every convenience in his power :
proper houses were provided for them for salting

* The coiiiniaiidant of tlie bay, in Spain, is the principal
of the custom-honsc officers, with military rank: that of
Manilla has the rank of captain.

t Having no hopes of meeting with a port mors eom-
motUous than this, the captains of the two frig»te« resolved

their provision, and repairing their sails. They
were indeed excellently accommodated, and
found in the market and the arsenal every thing
that could be required in one of the best ports in
Europe. Cavite, situate, three leagues to tin;
south-west of Manilla, was formerly a place of
importance; but at the Philippines, as in Europe,
the large towns are, in some degree, swallowed
up by the little ones : it has now the commandant
of the arsenal, a contator, a few other oilicers,
a lid a hundred and fifty men in garrison. The
other inhabitants consist of Mulattoes or indiaus
employed at the arsenal, and witli their nunterous
families, form a population of about four thou-
sand, including tiie city and the suburb of Saint
lloch. There are two parishes, and three con-
vents of men. The Jesuits had a handsome
house here, which is now in the hands of go-
vernment. The whole pi; -e is now almost a
of ruin f .
Two days after the arrival of our navigators
at Cavito, M. de Langle, accompanied bv se-
veral officers, embarked for the capital, 'riu-v
made this trip in ilieir boats, well urnted on ac-
count of the M)ors who iufetit JManilla Ba\.
Thej^ visited the governor, who detained theni
to dine with bin , and afterwards sent an of-
ficer io conduct i-iem to the resideme of the
archbishop, tlie iutendaat, and the several oidors.
This proved a very fatiguing day : the heat was

to overiiaw I their ringing completely, and strap their lower
masts. This resolution was attondinl with no delay, as they
were ohlii^cd to wait a month for the provision, for which
they liad tti)i)lled to ths intcndant of MaBUl».

excessive,

heap

bad tbey follow*
aniat^s and Pur*
tiiward of Iknk
D much longer,

f/<f Governor Ge-
luilla — Fciiaticcs
e from Cavite —
(', or PoufT-hou
I nlofig the Coast
'cl, ^r. — Ai^nii.,

leir sails. Tlicy
mniodatcd, and
enal every tiling
the best ports in
e leagues to tin;
nerly a place of
v.i, as in Europe,
grfc, swallowed
the coniiHandunt
w other oflicers,

garrison. The
ittoes or indiauN
I their nunreroiis
bout four tbou>
suburb of Saint

and three con-
ad a biuidsouie
le bunds of go*
\ now alitiust a

our npviv^atdrs
npiinied bv sc-

capital. 'j'lu'v
I armed on ac-
t IVInnilla \Va\ .

detained tbeni
rds sent nn of-
'sidenre of the
; several oidors.
: the heat was

d strap tlicir lom>r
h iiodvtay, ns they
OTision, for wliich
lilla.

r:-

excessive,

■I

PrnOTTSfl's VOYAGE nOUND THE WOKLT),

lexcosiive, and they were on foot in a city where
inon«of the inhabitants ventured out without h
carriage; but none were to be hired, as at Ka-
taviii: had not M. Sebir, a French merchant,
who accidentally heard of their arrival, scut them
his coach, they would have been ffnder the ne-
cessity of relinquishitig the several visits Ihev
had cngnged to make *.

Manilla is erected on the bay which also hears
its mime, and lies at the mouth of a river, being
one of the finest situations in the world: all the
necessaries of life may be procured there in
abundance, and on reasonable terms; but the
cloths, and other manufactures of Europe, are
extravagantly dear. The great possessions of
the Spaniards in America, liave not permitted
the government to attend minutely to the Philip-
pines. La Perouse confidently asserts, that a
great nation, without any other colony than the
Philippines, which would establish a proper
goverinnent there, might vie?w all the European
settlements in Africa and America without envy
or regret.

These islands contain about three millions of
inhabitants, and that of Luconia consists of
about a third of them. These people seerfi not
inferior to Europeans; they cultivate the land
with skill, and among them have ingenious gold-
smiths, carpenters, joiners, masons, blacksmiths,
&c. La Perouse says he has visited them at their
villages, and found them affable, hospitable, and
honest. The Spaniards indeed speak contemp-
tuotisly of tlipsn, but the vices they attribute to
jthe Indians, may with nior'e propriety be placed
[to the government established among themf.

* The city of Munilla, iiu liidiui; its environs, is cxtcii-
tUv, and the population i* cstiiniitod ut thirty.ciglit thou>
rtand, not inure than twelve hundred of which arc S'paniards;
the ri's' are coinposi-d of Mulattoi-s, Chinese, or Indians.
The most incons'idorablu of the Spanish fauiilirs urc not

I 'without n Citrriaire. The neigbbourliood of iManilla is t.'uly

1 Uclit{htf ul, seated on a beautiful river, branching into dif.

[feront thannels, titc two principal of which are received

[by (he Lagoon, ur Lake of Bahca, sevca leagues within
tiic country, surrounded by more tlian a hundred Indian

LTillagei, and in the midst of a fertile territory.

-I- .Some streams producing gold-dust, in the ncighbour-

[)iood of the Spice Islands, were certainly the temptations
which occasioned the settlement of the Philippines; but the
produce has not answered the expectations that had been
formed of it. Kr.;husiaim superseded avarice, and multi-
tudes of religions, of every order, were sent thither to
disseminate Christianity. So earnest and successful were
these pious labourers, tiiat theto islands, in a very short

i time contained ci^ht or nine hundred christians. Had this

Vol. U. No. LXVIL

Many oppressive distinctions are here sup-
ported and established with the harshest severity ;
the number of horses to draw carriages is fixed
for persons of every rank; those who have (he
grentest number take precedeiioe of all other*
travelling on the same road ; tliey being compelled
to summit to the mortification of keeping in a
line behind their carriages. But the vices and
vexations rcMiiltitig from this government havfc
not totally destroyed the advantages of the tli-
mate: the peasants display an air of happy
cheerfulness, beyond what is generally observed
in European villages; their habitations, shaded
by luxuriant fruit-trees which require no cultiva-
tion, are singularly neat and picturesque. A
late impost on tobacco is considered as ;» ter-
rible scourgo u])on the people: their fondness
for this iiaiTotic is :o excessive, that haidly a
man or woman is to be seen without a wiiur'^,
in the mouth; even infants are pcrmitt'd to con-
tract this habit. The tobacco produced in the
island of Luconia is the best in Asia : it is cul-
tivated round every hoiLse, for the consumption
of its inhabitants, and is transported, by per-
mission or stealth, into every part of India.

The prohibitory law lately promulgated re-
specting this favourable plant, confines the cul-
tivation of it to particular districts, M-here the
advantages resulting from it are to be appro-
priated to the use of government. The price
has been fixed at half a piastre a pound, in con-
sequence of which the pay of a day-labourci-
will not permit him to procure a sufficient quan-
tity of tobacco for the consumption of his own
family. Insurrections were menaced in every

zeal been tinctjrcd with prudeucc and philosophy, good
consequences might have been expected, but the people
were subjected to the most ridiculous and extravagant
practices; every sin was ptinishod with whijipintf, in pro.
portion to the priest's idea of its enormity ; the punishment
for non<attendance at prayer or mass, was indiscrimiiiately
inflicted on men and women, by order of the curate, at tlie
church.door. The holidayi, and the practice of particular
devotions consume much of their time ; I^a IVrouse says lie
has seen,, during passion week, masked penitents dragging
chains in the streets, having their waists and lec^q surround,
ed with a girdle of thorns, rcrrivin^ in c.'rtain situations
several severe strokes of discipline, and submitting to the
most rigorous penances. These practices, which mnst hivci
a greater tendency to make enthusiasts, than create true
devotion, have lately been forbidden by the archbishop of
Manilla; but some confessors continno to recommend thts'iti,
though they will not venture to command them.

J A'roll formed of a leaf of tobacco, which they smoic
without a pipe. ,....,,..,.^„^ ,^ .-w.;,,«,

K part

PEROUSE's 'VOYAGE ROWID THE WORLD. '

f!sj

I : I >

"i i

part of the island, and' troops were employed to
su{)pres!i them: an army of custom-house of-
.kers were appointed to prevent smuggling, and
to compel the consumers to purchase it at the
national offices. Many of them have indeed
been massacred, but speedy vengeance for their
deaths tva« the certain retaliation: fev»rer for-
wialities are required in the conviction of the
Indfans, than in that of other citizens *.

CofFet, sugar-canes, cotton, ana indi;?o, grow
♦here without cultivation, and it is generally
believed that f!ieir sjiices would not be inferior
to those ol the Moluccas: a general liberty of
commerce for all nations woiild command a
sale which would encourage the cultivation of
them all; and a mod 'rate duty on all articles
exported would soon defray the expences tiiat
governnient miglit sustain.

The navig-'+ors remained only a few hours at
Manilla, and the governor, having taken leave
«f them immediately after dinner, to indulge in
bis afternoon's nap, they visited M. Sebir, from
whom they had received the most osee:it«al ser-
vices, during theii continuance in l^'anilla B^iv
About eight in the evening they r:;turned to their
frigates; but being apprehensive that it would be
necessary to send an officer to take up his abode
at Manilla, to accelerate the repair of the fri-
gates, to procure necessaries, &c. they norai-
iiated M. Vaujaus, lieutenant of the Astrolabe
for that purpose; but M. Consoles Carmagnal,
intenf^ant of the Philippines, generously took
that task upon hisnseif, daii inspecting the pro-
gress of the workmen, and every other matter of
importance, with care, vigliaiuf, and activity.
He even open«^d his cabinet of natural history
to the officers of the frigates, and bestowed on
our navigators a complete dou!)le colloctijn of
the shells which arc found in the Philippine seasi-.

The labours at Cavite being finished, the boats
built, the sails repaired, the rigging overhauled,
and the salt provision barrelled up, iic. objec-

* Thr picture which might ha drawn of tlic slate of Ma.
nilla, in a rory short time, would be very different from
that of its present state, should t'le Spanish government
adopt a better constitution for tl'o Philippines: the lu ml is
rapab'e of prodiicinj; the most valuable articles ; a proi)er
nuuiber of persons in the ishtnd of Luconia, with duo rn-
courugcnient, might cultivate it to intluite advantage. " The
climate" says la Pcronsi;, " will .allow the produce of ten
crops of silk i>: a year, whilst that of China gives but a
faint pronilsi^ of *wo."

i The 8htp'« companies began to cxprrlcnce the disagree-
able coascqueaccs of the cxcebsirc heats of Manilla : some

tionswere made to the last mentioned nrtirVj
La Perouse M-as unwilling to trust to the \ .t -
tualing agents of Manilla; he knew that \hr.
salt provision of the galieons would burO.y
keep good for three months, and coiifiiicutly
relied on Captain Cook's nietliod; a c(>^>y of
which was remitted to every Salter; and lliey
were superintended by several oflicers. Tlwy
had salt and vinegar on board which they
brought from Europe, and they purchased hogs
from the Spaniards on very reasonable terms.

Before they sailed the navigators thonghi it
their duty to wait upon the governor-general, to
thank Jiim for the great dispatch v,U^-' which
his orders had been executed; aim .<ti{! more tf»
express their obligations to the intcndaiit, w'lO
had rendered them the mo^t essential services.
These duties performed, they consiimed about
two days in visiting the ports adjacent to Ma-
nilla, to which they wert; occasionally conveyed
in carriages. They were not captivated with the
viow of palaces, parks, or gardens; but nature
is there so fascinating, that a simple Indiau
village, on the banL' of a river, and a house in
the European style, might vie with a niagnitl-'
v-^ntlnansion. Such is the dwelling of the mobt
opuU -it citizens; and this would be pne of thu
most enchanting spots to live iu, if a uiorc ra-
tional and moderate system of govcrnnient were
established. The fortifications of Manilla have
be«n much improved, uttder the direction of
M. Sauz, an eminent engineer ; but the garrison
is far from numerous.

On the 9th of April, accordipg to the French
manner of reckoning, and the lUth as the Ma-
uillese reckon, our navigators snilcd, and got
to the northward of the island of Lurnnia. Thev
tlattorcd tliciuselves with finding under Formosit.
the same variations of wind f\s under t!ie island
of Luconia. On the 'ilst they made tlio i>>Ian(l
of Formosa; and experienced, in the dianiiel
which divides it from that of Luconia, some very

of the sailors were seized with colics, which rore not Iidw.
ever of an inveterate Kind: but Messrs. de L.imanon iind
])ai:;rcinont, who had received the first attacits of a ih--
sentery at Macao, grew daily worse; and M. liaigreinout
died on the '2r»(h. Ilo was the second person who had been
deprived of life by sickness on board the Astrolabe. Dis.
regarding the advice of his physicians, and without the
knowledge of his friends and iissociates, he was determined
to cure his diiease with Jiurnt br<indy, pimento, and other
medicines: but, relying on the strength of his coiisfitiilion,
of which he entertained too high an opinion, he fell the
TiftJQi of his own imprudence.

; U ..\iolont

PEROUSr/s VOYAGE ROUND THF, WORLD.

ntioncd ;iitir'ot
list to the \iv-
knew tinif. \hr,
would ]mn],y
und coiifiiicudy
od ; a C()|»y of
liter; and (hey
ofiiccrs. Th«;y
rd wliicli they
purchased lu>gs
iiible terms,
tors thouglii it
•nor-^cneral, in
xh wiib wliiclj
iiiu .-it J! njoro (?»
intcndaat^ w'iO
sentiiil services,
lonsumcd about
djaeent to Ma-
uiialiy convened
tivatcd with the
lis; but nature
simple Indiiiu
and a bouse in
A-ith a niaguitl-'
ing of the most
be vne of the
if a more ra>
pvernuieiit were
Manilla have
le direclioii of
ut the garrisou

to the French
)tb as tlie Ma-
iled, and f»()l
uennia. Thev
iiidcr Kormosit.
der llic it-lard
iule the island
II the (iiannel
nia, some very

icli rorr not how-
do Lamanon iind
attacks of a ily-
il M. ])ni^r(<in()ul
son who liBtl been
Astrolabe;. Dis-.
aiul without the
c was tlctertniinMl
nento, and other
' his constitiilion,
nion, he fell tho

violent

flolent currents. On the 22d they set Lamay
Island, at the south-west point of Formosa,
^bout three leagues distance. They 80un<kd
twenty-five fathoms, sandy bottom, and in three
or four minutes afterwards only nineteen fathoms.
JFrom this sudden shoaling of the water they
Lupposed they w*re near a fiauk which had not
Ibeen laid down upon the charts: they continued
[to sound, and soon after found only twelve fa-
[thoms: they tacked, and stood towards the
[island of Formosa, when the bottom still con-
Itinued very irregular. The Boussole then came
kto anchor, and made a signal for that purpose to
[the Astrolabe. In the morning- they got under
iway, aud stood towards the couiinent of China:
|«t 'niae they had again twenty-one fathoms
[by the iv-^ad, and a minute afterwards only eleven.
[Judging it imprudent to continue so hazardous
141 survey, as their boats were not in a condition
[to assist them, they came to the resolution of
ruiniing out upon the opposite point of tl»e com-
pass, and fixed the course at south-east by east.
. 'i'hey ran thus six leagues over an uneven bottom
i froni twenty-four fitnoms to eleven: the sound-
Jugs then grew deej.er, and at ten in tJie evening
[they could ge' no ground, when about twelve
leagues l.""i '.lie p«ipt from which they had put
about in the morning. P,erb ips this bank may
not be dangerous, the shallowest wat<,'r having
been eleven fathoms; but the inequality of its
bottom renders it very suspicious. It may be
necessary also to observe, that these shoals in
jhe Chinese seas h;ive frequently points level
with the water, v hich have occasioned many
>ihi|i wrecks.

The tack they then stood on conveyed them
ujjon the coast of Formosa, near the entrance of
(he bav of Old Fort, Zealand, where the city of
'raywaii, the capital of thut island, is seak'd.

"■The land and sen brucwos i-iutiU'd the navigators, the

' i\c\t day, to ^ct ten loa^iius. tu thu northward, when tliuy

I (HMctivc'd the ('hlnt'su army at tlic mouth of a (;rrat riTcrr

,»li(v came to an anchor abreast of diis river, iu thirty-seven

fiitliunis. It was imj)0!>siblu tu ascortain tho uumbur </f

) thes(> vessels ; some of them woro under sail, others at

r .-inrlior on the ronst, and a great tiuinlwr of tlicm in the

Lrivir. The admiral, covered withatkultiplicity of flags, was

ithc farthest in tbi: otlinfj. llecame to an anchor at ajleaguc

^ to the eastward of the French frigatcit: ni^ht arriving, lio

'hung nut lights on all hiv masts; those rosseU which wore

ubli;;rd io pass by the frigates, in order to join their com-

niander, were cautious of coming witiiin the reach of their

l^iiits, not knowing whether Ihey wcrofricads or ooemies.

Having been iiifDrniod of the revolt of (hat
Chinese colony, aii'i that an anny of twenty
thousand men under the santog of (!aulon, had
been dispatched against it. La Perouse rciolveij
to sacrifice a few days vo learn the particulars
of this event, and cainc to an anchor to thtj
westward of the bay. He thought it imprudent.
to send his boat on shore, as siispieioiis niigiil
arise in the state of war in which this Chinese
colony was then engaged; he therefore drew
alongside some Chinese boats, which were sail-
ing within his reach. As a powerful tempta-
tion, he shewed tbera some piastres, but the
inhabitants of these islands were not {)erniittcd
to have any communication with strangers. Only
one man could be prevailed on to come on board ;
whose fish were instantly purchased at his own
price, to induce him to give a favourable ac-
count of our navigators, should he venture to
acknowledge that he had comiutinicated with
them.

No person could guess at the meaning of any
of the answers given by these fiahei'mcn to the
questions which had been proposed to them,
which they certainly did not comprehend. The
language Of these people bears not the least re-
semblance to that of the Europeans, but a kind
of pantomimic jargon, accompanied with iii-
rlinations of the head, and other emotions.
Convinced of the impossibility of having his
curiosity gratified,, La Pr>-ouse resolved to get
under way the following:, day, with the land
breeze. Several lites appearing upon the coast,
he supposed they were meant as signals, aud
that he had created an alarm*.

Thus rircmnstanred, and convinced that the
channel between tho islands, and the banks of
I''«)rmo5a, did not exceed four leagues in width,
it would have been dangerous, in such dreadful

The weather becomine; extreiiu'ly bad, accompanied with
a fog^ the Ohinese admiral ran before the' wind into the
river, aud li.i IVrousc iiattored himself that he should be
abtc to double the Pescadores, or I'ons-hou Islands, by
keeping the ship's head to the north-west ; but, to his
great astonishment, he pernivcd, at nine in tiie morning,
several rocks, pnrt of a group of Jshiiuls, bearing north,
north.tvest: the breakers whieii surround them were hardly
distinguishable from those ociasioned by the Fca. He tack*
ed, .and stood towards Formosa ; and at noon the Astru^
labe, which was uiicad, made a signal I'lr twelve fathoms :
the Doussolo Roundi'd, and foiind forlv: hunct; it appcuit
that, in the uiiianre of a quarter of a ioaguo, thero was- A
thoaliLg of foitT fatlioms to twfltu. . ,

.%Ltt4l!IH/..

u. ■.* ,

^'^l*

?! !l!

*- i i

■

i' 9:1

III ^

111

{ ll

'! I , !l

II 1

'f ! f

.•^S

PFROUSE's VOYAGE

*■ —

ROUND THE WORLIX

weather, to ply to windward during the night,
and in so rough a sea; La Perouse determined to
bear up, that he might run to the eastward of
Formosa.

These islands consist of a heap of rocks, as-
suming a variety of shapes; one of which exactly
resembles the tower of Cordouan, at the entrance
of Bourdeaux river. Among these islets five
-M'lnds were enumerated of a moderate height,
jiaving the appearance of sandy downs, without
any trees upon them. The next day a violent
squall of wind was experienced, which only
lasted till ten o'clock in the evening, having been
preceded by an abtindant rain. Daring the
night the sky was continually in a flame; the
most vivid lightning darted from every point of
the horizon; but only one clap of thunder was
heard. The whole ot' the next day a dead calm
occurred, in mid-channel, between the Boshce
Islands, and those of Botol Tabacoxima*.

La Perouse made each of them a present of
some medals, and a piece of nankin: but it was
very apparetit that these islanders did not quit
the coast with an idea of traffic, for they had
nothing to offer in exchangt) for these presents:
they only fastened to a rope a bneket of fresh
w^ater, making signs that they still considered
themselves indebted to him for the favours they
had received, but that they were going ashore
to get provision, which they signified by putting
their hands into their mouths, iieforc they ap-
proached the frigates, they placed their hands
upon their brciists, and elevated their arms to-
wards the sky. These gestures being repeated
by the ships' crews, they ventured to come on
board, but their countenances indicated a want
of confidence in the persons who had invited

• The wind permitting liim to conic within two miles of
this island, l^a IVrousu distiuctty saw three vilhigos on tlie
southern coast, and a caiiac seemed to direct its eoiirsu to.
wards kim. Approaching Uotol Tabacoxima he suundtni
tOTcral times, und, till within half a league from the iaail,
found no bottom : hence it appeared that if there was any
anchorage it must hove been extremely near the coast. This
island, on which no one has yet been known t ) hind, is
about foar ledguuis in circumferenrc, and is sepnrattd by a
channel from a largo rock or islet, on which soine verdure,
Mid a few shrubs were seen. The island, however, con. :
tained many inhabitants; three large villages having pt-e-
Ecnted themsetvci within the space of a league. A con.
•iderabic part of H is woody, and the summit seemed to be
capped with very large trees. In many piac(>(i the land wod '
cultivated, and exhibited a most beautiful green ; though
farrowed by the impetuosity of tho torrents which descend
*^ui the high mountaius.

them: they intimated, however, that if their <
benefactors would come on shore, they should
want for nothing. Their canoes, which wen;
made of hollow trees, were managed very in- '
differently.

It is probable that vessels might provide llieni-
selves in this island with provision, wood, and
water; but as it does not exceed three or four
leagues in circumference; its population may not^i
perhaps amount to more than four or five huii :f
dred. La Perouse preserved the name of Kiinui
Island, which Father Ganbil gives it in hi-
chart; in which he makes it part of a group ol'l
seven or eight islands, of which this is thi T
westernmost: and this separated from those sup-
posed to be eastward of it, by chaunels of eigl.t
or ten leagues.

At one in the afternoon he crowded sail t(i
the northward, without waiting for thost;
islanders who had signified they would return 1
with provisions: he continued his course to the
northtvard, and biiforc sim-sct lost the sight oi'
Kumi Island. At day-break he made an i.slan(!;|
in the north north-east, and farther east saw so
veral rocks or islets : he ranged along it at ;i
third of a league distance without finding aiiv'^
bottom, or discovering any trace of a habitation j
it was so sfeep that he supposed it uninhabifabii' ■*
and its circuinfert^ncc did not seem t.) cxceeili
two leagues: when he came abreast of if, he per i
ceived another island, which was woody, btstf
nearly of the same size and form, though noti
qtiite .so high; and between these islands fi\«
groups of rocks appeared, which were surround-
ed by birds inninnerablo. He continued to filial
last the appellation it had received of Iloapir^u,
Inland, and to that most to the north-east 7Vrto//»-|

On the 3(h of May, at one in the mornintf, our navigi.
tors m.ido an island: after standing olV and on, under ai,
easy saii, at day.break, they ran along the west coast (j!
this island, at the distance of half a league. They soundoJ
several times, but found no bottom : they were convincul '.
the island was inhabit(>d, as they saw fires in several plac. -.
'and herd* of rattle grazing on the sea shore. When tliei
had doubled its west iioint, which was the most popiiloii-
and beautiful, several canois set olf from shore to observ. ]
thcin. 'J'hey seumuil, however, much afraid : their curiosiiv
impelled them to advance within musket-shot, but thiu
timidity induced them spueilily to depart. But laiignasc
gestures, .-.nd tokens of peace and amity, nccompaiiii.iL
with the display of some stuffs, at length prevailed un two'l
of the caituus to oomo alongside of thcia.

Slid

l»EIlOUSFs VOYAGK ROUND THE WOULD.-

3.9

T, that if their i
ore, they should
les, which were J

crowded sail lo
iting for thost;
ey would return |
m course to tlic
h»st tlie sight of
ic made an is-lani!-
■ther east saw si-
cd along^ it at ;i j
hout Biuling an.
c of a habitation ;j
it uninhabitable, jj
seem to cvccpd!
!ast of it, he pci-i
was woody, but
iini, though not'
hcso ishmds li\«|
were surroumi-
ntinued to (til-
ed of Hoapir^:.
3rtli-east Tiaoj/n-

ornint^, our naviui-^
ami uii, uiuliT ai
the wt'st coast ii:
lie. They soiiiuli'il
hoy were convincid
•s in seTcral pliu'i'-.
■shore. When tliev
the most popiiloii-
)m shore to obsorvr
'raid : (heir ciiriusiti
kct-shot, but thiu
irt. but laii^uiif^c.
mity, acconipauicil^
Ih prcT.ailrd on t<vu i

It, "-ivcn by Father Gaubil to the islands to the
Lst'^of the north point of Formosa, and which
liive there been laid down too much to the

[>uth*.

In the night of the 25th our navigators passed
Jie strait of Corea, sounding very frequently,
[nd as the coast of Corea appeared more eligible
[> follow than that of Japan, they approached
.vithin two leagues of it, and shaped a course
barallel to its direction. The channel between
lie coast of the continent and that of Japan is
[bout fifteen leagues wide: following the con-
)nent very near, they saw, on the tops of moun-
kins, some fortifications which had the ap-
Larance of European forts: hence it seems to
[ppearthat the greatest objects of defence, on
]lie part of the Coreans, are directed against the
Japanese, This country is mountainous, and
Jeems very n uch parched: the snow, in certain
Ihanntls, wai not entirely melted, and the earth
jiad not the af pearunce of being prolifii:. Their
iabitalions are numerous; no less than a dozen

I'lmmpans or junks also presented themselves as
hey sailed a'iokig the coast: they hardly differ,
n any respect, from those of China; and, like
|hose, their sails were made of mats. The ap-
bearance of the ships did not seem to create
tear among the natives, but tliey had not courage
Inou^h to speak to our na\igators: they con-
linur d their course without regarding them, and
lie sight of the vessels, though very new, did

* FiithiT f!aiiMI, iu his charl, sivi-s a third island t i -'ic
koitli-west of Iloapiusu, imdcr tl>e nainu of Puu«;kiucliuii,
iiul nboiit tlie same distame fr(MU it ns 'J'iunijii.mi. Sliould
llus island riMlij- exist, it is ustonisliinf;, riDin thi' vimiH'. of
|,a I'lTDiise, that he did not disiovor it, Lcttics Ktli/utnl ..,
\\M\ ciilU'Cliiin.

The navigators were now got out of the archipelago of

|he islands of Liqueo, and were ubont to enter a more c%-

tiiisive sea between Japan and China. On the 19th of

kiay (hey made (he signal for geltin;; undot way, and shaped

jiii ir course north-east by east towards the island of (JucU

^aert. This island, known to iMirope.ins by the wreck of

lie Dutch ship Sparrow Hawk, in 1035, was then under

he dominion of the king of Corea. No ishiud can pos-

kbiy allord a liner aspect: a peak of about a thousand

bises is \isible at the distance of twenty leagues, and oc-

kipies the middle of it; the land slopes gradually towards

lie sea, whence the habitations appear an an amphi-theatrc ;

lie soil appeared in high cultivation; and, by the aid of

lassci, the division of lields was clearly seem, which plainly

cinonstrated that the population was gri,>at: but unfor.

inately the inhabitants are prohibited froir all communica.

|on with strangers; and thoso arc dotaijicil in slarery who

tve the misfortnno to be iliipwreck«4 OA theso coftslv.

Vol. II. No. LXVII.

not attract their attention. At eleven, how-
ever, two boats set sail to rectmnoitre, and
came within a league of .lie frigates; they after-
wards followed thorn foi" two hov.rs, and then
returned into the harbour they had quitted iu
the morning. It is therelv)re probable that they
had created an alarm on the coast of Corea, as,
in the afternoon, fires were seen on all the pro-
montories f.

On the 27th he made the signal to bear up,
and steer east, and soon perceived in the north-
north-east, an island not laid down upon any
chart, at the distance of about twenty leagueii
from the coast of Corea. He named it Isle
Da^elet, from the name of the astronomer who
first discovered it. The circumference is about
three leagues. La Perouse ran along it, tmd
nearly made its circuit at about a third of a
league, and found no bottom. M. Boutin was
then ordered in a boat to sound as far as the
shore, and found bottom in twenty fathoms,
but not till near the edge of the surf. This
island, though steep, is embellished with fine
trees, from the edge to the very summit: a ram-
part of bare rock, almost perpendicular, en-
circles the whole of it, seven little sandy creeks
excepted, where it is practicable to land. In
these creeks some boats of a Chinese construction
were seen upon the stocks; but the workmen
were intiiin'daled by the sight of the French
ships, and tied into a wood. A few huts were

Some of the crew of the S|);»ri >«-' iwk, after a captivity
of eighteen yo.irs, and n'ceivi j; li.iny bastinadoes, con-
• Irri! 11 fakt" away a bark, and cross to .lapan ; after-
wants thi'\- Merc coiiduri d lo U.ilavia, and from tli. uce (o
Ainst"rdui, Kiiowini; nIs circumstance, (hey wire not
inclined to send a Ixiat on ■^hor.': (In-y had si'on twu Mnuos
put oft' from it, but (Inn- ncv c:\tih- %uthin a leatjuo of
the frijjaies, their ubjcct was i ruliibly to watch the pro-
ceedings of their ni w visitors, and give the alarm on tlio
coast of {'orca.

+ On the tah, the niou who were looking out at tlio
mast-head, called down to inform the crews that they folt:
burning vapours as if pro: i'i«i;ng I'roui the mouth of an
oven, which pa<;sed lilv i > of wind, regularly succeed,
ing each other in ab .»pace of half a minute. All (ho

officers repaired to th ..i>t.head, and experienced the. .same!
extraordinary heats. Uiring the night a gale of wind from
the north continued for abint seven or eight hours, but th(j
sea was very high. The ntxt day La t'erouse approached
within three leagues of the continent: notwithstanding tho
violcnco of the wind, he had gained a little to the north
ward, and explored the most interesting coast of Corea.
Ho then shaped his coursu for the south-west point of
Niphun Island.

L sefUj

PEROUSri's VOYAGE ROUND THE WOni.D.

seen, but nothing like a village; und the land
was wholly uncultivated. llence it was con-
jectured that the Corean carpenters come hither
during the summer, for the purpose of building
boats, which they dispose of upon the continent;
and that conjecture was afterwards ascertained;
for the workmen belonging to another dock-
yard, who were so situated as not to be able to
see the frigate's, were surprised by these French
\isitors, in the very act of fashioning their tim-
ber, and 'jonstrireting their boats ; but not
approving of the appearance of interlopers,
they instanily quified their labour, and (led into
the forests, with the exception of only two or
three, who sec-med not in the least degree, to
be astonished or afraid. La Perouse wished he

could have found an anchorage, that he might
have an opportunity of convincing these people,
by the exercise of friendly and benevolent of-
tices, that he and his suite were not Ihcir
enemies: the strong currents, however, drove
from the land, night approached, and fearing
the boat which he had dis] atched under M, Bou-
tin, might not be able to rtjoin him. La Perousr
ordered him by a signal to return on board, at
the very moment he was on the point of landing
on the beach. He hauled towards the Astrolabe,
which was farther west, having been drifted b\
the currents, and a perfect calm ensued ; the
height «><" the mountains of Dagclet Island having
occasioned it by intercepting the sea-breeze.

SECTION X.

Route to the J\'orlli-West Pari of Japan — CipcXoto, and of the Island Jooiai-sima — ParHcuUns
of this Island — See several Japanese and Chinese Vessels — Relurn toivards the Coait of Tartarjj
•— Remain at Baic de Ternai — //,s Productions — Some Account of the Countrj/ — Depart from it
— Anchor in Bale de Suffrcn — Proceed to the JS'ortJnvard — Anchor at Baic de Langle — Jfannert
"' and Customs of the Inhahitants— Continue lo proceed to the Xorlhieard — Put in at Bate d'Estaiufx
*' Departure — Banks in the Channel — inival at Baic de Castries, on the Coast of Tartarij—
J^AY, July, 1787.

ON the 30th of May, La Perouse shaped
his course east towards Japan, and on the
2d of June he saw two Japanese vessels, oiu' of
which passed within hail of him. It had a
crew of twenty men, all habited in blue cas-
socks resembling those worn by French priests.
This vessel was about a hundred tons burthen,
and had a single high mast stepped in the
middle. The sail, which was very large, w;is of
linen, the breadths of which were laced lenjj,th-
vvise; and two jibs, with a sprit-sail, composed
the remainder of her suit: a small gallery pro-
jected from each of the sides of this vessel, and
extended along her gun-wale to about two-
thirds of her length. The boat placed athwart
her bows exceeded the breadth of the vessel by
seven or eight ieei. These vessels did not ap-
pear to be intended to go any considerable dis-
tance from the coast, as they could not be safe
in a high sea during a squall of wind: the Ja-
panese nave probably other vessels to brave the
bad weather.

Our navigators pa^Bed so near this vessel^ that

(hoy particularly observed the countenances of
individuals, in which tiiey saw no appearance ol'
four or astonishment. They had a small Japa-
nese white tlag, whereon some word-; were seen,
written vertically: the Astrolabe hailed her in
she passed ; but neither the question nor the an- ,
swer was comprehended: she continued her
course to tlie southward, to give the earliest iii-
;<lligence of two foreign vessels having appear
cd in seas, where no European navigator had
ever ventured. At dift'erent times of the day
seven Chinese vessels, of a smaller construction,
were seen, which were better calciilateU to en-
counter bad weather.

All these junks ran close to the wind, and
were doubtless at no great distance from the
land. In the morning, im the following dav,
two other ifapanese vessels were perceived; aiul
on the (Jth on navigators made Cape Noto, and
the island of Jootsi-sima, separated from it by!
a channel abuut five leagues in width. Though
distant abont six leagues from the land, they
could distingutsih particular objects on it. Some

% lands,

PRROUSE's VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

countenances of s

ijslandsj rocks, and other impediments, pre-
,^eutcd their nearer approach to the coast: at

jhi' distance iliey had sonndings at sixty fa-
honis, At two they saw the island of Jootsi-
lima in the nortli-east Tliey were soon obliged
[o haul the wind, in order to weather the
)rea!ccis, that arc extremely dangerous in the
jfog', which, at this season generally conceals
^he northern coasts of Japan. Tliii island is
ibout two leagues in circumference, flat, and
irell wooded. It also appeared to he well in-
I'lbited, and some considerable edifices were
i)hs(>rved between the houses. Near a iort of
iistle, at the south-west point, some gibbets
ii:'.:!j. i'lcir awful appearance*.

During" tlie seventy-five days, sincoi our na-

kigators sailed from Tilanilla, they had run along

be coasts of Quelpert Island, Corca, and Japan;

)nt as these countries were inhabited by people

Inhospitable to strangers, they did not attouipl to

{W\t them. On the contrary, they well knew

^hat the Tartars were hospitable, and that Ihey

\a.d a force sufficiently formidable to over-awe

iixy small tribes that might be met with on the

Ijea-sliore. They were extremely impatient to

reconnoitre this land, and it was the only part of

Ihe globe which had escaped the activity of

Captain Cook.

The geographers who had drawn the strait of
lessoy, erroneously determined the limits of
Fesso, of the Company's Land, and of Statcn
tsland: it therefore became necessary to ter-
Ininatc the ancient discussions by indisputable
tactsf. The latitude of Bale de Tcrnai was the

• Somo satisf.ic(ory observations of latitude and longitude,

k'liich «ill be interesting to iroograpliers, but caniKit be en.

lertaining to the general reader, arc not here partleiihirizcd.

Kfter some very essential srientific information, L\ Pe-

loiisc proceeds to inform his readtira, iu his narratives, that

Vi the 23d of June, the wind became settled at north-east ;

le theroforn determined to stand iu for a bay he had seen to

Dii; wcst.north.west, where it was probable he mi^ht liiid

tood anchorage : at six in the eveliing he dropped anchor

picrc, in sevcnty-foiir futhoms, half a league from the

bore. He named it Bitie dc Tcrnai. Though it is open to

he easterly winds, he supposes they never blow in upon

he coast there, and that they follow the direction of the

tnd: the bottom, whi' h is sandy, gradually diminishes to

Ix fathoms within a cable's length of the shore.

-f Many of the geographers have pointed out an island to

Jic north of Japan, under the several names of Jeco, Yeco,

Ir Jesso, which they have separated from Tartary, by a

rait which the/ hare named Tcssoy. This imaginary strait

same as that of Port Acqucis, thongli the
description of it is very different |.

Freah provision is truly desireable to every
man, and even that which is the least relishiii":
is infinitel. more wholesome than salt meat: the
prospect of a plentiful fishery induced La Pe-
rouse to order the salt provisions to be locked
up, and preserved for less fortunate periods: he
also directed casks to be prepared and filled with
fresh limpid water, of which there was great
plenty; he even sent into the meadows to pro-
cure pot-herbs, where onions, celery, and sor-
rel were found in abundance. The plants which
France produces, carpeted the whole soil. Roses,
lilies, and all European meadow flowers wftie
behtdd at every step. Pine trees embellished tlur
tops of the mountains; and oaks, gradually di-
minisihing in strength and size towards the sea,
adorned the less elevated parts: birch, willow,
and mai)le frees form agreeable borders to the
banks of tlie rivers, and the rivulets ; and on
the skirls <^i' forests, there was a profusion of
apple, medlar, and hazle-nut trees.

Traces of men were frequently perceived by
the havoc they had made, some small baskets,
formed of the bark of birch-trees, sewed with
thread like those of the Canadian Indians, were
also found; and several rackets for walking ou
the snow. By these, and many other corobo-
rating circumstances, the navigators were clearW
of opinion, that the Tartars approach trie borders
of the sea, when invited thither by the season
for fishing and hunting ; that they assemble for
those purposes along the rivers; and (hat the

appears on all the old charts; and its preieitded existence
may have originated from the real strait « liieh divides Se-
galieu Island from the C()utinei\t, and which William do
Lisle also gave the name of Strait of Tcssoys on ^ chart
of Asia, published in 1700.

+ Nevt:r did any country exhibit i;rada(ions of aolour of
so varied and strong a green as that which was now beheld ;
and though neither a single (ire nor a rauoe could be seen,
it could not be imagined that a country si) near China, ap-
parently so fertile, sIkiuIiI lie eiilirely uninhabited. Before
our navigators had landed their boatf, tlieir glasses were
dircctctl towards the shore, but they saw only bears and stags
passing deliberately along the sea-side. The impatience of
the crews to land was much increased b)' this circumstance-
Arms were prepared with as much activ'ty as if an enemy
had menaced the most alarming hostilities; and while all
these preparations were making, the sailors were employed
in fishing, and had taken ten or twelve cou .fish with tticit
lincsj iu a very short space of time.

mas.^

PKROUSE's VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

mass of people reside in the interior of tlie
country, to attend to the uuiltiplicatioa of their
flocks and herds*.

M. de Langle, with several other officers^ who
had a passion for hunting, endeavoured to pur-
sue their sport, but without success: yet they
imagined that by silence, persev«rance, and post-
ing themselves in ambush in the passes of the
stags and bears, they might be able to pro-
cure some of them. This plan was determined
on for the next day, but, with all their address
and management it proved abortive. It was
therefore generally acknowledged that fishing
presented the greatest prospect of success. Each
of the five creeks in the Baie de Tcrnai, afforded
a projjcr place for hauling the seine, and was
rendered more convenient by a rivulet, near
which they established their kitchin. They
caught plenty of trout, salmon, cod-fish, harp-
fish, plaice, and herrings.

In one of these fishing parties they discovered,
on the bank of a rivulet, a Tartarian tomb, erect-
ed near a small ruinous house, and almost hidden
in the grass: curiosity induced them to open it,
and they observed two persons in it, placed on
the side of each other; a cap of taffeta covered
their heads; their bodies were wrapped up in a
bear's skin ; and they had also a girdle of the
same, from which several small coins, and dif-
ferent copper trinkets were pendant. Blue beads
were scattered in this tomb, and ten or twelve
silver pendants for the ears, were also found: a
knife, an iron hatchet, a wooden s{)oon, a comb,
and a small bai>,- of nankeen, full of rice, were

* At half past six tliri'i> boals, lillcd wi(h officers from
tliL' two fritjati's, landi'd at Bear's Creek, and at seven (hey
had fired several tniisket.shots at dillerrnt ■v^ilii heasfs, whieh
rai)idly (led into (he woikN. Three yowiig fawns verc (he
v.i.!y utdiMR of (heir inejiperioncc : the boisterons joy of
those who hail just landed aeeelerateddie depar(nre of these
intimidated animals. 'I'lie nuMdows, though delightfnl to
behold, were almost impassable: thick grass of (ive or six
feet liish, impeded the progri'ss of the .-idTcntnrers, and
.iltnosi buried tlieni in (heir luxnriance. They also dreaded
the noxious company of serjjents, many of (hem having
been seen on (he banks of (he rivulets, though their veno-
mous (iuali(y h;ul not then been experienced. The sandy
flats on the shore were the only places that could be walked
on with security and ease.

+ It seemed clear (hat (he Tartarian hunters made fre-
quent landings on (his bay ; a ranoe, found near the mo-
nument, indicated that they came thither by sea, from the
mouth of some river not then ascertained.

I On the morning of the 27(h, after having buried dif>

!i .1 !i

afterwards discovcrf^d. The construction of tli!
monument was inferior to that of the tombs oi
l^ort dcs Francais. Great care was taken ti»
cover these articles up again, after preserving a
small part of each to authenticate the dis
CO very f.

The Chinese coins, as well as the other articles,
make it uninifcst that these people have regular
commercial dealings Avitli that nation, arid it u
also probable that they may be subjects of that
empire. The rice, in a blue nankeen bag, coun-
tenances the Chinese opinion, that there will be
a succession of wants in the life to come: the
hatchet, knife, comb, &c. have a marked ri-
semblance to those among the American Indians;
and if they have never had any communication
with each other, it may fairly be suggested, tha<
people in the same degree of civilization, and
under the same latitudes, may probably adopt
the same customs.

This delightful country, the east part of Tar-
tary, presented to the view nothing interestini;;
to the botanists and mineralogists of the two
frig'itt-s. The plants were the same as those in
Friince; set and land-birds are scarce, thougli
some turtle-doves, ravens, quails, swallows, al-
batrosses, gulls, bitterns, and wild-ducks, niade
their appearance; but the view was not en-
livened by those innumerable fiights of birdv, ]
which swarm in other uninhabited countries
At the Baie de Tcrnai those aerial visitors were
seldom seen, and in the interior of the woods '
the most gloomy silence was seldom interrupted
bv their vocal nielodvt.

_' ■ 0„

feront medals in (honrth, with a bo((Ie in whirh tlie dad
of their arrival was rei\is(ered, t'iic navigators s,'{ sail, ami
ran along the coast lifty league.-, with (he (iiiesi -.veaduT.
They condnued to rn,i along near *he coast, the dircctiua
being the north by east. On (he 1st of .Tulv, ■■: tliii k (oj,
surrounding thcni near the land, l/,i Perouse made tlu;
signal to anchor, in thirty fatlioms: till the llh it com-
tinned so thick that no bearings could be taken, r.'ir
could the boats be sent on shore; but upwards of ei;^!!!
hundred cod-fish were caught, and the surplus beyond tin- 1
immediate consumption was salted and put into barreK. ;
They also ])rocured a great quantity of oysters, (he shell
of which was so extremely fine (hat they mt re supposed to
contain pearls, though they had only found two, half
formed. Hence some credit is due to the account of (hi-
Jesuits, who say there is a pearl fishery at the )nouth of-
several rivers of Kast Tartary : but this is probably to ili-
southward, at the placcg adjacent to Corca, for towards
the north (he country is too destitute of inhabitants tn
engage in such euterprizos: our navigators Laving nia

down

PF.UOUSK'« VOYAGE ROUND THE WOULD.

4:;

nstriiction of tli!
i)f the tombs oi
re was taken tn
fter piescrving u
i;uticatc the (lis

the other articles,
»plc have regular
nation, aiid it u
subjects of that |
nkecu bug, coun-
Ihut there will bi-
life to come: tin-
I'c a marked ri-
Lmerican Indians;
J)' comnr.inicatioii
je 8ug;gcstcd, that
' civilization, and
y probably adopt

east part of Tar-
othing- interestin:!;
•gists of the two
same as those in
re scarce, though
lils, swallows, ai-
wild-ducks, madi
iew waH not eii-
flights of birdf, |
abitcd countric!-
rial visitors wcie
ior of the woods
Idoni interrupted

Oil

If in wliirli tlie tl.ii
vigiVtors M'l sail, anl

li (he fiiicsl -.'oatliir.

1 coast, the dircctin i

of Julv, ■■: lliif k I'M
ii IVrousc \iiailc tli^'

till the nil it coil.

mill he. talu'ii, r.'>r
but upwards of ei;iii
iirphis beyond lli''
11(1 put into baiTi''-.

of oystors, tin- shdl
lipy were supposed I'l
ily found two, half
o the account of tli.'
lery at the mouth (if
his is probably to i!i
Corea, for towanU
ite of itiliabltants ti
ivigntors Laving run

llo.MI

On the 4ili, at three in tlie morning, there was
line clear sky, and the navigators saw, upon their
ight beam, tit the distance of two miles from them,
Sn the west-north-west, a great island into which
L river discharged itself. A boat from each fri-
Igate was armed and manned to reconnoitre it;
jthc landing was found easy, and the water shoal-
;d gradually towards the shore. The country
;csomblcd that at Kaie de Tcmai, and though
Ihreo degrees more to the northward, the pro-
uctions of the earth differed very little from it.
It was here apparent that the traces of the
[inhabitants were more discernible than in many
ither places: branches, separated from trees with
sharp-edged instriuuent, the leaves of which
lad not lost their verdure, were frequently seen:
^wo elk-skins, methodically stretched upon pieces
if wood, were left at the side of a small cabin,
hich was not sufficiently capacious to accom-
[modate a family, but might perhaps conveniently
ihelter two or three hunters: a small number
[might probably have bci n at that time in pos-
session of it, who, from the alarm occasioned by
lie intrusion of unknown visitors, might have
lied into the woods. M. de Vaujuas, who had
•en dispatched in one of the frigates, took
jiiway one of the elk-skins, but not without
leaving, in exchange for it, some hatchets, and
ther iron instruments of infinitely more value,
hat officer's representation, nor that of .he na-
uralisls, did not encourage La Perouse to con-
iime any longer in this bay, on which bethought
Koper to bestow the nam*; of Baic dc SiiJ/'rcn.
La Perouse got under way from Baie dt; Suf-
ren, with a light breeze at north-east, hoping

In the ('oiirso

was several times

m')loved. and oysters were taken to which

ittle sliell-lish, named Poulattas were attached:

Iso large whelks, sea hedge-hogs, and a great

uantity of star-tish. The calm and fog com-

eiied him to anchor in forty-four fathoms,

league farther from the shore: but on the

h, notwithstanding the fog, he set siil. At

ght in the morning of the seventh, he made an

laud which seeujed of great extent: he sup-

losed at first, that this was Segalien Island, the

uth part of which sonie geographers had

\o gain a distance from the coast
)f his departure the dredge

iwn two hundred l''".giics of this coast, and always at a
lort distance from the land, without seeing hoii-i^'s or
InuM, and when thev .weiit on shore they saw only the

Vol. IL No, LXVIL :

placed two degrees too far to the northward.
The aspect of this land was extremely dfllerent
from that of Tartary: nothing was to be seen
but barren rock-", the cavities of whicli retained
the snow; but the distance was too great to
admit a satisfactory view of the low lands, which
like those of the continent, might probably he
cloathed with verdure. To the highest of these
moiuitains La Perouse gave the appellation of
Peak Lamanon, on account of its volcanic form,
the naturalist of that name having particularly
applied himself to the study of volcanic pro-
ductions.

He was obliged, by the southerly winds, to
ply to windward with all sijils set, to weather the
southern extremity of the new land, the end of
v.'hirh he had not perceived. He waited lor a
clear sky with the greatest impatience, and on the
11th of July at noon he obtained one, though
in these foggy seas a horizon of vast extent is
very seldom seen: at two in the afternoon, he
took hearings of the land from the north by east,
<o tiie north by west. Perplexed with the dif-
f-renv opinions of his olficers, he thought it
eligible to endeavour to find a port, and pro-
cure satisfactory proofs of the natives of the
country. On the \l{\\ he was within a league of
the cc.ast of the island, which ran directly north
and south. On a nearer approach to it, he found
the coaf' as woody as that of Tartary; and in
the evening he neared the land, and dropped
itnchor in fourteen fathoms, two miles from a
small creek, into which a river flowed. M. de
Langle, who had come to anchor some time be-
fore him, came instantly on board his ship, hav-
ing already hoisted out his long-boat and small
floats. lie submitted to La Perouse whether it
would not be proper to land before night, hi
order to reconnoitre the country, and gather
some necessary information from the inhabitantsi
By the assistance of their glasses, they per-
ceived some cabins, and two of the islanders
hastening towards the woods.

La Perouse approved of the proposal of M.
de Langle, and requested him to receive into his
suite M. Boutin and Abbtj Monges. After the
frigate was brought up, and the boats hoisted
out, he manned his pinnace, commtuided by M.

tracks of some hunters, who perhaps only visited tlicsa
places.

S I

1 4 I

III!

P?cnOUSK'.-. VOYAGK TIOUND THE WOULD.

de Clonard, and gave biin and liis associates
orders to join M. de Laii2:le, who had already
landed on tlie beach, 'f'hey found only two
small houses on this bay, aud they had been
recently abandoned, for the tires in them y.erc
not extinguished, and none of flic furniture
had been remove!. A litter of puppies, of so
tender an age that they had not yet the fa-
culty of seeing-, was also left luliind ; and
the mother, which they heard barking- in the
woods, induced them to suppose that the
owners of these cottag-cs could be at no great
distance: M. de Langle then deposited hatchets,
iseveral other iron tools, glass beads, and
many other articles which he supposed might
be useful or agreeable to these islanclers ; imagin-
ing that, on his re-embarking, they would
return to their humble mansions, and be con-
vinced, by these presents, that their disturbers
were not enemies. He then had the seine hauled,
and procured at two casts of the net, a grciatcr
quantity of salmon than were suilicient for the
consumption of the ships' companies for at least
a week*.

M. de Langle made them several presents,
and nianifested by signs, that he was obliged, by
the approach 6i' night, to return on board, but
that he entertained a hope of seeing them there
again, on the following day, and having the
pleasure of making them additional presents.
They, in their turn, signilicd that they reposed
in the vicinity, and would punctually give them
the meeting.

It was generally supposed they were pro-

grietors of u warehouse for fish, that they had
een seen on the bank of the small river, erect-
ed upon stakes at four or iive feet above the

* When he was preparing to return on board, he saw
•even men land on the .shore from a canoe, who did not
Vcein in the least intimidated by the numbers they beheld.
They run their boats aground upon the sand, and seated
theniselvL'S upon mats, among the Frcncli sailors, with an
air of perfect security, which induced a strong prcposses-
elon in their favour. Among these were two aged men,
Irith long white beards, apparelled with a stuff, manufj :.
tiired of the bark of trees, resembling the cloths of Ma-
dagascar: two of thcsu islanders were clad in dresses of
tine nankeen (jjuiltiiig, the fashion of which differed but
Kttle from that of the (/hinese : a long robe was worn by
others, closed by a girdle, and some, small buttons, ron.
dering it unnecessary for them to bu encumbered with
drawers. The head was naked, with this exception, two
or three of them were seen with a bandeau of bear's skin
•Mirding tlieir heads. The crowu of their head, and their

level of the ground. M. de tangle, iti a re-
spectful visit like that to the abandoned cabins,
found in it dried salmoM And herringsj salmon
skins manufactured like parchment, and some
vessels filled with oil, It was almost eleven ut
night when the boats returned on" board ; and
the report which La Perouse received, greatly
excited his curiosity. Before sun-rise he was on
shore with the longboat and barge, and the
natives soon afterwards liiadc their appearance
in the creek. Among these Islanders were the
proprietors of the cabins, in whom confidence
had been inspired by the boimty of M. de Langle;
but not a single woman appeared among them,
which seemed to intimate a trait of jealousy :
dogs were heard barking in, the woods, which
indiiced our navigators to suppose that those
animals remained there with the women. Some
persons in tlieir suite wanted to penetrate thost;
recesses, but the pressing remonstrances of the
natives prevailed on them to relinquish their I
curiosity f.

They were extremely poor, though a few of I
them wore pendant ear-rings, decorated with
blue glass beads, perfectly similar to those which
were found in the tomb at Bafe de Ternai, their
little copper ornaments also resembled those de-
posited in the toilib. Their pipes, and their
steels for the purpose of striking fire, were
evidently of Chinese or Japanese manufacture.
Pointing to the west, they informed their visi-
tors, in the same pantomimic n»ode, that the
blue nankc. ., the beads, and the- steels catne
from the country of the Mantchou Tartars. They
were anxiously desirous of getting possession rif
the hatchets and stuil's which they had seen, and |
were not backward in asking for them; but they

faces were shaved ; the hair behind was ten or twelve inches
ill length. They had all boots, which were made of seal.
skin, the feet of which were neatly manufactured in the
Chinese style. The eldest of these inhabitants, to whom
the others paid great deference, had weak eyes, and wore ?l
a shade round his head to prcserirc them from the two re-
fulgent lustre of the sun. Their weapons consisted of
pikes, bows and arrows tipped with iron. The manners of <
these islanders was noble, dignified, and striking.

+ M.de Langle, with several of his principal officers, ar.
rived on shore soon after La Perouse : presents of various
kinds were liberally bestowed on the inhabitants, before the
conversation with them began: they manifested their good
sense by their partiality for useful articles; icon and .sdi lis
were held in high estimation among them; they perfocilv
understood the quality and value of mctalS} aud preferred
silver to copper, and copper to iroa.

never

' ^^

miovi^t't voYAon nouNf) thf, wot^ld.

Bver presumed to take my thing that had not
Ben actually presented to them ; and from the
^hole of their conduct it evidently appeared
(hat their ideas of theft was perfectly conso-
jlant to those of the most Goiiscientious Euro-
ijeans. They were so delicate, in this respect,
[hat they could hardly be prevailed on by the
lost earnest entreaties,* to pick up a hiiij^le sal-
lon from the shoTe, from unionj? the thousands
|hat were scattered there in the fishery the pre-
ceding night.

Our navigators were successful in making-
jlhein comprehend that they requested a descrip-
tion from them of their country, and that of
the Mantchoiis, one of the old sages rose up,
ind with great pers})icnit y, pointed out the most
essential and interesting particulars with On-
tnd of his stall'. His sagacity in giieisinj^ the
leaning of the questions propos(;d to him was
pistonishing; though, in thi-i particular, hr was
surpassed by another islander of about thirty
t'ears of age. The last-mcntioned native in-
formed our navigators that they had a commer-
cial intercourse with the people who inhabit
the banks of Segalian River, and he distinctly
larked, by strokes of a pencil the number of
lays it required lor a canoe to sail up the rirer
to the respective plac<;s of their general traffic.
JLa Perouse and M. do Lani>'le thought it of jm-

{)ortance to discover, whether the island they
lad run along was the same as that which geo-
Igraphers have named Segalian Island: the two
[frigates were therefore ordered to be in readiness
[for sailing the next day. The bay in which
jthey lay at anchor was named Baic de Laniile,
I as captain de Langle was the th'st who discovered
[it, and tirst landed on its shore.

They spent the remainder of the day in visiting
[the country and its inhabitants, when their cu-
jriosity and admiration were particularly excited.
[They were surprised to iind among a people
jeomposed of hunters and fishermen, who were
[strangers to the cultivation of the earth, and

* ThcinhaWtants of this island seem to form a welf.rc-
tgulatcd sociot^ , but cxtromrly poor. Only two marten's
skins could lie purchased: a very few skins of bears and
Itcals were ili»:playcd ; btit tho pi'llrii'S uf thc>>e islands would
the inconsiiifrable. All tho siIvit trinkets which ornaoient^
fled twenty.onu of Ihssu nativ'S did not weigh two ounces;
la medal, with a silver chiiin, wiih which the captaia de.
rcorated the neck of an old man, vma thought inestimable
[by theto pecple. Each of the iolMbitiinta wears a large

without flocks or hcrdK, such gentle manners,
and sr.ch a superioniy of intellect. The atten-
tion of the ir.habitants of the Baie de Langle
was attracted by the arts and manufactures of
the French; they judiciously examined them,
and debated among themselves the manner of fa-
bricatiuy the several articles. They were not
unacquHihted with the weaver's shuttle: a loom
of their "onslruction was brought to France,
whence it i ppeared that their methods of making
linens was similar to that of the Europeans;
but tbe thread of it is formed of the bark of the
willow tree. Though they do not cultivate tlie
soil, they convert the spontaneous produce o£
it to Uie most useful and necessary purposes.
In their cabins were displayed several roots of
the yellow lily, or aarauna of KanUschatka,
which they dry and preserve for their winter's
provision: these were accompanied by a quantity
of garlic and angelica root, with which the
skirts of the woods abound.

From i\\G short continuance of our navigators
on this spot, they could not learn whether these
islanders have a form of governmeul ; on that
head they cotild not hazard their conjectures:
but tliey particularly remarked, that the greatest
deference and respect was manifested to old men,,
upon all occasions; their manners are mild, and
would have conveyed a striking idea of the
manners and customs of the patriarchs, had they
been shepherds, and possessed of numerous
flocks. They are, in general, of a strong habit
and constitution, and a prepossessing counte-
nance: they are rather blow the middle size,
few of them exceeding five feet five inches in
height, and several of them were under five
feet. They readily permitted the French painters
to drav,- their pictures, but obstinately refused to
sufler any person to take the measure of their
biUies, supposing, it is presumed, that was a
maj* ical operation, the idea of magic being ex-
tensively prevalent in Tartary and China*.

Desirous of knowing whether the agrccablu

sensation

ring on his thumb, consisting of horn, load, or ivory :
they suffer their nails to grow, like the Cliiiiesc, and like
them salute by kneeling and prostrating thcmseWos on tlw
earth; like them too, tlicy sit down on their mats, and cat
with little sticks. Some Chinctic, on board one of the
frigates, did not understand a syllable of the languasc of
the Islanders, though they perfixtly comprehended that of
two Mantchou Tartars, who u short time before passed
from the continent for the supposed purpose of buying fish.

Tha

4€

PEROUSE'i VOYAGE UOUND THE WORLD.

|i u

sensation of smells, like those of taste, dej)end-
«d on custom^ J.a Pcrouse gave one of the old
men a bottle, filled with perfumed water; when,
on placing it to his nose, he manifested as much
disgust as La Perouse iiad shown to his oil.
These people were continually snioaking, and
their tobacco which was used in great leaves,
was of an excellent quality; it was understood
to have been procured from Tartary, but it was
evident that their pipes was the manufacture of
Japan. The commodore could not persuade
any of them to take snuft", which was a for-
tunate circumstance, as it would have been in-
jurious to them to introduce a new want among
them. .1

') At day-break, on the 4th of July, La Perouse
made the signal for getting under way : early
on the 19th, he saw the land of an island from
north-east by north, as far as cast-south-east;
but so thick a fog prevailed that none of the
points could be particularly discovered; he stood
on to approach it, but almost instantly lost the
sight of it; he continued to run along it by
the lead till two in the afternoon, when lie
dropped anchor to the westward of a fine bay,
in twenty fathoms, tAvo miles from the shore.
At- four the fog, in a great degree, dispersed,
and the navigators took bearings of the lands
astern to them to the north by cast. This
bay, which La .Perouse says is the best in
which he had ancnorcd since his departure
from Manilla, he named Bate d'Estaing, At
four in the afternoon the boats belonging to the
frigates landed there, at the foot of ten or
twelve cabins irregularly placed, and at a con-
siderable distance from each «llier. Tliey were
constructed like those already described, but ra-

Thti cabins of these islands display skill and iiigeiiiiily,
and every prccaiilion to prevent the adtiiissioii of cold into
them: thf>y arc fonned of wood, covered with hark; over which
other tiniber-uork is erected, covered with dry straw, rc-
sciiibliii!; the thatch of Ktiroi)eaii peasants' Louses: the
docT is low, and t]w hearth is in the centre, under an aper.
tiiru in the roi)f for the smoke to evaporate: little banks,
of the height of ei^ht or ten inches, encompass it, and the
inside is strewed with mats. The cabin, jtist described, is
situate in the midst ff a clump of rose-trees, alxnit thirty
yards from the sea-shore: these shrubs, being in full flower,
exhaled a most d^licions odour, but not sufficient to over-
power the stcnc.i o*" the (ish and oil, which doubtless have
been triumphant over all the ])erfumes of Arabia.

♦ Some of the oflicers belonging to the frigates met with
two women, who had fled and concealed themselves iii
tkii gruss, Wheu the canoes landed in the creek, the women

thcr Urger, and divided' into (wo npartrpcnfiil
the inner contained the furniture^ &c. of the t'nM
niily; the outer was entirely empty, and seenut^
appropriated to the purpose of receiving visits
strangers being perhaps excluded from being pet-i
mitted into the presence of the women *.

M. dc Lang-lc, who first landed in tlie island!
found the islanders assenibled round three o;'-
four canoes, laden with smoked fish : he wa|
there informed that the men who composed thfj[
crcAvs of the canoes were Mantchpus, and haJ
quitted the banks of the Selagian river to become
purchasers of these fish. In the corner of the;
island, within a kind of circus planted with stakes,
each surmounted with the head of a bear, the i
bones of these animals lay scattered. As these
people use no fi e arms, but engage the bears ind
close combat, ilieir arrows being only capahli!^
of wounding them, this circus might probablv^f
be intended to perpetuate the memory of ccrtaiir;
great exploits f.

Having entertained conjectures relative to tlii-^
proximity of the coast of Tartary, La PerousfJ
at length discovered that his conjectures wercj
well founded; for when the horizon became al
little more extensive, he saw it perfectly. Jul
the evening of the ^2d he came to an anchor in
thirty-seven fathoms, about a league from the
land. He was then abreast of a small river, to|
the northward of wliich he saw a remarkabkf
peak: its base is on the shore, uiul its suminil
on all sides preserves a regular form. La Pe-
rouse bestowed on it the tide t;f Peak la Marti-
nicrc. Having seen no hut or hahilation aloiijji
the coast of the island fcoiu Haw W I<]iilaing, lie^
was anxious for information on that hubject: hci
therefore armed four boats, belonging to the twi

set np the most shocking shrieks, iis if tlic)- expected to Ijp!
devoured; though they were under the protectiDii of a-'
native, who safely conducted them tu their habitations, .ind-j
strove to allay their fears. M. BloudtU drew several '
sketches of these women, which were stroni; Jikiiicsses ; ,
upon the whole their countenances are tolerably agreeable : i
they have small eyes, and largo lips; the upper oncbeiir;;*
painted blue; and a long linen shift enfolded their lei,'^
their figures at full length were not very elegant; their hairs
was lank, not being curled by art: it was permitted t,i^
grow on the upper part of their heads, thou!;h such a prac |
tice was prohibited among the men.

+ The productions of the soil of Br/ie d'Esfuhig Alffcr,
little from those of Baic de Langlo : salmon was cqualFv
abundant there, and every cabin had its stordionse. Tin'
frigates' boats departed at eight in the evening, after having' 1
liberally gratified the Tartarti with valuable presents.

frigatesj

nKROusE's VOYAGE noUND Till-; \vont:T>.

) two apartment
ure^ &c. of tbe fa^
sinpty, and seenni^l
if receiving visits
led from being peM
5 women *.
nded in tlie islan(l|
d round three c;{
)ked ii»h : he waL
vho composed thtj
intchpusj and had:
Ian river to become •
the corner of tho^^
)lantcd with stakes
;ad of a bear, tbf.i
attered. As thest
ngage the bears iaj
eing only capable
IS might probablv^
memory of certain 9

ires relative to tlio
rtary, La Pcroiis*

conjectures wen
horizon became a;|

it perfectly. Iii"|
ne to un anchor in

league from IIk
' a small river, toa
aw a reniarkabk'l
iiiid its sumiiiiti
ir fi.iin. La l*c-

r Path- la Marii- ;

habiiiition aloni;^
aw d' Ealaing, lit I
I tliiit subject: ho]
aiiging to the l\vo|

f tliey ctpoefcd to bsl
tlip |)rot<'!'fion of ,if
heir liitbiutions, aiid'l
oudi'!^ drew several *
e stroiii; ]iktiiesscs : \
tolerably agreeable
thr iijjijer one l)eiiii^|
enfolded their lei;^
)■ <'lefl;ant; fiicir liairi
it was permitted t.i
(hough such a prar- 1

salmon was eqnalfv
ts stordioHse. Tint
veiling, after having'
ublc presents.

frigatfSj I

Hgaies, under the command of M. de Clonard,
Ind sent him io reconnoitre the creek. He re-

jrned at eight in the evening> and astonished

he commodore with such a quantity of salmon
M to fill all the boats; though the crews were

i'holly unprovided with nets or lines. The of-
ker informed him that he had landed at the
liiouth of a small narrow rivulet, and not exceed-
hig a foot in depth ; that he found so complete-
ly tilled with salmon that the bed was covered

/ith them, and that the sailors had killed twelve
iiMulrtd of them in an hour, by beating them
Ivith sticks which theyliad procured. lie could
>nly farther relate, that he had seen two or
ihree deserted huts, which he imagined to have
ken built by the Mantchou Tartors*.

On the 28th, in the evening, our navigators
tuund themselves on the coast of Tartarv, at the

opening of a bay which presented a SJifc and
convenient anchorage. Being in uant of wood,
as well as of a speedy supply of water, they put
in here, and came to an anchor at the i)orth
point of this bay, at five in the evening, in
eleven fathoms. M. de Langle reported to La
Perouse that there was excellent shelter behind
four islands: he had landed at a village of
Tartars, where he was kindly received, and where
he discovered a watering place, abounding with
the most limpid element. These islands, thu
good anchorage of which was not farther distant
than three cables' hnigths, were covered with
wood. From M. dc Langle's report. La Peronso
gave orders to prepare for anchoring in the bottom
of the bay, and at eight in the morning they
brought up in six fathoms. This bay was named
Bate de Castries.

SECTION XL

>serifHm of Baic dc Cnxiries, and of a Tartarian Village-^jyianncrs and Customs of iJie In-
Iiuhitants — Thejj create Confidence — Their extreme Tenderness for their Children — Productions
mid Jointured Histori/ of Bale de Castries — Departure from Baic dc Castries — 57rrt/7 dividin'-
Jesso from Ocu-Jesso — Staif at Buie de Crillon — Manners and Customs of the Inhuhitants—
Staten Island — [/I'ies Strait — Compani/s Land — Island of the Four Brothers — Mateckan Island
—Kurilc Islands, Auavsr, September, 1187.

AlE DE CASTRIES is situate at the bot-
tom of a gulph, at the distance of two hun-
Ired leagties from the strait of Sangccr, the only
bortaiti passage from the Japanese seas. As soon
h the iVigatcs were moored, particular duties
*'ere !issi.<>;ucd to their boats, long-boats, &c. by
La Perouse and M. de Langle, to be invariably
Uttcnded to during their stay. The pinnaces
^nabled the superior oflicers to superintend the
liferent labours, and to convey themselves and
he natunilists to the Tartarian village, to the
lifTcrent islands, or on any other necessary pur-
liiit.
Of all the bays on the coast of Tartary, which

* Celery and cresses grew in abundance on tlio banks of
[lis river: juniper-berries were also extremely plentiful;
he botanists collected several scarce plants. Fir trees and
lillous were mure numerous than the oak, the maple, or
lie birch : strawberries, raspberries, and gooseberries,

cro in full llowcr, and promised a delicious harvest,
ndlc the crews of the boats visited the shore, those on
oard caught a considerable number of cod>lish: su that

VeL. II., No. LXVIII. _ )U* jfiJi-i'^-

our navigators had visited, that of de Castries
was the only one which really merited that de-
nomination: it ensures a .shelter to ships in bad
weather, insomuch that it would be possible tti
pass the winter in it. It has a muddy bottom
shoaling gradually from twelve to live fathoms
in approaching the coast, which is surrounded
by a flat, three cables' lengths from the shore.
Beds of sea-weeds, ovfuei abound in this quar-
ter. Salmon were seen leaping, as they came out
of a rivulet, the water of which "loses itself
among these weeds: two thousand of these fish
were taken in a day. The iidiabitunts saw the
success of the fishery without emotion or concern,

this anchorage, in the course of a very few honrs, supplied
the whole ships' companies with fresh provision for a week.
La Perouse named this river Rumaue du iaiim,)ii. ami .it
day-break got uiidcr sail. IIo ran along at a small (iistaiice
from this wland, and saw a few habitations licre and there
upon the shore. Not thinking It necessary (o reconnoitre
this bay more particularly, he only sailed' across it, and
named it Ueuetlc laJonquiera.

\ ' '^' ' ' ' ' \ being

i '.

1 ■'

1 .

-i

■ i
'it

prnotTt^rH voyacf, round tuf, woiun.

beinp well assmcJ Uint the quantity of iliem was
inexhaustible. The day after their arrival in the
bay, tliey landed at the villaj^e, where M. de
Langle, who had been there first, bad procured
them friends by bin p;enerosity.

A tribe of belter men eannot be found in the
universe than wiiiit this country can produce.
The diiof, or oldest man ainonj;- thciui, advanced
to receive the niivi^;i(ors on the Iicach. acconi-
j)iinied by several of the inliabitiinfs. He pros-
trated himself to the earth, the usual Chinese
salutation, and afte wards conducted the visitors
to his cabin, where l.i., wife, children, and grand-
children were attending. Ordering a mat to be
spread, he invited them to sit down on it, and a
small grain, with which they were wholly un-
acquainted, was put with some salmon into a
copper on the fire, in order to be presented to
them. This grain is considered among them as
the most delicious food, and they intimated that
it came from the Mantchou country. They in-
formed their new visitors, by signs, that they
ivere themselves of the nation of the Orotch\s;
and shewing the four .strange canoes, which had
that day arrived in the bay, they called the
crews of them l}ilchi/.s; they signitied that these
last reside farther to the south; for these nations,
like the Canadians, change their name and lan-
guage at every village. These strangers had
kindled a fire at the edge of the .sea near the
village of the Orotchys, where they cooked their
lish. They were come from the river Segal ian,
and brought back grain and nankeens, which
they had probably received in exchange for
dried fish. Except elks and bears, which arc
not numerous in this country, squirreh and dogs
were the only quadrupeds that were seen by our
Europeans*'.

Every cabin was encirtled with a place for
drying calnion, which are exposed upon poles
to the heat of the sun, after having been several
(lays smoked round the fire in the cabin. The

* TJie village of the Orotcliy's) consisfrd of four cabins,
substarili.illy biiilf widi the U'liiiks of /ir-tri'cs neatly carved
at the aiifrlrs; a frame, forinrd of the bark of trees, sup.
ported the roof ; a wooden bench encompassed the apart,
mcnt, similar to those of the cabins of S'egalian isla.id:
and the hcitrth, and aperture for cxjiclling smoke were
nearly on the s:i?i)e plan. Our navigators siipp^ised, from
variety of corroboradng circnmstances, that these fonr
houses were occnpied by four (liH'orcnt families, who live
together in the most perfect harmony and friendship. One
of tkeijo families, during the te{np'<rary abode of the French

women superintend this operation, and when
the fish appear to have beciisunieiently penetrat-
ed with the smoke, they take them into the open
air to acquire solidity. In c^irrying on (heir
fishery, however, their conduct was highlv of-
fensive to beholders of the leant delicacy. \Vitli
disgusting avidity (hey devoured the snout, thu
gills, and the small bones of the salmon. Bnt
lliey dexterously strip off the skin and eat it ih
delicious food, greedily sinking up the muci-
liige of particular parts, as Europeans swallow
a savoury oyster.

In (his bay the French navigators first dis-
covered the use of the circle of lead or bone,
which these people, and the inhabitants of Sc-
galian Island, wear on the thumb like a ring: it
greatly assists them in cutting and stripping the
salmon with a knife, which is always hanging (o
their girdle. Their village was built upon low
marshy land, which must doubtless l)e uninha-
bitable during the winter; but on the opposiie
side of the giilpli, another village appeared on
a more elevaied situalion. It was seati?d at (he
entrance of a wood, and contained eight cabins,
larger and better constructed than the fir.s(
Not far I'rom these cabins, they visited three
yourts, or subterranean houses, exactly re -ni-
bling those of the Kamtschadales, described in
the third volume of Captain Cook's last voyage;
they were sufficiently capacious to acconunodati;
the inhabitants of the vvhcde eight cabins durin:;
the severity of the inclement season. On tin-
borders of this village several tombs presented
themselves, which were larger and more inge-
niously fabricated than the houses: each of
thcin contained three, four, or five biers, dccd-
rated with Chinese stufl's, some pieces of which
were brocade. Bows, arrows, and the other
most esteemed articles of these people. Mere sus-
pended in the interior of these monuments, the
wooden door of which was closed by a bar, suj)-
ported at each end by a propf.

_.,_., It

visitors in that quarter, were so fully convinced of the fi.
delily and integrity of these people, that they left then
sacks, full of iron tools, brads, and stulfs, and every
other article of barter, in the middle of their cabins, m illi.
out lock or key, or any other seat of security than their
own probity ; and in no insla\ice was their eviremo conli.
dence abused; and, on their departure from the bay, they
were firmly of opinion, that they did not suppose such a
crime existed as that of theft,

+ The houses of these people, like their tombs, were
filled with cttcets i nothing was taken away: their arrows,

pikes,

PF.ROUfiF/i VOYAGE ROUND TflK WORLD.

4.9

ition, and wljoii
licii'iulv pcneJriit-
lenj into llic open
arryiiifj; on Ihcir
t WU8 highly of. J

{Iclicucy. NVith
^d th(! 8iiout, the
ho Hiihnon. But
kill mul eat it n>t
ig lip the mm-i-
Ji'opeaiis swaUoM \

ipators first dis-

[)f lead or hoiic, ||

iihahitaiits of Sv-

>b like a ring: it

U)d stripping the

Iways han^iDiT i,,

s built upon low

)tlo3s be iininhii-

on the opposite

:igc appeared on

vas seated nt the

tncd eight cabins,

I than the firsl

ley visited throe

I, exactly res-ni-

'es, described in

ok's hist voyiigT;

to accoiiuuodatL'

lit cabins diiriii;:

eason. On ih,.

tombs presented I

and more iiige-

oiises: each of

five biers, dccd-

pieces of which

and the other |
eopic, were siis-
inonunienta, the
i by a bar, sup-

It 1

'0!ivlnc«I of the li.
h;it (hey left ilwn
sttilFs, and every
their e.iljins, with,
security tliuii (lieir
■leir ex I rem 0 conli.
from the bay, they
ut suppose ciich i

their tombs, were
way: their arrows,

pikes,

It miglit have been r onjectured by the number

J tombs which were found in all the islands,

feekh, &c. that some recent epidemical disorder

id made great ravages in this country ; but it

kins very apparent that the dillere^t families,

which this nation iw composed, were dispersed

the neighbouring l>nys, where they were oc-
ipied in catching and drying their salmon, and
Ut they assembled only In the winter, carrying
fith them their harvest of fish to sub ist on till
le sun resumes his salutary iiiHiience. Some
ersons, indeed, have supposed, that the religious
[spectenlertained of thememorv of their woiiliy
ncestors by these people*, indmes them to sun-
Ut and repair their tombs, to perpetuate the
jod fame of the dcceanid, and the gratitude

the descendant.

No external diflerencc was olncrvublo among
ic living inhabitants, but the ashes of the dead
mosc ill a style of gniater or less magnificence,
wording to their imaginary wealth. The bodies

the indigent are exposed in the open air, on
[bier supported by .stakes of about four feet in
sight; but these humble monuments, though
ley display no escutcheons, arc adorned with
\c bows, arrows, and nets of the deceased, to-
Bther with some pieces of stuff, which it would
erhaps be sacrilegious to take away *.
The women are wrapped in a large robe of

ics, skills, &c. rcmniiied in tlic deserted village, in which

cy iiOTer reside but in the winter ; iliey pass the summer

I the other side of thegulpli, uliere tlie} now livud ; and

am which they saw the I''ronch visitors enter their cabins

Id their tombs, without manifesting; any apprehensions

■seeing their property taken away. The. Iioats' couipuiiies,

well as the olTiCPfS; were so impressed with this striltiiig

link of confidence, th.\t not one of them Tcntured to dis-

racu himself by basely condescending to comuut the uiost

^.^i!;nificant theft.

* These pcoplv, like those of ^galian Island, serm to

|ive no chief; nor are they subject to any regular form of

>vernmcnt. Their mildness and suavity might remove all

kc inconveniences ff anarchy ; no in8t..Mces were known

their engaging in 'le slightest quarrel; .'heir reciprocal

It-ction, ami their eut'earing tenderness for tuMr children,

ould atford exemplary lessons to the European natives.

lit with all these interesting truths, candour must ceri.-'iniy

Iniit, that (he senses were disgusted with the fetid smel. of

|eir salmon, with w'lich thi> houses and adjacent |jremifcs

crc infected: th ■ bones and blood were scattered 9nd

^rcad about the heanh, and hunt^ry dogs deroured tl>:^ rc-

linder. The nastiness^ and stench of these peopio are be-

iuA conception ; and, >\ith respect to their forms, no race

'human beings can be more feebly constituted, or poi °8S

itures less entitled to the appellation of beautiful. Thv'.r

bmmoii stature is about four fcrt ten iacbei; tbey hare

nankeen, or salmon's skin, curiously tannedi
descending as low as the anclu-bone, suinetiraet
embellished with a border of fringe manufac-
tured of copper, and producing sounds like
those (<'* little bells. Those salmon which furnish
a covering for the fair, weigh thirty or forty
pounds, and arc never caught in summer; those
which were taken by the French visitors did not
exceed three or four pounds in weight; but that
disadvantage was fully compensated by the ex-
traordinary number, and the extreme delicacy of
their flavour.

Nothing can, with certainty, be said of the
religion of these people; no temples or priests
having been seen among them: some rudely
carved figures were, however, suspended from
the ceiling of their cabins, representing children,
&c. These images might possibly be taken for
idols by some ; but is it probable they were meant
only to call to remembrance a child devoured by
bears, or some hunter wounded or injured by
any of those animals. It is not in the least im-
probidile that persons of so weak a frame should
be superstitious. ''\ " '.

They perhaps supposed our navigators to be"
sorcerers, for they answered their questions with
visible uneasiness, though with great politeness:'
the motions of the hand in writing they con-
strued into signs of magic, and intimated that

high check bones, a Hat nuse, small blear eyes, placed dia.
gonally, a large mouth, a short chin almost beardless, and
an olive-coloured coniplection, varnished with oil and
smoke. Their bodies are lauk, and their voices thin and
weak. They permit their hair to grow, and tie it up in tltiv
Parisian style : that of the women Hows loosely over tho
shoulders. The figure and features f^f the men so nearly re.
seuihle those of tlic women, tl-.ii. 'ii;(, portrait above drawn
would answer for either sex, were it not for a slight dif-
ference in dress.

The women arc solely occupied in cuttin,"; and prcparliisj
their apparel, in exhibiting their iish to In; dried, and in
the management 'jf their children, who have free access to
the breast till they arc three or four years of age. Ci'reat
deference is paid to the tender sex by their obedient
consorts; they never conclude any bar!;;uin of import,
ance, without consulting their wives ; tho pendent ear.
rings, and other ornamental trinkets, are exclusively ap-
propriated to their wives and daughters. The men, and
little boys have a waistcoat of nankeen, o: iiie skin of a
dog or Iish, formed like a waggoner's frock. All of them
wear seal.skin boots in the winter; and men of all ages,
and at ail times, wear a leather girdle, with the follow ing
appendages :— a bag to contain tobacco, a knife in a sheath,
a steel for the purpose of striking a lis'it; and a p.pc to
smoke mth,

such

!i. «,

'M! \

-111

I- ' !

#P ^__

sui^l} fi Pffqtfce was pyil. f bey were so iocanar
Wie Q^ y^nquishing t}ipjr prqjuflicp^, ^hat even
t^p juo^t v*lua()l^ prti^n^' >'" SMpli occasions,
yifi^ti bpstowetj on t|»piu i;i vain. Supposing
^Jiat gfeatei- dpUf acy raight be required in tbe
^napner of cojifprring fiivonrs on tboiu, La P»>
Vqj^^ii sat (ipwn in one of tbci" lioiises, and calling
][>yo Umc c]iildren to bini of tluee or four years
old, (viideny carfessed JickJi. and gave tbeni,
fra}n bi3 pocket, a piece of rose-coloured nan-
keen. The higliest satisfaction in tbe counte-
nances of tbe whole family wis immediately
evinced ; but be was clearly of opinion, tbat
l^ad it been oflcred directly to themselves, they
>yould have refused this present.

Tbe husband quitted tbe cabin, antl almost
intitantly returned with a most beautiful dog, en-
treating La Pcrouse to accept of it. He politely
declined the intended favour, alledging that it
yrouid be more useful to its present master,
f'indiug his urgent solicitations ineBcctual, he
caused the two children who had received the

firescnt to approach, and placing their little
lands on ihc dog's back, signifying that he
aught not to refuse his children*.

To obtain a satisfactory account of the geo-
graphy and other essential particulars of these
re^jpns. La Perouse bad intended to remain in
tbe bay till the 2d of Augu,^*, at which time be
would certainly depart. Till then be \v:is em-
ployed in reconuoiterinj.': some part of the bay,
and the dilFereat islands of which it is formed.
Tbe naturalists made several e.vcursions in search
of objects peculiar to <lieir department. M. de
Lamannn, thougli in a debilitated stak; of health,
rei[iie;(od lie might attend on these cuursions.
M. do ?yrartiniere visited the coiu'scs of rivers,
to search lor unexplored plants on their banks;
but be found only the same spixies be had seen
in tbe bays de Tcruai and dc Sujfrtii. Tbe con-
chologists were more fortunate: they found very
fine foliated o^-ter.-i, ol" a black and vIhous
colour, brt .tdhering so close to the rock tliat
great dexterity was reciuired to remove them:
the scales of their covering were so tiiin, tbat
they could with dillieully be Drcserved entire.

♦Dogs arc i)f great iiupurl.iiuii in tliis couiidT; they
yoke them to liglit bli'd^C!;, liki; those of the KaintM-^a-
dules.

+ Though tiie iiiidve.s cultivate no p!;ints, they are foml
of vrgetablj siibsfaiiees : (lie fjniiii of (he Miiiilihous, which
\i similar to iiiuiiil shelled inillel, is oiiu of their greatest

pEROUSE's VOYAGE. ROUND THR WORLO.

Some vfhelks of a beautiful colour w ^re taken/]
with various kinds of the kima cockle, and small
common muscles.

The hunters killed some w^'f^-ducks, watii;
hens, black and white wagtails, cormorants,
guillenots, and a small fly-catcher of an azure
blue ; but all these species were evtremely scarce, t
The nature of all living creatures in these frozen]
climates appears to be in a state of torpidity:
a gloomy solitude prevails over tbe whole sea- I
shore; and the woods, enlivened only by iVx-m
croaking of ravens, serve as a retreat for eagh
and other birds of prey. Cormorants and gJ.Isj
pass a solliary life on tbe t')p8 of rocks and pir-
cipices. The martin, and the san*! martin seen;,
exclusively of all other birds, to be in their pro-
per country; nests and flights of them are to be
seen on all the rocks on the sea-shore f.

On tbe 2d of August, as La Perouse proposed.
he sailed with a light breeze; and on t!ie Utii,
after experiencing variety of weather, otu* na-
vigators attair«ed tbe latitude of Bale dc Langle.
which they had left on the 14th of Jidy. A
bank, on which the soundiikgs are regular, and
no danger i$ \o be apprehended, extends ten
leagues from north to south, opposite Baie (it-
Langle, and runs out about eight leagues to the
west. After reconnoitering it minutely, La Pe-
rouse conlinuei! to run along the coast the ne\t.
day, at two leagues distance, and perceived in,
the so.uth'west a small flat island, which, wiili,'
that of S(>galian, formed a channel of about siv
leagues, lie called it Isle JMonuerou, an of-
frcer employed in this expedition being so name J.
Directing bis course between 1 1 u's<' two islt'.nds, J
he never fcind less than tifty I'atbo".;:-; \'^i\U\-
Hoon afterwards be made a peak of about U-Wi
or twelve hundred toises in height, consisting ot'l
a bare rock, with snow in its cavities; but U'-i-s
tber vertlure nor trees were perceived on if. lie
nan.ed it l*eok de Jungle. Segalian Island tei-
minating in a point, a distant hori/vin of mouii-J
tains was no longer seitn: many circumsfances an-
nounced tbat he vas approaching its 80ut-(eni|
extremity, and that the peak was upon ••v-other
island. On this supposition, which A-as rciili/dl

dainties., They coIKrt (lie dilleieiit witil r.ooti, whirh tluv '
(fry, aiiil jiri'serve for their winter proviMon. 'Hiey h;i\(
not, like the iohabilauts of Segalian Lsland, the n^^of th
shi:itle, hut arc clothed in Chinese iittiU's of the iufetimj
kind, auil the siiollt of thu land uniuiaU, or seals.

■■■''■' . ■ • I <i: . . . , . , « . ii

. . till'

■"-^f

PKROUSE's VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

colour w ^re taken."
a cocklcj and sinal

iiltl r.oot't, which f' >
irovi.Mon. 'Hu'v li ..
Islami, fho iisM>f ''

liliill's of the ii\fiHh

al3, ui' si-uls.

npilt day, tlieanchor was let go in the even-'

r, as )thc calm rendered it necessary to anchor
) the south point of Segalian Island.
.This point, which was named Cape Crillon by
Perous*!, is situate in 45" 5T north latitude,
id 140^' .'M east longitude: it terminates this
land, which, from north to south is rf im-

tnsc extent, separated from Tartary by a clian-
^l terminated by ^aiid-banks to the northward,
Mwcen which no passage for ships is to be
tuud. This same island is Oku-Jesso. Chica
land, abreast of our navigators divided by a
^annel from that of Segalian, and from Japan
_ the strait of Sangaar^ is the Jesso of the Ja-
^nesc, extending to the south as far as the strait

Sangaar. The chain of the Kuerile moun-
l^ns is more to the eastward, and with Jesso and

LU Jesso^ forms a sea which communicates
Ith that of Ochotsk*.
: The persons of the islanders which were seen

Crillon Bay were well sized, strong, and vi-
yrous; their features were expressive, and their
bards descended to their breasts: their arms,

cks, and backs, were also covered wiUi a pro-

gion of hair. Their middh; stature is sup-

}sed to be about an inch lower than that of

ke French. Their skin is tiwny, like that of

|e Algerines, and other naiioiis on the coast

Barbaryf.

But if these islanders are deficient in point of

jrality, they are abundantly supplied with
bilily strength and industry: all their dresses
woven with their own hands; their houses
|rpass, in. elegance ?nd nealsiess, nmny on the
intinent; their furniture is composed of the

st materials, and manufactured by ingenious
tisans, many articles of which are furnished by
Japanese. They have also an important
tide of commerce, unknown to the uarrow
of Tartary, from the exchange of which

At Cape Crillon the navigators received thn visits of
^iTiil islanders on l)')ard: (hey at first manirest(>d some

iptiinis of fear and distrust, bnt those appn-hensions
^udily vanished: they seated themselves fam'ii^irly in a
rie on the qnarter-deck, aud cheerfu!!y sinokett tlieir
tm. Presents of nu:ikeen, tubacro, silks. Iron iiistnu
■its, and beads, Mrcrc liberally conferred upon them; Imt
brnsently. appeared that tobaeco and brandy went hchi in
Iher eRtiinntion than any other articles, and these iiad
^n but sparingly distributed among them ; because the

acco was required for the ships' companies, and di^

neable consequences might arise from the incautious use

brandy.
(irave in their manners, they expressed their thanks by

^OL. II. No. LXVIII.

arises all their wealth. Of the whale oil ther
make a most plentiful harvest, though their
manner of extractiug it may not be consistent
with economy: they cut the flesh of the whale
into little pieces, and expose it to (he air and
sun, to rot upon a kind of slope; and >hc oil
which tiows from it is received into vessels made
of bark.

These islanders who came on board, retired
before night, after answering, .as well as they
could, such questions respecting the geography
of the country and its environs. On theif de-
parture they promised, by sic'iis, to return the
next day: that promise was punctually perform-
ed, for at the dawn of day (hey appeared on
board, with a quantity of salmon, which they
exchanged for hatchets and knives: they also
sold a sable on board, and a linen habit of the
construction of the country; and beheld w th
regret that the frigates were preparing to sail.
They earnestly solicited the ships' company to
double Cape Crillon, and to stay in a small bay,
which they called Tabouoro.

A light breeze having sprung up from the
north-east. La Perouse made a signal for getting
under way, and at first directed h' , course to the
south-east, which is terminated by a rock, to-
wartls which the tide strongly sets in. Having
doubled it, a second rock was discovered from
the mj.st-head, about four leagues from the
point towards the south-east. He named thia
La DrtM,£>T;YMsc, I'rom its being level with the
surface of the water, and might probably be
covered at the hciglit of (he tide. The sea
broke very mutli upon it, but whether from the
elfect of the title, or the sand-hanks which sur-
round it is uncertain. The next day he saw
Cape Aniva bearing north-west, and perceived
file eastern coast, receding to tlio northward to-
wards Cape Patience. The weather continued

Bohle and solemn gestures; but their iniportuniticw for ad.
dilioual presents were most pri^eiinitly enforced; tliough
thoy h.id not (hi- gratitude to oiieij in return, any of the
salmon with « hich their canoes were laden : many of whirii
they carried with them on shore, because they could iidt
obtain the extnivaijant prices for them that they deraaiulv!d.
They ha<l, however, roreived, without any ennsideratinii,
plenty of instrumentSK beads, linens, stuffs, ie. M'ith
respect to gratitude, how much did these islanders dilior
from the Orotchys «f lluie do Castries, who. instead of
imiiloriiii; presents, lrr',nentiy and obstinately rrfused
them, unless the giver would iice|il of a requital from
them.

^' wry

5'i

PEROUSE's VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

I M

i-r\

. i: •■■ i

ill

. 1

Tery fine; but the south-south-east winds, vfhich
blew continually for four days, retarded his pro-
gress to the Staten and the Company's Islands.
No land was now to be seen, nor was any bottom
to be found with a line of two hundred fathoms.

On the 17th he approached Staten Island, of
which he had a perfect view. On the 19th Cape
Troun was perceived to the southward, and Cape
Uries to the south-e.lsf by cast ; its proper direc-
tion, according to the Dutch chart: their situa-
tion could not possibly have been determined
with more precision by modern navigators. On
the ^th he saw the Company's Island, and re
eonnoitered the strait of Uries, though it was
very foggy: he ran along the south coast of the
Company's Island, at the distance of three or
four leagues : it appeared to be barren, without
frees or verdure, and even without inhabitants.
At six in the evening, he was abreast of the
north-east point of this island, terminated by a
eteep cape, which he denominated Cape Kastri-
cum, from the name of the vessel to which we
owe the discovery. Beyond it were seen foiir
small islands, and to the northward a large
channel, open to the east north-east, which
formed the separation of the Kuriles from the
Company's Island.

On the '^Dtli, after a series of foggy weather,
our navigators reconnoitered Mareckan Island,
considered by fjomc as the lirst of the southern
Kuriles: its extent is about \ei\ leagues, from
north-east to south-west, and eiich extremity is
terminated by an eminence; a peak or volca.io
rising in the middle. They saw two other islands
to the north-east, which seemed to have a channel
between them and the tirst. At day-light they
perceived at about two leagues distance, the
south-Mcst point of Mareckan, which they
called ('(qf- liolUn, the name of the surgeon.
Being driven by the current towards the middle
of the channel, where we were not able to
strike the ground, they advanced about five

* The navigators intundcd to approarli (he islands situate
to the north, but impenetrable fugs oppo.sud tbedusif;n: fur
the space of ten da)s, only twenty.four hours of clear
weather had been experienced. 'A fog returning with ub>
iitinacy, and the $eu.<iaii rapidly advancing, La Pernuso re-
solved to abnudon tho exploring of the northern Kuriles,
and to shape, his conrse for Kamtschatlui. He had deter>
mined the most southerly of thum: he therefore thought it
would hare been imprudent to sacrifice to an unimportant
enquiry the health of the ships' companies, which begun to
require reit. JIc Uiciufure stood north nurth.east, and

leagues to the westward. The night xras ex.
Iremely fine, the winds settled at east north-east
and they entered the channel by the light of tli(
moon: La Perousc honoured it with the name cl;
Canal dc la Boussole; it being the finest be-
tween the Kuriles*.

On the 5th of September, though the fog coni
tinued obstinate, the navigators crowded sail k%
the midst of darkness, and at six in the evening-
of the same day, it cleared up, and enabled them
to see the ro.^s't of Kamtschatka; the whole nfJj
which ap])eared hideous: the eye surveved witli |
terror enorhions masses of rocks, which in tiic-l
beginning of September were envc^loped in snow
The next day they approached the land, anil
found it agreeable to behold when near; and
the base of the.se enormous summits, crownrii
with eternal ice, was carpeted with the moi
beautiful verdure, finely diversified with trees,

In the evening of the 6th, they made the en- ^
trance of Avatcha Bay or Saint Peter and Saini
Paul. The light-house, erecfed by the Russian!
on the east point of the entrance, was not kindled:
during the niffixt; as vn excuse for which the

jrovernor declined, the iA?xt

dav.

that all theit

efforts to keep it burning haf^ been ineffectual:
the wind hin! con«tantly extinguished the flaint ^
which was only sheltered by four planks of wood
very indifl'ereiitly cemented; and was not modellci!
after a.iy of the light-houses of Italy, Egvpl ■
or ancient (i recce. \

At two in the anernoon of the 7th, they en'
tered the bay; when the governor came in In-
canoe five leagues to meet them ; though thr^
care of the lig;ht-liou8e hiid occupied his attcni
tion during the night, he took he blame ort
himself of not having succecde • ' i his endear
vours to render it perfect. He ;.iformed thrrl
that they had been long expected there, and tliaJ
he believed the governor-general of the Penitia
sula, wlio wan expected at Saint Peter and Sail!
Paul in a few days, had letters for thcin.

gave up his project of coming to an anchor at one of (f'%
Kuriles, to obsrrm (he nature of the laud, and the manim .I
and customs of tlit- inliabitunt«. |

ile farther observes that the aspect of the soutkn |
islands, close to which he ran along, is extremely dreari
and he expresses his opinion that the Company's Islunii
those of the Four Brothers, i.liureckan Island, iic. are m
inhabitable rocks, without verdure and vegtitablo eanii
and can ouly serve as a miserable refuge to persons shi^
wrecked.

SECTION

PEROUSE'« VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

SECTION XIII.

'■>%-,*

ipi'tt of the goutlicn
isi cxtrrniely dnsir

the Compaiiy'ii Ulaiu.

.ail Igl»iid, iic. aro m
and vcgetablo eant

cfiigo to persons M^-

vj of Aval ska— Obliging Reception there — Arrival of Mr. Hasloff— Great Attention of the
lOovernor — i Ball of the Kamtschadales — A Courier brings Letters from France — Departure.-^
]SEPT£^fBE^, 1787.

HE Frencli navigators were hardly moored

befoxe the harbour of Saint Peter and Saint

ul, when they received a visit from he Toyon,

chief of the village^ with several other in-

ibitants; all of whom made them presents of

mon or skate: they also made them a tender

their services in hunting bears, or iq shooting

cks which abounded in their ponds and rivers.

ir olfers were gladly accepted, and wild fovvl

never wanting during their continuance in

Bay of Avatscka. They required no re-

rd for their labours, but the grateful French-

n insisted upon being permitted to make them

proper compensation.

The government of Kamtschatka had been
terially changed since the departure of the
Inglish, and was now only a dependency of that.
Okhotsk. These particulars were coramu-
cated to our navigators by lieutenant Kaborof,
vernor of the harbour of Saint Peter and Saint
ul, having a serjoant and forty soldiers under
command. He told them that Mr. Kaslotl'
ugreuin, the governor of Okhotsk, was ex-
ctcd at Saint Peter and Saint Paul in a few
jlys. M. de Lessops, who acted as interpreter,
d who perfectly understood the Russian Ian-
age, wrote a letter, in La Perouse's name, to
governor of Okhotsk, to whom La Perouse
o wrote in French himself. He told him that
le nfTi'ative of Cook's last voyage had spread
road the fame of the hospitality of the K.amt>
Ihadale governineut: and he llattered himself
lut he, should be as favourably received us the
nglish navigators; ns his voyage, like theirs,
la intended for the general benofit of all muri-
le nations.
As Mr. Kasloirs answer could not possibly ar-

i* M. K abort! ft'' 8 zeal was much oxcittHl in favour of Ihe
ktiiraliiit!! : eight Custiackii were immediately ordered tu
Company M. Bernizet, and two other gentlemen, ti> assist
lit laborious undertaking for the advtineemunt of Hrience.
>n« uf the learned, who had travelled in Kanilsehatka,
ever ventured upon so difltcult mi cnterprize. From
aspect of the mountain, La Pcrouw supposed it
be inaccessible. No verdure was perceptible — it was
ily a bare rock, of which the declivity was woudcr-

rive for some days, the lieutenant informed La
Perouse, that he only antiripated his orders, and
those of the empress of Russia^ by requesting
that he would, in tUe mean titie, consider him-
self at home, ai'd indulge freely in every thinff
the country woulu atford. The serjeant, and M
the soldiers manifested the strongest inclinations
of rendering every service in their power ; and
Mrs. Kaborolf, on her part, was infmitely
obliging. Every one was anxious of conferring
favours upon these French visitors; and, spite
of their determination not to receive any, it was
impossible to be inattentive to the solicitations of
the lieutenant's lady, who prevailed on La Pe-
rouse, M. de Langle, and their officers to accept
a few skins of sables, rein-deer, and foxes, which
-,;ere certainly more useful to them, than to per-
sons who were destined to return towards thts
tropics. The visitors, however, were permitted
to discharge the obligation, by presenting them
with such articles as were not to be found i.t
Kamtschatka.

A conmiodious house in the village was k; iidly
offered them for the purpose cf accommodating
the astronomers, who had hardly erected their
observatory, when the naturalists, equally zealous
with themselves in the pursuit of science, re-
solved to visit the volcano at the distance of
about eight leiigues. A mountain, almost co-
vered with snow, presented a crater at the sum-
niit; the mouth of which turned towards thq
buy of Avatscka, emitting coij>.tiintly thick
flouds of smoke; and once, during the night,
faint blue and yellow llanies were perceived,
v»hich rose to a considerable height*.

Their guides had only undertaken to conduct
them to the bottom of the peak, an antient prc-

full;; steep. The intrepid adventurers, ho\v(!ver, enter,
tained hopes of surniouiitiiig these obstacles. Th» Cossacks
were the bearers of their burgage, which consisted of a
tent, several skiii>i, and a quantity of provision : the na«
turalists undertook to carry the barometers, the therraoa
meters, and the otlier articles required fur making accurate
observation, not choovLng to risk sucii frajjilc iiutrumenta
in other hands.

jiidice

ft!

ri»*t

Wl]

%"i

i ir^

\\\

It I

i li

1*1

■^i^^p«

'■aRpnvMma

«4

TKItOUSK's VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

judice having induced both Kamtschadalcs and
Aussians to believe, that the mountain emits a
vapour whicb would instantly suffocate the rash
adventurer who >v(iuld dare to ascend it. They
perhaps supposed that the natural philosophers,
like themselves, would stoj) at the foot of tie
volcano. Full of this idea they set oft" in high
spirits., without halting till they came (o the
middle of the >voods, at the distance of sic
leagues from Suiiit Peter and Saint Paul. The
ground <hey had passed over prescij*pd no serious
obstacles to oppose them, though covered with
shrubs and trees: the pines were stunted and ap-
peared like dwarfs. Berries of every kind, and
iif every colour, continually presented them-
flelvcs; the taste of which was gent.tt.iy acid,
though highly palatable with sugar.

At sun-set the tent was pitched, the fire
kindled, and every thing pre^^ared for the ac-
commodation of the enterprising party; but the
greatest care imaginable was taken to prevent
the lire from e.xtcnding to the trees of the forest,
as such an accident would inevitably hiiye put
the sables to flight, and no more of them would
be found during the winter, which is the hunt-
ing season. The skin of these animals,, which
may be deemed the only riches of the country,
is given in eschange for all the commodities the
inhabitants require, arid serves to pay the annual
tribute to the crown; great must therefore be
the enormity of the crime that deprives the
Kamtschadales of advanfjiges so important. In-
fluenced bv this consideration, the Cossacks care-
fully cut down the grass round the fire-place,
and, before their departure, dug a hole to re-
ceive the ashes, which they extinguished with
moistened earth. During the progress ol* this
day, they saw no other quadruped than a hare,

* The mountain thccp. or capra ammon of the Linnxan
syittcm. It is su|ipo8cd t') exist in no other parts of En.
rope (hail Corsica and Sardinia, and to be the same of
which a living spucinu'ii evistiMl a few years ago in the
prince of Conde's collection at Chantille. It wait there
called mouff'oli, and was considered by M. '^nffon as the
jiarcuf stock whence all the varieties of domestic sheep are
spriiTig.

f At six in the morning the natural philosophers began
to aiici>nd the steep, and conliiiiied their progress till three
in the afternoon, tvhen they approached the very edge of
tiie (prater. They liad often been under the necessity of
crawling upon their hands and knees, to facilitate their
passage among the brolien rocks, and to avoid some dan-
gerous precipices. The mountain is principally composed
of lava^ more or less porous. Uypscous stones, and

which was almost white: not a single bear, relii.
deer, or argali*, having made its appearance,
(hough these animals are common in that
country.

Rising at the dawn of the next day, they pro-
ceef'ed on their j.iurney: a great quantity of
snow had fallen during the night, and what wan
more distrtssing, a thick fog obscured «he vol-
canic mountain, the foot of which was not reached
by the philosoplcrs till three in the afternoon.
Their guides, adhering to their stipulation, stop-
ped on their arrival at the limits of ;he vegeta-
tive earth, pitched their tents, and lighted a fire
A night's rest was found a n'.'cessary preparativ
to the fatigues of the ensuing day f.

Willie thi« experiment was making, the na-
vigators canscvl their casks to be filled with water,
and their hold with wood: they tdso cut a quan-
tity of grass, and dried it for the consumption
of the cattle they expected, for Ihey had now
only one sheep left alive. The finest grass grow*
in natural meadows at Kamtschatka to the heiglii
of about four itei, and an immense quantity of
hay might be provided for the winter, which in
this climate continues upwards of seven months;
but the Kamtschadales prefer their present modr i
of living upon the produce of their hunting and '
fishing. The Cossnck8> and the Russians, wlin
are more expert soldiers than farmers, have adopt-
ed the same method.

The lieutenant and the serjeant were the oiilv
persons who had inclo.sed little gardens for tlir
cultivation of turni|>3 and potatoes; their ex-
ample had no influence over their neighbours,
who did not dislike those edible roots, but thej;
were not inclined to be at any trouble to produce
them : had they grown spontaneous, like snran-i
nc, garlick, and the berries from which their

(' (fi

crystallized sulphur were found at the summit; but tli>'
latter was inferior to that of the Peak of Tcneriire. \\\
the other stones they found here, were less beautiful thai:
those of that ancient volcano, which has not erupted fdi;
a century past; though the Kamtsrhadalian mountain Wd'ji
an eruption iu 177H, whilo Captain Clarke was in the liirt
of Avatscka. According to the calculations of the natr, : i
philosophers, the travellers ascended about fifteen hundn: '%
toises, an amazing height considering the diSiculties (In i :
bad to surmount. Their views having been frustrated b) t
fog, they resolved to go over the same ground again rhr
succeeding day ; but a prodigious fall of snow, and othn
adverse circumstances intervening, induced them to abandu;:
all idea of eaga;ging in a repetition of the ascent, and (hi';
returned to (he village of Saiat Pelcr and Saint Paul.

mo^i !|

Pfhousk's Voyage i^ouNft tHt; WdiiLtir

single bear, reiit*
5 its appearance, :f|
ominon in tliut

!xt day, they pro- 1
jreat quantity oftf
ht, anc5 what wml
obscured {he vol-
[rh was not reached

in the af teriiooii,

stipulation, stop- J
its of y/ie vegeta-
and lighted a firp,|
essarj preparative
dayf.

making, the na-
s fjl led with water/,
y iiiso cut a quan-
• the consumption .
for they had now.'

finest grass groM<
liatkato the height
mense quantity of;
! winter, which inll
) of seven months:
their present modf]^

their hunting and
the Russians, wlio
rmers, have adopt-

eant were the oiilv
le gardens for titf I
)tatoes; their ex-

their neighbours,,
»Ic roots, but thejl
trouble to prodnccf
nuous, like suran-i

roni wliich thritl

the summit; but (liej
ak of Tcucriirc. Allf
re Ic53 beautiful that;
ti has not PiMiptcd fill if
ladiiliaii inounUin hai'.p

larke was iu the hii \
ulatiuus of the nati% ;^

about fifteen hundr.;]
iff the difliculties tlur!
ig been frustrated b) t
ame ground again th;
II of snow, and olim
luccd them to abaiulu;

' the ascent, and tin i

and Saint Paul.

mo'i If

est agreeable beverage was procured, they
ould gladly iiave indulged in theui;
In the midst of their labours, bur navigators
evoted intervals to pleasure, and engaged in
iveral hunting parties on the rivers Avatscka
id Paratoiinka, expecting to be able to shoot a
iw rcin-dccr, bears, or other quadrupedc in-
labitantb of that climate. They were obliged,
.oweverj to content themselves with a few ducks
ir ttal, an inferior sort of game, which were con-
idcred as a poor compensation for their hibo-
ous excursions, But if their own endeavours
ere not so suceessful as their sanguine expec-
tions had ])redicted, their friends au-ong th.o
^amtschadales made ample amends for the uis-
ippointment. During their stay they had re-
ived from the inhabitants of the village, an
k, four bears, and a rein-deer, with such a
uantity of divers, and other wild fowl, that
ley found it necessary to distribute a con-
iderable part of tliem among their crews. This
as rendered the more necessary as they had
'en cloyed by a super-abundance of fish : a single
st of the net, alongside of the frigates, would
ve procured sufficient sustenance for half a
zen ships; but there was little variety of
ecies, cod, salmon, Iserrings, and plaicey were
inosl the only produce »>f the net.
Mr. Kasloft", on his arrival at Saint Peter and
int Paul, after having taken a tour through
is provinces, politely informed the navigators,
jat he had perceived by the public papers, that
iveral able naturalists had embarked on board
ieir frigates j and that he should be happy to
ail himself of so fortunate a circumstance,
lat he might learn tlM^ nature of the minerals of
le peninsula, and thus become a naturalist liim-
|lf As bespoke French, and was well iiiforni-
of the object of their research, it may oasiiy
conceived that an intimacy nuist have been
.mediately formed.
The day after his arrival he wont to dine with

On tho following day the governor, ■with .ill his Mille,
led on board the Astrolabe, where he also was honoured
|h the discharge of thirteen guns; but lie eurueslly re.

led that he might receive no more compliments f>f that
Jtfil kiud, and that they niiglit sec each other on friendly

familiar terms. It was impossible to prevail on him to
ept of the value of the oxen, though re|)catedly urged
llie most pressing terms that rould be devised: hi* only
^tilted that he could not furnish hit friends with a greater
!»il)cr. lie invited them to partake of a ball, to be given

he suceeeding day on (heir account, to ail llic \>umuu of

'ot.U. No.LXVUI.

La Perouse onboard the Hou^sole, in company
with Mr SohennlHF, an, J the vicar of Para-
touiika. liy La PcMouse'.s order, he was saluted
with thirteen gun.s. Mr. Kaslolf, after recipro-
cal compliments, expressed the utmost concern
at nis inability to procure more than seven oxen
befbre the tinle of his departure; as there was
no resource btit that of waiting for their beiiig
brought from the river of Kamtschatka, a hun-
dred leagues distant from Saint Peter and Saint
Paul*.

The ball commenced with Russian dance.",
the tunes of which were pleasing. The Kaml-
schadale dances, which followed, resembled
those 6f the Convulsionaircs at the well-known
tomb of Saint Medard f. The Kamtschadale fe-
males, by their convulsions and contracted mo-
tions, create disagreeable sensations in the s])cc-
tators, which are aggravated by a i)itiful cry
unnaturally drawn from the pit of their stomachs,
and which is the only music id rc;;iiate the
steps of these wonderful pert'or'ners. The violent
fatigue of this exercise excites such profuse per-
spiration, that many of the party sink motionless
on the ground, losing for. a time the power of
rising. The exhalations from their bodies per-
fumed the apartment with the delicious odour of
oil and lisli, to which Euro|)ean noses are too
little accustomed to form a judgment of its fra-
grance.

The dances of these nations having ever been
imitative and pantomimical. La Perouse request-
ed to know what two of the most active of the'
women meant to express, in their most violent
exertions. He was respectfully informed, that
they had given the representation of a bear-hunt:
the women yvho rolled on the ground had per-
formed the part of the animal; and the otiior
was the accomplished hunter. But never were
b^ars more awkwardly represented!

Tliis- dance, etiualiy fatiguing to the beholders
and the porlbrmers, was hardly finished, when a

St. IVtor and St, Paul; infonuiiij; them that, if (l;c as-
semlily was not numerous, it would at least he cuiious:
tliii'leen women, elad in silk, ten of whom were Kaiiiu
sehadales, were sitting round tlie room on benches : the,
latter were rciidercd remarkable Iiy their broad faces, littiti,
eyes and Hat iiosrs; the otiier three were Uussians. All
the ladies had silk handkerchiefs tied about (heir heads,,
seemingly in imitation of tiie Mulatto womiu in the Frencli
West-India Islands.

+ The tomb of a pious Abbe at Paris, '.ihcre lameness
is cured by iln^nsiiig the patient 'u\(oi:o K'tih''.'ii<.

joyful

] J

! li

' Sill

h li',

'f>

■

!• )

! i ■

PFT^OUSF's VOYAGF, HOUND THE WORLD.

joyful exclamation announced the arrival of a
courier from Ockholsk. He was Ihc. bearer of
a large trunk filled with packets for the French
vovagers. The ball was interrupted, and each
of the females di.-imissed with a goblet of brandy,
a refreshment well calculated for smli votaries of
Terpsichore. Mr, Kasloft", perceiving: the im-
patience of the French navigators to learn the
news of what could not fail of being highly in-
teresting to them, entreated tlietn not to defer
that pleasure, and conducted them into his own
apartment, that the different eflusions produced
by the relation of different events, might not be
improperly restrained*.

La Peronse expressed his surprise at finding
the aged Ivaschtkin in Kanitschatka, the English
accounts having stated that he had obtained per-
mission to go and reside at Okhotsh. He could
not avoid feeling much concern for the fate of
this unfortunate man, when he was informed,
that some indiscreet expressions respecting the
empress Elizabeth, was bis only crime; and
those were uttered at the breaking up of a con-
vivial party, when his reason was disordered by
wine. He was then under twenty, and an officer
in the guards. He belonged to a Russian family
of distinction, and could boast of a handsome
face and figure. He was banished to the interior
of Kanitschatka, after having received the pu-
nishment of the knout, and endured the slitting
of the nostrils. The empress Catherine granted
this nnfortuoKte man n pardon many years ago;
but the bitter recollection of his ignominious
punishment, and his resentment of so flagrant a
sentence for so trivial an offence, rendered him
insensible to a tardy act of justice, and he seemed
determined to end his days in Siberia. He point-
ed out the grave of IVl". de la Croyere, of the

• The intt'Hij^onuc coiitaiiu'd in these packets was gene-
rally isatisfiutory, particulurly to LalViouse; who, by a
degree of fiivour to wliirh he did jiot pri'sume to uspire,
hnd been promoted to thr rank of coniirioilore. Tiic coin-
pliments he received on this event, soon r<Mi;hed the eaini of
Air. KaslofT, who ordered a discharge of all theaittllery of
the pi are upon this joyfnl occasion. Innumerable, indeed,
were the favours coiiferred by (his gencleinan, as well on
M. ck Lnniflc. as himself; and, among others, a great
q\^anti^y of sable skins. They gratefully offered, in return,
every thing that they supposed might be agreeable to him,
but they had nothing worthy such a benefactor ; they were
rich only in commodities for the savage market. They en-
treated him, howQver, to accept The Narrative of Cook's
Third Voyigc, wi'.h which he was highly gratified, es-
pecially as, in hia suite, the following personages were

Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, who died
here in 1741, deservedly regretted by his country.
An inscription, engraved on copper, does honour

to his memoryt.

Though JVi. Kasloff was no stranger to the
sciences of chemistry and mineralogy, he evaded
a discussion on those subjects with M. Blondcia,
alledging that, instead of those sciences, it was
t!ie part of a wise administration, first to en-
deavoiu- to procure flic inhabitants bread, by
training them to agricultural labours: the ra-
pidity of vegetation here sufficiently proved the
fertility of the soil, imd he was convinced that
abundant crops of rye and barley might be pro-
duced; and tliat wheat might lie prevented from
shooting by the severity of the winter. He re-
quested them to remark the promising appear-
ance of several fields of potatoes, the seed of
which had been brought from Irkoutsk a few
years before; and proposed to adopt measures
of making farmers of the Russians, Cossacks,
and Kamtschadales.

The Kaintsehadales are of an imitative geniuf,
and fond of adopting the customs of their con-
querors. They have already abandoned tlir
i/ourls, in which they were formerly accustomed
to burrow like badgers, breathing foul air,
during the whole of the v^inter. The mo'^i
opulent among them now build isha-s, or wooden
houses, like those of the Russians : tiicy are rii
vided into three small rooms, and are convenient-
ly warmed by a brick stove. The inferior people
pass their winters and sinnraers it '•ril(ir:cius, re-
sembling wooden pigecm-houses, covered wi<li
tlialeh, and placed upon the tops of posts (welvc
or thirteen feet high; to which the women, as
well as men, find a ladder neee'-sary for their
ascension. But these latter buildings will ;no-

introdnced. Mr. Shmaloff, the good vicar uf Pani.
tiMinka, and the nnfortunate Ivaschkin. To thu.n In
translated the passages uhicli related to them, the trull
of which they readily admitted, on hearing the particul.i; '
repeated.

t .Mr. KatlofTs |)ermission was then requested to c.
gi.ivo upon a plate of the sai>;c metal the inscription jvci
the grave of ("aptain Clerke, wiiich had then beei* only
wriden by a pencil upon wood, and was too perisViablc li
perpetuate the memory of s.» estimable a navigator. Tin
governor did more than comply with the prayer ( f this \)v.
titioii: he promised to erect, without delay, a nonumi'ii*
more worthy of those two celebrated men, who I'ied in tlit
midst of their arduous undertaking at so great a distance
from their native land.

bablv

PKnOUSr< VOYAGE ROUND THF, WORT.D.

Paris, Avlio died
tl by Iiis coimfrv.
per, docs liunour

s<rangtT to flic •■
ilogy. he evaded
itii M. lilondclH,
c sciences, it was
lion, first to en-
itaiits bread, by
labours: tlic ra-
icnlly proved the
8 convinced thai
ey might be pro-
c prevented from

winter. He rc-
roniising appear-
oes, the seed of
ri Irkoutsk a few
) adopt measure's
issians, Cossacks^

I imitative genius,

oms of their con-

• abandoned the

merly accustomed

■athing fnnl air,

Inter. Tlie mo'^l

I ishn,s, or woodcf

aiis : tl'.ey are (ii

lid are convenienl-

le inferior people

3 ir ''al(it::(infi, re-

les, covered with

)s of posts twelve

h llie women, as

're^^^sary for their

uildings wi'.! jno-

)0(I vkar of I'ara. '
Ilk ill. To th'jui ill
1 to tlu-m, Ihi' trill!
oaring tho iiarticiili

len requested to «" ■
I the inscription jni
li.id then bee^ oiilv
i,\-M too perivhabli' I >
e a navigator, 'lin
he prayer < f this (n-

delay, a notiiinuii'
men, who iMed in tin

so great 4 distance

bal)l

Ibly soon disappear; for the Kamfschadales i
^itate the maimers and dresses of the Rnssians*.
lit is curious to sec, in their little cottages, a
lantity of cash in circulation; and it may be
nsidcrcd as still a greater curiosity, b<cause
practice exists among so small a number of
Jliabitants. Their consumption of the com-
modities of Russia and China are so few, that
Ike balance of trade is entirely in their favour,
M consequence of which it is necessary to pay
i|em the dillercnce in rubles. The Kamtscha-
d|lps, says La Perouse, appeared to me to be the
'me people as those of the Bay of Castries, on
,e coast of Tartary: they are equally remark-
lie for their mildness and their probity; and
nJeir persons are not very dissimilar.
^^The bay of Avatscka is one of the complctest
%d safest that c;an be met with in any part of
B world. The entrance is narrow, and ships
Duld be under the necessity of passing under
f guns of the forts that might be easily erected.
,vo vast harbours, one on the eastern, and the
Jior on the western side, are capable of con-
Ining all the ships of the French and English
Ivy. The rivers of Avatscka and Paratoijnka
II into this bay, but they are clioaked up
Ith the s.:nd-banks, and can only be eukred at
B time of high water f.

lie related a number of particulars respecting

E! Kuriles, of which he is also the viear, and

which lie makes an annual tour. The Rus-

ins have substituted numbers to the ancient

Inu's of those islands, concerning which au-

lors arc much divided in their opinions. They

now known by the names of Number 1, %

• It may he aflirnicd, in honwir of the llnssiaiis, that,
ugh they have cstabllslii-d a dcspotU: goTernment in this
le (limatej it is ko tempered with mildness and equity
t i*s incuiiveiiiciK-ies are imperceptible. Tlie taxes
iih are levied on the Kamtschadales afe so very moderate,
It they can only l>e considered as a mark of gratitude to.
rds the soverei^'n, the produce of half u day's hunting

iDK suHkient to disrhurge the imposts of a year.

+ On a .seli'clcd spot Mr. Kasl<>if purposes laying down

plan of a city, which may hereafter become the capital

Kamtsrhatka; and perhaps the centre of ati extensive

e with China, Japan, the Phillippines, and America.

prudently observed, however, that bread and hands

ire required, and that their stock of thciu was very small :

; he ventured to give orders which announced a speedy

ion of the other ostrogs to that of Saint Peter and Saint

III, where it was his intention speedily to erect a church.

e Greek religion hsis been established among the Kamt-

adales without diliiculty, persecution, or violcuce.

Xhc vicar of Parfttouuka is tbc son gf a KamtscbaUalc

&c. as high as ^^4, which Inst terminates the
prettmsions of Ru.s8ia. Of these twenty-four
islands belonging to Russia, four only are in-
habited, the first, the .second, the thirteenth, and
the fourteenth. The last two may indeed be
considered as one, the inhabitants passing the
winter upon No. 14, and return to No. 13 to
pass the sumiuer months. The others are un-
inhabited, though they are occasionally visited
by the islanders, who come in their canoes for
the pleasure and emolument of hunting foxes
and otters. Several of these last mentioned
islands are little better than large rocks, and not
one among them is embellished with a single
tree. The currents being very violent and dan-
gerous between the rocks, the vicar never made
the voyage from Avatscka to the Kuriles in any
thing but a canoe; and even then had several
times been nearly lost, or perishing with hunger,
having been driven out of the sight of land: h*
attributed his preservation to his cassock and his
holy water. The population of the four inha-
bited islands does not exceed fourteen hundred:
the inhabitants live upon seals, fish, and the
produce of the chase; the males are remarkably
hairy, and wear long beards. These people are-
po(ir, iii»>fli'nsive, and hcspitable, and have alt
embraced the Christian religion.

The approach of winter now warned our na-
vigators to depart: the ground, which on their
arrival on the 7th of September, was adorned
with the most beautiful verdure, was as yellow
and parched up on the 25th of the same months
as it is in the environs of Paris at the conclusion
of December. La Perouse therefore gave pre—

father, and a Russian nioiher. ITe performs his sacred
functions with an accent and feeling highly gratifying to his
auditqr.s, who reward ills cares and endeavours with of'
ferings aiul alms, but pay no tithes. The raiions of tlio
Greek church permitting priests to marry, appears to be a
kind of security for the morals of the country clergymen.-
La Perouse, however, believes thetn to be very ignorant,
and suppusL.s they uilt Iwig roiitiiiue .so. He admits that
the daughter, the wife, and tin; .s'jter of the vicar, were-
the best dancers among the «omen, and seemed to enjoy a
perfect state of health; Tliu .vortliy priest knew that the
naviisators were good catholics, whirh procnreil tliem an'
nmplc aspersion (if holy water; and he also enjoined them-
to kiss the cross which was carried by the ck-rk. Theso
eercmonies were performed in an unincKned part of tho-
village, where a tent was his parsonage-house, and his altar
the (ipen air: but the usual place of hit abode was at Pa--
ratounka ; he appeared at Saiut Peter aud Saint Paul only
08 a visitor.

''■ • 'f, - „■. .f''

paratory

PEROUSE's VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.-

paratory orders for their departure, and on the
29th got under way. Mr. Kasloff came to take
a final leave of him, and dined on board. He
accompanied him on shore, with M. dc Lapgie,
and several officers, and was liberally entertain-
ed with a good supper, and another ball.

At day-break the next morning, La Pcrousc
made the signal for sailing; soon after which he
heard a discharge of all the cannon of Saint

Peter and Saint Paul. He ordered a return |1
be made to this salute^ which was repeated if
the mouth of the bay, the governor having siJ
a detachment of soldiers to pay him the honouif
of departure. It was with considerable rcgrt^
that they parted with ]\I. de Lcsscps^ wliojl
good qualities had endeared hiui to all who Wi
the happiness of approaching him.

I M

I iN

1!^ li !l

SECTION XIV.

Account of Kamtschatka-^Bajj of Avatscka — Makfithe Island of jyavigator s—Heceive ilsitsfn,'
several Canoes — Barter ivitli the Indians — Anchor at the Island of JSIa,ouna — Manners, Custom
&;c. of the Islanders of Maouna— The BcaiUy of the Countrjj contrasted ivilh the Ferocity of ii
Inhabitants — M. de Langle goes on Shore to ■uifitcr his Ship, -With Four Boats manned m-
armed — J\I. de Langle, and Eleven other Persons murdered— Septemreb, Octobek, nn
December, 1787.

THE Russians, as earnest after peltry as the
Spaniards are after gold and silver^ have
lung undertaken the most tedious and difficult
journies by land, to obtain the valuable spoils of
the sable, the fox, and the sea-otter : but as-
suming the character of soldiers rather than
hunters, they thought proper io impose a tribute
upon the natives of the country they had sub-
dued, instead of sharing with them in the fa-
tigues of the chase. The peninsula of Kamt-
schatka was discovered by them near the close of
the seventeenth century, the first expedition
against tlie liberty of its wretched inhabitants
being undertaken in 1696. The authority of
Russia was fully acknowledged throughout the
peninsula in 17) 1.

The court of Russia has several times changed
the form of government in this counfry: that
which the English found established in 1778,
was totally altered in 1784: Kamtschatka being
then a jjrovince oi the govenuuent of Okhotsk,
which is itself a dependency of the sovereign

* Russia has been at vt-ry little expcncc in extending her

dominions: commercial houses tit out vessels at Okhotsk,

which are from forfy-tive to fifty feet long, with a single

inast in the middle, carrying from forty to fifty men, who

'•arc all more expert us huntsmen, (hart iis seamen. They

sail from Okhotsk in June, pass between the point of

Lopatka, and the first of Kuriles, steer eastward, and rnn

from island to islan/. for three or four years, till they havn

louglit or killed a sullicient number of otters to pay the

cxpencc of fitting out, and yield the merchants a prolit of

cent, per ant. upon the capital advanced.

court of Irfcdutsk. The Osti'og of fiolcheretsl
formerly the capital of Kamtschatka, wlicr
Major Behnt resided when the English arrive:
there, is now governed by a serjcant naimi
Martinoff, and the other places by persons rc^
spcctively appointed. These, commandants :i[
not responsible to each othef, but sevorall
render their own account directly to the ffovenii):
of Okhotsk, who has e8fabli.shed an ins|)ertiv
with the rank of major, and with a particiih
command over the Kamtschadales*.

In some respects the French navigatoris uor
less chilly than the Russian and Kanifschadiil
inliabitantj of the ostrog of Saint Peter uiii.
Saint Paul. They were clothed wilh the tliickiv
skins. The heated air deprived the Frciul-
voyagers of respiration, and obliged the lien
tenant to open the windows whenever they wen
in his apartment. Thn population of the Kami '
schadales is now estimated at four thousiiml
scattered over the whole peninsula; and froic
its extent it is calculated that there arc sevcra!

It Is now gcnrrally known that furs fetch a high prioii
Kiatcha, on the frontiers of China and Russia. Twiniu
five vessels, the crews consisting of about a thousand imii,
had been sent this yeai' in quest of furs to ther eastward i' '
Kamtschatka; long experience having tanght thorn, Ik
the otlers hardly ever frequent the latitudes farther tioni
than the 60th degree. When these vessels return, thpj
sometimes put In at the bay of Avatscka; but alw.iys n.
puir ultimately to Okhotsk, the nsaal residenrc of tlitir
owners, and of the merchants who trade directly M'ilh t!i'
Chinese on the frontiers of the two empires.

square;

PEROUSE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

I»

,jttrc lenguM for eacb individual. They cul-
.vate no production of the earth ; and, as they
^efer dogs to rein-deer in drawing tlieir sledges,
ley no longer breed hogs, sheep, rein-deer,
irses, or oxen, supposing those animals would
devoured before they could acquire strength
„d activity to defend themselves. Fish is the
bmmon aliment of their draught dogs, which
kvel about twenty-four leagues a-day, and
fe never fed till they have completed their
hurney.

[The bay of Avatscka resembles that of I»rcst,

it aflords much better holding ground ; its cn-

ance is also narrower, and more easily to be

jBfended : no mineral or vegetable substances

fere found upon its shores, but such as are ex-

feedingly common in Europe. The north wind,

Ihich favoured the navigators at sailing out of

\e bay of Avatscka, deserted them when they

ere two leagues in the offing. It shifted, and

Bw with such obstinacy, that they abandoned

Eir plan of reconnoiteriog, and laying down

e latitude and longitude of the Kuriles, as far

the isle of Marikan. While our navigators

jre searching for a large, rich, and well-

iopled island, said to have been discovered by

ke Spaniards in 1620, they met with a real mis-

^rtune : a seaman fell overboard from the As-

)labe, in the act of furling the mizen-top-gal-

Int-sail. Whether he was wounded in the fall,

could not swim, they could not ascertain,

At he never rose again.

Signs of land were seen on the I8th and 19th:
' ^hts of ducks, and other birds that frequent
i shore were observed. Indeed the signs of
Jid were too frequent, and of too decided a
Mure to admit of any further doubt. On the
Jit of November, after experiencing several
Icissitudes of weather, a great number of birds
rere seen; and, among others, curlews and
lovers, two species which are never observed at
Jiy considerable distance from land. Some large
louds remaining constantly fixed towards the

* Oo the 6th of November they fortunately caught eight

Dnctas, which furniBhcd a good repast to tho whole crew,

pd to tho officers. The rail, and itorms ceased, and tho

ivy tea subsided about the fifteenth, when fine weather

||con)i)anied out navigators beyond tho equator, which

ey crossed on the Slst of November, for tiio third time

ICO their departure fiom Brest. On tho 23d they caught

ro sharks, which supplied the crow with two mcalu, and

th/a lamo day they shot a lean emaciated carle w. As

Vol. II. No. LXIX.

south, induced La Perouse to imagine that tliere
was land in tha( :oint of the compass, and he
steered his course accordingly, continuing to
see birds for two or three successive days. By
degrees, however, tliesc harbingers deserted him,
and he began to enjoy a serene sky.

About this time the navigators caught several
doradoes, and a couple ot sharks, upon which
they fared dcliciously; all the crew having*- been
reduced to salt pork, which had received some
injury from the influence of a burning clime.
Having at length reached the tropic, the sky
became still clearer, and the horizon was of
great extent; but no land was perceived, though
birds were every day niet with which are never
seen far distant from the shore. On the 4th of
November they caught a golden plover which
appeared to be moderately fat, and therefore
could not have been long- at sea; on the 5th
they crossed their own track from Monterey to
Macao; and on the 6th that of Captain Clerkc
from the Sandvrich Islands to Kamtschatka, when
the birds had entirely disappeared. A heavy
bwell from the east, like that from the west in
the Atlantic ocean, constantly prevails in this
vast sea: they saw neither bonetas nor doradoes,
nor any thing but a few flying iish ; a distressing
circumstance as their fresh provision was entirely
consumed. The sea was smooth, and the breezes
moderate ; but the sky was covered with thick
clouds, and it began to rain almost incessantly
during the day, though the nights were tolerably
fine : the heat was iiufibcatitij^', accompanied with
great humidity*.

Klack goeiettees and others entirely white,
were so extremely plenty, that they killed more
of them than of noddies, or man of war birds:
and yet the latter flew round the ships in such
numbers, especially during the night, that they
almost stunned the people on the quarter-deck,
who could not, without dilnculty, hear each
ether speak ; but, to punish their insults, roany
of them were killed and devoured.

they advanced in tho southern hemisphere the noddies nnd
tropic birds, Hew more frequnntiy round tho ships, w hich
they fondly imagined were the harbingers of some island.
In the intervening calms several sharks were captured,
which were preferred to salt provision ; even the ioa.birds,
which now frequently became the sailors' prey, thougli
lean and highly impregnated with a fishy smell and taste,
were .y^oufbt at Uclicious as partridges or woodcocks.

Q Induced

PEROlJSrS VOYAGK ROUND THE WOIILD.

' Induced by a western gale, La Peroiise at-
tempted to reach tlie parallel of Bougainville's
Navigators hiands. a discovery due to the
French, where fresh provision might probably
be procured. On th« 0th of December, at
three in the afternoon, he saw the most easterly
island of the Archipelago, and stood on and off
during the rest of the evening and night. Mean-
ing to anchor if he met with a proper place,
La Perouse passed through the channel between
the great and the little islands that Bougainville
left to the south: though hardly a league wide,
it appeared perfectly free from danger. He saw
no canoes till he was in the channel, yet he
beheld several habitations on the windward side
of the island, and a group of Indians sitting
under the shade of cocoa-nut trees, who seemed
delighted with the prospect afl'urded by the fri-
gates*.

At length they made sail, in order to stand
away from the coast, and get out of the region
of calms. All the canoes came immediately
alongside: they sail tolerably well, but row very
indiflerently ; as they frequently overset, they
Vrould be useless to those wh<» are not such
excellent swimmers as these islanders are. After
such a trivial accident, they take the canoe on
their shoulders, pour the water out of it, and
then get in again, expecting a speedy repetition
of the same operation. The general height of
these islanders is about five feet, seven or eight
inches: their colour resembles that of the Al-
gerines or the other nations of the coast of Bar-
bary: their hair, which' is long, is tied up on
the top of their heads, and their cast of coun-
tenance is unpleasing. La Perouse saw only two
of their women, and their features were not
nore delicately formed. By the sores and ulcers
on their legs, it seemed probable that the le-
prosy was prevalent among them. They ap-

V :• This island, of abuiit two hundred tolsrs elovatiou, is

steep, and covered to the top with large trees, nian^' of

which ajjpeared to be of the cocoa-nut kind. The honses

extend about half way down the deelivitj'. aO'ording tlie

Bativcs a cooler air than if erected nearer llio hore. Se-

Tcral spots of ground appeared to be cnltivali'd; but, npon

the whole, the island seemed far from fertile. Two little

island!), which form (he western side of the channel, through

which wc i)3ssed, ha?e also their inhabitants. Five canoes

were obscrred to set out from them, and join riercn

others that came from the eastern island. After having

paddled several times round the ships, and di$playe<l strong

appearances of distrust, they rcnturod to approach, and

proarhed the navigators without arms, and were
apparently as peaceable as the inhabitants of tliu
Society and Friendly Islands.

The French visitors supposed these islanders
had entirely taken leave of them, and, from
their apparent poverty, did not regret their
absence; but in the afternoon the same canoes
accompanied by several others, came two leagues
into the oiling, to have fresh traflic with them,
They were now more richly laden than before;
hp'iig live fowls, a small hog, ten gailinule<,
several curious articles of dress, and a most
beautiful turtle-dove: the body of this charming
bird was white, its head purple, its wings green,
and its breast chequered with red and black
spots like the leaves of the anemony. As it
died in our passage, its feathers could only l)c
preserved, and they lost all their splendour.
As the Astrolabe was constantly a-head in this
day's-riMi, the canoes began their tralFic with M.
(le Langle, who purchased two dogs, which were
tlio'"'ht voluptuous food.

s remarkable that none of these islander;
could be prevailed upon to accept, in exchange,
any French hatchets, or other instruments ot'
iron : they preferred a few useless glass beads U\
all the hardware and other artieles that wen;
offered them. Expecting to meet with a more
considerable island farther west, the navigators
flattered themselves they should soon lind a
shelter, if not a port, and therefore deferred
making more extensive observations, till they
arrived at that island, which, according to ]\1,
de Bougainville's plan, they now approached.
At break of day they were surprised not to set
the land to leeward; nor was it to be discovered
till six o'clock in the morning, the chamiri
being infinitely wider than is represented on iIk
chart which was delivered to La PertJuse as i
guide. They found themselves opposite tin

began to negoriate ; but their artieles were of so trivia' i
nature that the French visitors could only obtain ahoM
twenty cocoa-nuts, and two Muegallinules. These island'i-.
like all those of the South Sea, have no idea of honour or
honesty in their dealinvis ; and when they received the | ri\
of their cocoa-nuts beforehand, seldom failed to p.i(Mi
away without performing their part of the agreement. Th
amount of their thefts, however, were of little importaiu. ;
a few bead necklaces, and some remnants of red rlnfl.
were hardly worth demanding a restoration of. Tlie,
sounded several times in the channel with a lino of a him.
drcd fathoms, but got no ground, though not a niii.
from the shore.

« .• -■. - north-

]Arn
Ifl

po
hit
Be

wijfe

fit,
Irt

T
Rei

re;'
boo

PEROUSrS VOVAGF, HOUND TIIF. WOUIJ),

t arms, and were
iiihabitanta of tliu

;cl these ialandors
tliciii, and, from
not regret tlieir

the same canoes
came two leagues
traliic with thcni.
den than before;
g, ten gallinnlcj,
CSS, and a most
f of this charming
B, its wings green,
th red and black
anemony. As it
ers could only be

their splendour.
]y a-head in this
'ir traiRc with j\I.

dogs, which were

of these islanders
:e|)t, in exchange,
er instruments ot
less glass beads td
articles that wen;
meet with a more
st, the navigators
Hild soon find u
herefore deferred
rvations, till they

according to M.
now approached.

prised not to see
t to be discovrred

ng, the channel
f? presented on tlic

La Ferouse as a
vcs opposite tlie

s were of so trivia' .
Ill only obtain aixi. i
iiiirs. These i.^land'; ,
10 idea of hiiiioiir or
hey received ihi' | li
iim failed to \\mV\
f flie agreement. 'I ii

of iitde ini|)i)rtan:i ;
tnnaiits of red elofl,

Ktoratioii of. The.
ivith a liriu of a liun.
though not a ini\

. ..- , Borlh-

rth-east point of the island of Maouna at
[Ve in the evening. Being visited by two or
Iree canoes, which came alongside to exchange
Dgs and fruit for beads, they conceived an
kalted opinion of the riches of the island.
'The next morning i\\ey approached the land,
lid stretched along it at the distance of ab«ut
Ufa league: a number of creeks were observed,
_iich appeared to be formed by several small
lojections of the coast, and might probably be

leicntly capacious to admit canoes, barges,
long-boats to enter. A ntmiber of villages
lesented themselves at the bottom of each
Bck, whfiice innumerable canoes witc con-
jiuallv issuing with hogs and fruit, which were
[rtcred for a rateable quantity of glass ware,
his prospect of abundance increased the desire
[anchoring; and having found, at four o'clock,
la mile from land, and in thirty fathoms water,
bank composed of rotten shells and coral,
|j letgo their anchors; but they were tossed
\\i by a heavy swell that set in short-. They

lediatcly hoisted out their boats; and the

ie day M. de Laogle, and several oihcers,
(h three boats manned and armed, landed at
nllage, where tliey were hospitably received

the inhabitants. Night coming on when
Vy reached the shore, the Indians made a large
\, to light the place of debarkation, and
»ught down a quantity of hogs, birds, and
boa-nuts. After an hour's stay, the boats re-
ined on board. Every person, however, was
jler some concern to see the frigates anchored
10 bad a road, where they rolled as if they

e in the open sea. Alarm for the con-

nences which may probably happen, as they
,^e then situated, embittered the night with
ngreeable refllections, especially as a storm was
"nering to the northward, whence the wind

blowing fresh ; but happily, the land breeze
Ivailed.

!)harmed with the beautiful dawn of the fol-
Hng morning, La Perouse resolved to recon-
Ire the cuuutrv, take a view of the inhabitants

[The women, many of whom were pretty, were liberal
Ijcir favours as well as of tht^ir fowls and fiuit, to those
wore willing to give beads for them ; and soon attempt-
pass thriKigh tim line of soldiers, who fuubly resisted
endcavdiMs. These fair savages presently sneceeded
h'aking the rani s ; the men then ventnred to approach,
Iconfiisiou » as becoming general; when some Indians,
p the uiivigators supposed to be chiefs, made their ap.

at their own homes, fill water, and immediately
get under way; pnulenee warning him against
passing a second night at that anchorage, which
M. dc Langic also thought too dangerous for a
longer stay. It was therefore agreed on to sail
in thf afternoon, after appropriating the morning
in e.\chingiiig baubles for hogs and fruit. At
the dawn of day the islanders had surroimded
the two frigates, with two huiulred dilferent
canoes laden with provision, wliidi they would
only exchange for beads: our axe;, cloth, and
other articles of traliic were treated by them with
contempt.

>Vbile a part of the crew was occupied in
keeping them in order, and dealing witli them,
the rest were dispatching empty casks on shore
to be replenished with water. Two boats of the
HouHsole, armed, and commanded by ]Messrs.
de Clonard and Colinct, and those of the As-
trolabe, commanded by JMcssrs. de Monti and
llellegarde, set o(f with that view at live in the
morning, for a bay at the distanct; of about a
league. La Perouse followed close aftfr Messrs.
Clonard and Monti, in his pinnace, and landed
when they did. It unfortunately happened that
M. de Lungle had formed a resolution to make
an excursion in his jolly-beat to another creek,
at the distance of about a league from their
watering place: from this excursion a dire mis-
fortune ensued. The creek, towards which the
long-boats steered, was large and commodious:
these, and the other boats, remained afloat at
low water, within half a j)istol shot of the
beach, and excellent water was easily procured.
Great order was observed by Messrs. de Clonard
and de Monti. A line of soldiers was posted
between the beach and the natives, who amounted
to about two hundred, including many women
and children. They were prevailed on to sit
down under cocoa-trees, at a little distance from
the boats: each of them had fowls, hogs, pigeons,
or fruit, and all of them were anxious to dis-
pose of their articles without delay, which
treated some confusion*. ■ ~ -

While

pearanec, armed with sticks, to restore order. Every one
now returned to his ])ost, and Iratlie bei^an afresh, to tho
satisfaction of both purchasers and sellers.

In the mean lime an act of hostility had occurred in Ls
Perouse's Jong-boat, which he was ilesirous of repressinj*
without cfi'usiun of blood: an Indian had taken a mallet
from the stern of the boat, and aimed several blows at tUa
arms and back of one of the sailors. L\ Perouse ordered

four

?r:nmjsrs VOTACI? round thk wonto.

'I;

While matteM were (huj passing wiOi perfect
tranquillity, and the casks expeditiously filling
with water. La Perouse ventured to visit a charm-
ing village, situated in the midst of a ncighhour-
ingwood, the trees of which were loaded with
delicious fruit. The houses formed a circle of
about one huridrci and iiflj toises in diameter,
leaving an interior (pen space, beautifully ver-
dant, and shided wi'.h trees, which rendered the
air delightfully cool and refreshing. Women,
children, and aged men attended him, and
earnest!)' importuned him to enter their houses:
they even spread their linest mats upon a floor,
decorated with chosen pebbles, and raised a con-
venient distance from the ground, to prevent of-
fensive liumidity. La Perouse condescended to
enter one of the handsomest of these huts, which
was prol)al)ly inhabited by a chief, and was as-
tonished to behold a large cabinet of lattice-
Work, in which as much taste and elegance were
displayed as if it had been produced in the en-
virons of Paris,

This enchanting country, blessed with a fruit-
ful soii without culture, and enjoying a climate
which renders cloathing inmecessary, holds out
to these fortunate people an abundance of the
most estimable ftJod, The trees invite the natives
to partake of the bread-fruit, the banana, the
foc(m-nut, and the orange; while the swine,
fowls, and dogs, which partake of the surplus
of these fruits, afford them a rich variety of
viands. The inhabitants of this enviable spot,
were so rich, and so entirely free from wants,

four of his sailori to throw him into the tica, and his com.
niiind was iiutantly obeyed. Tho other islanders, disap.
proving of the conduct of their countryman, manifested no
a]ipearuucc of resentment, and no ill consequences were
apprehended. To intimidate these islanders, (who wore
' formidable by their muscular limbs and coloksal proportions,
their general height being also about Ave feet ten inches,)
La Perouse thought it expedient to give them a specimen uf
Ao force of his fire-arms: he therefore purchased three
pigeons, which were thrown up into (he air, and instantly
f/hut them with the musket, to tho great amusement of
the whole multitude.

* Thrice happy arc these islanders! exclaimed many of
their Kura|)oan visitors. — {Surrounded by their wives and
chiMron, thc.y pass their blissful dtiys in innocence and
repose. — But alas! they were deceived — this delightful
country was not the abode pf innocence! — Though the na.
rigators perceived no arms, the bodies of the Indiani, mu.
tilated and distorted with scars, proved them to be a hostile
race; and their features anuounecd a ferocity which mani.
f«stc4 » dclijht in turbuiencO) quarrelling, and initumanity,

that they looked with disdain on the cloth and
iron tendered by the French visitors, and onl^
designed to become customers for bends. Abound,
ing in real blessings, the/ languished only for
su|)er(liiitics!''*.

No disagreeable consequences attended th,
first visit: there had indeed been slight com-
motions between individuals, but they had pru-
dently been appeased. Stones had been thrown
at M. Rollin, the surgeon-major; and an Indian,
nrclending to admire M. do Moncron's suhro,
had attempted to snatch it from him; but fmdin'
the sciibbord in his hand, without a sheath, li^
ran away terrified at the sight of the naked wea-
pon. As it was sufliciently evident that thes?
islanders were turbulent, and little under the sub-
jection of their chiefs, La Perouse congratulattd
liimself on his not having punished with seve-
rity the little instances of niolestatiuii he had
met with. Towards noon he returned to tlif
ship in his barge, being closely followed by ik
long-boats. He found it diilicult to get alo.i^.
side, tho frigates being surrounded by canuo,
and the market continuing much crowded f.

The boats of the Boussole now arrived loailei
with water, and La Perouse made every pre|)a
ration io get under way, M. de Langle, at tht
same instant returned from his excursion, ant
mentioned his having landed irt a noble harbou
of boats, at the foot of a delightful village, nn^
near a cascade of transparent water. He spoki
of this watering place as infinitely more coiu-
modioui thaa any other, and begged La Perousi

among themselves. This ferocity of countenance, hon,
ever, was much less perceptible in thu features of t!,:
women.

•+ When La Perouse went ashore, he had cntrnstcd Ni'
Boutin with the command of tho Boussole, with full h J
berty to eitablish what police he thought proper duriiiij
his absence. On his return he found seven or eight Indija"
on the qnarter.dcck, tho oldest of whom was preicnfd c ',
him as a chief. M. Boutin declared, that ho could ml
have prevented their coming on board by any other rncai, !
than firing upon them; that on comparing their boil
strength with that of the French visitors, they laughed .'
their threats, and made a mockery of their sentinels. II ■
added, that since tho chief had como among them, they a;
pcared more orderly and docile. Having made severul pr;
sents to tho chief, and shewir him many tokens of kiudnfc
and attention ; ho wishud to inspire lilm with an exalta J
opinion of their power, and ordered many expcrimenti c *
the use of French weapons to be performed in his pn
scnce. But tbeir effect M not mat«rially excite Jjis ci

PERO»JSF,'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

permit hira to take the lead of tlie first party,

Hiring him, that in three hours he would rc-

rn on board with all the boats full of water.

ntcrtaining the highest opinion of M. de

ingle's sound judgment and capacity. La Pe-

.use was induced to assent to the measure pro-

osed, and promised M. de Langlc to stand oif

id on all night, and that in the morning he

ould dispatch two long-boats and two barges,

med as he thought proper, which should be

'oily under his command. Thinking it full

le to get under way, they found, on heaving

the anchor, one strand of the cable cut by

Je coral, and in two hours more the whole cable

|j)uld be cut through. Not getting under sail

ll four in the afternoon, they postponed their

sparture till the next day.

At eleven o'clopk the following morning. La

erouse was about a league distant from the

^and, when he dispatched his long-bnat and

itge, commanded by Boutin and Monton, on

Sard the Astrolabe, to receive M. de Laugle's

fders: those who had any symptoms of the scurvy

ere taken into them, with six armed soldiers,

Id the master at arms at their head. The two

iats contained twenty-eight men, witli twenty

ipty casks 'in order to be filled at the wafcring-

lace. Lamanon and Colinet. though indisposed

ere amon^ those who set off* from the Bous-

kle. M. de Langle also set otf in his barge,

pith M . Vaujuas. a convalescent. La, Gobicn,

midshipman, comnranded the long-boat, and

la Martiniere, Lavaux, and father Beeceveur,

|rmed a part of the thirty-three persons sent by

Astrolabe. Among these sixty-one indivi-

kals, were the choicest men of both crews.

|. de Langle's people were armed with muskets

^d cutlasses, and he ordered six swivels to bQ

|ounted upon the long-boats.

Though La Perouse, from the appearance of

|ingsatthis tio^e, had no great apprehensions

danger, he was averse to sending bouts on

lore without the greatest necessity, especially

long an immense number of people, unsup-

^rted and unperceived by the ships. The boats

It off from the Astrolabe at half past twelve,

' Among them was a coiuMorablo number of women,
1 very young girli., who offore<l their faroUri to ub in a
Bt indecuQt manner. Wnrr. of M. do Vaujuas.
|i M. di3 liaiigle, itill hoping to check hoitilitioi, without

union of blood, guvu tio orders, all this timo, for ti. iug

Vot. II. No. tXlX.

and arrived at the ^^^atering place soon after
onei when (o their great astor.tshmcitt, M. do
Langle, and his officers, insteiul of finding a
large commodious bay. saw only a creek full
of coral, through whirh Umre was no other
passage than u wmding chunnel of about twenty-
five feeC wide. When within, they had no more
tiian five feet water: the long-boats grounded,
and tiiC barges must have been in the same situa-
tion had ihev not been hauled to the entrance
of the channtl at a great distance from the beach.
M. de Lai'i^-Ie was now convinced that he hail
examined the bay at high water only not suji-
posin^ that the tide at those islands rose five or
six teet. Struck with amazement, he instantly
resolved to quit the creek, "nd repair to that
where tliev had before filled water : but the air
of tranquillity and apparent good humour of the
crowd of Indians, bringing with them an im-
mense quantity of fruit and ho^s, chased his first
prudent idea from his recollection.

He landed the casks on shore from the four
boats without interruption, while his soldiers
preserved excellent order on the beach, forming
themselves in two lines, the more cfiec'cuully to
answer, their purpose. Instead of abont two
hundred natives, including women and chii'iren,
which Mt de Langle found there at about half
after one, they were, at three o'clock increased
to the alarming number of twelve hundred*.
M. de Langk's situat'on became e:;ery insbint
more embarrassing; he found means, however,
to ship his of water ; but the bay was almost dry,
and he had not alpy hopes ol getting otf the)
long-boats' till four ia tlje; afternoon, He and'
his detachment, however, stepped into them,
and took post in the bow with his musket and
musketeers, forbidding any one to fire \iitlvout
his command: which Tie knew would speedily be
found necessary. Stones were now violentiyi
thrown by the Indiaiis, who were up to their
knees in water, and surroutidcd by the long-
boats at the distance of about six feet ; the
soldiers, who were embarked, making feeble ef-
forts to keep them oft'f .

At five o'clock the officers and crew of the
' Boussole

a Volley of musketry and swItcU; biit, shortly aftfr,'a
thowor of stones, t'hrowa with incredible force, striick'
iiimost every one in tho long.boat. M. do Langlo had only
fired two shot, when he was knocked ojerbdarid, and
massacred with clubs and stones by about two hundred

R ludiitns.

€^

PEROUSR'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

Boussole were iDformed of this disastrous event :
the}' were at that moment surrounded with about
a hundred canoesj in which the natives were dis-
poi^ing of their provisions with securi^y^ and
perfectly innocent of the catastrophe which had
happened. But they were the couiitrymcnj thg
brothers^ the children of the inferiiul pj^sassiiis^'
the thoughts of which so transported La Perouse
with rage, that he could with diiliculty confine
himself to the limits of moderation, or hinder
the crew from punishing them with death.

Persons massacred hy the Savages qf the Island
of Maouna, December l}, 1787.

The ASTBOLADB . ,j)-

,M. de Langle, post-captain, commander/ ,
Yves HiiHion, .John Redelleg, Francis Ferret,
Lawrence Robin, and a Chinese, seamen,, ,,j^.^i
Louis David, quarter-gunner. , riv'luki

Jphn Geraud, domestic. ,Mh«i ««-w^«m

• The BoiissoLB.

M. dc Lamanpn, natural philosopher, and
naturalist. w.--.l .iv.

Peter Talie, gunper.' . ,,

Andrew Roth, ai^d. ifp^ej^h Raj;es,^ quarto-
gunners, jjjjjj ..J ,^,,,!| , , ^.^ .,.^^,y, j3^ ,j.^^ ,,j,ji,

(,».;i' -,i

SECTION XV.

■t»(j-

»..!

,m<.^il^Ut. -Mil fT' 1JM>t ilj.

Quit the Tslaniii of Maounh — Tlie Island tf Oyolava descrihcd-^Jitake the Isiana qf PoH/n— JVl'W
Details reHpccling the J\I(mncrs, CustomSf^c. — Fall in -wUh Cocoa-nut and Traitor Islands—-
Departure from JSavigators Island— Route towards the Friendly Islands — Fal\ in icith that qf

. Vacao, and several others — Inhabitants of p)ngalaboo—.yorfolk Island, Description qf— Arrival
at Botany Say — Decembeh, 1787 — Jasuary, 1788.

ON the 14th of Deceniber La Porouse stood
tor the island of Oyolava, which, had been
observed before they had arrived at 'ihei anchorage
which proved so fatal. This island is sepa-
rated froip that of Maouna, or' of the Massacre,

Indians \. The long boat of the Boussole, commanded by
M. de Boutin, wa» a:grannd near the Astrolabe, leaving
between them a channel unoccupied by <the!n()'..n8. Many;:
saved thetrselTes by swimming: the^' fortunately got on
iio&rd the barges, which kecpiii.g sSoat, forty.iiiac persons
vere saved out of the sizt/.one of whicfi the ])arty con.
sistcd. M. Boutin was kncckea down by a stone, but
fortunately ttW between the two long-boats, on board oi"
which not a man remained in the space of at>out fire mi-
nutes. Those who preserved their lives by swimming to
the two barges, received several wounds, but those who
unhappily fell on the other .side were instantly dispatched
>y the clubs of the remoreless Indians.

The crews of the barges, who had killed many of th«
isknders with their muskets, now began to mak*; moie
room by throwing thf ir water-casks overboard. They hac"
a)so nearly exhausted their ammunition, and their retreat
was rendered difrii;ult, a number of wnunded persons laying
stretched out upon the thwarts, and impeding the working
of the oars. To tUe prudence of M. Vaiijuas, andthedis-
cipline kept up by M. Mouton, who commanded the Bou.

^ M, de Lqngtc, was the ^rsi' victim of tlte ferocity of
these bnrbfirlans. teho had received nothing but favours at
his hand. It i> imponnhlc to describe the consternation oc-
casioned hjf, thisfqfal event on board tlw ticofrigtitcs. The
t!»ath <^ J^I. de Lan^te^ uho enjoyed lliC cor{/itknce and

by a wide 'channel, and vies with Otaheite in
beauty, extent, fertility, and popiilation. At
the distance of about three leagues from the
north-east point, he was surrotmdcd by canoes,
laden with bread-fruit, bananas, cocoa-nuts.

sole's barge, the public are indebted for (he preservation of
the forty-nine . persons of both crews who escaped, M.
Boutin had received five wounds in the hea''- and one in
the breast, and was kept above water by the cockswain uf
the long-boat, who had himself received a severe wound.
M. Colinet was disrovercd in a state of insensibility upon
the grapnel ropo of the bar^e, with two wounds on the
head, an arm fractured, aud a finger iiroken. M. I^vaux,
surgeon of the Astrolabe, was obliged to suifer (he opera*
tion of the trcpun. M. de Lamanon, and M. de Langle,
were cruelly massacred, wilh Talio, mast(!r at arms of the
Boussole, and nine oilier persons belonging to the two
crews. M. Is Gobien, who commanded the Astrolubu's
lung-boaly did not desert his post (ill he was left alone ;
when, having exhausted his ammiinidun; he leaped into
the channel, nnJ., notwithstanding his wounds, preserved
himself on bunrd one of the bargi-s. A little ammunition
was afterwards found, and completely exhaasted ou the in-
furiated croud: and the boats at length extricated tixemsdvea
from their lamentable situation.

Cftecm of hi' ercto, teas matter of the deepest ix/er«t to
every one. The general affliction tthich prevailed on bourd^
ii the best panegyric that can be pronounced en him. Narr.
of iM. de Vinijuaf.

./j/.i ...:' sugar-

PEROURE'* VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD

Bnjrar-canes, pigeons, and a few bogs. The in-
habitants of this island restnible those of the
island of Maouna, whose treachery had been s(»
fatally experienced. Soni'j exchauges were con-
ducted with these islanders with more tranquillity
find honesty than at the island of Maouna, as
the smallest acts of injustice received immediate
chastisement *.

, 'j'he presence of the women and children, who
\vere among them, seemed to intimate that no
hostile inteutions were entertained, but the na-
vigators were sensible of the necessity of rel>ing
no longer on appearancc<i, and prepared eflec-
tually to repel the least menace or appearance of
agression. La Perouse supposed the FrcDch
were the first who had ever traded with them ;
they knew nothing about iron, and refused to
deal for any article composed of that metal, pre-
ferring a single bead to an axe. Rich .u the
blessings of nature, they wished only for super-
fluities, and articles of luxury. Among the con-
siderable nutnher of young wenien two or three
were observed with aluring feature's, and capti-
vating counteinances : their hair was decorated
with flowers, confined by a negligent foliage nf
green ribbon, like a bandeau: and curiou^^ly
variegated with plaited grass and muss. Their
figures y/ei-e elegant, their arms graceful and
well proportioned, and their eyes, countenances,
and gestures, manifested an amiable gentleness
of disposition ; while the cQuntcnanrns of the
men indicated nothing but aurnrise and <\;rocity.

In the evening t)^e author stood 0':, abreast of [
the island, all the canoes returning to the shore: |
Uie next day a flat calm preva.Icd, foliowtd !)> |
lightning, Jhunder, and rain. On the 17(h, he \
approached the island of P il<i, but not a single :

• At four in th« afternoon L.i Pcronsc brou^lit (o n!>i(M«f
of a very iu^nt rilldgu, Rtipposing to fxci-eri in ina((iiitii(le
any thing <if that (lt>8rriplion in anj i<-lai»d of the S.nuli
Si"*, sitiiatrd on an inclined plain, and covorod wifh Iioiis.'s
from thf lun'mit of thi- nioniiliiinb to lln' water sidix Tlio
smoke appcari-d in clouds in Jlio inlcrinr of fhi- villn.'c, iH
issuing from the midst of a large city ; whilo tlip sea was
covcroil « ilh an iinmenbily of boats cnJcavouriiip to approncli
thf frigates: several of these had nothing to sell, beini;.
mere idle ga/.crd to enjoy the no»ol spectacio which the
Frcnofc visitors had afforded them.

+ These islanders, are till, robust, find well made, and
their general height from five foot nine, to flve feet eleven
inches. The bodies of the men are painted or tatowed,
whif* give fhoui the appearance of brin^ clad, though they
are almost naked ! a girdle of Koa-weetls encircles their loins,
descending to their Itnees, like the river Gods in Pagan
M/tbulog/, TKeir hair, which is remarkably long, ii

canoe came ofi" perhaps tiie natives had been in-
timidated by hearing of the event which had
taken place at Maouna. ' Pola is a smaller issland
than that of Oyolava, but equally beautiful aud
i? only separated from it by a chiinuel four leagues
across. The natives of Maouna inlormcd our
visitors, that the navigators islands arc ten in
number, viz. Opoiin, the, most easterly; Lcoot",
Fanfoue, Maouna, Qyolava, Caliuasse, Pola,
Skika, Ossamo, aiid Ouera. These i.iliuuU form
one of the finest archipelagoes of the South Sea,
and are as interesting with rc-spect to arts, pro-
ductions, and population, as the Society and
Friendly Islands, which the English navigators
have so satisfactorily described. In favour of
their moral characters, little remains to be
noticed: gratitude cannot find a residence in their
ferocious ininds, nothing but fear can restrain
them from outrageous and inhuman actions f .

The huts of these islanders are elegantly formr
ed; though they disdain the fabrications of iron,
they finish their work with wonderful neatness,
with tools formed of a species of basaltesin the
form of an <idze. For a few glass beads, they
bartered large three-legged dishes of wood, ko
well polished as to have the appearance of
being highly varnished. They keep up a wretch-
ed kind of police; a few who had the appear-
ance of chiefs, chastised the refractory with
their sticks ; but their assumed power seemed
generally disregarded : any regulations, which
they attempted to enforce and to establish, were
tra/isgressed almost as soon as they were pro-
tnulgated. Never were sovereigns so negligently
obeyed, never were orders enforced with suca
feeble shadows of authority J.

Their canoes are small, usually for the ac-

ofleii twisted round the'r heads, and heightens their native
ferocity of countenance, always strongly deptctini; anger
or surprise. They are irascilrie, and soon provoked to
ijive the most tremendous blows with sticks, clubs, or
p.itMles, and seem fearless of the qonseqvi''nces : the maU
(itiidt- of scars, which .-emain on their bodies, as trophies
of victory or vengeance, inanifnst their propensity to in>
dividual ipiarrcls.

+ Well are these islands denominated the Kavigaton^
i'-i.inilx, for they pass not on foot from one villaiie to
anoiNc-r, but perform all their visits and journies in cinocs:
their villages arc situnti-d in creeks on the sca-sido, and no
paths am seen to punotrato Into the interior of the country.
The i^laads are covered to the very summit with fruit-trees,
which are inhabited by pigeons, and 'urt!c>tloves of varijus
Colours; beautiful [larr iquets, partrid^*^' aad a species of
blackbird unite ia this acrFal society.

fommo^ation

■it

it'll • M I

it"

immmt^

HP—
tietm —

PEROUSE'i VOYAGE ROUND THE WORf.D.

•I •

comtncdation of five or six persons, though a
few of them are sufficiently capacious to con-
tain about fourteen. They are undeservedly
celebrated, by some navigators for their swift-
ness. These Indians are such expert swimmers,
that they only consider their canoes as occasional
resting places; from which, upon the least false
motion, they are obliged to leap into the sea,
and taking up their sinking vessels upon their
shoulders, pour out the water.

They fish with a hook and line, and sweep-
net.

Imagination cannot figure to itself more agree-
able situations than those of their villages. All
the houses arc built under fruit trees, which
render them delightfully cool : they are seated on
the borders of streams, leading down from the
mountains. Though the principal object in
their architecture is to protect them from of-
fensive heat, the islanders never abandon the
idea of elegance. Their houses are sufficiently
spacious to accommodate several fHmili":s; and
they are furnished with blinds, which a?e drawn
lip to the windward to prevent the intrusion of
the potent rays of the sun. The natives repose
upon fine comfortable mats, which are cautiously
preserved from all humidity. Nothing can be
said, by our travellers, of the religious rites of
these natives, as no raorai was perceived belong-
ing to them *.

These islands are fertile, ■ nd their popuUtlon
IS supposed to be considerable. Opun, Leone,
and Fanfouc, are small ; but Maoune, Oycjava,
and Pola, may be classed among the largest and
most beautiful in the South 8o!t. Cocoa. Island
is lofty, and formed like a sugar loaf; it is nearly
a mile in diameter, cdvered with trees, and is
separated from Traitors island by a channel
about a league wide. At eight in the morning

-<* The inhabitants of (huse islands \,ivo an ample supply
of liogs, dogs, fibli, fuwli, and birdti : cucua-iint, ^uavu
and banana trees uro numerous : anotlicr tree, bciiring a
largu fruit tliat h generally catuii roa^:te(l, and much ru.
Kemblcs that of achesnut, is frequent in this cluster, Sugiu-.
canes gro\r 8|)ontanconsly on the banks of the rivcrij, but
tJiey arc not du>mcd excellent.

Though danger wa« to bu iipp»cheiided from making aa
oxcurBion into the interior of tliu island, IX; la M.'.,>iniere
aiid Coiignon, yielded to the impusu of zeal, ratlier than
to that of prudence: and, when the landing proved ko fatal
to many of their countrymen, advanced Boniedistanre upon
land to make botanical (ItscoverieH, The Indians evurted a
giagg bead for every plant tiikcii from tlie grouud by M. do

La Pcrousc brought to the west-south-west at
two miles from a sandy bay iii the western part
of the Great Island of Traitors, where he ex-
pected to find an anchorage shehered from
easterly winds. About twenty canoes instantly
quitted the shore, and approached the frigates
in order to make exchanges: several of them
were loaded with excellent cocoa-nuts, with a
few yams and bananas : one of them brought a
hog, and three or four fowls. It evidently ftp.
peared that these Indians had before some
kn<)wl<?dge of Europeans, as they came near
without fear, traded with honesty, and never
refused, like the natives of tiie Archipelago of
Navigators, to part with their fruit before they
were paid for it. They spoke, however, the
same latiguage, and the same ferocity appeared
in their countenances ; their manner of tatowing
and the form of their canoes' were the same;
but they had not, like them, two joints cut off
from the little finger of the left hand : two in-
dividuals, had, however, suffered that operation.

Every island which was observed, revived
some ti'ait of Indian perfidy. All these atrocities
which had been committed at the Recreation
Islands, Traitor's Island, and that of Maouna,
appeared in evidence against these savages, and
changed the mode of acting with such monsters :
the smallest acts of injustice was now repressed,
or the most trivial thefts. This conduct had a
more salutary effect than moderation ; prudence
recommends ^'ie necessity of (vompulsion, against
the man who would certaihffy be our assassin
were he not restrained by fear f .

The hogs procured at Maouna were hut a
temporary resource, as they were too* small for
salting, and proper food was wanting to support
them till they were of a proper magnitude or
that purpose, La Pcruuse, therefore, served

la Martinierc, and menaced iiini uiih a blow when he with,
held the stipulated reward. Pursued by a multiplicity of
slouos at )u'. instant of the massacre, hu swam to the bargee,
with his b.ng of plants upon his back, and conveyed theiu
:afe on board.

+ lii l\iou»e, in speaking of the scurvy, pertinently
nbs> rves, that, ''of all the known preservatives again«e
that lisease, melanses and gpruco beer are, in my opinion,
the most elhcacious. Our ship's companies continued t<i
drink them in the hot climates ; a bottle per day being dis.
iributud to each person, with half it pint of wino, ami 4
small glass of brandy, diluted with a great deal of watit ;
which served to render their provibioii more palatable."

out

PEROUSE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLO.

6-7

nth-west at
I'estern part
iiere be ex-
hered from
•68 instantly
the frigates
al of them
uts, with a
n brought a
fvidently ftp*
iiefore some
' carne near
', and never
chipelago of
before they
lowcverj the
:ity appeared
■ of tatowing
•e the same ;
joints cut otf
und : 'two in-
liat operation,
rved, reviveil
hese atrocities
le Recreation
; of Maouna,
! savages, and
uch monsters :
10 w repressed,
conduct had a
on ; prudence
ilsion, against '|
our assassin

a, were out a
too* small for
ng: to support
magnitude or
refore, served

jw wliun ho with. '|
■A multiplicity of
am to the bargiv-,

il ouuvcjod them

urvy, portinontly
sorvativos o^ain^t
c, ill my opinion,

lOi cuntiniiod tu
)er day being dis.
lit of winu, and .t =

at dual of water ;
re pitla(»blc."

r,\\t fresh pork twice a-day to his crew ; in con-
sequence of which the swelling of the legs, and
all the otlier symptoms of scurvy disappeared.
'Hiis new regimen had the same invariable ellect
upon the health of the people while they con-
I tinned in port ; plainly demonstrating that Jand-
a'r is not so essential as salubrious aliments.
On the 27 til of December, Ynvao was per-
. reived, an island which Captain Cook had never
!\isite(1, but was no strunp'cr to its existence, as
lone of' tin archipelago of the Friendly fslands :
lit is nearly equal in extent to that of Ton<^ataboo,
hiiid is particularly fortunate in having no de-
'ficicnry of fiesli water. The two small islantls
U)f Iloongatonga, ard no more than two large
nininhahitahle rocks, which are high enough to
Ihc seen at the distance of fifteen leagiies. Their
[position is ten leagues north of Tongataboo ;
|j)ut that island being low, it can hardly be seen
at half that distance. On the 31st of IXcember,
»l six in the morning, an appearance like the
tops of trees, which seemed to grew in the water,
„ proved the harbinger of Van Diemen'i. Point.
I'i'lio wind being northerly. La Perotise steered
for the souUi coast of tjie island, which may,
without danger, he approached witiiin three
imusket-shots. The sea broke furiomdy over the
!« oust, but the surf was close in shore ; and, he-
i\(»nd it, the most delightful orehards rejoieed
Ithe eyes of the beholders, ami the most vivid
iverdme displa\ed itself in the surrounding fields,
\vliieh appeared to be in the highest stale of
Miltivalion. It was then, however, in the rainy
ieason, and though great were the charms which
presented themselves, it was probable that, during
i considerable part of the year, a drought must
he the certain consequence in so low an island.
Sot the semblance of a hill is to be seen ; a calm
lea cannot prese.it a more level surtace to the

" The huts of the natives were scattered irre-
;ularlv over the fields, and not socially collected
iito a eonversa'ble neigl'.bourbood. Seven or
[it;ht canoes were launched from these hahita-
jons, and directed their course towards the
iesscis; bnt these islanders were aukward sea-

out!

On tlic 17ih till' navigiUorb were surrounded by pulls,

^liitli induced llii'ui to suppose (hut tliey were p.!.;ir ;i rock

an isKind. Thi-y wcio followed by thr^io birds, iill

lioy w're witliln oiijhty lengncs of New Ilollniul. From

lorfoll- Inland til: (lii'v cuinewidiin iightof Botany U!iy,thcy

Vo:. a. iN'e. LXi.\.

men, and did not venture to come near, though
the water was smooth, and no obstaci • impeded
their passage. At the distance of about eight
or ten feet, they leaped [overboard and swam
near the frigates, holding in each hand a quantity
of cocoa-nuts, which they were glad to exchange
for pieces of iron, nails, and hatchets : from the
honesty of their dealings a friendly intercourse
ensued, between the islanders and the navigators^
and they ventured to come on board. A young
islanders declared he was the son of Feenou, an
assertion which, whether true or false, procured
him several presents ; on the receipt of which he
vociferated a cry of joy ; and endeavoured to
convince the persons present, by signs, that if
they would go and anchor upon the coast,
plenty of provision would he at their service,
but fheir canoes were too small to convey them
into the ocean. They had, indeed, neither hogg
nor poultry with them, their whole cargo con-
sisting of a few bananas and cocoa-nuts.

Though a hundred and lifty islands compose
this archipelago, the greater j)art of them are
uninhabited rocks: Ovolava exceeds in popnla-
tioii, fertility, and ^jI strength, all the other
islands |)iit together. Norfolk Island, wineli
we had seen on the 13th ©f Junnary, is very
steep, but does not exceed eighty toises a])ove
the level of the .sea. It is covered with |Mnes,
which appear to be of the same species as
those of New Caledonia^ or New Zealand, Cap-
tain Cook having declared that he saw many
cabbage trees in this Island, heightened the
desire. of the navigators to land on it. Perhaps
the i)alm which produces these cabbages, is very
small, for not a single tree of that species could
be discovered. This island, being uninhubited,
is covered with sea-fowl, particularly tropic
birds with red feathers: several boobies end gulls
were also seen, but not a single man-of-war
bird. While the frigates lay at anchor, they
caught some red fish upon the bank, which
extends three or four leagues to the northward
and eastward of the island, of the. kind called
cipitainr, or fardc, which were found very de-
licious*.

flonndod every evening, with two Imndred fat}iom<i of line,
.ind did not find any boUoni till within olght leagues of tlio
coast, in ninety fallKuns water. They saw it on the 'i;Jd
of January, and found it to be of a very moderate eleva-
tion, hardly to be ^ceu .tt more than the distance of twelve

y league*,

PEROUSE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

On the 26thj at nine in the morning, La Pe-
vouje let go the anchor at a mile from the north
coast, in seven fathoms water. An English
lieutenant, and a midshipman, were sent on
board his ship by Captain Hunter, commander
of the Sirius. They offered him, in Captain
Hunter's name, all the services in his power;
but circumstances would not permit him to
eilpply them with provision, ammunition, or
sails. An officer was dispatched from the French
to the Eng-lish captain, returning thanks, and
adding that his wants extended only to wood and
water, of rhich he should tin<? plenty in the bay.

The journal of La Perouse proceeds no t'ur,-
ther. La Perous*», according to his last letters
from Botany Bay, was to return to the isle of
France in 1778. For two years France in vain
impafiftnfly expected his return : perhaps the
apprehensions of his countrymen may have been
more agonizing than hisactual sufferinjj^s; perhaps
he has been cast away upon one of the islands of

II '4

leagues. The wind became variable, and, like Captain
Cook, they were every day drifted by currents liftoon
miles (o the southward of the reckoning; therefore they
passed the whole of the 24th in plying to windward iu sight

the South Sea, whence he stretches out liis arm*
towards his country for protection. We have not
now even the consolation to doubt that he has
experienced some dreadful calamity : we cannot
reasonably hope that bis vessels are still plough-
ing the surface of the seas : it is indeed much to
be apprehended that this navigator and bis com-
panions are no more; or thrown upon some
frightful shore, lost in the immensity of unknown
seas, and, confined in the extremities of the
world, to struggle against the climate, against
wild beasts, against men, and against nature.
The information we are in possession of concern-
ing the fate of our navigator, is so imperfect
and unsatisfactory, that even the idea of his
existence is improbable. As wf know the route
which he had intended to perform, and as lie
possessed a number of medals, struck on occa-
sion of his voyage, these medals may, at sotni
future period, point out to us uearly in what
spot his misfortune interrupted it.

of Botany Bay, without being able to double Point So. .
lander. A new sight now presented itself to their view, —
an I'lnglish fleet at anchor in Botany Bay, the colours auJ
pendants of which they could dlstiagaisb.

% I ■ i

END OF PEROUSE'S VOYAGE.

51 '

>s out Ills armi.

We have not
)t that he baa
ty : we cannot
! still plough-
ideed much to
r and bis com-
i^n upon some
ity of unknown
jmities of the
limate, against
igainst nature,
on of concerii-
is so imperfect
le idea of his
know the route
>rm, and as he
truck on occa-

inay, at some
uearlj in what

double Point So.
5lf to their viow,—
kjr, the colours auJ !
t. '

A VOYAGE

IN SEARCH OF

]LA PEROUS.E, '

UNDERTAKF'*! BY ORDER OF THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY OF FRANCE,

„ ... AND PERFOUJIED

' ; '^;; in the years, i;?!. 1792, and 1793,

IN THE

RECHERCHE and ESPERANCE, Ships of War;

UNDEll THE COMMAND OP -.

>•,,.-•-■ .. . . i . \ ,- ^ ....

RE^R'^IBMIRAE, MRi/JVI JD'EJVTREV^STE^UX,

FROM THE FRENCH OF Ji. LABILLADDIEIV %

1" Correspondent of the ci-divant Academy of Sckuces, andO. ., of the J^aturalists

enyiaged in the Expedi ion.

THREE years having elapsed, and no tidings
having been received of the Boussole and
Astrolabe, tlie two ships under the command of La
I Perouse, the Society of Natural History of Paris,
[early in the year 1791, awakened the attention of
|tJ\eConstituent Assemblyrespectingthe fate of that
■navigator, and his companions in misfortune*

The hope of finding, at least, some wreck of
[an expedition, undertaken for the advancement
I of the sciences, induced the assiembly to send
'two other ships in the track which the naviga-
tors were to have followed, after their departure
! from Botany Bay. Some of them might possibly
have escaped shipwreck, and be sequestered in a
desert island, or thrown on coasts inhabited by
savages; perhaps they were yet living in those
Idistant climes, and continually directing their
leyes towards the sea, hoping their country would
|at some future period, send them that assistance
Aikh they bad reason to expect.
/; *-Vcree to the following effect passed the
latiojjal Assembly on tl>e 9th of February,
11791. That the king be requested to give orders
Chat ali ambassadors, consuls, &c. of the courts
)f the different powers, that they do, in the
lame of humanity, and of the arts and sciences,
engage the respective sovereigns at whose courts
Ihc reside, to charge all navigators and agents

whatsoever, who are subject to their control,
in whatsoever part of the globe they may be,
to make every enquiry in their power, after the
French frigates the Boussole and Astrolabe,
under the command of M. de La Perouse, as
well as after their crew*; ; and endeavour to
obtain every infortiiation that may ascertain their
existence or their shipwreck ; to the end that, in
case M. de La Perouse should be found or heard
of, all possible assistance may be rendered them ;
the National Assembly engaging to indemnify
and reward whoever shall atlbrd assistance to
these navigators. That the king be r« guested to
direct that one or more ships, on board uf which
may be embarked some men of science, natu*
ralists, and draughtsmen ; and Chat the com-
manders employed in the expetlition, be charged
with the double mission of searching after M.
de la Perouse, agreeable to the documents, in-
structions, and orders that may be given them,
and, at the same time, independently of the
search a^ter M. de la Perouse, or even after
having met with hitu, or promred intelligence
of him, to render this expedition useful to na\i-
gation, to commerce, and to the arts and science!^
(Signed) DuPouT, President.'
Loire, ) .. , •

W jBotSKSON. )

Admiral

!i * '

i i!

iJ' i

VOYAGE IN^ SEARCH OF LA PEEOUSP:.

Admiral D'Entrccastcaiix being appointed <o
flu! coiiiiiiiirKl of this e.xpedidon, he applied Jo
tlie j:;ovTrniiu'iit for two store-ships of about
five hundred Ions burtlien. That in which the
admiral embarked, was named La Ecchcrche ;

mid the other, commanded by Captain Hnon
Ivermandfie, was called Espcrancc. The lic-
rhcnlie had on board IK^ men, at the time ftf
her departure, the Eapcrancc had only 106.

SECTION I.

.:.:)

Departure from Brest — Arrival at Santa Cruz — .4 Sailor almost drowned, and restored — His
Clothes are stolen — Txvo AhturiiJists 'jrczrnLcd hi/ Illness from ascending the Summit of the Peak —
English Ships in the Road of Santa Cruz — A new rolcano to the sonth-'u:est of the Peak:

OUR adventurers arrived at TJrest* on the
lOfh of September, 17U1. The finest shijjs
of France, sucli as the Majesteux, the Etats do
Uourgogne, the Anieriquc, &c. were then in
the harbour. The ships' companies were mus-
tered in the harbour on the filstof September;
and, on the 'i5th, the two chosen ships went into
the road. On board the Recherche were six
eight pounders, two thirty-six pound carronades,
|ix swivels of deini-kilooram, twelve swivels of
double hectogram, forty-five musquets, thirty-
five pistols, iifty sabres, three pole-axes, ten
musquctoons.

The Espcrance had nearly the same articles,
which were thought siiflicient for protecting
themselves against any enterprize on the part of
the savages. The two ships were also furnislied
vith a quantity of such essential things as were
proper to be distributed among the natives of
the South Seas. Iron tools, and stulfs of dif-
lerent colours formed a considerable part of their
stock for traflic. Among the stulfs, red was
the commanding colour.

Each of the ships carried eiglitcen months'
provisions. They were ready to sail, and waited
only for a fair wind, when a tolerably fresh
breeze from the eastward permitted them to get
under way, about one in the afternoon of the
28th of September. Having been detained by
the intrusion of two sailors and a boy, the com-
modore ordered them to be put on shore; the
Espcrance continuing her course, had got a-
Iiead of the Recherche, but the latter joined her
again before night, she being the most rapid
sailer.

♦ r,rost is morn rcmarkiiblL- ;is bi-iiij; (ho chief maritime
arsenal of i'laiice in the north, thaa for its extent or po.

They took their departure about six in the
evening, being then in the latitude of 48° 13'
north, and in the longitude of 70" 15' west.
The courjie ordered to be steered was west-north-
wcht: and afterwards, about midnight, the ship
was kept west. On the*i9lli, Commodore E'En-
trecasteaux was informed by dispatches, which
he had been interdicted froni opening till he was
at?ea, that Captain IluonKermandee, commander
of the Espcrance, was made post, and that he
himself was ])ronioted to the rank of rear-ad-
miral. This intelligence was instantly communi-
(ated, by the aid of the speaking trumpet, to
the Esperance. The ensigns were also imme-
diately hoisted, with the distinctive etnblem of
the rank with which the commodore had been
recently, honoured.

From their departure tillthe ."ith of October, the
winds were faint and changeable; they afterwards
blew pretty Iresh, varyingfrom iiorth-ciist to north i
till their arrival at TeMeriife. The Esperance made '|
the signal for land on the 12th, abcuit eight in the
morning. About noon they reckoned tJuunselvci
at the distance of fourteen uiyriameters from
the Peak of TeueriU'e, which was beheld to the
south-east, bys(»uth, majestically rearing its head
above the douds, On the approach "of night,
they were only at the distance of two myrianit -
ters from the north-east point of the islaiid. In
th« morning between nine and ten on the I.'jtii
they cast anchor at Santa Cruz, iu ten fathonn
water. Citizen Fonspertuis, the French <onsul,
immediately came on board, and ofl'ercd his ser-
vices to the admiral for procuring such neces-
saries as were required by the two ships.

liiihtinn. Mhirh dors not e\cec<l 30jtX)0 souls.
Motion (t'eo^. i, 'JCJ.

Pinkcrion i

Cioiii^'

VOYAGK IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

iplain Hnon
The lic-
tlie lime Of
Illy 106.

estorccl — Hi/t
f the Peak—
^eak.

at six in the
c of 48° 13'
0" 15' west.
IS west-nortli-
ght, tlie shij)
nodorc E'En-
itches, which
ig till he was
e, commander
, and that he
k of rear-ad-
itlj coimuuni-
r trumpet, to
c also imme-
e emblem of
ure bad been

>f October, the

ley afterwards

j-ciist to north

perance made

tit eiiflit in the

icd (lic.msclvts

imcters from

i behold to tli(!

;ariiiij; its head

jach of night,

t\> () myriamc-

Iie island. In

n on the loth

11 ten fathoms

"rench consnl,

H'ercd his ser-

ig such neces-

ships. ,

uls. Pinkcrion't

Going on shore in the afternoon, M. Labil-
lardiere, our naturalirt, remarked among the
plants growing in the environs of Santa Cruz,
a woody mclissa, known under the name of
vicUssa fruticom, the saccharum Tcneriffi, &c.
The beautiful tree, called the fair poinciana,
constituted the ornament of some of the gar-

dens *•

On the 14th at sun-rise, reciprocal salutes
were given anrt received by the vesaels and the

forts. . „

Our adventurers having formed the project of
undertaking, the next day, a journey to the
Peak, and of visiting successively the high
mountains of the island, the French consul gave
them a letter of recommendation for M, de
Cologant, an opulent merchant residing at
Orotava.

Early in the morning of the 15th, a party con-
sisting of eight; namely Develle, one of the
oiiicers of the admiral's ship, Pirou, Deschamps,
Lahave, three servants, and myself repaired to
the Mole. One of the seivants was sufficiently
acquainted with the Spanish language to under-
take the task of their interpreter. On the land-
ing place, they saw some of the mules which
had been provided for their conveyance ; but
upwards of an hour elapsed, before their guides
thought themselves sufficiently equipped for the
journey. M. de Cologant, apprised Dy the
French consul of the object of their journey,
invited him to stop at his house at the harbour
of Orotava. This town is three rayriaraeters
and a half from Santa Cruz, and is one of the
best places to halt at in going to the Peak,

* This CTening Citiien Ely, astonished at the strange
garb of some womun who were inhabitants of the town,
took the liberty of taking a sketch of them. A sentry
obsorting him thus employed, interrupted him, supposing
\e might be taking a plan of the road. Id rain he shewed
him that he was only copying an absurd dress; the soldier
would not permit him to complete his delineation.

i The inhabitant! of this ibiand imbibe strong religions

i prejudices from their infancy. Children came out of their

houses to know if our aiWertturers were of their religion.

These unfortunate beings, whose fanuticisra and mooastic

intolcrauce are so predominant over every other considcra.

I tion, were only entitled to tlicir pity. On approaching the

I harbour of Orotava, they desccuikd by gentle declivities :

lit was no longer the barren mountains uf the environs of

[Kanta Cruz, whose succulent plants announce steri'ity ;

but charmini^hinurks, covered with vines forming the princi-

I pal wealth of the island. It was five iu the afternoon when

Vot.II. No.LXX.

situated at the foot of the mountain nearest
to it.

They were three hours in travelling to La-
gouna, a town about a niyriameter from Santa
Cruz, ascending a very fatiguing hill. The
houses are ill built, and thinly inhabited. The
convents are very numerous, and the monks are
supposed to constitute about half of the popu-
lation. In their way to Lagouna, they crossed
the arid mountain, where they saw a few suc-
culent plants; among which they remarked the
Canary leafless eiiplwrbiu, and the species of
Indian fig to which botanists have given the
name of cactus opuntia. These vegetables, which
principally live at the expence of the atmo-
sphere, thrive extremely well on the sterility of
those deep declivities.

All the stones they had hitherto met with had
undergone the action of fire : in the midst of
these volcanic fragments, our adventurers ex-
perienced great heat ; and their guides were
more inctunmoded by it than themselves f.

As it does not produce a sufficient quantity of
corn for the consumption of the inhabitants, part
of the produce of the wines, which are sold in
foreign countries for Madeira, is employed in
the purchase of that article of the first necessity.
The olive-tree, which thrives well here, is how-
ever little propagated. The papaw-tree, and
the date-tree, are cidtivated in some of the
gardens, as objects of curiosity.

They set out early the next morning on their
journey towards the Peak. But it was a festival,
and none of the guides would stir without having
first been at mass; some of them had beard three;

Go in;

they arrived at Orotava, where they were rrspectfully re-
ceived by M. de Cologant. Two ships were then lying ia
the road, for the purpose of taking in a ca«go of wine.
The I a nil ing- pi ace is even more inconvenient than that of
Santa Cru?, : and the roadstead is less frequented.

The cellar of M. do Cologani naturally excited their
curiosity. Among the different qualities of wines which
this island produces, and which this wealthy merchant deals
ii', there are two distinct sorts ; the dry wine, and (hat
A iiich is denotniuated malmsey: In the making of the Utter,
great care is taken to concentrate strongly the siccharine
part of the grape. A pipe of the best was then sol J i.ir
one hundred and twenty piastres; a pipe of the nios. in-
ferior quality, produced liot h»lf that »ura. When the fer.
mentation of these wiues is well adrnnced, it is usual to mix
brandy with them to make tticin keep. This island u said
to furuiiih thirty thou^aad pipes of wine auauuUy.

i !

!! ::!'

i !■

£i I-

•tii

VOYAGF, IN SF.ARCir OF LA PF.ROUSP:.

on (heir remonstrating about tliis waste of time,
tliey were informed that they ought to deem ii
■A very particular favour for them to think of
travelling on so solemn a day. They were, how-
ever, ready to depart about nine in the morning;.
Soon after they had quitted the town, they as-
rended by steep irre2:ular roads, whence they
j)erceived enormous heaps of mountains pih)d
one upon another, rising in the form of an am-
pitheatre, as far as the base of the peak. The
guides were surprised at seeing some of the party
perform the journey on foot, as they were acting
very differently from most of the travellers who
ramc to visit the peak. For a long time they
entreated the party to mount the mules, which
liad been brought for their accommodation.
Having crossed some beautiful plantations of
vines, they found themselves in the midst of
chesnut-trecs, which grow in the most elevated
regions.

in the cavities they met with the Virginian
polipodium, and several new species of laurel,
among which was that known by the name of
Indian laurel.

About noon they reached the clouds that dif-
fused a heavy dew on the shrubs, through which
ihey had to pass. The abundance of rain, with
which the disposition of the air is impregnated
T)n these heights, might be expected to produce
a number of springs ; they were, however, ex-
tremely scarce*. After passing through these
heavy mists, they enjoyed the finest sight which
imagination can pourtray. The clouds that had
been accumulated beneath them, mingled them-
selves in ihe distance with ihe waters of the
sea, concealing from them the view of the island.
They beheld the clearest sky; the peak appearing
like an island, the base: of which appeared to be
immerged in an immeriise ocean.

Hardly had he got otit of the clouds, when
our admiral saw for a moment a phenomenon
which he had several times seen on the high
«iountains of Kefrouan, in Asia Minor. With
additional surprise, he perceived all the colcurs
of his body traced in the beautiful colours of the
rainbow, on some cluuds that were below him,
on the side opposite to the sun.

They passed over prodigious heaps of pumice-
itone, among which they remarked some languid

* When high momitaini, are etrongly heated by the rays
of the sun, (hey brcomi' a kind of fucuB, abovo which
rises the £urrouuding itir; whcoce results the abundance of

vegetables. Brooms were the only shrubs that
prospered at such an elevation. In walkii^
over tliese volcanic fragments, they sunk into
them half way i.p the leg. Some blocks of
piizzolana were here spread at a considerable dis-
tance from each other. At nine in the evening,
they took up their quarters for the night ia the
midst of the lava, some large fragments of
which were their only shelter against a strong
easterly wind then blowing pretty strong. The
cold was very intense at this height, and nature,
not consulting the wants of travellers, was very
sparing of her wood : all the firing they could
possibly enforce, was insufficient to procure a
comfortable night.

At length the day began to appear, when our
party left some of their guides in the place
where they had passed the night, and pursued
the road to the peak, the summit of which they
were speedily to reach. They walked for an
hour over heaps of fragments and greyish lava ;
among which ihey saw scattered blocks of pox-
zolana, and large masses of compact glass, re-
sembling black bloitle glass. The cavern, on
the brinks of which they arrived, is called La
gueva ckl ama. It is a meter and a half wide
at its mouth : as its depth exceeds two meters,
in an almost perpendicular direction, they could
descend to it only by means of a rope. They
found some water, the surface of which, as they
naturally expected at this elevation, was cover-
ed with ice about half a decimeter in thickness.
It was immediately broken, and they quenched
their thirst with very good water. They did not
experience any unpleasant sensations in the throat,
as has been remarked in the French Alps, when
water has been drank from the foot of the
Gliiciers.

Piron had been indisposed for several days,
and found himself too much fatigued to think of
proceeding farther. Deschamps did not ehooso
to proceed beyond the cavern ; the othei nicniben
of the party continued to ascend towards the
summit of the peak. Having arrived at its base,
which forms the cap of the highest mountains,
they saw it rise in the form of a cone to a sur-
prizing elevation. Their prospect now soared
above all the mountains, which constituted so
many flights of steps, which they hud been

the more distant air. Thi> is perhaps, the solo cauiic u[
thu apparent aUructiou of ilie clouds by mountains,

obliged.

ol
Tl
i\u
wl

fici

»iei

tioi

hen

at 8

dig

wii(

odo

met

of tl

whii

at a

elon^

edgci

incap

itself

our c

their

neigh

th(

returr

had Hi

they a

the p

^ the sif

J had

tl their

to stiJ

t'-cblcl

.^ibiit, a|

|shruhsl

|iiio(!(»(||

itill da\

fund til

■^'^^

'!n

*Thf

';fi'ii: of

Ai'; M'ci)

^Wil the :\

■Jill' .Mlln,

nil's call

III ( ryj

if i)iii,('|

|»(' till' v|

irlh.

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSI',

irubs tliat
1 wiilking
gunk into
blocks of
arable dis-
ift evening,
ght in tbe
^menti of
it a strong
ong. The
md nature,
., was very
they could
procure a

when our

1 the place

md pursued

which they

Iked for an

reyish lava ;

cksr of poz-

ct glass, re-
cavern, on

,8 called La

a half wide

i two meters,

I, they could

tope. They

jiich, as they
was cover-
in thickness.

ey quenched

Ihcy did not

in the throat,

Alps, when

foot of the

several days,
d to think of
il not choo««
thei menibeis
towards the
ed at its baso,
!st mountains,
cone to a sui-
now soared
lonslitutcd so
ey had been

tlio solo caujc of
lountaius.

tjbligeJ J

obliged (6 ascend to arrive at this elevated spot.
This place, called La Ramhlettc, presented to
llieir curiosity a few apertures in the rock;
whence issued a watery vapour, without smell.

They now arrived at the place the most dif-
ficult to climb up, for the peak is extremely
steep. Having reached about a third of its eleva-
tion, though the surface of the ground was not
hented, beyond what is commonly experienced
at such a height, Lahillardiere was induced to
dig a hole, about a double decimeter in depth,
wiiencc inimediaiely issued, a watery and in-
odorous smell.

The spartium siipranulliam was the last shrub
met with, before our botanist arrived at the foot
of the cone; but there is an herbaceous plant,
which, with great apparent delicacy, vegetates
at a still greater elevation. This is a violet, with
elongated leaves, and slightly toothed at the
edges. The vapours of the atmosphere, being
incapable of rising to this height, the sky displays
itself in all its brightness, shuiing with an azure
more brilliant than in the most refulgent days in
our climates. A fojv clouds, scattered far below
their feet, did not conceal the prospect of the
.neighbouring islands*.

I The declivity of the mountain favouring their

return, they descended much quicker than they

had ascended. The day was far advanced when

they arrived at the spot where they had passed

[the preceding night. The total privation of

I the sun, which they had almost experienced.

I had cancelled every wish of making it again

Nhcir resting place. Their guides not choosing

Ito stir before the rise of the moon, by her

] feeble light descended over the pumice-stones;

Ibut, after walking about for four hours, the

jshrubs, which were very numerous, so incom-

InuuI'd them, that they found it necessary to halt

till day-light. They were not destitute of wood,

ind therefore cauitcd a comfortable Bre to be

* Tb.p summit is terminated by .i brow, the greatest cleva.
kjni; of which iii towarils thu north. west. Closo toils point
>rt! M'fn sevcriil aperturi's, whtunco issues a. very hot vapour.
ill tlie advaniril season of the year, when die snow whitens
the suiitiDtt of the peak, that which comet near thesu aper.
|ures cannot long withstand such a degrco of heat, lieau.
Jfui crystals of Milphur, of various forms, adorn the brinks
if thi se r.mnel-. Tho deeomposition of the sulphur, and
^f tiio volcanic produelions, produces hero an allnminong

ill, like very tino needles, which covers the burfaco of the

iftb.

kindled. While they were warming themselves,
the conversation naturally turned upon what was
next to be done. Many of the party, fatigued
by this laborious exertion, expressed a desire to
proceed to Santa Cruz by the shortest road ; but,
after stating a diversity of opinions, it was at
length agreed that the "laturalist and the gar-
dener should persevere in their researches, and all
the others might return on board. Their guides
wished earnestly to be taken among the latter;
which was admitted, after one of them had been
prevailed on to accompany the exploring party.
Among the plants which bedecked the declivity
of the rocks, the beautiful campamila, with
gold-coloured flowers presented itself.

Water being very scarce on these heights, the
adventurers directed their steps towards a small
dwelling, near which they supposed some rivulet
might flow. There they fortunately discovered
a delicious limpid spring, which lost itself in
the bosom of the earth, after having appeared an
instant on its surface. A|)p!e-trees, laden with
fruit, adorned and enriched the gardens of these
peaceable inhabitants. At the approach of night,
they were far from atiy habitation: near the hour
of nine in the evening, they arrived at a village,
the inhabitants of which were not signalized by
their hospitality ; it was with much difliculty
that they could obtain the indulgence of shelter.
As they were unacquainted with the Spanish lan-
guage, they could only express their wants by.
signs. Passing from door to door, hoping ta
procure a place to sleep ip, they began to be
hopeless of success, when, knocking at a friendlj
door, the two worthy occupiers kindly aflbrded
them an asylum f .

The next day Lahillardiere, the naturalist^
went on board, fraught with volcanic produc-'
tions, and some curious plants. The birda
called Canaries are numerous in the lower re-.
gions of these mountains; their plumage is a

+ A frugal repast was intantly set before them, illiiml.
iiated Milh Alpine torches, manufactured of resinous fur
stuck in the wall, allorcling nn equal qu.intity of light and
smoke, tho worthy hosts were assiduously employed, in
furnishing successive bits of wood, as fast as they wero
consumed. Preferring rest to food, sleep was received with
welcome, and was rendered the nioro delightful fcv their
being no longer disturbjd by the severity of the frigid
motintaius.

uiixture

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSF.

I -J

' 'il

mixture of bronvn, and several other colours^ but
they are less beautiful than those in a domestic
state *.

Citizen Riche and Blavier undertook a jour-
ney to the peak^ but they found themselves in-
capable of ascending to the summit ; at a con-
siderable distance from it^ tliey found their lungs
could not endure so rarefied an atmosphere ; a
spitting of blood compelled them to renounce
their enterprizfe.

The country, in the environs of Santa Cruz,
is in general very steril, and the population of
the town is thin, though its roadstead is the
most frequented of the island. The governor-
general of the Canaries make* Santa Cruz his
usual residence. There are several convents for men
and women; also a parish church, with a profu-
sion of false taste in the gilding, and ornamented
with a very indifferent choice of pictures.

The square contains a handsome fountain, to
Itvhich water was conveyed from a considerable
distance across the mountains, by wooden pipes.
The streets are ill paved, and most of the win-
dows are destitute of glass : though the latter
are closed with Venetian blinds, the women fre-
quently draw them up, when urged by curiosity,
or some other motive, to let themselves be
seen.

The women of the superior class are dressed
in tl»e French taste; the others cover their
shoulders with a sort of coarse woollen cloak,
ivhich seems a very improper cloathtng under a
irarm sky: a broad-brimmed felt hat shelters
them from the rays of the sun; their skin is
rallied by a 'mixture with the natives of the

* A fresh breeze having increased the sea, it threw upon
the beach the boat belonging to the Espcrance, by which
accident a sailor received so much injury, that he apparently
seemed dead ; but, by employing the means usually recur.
red to on those occasioos, he was restored to life. The

».Tlt.'--if . .

- •■

t>-. ,.;. \ ■

:!'.?.

«. *t r.' M,.

. ■ V. ;

., ' •-.I"

••'

it. -t > - -v. ..

" ' ,■ '* ■ '

' ''

'•1 - . ■■

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.-' -

'ufM-'ovi

island ; and their features in general, are not
very alluring'. The multiplicity, of religious
customs among them, did not binder them from
making overtures to many of the sailors ; several
of whom had too much reason to remember the
seducive influence of their charms.

Water, which is very good at Santa Cruz, is
easily procured when the swell is not too heavy.
This is indeed an excellent refreshing-place, as
all the vegetables of Europe are easily obtained
here, with the exception of cabbage*, which
are very small, though very dear. All the fruits
of Europe may also be purchased here.

No volcanic eruption had happened on the
island of Teneriffe for ninety-two years, till such
an event occurred in June, 1798, a new volcano
breaking out on the south-west side of the peak.
The following account is g:iven of it by Citizen
Le Gros, Consul of the French Republic. —
"On the 21st Prairal, Gib year, (June 9th,
1798,) the inhabitants of Santa Cruz heard
some hollow and repeated noises, which re-
sembled the report of cannon tired at a great
distance; in the night there was a slight etrrth-
quake; and it was known the next day that a
volcano had broken out on the south-west side
of the peak. At the beginning of the eruption
they reckoned fifteen craters; these were soon
reduced to twelve, and at the end of a month
there waste be seen only two, whence continually
issued large rocks, which vomitted forth with the
lava, and followed their projectile motion, fre-
quently for fifteen seconds, before they again fell
to the ground.

people of the garrison, however, were so earnest in re.
aoimating the poor fellow, that they forgot to return the '19
clothes which they had takuii from him, under the pretence
of hanging them up to dry.

•-', :''■■ • ^.»

SECTIOxN

usimll^
fiiidina
voracii
his at(
fishes,
icciirei
In tl
; of dul
I more
timrs
I vt'Jorit
I thi' ni>
I liimino
i flgitaftv
I incroa.'i
CJti

VOYAGE IN SEARril OF LA PEROUSK.

i), are not
f religious
them from
>rs ; several
aember the

ta Cruz, is

too heavy,
ig-place, as
ily obtained
,gc», which
.11 the fruits
re,

ned on the
irs, till such
new volcano
)f the peak.
it by Citizen
Republic. —

(June 9th,
Cruz heard
which re-
] at a great
slight earth-
t day that a
ith-west side
the eruption
e were soon

of a month
e continually
orth with the

motion, fre-
jey again fell

) earnest In re
ot to return tlic
dcr the prj^tcnce

SECTION II.

Leave Teneri/Te to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope — Observatlotis — Shining Phenomenon in the

i'^fl ^,1 Experiment — Four of the Teneryfe Sheep ihroivn overboard, and the Cause— Faint

Degree of Heat close to the Line — Method of sweeliuiiig fresh Wafer, lohai hi<.>;iiiiiirig to piiirifj/

^4 thick Fog occasions an Fievalion of tlie JMercury in the Jiuroiuetcr — ,1 lunar Jiainhoxo —

Arrival at tlie Cape of Good Hope— Continue at the Cape of Good Hope — Deposit ions of the Two
French Captains, tliat some jYatives of tite Admirallfi Islands appeared dressed in the Uniform of
the French JSavt/ — Captain Bligh sent from England to procure the Jiread-frnil Tree at (he Society
Islands — Fiolence of the South-east Winds — A Slave Ship — Various Excursions to the Mountains
in the Viciniti) of the Toxen — Impudence of the Fiscal,

SECTION

BEING retarded iu shipping their supplies,
the adventurers were not rciuly to sail till
l!>c 23d of October. They crossed the tropic ^"^
Cancer about one o'clock in Hie afjernoon, in
the longitude of 20" west. The first fish that
came and bit at the hook- of one of the fisher-
men, was a very fine dolphin. Nothing more
was necessary to set the whole ship's company in
motion; but the fisherman, hauling with too
nuich impetuosity, had the mortification to find
only a part of the jaw on the end of his hook.
A common swallow, lately arrived from Europe,
followed them for some time, without venturing
to alight on their ship : it soon directed its course
towards the coast of Africa, where it was certain
of finding the insects on which its subsists.

Little wind being then experienced, consider-
able numbers were seen, on the surface of the
water, of the medusa, known to naturalists by
the name of medusa caravella. This species
should be handled with caution : for, like many
other Bca-nettles, it occasions blisters, preceded
by a painful pricking *.

T'^cy had the mortification to find, that the

* A fish, known by the name of remora, or Biick.fish,
usually follow the shark, to wliich it attaches itself, from
fiiuling tho means of subsisionce in the excrements of that
voracious animal. It is not, however, ^vholly occupied in
his attendance on the shark ; for it follows other large
fishes, and even ships ; to the bottom of which ho adheres
securely, when tired of swimming.

In the course of the night, they fell in with an asiembi'ye
of dolphins, which followed their vessel : as they made a
i more rapid progrecf th:m our adventurers, they sev-rsi
I times took a ciro it vuiiit!^ the ship, swimming with great
ivt'locity. It was ctsy to p'irsuc them with the eye, though
I the night w.ig extmrtly <l. rk, for they left behind them a
I luminous trace. Ti.'s plxisphoric light, produced by the
Agitated sea.water, beciiriu more brilliant as the darkness
I increased, and as the fish advanced with increased «elocity.
tin the 30th they were in the teas inhabited by the ra.

Vol. II. No. LXX.

vegetables and fruits purchased at Tenerifte, did
not keep; the heats and humidity, experienced
in this region of calms, rapidly promoted their
decomposition,

A snuill shark not exceeding a meter in length,
became a victim to its voracity. Nothing is re-
fused by this animal when pressed with hunger.
When it was hauled upon deck, it was presently
cut up into pieces, and every man was entitled
to his bit. The shark, however, is not good
eating; and, without adverting to <he repug-
nance which its fondness for human flesh na-
turally inspires, it is diiHcult of digestion ;
but as there is not much choice of food at sea«
fresh provisions of almost any sort is preferred
to that which has been salted. The mouth of
the shark being situated beneath an elongated
rostrum, subjects it to the necessity of turning
almost on its back, to snap at the object which
it perceives above it: its whitish belly, which i»
then apparent, even at a great depth, on account
of the transparency of the sea-water, informs
the fisherman when he ought to draw in the
line, in order to make sure of this rapacious

venous tishes; as the bonito, the tunny, and others of the
same genus, which there find an abundant subsistence in
pursuing the flying fish, and many others. The bonitoes
suffered themselves to be taken with a bait thrown out by
the fishermen, consisting only of a few feathers, but so
ingeniously disposed, that they exhibited to the eyes.of this
animal the appearance of a flying fish, and at the same time
concealing the hook.

A vast quantity of bonitoes continued to follow thca
day and night; which excited great astonishment among (he
crews, at their being so long able to follow them without a
resting-place. On -board the Espcrance, the fishermea
were very successful; but tho fish seemed to disregard the
lines thrown out by the Recherche. The motteitx of Ruilbn
(motacitli wnanlfiej a well-known bird of passage, fatigued
with having crossed the seas, came and submitted itself to
be caught, without resistance.

U animal

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3}

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^

t/j

1.0

I.I

■so ■^~ nlll^B

1^ 12.2

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124

2.0

1.25 III 1.4 111.6

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PhoiDgraphic

Sciences

Corporation

■v.V"

?J WIST MAIN STRUT
^VfaSTM,N.Y. 14580

(7i6; 4VJ.4503

mi.

<*'^

VOYAjGE in jSEAKCH OF LA PEROUSB.

.1. — T.

animal. Nature has taken especial care that this
creature should not let its prey escape ; for, Ije-
sides several rows of teeth, curiously arranged^
and fit for cutting the hardest suhstances, the
inside of its mouth is furnished with asperities,
that counteract the retreat of the bodies which
it has previously seized.

On the 12th they were surrounded by gram-
puses, which were followed, in their slow pro-
gress, by sharks. One of the latter, preceded
by some fishes known by the name of pilot-fish,
came near the vessel and was caught: several
remoras, or suck-fish, supposing themselves in
safety by being fastened to the body of this
animal, continued sticking to it for some time
after it had been hauled in *.

The beat had been oppressive during the d&y.
They were abreast of the opening of the im-
mense gulf, which forms the bight of the
countries of Upper Guinea, the coast of which
extends about three hundred myriameters to the
eastward. The sea is more phosphoric in the
vicinity of the coasts lying under .the tropic than
in any other part, nature having there distributed
inore profusely the animalcules on which its
phosphorescence depends.

A faint breeze from the south-east, induced
them to hone that they were getting out of those
calms, which are here more prevalent than in
any other part of the sea : in going to India the
contrarieties of winds and calms are the greatest ;
they appear to depend on the vicinity of the
coast, which navigators approach much nearer
in going to the Cape of Gpod Hope, than in the
route from the Cape to Europe; consequently

* It being now extremely hot, and (he water perfectly
smooth, the desire of bathing gut the better of every other
consideration ; Ptron and Saint Agiian jumped overboard a
few hours iftvr, not being intimidated by the sharks which
were Itnown to be attendant on the vessels.

Almost the whole of the day it continued calm; but
about eight o'clock in the evening, the sky was loaded with
thick clouds in the east, menacing a very violent storm.
The night was extremely dark, when a luminous column of
great extent issued from beneath the clouds ; and, in its
descent, alighted on the surface of the water: the sparkling
sea continued to be shaded with many dark intervals, when
suddenly it appeared lilic a sheet of fire, extending towards
oar adventurers : compelled by a strong wind it furrowed
(he waves; they saw themselves surrounded by a sea of
fire, and enjoyed the sight of the most brilliant phcnomcoa
of nature. It' did not continue long in this state; but,
during the rest of the night, the sea was uncommonly lu-
minous in all the places whcco it was agitated, particularly

the passages from the Cape to Europe, are ge-^
nerally much shorter than those from Europe to
the Cape f.

The calms met yith to the northward of the
equator are owing to the configuration of the
coast of Africa, which to the north, a few
degrees from the line, projects, about three
hundred myriameters towards the west: while
the great distance at which the ship is from
this land when to the southward of the equator,
prevents the general winds of these seas from
undergoing thence any change |.

Winds from the south-south-east, which begaq
to blow on the 21st of November, at length
carried tl^em out of the calms, which at this
season of the year so generally prevail some
degrees more to the south, before the ships get
into the general winds.

The man-of-war bird became an object of
attention: two of thfr winged animals, known by
that appellation, were perceived hovering at a
prodigious height, watching attentively for their
prey, and waiting till it appeared oq the surface
of the water. It is astonishing that they can
perceive, from such a distance, the diminutive
fishes on which they most commonly feed ; but
so penetrating a sight depends more upon the
disposition of the humours.of the eye, than on
the great sensibility of the retina. Though
nature has given to flying fishes, the faculty of
living in the water, ana coming out of it at
pleasure, they have many difi.culties to encounter :
if they escape the voracity of the bonitoes, tun-
nies, and dolphins, by rising out of the water,
the man-of-war bird waits for them in the air :

in the wake of the ship, and towards the upper part of the
''waves.

+ It has been observed, by many skilful seamen, that,
in going to the Cape of (!ood JFope, there is an advantage
in crossing the equator farther to the westward than is
usually done.

i The uaturaliats had preserved a few bottles of water,
taken up the evening before during its phosphorescence, to
inspect the little luminous bodies which are the cause of
this phenomenon. This water, poured in a glass, was
set in motion in the dark. !Ie instantly saw some lumi-
nous globules, resembling those which ho had reuiarkt'd
when the sea was agilaied. From a variety of experiments,
he was convinced that the animalcules was the most ordinary
cause of the phosphorescence of sea.watrr : but they alone
have not the property of rendering the sea luminous; se.
vcral spe(ii\s of crabs, some very large molecules, *c. often
quit the bottom of the waters to come aud illaminato thctr
surface.

during

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OP LA PEROUSE.

ipe, are ge-
Europe to

vard of the
ition of the
irth, a few
about three
^est : while
nip is from
ihe equator,
e seas from

which begaq
r, at lengtli
bich at this
prevail some
the ships get

m object of
Is, known bj
overing at a
vely for their
q the surface
lat they can
e diminutive
ily feed ; but
»re upon the
eye, than on
a. Though
he faculty of
out of it at
to encounter :
lonitoes, tun-
>f the water,
m in the air :

ppcr part of the

il seamen, thaf,

is all advantii^f

ostwaril than is

)ot(Ies of water,
phorescrnce, to
10 the cause of
n a Rlass, was
saw some luini.
had roinarlii'd

uf rsperimeiits,
ic most urdiirary
: but they alum;
a luminous ; se-
ucules, kc. often

illOminato thctr

during

during a conflict of this kind, some of the con-
tending parties leaped int^ the ship *.

On the 17th of December they passed the
tropic of Capric(-rn, in the longitude of 28^
west. On board the Es^erance, upwards of a
hundred bonitoes were taken daily; whilst 9II
the most expert fishermen in the Recherche,
pever caught more than ten ii> a day, and gene-
rally a miich smaller number,

(in the 3d of January 1793, our adventurers
enjoyed the sight of a rainbow, produced by
the rays of the moon : this planet was, about
ten at night, surrounded by two concentric
circles ; they exhibited all the colours of the
rainbow, in an order opposed to each oilier. As
this phenomenon, produced by the decomposi-
tion of the light of the moon, appeared between
her and them, the colours of the iris must con-
sequently present themselves in the reverse order
of those which the sub display.

On the 9th of January, the crews of both
the ships began the exercise of firing with ball.
A prize of small value was the stipulated re-
ward of those who hit the mark, which was
fixed at the end of one of the fore-top mast

i studding sail booms : it was not a matter of in-
difl'erence, on such an expedition, in which
they might sometimes find it necessary to defend
themselves against the savages, that each should

[learn how to use Uie arms that were on board.

The captain of the Esperancc, having made
last to a buoy half a very fine tunny, which he

i intended for the admiral, the line M'as too far

I for them to reach it : a sailor,, however, jumped
overboard to swim after it, though a shark had
been caught that very morning, on board the
Esperam'e ,^ and the little wind which ihcn blew
must have increased the apprehension ul' meeting

[with another.

The well-known ^ea-ncttle, named iiicdusa

^elella, took advantage of the culms to ;\ppear
ind float, in great numbers, on the siirlace of
the sea. This species diflercd, in no respect,

I " r

*Tlie south-east and south winds blew with so much
obstinacy, that our adventurers were unable to cross the
rquator till the 28th. Scanien are itccustomed to christen,
^ng in their mode, tlie persons who cross the Hue for the
Brst time, by i, singular ceremony of ducking : hut the
Admiral, fearing that every one would not equally relish
khc farcical operation, prohibited the usual ceremony.
+ Some seals, of the species which Butlbn has dcnomi.
iited pttil phoquc, approached their ilup, to leck their

from what our botanist bad frequently met with
in the Mediterranean.

The albatrosses, of the Cape of Good Hope,
which appeared in large numbers, announced to
our adventurers the vicinity of the southern ex-
tremity of Africa. They saw land on the 16th
of January, about eight in the morning; being
then at the distance of four myrianicters from
Table Bay, The proximity of the land had
also been signified to them, by a change in the
colour of the wafers of the sea, occasioned by
the elevated bottom on which they repose f . ,

Our adventurers had not' a sick man, on board,
though the length of their passage had reduced
them to a very slender allowance of water ; but
they- had exerled themselves to coifipensate for"
this pt-ivation by a liberal use of vHirious kinds
of antiscorbutics ; a sort of punch, equally
whosesome and pleasant, composed of brandy,
vinegar, sugar, and water, had been daily served
out to the ships' companies towards the conclu-
sion of the passage. The ship had also been
regularly fumigated twice a-day ; and strict in-
junctions were given to the sailors to chanf'e
their clothes, whenever they got wet. It was
satisfactory, at length, to discover, that such
salutary precautions bad not been employed in
vain.

Two ofiicers of health came from Cape Town
to visit the ships, to satisfy themselves that no
contagious disorders attended them: it is the
small-pox that they principally dread ; for that
malady, which is not endemical in this country,
makes dreadful ravages here, and throughout all
India, when introduced from abroad.

A captain of a mercliant ship who arrived fVom
Bourdeaux a few days before them, came also
to inform them, that the Commander of the
naval forces in the Isle of France, after having
received information respecting the fate of La .
Perouse, had dispatched a frigate to the Cape,
to bring the particulars of it to the commander
of the expedition, sent in search of that uq«

subsistence in the great heaps of aea>weed which were seen
floating on the surface of the4>ca; tbeU animals frequently
fled, after haring raised themselres by sudden springs above
the water; then, drawing their two hind feet together, ia
the form of fins, they v;ere supported in the water; the
gurfacr '>f which was to them what a vast plain it to an
active quadruped. About seven in the evening they were
a myriametcr and a half from the mountain t/T liout fiay.

fortugatt

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OK LA PEROUSE.

fortunate navigator, The frisate fiad sailed a
few days before to proceed to the Isle of France.
Admiral D'Entrecasteaux instantly sent an
oHicer to the Governor of the Cape, in order to
settle the salute. This officer received from the
French Charge d'affaires, the dispatches vhich
Citizen Saint Felix, commander of the Frenc^i
naval forces in the Indian seas, had sent to
Admiral D'Entrecasteaux by the Atlantic frigate.

• Substance of a Letter from Saint Felix, Commander on
the India Station, to Admiral D' Entrecasteux.

Private letters inform me, that you do not
niean to touch at the Isle of France, till you return from
the important expedition you are on the point of under,
taking. Deprived of the hope of seeing you, I hasten to
transmit to you at !.he Cape of Good Hope, two accounts
relative to the object of your mission, delivered to rac by
the captains of two French ships that arrived from Batavia.
You will there see by M'hat accident a Dutch ship, having
on board Commodore Hunter, commander of the English
frigate Syrius, as well as his crew, had seen, near the
Admiralty Islands in the South Seas, men covered with
European clothes, and particularly some clothes which he
supposed to be French uniforms. You will also perceive
that the Commodore had no doubt of their being the re.
mains of the wreck of M. de la Perouse, whom he had seen
at Botany Bay.

Thinking the knowledge of these reports would be in.
tcresting to you, and judging them sufficiently important to
be communicated to you, I now send, a frigate to the
Cape solely for that purpose. Captain Bolle, who com.
Diands her, will, if he dues not ftnd y.)U there, leave any
dispatch with the French Charge d\iff'uii as, that it may be
delivered to yon on your arrival. Though no official ac.
counts of your expedition authorize niu to send a frigate
on this service, I am certain his Majesty will approve of
the step wiiich I have taken in this respect. It was reserved
for you to acquire claims to the gratitude of (he whole
nation, by accepting the command of an expedition, which
does equal liuoour to the sovereign who orders it, and tho
officer by whom i^ is executed. VVhatcver route you may
take, you w ill be followed by my wishes for your success,
and by the inviolable and perfect attachment, with which
I am, &c.

Isle of France, Nov. D, 1791. Saint Femx.

Account given to the Chief de Division Saint Felix, Com.

mundcr on the Indian Slulion, bij Captain Preaiuiet, com.

titunding the Ship Jason, arrived from Batavia.

The Knglish frigate Syrius, commanded by
Commodore Hunter, bound for New Holland, was lost in
Norfolk Island, in the Suuth Sea, towards thecnd of 1790.
The crew were taken up by the sloop of war which was
following in her mission, and has returned to Botany Bay,
where Commodore Phillip freighted a small Dutch vessel to
convey to England the shipwrecked crew, with their cum.
Biandor, commodore Hunter.

Having left Botany Bay in this vessul, and wishing to
touch at Batavia, Commodore Hunter was thwarted by tho
viodt and currents, and carried to the eastward u far as

Captain Bolle, who had almost instantlv sailed
again to return to the Isle of France.

The following is the letter addressed to \\\o.
Admiral, with the depositions of the two Cap-
tains of the merT-haht vessels, who were at Bii-
tavia while Commodore Hunter continued there,
on his return from Botany Bay in a Dukh ._.
ship, after having been cast away on Norfolk I
Island *".

thr lOTth" of longitude from the meridian of Greenwich,
Wishing to pass through St. George's Strait, he got siglit
of the Admiralty Islands, situated in the I47th'' of lonj,i. ;|
tudc from tho meridian of Greenwich, and in 3-' C)' souih ^%
latitude. Near that lying most to the eastward, he saw
several boats filled with men covered with European stuils.
and pieces of doth; he could even distinguish the uniform M
of the French navy. These people made signals w ith wlii;e :
flags for the ship to approach. For this Coiiimodori'l
Hunter had the strongest desire; but it was impossihio to 1
eft'ect it, on urcount t>»' the contrariety of the currents iiiid %
winds, and the. diingur of iiuniujous shoals. 'm

Commodore Hunter had soi-n La Perouso at Botany ^A)\'^
and was particularly intimate with him. He bAd learnt from j
him that it was his intention, on leaving Botany Bay, t., :|
pass through St. George's Strait, in order to get to Ou
northward. He had no doubt that it was on these islanil,;>|
that the Astrolabe and Boussolc were lust, in canscquenrc
of the calms and violent currents which prevail in thut;
quarter. He told me that ho himself was carried to tlioj
eastward six hundred miles in ton days by the strength <)/ii|
them, us was proved by repeated observations of the luui;'. j
tudo, by timekeepers, and the sight of land. In a wuni,
Coniniu'dure Hunter, who was at Batavia, and whom 1 sa^^
in the voyage I have recently made, appears to nic to I,;
fully persuaded, that the European clothes, which In
observed in the 'loats that came from the Admiralty Islands.
are the remains of the sSipwreck of the vessels under thtj
command of La Perouse.

Commodore Hunter is now on his pa!^«aire to return loi
England, whence France will probably .eci-'vc from hinil
more circumstantial details ou this subject

After what the English commander has experienced m%
approaching the Admiralty Islands, he thinks, that a vu.s>cl-l
wished to go thither, ought to take tho precaution to gti
into their latitude in good time, in order to prevent hi.t]
from being carried away by (he currents, which set to tli(i||
eastward with wonderful rapidity. Done at the Isle v|
France, 0th of November, 1791.

Signed Pueaubet.
Captain of the Ship Jason*

Account from Piere Magon Lepinaif, Captain of the Slut
Marie Ilclcne, arrived from Batavia, to the Chef de l)i.
VI. ion Saint Felix, Commamkr on the Indian Station,

The commander and officers of the Enji^li k ^
frigate Syrius, after (hat vhip was wrecked on Nurto
Island, were conveyed to Botany Bay, whence they saili!^
in a small Dutch vessel, which brougttt thum to Batav.n i
the end of Septdobur in that yoar, after • passage of <ii
months.

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PFROITSE

7,^

nstantlv galled

?e.

pressed to i\'.o.
the two Cii])-
► were at Bu-
jntinued there,
' in a r3ii(<li
ly on Norfolk i5|

"■ As 't

an of Oroenwirh,
trait, he «ot siglt
. I47tlr' of longi.
indin:?- 2.Vfoiiih
eastward, he ss\v
h European stiiil's. E
aguish the unifoim '0
SBignalswith whiie; '
• this (^onimodortii
; was inipossiblo ti)
uf the currents uiiil
lit. m

Hsoat BotiiiiV Bay,;

He bi»(i learn tfroir.j
ing Botany Day, t.i
jider to git to tti
as on these islanil,;)!
08t, in canscquencc'l
lich prevail i« th^tif

was carriiHl to lii? I
a by the strength (it|
ations of the loiii;'- '
r land. In a word,
ia, and vvhoui 1 s;i«
ippcarg to nie to !.:

clothes, which In
c Admiralty IslaniU,
ho vessels under tlie^

paE*aro to return tol
ly .ccl'vc from himl
ret I

has experienced on|
thinks, that a vuh^cl?;
he precaution to fiitg
)rder to prevent h.r|
nts, which set to tlitJ
)one at tho lulc uij^

1 PUEAUDCT.

linof theShipJasott';^

Cftptain nf the Sim
a, to the Chef de Ih
he Indian Station.
licerf of tho Kngli'i |
vreckcd on Nort'oi;
', whence they sailitl
tthem to Bataviiix^

Iter » pa>»agc «f '»

0,-

As Commodore Hunter, returning from Bu-
lavia, with his officers, to proceed to England,
■was at the Cape when our adventurers arrived
there, they naturally expected to receive all
i possible information respecting what had been
seen at the Admiralty Islands. They were not,
however, a little surprised to hear that the coin-
niodore set sail for Table Bay, two hours after
they had dropped anchor. He probably knew
[the object of their mission, for they were ex-
Ipectcd'at the Cape, and the admiral's flag- might
1 inform him that these ships were dispatched in
[ search of La Perouse. It appeared extremely
[ extraordinary that he was not anxious to com-
municate to them that information which tlie
I Captains Preaudet and Magon Lepinay had col-
jlected from him and bis officers at Batavia.
j Nothing really indicated that the details left at
M''> Cape by Captain Bolle, came from Com-
iniodore Hunter himself.

Captain Bligh, commander of the Providence,

inn English sloop of war, sent to procure the

Ibread-A'uit tree from the Society Islands, an«

ichored at Table Bay a short time after the de-

Iparture of the Atlante. This gentleman had

received no information from Hunter relative to

Ihc depositions of the two French Captains, but

lie assured Colonel Gordon that he should make

inquiries in these seas, where it was asserted that

La Perouse had been lost, and endeavour to save

■ome remains of his un(V)rtunate expedition.

This was the second time of Captai.v Bligh 's
iriRiting the Society Islands, in quest of the
t>rcad-fruit tree ; for during the first voyage to
i)rocure this valuable tree fur the English co-
lonies in the West-Indies, he had been turned
9Ut of his ship, in con«iequcnce of a mutiny

One or two days after having weathered St. George's

!'liuunoI, early in tho morning they got sight of both tho

Admiralty lulands, to which they were very near; they

^nd also sounded without findin;; bottom.

They saw cunio out from the i-tlands two large canoes,

Dn(aininf{ about a doxen men, who vould not como on

nurd the vessel, though they approached pretty near her,

t was then very moderate weather- The visscl had af;ainst

^r rather a strong current, which drove her oiftho island;

sides, the Dutch captain was not very fond of going near

e land. It was remarked, that two of the men who wore

the canoes had saihos, similar to those worn by officers

Kurope; they made signs as if they wished to bo shaved ;

reral of them bad on their clothes pieces of red and blue

th, whieh proved that they bad some communication

Vol, II. No. LXX. ,

i)T9< iutn itviHiKyiiM it^ itg-^

breaking out on board, a mrrative of which he
published on his return to England.

Our adventurers were informed that the Pan-
dora, commanded by Captain Edwards, had
since been at the Society Islands, and took into
custody fourteen of the mutineers. She lost
four of them on running aground on the reefs
of Norfolk Island. Christian*, the master of
Captain Bligh's ship, and the ring-leader of
the mutineers, had, accompanied with nine
sailors, taken refuge in another island, having
been joined by several of the natives. An of-
ficer of the Pandora declared, at the Cape, that
Bligh had behaved very improperly to Christian*
and that an abuse of his authority drew on him
his misfortunes. If this is a true representation,
Bligh could not be sincere in asserting that he
had always behaved to him with the greatest
kindness.

At sun-rise our adventurers saluted the citadel
with thirteen guns; this salute was instantly re-
turned with an equal number.

The commodore of the expedition went on
shore at nine o'clock; on which occasion a salute
with thirteen guns was given and received. The
governor had sent a band of musicians, to wait
for Admiral D' Eiitrecasteaux, at the landing-
piace, whence, accompanied by martial sounds,
he repaired to the government mansion, attended
by some officers. lie was received by the council,
in full assembly, who expeditiously returned the
visit at the house of the French Charge d'Af'
f aires, where he had alighted.

Table mountain was now enveloped in thick
clouds, which covered its summit; and though
they appeared stationary on the summit of that
mountain, even when the wind blew with

'vith Eurojieans. As Captain Hunter, commander of the
Syrius, hu(i, btfurc his departure from Botany Bay, learned
from La Pt-rouse himself, that his plan was to pass through
St. Cieorge's channel, the officers of that frigate are all
persuaded, that he had unexpectedly fallen in with these
islands, and been there lost,

I, the underwritten, do certify, that this account is
conformable tu nliat I have gathered from dificrcnt con«
versations with the ollicors of I; "yrius frigate, who, after
that frigate was wrecked, arrived at Jktavia, in a small
Dutch vessel that was there In the month of October.

(Signed) Macon I^epinav.
Isle ^ France, October 3\ii, 1791.

* 'This is clearly a mistake ; Christian was only master's
mate.

violence^,

I r-

!!:ii

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OV LA PFRO USE.

■violence, tliey were incessantly shiftinjr: the im-
pulse, liowcTer, wliich they received on quitting
that heig-ht, rendered thorn so dissoluble (hat
they dispersed in llic air. Soon after, the south-
east wind began to conic down from the heights
of this mountain towards Cape Town with such
impetuosity, that it was almost impossible to
iralk against the blast; for it drove before it,
to the height of a man, small stones upwards
of a centimeter in thickncus, with such extreme
violence, that the people were obliged to repair
for shelter to their houses.

The Biscayan * of the Esperance, which the
force of the wind had broke adrift during the
night, from the stern of the ship, was lost; to
replace which, a whale-boat was purchased from
an American vessel. Though the south-east
wind continued to blow with impetuosity, our
commander went into the environs of the town.
The pVetty shrnb, known to naturalists by the
name ofbrunia paleacea, adorned the first hills
by which the ascent commences. It will readily
be believed, that with such a wind, as they had
e:^perienced, the insects had entirely disappeared!

Labillardiere visited the Company's garden,
which had been spoken of with rapture by many
travellers: it is, however, nothing more than a
vast enclosure, where some avenues of tolerably
fine oaks are to be seen. Some of the beds are
encompassed with myrtles, in the midst of which
are cultivated different sorts of vegetables, and
a few exotic flowers. There have been some
European fruit-trees planted here. A plantain-
tree was also introduced here; but its leaves
were unable to resist the violence of the wind,
which had cut (hem into shredsf .

A slave-ship had lately arrived here from Mo-
zambique, from which its cargo, consisting of
four hundred negroes, were landed. It was a
mclanrholy sight to behold most of these mise-
rable creatures greatly afllicted with the scurvy,
after a very short passage, crowded together in
threesmall apartments, whence they were to becon-
veyed on board, to go and support, by the sweat of
their brow, the luxury of some rich West-Indian.

♦ A Biscayan is a long narrow hoat, slia.o'at each end,
calculated forgoing (hrough a swell. It acqiiirod this a|)>
pcllalion from the province of Biscay, on tho coast of which
it is much used, and is there usually called harca longa.

t The manageric, at the end of the garden, contains a
small number of scarce animals : the ostrich, the zebra, (he
porcupine, and ii few birds.
%

On the 22d, our naturalist visited Lion Moun-
tain. This eminence, which acquired its name
from the tigure which it exhibits at the distance
of a few myriamcters at sea, affords a soil
little favourable to- vegetation. On the follow-
ing day he visited the Devil's Mountain. The
impetuous south-east winds, the force of which
is greater at the declivity of this mountain than
any where else, has justly entitled it to that ap-
pellation. The delightful valley, which uepa-
rates it from Lion Mountain, is decorated with
the beautiful species of p'otea, with silvery
leaves: these leaves are covered with a down,
which are the thicker as they are exposed to the
action of the air. The same observation applies
to most of the plants buffeted by the wind.i;
whence it seems apparent that this down secure.)
them from the injury they might thence receive.

The sterility of Lion Mountain had no ap-
pearance here; vegetable productions presented
themselves in great abundance. The tulip of
the Cape embellished the gradual slopes, and a
great variety of species of ci'icee issued from
the rocks. Being required to pass muck of his
time, in the preservation of the plants he had
collected the day before, he could not under-
take a long excursion on the 24th ; he therefore
amused himself in strolling about the environs
of the town. The bastard aloe, known under
the denomination of agave vivipara, was still in
flower. He admired the lightness with which '
the titmouse called the saccharine juice exudin^^ .
from the glands at the bottom of the corollas, j.';
It was not witiiotit regret that he killed some of
these charming birds (hat he might preserve
their skins.

He employed (he 'i."Jth in visiting Table
Moimtain, no natned from the horizontal plane,
which its summit presents when beheld at a dis-
tance. Having reached the middle of the moun-
tain, he found the thesium strirluin. He clam- ,<
bered up acclivities formed of a very hard frer- ?«
stone, above which were blocks of quartz of a
beautiful white ;|;.

Having reached the top of Tahle Mountaii ,
Ihiv

:|; Firc-wood is very icarce pA the Cape of Good Hope.
The mildness of the climate, indeed, requires no artificial
heat to protect the inhabitants against tho inclemency oiv
the weather ; but (ire is necessary for dressing their aliments.
Slaves are dispatched to procnre what little wood thry ha<o>|
occasion for at a considerable distance beyond Table Muiui. '
taia. Our adreuturers met several negroes, carry ini;

branchiM

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

Lion Moil li-
ed its name
the distance
jrds a soil
the foUow-
utain. The
ce of which
Duntain than
to that ap-
which bepa-
corated with
with silvery
ith a down,
posed to the
ation applies
I the winds;
down secures
ence receive.
1 had no ap-
ons presented
The tulip of
slopes, and a
r issued from
s much of his
plants he had
d not under-
; he therefore
it the environs
known under
Y(, was still in
SB with which
juice exuding
r the corollas,
killed some of
night preserve

visiting Table;
>ri7.outiil plane,
)eheUl at adis-
e of the mouii-
nn. He clam-
vcry hard frr r-
)f quartz ot a|

able Mountiiii ,
Ihev

^e of Good Hop?
quires no artificial

the inclemeiic) oli|
ssing their aliments, jl
tie wood they l»a'l;v|
■yoml Table Moiiii.

negroes, carry in;
birauchd

they began to make an atiiick upon then- pro-
visions, when some of the people belonging to
the Esperancc, advanced towards them, who had
made an excursion thitlier without fiirnishino
themselves with food; with them thcj had the
pleasure of sharing in a frugal repast. False
Bay was very perceptible from the top of this
mountain, every part of which our naturalist
guccessively visited. He reUirned with an abund-
ant collection of vegetables, by the track in which
he had ascended.

Beyond the head of the bay a vast plain of
sand presents itself, on which he was astonished
to behold a great quantity of vegetables. He
crossed several rivulets, the waters of which
descended from the neighbouring nuiuntains,
and are partly lost in the sands before they
arrive at the sea. In such moist spots grows
the beautiful lilaceous plant known by the name
of gethyUiH spiralis. Holes made in the sand
are resorted to by snakes, which are often found
asleep on their edges, but glide into them on the
approach of human visitors.

He had hitherto found only a small number of
insects, as they delight not in pUces so much
exposed to the wind.

He had already collected most of the vegetable
[productions to be found at this season, in the
[neighbourhood of the Cape. He could not
[promise himself a more abundant harvest, witli-
[out going to a distance. Some mountains men-
tioned by the Dutcb under the nm^o of Frenchc
Hoec, situated to the eastward, at a greater dis-
[tance than its appearance seemed to indicate.
[Expecting to find there a great variety of spe-
jcimens, he was resolved to visit them. He set
jout on the 9th of February, taking with him
[the gardener belonging to the expedition: a Hot-
Itentot led a horse, that carried their baggage;
land a young negroe, who hardly a knew a word
)f French, was chosen inter|)reter.
A passport, with which they were obliged to
provided, was obligingly sent to Labilladicre
»y Mr. Berg; and Colonel Gordon, the com-

nanches of Tariou* shrubs ti> town, among which tliey
emarkcd the ciimonia capeiish, and many tine specie's of
rotea: after admiring the beauty of these plants, tiicy had
lie mortitication to be informed that (hey had been cut only
) burn.

The mountains in the neighbourhood of the town, servo

an asylum for the run-away slaves, who have been im>

ellcd to desert from barbarous treatment. Under cover

If the night, the pressure of hunger objigcs them to ap.

mandcr of the troops at the Cape, had given
him letters of introduction to several of the in-
habitants. Colonel Gordon is the celebrated
traveller who first furnished ButTon vvith just
ideas respecting the girafte, or camelopard, an
animal little known till then. To make disco- ,
veries in natural history, this gentleman pene-
trated into the interior of Africa, as far as thtt
*<Jlst degree of south latitude.

They mot several waggons, drawn by three or
fgur oxen: they were returning empty, each
conducted by a Hottentot, w ho, standing in the
middle of the carriage, with a long whip in his
hand, directed his cattle with infinite skill.
The Hottentot amused liimself ocrasionally with
smoking his pipe, and cramming himself with
Hottentot's figs, mescmhryanlhcmuni cdiilc, which
grow on. the road-side, in the midst of sands,
without paying any attention to the load of
their horse, which he had made follow him.
Their baggage fell off' several times, and would,
certainly have remained on the road had not
the smokek' been vigilantly vvaiched. It was
sometimes found necessary to terrify him by
threats, to rouse him from his apathy, and
render him more attentive.

Having arrived al places somewhat more
elevated, they saw a few antelopes, but they
were at too great a distance to be fired at.

About tsvo hours after dark they arrived at
Bottclary, the house of M. Bosman. The letter
of recommendation to him, from Mr. Gordon
to his worthy cultivator, procured them a very
friendly reception. On the lOth, when the day
began to dawn, they rambled over thp environs
of this delighifel habitation. \\ ben the sun
appeared iu the hori/un, M. Basman's young
daughters, seeing tlieni employed in picking up
insects, wished to contribute towards enriching
their collection. They tv.n about the garden
with great spirit and agility, and frequently
brought them a very good choice among the
species, the colours of which wer.e ti.e must
brilliant.

proach the haliitations, to procure l/y stealth, and at the
risk of life, some casual relief. It would be dangerous to
go alone, and unarmed, near the caverns in which these
wretchcss driven by despair, conceal! themsilres from ttie
light of day, in order to escape slavery. Some tfalntary
drops of water, which in these heights ooze lietween the
strata of a micacious schistus, afford the traveller the means
of moderating his thirst.

cing

VOVAGR IN SEARCH 01'' l.A PKROIISK.

Being shortly to tail from the Cape, they had
litlle time left to visit the mountains of Franche-
IIocc; they were therefore under the necessity
of qiiittinj^ their amiable entertainers. Arriving
at Stcllenbosch, they stopped at the house of
M. Hodman. The manner in which they were
received at Stellenboscli, was very ditfurent from
that which they exj)erienccd at JJottclary: they
were in a very pleasant village, but they saw
none of that frank urbanity wliich so much cha-
racterises the cultivators of the Cape. After a
deliberate perusal of llieir passport. M. Hofi-
man coolly asked them to stop at his hou.se.
There are no inns at Stellenbosch, any more
than at Cape town; but the Dutcli supply the
wants of travellers, for a price which prevents
the host from bring out of pocket. At M.
llolfman's house, our adventurers were nearly
on the same footing "*.

After it was dark they got to Franche-Moec,
and were civilly received at (he house of M.
Gabriel Deprat, to whom our naturalist had a
letter of introduction. He being absent, one of
his neighbours, named Jacob de V illiers, invited
them to take up their quarters at his house.

From the names of these colonists, they ex-
pected to find persons capable of conversing
with them in their own language; but, though
of French extraction, as they were obliged to
speak Dutch, they retained no more of their
mother tongue, than the names of their pro-
genitors. The only person, who then under-
Btood French, was a woman of fourscoref.

These mountains, in a great degree, consist of
granite, and a very hard free-stone: the vege-
table mould, which covers them, goes to fer-
tilize the vallies, where the inhabitants reside;

* They set out on the I3th, with an intention of reaching
Franche-ITncc in the evening. This place, the name of
which indicates the aboJe of some Frenchman, is an asylum
to a few protrstant families, who, having been persecuted
in Europe for their ruli|;ioui opinions, crossed the teas irr
1675, to fi\ their abode in this part of Africa, whore they
were well received by Simon Vandor Stel, the gOTcrnor,
who enabled them to establish in Agriculture.

f This is a pleasant valley, whore the rays of the sun,
being concentrated by the surrounding mountains quickly
ripen the grape, which forms the principal wealth of the
inhabitants. Wheat is also cultivat(d here.

% This territory, upon the recent English conquest, was
found to be of more considerable extent than was supposed,
being 650 English miles In length, and 333 in breadth,
comprehending an area of I2l,\i0 square milei. The

thonco they must traverse the lands, with which
they are environed, in order to convey to the
town the produce of their culture: this situa-
tion is common to all the settlements at a dis-
tance from the Cape. Negro slaves, though
employed in the hardest labours, are, in general,
kindly treat<"d. It is remarkable that the Spa-
niards always endeavour to make proselytes of
them; but the Dutch permit the slaves to remain
in the most perfect i,«jn()rance of their religion.

Our adventurers saw, several times, snakes
upon the trees, at which the country people
seemed greatly terrified: they were watching
the birds, which often became their prey.

The zebra is common in these heights, but
runs off with great rapidity at the sight of a
man. The monkey, called nuigot by BulFon,
sometimes approached the habitation where our
adventurers now sojourned. These animals
seem very severe in the punishment of thctr
young: a large monkey was seen followed by a
very young one; the former^ apposing himself
unseen, seized the little one with one of his
fore paws, and, holding it up from the ground,
strnclc it several times with his other paw. If
monkies sire just in proportioning guilt to pu-
nishment, the little ape's crime must have been
very atrocious, for it was unmercifully chastised

The near approach of the period of their
departure from the Cape, obliged them to hasten
from Fraiiche-Hoec. They took leave of the
worthy Jacob de Villiers on the I4lh, at ten at
night, and set out on their return. All th(^
houses in Cape Town are built with flat roofs^
which givei them a tolerably handsome appear-
ance.

The J Cape of Good Hope is a part of the
globe

white inhabitants, exclusive of Capo Town, do not exceed
15,000; and the whole may bo about 20,000. liarrou's
Travels, 1801, 4/o. Pinkirton's Mod. Oeog. 11. 753.

For a more minute account of this interesting colony,
the only European settlement in Africa that deserves that
name, the reader is referred to Barrow's Travels, a most
excellent performance, which forms a striking contrast
with the gasconades of Le yiiUlunt. , Mr. Barrow's ac.
count terminates with part of the country of the little Nc.
makas, included in tJio colony: beyond which are the
Copper Mountains and Sandy Deserts; and he ridiculed
Vaillant's supposed ntcursions in this quarter, while ha
never passed the orange river. The preposterous vanity
of Vaillant greatlvinjurci the credibility of his narrative,
and bis map of the colonial possessions cannot te coiu.
pared witb the actual lurvcy by Mr. Sar/Qxti

'II

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

'itli which
i-cy to the
this flitna-
its at a dis-
ss, though
in general,
t the Spa-
rosclytcs of
s to romain
rclij>;ion,
lies, snakes
try people
; watching
»rey.

leights, btit
sight of a
by Buifon,
where our
>se animals
nt of their
►Uowcd by a
iing himself
one of his
the ground, ,
er paw. If
•uilt to pu-
ist have been
lly chastised
iod of their
em to hasten
leave of the
Hh, at ten at
rn. All the
th flat roofs,
ome appear-
part of the
J • globe

do not exceed
X)0. JBarroji'
'ow. ii. 753.
arestini; colony,
lai. deserves that
Travels, a most
riking contrast
r. Barrow'i ac.
>f the littlQ Nc.

which arc the
tnd he ridiculed
larter, while ha
lioiteraui Tanity
)t his narrativi-,
cannot be cow.

l^lobe which ought to be attended to by a com-
(icrcial people. From its situation it forms
necessary refreshing place for shins bound to
Ihc East Indies. The provision wliith it fur-
nishes are abundant; but the prohibitory re-

gulations daily diminish tlie number of ships ;
many endeavour to arrive at their place of
deHtination, without tou( Iiiiifr at this road-htoad.
Others go to St. Helena, wliorc they can bo
victualled on more moderate terms.

SECTION III.

eparturc from the Cape of Good Hope — Death of the Carpenter <♦/* the Recherche— S\Iakc the
Island of St. Paul — Its Forests on Fire — Vast Quantity of Insects issuing from the liiscuits-r'
The Admiral i« much hurt — Luminous Sparks at the Extremity of the Conductors — Large
Phosphoric Molecules — Diminution of the Pliosphorescence of the Sea- Water — Direction of the
Currents — Warmth required in the Place where the l^me-kecpers are deposited — Anchor in Port
D'Entrecasteaux.

the clouds were charged, was so abundant, that
the lightning fell several times at the distance of
a few meters from the ship. On the 1st of
March the wind had raised so heavy a sea, that
their consort was concealed by the height of the
waves. On the 3d, they were convinced, that
they had passed the Straits of Mozambique ; for
though the wind blew nearly with equal force,
the sea was hardly ruflled, as they were now
sheltered by the land of Madagascar. About
five in the afternoon, they were surrounded by
whales, which approached them within the dis-
tance of a hectometer. The Americans fre-
quently visit these seas to procure these enor-
mous fishes; the oil which they extract from
them being thought an ample compensation for
their labour and ex pence.

On the 7th, about nine in the evenin^^, the
wind brought our adventurers a strong smell
from the sea. In seas less known, the vicinity
of land might have been apprehended : it is not

pear on decli till it w.is too Lite to send them on shore ; in
conscqiionco of which they were permitted to go with the
expedition. One of them was a soldier, who bad deserted
from the garrison of the Cape ; the other a German, who
had exercised his trade, as a mathematical instrument
matter, nine years in £ng1and. The English, he said,
were conveying him to Botany Bay, with a number of
other persons, transported under the denomination of
convicts. He declared ho was banished there for debt, but
seizing an opportunity of escaping from the ship in which ho
was confined, he had taken refuge in the mountains. Ho
there passed the day in a cavern, and in the evening wont
into Cape Town to procure subsistence, watting for tho
(leparluro of tho other persons under sentence of tritnspor.
tation.

UR adventurers were waiting for a fair
wind to quit the Cape, when, on the I6th
February, at ten in the morning, a favourable
rreze sprang up, and induced them to weigh
nchor. lia^ly were they under sail before a
]u»ll came down from the mountains, and
lew with such violence, that they were in danger
f running foul of several vessels then lying at

e anchorages; but they quickly passed them all,
id gained an oflSng.

On the 1 8th in the morning, they lost their
arpenter, Louis Gorgan: he died in consequence
f the excesses to which he had abandoned him-

If during bis continuance at the Cape. This
ss was the more to be regretted, as a skilful
iarpenter is one of the most useful men *.

At this season of tlie year, it is uncommon to
ass across the Straits of Mozambique, at a
ttle distance from land, without meeting with
iolent storms. A gale now blew with almost
icrcdiblc fury; the electric matter, with which

There arc few places whose natural history has been so

biy explored, as the territory of tiie Dutch colony at the

ipc of Good Hope, and the country adjacent; nor docs

ly teem to have better repaid tho labour of research. Tho

itany of Southern Africa is more rich and |H;culiar than

at of any other country, and most of the singular and

itutiful inhabitants of our stoves and grecn.houses have

en hence procured. Tho class of bulbous-rooted plants

sue might bo selected as peculiarly characteristic of the

^pe; for no whero cls0 are they found so abundant, so

riouE, or so splendid ; nor U it only at one season of tho

ir that this splendid sctuie i« exhibited, every mopth has

peculiar beauties.

i* Two porsuus, who had concealed themselves on board

[thetimtsof their departure from the Cape, did not ap>

Wqu II. No. LXXI.

impossible

VOYAGF; in RRAUCrT OF LA PKROUSR.

impossiblti that tiiil odour proceeded from a
heap of sea-weed, detaciied fro..i the coast of
Madagascar, and conveyed to a great distance
hy the currents *.

It was not till the 2H)li of March that the
wind began to bh)w stroiia; at north-nor|h-wcst.
A great number of various tpccics of mews
and boobies announced to our adventurers the
proximity of land; as thcno birds are never seen
far distant from it. At about half after one in
tlie afternoon, they saw it in the soutli-cast : it
was the island of St. Paul, from which they
were now distant about four myriametcrs. It
was discovered by Captain Valming in 1696,
and named the island of Amsterdam ; and that
which is hiore to the southward, received the
name of (he island of St. Paul. Captain Cook,
who survejed it in his last voyage, has adopted
a contrary denomination, by calling the island of
Amsterdam that which is the southernmost, and
the island of St. Paul that which is the northern-
most f.

On the I4th the mercury in the barometer
having fallen from 28 inches 3 lines, to 27 inches
7 lines, unced tempestuous winds : they

blew froi *. and south-west, raising a dread-

ful sea, wii.ch often broke on board : there
came one, about five o'clock, which struck the
ship's quarter with such violence, that many of
the seamen thought they had touched upon a
rock.

A violent shake threw the admiral against one
of the angles of a bird-org-an, intended as a
present for some chief among the savages. At
first, * the surgeon supposed the short ribs had
been fractured ; the pain was so acute, that the
admiral, in sneezing, fainted away ; but. soon
after recovered.

Towards morning a heavy sea broke over the
gangway, and filled the vessel between decks. The

* On the iDth, one of the snilors, in the height of in.
toKication, jiiiiipcd overboard ; it bfing calm, he was for.
tiiuatdy picked up. TMs immersion, however, served
only to increase his Inebriation ; for, in his dtjiiriiini, he
would have jumped overboard a second t<ine, had he not
been prevented

f The island of St. Paul appeared, in the distance,
covered with clouds, above which soared the summits of
the mountains : flames were soon observed in different
points, and the forests were in a blaze. They observed a
thin smoke issue in pull's from a small subterraneous
aperture, at a little distance from the shore: they knew
not whether these forests had Been set in flames by the fiub-

commander wan awaked Buddenly by the water %
with which his cabin was overflowed, and, for
a moment, imagined the ship was sinking down.
It required some time to get rid of so large n ;
body of water : three or four such waves, would .^
probably have sent them to the bottom. Tlie^ f
njight not have incurred this danger, had ihc'i
hatchways been properly secured. *|

On the IDth it was announced to the Espc- f.l
ranee, that, in case of separation, the rendczvotu
would be Cape Dienien, in Adventure Ray. At ^
half after nine, on the 20lh, they observed a
very pointed rock, known by the name of the 1
Jlexo Sloite: some other rocks and lands were
discerned in the eastern quarter. They soon;
after arrived at the entrance of a bay open toi
the south-east. The admiral infendod to goi
and anchor in Adventure Bay. His accidentp
would net yet permit him to leave his^abin : hei
could direct the course only by the bearings^
that were given hira as soon as they were taken.
An incorrect bearing, communicated by Citizen|
Willaumez, occasioned him to give orders for!
manoeuvring so as to enter the bay on their lar-l
board hand. They looked for Penguin Islan(l,f
thinking they were in Adventure Bay, but they
were actually in Storm Bay; so named by Tas-^
man in November 1742, from his having ex '
perienced a storm there in which great danger ^
was imminent.

Being already high up in this bay, they wcr«J
perfectly shclfercd from the westerly wind ; ik'^
depth of water being from fifteen to twenhi
fathoms, over a bottom of broken shells. Tlitl
admiral was on the point of leaving it^ to \aii[
the night in the oIKng; he determined, how-
ever, to dispatch two boats in search of a plactL
of shelter. One of the boats returned with iii-j
telligence that a cove had been found wherei
their ships could enter, the bottom being gooiii

terraneous fire, or by the hand of man. If they cow'.'M
have roiidered any assistance, they saw nothing to ap; i
them (hat this island was inhabited ; besides, it would hai'j
been impossible for them to put in there, for they con
seek a shelter only to the leeward of this land, where tii(t?
would be in danger of suffocation from the intoiernli'r
smoke ; the smell of which plainly indicated that vc^etal)!<<
only were on (ire. They were at a small distance from Aaj
island, when night came on. At that time the land nr-f
peared perfectly in a blaze, except where the smoke sct>i i^
to imbibe its brightness, when it communicated a copp'.'^
coloured tint, as at the approach of a storm. The islMi^
of St. Paul is about two myriamuters in circumference

holding

VOYAGE IN SKARCFl OF I.A TEROL'SF.

[holding ground: and that wood and Water might
[easily be procured there. The boats crew
{observed remains of some huts, close to which
Kvere remnants of sheU-fiiih that had been broiled
]hy the natives.

J As it was too late to reach this anchorage
[before it was dar'-, and, as the weather was fine,
it was decided, about five o'clock, to let go the
mchor in Storm Bay, in ten fathoms water.
The night continued to be fine, though the air
pvas charged with great humidity. They wcic
iheltcred from the wind, except some light
iqualls from the south-west, a small portion of
which they experienced. They caught, with a
look and lioe, a great many fishes, and of very
liversified species; among which the most nu-
merous was a species of gadus*.
An officer having been sent on shore, in the
lorning, to sound towards the head of the har-
r, found a few huti^, and near them some
remains of broiled fish, which had evidently
Iformed a repast for some of the natives.

It4)eing almost calm, they weighed anchor

before day-light on the 23d, in order to warp
a-head. The calm continuing, it was thought
expedient to tow the ship, and the boats soon
brought them into the harbour. They let go the
anchor about eight o'clock, after having pro-
ceeded about three quarters of a kilometer up
the harbour, which was denominated Port D'En-
trecasteaux. The nearest shore to the eastward
of them, was at the distance of a denii-kilo-
metcr. In this solitary haven, situated at the
extremity of the globe, they found a secure
shelter, after having been so long buill'ted with
impetuous winds.

The same boats were occupied in towing the
Esperance ; and about one o'clock in the after-
noon, she anchored to the southward of the l{e-
cherche, at about three hectometers distance.
An attempt was made to approach the shore,
without having taken exact soundings ; but they
soon got agroimd on the mud, and were obliged
to heave quickly at the capstern to bring the
ship off again. •

SECTiON IV.

Continuance at Port D'Entrecasteaux — Indications of its being visited Inj Sax'ages— Excursions to
the Interior — Trees of an cxtraordinarti Height — Excellence of the Soil — Black Sxvans — Large
Trunks of Trees, excavated by Fire — ^ Retreat for the J^'atives — Tracts of wild Beasts at Cape
Diemen — Sheds and Hals — A violent Squall — Get aground on the Alud — Meet nn'h. a young
Savage — Signs of wild Beasts at Cape Diemen — Huts appearing to have been receuHy inhabited —
Broiled Human Bones found — The Sail-maker of the Recherche loses himself in the Woods^"
Utensils of the Savages — Leave Port D'Entrecasteaux — Several Fires — Xatives seen on the Beach-^
Excursion to the neighbouring Country — Muivcs surpjused close by the little Fires, preparing their
Food — larious meetings xcilh the Savages.

^ORT D'Entrecasteaux, situated at the head

of Storm Bay, is almost an oval basin, cx-

tndiiig^a demi-myrianiefer towards the north-

)rtli-east ; the gr<'ilo>t breadth of which is

)out a hilomeler iuid a half, the large forests

lich surrounded tli'-m, and the neighbouring

* A boat which had !'<' ii sent a fishing had, at the single
It of a net, bronghr iuicU. thh enough to supply every
|c with a portion, wlitiM was immediately served out.
hev wore nut a littU- st^> |>rised to see, among those caught

hook and line, somi' sharks of about two meters long;
By' were of the iiioi us denominated squaliin cimreus.
^is Shark, which > Idoiu quits the bottom of the sua, is

sui)pos«d to bo daiij^erouf to mauj tlie sailors often

mountains which sheltered more than half of
the circumference of this harbour, added greatly
to the security of the ancliorage. The most
tempestuous weather did not deter the seamen
from crossing it. A muddy, bottom of three
fathoms and a half, exempts a vessel from in-

bathed, and never found them oti'ensijo. This (ish finds
such an abundance of food to satiate his voracity, that he
does not attack men. Some mo'U)t:tins, the pcrpendimiar
ht'ight of which seemed to be about a hijometcr, were syun
to the north. Their summits were covered with large
trees, whose verdure added beauty to the grand prospect
which they afforded. ^

jury

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OV LA PPnOUSR.

jury ir ghe should happen to get aground. A
hundred ships of the' line might anchor here in
aafety, and find as much wood and water as they
required.

Some sheds, hastily huilt of the hark of trees,
indicated to our adventurers that they were fre-
quented hy the natives. A fire lighted towards
the south, at the distance of a myrianietcr, also
convinced them that there were resident savages
not far from them ; though they never had seen
any of them *.

But the trees of this forest were not so hud-
dled together, as to prevent the adventurers from
entering it. In some places, where the waters
had been occasionally obstructed in their course,
they formed marshes. On visiting their banks,
they found rivulets of good water. An excellent
-vegetable mould, of about four decimeters in
depth, was almost general. Sometimes tiiey met
with clayey, or argillaceous earth, which >m-
bibed the water with such facility as to form
quagmires. Besides, this clay, conducted by
the waters that filtrate through the lands, has
left cavities and small pools, the surfice of which
being covered with plants, conceals the danger.
A moment's inadvertence would occasion a per-
son to fall in. A circumstance of this kind
really happened to the surgeon of the Espe-
rauce. Taking the diversion of shooting, he
supposed he was setting his foot on solid ground,
when he instantly sunk into a very deep pond ;
he disappeared in an instant, but fortunately he
could swim f.

One of the party shot, on the lake, a. bird of
singular plumage : it was a new species of the
swan somewhat larger than the common sort.
It had the same elegant shape ; but its colour
was a shining black: it had but six white feathers
iri each wing; a character which our naturalists
constantly remarked in several others that were

* Tho naturalist went on slrorc, in tlic afti>rnoon, M'ilh
the gardener, and two (tthcrst, to pi<netrato towards the
nurth.t'ast. They were utruck uilh admiration at thu sight
of these ancient forests, uliich the liutdiet hud not before
mutilated. The eye was afitonishod at the immense licight
of the trees j somu of tho family of the inijr/i w ere upwards
of one hundred and fifty feet high: their bushy tops wejrc
crOH'iied with a foliage of perpi'tual verdure; several of
them, bending from ago, wore supported hy their neigh-
bours, and gradually fell to ^hu ground in the last stages of
their decay. The most vigorQus vegetation hero forms an
•dinirable contrast with this state of decline ; und here
is beheld, jn all its gruaUcur, tho exact picture uf

killed afterwards. The bill of the upper man-
dible is red, with a transversal whitish stripe to-
wards the extremity. A swelling, forming two
protuberances, is observed on the base of the
male's bill, which is hardly perceptible in that
of the female. The lower mandible is red on
the edges, and whitish underneath. „ The feet
arc of a dark grey.

On the a*th, at ten in the morning, our na-
turalist went to visit the country, situated to the
eastward of their anchorage. After having se-
veral times gone a little way into the woods, hu
was obliged to return towards the beach, they
were so difficult to penetrate. Not only the
underwood obstructed the passage, but it was
also greatly impeded by large trees fallen to the
ground. The direction, which they have gene-
rally taken in their fall, proves that they htid
been blown down by the violent south-east winds.
The roots of these trees being nearly horizontal,
they take little hold of the soil. The finest trees
in this country are species of eucallpttts ; they are
frequently eight meters and a bulf in circum-
ference.

Many of the large trees near the sea, have
been excavated by fire towards their root. These
apertures, which are generally to (he north-east,
form a shelter against the south-west wind, which
is the most prevailing and impctuoua. These
excavations are doubtless the work of man; for
had the trees been set on fire by accident, as bv
the combustion of shrubs growing in tlie shade
of these forests, the tree would probably have
suficred in every part of its circumference. These
excavations in trees atford shelter to the iuha- .
bitants, who came hither to make their meals :
not only the fragments of their food was found
here ; but the ashes of small fires, which had
been kindled for dressing their provisions. Some
of the thickest trees, excavated by fire through'

nature, who, when left to herself, destroys only to rcno.
vate.

+ Not far from tho shore they met Citixen Riohe'i ser-
vant, highly pleaded with having killed a few birds, whieb
he was carrying to his master. This sertant had for some
time been under the rare of the surjreon of the Ksperanct*,
who thought^ he was entitled to the game killed by his pa.
tirnt; but neither the threats of purgation, nor erco thutc
of being put upon a low diet, oouM prucuro him a singlo
bird. The doctor put hii ntunaces in prnetlue: houbli«[«t
him to submit to a regiweu, and to swailoV ti |Htwerl°ul
purgative. Th«i poor fellow was taught, by sad oxporieua',
the iJaiiKer of lokisling the surgeuu uf a ibiy.

OUl

e upper man*
tish stripe tO'
, forming two
I base of the
ptible ill that
ible is red on
th.„ The feet

rningj our na<
situated to the
'ter having sc-
tbe woods, he
le beach, they
Not only the
;e, but it was
1 fallen to the
hey have gene-
that they had
nth-east winds,
irly horizontal.
The finest trees
iptHS ; they are
ulf in circuui-

the sea, ^avc
eir root. These
) the north-east,
>8twind, which
etuoua. These
rk of man ; for
accident, as by
ing in Uie shade

{>robably have
erence. These
er to the iuha-
ke their meals :
food was found
res, which had
ovisioos. Some
by fire through-

troys only to rcno.

Citiscn Rioho'i ser.
a few birds, which
rfaiit had for sumo
I of tha Kiiperanco,
tme kiliud by hiv pa.
lion, uur cr«n ihunv
lirucur* htm a single
prartluet Im> obliged
itvatloV )i iHiwerl'ul
t, by tati ox.()erteaa',

out

VOYAGE IN SEARCH 01 LA PEROUSE.

out tlieir wliole lengtb, formed a kind of chim-
ney; but tven in that state they continued to
vegetate.

After having followed the sea shore, which
extends to the south-east, he killed some hirds of
the molaciili genus, and several parrots; among
which he rcaiurked the new Caledonian parrot,
described by Latham *.

After having crossed a tongue of land, they
proceeded with difficulty in the midst of the
*i)oving sands of a vast beach, the skirts of
which the sea had lately overflowed. On their
return, by a more direct path, they observed
some skeletons of cabins. It appeared, how-
ever, that the human species here is very scarce
or very shy ; though many jjersons belonging to
tJio two ships had sauntered about, and visiied
several (juarters, they had not met with a single
iiihabitiiut.

On the 37th, at day-break our adventurers
set out with a view of proceeding as far as they
could. They landed to the south-east, pursued
a path along the shore, frequented by the natives,
and crossed the forest that lay to the south.
Though the wind was faint, the sea broke with
violence, and overflowed a considerable extent
of beach. On a little hillock, projecting to-
wards the sea, a pretty species of banksia was
[procured, which Gurtner designates under the
I liunie of banksia gibosa f.

The hope of meeting with some of the savages,
induced tlicm io determine to advance farther
into the woods, and to pass the night in ex-
ploring them. They walked about an hour to-
wards the east, opening to themselves a very dif-
ticult road, till they arrived" at a large plain ex-
tending to the sea-shore. Here they saw a tine
' ipecies of miviosn, with long single leaves of
an oval form. This tree bears semicircular pods,
and itti height is from eight to teti meters.

Night obliging them to seek a shelter, they

* One of tho offirers found a young kangaroo on the
If here : after this animal had run about a hundred meters on
utUti ^und, it leaped into the water, and wns kiilcd. As it
lc»iiiri out of Hi burrow mure by night than by day, nature
Ih'.* given it a membrane, known to soologiiits un(}er the
Idcnonnination of me/nbrana nicitans, situated at the inte.
Irior angle of (he eye, and capable of extending orer the,
Iwhole ball. These animals, perhaps, find some food on
[the seashore, as tho Diiuk< of their feet are frequently to
[bo seen on the sonde.

'f Proceeding aerois tho forest, not f»r fron the sea,

Vol. II. No. LXXI.

h'.d recourse to a pole-axe, which one of them
had the precaution to provide himself with. ?< >me
branches, cut on the spot, enabled them to erect
a hut on a piece of ground, the hardness of
which was moderated by a bed of feru. Being
on the skirts of the shore their view was ex-
tensive, but they could perceive nothing that
indicated the presence of any natives. The cold
being intense, they kindled a fire.

As they had taken with them only one day's
provisions on their leaving the ship, their stock
began to be much impaired, but they were not
much alarmed on that account, knowing it was
customary for sailors never to travel without a
portion of biscuit; and consequently that they
could produce a quantity among them : but, with
this supply, they were greatly distressed for
want of water, which could not possibly be
had but at two kilometers distance. It therefore
required a good appetite to be satisfied with such
a supper.

As they were seven persons in the party, they
had uot much to fear from the natives; but they
so arranged their business, that each of them
should keep watch in bis turn, to attend to
their motions if they should be inclined to paythem
a visit. Urged by extreme cold they quitted the hut
that they might indulge themselves by the fire.

On the 28tb, at the appearance of day, a
party of them employed themselves in shooting,
hoping to procure a breakfast by their skill as
marksmen : a crow and an oyster-catcher were
the only birds which fortune had thrown in their
way. These victims of their hunger were im-
mediately broiled and eaten, with as much gleo
as if they had been the most voluptuous of food.

It had been thought necessary, the preceding
evening, \o limit themselves to a very nioderatu
allowance, that something might be reserved
for the next day; but, on examination, it un-
fortunately appeared that our provisions had

one of (ho party saw a young native, who ran away mvch
terrified at (ho report of a nnisqnct, which had been fired
at a bird. This circumstance having been mentioned to tho
rest of the company, (hey ran .owardj the spot to which
he had fled, hoping they should obtain an interview with
tome of (he inhabitants of this country ; but their cndca>
Tours were Ineffectual ; the young savage had disappeared,
darting preciptta(ely into the closest thickets, at the risk
of tearing his skin, which Mas his only covering. They
found, at the place from which he ran, a shed to keep off
the sva breeze; and near it, a spring of clear water.

It been

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

li t

been confided to unsafe hands : only four of the
biscuits now remained^ though the stock would
have consisted of six, if integrity had not been
abandoned. A greater breach of conHdence
would have obliged them immediately to return
oi} board, and they would have been deprived of
the advantages of extending their researches far-
ther. They were not long in reaching the banks
of a large lake, which communicates with the
sea ; but their endeavours to ford it were vain ;
the depth towards the middle being too pro-
found.

Among the number of plants wbich grew in
the neighbouring woods, they found the schef'
jlern repe-ns, and several species of a new genus
of the family of the pedicularcs, and nearly
allied to the polygala. Among the shrubs, not
far from the sea, they remarked a fine species of
the single-leaved mimosa, the legume of which
was shaped in the form of an S.

They saw a numerous quantity of black swans
which swam away from them. They remarked,
towards the shore, opposite to a lake, some islots
covered with shrubs : they shot various species
of snipes, when they advanced to the south-east,
in order to reach the extremity of the lake the
farthest from the sea. This lake is strewed with
a prodigious quantity of shells, which have been
partly destroyed by time. They saw on its banks
the crilhmum marinum, and near it a new species
of parsley, that our botanist denominated apium
prostratum, from the disposition of its stem,
which is always prostrate on the ground. Sup-
posing this a salutary article of food, they carried
on board an ample stock of it, where it was re-
ceived with joy by the navigators; who saw the
necessity of counteracting, by the use of vege-
tables, the ill efffccts of salt provisions, on which
they had lived in their passage from the Cape of
Good Hope ia Cape Diemen. In a lim^)id ri-
vulet, to the westward of the lake, they soaked
the little biscuit they had now remaining.

It was difficult, after so long a walk, to re-
turn to their ships, passing through forests
which till then they had never visited. The sun,
proceeding in its course, served to direct them :

* Their people went out regularly with the Rcine every
FTening, and brought i>ack. a considerable quantity of fish.
On the first of May, tliey went to the westward, on (he
other side of the harbour: the shallownciis of the water
kept the boat at so great a distanrc from the beech, that
they were obliged to step iuio the sea to reach the shore.

very thick underwood then impeded theiir pro*-
gress. The inequalities of the ground, having
obstructed the passage of the waters, they were
often obliged to cross the marshes ; but the nu-
merous plants which they contained induced them
to forget the difficulties that occurred in the road.
Among those which they collected, were two
new species of the rosa soUs ; one of which is
remarkable for the singular form of its leaves :
they consist of two long points; situated at the
extremity of each petal, which proceeds from
the root of the plant.

After two days* hard travelling; they arrived
at the northern extremity of the liarbour where
their ships were lying, and saw them at a con-
siderable distance. The ditficulty of the road
had deprived them of every hope of getting so
far that evej'irg, but opportunely a boat pre-
sented itself, ai.:3 they were conveyed on board.

Cretin,, one of the officers of the ship, had
been' sent by the admiral into the launch, accom-
panied by a geographical engineer, to rcoon-
noitre Storm Bay. On their return, they related
tliat, after having proceeded several myriame-
ters iuto a channel, which our adventurers had
left on the starboard hand, when they entered
the bay, everything concurred in justifying the
opinion that this was a strait. Our naturalist
did not go out of the ship the two following
days, having been cjuployed in describing and
preparing the abundant collection which he had
made in his last excursion *.

Some mountains of gr.dual declivity, situated
to the westward, formed a beautiful valley.
They followed a difficult road, intending to
repair to the place where water is procured for
the ships: the night overtook them half way;
and, to complete their misfortunes, a heavy fall
of rain obliged them, like the savages of New
Holland, to seek a shelter in excavated trunks of
trees. Ijnagimng the weather would render um-
less the signals they were to make for a boat to
be taken to them, they were preparing to pass a
disagreeable night in the midst of these foresls,
when they were agreeably disappointed. Hear-
ing the voice of some sailors, who had been sent

*A^

They followed their course to the northward, keeping alon^'
the skirls of the beach; some hollows, formed in tlic sand
like a funrnrl, concealed each a small globular crab, wliirh
had fabricated this hole; and when the water ha«l retired it
.regained its habitual abode; these holes might also serio
them as kuares lu cutrnp tUuir prey.

Ipro

lrj(

Erv

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

which he had

in search of them, they joyfully attended to their
summons to go on board *.

On the 3d of May, they traversed a glade
situated to the north-east, which conducted them
towards the great lake. In a preceding excur-
sion they had seen the south part of it, and they
Ithought it necessary to visit its northern side.
Its banks were often steep, and of difficult access,
and various species of single-leaved mimosa
were growing under the shade of the large trees.
I It appeared to our adventurers, that the natives
toccasioually take up their abode on the banks of
ftiiis lake, the shell-fish of which afforded them
supply of food. Advancing a little further,
[they perceived a hut, constructed a few yards
[from the water-side; it almost exhibited the
{form of a demi-oval, fifteen meters in height, by
[sixteen in breadth at its base. Stakes were driven
l;iiio ihe ground at each end, bent into a semi-
[ circle, which supported each other in such a
'manner as to form a tolerably compact frame,
' "which was covered with bark. About ten o'clock
^they found no difficulty in getting on board f.

This tree, which is one of the most lofty in
^nature, some of them being a demi-hectometer
in height, bears flowers only near its summit.
They were obliged to cut down one of these
Irecs to procure 'its flowers. This very beauti-
ful tree, of the family of the mjjrti, is covered
f'ith a smoothish bark ; the branches are a little
ingulatcd as they rise; towards their extremity
they are adorned with alternate leaves, slightly
lowed, about two decimeters long, by a demi-
lecimeter broad. The flowers are solitary, and
^row from the axilla of the leaves. The bark,
ihe leaves, and the fruit, are aromatirs, which
iiitrht be had recourse to in lieu of thotic which
Ihe r,Ii»luccas have tor a time exclusively supplied
mankind.

The day was far spent when they arrived on
Ihe banks of a rivulet, where they took up their
luarters ''or the night. They observed, at this
)uthern extremity of New Holland, soeral spe-

* Two buats had brun (lispittchcd, a second time, to re.
Qtinoitrc (ho iiurth-east part of Storm Bay, as far as
fasiii. Ill's Head ; at thv end uf four days thpy returned, and
Be result uf their disroveries appeared to he, that Taxman's
lead, and Adventure Day, made li part uf an island sepa.
Itt'd Iroiii Vuti Dieinen's Land.

+ Ai loH water tliey found, on the spa-shorc, a great
|aiiety of iicrUm and whelks: and here they procured some
ery exceilriit oysters.

The uatuialist had iiotyct been ablu to procure th« flowers

cies of ancistrum, analogous to those of the
southern extremity of America. They were
surrounded by delightful groves, principally
formed by a species of the narrow-leaved the.'

siuvi X

The next day, after a few hours walk to the
north-west, they found, under the shade of some
very large trees, two huts of the same rude ar-
chitecture which they had already seen. They
were in perfect repair, and seemed to have beea
recently inhabited. A beautiful plant was ga-
thered, which forms a new genus ; it is one of
the irides with two stamina.

Our adventurers were crossing a small coppice;
when a large kangaroo quitted his burrow : at
first, our naturalist followed, for the space of
thirty yards, one of the little paths which these
quadrupeds make through the busbe»: he could
not avoid using his fore-feet in these narroMr
passages. When he had reached the extremity
of them, he sprang forward by Ieap9> passing
over the shrubs with so much velocity that he
was presently out of sight.

A sheet of water, into which a charming
rivulet directed its course, was covered with an
assemblage of wild ducks, which took wing as
they approaciied them ; not being prepared for
so charming a prospect, they were unable to kill
one of them. A breeze got up before right,
which seemed to threaten them with rain. No
shelter being near them, they were compelled tO'
sleep in the open air : a hedge, which they had
themselves constructed with branches and boughs,
was their only protection from the weather ; and
under this shed they produced a magnificent
fire.

A very large kangaroo came out within fout
yards of the naturalist, from the middle of a
thicket : his gun flashed in the pan, and the
animal moved oft' slowly, taking one of the paths
mad(! through the groves. The numerous tracks
of these quadrupeds pronounce them very nu-
merous. It is observable too, that these little

of a new species of eucalyptus, remarkable for its fruif,.
which has some resemblance of a coat-button.

+ The cold had obliged thorn to kindle a large fire, and
they were preparing for repose, when the howl <5f a wild
beast, seemingly only a few yards distant, exceedingly
alarmwl them. The howling resembled that of aleopird;.
whence it was concluded, that their tire had contributed,
much more than they could have supposed, to prvveat this
animal from making them a nearer visit.

paths,.

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

ptttlis generally terminate at some rivulet. The
provisions of our adventurers bein^ .exhausted^
they thouglit proper to return on board *.

A constant humidity prevailed in the middle
of these thick forests, into which our naturalist
penetrated towards the south-west. In tliis spot
grew many mosses and ferns, and here they killed
the beautiful species of merops, indicated by
White under the denoujination of tvatlled bee-
eater. This bird is remarkable for two large
appendages, or wattles, oa each side of the
liead f.

A heavy shower of rain, about tlie middle of
the day, forced our adventuters to stop in the
large trunk of a hollow tree, which served them
as a shelter : this tree exceeded eight meters in
circumference. Endeavouring to light a tire
ia it, after the manner of the New Hollanders,
they were so incommoded with the smoke, that
they were driven from their retreat. On the ap-
proach of night, they found themselves on the
banks of a small lake, wiiich, though it had a
communication with the sea, was destitute of fish:
the people of the Esperance had often hauled
the seine in it, but never cauglit any thing |. ,

During their stay fit Cape Diemen, they saw
no natives but at a considerable distance : all of
whom ran off with precipitation, as soon as they
were observed : some hacf left behind them their
domestic utensils, which conveyed no very exalted
idea of their industry ; these were baskets
clumsily manufactured of a species of sea-rush.
They had also frequently left their water- vessels.
No armo were ever fouad in the places they had '
recently quitted ; they were either taken away or
caretully concealed, that they might not be used
to their prejudice.

A few straggling huts indicated a scanty po-
pulation : the shells of fish, collected in heaps
near the beach, was thoughi good circumstantial

* Citizen Riche discovered some huiran bones, in thu
■ashes of a fire kindled by liie savages. By (heir shape, Jio
pronounced them to l)e the ossa innominrita of a young girl ;
they were partly covered with pieces of broiled llesh. >Jot
supposing that these people were cannibals, he supposed it
was their practice to burn the dead. These were, however,
the only liuman bones that were seen during their con.
tinuance at this anchorage.

+ A quadruped of the size of a large dog, about this
time, came out of a bush quite close to one of the shipmates,
It was white, spotted with black, and > >d the appearance
of a wild beast. These cunntrics will probably, on a future
day, adu several species to the cataioguo of the zoologist.

evidence, that the sea-shores furnished principally
the food of these savages. The multiplicity of
paths, in which the tracts of different quadru- i
peds were discovered, demonstrate that they are
here very numerous. Whilst day-light exists,
they probably remain in the inaccessible haunts
bf these thick forests. Hooks and lines, and
the seine procured our adventurers fish in abund-
ance: east, and south-east winds brought myriads
of them into the bay.

Van Dicmcn's Land was discovered by Tasman,
in November, I6i2. When Captain Cook an-
chored there in 1777, four years after Furneaux,
he thought he was the third of the European
navigators who had landed on this coast : he was ,,
then ignorant of Captain Marinon's having con- 1
tinned there some time, and that he left it oa
the lOth of March, 1772.

This harbour on ac«:ount of its smooth wafer, ^^
is extremely convenient for refitting ships ; and
the vast forests near it aflord a wood which tlte
carpenters of the ship pronounced excellent for
ship building.

A small island to the snuth-west had been h
called I'Uk au Perdrix, Partridge Island, by
some of the seamen whu h.«d discovered it. Our
naturalist accompanied Citizen Riche to that
spot on the 20{\\, to spend the day : and, inslcat
of partridges they found a great quantity o
quails. This island is about two kilometeis in
length : the new species of parsley named
apiuin in'ostvatum, grew in abundance on its i-
shores. They gathered a quantity of it, wliich i
they took on board. This islot produced in i
fresh water, though several fors.iken huts attested ;-
that it had been inhabited by savages.

Two of the oflicers had set olf at six in tho
morning to rce(MHmitre the coast wliieh lay to
the eastward of them. They remarked sever!
coves, which formed so many harbours: u stroiii'^

X Their sail-maker having veiilirrod alone on .-» si u ..r
excursion, the prcciding day, had lost himself in f-ewouJ^I
where lie was obliged (o pass the ni^ht Several guns hnviii:;
been (ired from the ship to signify to him where slic lay, li'
returned on board in tlie afternoon, exhausted with him; •■
and fatigue. Having taken no provisions with him, he li i I
been a day and a half Mithout food. He asserted tliii.
during the night, difl'erent quadrupeds approached him, mil
smelt him ut a few centimeters distance. Many pcoiilc
believed this relation ; but those who had passed several
nights lu the thickest part of the woods, without meetings
Willi any such familiar animals, scorned a little sceptirul.

breeze

lider
lein
)r pi

»
»nro

I'Sl'.Vi

iiive,

splay

lac

! +
Iter,

In l(.'l

^er ((

I"ho

Itcnt

pyrf

i>ms <

VOYAGF. m SEARCH OF LA PEROUSI"

d by Tasinan,
lin Cook iui-
er Furneaux,
he European
;oast : he was
s having coii-
be left it on

jmooth wafer,

ig ships ; and

tod which iVi.:

excellent ior

teat bad been '
go Island, by
kored it. Our
R it-he to th.it
; and, inslt-ad
t quantity »)t

kiloujfters in
mrsley nanicil
lulaiifc on iH ,
y of it, w liiili

productnl n >

11 liutii tlttCSU'd!

>e3.
at six in tl
which hiy t'l
narked ucvti ^ 1
)our»i'. u strot'.L'

jiip OK a s' I. .< '.

iisi'lf ill t'ewo;))

l'VitbI i;tiMs liaviii

whcri< slu' liiy. !;

iistinl willi hiHif

with him, he li 1 1

Ho usiicrted tlni,

roaclu'il him, :nil

\, Many i»Mi|ilo

ad jiassod m-feral

without mcodng

littlo sceptical.

brcc'/c

jroeze impeded their progress, and prevented

Ithem from advancing very far into them. Per-

Iceiving several fires at a little distance, they

frame to a determination to land; and hardly

[bad they entered the woodf, when they met with

[four natives cm|)loyed in keeping up three small

Ifires. These savages immediately fled^ notwith-

Ifitanding the significant tokens of amity which were

Imanifesicd by our adventurers. In their hasty

Jcparture, they left behind them the lobsters,

lud other shell-fish, which they were broiling

)H the coals. As maiiy cabins, as they bud seen

ires, were observed at a little distance.

One of the savages who was a tall mviscuhir
lan, had inadvertently left a small basket behind
liim, and was not afraid to return and look for
It. He advanced quite close to Lieutenant Cretin,
i^ith an air of consequence which his strength
lecmed to warrant. These savages are not of a
leep black, but they have woolly hair, and sutler
"Iheir beards to grow. Some of them were per-
fectly naked, others had a kangaroo's skin thrown
)ver their shoulders. The household utensils
i-hicb they abandoned, consisted of about thirty
irush baskets, some of which were full of crabs,
»nd other shell fish. These baskets are generally
[bout a meter in depth, though many of them
jre shallower, but nearly of the same shape.
The method taken by these savages to procure
ire, is to strike two pieces of silex one against
he other: in this they difler much from the other
ihabitants of the South Sea, and even from
ihe other savages of the cast partof New Holland,
circumstance which seems to assign to them a
lilVercnt origin. These people also left behind
icm several kangaroo skins, and some vessels
)r preserving water.

* Two ixTsons had boea sont, in a boat from tho ?'spo.

MKC! to visit a cove, about a myriJinoUT distant to tho

Iri'sl.vaid. Tho>io who were on this siTvice met with a

itivo, who, njtwithstandinjt every liign of friendship was

Isplayi'd and expressed, would not suffer himself to bo ap.

^uaclied within tho distance of two hoctomotcrii.

1+ On the banks of a rivulet which contained very good

Iter, grew various sporiciB of rnstini'ina.^ one of which

%* rumarkable for its club.shaped fruit. Several paths,

tho direction towards the rivulet, had been beaten by

kangaroos, for their accomjuodation in passing to tho

h-r to allay their thirst.

[Tho persons who had been sent to survey tho whole
tent of the strait, returned after an absence of four days :
ty reported that it watt about four myriamotcrs and a half
Dg, from south.wcst to north.cast ; not loss than six fa*
»nu and a half water had been found in it, with ft bottom

[Vol. II. No. LXXI.

The two officers would not permit the sailors
to4:ouch any of tho eficcts of these natives; but
they took for the admiral a large and small
basket, a kangaroo's skin, and a vessel made of
sea-weed, which would hold five quarts of water.
The savages had no cause to lament the loss of
theso articles, for the ofTieers left on the spot
some knives, handkerchiefs, biscuits, cheese, and
an earthen jug*.

It appears that those natives which bad been
seen the preceding day, had no dislike to the
bread and water that had been deposited for
them, but the smell of tl'C cheese, it was sup-
posed, prevented their tasting it; for it was found
in the state in which it had been left- In the
same place were also found one of the knives,
and the handkerchief which had been left with
their effects the day before. A few shots having
been fired at some birds, accelerated the depar-
ture of these savages, as a boat from the ship
went to the same spot two days after ; and none
of them were to be met with f .

After having run a demi-myriametcr along thit
channel, they entered a second bay, about a my-
riameter in extent. On the 26th they weighed
anchor early in the morning, and at noon found
themselves in a third bay : the depth of water ia
the middle of which was not less than eleven
fathoms; and, at the distance of two hectometers
from the shore, they bad not less than six
fathoms;];.

Our adventurers landed on the beach, from
which they had so hastily fled, where they
found a great number of stones of a very beau-
tiful granite, extremely hard, and rounded by
attrition. Four catamarans lay on the beach ;
and a sort of skiHs calculated only for smooth

of mud, or fine sand. Advoiituru Hay is separated from it
by a fonguo of land, the breadth of which is about four
hectometers. The nalivos kindled upwards of twenty lircs
on tlie south shore; several families had probably been at-
tracted towards the coast by the intelligonco they had re-
ceived respecting their new visitors.

X They got under way on the '27th, at seven in tho morn,
ing; soon after which tiiey beheld a fire mar tho shore,
which announced that some of the nalives were not far"
distant: one of them were seen a few nunu(e<j after, walking
by tho sea side. Two boat.s were observed, intended for
tho convcyanco of passenger.^, and some savaa[es were seen
paddling along in a catamaran, who landed on tho sen. coast.
With tliat timidity which their nciglilxmis had before shewn,
they precipitately made for the shore, and darted into tho
woods, leaving behind them a few darts of a very clums/
fabrication.

watcr»

Mi;

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

water, as a rough sea would soon dash them to
pieces. As these savages ure capable of hollow-
ing out the trunks of trees by means of fire, it
appears strange that they should not observe the
same method in forming their canoes, but they
are as ignorant of navigation as of the other
arts.

An officer belonging to the Recherche, in
passing through the woods, made choice of the
path which had been made by the savages. He
met six of them, who were entirely naked, walk-
ing slowly towards the south, armed with darts
of the length of five or six meters. The sur-
prise occasioned by this meeting was strongly
depicted i.i ttieir features; but their number
soon banished their alarms, and they ventured to
approach on the ii:vitatlans of this solitary Eu-
ropean, who immediately put on their head a
cravat and a handkerchief, which he gave them :
but they seemed terrified at the sight of a knife,
the use of which he explained to them. Their
terror was further heightened, when he shewed
tliem the method of sharpening it ; and their
fears were not totally dispelled, till he made them
a present of it. He pressed tliem to approach
the place where the vessels lay at anchor, but
bis entreaties were unavailing ; they persevered
in the paths which led them farther iVom the
ships*. ■ , . , r> : < -■-,.,. .-•■-..

Like the other savages, this womjin wore over
her shoulders the skin of a kangsiroo ; she had
another, performing the office of an apron by
covering her nakedness. Our Europeans were
of opinion that this garment was chosen more on
account of the severity of the weather, than
from a sentiment of shame; for among the natives,
seen by Captain Cook at Adventure Bay, at u
few kilometers from this place, the women were
all naked.

In the night of the 28th, the north wind blew
in such squalls that th« Esperance drove, though
she was riding by a very heavy bower anchor.
They had spent more time than they intended in
exploring D'Entrecasteaux's strait; and, in order
to get out of it they had to go about the distance
of a dcmi-myriamefer. Tlie wind was against
them, but the tide was in their favour, and they
weiafhed anchor between nine and ten o'clock.
In working out, they often stood within three
hectometers of the roast, where their soundings
were front twelve to thirteen fathoms. To the
northward ll»"V discerned a vast bay, or rather
•ru]f, intersected by islots, and terminated by the
main land, which was seen in (he distance ; va-
rious bends in it seemed to promise cry excclleiil

f11

anchorage

'■f|.'!-_ fi

SECTION V. .

Importance of D'Entrccastemix Strait — Passage from Cape Dicmcn to Xno Caledunixi — Dm-]
gerous Situation of the Recherche — See t Natives hij the Sea-Side — Sviril! .irchipelago tuar .Mw \
Caledonia — Survey the West Part of hougainxillc's Island — The Reclurchc in Danger on the'
Shoals — Interview ivith the Savages of lionka Island — Fondness of the Savages for ..1/»«/c— . !|
Their Dishoncstrj—'Anchor in Carteret's Harbour — larious Excursions into the aurroundiiU'W
Country.

IN D'Entrecasteaux's strait, a vessel may come
to an anchor in any part, with a certainty ^-'
linding a good bottom, with a depth of water
from six and a half to seven fathoms. Not a
shoal is there to be met with. An an equal dis-

* A I)ou( had landed on the other shore near afire, where
eight of (he natives were observed, each of whom had hi.')
shoulders covered with a kiingarooN skin. Theiie savages
fled as soon as they knew they had been seen. An old
woman, liiden with provisions, which sho was not willing
to be deprived of, was speedily overtaken by some of the

tance from its two extremities, where the coar^■c
sand predominates, ^the ground is not so good,!
and there is less water. No danger is to be ap-
prehended in approachi.ig the land within (hi>
distance of two hectometers.

The windings ot

sailors : she had just been highly delighted with the rcrdjit
of a handkerchief, hut when they exhibited a knife to liir,
which they also intended to make her a present of, she w-.m
so exceedingly shocked, that she threw herself from the (0/ 13
of a very steep declivity, Ucd over the rocks, and iiium'.
diately disappeared,

>-■ .. < ■ •■ the

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROLNR.

ia wore over
00 ; she had
an apron bv
ro pea IIS were
losen more on
i-eatlier, thun
ig the natives,
Lire Bay, at ;i
; women were ■

rth wind blew
hove, though
lower anchcr.
ey intended in "

and, in order
lit the distance
1 was against
'onr, and they
i ten o'tlork,
i within three
lieir souiidii);;'^
loms. To tlic
bay, or ratlier
miiiated by tlie
'■ distance ; va-
? eiy excellent

ledunin — D:in-
Itigo iwar .Miu
Danger on //.v '
.s fit)' ^Music—
ic auyroundii!

here the coarse^
i not so g'oud,
gcr is to be iip-'
and within (ho
'he windings of

L'd with tlio rcc(:i|}t
ted a knife to Ikt,
ires(!iit of, bh(! iv.nl
crsflf from the l0|i
ruckS) and imiiu'.

the

[the channel prosenta very diversified prospect,
[and situations perfectly pi<:airesquc. In the
Ltrait they enjoyed tlw calnncst weather. Ihey
were astonished to Hnd such uncommon safety so
[very near Storm Bay.

I the (ishes which delight in nnruflled water,

Jabonnd in this channel; hence the fishermen were

Ulmost universally successful. They had hardly

^^ proceeded three kilometers beyond the outlet of

Ithe strtiit, when they. could no longer distinguish

* its opening. The soundings increased as they
^Ivanced into the sea. They soon doubled Cape
fPillar, and then shaped their course north-cast,
[to !xo and explore the south-west coast of New
ICaledonia.

Having on the 1st of June reached the latitude
lof 31^ IT'soulh, and the longitude of 154" h'
[east, they saw a quantity of white and black
Ispolted petrels, and a number of albatrosses,
Iwith the extremity of their wings of a deep fawn
icolour. On the 2d a number of flying fishes,
by tl.rowfiifz; themselves headlona: on board, an-

inoinwi'd that they had got into the latitudes fre-

Iqueiitcd by bonitoes*.

[ Some piiitadoes, and other birds, which they
[saw on (he 0(h of June, induced th^m to believe
[that (liev were in the neighbourhood of some
jishuu!, though none was yet descried. About
[io(m on the llth, they thought tliey had dis-
Jcovered land to the eastward ; but after steering
■in that direction for an hour, the phantom dis-
[appcarcd, and they immediately resumed their

Jcourse. A nuiii-of-war bird appeared, hovering

*over tlie ship, and was killed by a musquet-shot.

^This bird had, in its bill, the species of cuttle-
ifish called sepia loligo.

I On the IGth, about five in the morning, our
[navigators enterred the torrid zone, in the longi-
Itudc of Ifija east. About eight they got sight
j)f the Island of Pines, at no considerable dis-
tance from the south point of New Caledonia ;
It appeared like a peak of tolerable height, and
Ihey soon perceived that it was surrounded by
ow lauds. Laigc trees are distinguishable to-
wards the south-east part of the island. At five

* Since tho departure of our Adtipntiircrs from New
loliand, they were reduced to a very small quantity of
inter, and the heat, which on the 5th, began to be very
Ippresiiiive, heightened the Inconvenience of this privation,
t bottle a. day only, was allowed to each hidivldual ; though
icir thirst was auj^inented in proportion as they advanced
Dwarib tiic torrid zone; tho wine could not be substituted

in the afternoon they discovered the shores of
New Caledonia to the north-west at the distance
of about four myriameters, and they stood in to
approach them; but they were obliged to heave
to at sun-set to wait for the Esperance, whose
sailing* was never equal to their?. The Espe-
rance, however, joined them in the evening',
about eight, and the night was io have been
passed iu standing off and on; but it falling
calm, the ship would not answer her helm. The
south-west winds had brought them to New Ca-
ledonia, though they had expected to meet with
the general winds some days before they perceived
this land.

During the night of the ITtli, they saw a fire
on the island of Pine!>, and as soon as day ap-
peared, they perceived a reef of rock, which,
firoiiJ the coast of New Caledonia, too^» a direc-
tion towards the south. A calm detained thetn
the whole morning, between these dangerous
rocks and the Isle of Pines; but a fortunate,
breeze sprang up', in i\\c afternoon, and carried
them clear of the breakers. In the course of the
night the currents had carried them nearer to the
reefs, which tliey thought they had weathered.
Day-light, however, shewed them all the danger
of their situation: surrounded by shoals, little
rooiin was left for them to ply in, Tfae^'\Jouth-
east wind frt^hened, and increased the sea, which
set them towards the breakers : they were in the
middle of them, when the Esperance made the
signal for them ; lieutenant Rossel having then
the charge of the deck. The ship was instantly
brought close to the wind on the starboard tack,
with the intention of tacking to get out of this
dangerous situation.

AH httitds were called upon deck, in order to
work tl^e ship so as to make her surer in stays.
Rossel endeavoured several times to tack, but
every attempt brought them nearer to the reef.
The ship was now drifting on the rocks, where
the sea, ready to swallow them up, rose to a
prodigious height. There was not a possibility
of letting go the anchor, as they could get no
bottom with a line of fifty fathoms, though they

for this beverage; the brajidy, which several preferred to
wine, made the.m require an additional quantity of water ;
the salt me^Uwhich they generally fed on, added to that
thirst, whJiih they had no means cf allayinsr; and thcc^ttrcme
acrimony introduced into their bfooii by siiinc food, greatly

added to the distniss.

;i... .,^-,:. -. : .-. . . . .: .;, t •;.,..-...

were

94t

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF I-A PRftOUSr.

Nvcre close to (lie reef. Every one w.is now cnst-
itig hie e}c oil the objects that might presoitt
themselves ^'ii order to avoid an aliiiuiit inovituble
death. Dcstriietioit stared them < in the tucej
v'hen, by an uncxperted piece of g-oud fortune,
another attempt to tuck snccccded ; and, with in-
expressible Joy, they saw their ship standing
away from this dangerous coa«t : a few islets
appeared between the land and the cliaiu of reefs,
which was nut mure tiiun a myriaipeter from
shore. ; ' '

When they tacked on the, approach of niglit,
tlie topman had omitted to rig in the main top-
mast studding sail boom, and the mizen topnnist
studding sail boom: they were both carried away
at the instant they were preparing to make another
board; the main topmast studding>sail boom fell
uito tiie water; but the qiizeq topmast studdii)g-
sail boom, by its fall', wounded three persons,
among whom .was Admiral D'jplntrecasteaux
himself-

A columa of smoke, near the foot of a hill, a
little distant from the sea-side, copvinced our
adventurers that this part of the island was inha-
bited. They had a view of some mountains,
covered with trees to their very summit: six Hres
were perceived in the vi^'inity of the coast, which
annouit^ed a great concourse of savages, who
had probably 'keen attracted by the signt of the
ships, which contrary, winds kept almost sta-
lionur}'.

On the 2Sd at three in the afternoon, they
were about six myrianieters from the land, when
they perceived near the beach a group of twelve
New Caledonians, who -gazed with astonishment
at the ships so near their island. ;v Three natives
formed' ajjother group, near two ilires whic|i:(lu;y
had just kindled. A good glass informed them
that they were entirely naked : they appeared to
have no inclination to approach them.

In tJie direction of the lands of New Caledo-
nia, tlvey perceived several islands, surrounded
by reefs, and connected to each other by shoals,
and sand-banks. During the night of the 29th,
the winds set them so fur to leeward, that they

* At sun.set a booby of the species called pelacunus
sariug, permitted itself to be caught on board. I^'his bird
ventured, without fear, to settle in the main top,, hy the
fiide of one of the sailors: those of this class fr^qucntl^
alight on the arm that is held out to them. Their smell
cannot be very acute, the whole opening of the nostrils
consisting of only two trifling slits in tho upper man-

had lost sight of the northern extremity of New
Caiedoniu. This islaiul presents a chain of
mountains, which occupy an extent of about
forfy-eight mvriameters, from south-east to
norlli-wcst. >Vhen Captain Cook disrovcred it
in I77'i, ho saw only its nor.th-east side. This
coast is extremely darigcrcjus at all times, but is
rendered still more so with the south-east winds.
The small niiinher of lircs which were seen on
this land, with its apparent sterility', seemed to
iiidicutu that it was thinly inhabited.

After having observed scverals islots, they saw
a few more, which seemed to terminate this
Archipelago. Their height gradually diminish-
ed, in proportion to their distance from New
Caledonia. The admiral informed the captain of
the Esperance, that if the two ships should
happen to separate, the rendezvous would beat
Port Praslin, or Carteret's Harbour. Our ad-
venturers were congratulating each other on
having terminated this dangerous and fatiguing
navigation, in order to enter into an open sea,
M'hcn the men looking out at the mast-head,
gave noticeof shoals and a chain of reefs, stretch-
ing to the north-north-west : it being too late to <
stand towards them, they kept to windward
during the whole night *.

About two in the afternoon, on the 1st of July
one of the ship's company, named Moulin, dis-
covered to the northwartl, a small low island
covered with bushy trees, which was named
L'Jslc ih: Moulin, Moulin's Island, from tlio
name tTt' the person who had discoxered if.
This island I's about a demi-myriamcter in cir-
cunireremc. At four they got sight of two other
small islands; as it was impossible for our ad-
venturers to pass these islands before niglit, they
directed their course to the south-south-east, anil
soon after brought to, till the next nioniiiig.
During the night they were surrounded by birds
which inhabited these low islands f.

Our navigators were now reduced to a very
scanty allowance of water, which was a very dis-
trqssing circumstance so near the line. At tdi
in the morning on the Dth, they got sight of

diblo of the bill. This mandible is moveable liUc that of
parrots. S|

+ On the 7th, between nine and ten nt night, they hhil,
in the west, the sight of a lunar ruiu.bow ; it dift'crcd from
the solar rainbow only by its colours being less brilliant.
This phcnomcnoa iji lusi^ frequent tliaa might naturally bo
expected. .-.,:■...

* Arsacides,

VOYAGE IN SEAHCTT OF LA PEROUSE.

inity of New

a cliuiii ol'

i>iit of about

outli-cast lt»

diHCOVcrcd it

t side. Tliu

<iiuc9, but is

th-CHSt wiiuls.

were seen on

ty, seemed to

-m

lots, they saw
erminate tliii
ally diminish-
ic from New
the captain of
ships should
DS would be at
nr. Our ad-
ich other oa
and fatiguing ^
» an open sea, j"
he mast-head, j
i reefs, stretch- [
ing too late to
to windward i

the 1st of July
Moulin, dis-

dU low island
I was uikuied
ud, from tlio
discoM'ied it.
iaiiu'ter in lir-
it of two oilier
« for our ad-

;)re night, they

south-oast, iiiid
ni'xt niorniii}:;.
undcd by birch

iced to a very
was a very dits-
inc. At tdi
y g'^t sight of

cable like that o{

irsacides, and stood flirectly in for Cape Ne-
jean. These islands, discovered by Surville,
cere afterwards seen by Lieutenant Shortland,
yho, 8up posing he had made a new discovery,
^ave them the appellation of New Georgia.
\frhe shores or the Arsncttlcs, to the north-west,
ire steep, and covered with large trees. Several
fires, limited on the mountains, announced them
to be inhabited.

Early on the 10th they discovered the Treasury
slands, four myriameters distant to the ndrth-
veei by north. Five or six of these islands are
t> close to each other, that, at a distance they
ire frequently supposed to be but one. Bou-
!;ainville Was of that opinion, when he discovcr-
I them to die westward in passing- through the
lannel to which he has ^iven his own uftmc.
i'he Esperancc saw: no more than three of thesti,
^hough the Recherche could distinctly enume-
Fate five. The mountains which form these,
glands are of a moderate height, nearly covered
nth large trees.

Having sailed round Bougainville's Island,
ley stood to the north north-cast, to go and re-
onA^itre the west part of it. At tive, when
ley were at a distance from its southern extre-
lity, they saw a cluster formed by ten islots':
(hey remarked that between them, and quite
lose to the southern side, there are some breakers
ifhich render the approach to them extremtely
angerouB. Two canoes, in which were per-
eived a great many natives, were under sai-
nd seeiined to direct their course to our adven-
irers; but they passed behind the islot that
toA nearest to the ship, and rapidly disappeared.
>n the shore of the island they perceiTe,d a group
' ten natives, and near them a canoe on the
ind; but they seemed to have no inclination for
lunching her in order to pay them a visit.
Tight approaching, they were obliged to tack,
order to gain an offing.

On the 13th, between ten and eleven in the
ornrng, when they were about a myriameter

t uiijfit, thoy Imd, ^

it difl'crcd from
L'ing less brilliant,
might naturuUy bo. ■^

irsacides,

I* A canoe, with nine Baragcs, put off from the coast,
directed her courao towards our navigators. Th^y
Diight to, in order to wait for them ; but they stopped
ken they were about a hundred meters distance, regardless
I their preiisin|( invitations to induce them to come on
%tA- They put a plank in the water, freighted with
Ives and nails; Jind fastened a piece of scarlet cloth to
I end of a sroiul stick, to give it the appearance of a flag,
Ytii. U. No. LXXU.

and a half from the coast, they thought they
were in the most perfect safety, when'they' found
themselves towards a shoal, which those on (he
look-out had not perceived : the water was so
very shallow, that they could readily dr^inghish
the fishes at the bottom, and they were every
moment in expectation of heariuir the ship strihe ,
upon a rock. Several trunks of trees fioaled
alongside: on one of tlif^.se which the boats
brought on board, a notch of ancient date was
noticed, which demonstrated that (he iuhabit^ntj)
of the neighbouring island have some very sharp
instruments. Some of the hatchets, given t^em
by Bougainville, may perhaps be stilt in use
among them.

About three in the morning of the 14th, the
Espcrance made several signals, which created
much alarm. They were thought to indii^ate
some danger, but they were merely io apprize
them thftt theybadjust got soundings in forty-
one fathoms. The part of Bougainville's Tslacd
which they now percdved, seemed more popu-
lous than that which they had hitherto Men:
finb plantations of cocoa-palms tended to con-
firm oi't adventurers in this opinion.

During the night of the 14th, the currents
had carried them twenty miles towards the north :
at ten in the morning they were a myriameter to
the northward of Bouka Island, the appearance of
which strongly indicated a numerous population.*^.

At length, however, they succeeded in at-
tracting the natives close to the ship, by throw-
ing some handkerchiefs, pieces of red cibth, and
empty bottles. These people so perfectly under-
stood traffic, that (hey took care to signify to
our Europeans their full estimate of the value of
their articles of exchange. A handsome bow^
was transmitted to them hir some handkerchiefs;
and they also received some arrows. As they
had not seen this kind of weapon among our
navigators they endeavoured to convince them of
its value, by teaching them the manner of
using it f.

Being

hoping to prevail upon the savages to come closer: but they
would not take possession of these favours, till the Eu*
peaas cut the line which held them at a small distance from
the ship, they could not with this bait be prevailed on toap«
proach. The sight of the scarlet cloth gave them infinity
delight, and when they became possessed of it, they petition*
cd for more with great earnestness.

t One of the gunners produced a violin, on which ha
fi b performed

C.At

(I m

Being passionately fond of music> they arc
much pleased >vith noisy and livdy tunes. One
of the officers, who Avas a tolerable performer on
the violin, struck up a tune in very quick time,
'stopping double. At first (licy lisitoped with the
greatest attention ; astonisliment was depicted in
all their visages, and at length their joy became
excessive, when the motions of the arms, and
the agitation of the whole body, were unequi-
vocal marks of the most lively feeling.
, Not willing to forget that the Admiral had
'expressed a wish of having a bow ; a native pro-
Vi^i&L:d one in exchange for a hat : but no sooner
'lisla he got that article, than hu refused to part
with the' bow. During this time four canoes
were communicating with the Esperance, one of
which contained forty natives: sixteen of these
Ver<}' employed in conducting her; the others
wfere'all warriors. This canoe, it was afterwards
linderstood, had kept for a long time at a distance,
and did not approach till after the natives, in the
eriiairer canoes, had shewn their countrymen
Several articles which they had received.

''^le'rcgularity bv which the savages on boar^
tfiis caiioe were actuated, seemed to indicate that
tjhevhad a sort of naval tactics. Between two
p'amlte/s placed on the sides, a warrior stood
ettVt, with a bow and arrows in his hand ; some
.intermediate ranks had two other warriors, and
iionietimes three, with their faces turned towards
lh6 stern of the canoe ; to enable them to observe
ir'n the movements on that side, and to be ready
fdr' hostility when retreating. These warriors
seemed to enjoy the' flavour of the brandy and
wine which had been given them, but were not
' hitich gratified in eating salt pork.
[ The savages who visited the ship had very ex-
^ellet|t tegth, as they ate, with tl^e greatest ease,
the hiiL'dest biscuit that could be offered then].
I'Voni (heir partiality in favour of nails, aiid
other articles of hard ware, it seemed clear that
they were acquainted with the use of iron.
These savages are of the middle size, and the

)pi»rforrMi'tl sovcr/il liirios; (he Kuiopcaiis pcrrcivo(I, with
pleasure, tliat tlicv were not iiisensiWi- to mii.-'ic : they {if.
fcrfctl many iirliclcfi in exchange, wishinfl; fo obtain (his in.
•trntiuint. Thoir solicitations-, notnithstnnding, ^vei^ iin.
availing; (his was tlie only (itidle (hey hnd to set (he ship's
conipany.iriipcring, and they did not choose to pait with an
ii>.|>lrnK4tt Avhirh promoted an eveieise so t'.ondu'civo to the
liealth of seamen.

A tuo liberal distribution uf favonrs to thcf<e savages at

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

colour of their skin is a light black. They have
no covering, and their muscles proclaim them
extremely strong: their countenance is unplea-
sant, but has great expression. They have a
large head, a broad flat forehead and face; a
chin thick and prominent, high checks bones, a
broat flat nose, thin lips, and a very wide
mouth. The betel-root, with which they tinge !|
their extensive mouth, renders a horrid face more
horrible.

Their ears were ornamented with heavy rings
made of shells, the weight of which seemed to
have contributed to their great size. Some of
them had white and red stripes traced upon their
body : bracelets woven of the fibrcH of the husj;
of the cocoa-nut, ornamented the wrists of some
of them; and one of them was remarked, whose ;\^
hair and nose were powdered with a reddish
earth.

These savages are very dexterous in the use oft
the bow : one of them brought a booby, which
he hud just killed wi(h an arrow, on board (ho
Esperance. These islanders exercise great in-
dustry and skill in the formation of their
weapons. Their canoes, formed of several j
plaoLs, ingeniously joined together, arc of u'l
elegant form, and extremely well calculated to
pass expeditiously through the water.

At day-break on the I7(h, our adventurers,
directed their course for Carteret's Harbour,
where they i. (ended to cast anchor. They bort
up between Cocoa-nut Island and New Ireland, '
where they anchored about one in the afternoon,
in (hirty-one fathoms water; about four huii- ,,
drcd meters from Cocoa-nut Island. Only oik.
himdrej meters nearer to th^ jtist-mentiond
islaiid,^they would have lain as snug as ip ihM
bcst-she'hcred harbour. A ship may here aneljur J
widiili a lilde distantie of the laud ; for at twciiiv^
meters from the shore there are fiv«! fudioni^;
and further ofl' tlu; depth suddenly increiisci
They landed at Cocoa-nut Island, in order (,i |
pass the reniainder of tlje djiy. It was cuveidi

length eormptcd (heir prineii)les, and (hey fref|iien(ly li
recourse to artiliee und dishonesty to jjroeure ihiin. '[I

admiriil, nishir

to j>rociire a bow, agreed to gire su;

handkerchiefs striiied with red, for that article. The jrn
was positirely agreed on, and these articles were <liliTir,J
to (hi'm in ndvaiue, relying on their probity. Uiitwii'
(liey had got the handkerrhiels in their iiosses.sion, tl-.
wiiiild not part with the bow, basely olPeriug only s i...
arrows, tyhitii were contemptuously refused.

Die

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEOOUSE.

bIc. They have
proclaim ihein;
mce is unplea<

They have a
nd and face; a
checks bones, a
I a very wide
vhich they tinge ;
lorrid face mure j
i I
vith heavy rings*
rhich seemed to

size. Some of
raced upon their
brcK of the huslc
le wrists of some
emaikcd, whosc^
with a reddish i

ous in the use of*
a booby, which.
IV, on board the]
(crcise great lu-
nation of thcif
uied of several: J
jlher, are of an
ell calculated tu
ivater.

uur adventurers^
rterct's 11 arbour, S
}hor. They bor«j
ind New Ireland,
! in the afternoon, ^^
about four huii-
island. Only oiwj
1^ just-mentioiu'fl
18 snug as i() l!it>
> may hcic antliui!
ud; for at twenty
ire five fat bonis ^
iddcnly iiurcusc
land, in oidtr u,
, It was covtiridi

il (li(>y fi'tvjiu'iuly 111'
i jjioi'liro ihiiii. Ui
, iigrc'Cil to giTi' sui .
lat article. Tin; |'ri(
;ii»irli'!i \v<.'rc (li'liviTiJ
r probity. Hut «Ik'
their iiosscssiiin, tl. i
Ay DlRriug on))' s 'C,'
rofuscil.

SMSm

with large over-green trees : their roots, buried
between the calcareous stones, found very little
vegetable earth; but they grew with great vigour
ou account of the great moisture of those spots.
-It was charming to behold the beautiful tree
known by the name of barriugtonia spcciom,
attracted by the humidity, horizontally spreading
its branches far out above the waters of the sea.
I Various species of fruit-trees also grew on this
Mslaud*. u,?.i,|r.r'

Among the lai^^e ti^ees which grew on Cocoa-
Enut Island, a new species of areca was seen,
bvhose trunk was fhirty-six nieters in heighty and
[only two-thirda of a decimeter in thickness. It
neemed extraordinary that so weak a tree could
{support itself at «uch an clevatitm; but they
[were no longer astonished'^ when they caused one
to be felled) for they fouod the wood of it so
[l^xtreinely hard, that it resisted reiterated strokes
[of the axe. A quantity of a mucilaginous sub-
itan«}(^ under tlie form of pilh, occupied its
Dentre: this pith being removed, the trunk ex-
fhibited a cylinder, the Wood of which did not
bexceedia centimeter in thickness. It is of a
Ibeautiful black, and the frnit is of a red colour,
losses knd ferns were very numerous, and grew
[with extreme vigour in these moist spots f.
The continual rains at Carteret's Harbour,
lave Tendered some species of spiders extremely
llndustriousi Several had made themselves ex-
^llent retreats in themiddle of their web; which
of Bivery close'texture, in the form of a sugar-
loaf, having the point raised, add'a little inclined
jlowards the. south-east, that the prevailing winds
nay not incommode' their little habitation. The

1' '1

irrfT7

* Nigjitpvief^pok thcmiM the 0)i(Ulle uf (licwoodsi, uhcn
Ihry ciiJDVi'd tho iilcuiiiiti; view of a vast quantity o( glow-
Irorms, that '^V \\\vU flight, illflriisotf a tremulous gleain.
It was ir<i\d hbont'lhft hoiii- ii^ wlilch 'th6 ipecics of rrab,

ilicd aiiiixr riirkola, ismicd from the holes that it hftd
lug. Thi'v trod on many of thrsiS crtatures,, in rotiirning
lo the bi)at uliiih was >t ailing for (honi. ' !<ovcriii of the
^iiity appi'iheitdod they might be vi-nomoiis animals, till

key were (onVioeed to tho cuntrac}-.'

1(!

! jl. I!".-. It \.

Il .■■: i. n, ! .■ >' ! /

', ;. .1- "i.i ifi;;!,,';;* '. :i jtv
■ ' 11 !;iu ■ _yi, r ;i;, i ./.iii.

rain runs off this sort of cone, before it can pe-
netrate it. The spider, perfectly sheltered iti
this mansion, only comes out occasional! v, to
aeize upon the poor insects which happen tti get
entangled in his ingenious nets. Nuture has
been bountiful to some other species of spiders,
covered with a thin skin; wliich is not only
tough, but so glos.sy, thai they seem to have been
decorated with the Hnest vaiuisli. Those last art!
not in the least aflected with the heavy rains, to
which they are continually er.posed ; and they
wait patiently in the middle of their web, till
some insect is betrayed into it. Among thcae
spiders were discovered some whose body was
terminated in a point, the arunca, acullca, and
the aranca ayinoaa.

Leigh'ij inland is mtich smaller than Cocoa-nut
island, affording few different productions. The
steep mountains of New Ireland, which sur-
round Carteret's Harbour, are three times the
height of those 'of Cocoa-nnt Island. Carta-
ret's Harbour forms a sort of bason, where the
clouds charged with water, after having cleared
the high mountains of New Ireland, experience
a calm which prfeverAs the air from supporting
them; thence result abundant rains, which are
sufficient to deter navigators from anchoring
there. The greatest activity had been exerted in
procuring a supply of wood and water, and on
the morning of the 24lh, they made everv pre-
paration for sailing. It is impossible to form an
idea of the vast quatitity of rain that fell. It
was, indeed, a torrent, pouring down almost in-
cessantly. The harbour afforded no refresh-
ments. ■■ ■ fi » "1 iA

Two men, ■<»ho belonged to the ship, saw an- aJKgatop
quite close tp the, befch, oo the .«outh extremity of Cotoa-
iiuL Isl.iiul. Animals o^ this kind wcro not, however,
thouphf fo be common li€re ; for, during their stay at this
anciiora<;o, no accident hippLMied, though many 'persons
frequently bathed.

t Some savage had probably perished in (he midst of
tiusi- rocks, as a hum.in skt-letou, almost enure, v\'a3 ob-
served by our Euroueaus. . •

,,'::.^,U,.

!.i' )-lr

-4..:

. -ill! i« !.' (tl ,i\vs\ \iA '*>: .t-.A.i

■K&v: '^M lo »ilii.' ^>i-

SECTION

ill 1

!'^'

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PFROUSF.

SECTION VI.

• «v-i«.>»

• .1..

Quit Carteret's Harbour— TJic EsperoHcc loses an Analwr-^Vtmaeic tJn-ouiih S^. Georffe's Chamel~-
Sce the PortUuid Island—Several Interviews mV/t the Inhahitanls of the Admirnlttf Islands-
Despotism of the Chiefs— The Rapidity qf their Sailing— The Hermits' Islands— Their In-
habitunts^A Water- Spout— Mw Guinea^'Pass thruiii^h rUt's Strait— liavages of tlie Scurvij—
Anchor at Amboi/na.

ON the 24th of July, ahout eleven in the
morning, they availed thcniHelves of a light
breeze from the south-east, to sail between Cocoa-
nut Island and New Ireland. The currents car-
ried them to the west north-west, and at noon
they were a myriamcler to the west south-west
of their anchoring place. The Esperance did
not weigh her anchor soon enough to take ad-
vantage of the breeze: it fell calm! Almost &^ ^^^^
instant she had loosed her sails : she was there-
fore soon obliged to drop an anchor, and wait
for a wind to extricate herself from her disagree-
able situation. At four o'clock, however, she
came up with the Recherche, and her Captain
informed them that they had like to have been
lost at the mouth of tKe harbour tbey had just
quitted. Compelled by the currents to anchor
00 a bottom of coral, the cable had been cut
by the rocks, when there sprang up from the
south east, the. light breeze which carried them
clear of the reefs.

The Recherche lay to during the night, and
the currents carried her into St. George's channel,
with 80 much rapidity as to occasion her to drift
at the rate of upwards of a derai-myriaraeter an
hour. About two in the morning of the S25th,
the Isle of Man bore west south-west at the
distance of a demi-myriameter. At four in the
afternoon they brought to, to reconnoitre Sand-
wich Island the next day, but they were so drifted
by the currents during the night, that at day-
hreak on the 26th, they were astonished to find
themselves within four hundred meters of this
island*.

On the 28th they continued their course to-
wards the Admiralty Islands, where Commodore
Hunter, according to the information of the two

* Sandwich Island is of a middling height, and is clothed
with trocB, New Ireland, which it opposite to Sandwich
Island, presents to the view no lands of considerable clcva.
tion. A few huts, under the shade of the forest of cocoa-
palms, induced the Europeans to suppose that they should
bare an later? icw with some of the inhabitants of Sandwich

French Captains, supposed lie had perceived sonic
ivestigcv of La Perouse'x imf^irtunuto expedition ;
and tbcy stood to the southernmost island of this
little Archipelago. Like many of the islands in
the South Sea, this is guarded by reefs at no con-
siderable dirftance from the shore. They saw to
the south-east, a few cajioes going along between
the reefs, but no attfnuptei w«rB made to come to
them. They saw albo soverai.grdupii of havagcB,
standing on the prominciut points < * tho cuasl,
to take a survey of the ships.

The Admiral dispatched an officer on board
the Esperance, to consult with her Captain re-
specting tin.' measures neufiviary to be puilsuud at
the Admiralty IslantUi ivt consttquenoc of the in-
formal ion that hiid been transmitted to them at'
the Cape of Good Lio|>e. Ontbe^h, in the
morning, Captain Huon waited on the Admiral,
when it was decided that they should repair to
tlie island that y^aa in sight, to the north-east of
that which they had Just coasted.- In fact, one
of the depositions which bad been transmitted to
the commander, stated tliat it wm at the eastern-
most island that the savages, clothed in the
uniform of the French nav.y, had been seen.
About noon they were at tlie distance of a niy-
riameter from this island, when they perceived
some natives advancing towards th6 sed-shorc.
A few huts were distinguished at a distance ;
among the cocoa-nut trees; and other islanders
made their appearance on the south-east point.
The number gradually increased as they advanced
towards them. Several canoes were hauled up
on the sands, and our adventurers were in ex-
pectation of seeing them launch into the water to
come off to them ; but the natives seemed not to
shew the least disposition for approaching. As

Island: but it was probably too early in tho morning for
these savages to visit them, as not one of them apptared,
On the morning of the 37th, they saw the Portland Islands,
among which they ranged very close. They form a group *^
of seven Islots, which occupy a space of a myriuoieter ami
a half in extent; they are flat, covered with large trees.

the

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

n the morning for
of thi'm a|ii)L'.irod,

ic Portlantl Island',
hey furm a group

' a myriumctcr and i

with largo tiei't.

the

|1ie admiral wai inclined to have an interview
fwidi thero, they stood on, and brought to under
^hc Ice of the island, where thev found but in-
different shelter, as it is of araall extent. The
lavages had assembled in crowds : some of them
running along the beach, while others, looking
earneslly at the ships, invited them by signs to
come on shore : their shouts appeared to be ex-
pressive of joy. A few of them launched a
canoe, and seemed to hesitate for some time
fvhcther they should advance towards their ship ;
Jfut the Esperance being more to the windward,
khey steered towards her. The small canoe had
kn outrigger, and carried seven natives, who re-
lumed on shore iniinediutely.

At half past one they brought to, and a boat
.^a8 dispatched from each ship with a number of
articles, which were to be distributed among the
iiihabitants of this small island. They observed
that this was cultivated to its very summit.
Difl'orent plots of ground, enclosed by palisades,
Convinced the Europeans that the right of landed
jaroperty is not unknown to tlio inhabitants.
IThe whole of the island presents a roundish
Diountuin, the foot of which is adorned with
plantations of cocoa-palms, whilst the elevated
kputs seemed appropriated to the culture of
lible roots.

The boats having gone within a hundred meters
jf the coast, found no bottom with thirty-three
fathoms of line; the reefs which guarded it, pre-
irented them from approaching any nearer.
"roMdi of the natives advanced on that side : up-
.vards of one hundred and fifty of tbcm were
employing their utmost etfurts to induce them to
land on their island ; but the reefs presented an
obstacle which they could not overcome. These
lavages having thrown a few cocoa-nuts to our
id venturers, were exceedingly delighted to behold
vith what facility they opened them by means of
hatchet *.

• A native, distinguished from the rest by a dt>uble row

^f small fchfils upon his forehead, seemed invested with

treat authority, lid ordered a savage to jump into the

Vatcr, and take our adventurers some cocoa.nuts. The

lar of swimmlhg unarmed to persons with whom he was

|iac(|Oaintcd, made the poor fellow hesitate a little; but the

liief, unnccnitomed to meet with any resistance to his will,

^d nor allow him time to reflect, he enforced his orders by

reral blows on the belly of tJie man, who was obliged

Istantly to obey. To console the poor creature, a few

pts of red cloth, some nails, and a knife, were given him

" the Europeans, which he received with the most extra.

Vol. II. No. LXXil.

These islanders, who were charmed beyond
measure with the sight of the European nulls
and hatchets, were not equally enamoured witU
the knives. At first they would not receive them
till they were shut ; but their fears gradually
subsided, and they were willing to receive them
either shut or open. These people often rcpeati-
ed the word capelle, in asking fur the urticlos of
traffic. This was supposed to be the name given
by them to iron, which they preferred to any
thing that could be offered to them.

One of their canoes was driven by the sea,
against the barge belonging to the EuropcjinH,
and received some damage ; but instantly a man
belonging to the latter held the canoe, that she
might not receive a second stroke. One of the
chiefs, mistaking his intentions, cautioned the
paddlers to be* on their guard, and most of them
instantly abandoned her; jumptng overboard to
swim on shore to the island. The mistake, how-
ever, was by this time perfectly explained, and
confidence was re-established between the parties.
The women kept at a little distance, under the
cocoa-nut trees ; their whole cloathing consisted
of a piece of mat round the waist.

The men were eager to approach the boats of
the Europeans, but it soon appeared that cu-
riosity was not their only motive, as they exerted
all their ingenuity to get possession of the pro-
perty of these visitors. Impunity increased their
audacity, and when they missed their aim they
were not discouraged, though they were disap-
pointed; but took the earliest opportunity of
making a fresh attempt on some other article.
One of the thieves, who had taken a knife, was
detected in the fact, anrl prevented from carrying
it off': his want of success did not induce him to
renounce his enterprise ; nor was he a loser by
having been dilatory. A flag, in which red was
the predominant colour, attracted his attention,
and he soon became master of it : the last act of

vagant joy, as soon as he had landed, curiosity assembled
all the others round him ; and every one demanded a share
of the presents : some canoes were immediately launched, a
great many other natives swam oif to their boats, and, in a
short time, a vast concourse surrounded them. It teemed
astonishing that neither the violeace of the surf nor tliat
of the sea dashing against the breakers, had nut prevented
them from leaving the island. Another chief, emblazoned
with the same badges of distinction, was also dis'ingu^shcd
by the blows which he dealt liberally out with his stick, to
several of those wtlidt he honoured with las commands.

thieving

100

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OK LA PEROUSE.

I: :i ■'

\h: «ii

thiev.iig vpas not discovered till lie had got to a
cok.jiderable distance from the boat^ and near
landing on the inland *.

The natives of this island have not a very black
«k!n; their countenance is ag-recable, and not very
dissimilar to that of the Europeans. Born in a
fertile island, and under a clement sky, satisfac-
tion seems exhibited in their features. The boats
being ordered to return at four o'clock greatly
aflected the natives, who earnestly entreated leave
to stay on their island. The women assembled
on the beach, and were as importunate in their
invitations as the men had been: but orders were
given, and the boats could not defer their de-
parture. With regret the Europeans quitted the
savages, when they were launching into the water
several canoes loaded with cocoa-nuts, which
they were bringing to them. The delicious juice
of these fruits would have been highly useful ^n
arresting the progress of the scurvy, which was
beginning to make ra vu^es on board of the two
sliips.

At first these people seemed to manifest some
symptoms of honesty, but they were not long
before they displayed a very opposite inclination;
for, whenever they thought they could commit
thei't with impunity, they never let aa opportu-
nity escape them. They grew the more expert
in these practices as they grew in years, the oldest
among them being the most daring and incor-
Tiglble thieves. This island, which is nearly of
a circular form, is about a dcmi-myriameter in
length, and seems well peopled: near three hun-
dred inhabitants were seen by our Europeans.

On the 30t\i they stood to the northward of
the Admiralty Islands: there they saw a moun-^
tainous island occupying (he centre of this group,
the outlines of which are formed by several flat
islots, which seem to have recently emerged from
the bosom of the deep. They are, in some
tlegrecj linked to each other by reefs and sand-
banks. A great many cocoa palms were pcr-

» A looking-glass having been given to one of these
saviigeii, be viowud iiiinself in it with astoiii>hmeiit, and
■hortiy uftir broke it; imagining perhaps that it had the
ctl'ecl ot' magic.

t The great nnmber of i inocs wh'ich surrounded the I'lii.
ropeaus prevented several (rom corxing near the ship ; but
many of the paddlers jumped overboard, and swam to them
with the articles of tralTic. The dispusilion of these in.
iiabitants is remarkably mild, if a judgment may be formed

ceived on most of the islots : a vast assembly of
the natives presented themselves on the shore, and
some of them advanced as far as the' adjacent
reefs. The islots where no cocoa-nut trees were
observed, seemed to be uninhabited.

Several canoes were launched, and six which
h: d just set their sails, directed their course to-
wards the Europeans. They immediately brought
to, in order to wait for them : so/ne of them were
conducted by seven, and others by nine men,
When they were within six hundred meters of
the ship, the savages took in their sail, and em-
ployed their paddles to get nearer. Each canoe
was under the iireciicni of a chief, who stood on
a platform to pronounce his orders. When these
canoes had advanced about three hundred meters
by paddling, they stopped, and with an exalted
voice, addressed a long speech to the Europeans.
His eloquence was entirely lost, but the signs he
made evidently demonstrated that he was iuvitintr
them to come on shore.

Our adventurers endeavoured to prevail on
them to come nearer the ships. They could not
resist the sight of some pieces of red cloth, and,
after a little consultation among them, they ven-
tured to advance a little. Some nails and knives
fastened to a plank, and lowered down to them,
dilFuned groat joy among them, when the savage,
who untied them, held them up tothe rest.

These savages now presumed to come nearer to 5|
the ship, but without consenting to come on
board. By degrees the member of their canoes
increased, and traffic was carried on with inte-
grity: several oi' the natives, who had beenj^
pushed from the ship by the canoes, before ihvj
had time 4o pay for the article they had pur-
chased, made every effort to bring back its equi- I
valent. They seduloiialy sought for the person '|
to whom they were indebted, and when he was
found, delivered to him the value of the goodj
they had received f. ;>|

The greater part of these savages had their!

can!

la\

Jia

lim

["hi

>ai

ind

^ut

An
^nd
Bimi
if t

iiOM

da
S.
»pt
)ass
•tye-
ihe
lut

VCTl

T
ree,

klan
Irea

of it by tht'iT conduct towards the Kurppeans ; and an air
of good nttnro «as depicted in their ttilurrs. How very
different are these, from the savages of a little island they
had visited a few days before! it is surprising to find »u
much diirerence in the manners of savage* at so short a
distance from each other, and who are eqiially borderin;;
on a state of nature! But it shonid be riinembereJ that tlio
former had only to deal with boats, while the latter tral.
ficked with ships, which j)frhaps kept them iu awe.

Tlie

Ti
le a

nc!
rcs(
iid
»t,
ellc

VOYAGE rW SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

101

;st aseembly of
the shore, and
s the' adjacent
-nut trees were
d.

and six which
lieir course to-
d lately brought 1
le of them were
by nine men,
dred meters of
r sail, and em-
Each canoe
, who stood on
s. When these
hundred meters i
fith an exalted i
the Europeans, '
)ut the signs lie
he was invitinf;

to prevail on
They could not
red cloth, and, ]
ihem, they ven-
miis and knives:
down to them,
hen the savage,
lothe rest. I
) come nearer to
ig to come on '*

of their canoes
1 oil with iiite-
who had been,
oes, before thry 'M

they had pi>r-l|
g back its equi- '

for the person'
nd when he was
ue of the good^i

vagcs had their |
eaij

pppans ; and an air
'iiturrs. How very
a little jslaiiU thry
nrprhing to find su
•a^i:i iU su shart a
v. oqiially bordi'riiii;
'I'liiciubi'rcd that tlio
iili> the latter traf.
bciu ill awv.

The

ars pierced,' and difterentBhells fastened to them;
rf is the interior \oht of the car, which, after
having been bored, they distend so exlremply, ,
Jiat it hangs down lower than the shoulder,
iheir hair is black and curly ; but they some-
[imes redden it with an ochre mixed with oil. I
Their skin is of a light black : it is sometimes
jaiuted with red in different parts of the body,
Ind especially the face.

t Neither bows nor clubs were seen among them ;
but theV have darts, from a meter and a half to

wo meters long. The volcanic .stone, with
jrhich these were armed, was sharp on each edge,
iiul its whole length was three fourths of a de-
feimeter: this agate was fixed at one of the onds
|f the dart, where itwas fastened with a cord
Ljovered with a species of mastic. This must be

i dangerous weapon among naked people.

Several of the natives had a hole bored in the
.fptura of the nose^ through which they had
massed a string: at the extremities of which long ■
aiye-teeth were suspended. An order issueii by
the admiral had very much impeded the traffic,
lut the savages had still many articles which they

cere desirous of parting with.

Their canoes are formed of the trunk of a
ree, hollowed out, and its sides raised with
flanks : they are about two thirds of a meter in
freadth, and ten meters in length. Thay have
In outrigger of about four meters lo.ig, which
Uso extends laterally almost the same distance.
&n the opposite side is another outrigger, which
iocis not dip into the wateis Sw ving only to steady ;
Ibe sail. The chief som^-times sits on it. The
^il is made of matting, and is square, the sides
Df which are four meters in len^h : two cylin-
)ricai spars, of the same dimensions, supply the
place of a yard. Their paddles are broad in the
llade, and have a handle about two meters lopg :
savage placed near the stern, steers with his
saddle. Close to a fishing place, our ttdven-

irers saw seventeen canoes, which immedijitdy

egao to paddle towards them. They brougtit

The chief of each canoe usually made the paddlori rcsi(?n
ke articles they had received from the naTigatcrs. Some-

lies they employed force to oblige them to .deliver tlie
resents they had received to. them. One of the paddlers
Id just accepted of a piece of red serge, which hn would
It part with to one of the chiefs, till the latter had com-
ellcd him to do so, by giviog him a very severe drnbhinc;.

* X be clouds appeared to be agitated by a whirlwiud,

to, in order to wait' for them;" but, disregarding
their invitations, they kept at tiie distance of a
kilometer from, the ship: they therefore made
sail ,agaiii,r'«teering west by south.

In the; evening two canoes put off from the
coast, and directed their course towards the Eu-
ropeans. It was dark when they gotiwithin hail.
One of the chiefs very audibly addressed them :
as it was almpst calm, the adventurers endeavour-
ed to attract them to their ship; but they would
not venture near enough to receive their presents.
Sortie of the officers imagined, that a sky-rocket
would afford them pleasure, >but it was found to
have a contrary effect ; for the sight c " it only
terrided them, and caused them to make off with
pr6(iipitation. '

At break of day on the first of August, our
adventurers perceived the Hermits' Islands, dis-
covered in 1781 by Don Francisco Antonio
Maurelli, in the Spanish ship of war. La
Princessa. Their high lands seemed, at a
distltnce, to leave between them siiQ'cieiit intervals
to. afford; a passage for ships; but they after-
wards discovered low coasts strc^tching out into
the sea; and they distinguished the reefs by which
they were connected. This little Archipelago is
composed of tliirteen isJots, in the midst of which
lies a principal island, whose extent is about
three o^yriameters. The group of the Hermits*
Islands, including the reefs, is about seven my-
riameterS:in circumference.

At five in the afternoon of the 8tli, they were
Hnder the equator, when they saw at the distance
of one third of a myriamotecj a couMderable
water-spout forming to the south-west. Though
the air was perfectly still around them, the sea
was frothyi and much agitated at the spot where
the water-spout originated. A small cloud was
stationary at a few decimeters above the place
whence it rose. The water-s. out had the form
of two very elongated cones, united at their
summit; the base of one resting on the sea, that
of the other was lost in a sombre cloud *.

During

which, collecting a vast quantity of watOr, was pouring
down in torrents. If, as some natural philosophers assert,
a water-spout sucked up the waters of tlie sea in a great
volume, this water ought to be salt at its fall, which by no
means accords with experience : a person of credit; who
saw two fall ou board a ship, assured the Admiral, that
they had constantly discharged fresh water. In the con-
trary luppositioB) this pbeaomenon may be easily explain.

102

-VOYAGE IN SEARCH. OF LA PEROUSE.

*; During a great part of the night of the 18th
ihe Awind had roared over the lands of New
Guinea, and driven a vast quantity towards this
quarter. The sky seemed to announce a tempest ;
but it may be necessary to remark, that the storms
.-near the ' quator display a more menacing aspect
than is usually realized : it was not long before
very fine weather succeeded.

Our adventurers saw, stretching from east to
west, a fine ctiain of mountains, the most elevated
of which was about fifteen hundred meters in
■perpendicular height: the lofty trees which
covered them, added much to the grandeur of
the landscape. On the 19th, at two kilometers
from New Guinea, they sounded with a line of a
hundred fathoms, without striking ground. Two
fires, announced by the rising of the smokcat the
foot of the large trees, were the first indications
that this country was inhabited.

They were now at no considerable distance
from the Cape of Good Hope of New Guinea,
Avhich they doubled at the distance of two kilo-
meters. On the 236, they ran very close along
the shores of New Guinea, intending to enter
among the Moluccas, by Watson's Strait. At
nine in the evening, they heard, towards the
western shore, the voice of some savages, seem-
ingly addressed to them : a fire appeared at the
same time. On the 24th, at day-break, they
■ were close to Passage Island, and perceived on
the Batanta coast, a small village ; the inhabi-
tants of which seemed to view them with indif-
ference. Pitt's Strait is about five myriameters
in length, and one rayriameter in width. When
they tried for soundings, they could not strike

«d. The transparcucy of (he «ca.water was changed during
the whole day of the 9th by afucuS) consistiug of very short,
and Tcry stringy ilamcnts.

Sharks arc numerous in these seas : sercral were taken of
the species most widely difl'used (squalus carchurias.) One
of these, of a^..idd ling size, astonished uur navigators with
its Toracity, Though pricked by four successive hooks in
less that half an hour, it persevered in following them till
it suffered itself to be caught.

The surface of the sea was violently agitated on the 12th,
throughout a great space: Captain Hnon, imagining this
tti -ght proceed from breakers, put about: but the illusion
presently disappeared. ' This notion was produced by a
, considerable nhoal of tishes, Mhich were rising to the surface
of the waters they wor<! followed by a vast number of
birds. I

* It is remarkable 'that though salt meat is one of the
principal causes of the scurvy among seamen, two of the
persons on board, wh»wcre violently attankod with it, had
not eaten any. One of these worked in the hold, and the

ground with a line of one hundred an(| twenty- five
fathoms. They put about to avoid some shoals ;
several persons, however, were of opinion, tliat
there was a sufficient depth of water for the shipj
to go over them*

On the 27th the ship was surrounded Ij
twenty-seven whales, which were six or. seven
■meters in length. On the Istof September, being
a clear day, our adventurers enjoyed the grand
prospect of several chains of mountains, parallel
in their direction from east to west. They saw
several fireb lighted on the island of Geram, and
a fire on one of the mountains, which pro\ei
that their summits are frequented by the ualives,
On the approach of night, they were two kilo-
meters from the coast of Ceram. They also saw '
pretty close to the shore, several fires, which ap-
peared to be kindled above the water by fisher-
men, in order to attract the fish.

A sea-breeze which sprung up about ten in
the morning of the 4th, favoured their prx)gr(si
to the southward, and they soon perceived (he
west coast of Amboyna to the soulh-south-cai<t.
The situation of their scorbutic people, was daily
becoming more alarming ; and the number oi
them increased with such rapidity, that tliev
wished earnestly for favourable winds: the con
tinual rains at Carteret's Harliour, had greatlv
augmented their disorder, most of them sufiering
acute pains in the loins*.

They made some stretches, which brought them
sufficiently near to the west extremfty of Am-
boyna f , to enable them to enter the roadstead
during the night. Admiral D'Kntrccaiteaux
dispatched his second lieutenant to (be Governor

1 I Til — r

noxious air whicJi he there inliukd, added to the great In;.
midity of that part of the ship, greatly accelerated tlii
disorder.

+ The Lslands of Amboyna and nan<la were thken, witi.
out rasistance, in February and March, 1790, bv ibr
English adniiral F itr. >Vhen thviKnglish seized tluM
islands in 1796, L/. annual produce was about 163/)(ili,
pounds of nutmegS) and 40,000 pounds of maCe.

The nutmcg.tree groMs to the siie of a pear tree, (h(
leaves resembling those of a laurel, and bears fruit from the
age of ten to one hundred years. '- Thi' nutmeg, whn
ripe on the tree, has both a very curious and beautiful aji.
pearance; it is about the size of an apricot, and nearly of
a similar colour, with the tame kind of hollow mark ail
round it; in .shape it i.s somewhat like a pear: when perfuctly
ripe, the rind over the mark opens, and discovers theiiiiin'.
of a deep red, growing over, and covering in part, Iht
thin sh ill of the nutmeg which is black." Amtic Rrsiiln,
1800. j. 210..

ui ^i

VOYAGE IN* SEARCH OP TA' PEROUSE.

103

an^tweniy-fjve
id some 8ho<ils ;
»f opinion, tliat
iter for the ships

surrounded bj

re six or. seven'
eptember, beitijr
jojed the grand
untains, parallel
kcst. They saw

of Geram^ and
», which pro\ej
1 by the naJives,

were two kilo-
They also saw
fires, which a|)-*^|

water by fisher

up about ten in ,
ed their prxigrisi
)n perceived (he'
soulh-south-east.
people, was daily
i the number ol
idity, that tliev
winds: the con '
iiur, had great I v;^
of ttiem sufl'ering ^

icli brought them

xtremfty of Am-

er the roadstead

D'Kntrccaiteaux

t to (he Goveriioi

■j

drd to the great liu.
:atly accelerated tliij

Ilia were fefccn, wit'n.
arch, 1796, by tbf
Kiiglish soiled tlu«
'. waa about 163/m v
Js of macc.

of a pear tree, (ht
it bear* fruit from the

ThtJ nutmeg, wliii
)iis aud beautiful a;>.
))ricot, and nearly o(
d of hollow maik all
. pear: when perftftly
iiddiicoTon thciiiaro,
coTering In pnrt, iht

' Amtic lirgitU-',

)( Araboyna, io ask permission to piit into the
pglaiul. The governor, assembled his council,
^iid permitted them to anchor. They found, in
ihis little island, the means of supplying their
(hips, far beyond their expectations, with every
ihing that was necessary for continuing their

'oyage.
. A captain, in the Dutch East-India Company's
^rvice, was sent by the Governor to point out
le place where our navigators were to anchor.

After havi>;g made several boards, they came to
at half past one in the afternoon, in twenty-seven
fathoms water, the bottom muddy sand. There
was then h^^t'e a Company's ship, taking in her
c^rgo. of cloves. The Esperance anchored half
an hour after to the north-east of the Recherche,
In the road were eighteen vessels, all under Dutch
colours. One of these only was a three-masted
ship ,* the others were chieBy brigs and sloops.

mniiyt tA

,1 I

* SECTION VII. , -

tatj at Amboynn—A Boy drowned from the RcclicrcJie — A Visit to the Governor — Excursions into
the Interior of the Island — One of the Mituralists becomes indisposed^His. Disorder — Excellent
Juice of the Sago Palm— Uses and Virtues of that Tree — Account of the Flying Lizard — 4.
Dutch Sailor conceals himself in the Woods, to avoid going to Batavia — Habitations of the Mitives
of Amboyna — Their Dress, %c. — Culture of the Mitmeg-Tree — Culture of the Clove-Tree —
Fishing Places of the InhabitantS'^Sago Palm — Extraction of its Pith — Observations on the
Island and its Inhabitants.

T half an hour after three, they saluted the
fort with nine guns; and the fort saluted
icm with the same number. The admiral had
^vited all the officers to acconv^iarty him, at five

the afternoon, to pay a visit to the governor ;
it our naturalist, knowing nothing of this ar-
^ngcment, strolled about the towni He found

surrounded by gardens, where the principal
ilture is that of trees, which highly favour the
^dolence of man under a burning sky, by yield-
tg him a profusion of delicious fruits, requiring
'itic more trouble than to gather them.

Diiferent varieties of plantain trees, and many
>ecic8 of orange-trees, were growing in these
itful gardens: the guava, the custard-

iple, and difltrent species of annona here yield
ieir exquisite fruits. A few trees of the heniie
lere also remarked, which rose to the height of
Vir meters. The Arabian jasmin, rising among
Kse charming trees, blended their sweet odour
1th so many delicious perfumes.
[On returning to the town, a minister of the

ntestant religion invited them to his bouse,
brought them several sorts of spirituous

r* Gabrii'l Abalcn, a boy belout^ing to the ship, who tvas
pointed to attend on the warrant ofHccrs, disappeared in
J evening of the 7th : ho had been seen on board the
lole day ; but, in the CTcning, they called him scTcral
fees in vain. This youth, though of a mild and temperate

IVoL. II. No. LXXII.

"• -V-) ■_- ...

liquors; but water, perfectly limpid, just taken
from the spring, was the most agreeable beverage,
especially to persons who had been long reduced
to a brackish element, and fed only upon salt
provision. This worthy ecclesiastic was astonish-
ed at having entertained them at so cheap a
rate. He informed them that earthquakes were
frequent at Amboyna, and that one of unusual
violence hud been felt within a few years : that it
had been acooinpanied by a hurricane, which
continued three days; and, during all this time,
the sea had exceeded its limits, and inundated
the country where the town is situated*.

It was very necessary for our navigators to
remain on shcre, in order to recover their
strength ; the Governor therefore consented to
their taking lodgings in the town. When they
were introduced to this exalted character, he re-
ceived them in the most gracious manner ; but
they were concerned at his having, on their
account, encumbered himself with his full dress:
he was almost suilbcatcd with heat under a very
heavy black velvet coat : such a dress is extremely
inconvenient near the line; but the Dutch go>

disposition, liad drank enough in the course of the day, to
create the i^rcutest inquietude respecting his fate. lie might
have fallen overboard, and it was well known that he could
not swim. .■■,<■•

i." ' .

vernors

104

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

\h '■

k 'n

vernors wear it because it is a prerogative of
their office *.

The Dutch in Amboyna are in the habit of
bathing every three or four days> and at those
times they carefully avoid exposing themselves to
the great heat, >vhich is experienced from eleven
in the morning till three in the afternoon. Our
navigators made several attempts to penetrate
into the middle of the large plantations of sago-
palms ; but the waters, which wash the foot of
these palms, often obliged them to return as
they went: this tree, which is so conducive to
the nourishment of man, forms a considerable
part of the riches of the isla'nd.

On the beach, at low water, our adventurers
saw a great number of crabs, of the species
called caticer vocans. This singular species of
animal, one of whose claws is sometimes larger
than the body, often becomes the prey of the
birds. A little excursion to the south of the
town, procured them a sight of the tomb of
Kumphius. The simplicity of this monument
reminded them of th6 simplicity of the manners
of this accurate observer of nature. His tomb
was surrounded by the shrub known by the name
of pana fruticosum. In the morning of the 15th
they went to the westward ; but the heat was so

* Some rpfreshments wcro served up : the admiral wished
for some good water, and poured out some which appeared
to him (he clearest: but he found it saline and unpleasant.
Jl was Settzer water, much Talucd by the Dutch as an
agrcpuble liquor ; and costs them as much as the best Rhenish
wine: but it might well have been supposed, that under a
burning sky, after a lung privation of fresh meat, our ad.
venturers could not have much inclination to drink salt
water.

The admiral next proposed to introduce the party to the
members of the couuril: thoy approved of his proposal,
and were all respectfully recei.^-. The fears of our na«
vigators, respecting the lad who had disa|)pi>ared three
diiys before, were but two well founded ; at half past two
in the afternoon of the 10th, he was discovered beginning
to float near the ship. This young man was much regretted
l)y all the ship's company; and several exclaimed ogainstthc
inattention of those who, having brought him up in hjs
infancy, had not caused him to learn to swim. Itis devoutly
to be wished that this event may serve as an example to
others, " I have seen with astonishment," says the nar-
rator of this voyoge, " that many seamen could not swim."
The west end of the town where our navigators resided,
is the quarter principally inhabited by the Chinese : very
few of the natives of the island live in it, and only one
Dutchman. The other Dutchmen arc situated about the
centre of the town, or towards tlie cast side of it. The
company's garden contains nothing remarkable but a very
conTenienl batb; wlicr« tlie Governor went regularly every

oppressive about noim, that they found it neccs<
sary to return to their lodging.

Having for some time followed the banks of
a small river, which discharges itself in the
roadstead not far from the town, they were re-
turning loaded with fine plants, when, on the
approach of night, they met with some natives
who had been successful in fishing, and were
preparing to dress their fish. They saw them
kindle a fire by means of two pieces of bamboo,
rubbed one against the other f .

On the 25th Citizen Riche, and another, went
up the river called Balfu Ganton, which dis-
charges its waters into the roadstead of the town.
They proposed to ascend this river as high as
possible, and to follow its banks as closely as
they could ; but their steepness induced them tu
cross the water, which seldom exceeded a dcmi-
meter in depth. They had not proceeded many ^
yards, when they met a Dutch sailor, who had
deserted from a large ship laden with cloves,
which was destined to sail for Batavia. Tlie
fear of falling a victim to the contagious disorder,
so fatal to Europeans, operated so powerfully on
this poor man, that he resolved to conceal him-
self in the woods till the ship bad sailed. They
sincerely pitied his lot, little supposing that the

three or four days: another bath near h, i* appropr, td
to the use of the woqicn.

+ Among the number^ of lizards, engaged in the pursti,
of insects, the activity of that which is called the fly in;'
lizard, is admirable. During the greatest heat of the day,,
this pretty animal was scon darting with rapidity from braiirh
to branch, extending two membranes, like wings, by nitMni
of which it occasionally supports itself in the air. As nature
has not furnished it with muscles necessary for Uappin,-
such wings, it can only counteract them by moderating tho
rapidity of its fall.

Wisliing to out some branches of different plants, rulti.
vatal in a garden belonging to one of the natives of ilio
Island, our naturalist was disstiaded from it by one of th;
party, by representing tliat he would expose himsilf to ;
danger; ho pointed to u small shed, and several times re
peatcd, with an air of respect miuglud with fear, the wnri
matai; when their interpreter informed them that by tliii
term, which signifies a dead body, they meant to convc) ai
idea of the former possessor of this garden, who had him
buried under the shed that they beheld. These Inhabil.ini!
bt'lievc that the soul of the deceased wanders roand thcii
places, to protect the produce of them for the present pro.
prietor ; and that any other person who shonid posMsi
himself of if, would die within the year. This opinion is
so generally difl"used and acknowledged, that one iiuiirt
seldom ventures to touch the property of another: th«
malai is therefore a bugbear which generally secures llit
crop to the legal possessor!

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

10$

■'<:!

)und it iiecc3«

the banks of
itself in the
they vrcre re-
vrhen, on tlie
some natives
ng, and were
hey saw them
es of bamboo,

another, went
m, which dis-
d of the town.
,'er as high as

as closely na
dticed them tu j|^,
cecded a demi- '
roceeded many
lilor, who had
n with cloves,
Batavia. Tiie
igious disorder,

powerfully on
[o conceal hitn>
I sailed. Thoj
posing that the

it, ii appropr.

aged in the pur^iii
m called the fljinjV
!St heat of the day,.
ipidity from brunch
,kc wiii^s, by mem
I the air. As niiture "
cssary for Uapijin-
I by moderating the

'erant plants, rulti.

the natives of tin
in it by one of th;

cxpoiic himself ii ,
d «e»eral times re.
with fear, the w(ui
1 them that by llii)
meant to convoy ai
den, who had hton
These inhablt.iiits
vanders ronnd ttui;
for the present pro.
who should jJOSMi!
ir. This opinion ii
cd, that oni> aatiu
ty of anotlirr: tht
^uncrally secures tin

. abodi

,bode which he so much dreadetl, was reserved
or the termination of their expedition.

Having expeditiously exhausted all their pro-
isions, they entertained hopes of purchasing
from the natives, a sufficient supply for the re-
ainder of the day. It was three o'clock in the
fternoon when they took the liberty of calling
t a small house near the bank of the river ; but
,e mistress of this habitation assured them that
ie had not what they wanted. They protested
ey would pay her liberally for whatever she
ould furnish. After a little conversation be-
een the parties, it appeared in the sequel, that
.ese peaceable natives are not always satisfied
ith the proceedings of the Europeans, who are
eir masters in the island ; and had frequently
en deceived by relying on their promises. At
ngth, some glasses of arrack, and a few articles
f hardware, procured them her confidence.
They were invited to sit down under the shed,
, rmed by a continuation of the roof of the
kouse. Some cray-fishes, caught in the stream
already mentioned, were set before them in pro-
sion. Sweet potatoes and yams were roasted
r them, and their beverage was a slightly fer-
ented wine of the sago-palm. The young
msel, who had the trouble of preparing this
past, had a captivating face, and an engaging
rson : an ingenious air added to the interest
le had inspired. Having brought them some
uit, she retreated, and sat down behind her
other, occasionally casting some glance's at the
w guests, to satisfy her curiosity.
They found the purest gratification in this little
ast: the construction of their houses is adapt-
to the fineness of the climate, and their light-
ness requires no digging below the rocks for a
" undation. As they never experience a severe
ason, the walls are so constructed as to leave
free passage for the air : they consist of pa-
ades, usually formed of the stems of bamboo,
most adjoining to each other.
It appeared extraordinary that these inhabi-
ts, who are so fond of ease, lie on a sort of
ice of sticks, placed at the distance of a demi-
imeter from each other. This bed was very
ird, though it was covered with mats ; but
sc who reposed on them enjoyed the freshness

From the mildness of the climate, the inhabitants rc>

|ire little rluathini; : a pair of drawers, descending no

rcr thi.n the middle of the thigh, or a piece of blue cloth

bteucd i'o;|ud tlic loius; is the only cioathing of the mcu

of the air, which circulated freely through th«
interstices. It was raised a dcmi-meter above the
ground; and under it were deposited a part of
the household utensils ; consisting of three ear-
then pots, intended for dressing their food ; a
few bottles, which they had purchased from Eu-
ropeans; and some spoons, formed from the large
shells that are common in Amboyna. Under
this bed was also deposited a pick-axc, and a
large knife, partaking of the shape of a butcher's
cleaver *.

The presents which our adventurers liberally
bestowed excited the gratitude of these people :
the young girl, after a short absence, returned
to oflfer, them some fragrant flowers. A thread
was necessary to tie them into nosegays, which
was procured from the bastard aloe, called agave
vivipara. The master of the house went im-
mediately and cut a branch of this plant, and,
after scraping off its pulp, he obtained from it
a fascicle of threads its long as the leaf, and as
strong as those of the best hemp.

On their return they met a slave, whose decre-
pitude excited their curiosity. They could get
no satisfactory information from Uim respecting
his age : he was totally ignorant of the matter.
How strange it appeared that a man should not
remember the number of years he had passed in
slavery !

On the 27th one of our adventurers went up
the roadstead in a canoe, with a double outrigger.
Some of the sportsmen, proceeding qiiickly io
the eastward of the town, joined the party. They
followed the right hand shore of tlic road, at a
small distance from the coast : the water was so
limpid that they could see at the depth of three
or four fathoms, a white bottom composed of
madrepora;, on which they distinguished a species
of ray, remarkable for large circular spots of a
light azure blue, and several other fishes of very
brilliant colours. Among other paddlers, they
had a New Guinea man, who had the dexterity
to strike several.

Having got about three kilometers from the
town, they admired the charming situation of a
country-house belonging to the governor, at the
foot of the mountains, the chain of which ter-
minates at no great dist .icc from the roadstead.

employed in agriculture. The dress of the •women is more
expensive : the wear a sort of chemise of the same kind of
cloth, reaching to the middle of the leg, which is fastened
by a girdle round their waist.

10(f

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PF.ROUSE.

i t

A small house, inhabited by natives, and sur-
rounded by clove and plantain trees, added
beauty to the landscape. After having passed
some fishing places, they landed about a my-
riameter fronJ the town, near a house, the master
of which gave them as many cocoa-nuts as they
desired. They had witli them some seamen, who,
finding this liquor too sweet, mixed a sufficient
quantity of brandy with it, and they had the
pleasure to observe that the host did not disap-
prove of this l)everage *.

Curiosity induced one of our adventurers to
visit a house situated near the sea-shore. He
there found an old. man, who, contrary to the
custom of these islanders, wore a long beard : he
was employed in cooking some whelks, which he
had just picked up at low water, at the foot of
the mangroves near his' habitation. This vene-
rable personage, instead of being surprised at
his visit, invited him to partake of his repast.
The consort of this aged native joined him soon
after ; whose youth would have astonished him,
had he not been aware that these islanders place
their happiness in marrying very young girls.
Their countenance assumes great animation, when
they speak of a young female, and make horrible
grimaces, and distortions of face, when they
talk of an old woman.

Almost the whole of the 28lh was employed
in preparing and describing the specimens col-
lected before. Our naturalist found in an excur-
sion the pretty lizard called lacerta amboynensis ;
he observed that it changed its colour like the
cameleon; its most usual colour was green, and
it frequently turned to a dark brown. Though
this lizard moves rapidly, it was caught without
difficulty; as it sud'cred itself to be approached
80 near as to expose the extremity of its long tail
to the eagerness of its pursuers.

One of our navigators walked to the sea-side,

* The manner in which the natives of this country pro<
CTire fiiT, \% well infiticd to notico: it is not so commodious
IS a. good flint ami steel, but they ran find, almost crery
where, the siibslanru uhich produces it ; for a bit of bam.
Loo is all that is required. They split into two equal parts,
a pieie of bamboo a demi-nicter long: iu one of these
par" ■ cy make a longitudinal slit, and shape the other to
a Si.-. |) edge, leaving it four centimeters in width. They
put some of the scrapings of the same wood in the hollow,
and underneath the slit^ of the largest piece, which they
place in a horizontal position, which the convex part upper,
most; they then introduce the other piece into the middle
of the slit, having made a notch to receive it, and pressing

in the evening, to examine the marine produc-
tions there to be met with ; and he prosecuted
these researches till tiark. He observed sonit-
fishermen, in their canoes not far from the shore,
who were availing themselves of the darkness ot
the night to attract tlie fish, by means of fires
lighted near the surface of the water. One (i|
the fishermen was employed iri keeping the fiic
in a flourishing condition, while the others wen
occupied in accumulating the fish in their nois,
attracted from a great distance by this da/zlin r
light: these islanders, upon this occasion, proved
themselves very dexterous fisher.nenf.

One of the naturalists fouml iu the garden^
cultivated by the natives, a few iiutnieg-lrtos, Hk
largest of which did not exceed seven meters ii,
height, nor two thirds of a decimeter in lhickn(> -
Plenty of fruit were (hen observed «)n them.
The nutmeg delights in the shade of the \ax<zi
trees: these were sheltered by the canariiim ru)r-
munc. They are sheltered by the same tree ii,
the island of l?anda, whuh is principally ap-
propriated to their culture by the Dutch.

The council ol (he Dutch East India Com-
pany, which resides at Batavia, finding the pro-
duce of the nutmeg-trees of ]]aiida sutHcient Wv,
exportation, ordered, a few years previous to iIh'
arrival of our adventurers at Ambovna, all tlit
nutm'jg-trees that grew there to be destroNoiJ
This order was so completely execulcd, that vrrv
few escaped. A hurricane, ni the very sainf
year, efiected at Banda, what the council had
just caused io be executed at Aniboynu. Ordnj
were then given by the council to endeavour to
repair the mischief which they had done at<
Amboyna. The culture of (he nutmcg-lree was^
re-established; iu consequence of which, tlmsc
which were now met with on the shores of the
roadstead, were still very yoiuig.

They saw the beautiful laurel called lauras

it strongly they cause it to make ''ic motion of a saw, whoa I
in the space of less than a minute, the scrapings take Are. ^

+ At Karuka, a small island to the westward of Amboyna
two springs present themselves, the heat of which is so con.'
fiderable, that several iMiropeans have aflfinned they will
boil an e^g hard in the space of five minutes. The burnin,'
vapour is.^uing from these waters is not prejudicial to (.',o
trees whirh are continually laved by it ; on the confr.ir),
they display a vigorous vegetation. In the island of Baiidj,
also to the eastward of Amboyna, there is an open voIcimic.
The island of Karuka is chiefl/ dcrotcd to the cultured
the clove tree.

• " - €urilab(ir,

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEKOUSE.

107

el called lauras

arilaUn, \»Jnch yields by distillation/ an aro-
jatic oil much estoeined. The largest clove-
recs that were seen in this excursion were about
jveri meters in height. The natives carefully
void exposing them to the rays of the sun,
^hicb would take away part of the essential oil
\{ (ii'a excellent aromaiio.

On the first of October they employed a few

jiours in visiting the Governor's cabinet of natural

tistorv, in which were found a numerous col-

Mion of beautiful butterflies in perfect jirescr-

Ann\. Among ihcm were a great many double

OS, extremely uncommon: a large box was

tirely filled with the beauliful species cnllcd

ninlio (igti.mcDii'.oii. In this cabinet were also

^bser^ed an excellent choice of shells, among

Irhich were upwards of twenty screw shells.

Baptain lluon obtained a number of very rare

jells from the secretary of the Council ; among

Jhcrs, one of the rarest and most valuable, the

liissy nantiliis, which that officer has bequeathed

I the Museum of Natural History at Paris*.

Citizen Riche, the naturalist, made the paJ-

lers dive, when they often brought up some va-

lablo marine productions. A beautiful shrub,

lown under the name of ahrouen aiigustn, was

^uch adnured. The nutmeg-trees here attract

jcons of the species called columha alba.

hio.se which our adventurers hud shot, had their

(raw filled with nutmegs.

The excessive perspiration, encouraged by this
irning climate, I'rt'queutly produces cutaneous
lordcrs. Five of the islanders, at whose ha-
fafioiis our adventurers slopped, hud their
)(lies covered wi(h vuiij<h,iri, the scales of which,
hen lliey fell olf, Vi'crc immediately replaced
others. This disease sometimes spreads
ver every |)art of the boilv. Children werealso
[en ndlicted with a cutaneous disease, which
ItK not attended with any degree of pain; though
fousidcrable pint was co%(Me(l with large warts,
Ithin a third vf a decimeter from each other,
[in the eveiimg of the Dth the Governor gave
enfcrtainniriit, to celebrate the birth-day of
of his sons, who was then in Europe for the

Thry remarked, in a biiul of iho land, on tli« skirts

B sandy bt'ach, HOinti plaivs for L<iitr<ip|)iiig lish, formed

IAD iriciuKurc of baniboo>i, hu clogcly fixed as to prevent

from t'Si-;i|)iitg. Tliis reservoir presented a vast

tity uf tliCEc iiq'iatiridliubit.tnis for their pursuers. Not

(iie hiiiRan race aOciided tticin, but titiruns and kin^.

n wer« ficipieiit viHifois, The presence of our ad.

01,. n. No, LWUl.

complttion of his education. The coolness of
the atmosphere at that time permitted dancing ;
the ball was already begun, and several cotillions
had been formtd in the grand saloon, in which
his EAcellency had received them, and the Ad-
miral D'Entrecasteaux, at the first visit they
paid him. The orchestra consisted of four black
slaves who played the viohn, and of another
who played the bass. The ball was followed by
a splendid entertainment, which was exhibited
on the same scene.

From the nuud)er of guests assembled about
nine o'clock, ihe supper party was expected to
be nunterous ; but tlie majority of the company
were iudiflerent about dancing, and did not
tnako their appearance till towards ten. Ciicer-
fulness presided at this repast, and the ball was
not concluded till sun-rise.

Our navigators were surprised, at this enter-
tainment, not to find M. Stramfer, a minister of
the Protestant religion, from whom they had re-
ceived the greatest civility and attention : but
they soon obtained information that he had lately
incurred the displeasure of the governor; be-
cause, after having for several years assiduously
attended the education of his children, this poor
clergyman had thought proper to solicit pay-
ment for his services. His Excellency more than
intimated (hat the honour of educating the Go-
vernor's children, was an ample compensation:
and, if he expected more, he would find himself
mistaken.

The island of Amboyna, named Avihou by the
natives, was then the first of the Dutch govern-
ments in India, aftei- the general government of
Balavia. The road of Amboyna forms a channel
about two niyriaiu.ters long, and two thirds of a
myriameter in hroadth. "in many places, it*
shores aiford good anchorage : in some, how-
ever, there is a bottom of coral. Towards the
middle, the d«'pth of water is too deep for an-
choring.

The island of Atnboyna is divided into several
districts, which in many places forms so many
villages, called in/.i^rccs, the command of each

venturers oreasioned a few of tlietii to llyawav; but «eve.ral
others rcmainid witli their long daws deeply buried in the
water, patiently waiting for a favourable oiipordinity of
seizing on them. Pcrchetl on the bamboo which constitutes
the iiiclosurc, many of these birds were seen darling, from
time to time, on (he unwary finny prey, and selecting then
for a repast. .

E e nygree

108

VOYAGK IN' SEARCH OF LA PEROURF.

nygtee in given to a native, and with it the title
ot" Orankcti/c. This man, to whom the pohce
of this small canton is cunBded, is responsihlc
to tlMc Dutch government; to which he applies
in cases of importance. The Dutch East India
Companyj on investing" a person with this au-
thority, presents him with a silver hilted sword.
The chiefs are clothed in the European manner ;
and all in hlack. They wear a cocked hat,
sharply pointed at the corners, which are very
low: shoes are added to this ollicial dress, which
are onlj worn when they arc obliged to appear
in public, or in the presence of the Dutch chiefs.
Orankaxjc is formed of two Malay words, oran
kni/a, w}ii(l), 1ran?lated literally, signiiy riclt
inaii. The inhabitants of Aniboyna spc.ik llir
Malay language : it is very soft, and has some
analogy with the language of the inhahitanis
of the South Sea. The use of betel has been

r- o(s, and a great number of trees, furnish them
almost w ithout culture, an abundant subsistence;
nature seeming inclined to compensate nun fus
the indolence to which she seems to have con-
denined him ur.dcr so burning a sky *.

The frequency of earthquakes jiud hurricanes |
here, occasions a prderenceto be given to woodciij
houses. Hardly any but the public buildina
are consJructed oi' stone. In tem|)estuous tii!i(s,|
the inhabitants are obliged to quit their dwell- '
ings, and retreat to litUe huts slightly erected,
where tlicv are in greater safety than the ma.viv
houses, wiiich provoke an overthrow by tlie ob-
stinacy of their resistance f.

Tli()ii,'.>,h these people are accustomed to gi\,
up almost every lliiiig tlicv possess in the Imui;.
pc!ii!s, tl'.ere isoiie, wliidi they are very little (li..
posed (o rrsigi). Jc;i lousy reigns so (riumphaiilli
among tlionr, «l);it it would be extremely di'ii- '

established from time immemorial among those { gerou.i to attempt to hold anv improper con\

people : they take some young leaves of the
pepper tree, and having covered them with a
little pure liaic, made of shells, and newly
slacked, they chew tlieni with the cashew-uut.
These islanders, howe\er, do not content them-
selves with chewing betel ; they procure from
Molucca an extract of bitter plants, known by
the name of gambcy, which they also employ in
mastication.

The marshy places here are devoted to the
culture of the sago-tree, which i'urnishes the in-
habitants with a vcrv sahitary food.

This govcniineut, attentive only to its own m-
terest, stilka among these people all the energy
of industry, almost forcing them to abandon
every otijer species of culture for that of clove
and nulrneg-trecs. The Dutch limit the culti-
Tation of spices, that it may not too much exceed
the ordmary consumption. Plenty of farinaceous

* The (/IiiiK'PC are almost Uw only fori'igiicrs whom the
Dutch permit to reside in Amboyna ; but they are obliged
to got iialur.ilized, which deprives (htm of the privilege of
returning again lo China. They ari~ permitted to navigate
in llie Mohifcis; and they can procure, at i\r.icassar and
Jiatavia, wliere tlicshi|)s from Chinaarc admitted, the iiur-
chandiico whii'h tlicsc vessels bring from that country. They
are all engaged in trade; some of them having jjurcliascd
at an extravagant |)rice, the exclusive ])rivilege of vendin;;
(.■articular articles; and they much more than indemnify
themselves, by manifesting no scruples of conscience in the
jjricc they demund for such articles'. They emploj' every
art to get r.iom'y, without considering how much their re-
\)ulation sutlers by such proceedings: in this respect they
itavu loiit cvcr^ .spark of sensibility. Some Jews, who have

siiiioii v.illi their women: no fear of punishnic;
would deter them from pursuing the most violin
emotions of revenge.

Among the Dutch the men have Europea,
clothes for their dress of ceremony. Those wlioilj
wear a wig, deliver it into the hands of one o',|
their servants, and then put on a large cap of/
very tine white lirsen. The European woiiiinl
wear a petticoat, which almost touches tl. |
ground, and a gown like a chemise, open iii|
front, which falls no lower than the |i(Htico;ii|
and is drawn in by a sasli ; their hair is rnlkc*
spirally behind the head, ami conlined by l\\i|
large pins which cross each other. The woniti';
ann)ng the natives, who rciiile in the town, woa|
dresses of the same f<)rm, but generally blacli^
The women in the country, give a preference lop
blue. The female slave, instead of a gowii
wear a sort of shift, which is open in front

obtained a ^rant from tlie Dutch Kast India Compam
remain in tin- island, enter into competition « itii th.ii
tradi'; but tluy are not sucieKst'ul liv.ils ; the C'liinoe in
many advaiilunts over tliem, fioai tlieir number and ii.
connections.

! The Chinese, as may reasonably be supposcif, !.:;i\
piU'in!:!. A tew natives of the ii-land, who have ir^:r:i
the riJi^iou iutri)dueed by the Arabs and the iMoiirs, n.i^
a mos(pie. The IJutth have been more sui\csbfiil in ii,.il,l
proselytes to tlieir riligion, in tiiu environs of the piimi .
eslahllsliinent. 'I'he rod of iron, with which tiiey :: r, ;
tlit;:ii' niiser.ible people, so assimilates them t() sl.ives, i'-
is not astonishing to liud among tiieni man} of tl.e t
which proccud fjcuiu this statu ><f degradation of man.

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

J 09

rurnisli Oicq
ant subsistence;!
lensatc man fu:

to have coil-

siiid hurricanes
riven to woollen
ublic buildings
ipestuous time ,
uit their dwell-
blightly erected,

than the ma^sv
hrow by tlijc ob-

Hjstomcd to c;'\\:
SB to the iMiro-
;rc very little di • ej
, so triiunphantl\'

extremely dan-.
npropcr con\(i
r of punisliiiic;

the most vioUn

have Europe;!,
)ny. Those wlir.'^

hands of oiuui'.
1 a large cap ei^
European \voiiiiii||
ost touches tl, I
•hoinisp, open iiifl
lan the petticciii^
icir Imir is rolli; '
eonlincd by l«
ler. The womer
ill the town, wca-]
t generally black^
,■0 a prelcrence ti^
tead of a gowi^i
open in front \h

last Ii\>liii Company
ii|ictJlii)n «itli lliciii
imIs ; tin- C.'liiiu'so iiT
lu'if lunubi-r iiiul iL

y In; s^ll)^)^)^(•l^, !...*- •'I
, \^li() have i.r^.-iTii
s iuul (he Mi>')r:s Im
ri- siKv'Ci'Sriil i'l ii'-i'iM-
vicijiis of the i)iinci,;j
i(h wli'nh they Kowi'

S tlll'in t(> sl.lVC!!, tlui!

lu'iii many of tlic vua
,radatiuii of luau.

■ thJ

fhat of the free women. The free men wear
^licir hair turned up with a comb. The slaves
lie a handkerchief round their head.
The only spirituous liquor they could procure

was arrack, of which they purchased several
casks. Some navigators are too liberal in their
commendations of this liquor : it is even inferior
to brandy of a middling quality.

SECTION VIII.

pcpnrturc from Amhoijna—IichoMdifiTcnt Inlands— Xavigni ion along the Coast of M'xc IloUand
^ — Oealii of the Smith of ike Recherche— Anchor in Lei^rand's Jiai/~The Espcrancc loses Txvo
I J ran Tillers — V^arious Excursions in the nclglihouring Counlnj — Riche loses himself Txco Days
I in the Woods— Sail from Legrand's Jiciij to range along the Shore — Want of Water obliges them
to quit the Coast — Arrival at Cape Dicmcn. ', ■ , ' , ■

'IlILST tliey were wailing for a fair wind
to sail from Amboyna, a light breeze
Iprang up early in the morning of the I4tli of
October, from the south-easft : they weighed
Anchor immediately, and by eleven o'clock they
terc at, the .outlet of the roadstead. The Ad-
jiiral had granted permission to the ships' com-
panies to take on board for themselves, hogs and
)oultry; in consequence of which every part of
Jhe ships was encumbered with them. INIost of
[hem were placed between the decks ; and they
irere the more offensive, as the noxious odour
?hich they diffused was greatly augmented by
lie heat of the climate.

Our adventurers were again witnesses of a
Phenomenon which never fails to terrify naviga-
lors, as in the night it creates an idea of breakers.
iiarJy in the morning of the IDth, when the air
I'as hardly agitated, they perceived the sea fo*m-
jg at a distance ; some waves, imjielled w ith
jrce, succeeded each other, and rciuhed them
a short time: a strong rippling, oce.isioned
the sea having received an impulse, diD'ercnt
that given it by the wind which had blown
luring the night, succeeded to tliis motion of the
jaters. The cause seemed to depend on the tides
|hich run between the lauds, where the currents
bquire a rapidity, in proportion to the contine-
ent which the waves of the seu there experience.

\ luinibcv of n Imlcs rt'iioati'dly siirrouiidcd (heir sliips,

jutiiit; out w-alir on thiir vorj docks. Hi-iwoeii four and

1 in the morning of the 'iOlh, thoy ptTcvivt'd by (lie li^lit

jthe stars, (he island of Savu : and wore only two kilo-

Iters from the eoast. The island of Savu [iroscnls an en-

inliug prospect, being intersootoil with severul very line

Us; t!ie ji;entle dcclivitiuk uf which luubC atTord the iiative»

UTOurablu soil.

They got sight of Kisser Island at nine in the
morning, bearing from south to east by south.
A cloudy sky did not permit them, tilffoiir in
the altenioon, to discover the northern coast of
Timor, from which they were only at the dis-
tance of a myria(neter: some lot'ty mountains
reared their heads above the clouds, on which
fires were kindled at night, at diiferent hcighlsi.
To our adventurers, these fires answered the
purposes of ho many light-hou-ses, serving- iff
direct ihem along tlie roast.

At seven in the morning of the 23(1, thoy were
a diMui-uiyriameter from a settlement belonging
to the Portuguese, on the coast of Timor, which
is called Laphao. A canoe, with a double out-
rigger, immediately came and recomuutered the
ships, to which she approached very near, but
returned towards the west without having spoken
to them. Calms being frequent along tbe coast
of Timor, they hauled off from it on the 25tli,
and directed their course to the westward *.

It was not quite half past two o'clock in the
morning of the (ith, when they stood on to the
east-south-east: and, iu soon as day-light ap-
peared, the Esperance niiule the signal for land
in the north-east quarter, at tlie distance of three
muianu'ters ; it was the western extremity of the
south-west eoast of New Holland, discovered by
Leuw in in the year l(it)2 f .

On (he .'ith of Doeemhor, the sii;lit of iievcral .\11il3. and
other birds, which -eldoin quit (he siiore, indka(od the
provimity of land. The wind blow (oc; stroiii,^ at west-
south-west, to permit them to stainl diretdy id for it.

i In the moriiir,;:; (he smith of (he Hecherche was found
dead in his bed. The day befuru he had b.'.n prcfeut at an
entertainmont, v;!iioh had formi'rty been celebrated !)v' (ho
French guaucrs with scrniuilous exactness; tb^'y ii«.d'lon«

bCMl

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSR.

About noon on the 8tli, they observed inland
lo (be norUiward, a very loi'ty mountain, insu-
lated in (lie midst of a vast plain of sand, pro-
ducinjj a pidiiresque eftVct, about five myiia-
uicters distttiii from tbc coast. Its rugged points
were diiitiug-uiijbcd througbout tiie wbole extent
of (be mountuin, wbicb stciiidd to stretcb a my-
riamclcr and ii balf from east to west. As tbey
|md not any iiidicalion of inbabitants, since <lify
Iiud coasted these barren sbores, tbey apprehend-
ed that some spring of clear water mif»bt attriut
them towards the foot of this mountain. Tlie
Riaoke of two large tires that instant eonvinn d
them of the propriety of this suggestion. At
lialf past four, after they had doubled a cape,
terminated by some rocks near the coast, they
found themselves opposite to a wide bay : it was
skirted by lands in general very low ; but, to-
wards its eastern side, they remarked a few hills
detached from each other. A good shelter
against winds is aflbrded from the west and south-
west, but not from those which blow from the
south-east. Some red-shafted tropic birds, and
albatrosses of darker hue than usual, amused
themselves by flying round our adventu»'ers.

At four in the morning of the Dih, tliey stood
on the north-east by north, in order to draw in
ivith the coast, and they perceived it almost im-.
mediately. About nine tbey disro\ered an islot
to the eastward, which was connected to the
main by a chain of reefs. Three fires lighted
successively on the point of land which the reefs
spit off, informed them that there were savages
on this spot. From other similar fires, kindled
along the coast, thick columns of smoke ascend-
ed, the inhabitants perhaps wishing to announce
their presence in that quarter.

At six, in the morning of the 12lh, they stood
on before the wind in the middle of some islot.s,
lying about a myriameter from the coast, though
they were uncertain of tinding a passage among
them. About tvi\ they had made considerable
progress, and perceived that they were linked to-
gether by reefs. The weather l;ad a threatening
appearance, and the wind blew from the west
80uth-we.st with the greatest impetuosity. They
had long sought, between these shoals, some

been coHccdiiK for thin repast a tiiiuiitity of pruvislons. Tho
unfortunate smith, tiift'eblcd by a limitoil degree of absti.
ncuc'c, to which tho whule crew wvto coiKluiniicU since their
departure from .^mbuyim, liad iudnlgeU hit appetite tuo

(■■ lii:*

break that might permit them to gain the opeq
sea, but w ithout success ; for as they had no
other outlet, than the passage by which (hey had
run in, they tacked, in order to stand towards if ;
in vain they lay up several times for the openiii<!:;
they were id ways obliged to run in again to the
middle of the shoals, and thus continue plyin;^'
to windward, in a space strewn with rocks, coii-
ccalcd under water, on which they v\ere in coii-
stnut expectHtion of seeing (he ship .strike ; as it
reqtiiu'd a very evix'ritniccd eye to distingiiicli
them in so roiigli a sea, Citi/cn llaoul, assistiiut
pilot, and a very intelligent man, had gone up to
the main topmast hca.l, and thence he directed
the course <if the ship. They f^aw ihemselvd*
frequently driven close to shoals hidden by tlic
waves, and he carried them clear of them all,
though it was extremely dillicult to discern them
even at a short distance.

The lisperance, whi« h did not hold so good n
wind as the Hechcrche, was now close to ilin
coast, having no other resource than to run ashore
if she could find a shelter where she might anchor
At one in the afternoon they perceived her at i
great distance: she had just clued up her saiN,
and the rommander of (he Recherche was uneaM,
thinking she had struck: but the position of h(r
masts soon dispelled his fears, by convincing him
that .'^he. was come to an anchor: but her distance,
and the violence of the wind, pie\ented our ad-
venturers from understanding (he signal she wis
making to them.

I'he admiral did not hesitate to seek (he sniv.
shfltcr: he immediately ga\c orders for beariij
up north by east under the foresail, and thn
presently ran to within a little distance of ih
Esperance, and found her, in a slight degre.
protect*^! from the sea by ai islot, Si'^nals wore '
made from that ship, to warn (hem to keep clo«e
to (he land. In coasting the little island, (her
beheld the frightful prospect of a boisterous seii. i
which, having < leared the south point, opeii,,^
in its fall a gulf, exposing to view part of tS;
base of this rock. The fear of approaching t -i
near (he land, induced theyi to cast anchor abot,;
five o'clock, to windward of the Ksperance, bii
not sufficiently within the anchorage to avoic

freely, and an apopL.ctic fit teniijinKcd his exlstenro. For.
tiMiately, a very iutelli^L^nt worknuii of Ih.) same profrvin
li.ul ijtiun token on board .It tint t;.»|io of (Jood Hope, w,,,
succeeded Wm, or bit lusii would hare been irrejiiirahL ^

fallii'j"

In b

VOYAGE IN SEAPX'H OF LA PEROUSE.

gain tlic open
they had no
lich ilicy Imd
td towards it ;

the opening;

n{;;ain to tliu ^j
ntinuc pl}ii);,' ||
h io(k«, roi;-
yr were in coii-
» strilvo ; iis it
to distinguisli
taoitl, nssixtaiit
lad fjoiie up to
•e he directed .
iiw lhemselv(»
hidden by the
r of them nil,
to discern them

hold so pood a

w close to tlu!

in to run ashore

J might anchor.

.eivcd her at u

led np her sail*,

che was uneiisv,

position of her' |

convincing him

ut her distanrt',

e\cnted «>ur ail-

e signal she wiH

0 seek Ihc saim; ',
lers for bearin,- .
resail, and tlin

distance of ih:
a slight degrtv
t. Signals wore •
eiri to keep clo-e
ttle island, tlin
a boisterous sea,
h point, open il
view part of tli
approachiiia-t"!
•ii«t anchor abom
e Esperance, \n\
Miorago to avoii;

1 his cxistfiiro. Fur.
f ihi) same i>r<>fis-i"ii,
i)f iJooil Hop", " '
lu'Pii jrrt'iiiii'iihlt!.

'ailing on board of her, if their ship dragged
ler anchor. The danger was the greater, as
heir first anchor came home: axes were in
eadiness for cutting away the masts, to give
ess hold to tlie wind, but a second anchor
roiight them up.
Heing violently tossed about by the sea, they
ere exposed to almost the whole impetuosity of
,|he w ind ; continually afraid of seeing their cables
Wrt; as they would, in that case, have fallen on
lome rocks, where the sea was breaking in a tre-
ipnulous manner. Towr.rds night, they let go
' third anchor under foot, to be more certain of
itiistandiiig such violent ellbrts.
The mercury in the barometer, which had
lien to twenty-seven inches, eight and a half
iues, perceptibly rose at day-light on the llth,
d announced that the storm was at end.
The sea having fallen considerably, Captain
uou sent his boat to inform the commander of
e Recherche, that, on the preceding day, the
Isperaiice had been carried so rapidly towards
e land, that she was on the point of running
bore, when Citizen L<-grand, a meritorious
cer, hau in the height of the gale gone to the
ast-head, and rapturously exclaimed, oncoming
wn, (hat the ship was clear of danger. He
ribed the situation of the anchorage which
had discovered, and strenuously aliirmed that
ivcssel might ride there in safety. The salva-
n of the two ships defended upon the dig-
very ; for, had the Recherche been obliged to
diiring the night, in the midst of these shoals,
"(er having so long struggled against the violence
the gale, in hopes of gaining the open sea,
would infallibly have been lost*.

This bay, which obtained the name of Legrand, will

iui (o memory the signal service rendered to the cxpedi-

jn by this excellent beaman. From the place where they

f, they eiiinnerated twelve islols, with some rocks and

fakers, which all'orded them shelter. In this vast basin

I sea mitjlit send them a ))rofusion of very heavy waves ;

, they were fortunately anchored in good holdiitij ground.

Rcver.ll seals, of the species called jilioca piicil/a, were

erved basking in the sun, on the rocks, and along the

re; some of them permitted themselves to be killed with

i'i, 'Their boats were surrounded with swans, several

which were easily taken with the hand; whilst others

apprehensive of danger, and immediately took to

It. This new species is a little smaller than the wild

and is of a cinereous grey, the tint of which is

iter under the belly ; the bill is blackish, with a pro-

Irancc of a sulphureous colour at its base j the feet are

Jtly tinged with red.

OL. II. No. LXXIII.

•-' ' 'i

The swell had not sufficiently subsided to
render it safe even for a good swimmer to attempt
to g;ct on shore; which was not the only datioer
to be apprehended, as such adventurers might
probably become the prt^ of a large shark, tliat
had kept a few yards astiini of them. 'J'hev had
seen him ever since the dawn of day, prowling
round the ships, and he had setluloiisly follow-
ed their boat, ns if he had rc-^olved to ha\e a
snap ut one of them. The chaplain of tllc Re-
cherche fell into the water, and wonl<l probably
have been devoured by this voracious aiiiuirtl, had
not the coxswain rescued him from the dan!;erf.

The islot, ou which they now were, was com-
posed of a bcauliful granite, where quartz, fel-
spar, and mica predominate. From the sununit
of this little island they distinguished, at a dis-
tance, part of the reefs and rocks on which their
ships had like to have been dashed to pieces. Their
number still terrified them, and they were
astonished at having been able to escape from so
many dangers. Two gull», a male and female,
came to settle on the heights in the vicinity : the
female having been shot, the male, alarmed at
the report of the explosion, at first took to flight,
but presently he returned to the same spot, life
being no longer desireable without his mate ; he
therefore courted annihilation by her side I.

Soon after he distinguished some others, ad-
vancing towards the beach : before they ventured
to come on shore, they raised near half their body
above the water, and continued some time in
that attitude, swelling and looking about, on all
sides, to judge whether it would be dangerous to
come and repose upon the rock.

Enormous sharks, of the common species, fre-

+ Some seamen belonging to the Esperanee, amused them-
selves by walking on the rocks, and killing, with their
sticks, - considerable number of seals; many of which
were white, some of a dark grey, and others of a deep
brown: but they were all of the same species, classed by
Bufl'on under the name of j)c/i( phoqiie.

X One of our naturalists had fired with a small shot at a
seal, that was lying down at a pretty considerable distance
from him; he found himself wounded, and distrusting his
strength, did not throw himself into the water. Presentlr
he saw another very large one, which, attracted by tho
cries of the wounded seal, came and licked the places
whence the blood was flowing : this animal submitted to
the operation, at it allorded him some relief : hut, seeing
a boat approaching, they both plunged immediately iuta
the sea.

qucntljr

112

VOYAGK IN SEAIKfr OF LA PEKOUSB.

qucntly made Uieir nppenrancc in the biisin where
our adventurers hi)^ at anchor. On board the
Espcrance, one of them was caught, which was
four meters lon^.

At day-break on tl»e 14th, the geographical
engineer of the Recherche, set oft' in a barge to
' reconnoitre the islots of tliis liUle archipelago,
and to search for a passage to (lie eastward, bc-
, twecn the shoals ; he wan, at the same time, to
look ont for a commodious watering place.
Labiliardicrc wished to have been appointed on
inch an expedition; but as geographical o|)cra-
tions are little connected with the researches of
naturalists, he was not made acquainted with the
hour of their departure.

Not being able to procure a boat to carry
I)im to the main land, he determined to pass a
day on the islot to the south-west ; the coast of
vhich he followed, first proceeding to the north-
vest. Here, on one of the most lofty summits,
he found a little .stream of fresh water, issuing
from the clefts of a rock of granite. This dis-
covery alForded joy to hini and his little party,
HS they hud long been reduced to a very scanty
allowance of that delicious article.

Not far from this he perceived some cavities,
filled with very clear water, which he supposed
might be as fresh ns that which was flowing
from the rock, as it was upwards of two hun-
dred meters perpendicular above the level of the
sea. He was, however, mistaken ; for it was
very salt. Some birds were waiting for this little
party to retire, that they might quench their
thirst at this fountain. Here our naturalist
killed a beautiful fawn-colour turtle, remark-
able for six or eight golden feathers towards the

* TfaTlng dctermincci to pass the night on shore, the party

■ought fur a convenient plare, and at length ri'.iclc choice of

a hollow in a rock, where they were, for son^e 'inic, per.

fcctly sheltered from the wind and rain, whijh came oh

about the close of the day. The cold wis sufficiently

piercing to induce them to kindle a fire. Not having iT»,ch

jiroTision remaining, the naturalists selected from (he birds

which he had shot, such a* he cboas to reserve for his col.

lections, and gave hit companions (he others, which they

broiled upon the coats. They were in expectation of en-

|oying a tolerably comfortable supper, and quiet repose

during the night: when, all on a sudden, the wind shifted,

and they becvne ingulfed in their cave, which they were

obliged to desert with precipitation, or be suffocated with

the smoke. To add to the disappointment, (he wind was so

Tiolcnt as to exdnguish (he fire before the penguins were

(ufBcirntly dressed, but a keen ajipctite rendered them pa.

latable. Still an ample stock of water, which they had

base of the wings. Whilf, m his Voyage to
New South Wales, publislied in 1 1 'JO, has called ,
it The (ioUlcV'Xdn^cd Pi^eou.

A great many penguins were caughf here, of
the species called aplcnofli/ta viiiuty, which Cap.
tain Cook also met with at Nts\ Zealand ; tliexe
were concealed in very deep hole, in the rocks,
from which it was found ditlicult to get them
out. On an elevated spot, not far di.stunt, our
naturalist procured a few plants which he had
not before seen. Here he gathered a new and
very remarkable species of cucaUjptut. *.

At day-break on the ITith, they proceeded to.
wards the south-west. Among a great many vc- ,
getaliles, a leguminous plant was gathered,
which may he classed among those whose corolla
is papilionaceous, and the filaments of the s(a.
.Tiina separated from each other.

The geographical engineer, sent to make n
survey of this little archipelago, reached his ship
in the early part of the night : he had deter-
mined the position of more than twenty isloti
scattered in about a degree, both in. longitude
and latitude. He landed on several points, but
discovered no convenient place for wat«rinir,»
the only fresh sfream which he had perceiud
would hardly have supplied suflicicnt for (Ik
daily consumption of their ships. He had fuiinc
behind the point of the main land to the easi
north-east, a good anchorage, with not so pn
a depth of water as there was in that which ttm
occupied f .

The boat, which returned at two in the after
noon, brought the melancholy tidings that h
was not ti} be tbund. Captain Hu' n waited
the admiral to communicate this circumstaiKcl,-

brought from the (op of (lie mountains, afforded them :
agreeable rtlUction, while they were at supper, (hat il
were at liberty to drink as much as they chose.

t The weather being favourable on (he ICth, a boat",
sent in search of Citizen Uiche. That iia(uralist, cnrj.
tured with the b^Muty and the rich productlon.s ul' !'> '
country, which had not before been visited byany obscrv
had probablj forgotten himself in the contemplation (iF th.'
jitupendous charjiis, and very soon lost his way : ho hiul i
then returned to the place of debarkation. On proctai,
in (he direction he had been observed to take, (heir |)i'o
had a near view of some natives, with whom, hewcitr,
was not possible to have any intercourse; for they aim
fled as the peojdc advanced towards tijem. Uiche's siic:
tion was the more alarming, as hu had b<:cn absent aloii-
a day and a half ; and they knew that ho hod bcwildcri
himself, without proviiiion, in a vcr^r barren country.

.A]

* Their stol
Jpply could
fter enumeral
Bre, observe!
fsfortunate a|
^ditiuri, Hitll
Deschaf
rour of the!
ca|)(ain, J
Bent (he foJ
These prob/
liabillardiel

rs, al

Hiciila
wost ccleh
ain Cookl
l»«.r, 1777J

VOYAGE IN REAUCII OF r,A PEROUSF.

113

make D

his ship

d deter-

ty itilut)
ongitudc
int8, bui
rat«ring,»
^rtciseii •'
for (lit i
ad foiinc','!
the east-'
t 90 trnit
'hich till'

the aft«
:s that h '^
Nvaittti I!
iTifttamc!;

led thini;
r, thai ll

, a boat >".
:ali8t, I'nri.
:tioiis of '.'I Vi
any olisorv
latioii of li:'
r; ho hail I
)i» prociiJ
, their |)a
, howfvir,
ir thi-y al«i:
niche's sii::
absent alui'
ad bcwilili!
couDtr).

Jiini, and fo consult with him on proper measiirtB
to ht" talicn on this disastrous occasion. Tiic nd-
iiiiiil haviiiji sent for tlie niituralists Doachanips
Dili Lahilhirdicre, Captain Uuon informed them
)f ail tiio steps that had hceii tiilicn fur the
restoration of their unfortunate collcag:ne. He re-
[iiiiided Uuin of the (iaiitrers to which he might
ijave exposed himself in advancing ah)ne into tlie
Intciior of the country, where peiiiaps he might
jave fallen under the merciless [Aov/s of the
.ivages. He added, that the niost fatal con-
cuiii-nccs were to be apprehended, for it was
.liiiost beyond the limits of possibility to sup-
t)o«c that he could have lost his way so long,
rhe nature of these burning sands, which are
Absolutely destitute of water, rendered still more
frightful all the conjectures ou the horrors of his
kitiiation*.

After having advanced in different directions,
Ihcy returned to the landing-place at night-fall.
JThey had travelled over a soil covered with sands,
fiwhere very extensive premises were seen absolute-
ly destitute of verdure. In these barren spots
^ rrcw a beautiful plant, which has an affinity to
le iridcs.

Though the heat was oppressive here in the
lay, the cold was felt pretty severely at night.
[ At day-light on the 17th, they divided them-
Klves into two parties; one of which advanced
pwards the north, and the other went to the
rest. They directed their route by the compass,
nd had proceeded about a myi'iametcr across the
jiain» of calcareous sand, tn continuing their
IrogresB, they remarked, in the midst of these
Inds, a few rocks of a calcareous nature, where
>me fine plants were gathered; which withstood
Ihe avidity of the soil.

* Their stuck of water was much reduced, and as no

|)|>ly could be obtained at this anchora>;e, Captain Huun,

ter enumerating the disadvantages of remaining any longer

ire, observed, that all farther rescnrrhes for finding their

forttinalr associate could only be detrimental to the ex.

iditiori, without aflotding th^ smallest hope of finding

1. Deschamps garc his opinion, without hesitation, in

our of their departure, declaring that he coinciiled with

captain, and that they had nothing more to du than to

rut the loss of their friend.

hese probabilities had not the same rfleot upon the mind
Labillardiere, he endeavoured to convince the others of
r error, in being too rash, and quoted, among other
ticulars, an example taken from the voyages of one of
most celebrated of navigators. lie reminded theui that
ptain Cook had two sailors who lost their way, in De.
bcr, 1777, on Christmas Island, the one for a whole

After walking briskly for four hours, they
arrived on the banks of a large lake, which rom-
municates with the sea. The banks of the lake,
which they followed for some time in a|)proach-
iug the sea, are somewhat .marshy ; this lake
e.vteiids very far inland, since the party that went
to the north-west also reached ils bunks; some
of them can)e to inform them, that they had
remarked, almost close to (he lake, impressions
of shoes, which left no doubt that llitlic had
passed (here, but the mark^ of naked fwt, which
appeared close to his, created suspicions that
he had been carried away by the savages into
the inferior of the country. A circumstance
which increased the probability of this conjec-
ture was, that they had found his pocket hand-
kerchief on the sands, and, a few yards farther
on, one of his pistols. At a little distance they
perceived the smoke of an expiring fire, and
round it were some pieces of paper on which
they recognised Riche's hand-writing. The sand
too, in this spot, retained the impression of a.
person who had lain down.

They were all returning towards the boats,
lamenting the fate of the unfortunate wanderer,
when they saw one of these who had rtjuiained
to take care of the boats, running to meet them,
and to inform them that Richc was still living,
and that he had arrived at the water side, ex-
hausted by hunger and fatigue. He had been
upwards of fifty-four hours on shore, and had
taken with him no other provisions than a fevir
pieces of biscuit. His emaciated state deferred
his friends from suficring him to indulge his ap-
petite, and it was only by trying gradnally the
digestive powers of his stomach, that thev gave
him some food. His cotuifenance, which at

day, and the other for forty.cisht hours; that Cook had
caused the latter to be sedtiioii.sly souj^ht after by several
detachments ; that Christmas Isliind is a small low island,
hardly covered with shrubs; wbile .New Ilollaiul, wheio.
liiclic had lost himself, was an immense country: he (here,
fore requested that there might be employed, in search of
their unfortunate friend, at least as much time as Captain
Cook had spent in search of some of his sailors.

This reasoning instantly produced the iiitendml effect: a
boat w.'is dispatched from earh ship from the main land, and
Labillardiere had the satisfaction of being uoniiiiated as one
of the persons who were to exert every eft'ort and attention
to bring back their lost companion, the Adminil directed
the guns to be (ired every half hour; that, if Riche were
still living, he might with greater certainty direct his steps
towards the anchorage. The wiwl favoured tliciu, and they
prcseatly reached '>'« shoru.

first

■S}*

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PERODSE.

first appeared distortured^ brightened up hy de-
grees.

When he was recovered from the stale of
stupor, into which he had been thrown by so
long a privation of food, he rehited to his as-
sociates, that at no considerable distance from
the firo which had been found still alight, he
found a small stream of water, where he bad
quemliod his thirst : that, in searching among
the plants, analogous to those whose fruits may
serve for the sustenance of man, he found a shrub
of the family of the loti, which furnished him
■with some little fruits, but in too small a quan-
tity to satisfy his wants. On the first day that
he bewildered himself he met the spring, near
which his property had been found: he passed
the night tliore ; and the whole of the next day
-VKS occupied in searching for the place where
their ships lay at anchor, without being able to
discover it. During this laborious walk, he
found not a drop of water; but chance conduct-
ed him again to this same spring, where he also
passed the second night.

Having seen some savages at a distance, he
endeavoured to speak io them, to enquire into
their manner of I'.ving, and to procure some
food, but they all thought proper to desert him
with great celerity. In this climate men have
not much occasion for cloathing: these were all
entirely naked.

Some kangaroos, of the. large species, and
some cassowaries, were all the animals that Riche
had perceived. Though in a state of dejection,
he had till the last day carried about him many
interesting productions ; but his strength dimi-
nished so rapidly, in the course of his last
twenty-four hours, that he found it dillicult to
crawl along the shore to look for the ships: he
was then obliged to abandon the whole, c/onof
the most valuable specimens he had.

"When they found him a little recovered from
his langoiir, they conducted him on board. All
the signals agreed on to announce that thcj had
the good fortune to find him again were exhibit-
.ed iii vain : the people on board were so per-
fi'ctly coiivinced of the inutility of their re-
seirches, th'U they did not understand them till

• DiiriniT the time that tdi-y contiiaicil at this anchorage,
thc^ roiild n-jt haul the si'ine : but on Luril the ships they
cat ght a few fishes with hook aiu! line, among which were
thi Irilinifi ci/yrhwidcs, and several new speies of the/- -vrt
genus, in the evening all the boats were botetcd in, and

the boat approached the ship, and RIclic was
perceived standing in the midst of the people*.

The darkness of the night on the 23d, occa-
sioned them to lose sight of the Esperance about
eleven at night; and she did not, till three hours
after, answer their signals by a gun, which they
heard from a great distance. They were ap-
prized of the vicinity of some natives, by fires,
the smoke of which they perceived |)retty far
from the shore, from several points very distant
from each other.

The sea was very high, and the wind blew
with violence from the south-wcit to the west-
south-west ; after having gradually increased, it
raged impetuously almost the '.vhole of the night,
and raised the waves to an astonishing h'liglrt :
the adventurers nad not before been so violuitly
tossed aboiit by any storm. The south-west
winds in these seas are generally boisterous, and
add considerably to the dangers to which a na-
vigator is exposed in ranging along this low
coast. At day-break on the 'ilhih they stood in
for the land. The wind had become fixed at
west-south-west, and had brought back fine
weather.

On the 28t,h they were only two kilometers
from the coait ; at noon (he nearest land was
two thirds of a kilometer to the north-north-
west of thorn. The sea was covered with a
speci'''^ of sea-weed called ///f.v.s natans. On the
31 J*, towards the middle of the day, they per-
ceived a fog rising, which represented to then>
on every side a table land. The illusion was so
striking, that the persons who came up from
below, supposed they had just entered a vast
bajin. They were, however, two myriametcrs
fr{ m the coast, which the fog did not permit
them to distinguish. In the evening, the sky
darkened towards the land, and lightning flashed
from 'he thickest » louds; the fog which had en-
compassed the horizon, then di persed, ai.I the
wind shifted to the westward, blowing very
fresh.

In the evening of the 3d of January, 1793,
Captain lluon informed Admiral D'Entrecas-
teaux of the injury which the Espcrance's rudder
had sustained. He also told him that the ship's

our adventurers waiti d (ill next day to weigh anchor, if tho
wind should permit. By six in the tri.riiin;? of the IStli,
they were ui.ier sail, and after paw' ■" . liltlo island to tho
northward, itood out td the open sea.

' . ■' company

VOYAGE IN SEARCn OF r,.\ PEROUSE.

115

company had been reduced to a pint and a lialf
of water per day each man ; that he had been
obliged to discontimie the distribution of anti-
scorbutic drinks, &c. and (hat (liirty casks of
water formed the whole reuiaiuinj^ on board of
the Esperance.

About noon, on tlie 4th, they made sai' with
the wind at soutJi-east, and stood on to.vurds
Cape Dicmen, thus taking their leave of a very
barren coast, upwards of one hundred and sixty
myriametcrs of Nvliich they had ranj:^ed alonj^.
Bieforc they touched on this coast, they had no
idea of meeting so frequently with tempestuous
winds, especially at this season, which shoidd
be considered as the summer in these seas, the
sun having now been upwards of two months in
the soul hern hemisphere*.

At four in the morning of the 19th, they saw
the land, cxlending from north-east by north to
east by south, the nearest hind bearing east north-
east, at the distance of three myriametcrs. They
saw no opening or bend to make thetn presume
that they should there meet with a good an-
chorage. They discovered, above all the other
mountains, that which they had seen covered
with snow the preceding year, at the period of
(heir anchoring in Port D'Entrccasteaux ; bui? as
they were now in the season of the greatest heats,
they no longer perceived any snow^ but in the
large excavations, where it had been sheltered
from the rays of the sun, during a considerable
part of the day. This mountain is remarkable
tor a small peak vn the shape of a r.)nc, which
(erniinates its s imniit.

Early in the morning of the 22d, they were
at the entrance of Storm Bay. The wind was
at south-south-east, and prevented them from

enJering D'Eiitrccasteaiix's SlraK, whrrc (Iicy
intended to anchor: and they were uhiii^ed (o
enter a bay, which thov had named La Ihiie dc
Jioclies, (Rocky lia> ) from ils haviiii; rocks
almost even witli the water's edii;c. Tim is (ho
first cove on the larboard hand «m cnfcriii^- Storiu
Bay, and its direction is fronj norUi-easl (u ? juifi-
west. The E-iperance anchored there at a very
early hour.

Having run a third of the way up into (his
bay they got bottom at two fathoms and a half.
Our navigators had been misled by the report of
Cretin'.s soundings of this cove (he preceding
year, and ran aground. This happened be-
tween rinc and ten o'clock: the wind came
down in heavy squalls from the top^ of the
mountains, and drove (licm ,vi(h violence to-
wards the coast, working ihem dee|)er and dceptr
in the sand. The Esperance immediately senf
her launch and barge to their assistance, which,
even with the exertions of their own boats, in
vain endeavoured to tow the ship's h?ad round
to starboard. They were then convinced of the
necessity of carrying out a stream anchor to the
west-north-west, in order to steady their ship by
a good hawser, to prevent her from being driven
nearer the coast. To lighten her, they started
in the hold, and caused to be dispersed all the
salt water with which most of the empty casks
Iwid been filled. Having thus rendered the ship
more buoyant than she was, they hov(! at the
cipstern on a bower anchor, which had beeii
dropped quite close to the former; but it wa»
not t'M near one o'clock that they were able to
get oir (his SI nd-bai.k. At length their reiterated
ettbrts were fortuna(ely crowned with success,
and the ship was brought afloat.

* At four they lost siglit of the laud from the mast-head,
and had thirty fathoms water. About ton in the Miorninsr
of tlie 8th, they saw a great number of celarcoii-i liuhes of
a new siic'cii's, wliich seemed to he of the tlc/phitlux genus.
They Dia\ be readily disthijjuished by a largo black si)ut on

the bark. 1)eh'iid (he dorsal tin : the upper jinrt of the body
i? of a blaekis!) ])ro\vn, and the belly wliite: the l.irgest
exceeded three rioters io length. 'J'licy were preceded by a'
shoal of dulj.'hiiis, and were, like hem, swimming in a>i
body.

Vol. II. No. LXXHI.

Si'CTION

116

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

. * SECTION IX.

Continuance in RocTcij Bay — Excursions into the Interior— DifficnUij of penciraling Into the Foresta
Fit-Coal towards the .North-West of the South Cape— Interview with the Savaiies— Their Conduct
— Visited by One in the J^'i^ht to observe them while they were sleeping — Strcral Savages accom-
pany them across the Woods — Other Interviews with the Inhabitants— Polygamy established among

: them — Savages arrive on board — Departure from Rocky Bay — Paxn through D'Entrccasteaux's
Strait— -The Ships run aground— Excurdons into the ncighbuuring Country — Lucrvicxv with the
^fativeS'^ Deposit their Arms in the Woods — Anchor in Adventure Bay.

five in the morning of tlie 23d of Ja-
nuary, our adventurers landed near the en-
trance of their anchorage. The Esperance had
already found, in a small cove t(* the north-west,
a watering-place, abounding with good water,
>vhich was procured without difjficulfy. The
rivulet that furnished it discliarged itself into
the sea, frcni the height of upwards of a meter.
Advancing towards the head of the bay, they
found a house, methodically built by the savages:
the skill with which they had disposed the bark
of the trees that covered it, was admirable; it
was impervious to the heaviest rain.

They had been informed, that some persons
belonging to the Esperance, had, the preceding
evening, seen thiee natives seated round a small
f close to this house; but, being terrified by
the report of a gun fired at some birds, 'diey in-
stantly fled. The floed tide had just brought up
the sea into the interior of the country. A f ;at
number of wild ducks were seen, but they would
not suffer themselves to be approached but at a
Tcry considerable distance.

On the 2Gth at day-brenk, a party set off with
an intention to take an i-xcursion for two days:
they landed on the south-west, and neiirly in
that direction followed a path made by the
natives, where they rcmarjied several recent im-
pressions of naked feet, among which were some
of very young children. It was instantly con-
jectured, that, terrified at the continuance of the
Europeans in Rocky Bay, a few families had
gone in search of another retreat, where they
might suppose themselves in grer.ier safety.

The adventurers observed a shed, erected as a
sheher against the strong breezes from the south-
west. Near it ihey saw a fire, which appeared
to have been just kindled. The south-west wind

* As soon as dny appcax''', (hey quitted (heir inhospi-
table qnardTS, and trnvircid the surrounding sand.hills.
The swell had detached, from the bottom of (be sea, the

blew in the afternoon in impetuous squalls, ai.u
brought on some rain at the 'nomeut they ar-
rived at the sea-side, quite >"lose to the south
cape. They proceeded, for ;i little time, to-
wards the north, across some sand-hills, before
they went to the sliore; but they were at length
impeded by a perpendicular mountain, which
projected into the sea: they attempted to go
round it, but found it impossible to pen^rate
through the thickets by which it was ciicom-
paji-ed.

As it grew late, thev mca rci '-.(ck their
steps, intending to seek, nea*' . t which

they had already crossed, a convenient place for
passing the night. A tufted bush was the best
shelter they could perceive, which they improved
by an additional covering of boughs, thinking
to be perfectly secure from the inclemc: y ol'
the weather; but the south-west wind blew so
violently during the night that it ceinmanded ad-
mittance for the rain. To heap up the measure
of their misf«;riiiiies. The cold was extremelv
sharp, and obliged them to approach the fire,
thoiigl' they were more molested by the rain, than
they would have been in their temporary cabin*.

jVI. Labiilardiere had already observed 8on:e
burrows dug in those sand-hills which ai]\r.f't':
sufficient solidity; he now saw a great n'; u;t'..
of them; but he knew not by what anima' o ,^
had been formed, when a kangaroo got ;i , ^"
their approach, and earthed itself in one u
them, In vain did they discharge their musqucts
several times into the holes, hoping the smoke
would induce it to come out: it still remained in
its retreat. Shortly after, several (racks of kan-
garoos, made across a little wood, roused the
ardour of two sportsmen who were of the party:
they soon discovered, in the middle of a meadow,

spungc called spon/ria canceUafa., which tliev
up ia great quantities upon the beach.

throvrn

watered

VOYAGE IN SKABCTt OF LA PEROUSE.

117

watccd 1>V a delightful rivulet, several of these
quadrupeds; but not one of them> however,
would suffer itself to be approached. At
len«'«h the party arrived on board, exceedingly
fatigued, which was the more intolerable as they
had not a moment's sleep for the last forty

hours.

A plan having betn formed, by a party, to set
out on the 1st of February, in order to visit the
highest of the mountains of this part of New
Holland; each individual carrieu provisions for
himself for five days; supposing that portion of
time would be suKicient for the completion of
thef/ object. They set out early in the morning
of that day, with what they considered an ample
supply of biscuit, cheese, salt pork, and brandy.

After a very laborious walk, they reached the
summit of a mountain, whence they perceived,
to the southward, the Middle of the roadstead of
the south cape; and, to the north-vvest, the great
mountain to which they were directing their
steps. Night obliging them to stop, they kindled
a large fire, near whicl> they enjoyed pleassnt
repose after the fatigues of the day. They slept
ill the open air, having no other shelter than
very high trees, the branches of which were
chiefly situated near tluir tops; and this part of
the forest was totally dcsfitute of shrubs. They
sought for tnuiks excavated by fire, but those
coulJ only be met with in the places frequented
by the natives: they had seen many of tliem by
the sea-side, and had remarked several paths
made by them; but *'cre nothing indicated to
them that they had come into the middle of these
thick forests.

The air was extremely calm: our naturalist
awoke about midnight; and seeing himself in-
sulated amidst these silent forests, of the majesty
of which the light of the stars afforded him u
glimpse, he conceived the most exalted ideas of
the inexpressible grandeur of the scene.

On the 2d, at day-break, they proceeded on
their jaunt: the difficulties were greatly increased ;
offen did the trunks of trees, thrown down one
U|m 'I the other, form an almost impenetrable
harrier, and subject them to the necessity of
climbing on the most lofty, and of crawling from
tree to tree, at the risk of falling from a consi-

* Having a full vii w of the side of the mountains, they
yaw a horizoutal stratum of pitcoal. Setcral new gperios
of IvbcUo) grew in tlie tlcfts of the rocks. They Avaikcd

derable height : several of them being covered
with a fungous bark, soaked by the constant
humidity which prevails in these thick forests.
The great chain of mountains appeared to ex-
tend to a vast distance. Insurmountable dif-
ficulties continually presented themselves, and as
these forests did not afford them the smallest
means of subsistence, the party resolved unani-
mously to renounce their project.

After having got out of the forests, they were
able to continue their march along the sea-side,
where they for some time found an easy read;
but they were soon obliged to clamber over some
steep rocks, at the foot of which they saw the .
sea break in a very frightful aianner. This road,
though difficult, was certainly frequented by the
natives ; a dart having been found belonging to
one of them*.

On the 7th M. LabillardL?re, the gardener, and
two men belonging to the ship, sel out early in
the morning, to spend two successive days in
visiting the environs of Port D'Entrecasteaux.
They debarked on its entrance on the west shore,
at the time of low water; and, by a fortunate
chance, they found themselves on a bank of
, oysters, of which they engrossed a considorable
stock.

Though snakes arc not vnry common at Cape
Diemen, they saw two lying asleep in the sun,
under large stumps of trees; but on their ap-
proach, they fled into the hollowed trunks, which
se.ved them as a retreat. They were of the
species of the coluber, and by no -neans dan-
gerous. The river was obstrucied ai almost
every step by large trees; they were a considera-
ble time before they could find one which ren-
dered it commodious for crossing, without too
much difliculty, to the other bank. They then
proceeded to the north-east, traversed a large
plain, and reached the head of the great lake,
the banks of which they followed as far as the
sea. After travelling over a great extent of
ground, they returned to its extremity, in order
to pass the night near a rivulet that they had
already crossed. The weather being fine, they
slept in the open air, sheltered only by some
large trunks of trees lying on the grounil: they
soon, however, found themselves very cold,

alonr;, for ^ome time, in the midst of (he shrubs, most of
which arc of the family of the erica; aud of that of the
hU, ,. .... . ,

. • and

ft:

i|i

118

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OK LA PEROUSE.

nil

and were stimulated to kindle a comfortable
fire.

A.t dav-lijrht on the 8fli, wliile the two men
who accoiiipiiiiicd (he part v were asleep, tlie gar-
dener ar;i our naturuii.st advanced alone, to-
wards Uie part of (he lake opposite to that which
thev had visited the day before. After having
proceeded aboiit three kilometers, they thought
the heard the sound of human voice.". Ad-
vancing a few paces, they were convinced of
having their cars assailed by an assemblage of
such voices. Soon after they j)erceived, through
the umbrageous trees, a great number of sa-
vages, many of whom were employed in fishing
on the banks of the lake. As tlie party was un-
acquainted with their pursuits, and totally un-
armed, they did not hesitate to rejoin their two
companions, who were sevc 'it' provided with a
niusquet. They instantly cr. •■ e woods to

conceal themselves from the sigh uch visitors,
that they might not be pursued by mem.

After having mentioned to their two shipmates
the cause of their return, our naturalist ex-
pressed a desire of communicating with these in-
habitants; but it was tirst necessary to dispose
of their means of defence in such a manner, as
to be instantly enabled to resume them, should
any hostile measures be attempted. They hastily
prepared a few cartridges, and set out towards
the place where they had perceived them. They
had not proceeded many steps before they met
them. The men and boys were ranged in front,
nearly, in a semi-circle; the women, girls, and
children, kept behind, at the distance of a few
paces. As these people seemed to assume no
menacing position, (he party approached the
oldest of the men without hesitation. He wil-
lingly accepted a piece of biscuit which our na

ceeded, accompanied by a placid smile from
each*.

Labillardierc had given tlioni several things,
without requiring any thing in return, fie now
wished to obtain from them the skin of a kan-
garoo; only a young female among the savages
then present, was possessed of such an article,
lie therefore applied to her to favour him with
it, and oifered in exchange for it a pair of pan-
taloons. At this proposal the girl ran away,
and hid herself in the woods. Tlie otiier na-
tives were displeased with her condu( t, and in-
treated her to comply with so reasonable a re-
quest. At length she yielded to their solicita-
tions, and approached to deliver him the skinj
for which she received a pair of pantaloonst
According to the fashion of these ladies, this
sort of covering was much less useful to her than
the kangaroo's skin, which served to cover her
shoulders. The utility of the pantaloons was
explained to her, but in order to make her per-
fectly comprehend it, a proposal was made for
the Europeans to put them on. To this sho
readily agreed, and placed both her hands on
their shoulders, while she raised her legs ona
al'ter the other, that she might be properly cased
in this new garment. To ])revent any misunder-
standing in this business, they preserved, on thi»
occasion, as nu.^h gravity as'they could.

These savages were forty-two in number, com-
posed of seven men, and eight women, and
twenty-seven children; among whom they re-
m<irkcd several girls arrived at the age of pu-
berty, and still less clothed than many of the
mothers. All the company were invited to como
and rest themselves by the tire. The Euro-
peans wished to shew these savages the eficct cl"
their musquets, after having given them the

turalist presented to him, and of which he had i most positive assurances that no danger was to

be apprehended from them. Tliey appeared,

seen him eat. A friendlv shaking of hands suc-

* The Kiiropcan5 joiiu-il in coni|ian)' with tlic inhabitants,
and a dci^roe uf iniiniary uiosc; aniotig thum : u utiinb.T of
kind ofliccs were reciprocally cxcrcl.sed aii'l r'.'rii\wl. The
women were desirous of coming nearer their visitors; which
was .13 first slightly opposed by the iiieii, but liny after,
wards obtained pcrinissiun to approach. It seemed astonish-
inij, that, in no high a latitude, where, at this early season
of the year, when ihc cold was pretty severe during the
flight, these people did not feel tlie necessity of clothiiii;
themselves: even the women were, in i;eneral, entirely
naked, like the men; though some few of them had their
shoulders and part uf their back covered with a kangaruj's
vkiii; the hair uf which was next their budy.

A polo.a.v<>, which liad bein used in cutting a few boughs,
excited the iulioiration of tl'esi! natives. As they saw thnt
their visitors were disjioseil to givi> them any thing they po^.
sessed, they weru not niVaid of asking theuj for it ; and
wlien their re(piest iiad been <;uini)lied with, they were
trausportod witli joy. They were fully sensible "of the
value of their kuivis, and received with pleasure a few tin
p.)ls. One of the parly exhiliiied a watch, which instantly
created a longing for it ; an earnest petition was prcferieil
by one of these natives to get possession of it, but wlua
he found it could not b« obtained, ho rcidily declined any
further ap(iliciUiun.

■ /' howttvcfj

VOYAOF, IN SKAUCri OF LA IM-KOUSf,

liowcvcr, somewliat terrified at the noise of the
explosion*.

It is to be supposed tliat, at Cape Diemen,
(here are few serpents to be met with whose bile
is dangerous: or, if there are any, the inhabi-
<iints iinovv liow to distinguish them from the
others: they pointed out one, which was gliding
amo >• the grass pretty near them, but it did nut
seem (o create the least degree of fear or appre-
hension. When the boat arrived for our Eu-
ropeans, they invited some of the natives to em-
bark with them. After some hesitation, three of
them agreed to come into the boat; but it ap-
peared afterwards that they had no intention of
h'uving their party, for (h(!y hastily stepped out
us soon as the Europeans were prepared to quit
(he beach. -<;lifi V'xtt'^

The next day they returned, with a large party,
towards these savages. For some time they kept
along the coast, beyond Port D'Eutrecasteaux,
when, perceiving a lire in the vicinity of the sea,
tlicy were induced to land. Presently some
natives approached them, expressing by lou<l
hliouts, the pleasure they enjoyed at seeing them
again. ■ One of the Europeans produced his
violin, and thought by noisy tunes to create u
degree of enthusiasm among them; but his vanity
was completely mortified at thoir indillerence.
Siiviiges are never much ufiected by the sounds of
stringed instruments f.

Our party knew not to what cause to attribute
their repugnance to their aliments, for they re-

f decliiiud uiiy

* Thcsr sav.ii^rs Imvo woolly luiir, :iii(l siilTer their bciircl
to (jroiv: Jtu'ir skin is not a very (!ci.'|) black; but the
nearer it ui)i)rt)a(:lu'S to that tint it is thoiight the hand,
fonior, or tlipy would not rover the upper parts of the
body with charcoal dust, to give I'l'.-in a more sable ap.
Iicaraiiee. On their skin, particiiUrly about the breast
atul shoulders, arc seen tul)ercles and .spots, placed at dif-
fereiit distances from each other.

One of thn sailors, who accompanied the party, thoui;ht
h(^ could not resale these people better than by olt'eriii:^
tlier.i brandy ; but, acrustonivd to drink water only, tlu-y
were so exceedingly disgusted at the taste of it, that they
soon spit it out again. The attentions which these savages
lavished on the Kuropeans., astonished them much. If their
path was encumbered with heaps of dry branches, some of
them wallicd before and placed them on the sides : they
even brxku oil' those which, being still iilt.iclied to tlie fallen
trees, (d)structed the roiul they were pursuing.

i On their advancing up the heights that skirt the sea,
they saw a number uf the natives who hud received them so
favourably the da, before. Joy W4W depicted in their

Vol. 1. No. LXXIV.

fused to taste almost cverv (hing thai wa- oH'crod
them: they did not even permit thi-ir children
to eat the sugar which was given them.

When the party set olf to go to Port D'Imi-
treeasteaiTi, more than half of tiiese pfatcablf!
inhabitants rose up, in order to accoiiipany them:
four of the young girls were also of the parly;
they received with indiflereuce the clothes that
had been given them; and, unwilling to load
themselves with an unnecessary burden, tliey in-
stantly deposited them in the copp.icis bordering
on the path, intending perhaps to jiick tliem up
again on their return. Apparmlly tlu^v set very
little value on presents of this sort, for none cf
them were seen to wear any of those articles
which the Europeans had given them.

Three of these girls were already arrived at
the age of puberty, and were all of a sprightly
disposition. Our adventurers certainly lost a
great deal by not understanding the language of
these natives ; one of the young girls said a pro-
digious number of things to them, for she spoke
a long time, and with great volubility. She
doubtless perceived that they did not comprehend
her; but no matter — she would still talk. The
others endeavoured frequently to delight them
with their airs, the modulation of which was
pleasing, from their analogy to those of
the Arabs of Asia Minor. Two of them saug
the same air together; but the one constantly a
third above the other, forming this harmony
with great propriety l.

i . !.. The

countenances when they saw (hem .ipproaeh. They were
assembled, to the nnmlu'r of nineteen, seated round three
small fireK, feeding on mu.sclcs as fast as they were dressed
upon the embers. They also saw, broiling on the same
lires, the species of sea.weed c.iWvii f)ti:iis palmntus ; and
when it had acquired ii certain degree of softness, they
tore it in pieces and ad it.

J During this long exruision, some of them took our ad.
venturers by the aru), from time to time, intending to as.sist
them in their journey. In a short time they arrived at the
entrance of Port li'lMitncasfcanx. Two of the younfi;
girls, being considerably behind the otlier natives, were
following, without suspicion, the diU'erent windings of the.
beach with three of the s.iilors; when (h'> latter, availing;
themselves of a reti-ed place, began to take univ-irrantablo
freedoms with the dau\sels. Alarmed at tliis insult, the
joung creatures immediately tied (o the rocks •.vhicli e.Ktond-
ed farthest into the sea; intending to jump into (lie Avater,
and swim away, if they had been pursued ; hut the>- ipiiclly
retired to the spot wliere our adventurers were assembled
with the other savages. Their conduct was not intluenccd

II h • IJ/

i ;(f

r\(

liii

120

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEllOUSE.

The following

day they landed near Port
D'Entrecasteaux, with a number of persons from
the two ships, expectina: to see the savages
again: it was not long before some of them ad-
vanced to meet them; manifesting, at the same
time, the most unequivocal marks of confidence.
They first attentively examined the inside of their
boats; and then, taking them by the arm, en-
treated them fo follow them along the beach.
Hardly had they proceeded two kilometers, when
the Furopeans found themselves in the midst of
forty-eight natives ; including men, women, and
children. Seven fires were burning, and round
each a little family was assembled.

Our adventurers had already been convinced
that savages have little taste for the sounds of
the violin, but they flattered themselves that they
would not be found insensible to lively tunes:
the musician exerted himself, and expected to
obtain their plaudits ; but the bow fell from his
hand when he beheld the numerous assembly put
their fingers in their ears, that they nii!;-lit no
longer be tortured with his execrable noi^e.

These people entertain swarms of verniiu : our
Europeans admired the patience of a woman,
who was sedulously employed in picking them
oft* from one of her children ; they also saw,
with great aversion, that, like most of the blacks,
she cracked these disgusting insects with her
teeth, and swallowed them with avidity. It is
worthy of remark, that monkies have the same
habits. It is supposed that this f shion originated
among the savages, and the monkies are only the
imitators.

This numerous assembly was much astonished
on observing the eflects of gun powder, when
tlioy threw it on the burning coals. Unwilling
to believe that the Europeans had no women
among them, they naturally supposed that the
youngest were wcmjen. In slioit they were not
convinced, till, having obtained permission, they
ascertained the fact with their own eyes.

by coquetry or afTectation, for so far from boasting of their
honour or chastity, thuy did not mention a syllable of the
.transaction. 'I'he time for our adventurers to return on
board was now arrivcl, but not one of the natives v.ould
accompany thein; they quitted them, and retired into the
woods.

Oil the 10th, the geographical engineer of the Recherche
set out in a bargr, tu reconnoitre the; extent of the vast bay
at the cnlraucc of D'Entreeasteaux's Strait, whither they
wrr«: tpecdiiy tu saiL It) advancing tuvvardj the soiith-

The women arc very active in procuring food
for the subsistence of the family. They eacl>
took a basket, and were followed by thei:
daughft^rs, who did the same. They went to
the rocks jjrojefting into the sea, and theuce
ventured to the bottom of the water, in search
of lobsters and other shell-fish. As they re-
mained long out of sight, our Europeans were
uneasy on their account; for they had dived
among sea-weeds of great length, and fears were
entertained that tliey were entangled in them.
At length they re-appeared, and demonstrated
that it was no difticuU matter for them to remain
Muder water twice as long as their most expert
divers. A moment was stifllicient for them to
take breath, and then they dived again success-
sively till their basket was nearly filled.

Observing some very large lobsters in their
baskets, the Europeans were afraid that those
crufstaceous fishes would injure the poor women
with their eiiorinoii^ claws; but they soon per-
ceived that they had taken the precaution to
kill (hen), as soon as they had caught them.
They quitted the water only io bring their hus-
bantls the fruits of their industry ; and they fre-
quently repeated the operation of diving till
they procured a stock suiHciently abundant for
the subsistence of their tamilies : on other oc-
casions they warmed themselves for some time,
with their face towards the fire where their lish
were broiling; and they had otiicr small fires
kindled behind them, that they might be warmed
on both sides at once.

It gave our Europeans much uneasines to see
these poor creatures cundenuied to so severe a
task: they were also exposed to the ravenous
jaws of the sharks, or in continual danger of
getting entangled among the sea-weed whiih
grows at the bottom of the water. In vain w«Me
the husbands requested to partake of this trouble ;
they continued about the fire, regaling theuisehts
with the choicest morsels: they condescended,

west, our naturalist crossed some glades, uhere he killed a
charming species of parroquct. Very dilforcnt from tli>'
known species of (lie same genus, it docs not j)erch, lint
frequently rises from auiong the grass, and alights tli'.';<-
again almost imnu'iliately. The form of its fi'ct, armed
with long ria'.v's a little incurved, sufficiently indicates tin;
habits of tlii.' bird; whose plumage is green, spotted wiili
black: bhicl; :iMd yellow are the prevailing colours bencatli
the bi'lly ; a (Vw small reddish feathers are distinguishable
at the base of tlic bill, above the upper uotidible.

however,

VOYAGE IN SKARCH OF LA PEROUSE:.

121

howcrer, to add fresh fuel to the fires as they
successively retiiiired recruiting*.

Every thing- being prepared for the departure
of our adventurers, they only waited for a fair
wind to put to sea: but a cahn having detained
tlieni, they had the pleasure to see the savages,
who, in tfjoir last interview had promised them a
\isit, liad been as good as their word. They
Avcre five in number. One of them carried a
])icce of rotten wood, lighted at one of its ex-
tremities, and which burnt slowly. The others,
having been invited by the Europeans to dance
in a ring with them, endeavoured to imitate their
motions. From their necks were suspended a
great number of articles, of which the Europeans
had made them a present, and which seemed to
atlord them much delight. Before these people
left our adventurers, they gave them to under-
stand, that the next day their families would
attend them; but when they made them coniprc-
j licnd that they were to sail that very day, they
seemed exceedingly afilicted at the intelligence.

The Europeans knded in this country a she-
[goat, and a young he-goat, that those quadru-
peds might be naturalized in these regions: they
(will probably thrive well on the mountains of
Itliis extremity of New Holland, and be a great
Ircsource to navigators. It is, however, to he
lapprehcnded that the savages may destroy them
|bcfore they liavc had time to multiply.

At day-break on the 14th of February, our
kiavigators got under sail from Rocky Bay, with
the viiiu at south-west, intending to go and
gtnchor in D'Entreca.steaux Strait. Some natives
iniiunnccd their presence in the neighbourhood,
i)y lighting several fires on the east coast. They
iiad crossed the great roadstead at the entrance
)f the strait, and when they thought themselves
In the utmost security, struck on a shoal, of no
i;rcat extent, formed of u mixture of sand and
md; where they were compelled to wait till
kalf past six for tlic Hood, to bring the ship a-
loat. The lisperance had worked herself still
[irpor into the sand ; for she could not get off
111 about eight o'clo< k.
The bo.'it that had been sent five days before,

* Tvvo of the most robust of the men were seated among
Rcir cliildren, anil each of them had two wires at their

.'; tliuy inforiiied our adventurers, us well as they could,
l.it tlie.sc belonged to them ; a proof that polygamy is
lliblished amon^r tlieso |)co[)le. Tlie o(h>2r women, who
Vl I'iich a hiuibaiid to herself, was equally fond of com-

returned after ha^illg observed some very deep
bights, which form excellent anchorages, but no
river had been met with. The boat was loaded
with black swans, which permitting themselves
to be closely approached, had been shot for their
temerity.

Citizen Beaupre, the geographical engineer,
set out in the admiral's barge to visit the great
bight to the northward on coming out of l)'En-
trecasteaux's Strait. The north wind, which
blew on the Itith, prevented them from weigh-
ing. The next day they weighed anchor, but
with a breeze too faint to stem the current, which
vviis against them. About noon a few uati\es
appeared on the east bank, about a kilometer
from the ship; being joined by others, they soon
amounted to ten, and kindled a fire, round which
they seated themselves. Shouts of joy were re-
ciprocally given and received by the savages and
the European seamen. The latter landed in great
numbers, to have a nearer view of the former,
A> hen the Europeans were at a little distance
from the shore, the natives advanced towards
them without arms, and their smiling counte-
nances announced that the visit affonled J-em
pleasure. Their joy sometimes displayed itself
in immoderate bursts of laughter. They ex-
pressed much gratitude when presents were made
them of pieces of cloth, glass beads, a hatchet,
and some triifing articles of hard ware.

These natives seemed to bear the greatest re-
semblance to those whom our adventurers had
seen a few days before; only they remarked some
of these who had lost one, and others both of
the middle incisors of the upper jaw. They
could not learn w hence this custom originated ;
it is so far from being general, that most of the
natives have preserved even all their teeth.

They informed our adventurers that they lived
on fish, like the other inhabitants of Cape
Diemen : and yet it did not appear that they had
the smallest trace of any cutaneous disorder r
though an opinion has prevailed that people who.
subsist on that kind of aliment are subject to a
species of leprosy. They arrived on board soon,
after sun-set. The wind having become fa-

municating that intelligence. While tho Europeans were
with them, no intimations wore given that tliey had any
chiefs : on the contrary, every family seemed to enjoy a
stale of perfect iud^^'pendenco ; but tlij strictest suboidi..-
natiun was manifested by children to their parents, as well
as by tiiu wives tu thoir husbands.

toucable-

12'i

VOYAGE IN SKAUCII Ot' I.A PEROUSE.

vouriiblo, tlicy got under way, and went and
anchored a niyriameter farther on. The next
day they wciglicd anchor at a very early Iiour,
but they were obliged to come to again ahuost
immediately, the wind having bcconu; contrary.

Tliey anchored on the 2od (tf Febrnary, at
eleven in tiie forenoon, in Adventure IJay, in
eleven fathoms water. The nearest slioie lay
south-east of tliem, one kilonie.ler dibtance.
During the time they lay at anchor, the^ made
excursions into the ucighbouriiig country. Pen-
guin Island, which they went to visit, is no more
than a hill, scarcely detached from the principal
island. A new species of mu«>;\vort was gather-
ed on it, remarkable for its large Icavosj of a
light fawn colour.

The steep hills with which tlie sandy bca( h is
bordered, exhibit^ a little further to the north-
ward, cavities which seemed to b(; much fre-
quented by the natives, as they judged from the
black colour with which they had been tinged

by the smoke, and the remnants of lob.^ters, and
other shell tish which are scattered about*.

The fishermen were tolerably successful at tln^
anchorage. The tires which they had kindled
on the beach during the night, attracted many
fishes to their nets. This practice had been si.
successful among the people of the Ksperance,
in D'Entrecasteaux's bay, that they had a stock
sufficient for the consun»i)tion of several months,
some t)f which were pickled, and others dried.

Our advenhirers put on sh(»re, near the nor-
thern bank of this bay, a goat with kid, and a
voung he-goat, hoping the savages would allow
these quadrupeds to propagate in their island ;
but it is to be feared <hat they will destroy these
animals before they have muKiplied; for it ap-
pears that such a circumstance has really hap-
pened with respect to the sov and boar which
Captain Cook had left them; not the least trace
could be discovered of these animals, or of their
posterity. • • '. ■

■ir:l:l-i-

./•••

. . . SECTION XI.

Departure from Adventure Emj — To the J\'brlh of ^Vtti; Zmland — Tnterviexi' tcith tic Iii1inhitanis^\
Discover several Islands — Anchor at Toiip:atahoo — Inhahitmils anxious to conic on board — 77,,

■■ Islanders much addicted to Theft — A Soitincl knocked dosii and robbed of his ^Musquit — Tlx\
Ojfender delivered up to Admiral D' Entrecaslcaux — (incen Tineh comes onboard — 'loobou gixu

' an Entertainment to the Admiral — The Smith of the Recherche beaten and stripped in i>pen Da\]—\
Take onboard jjonng Plants of liread-Fruit Trees.

AT eight in the morning on the 28th of Fe-
bruary, they got under sail from Adventure
Bay; and were driven along by heavy squalls
from the south-west: it was not long before they
doubled Cape Pillar, behind which they saw
several fires lighted by the savages. They next
steered to the northward, and stood on about
eight myriameters in eight of the coast, leaving
Oyster Bay to the westward. They then shaped
their course for the Friendly Islands.

On the 10th of March, at day-break, they
saw the islots called Three Kings: they also ob-
served three principal rocks, not far distant from

• SpTcral infri'iptioii!!, enijravfd on trunks of trees, in.
form the traveller, that Captain Bligh had anchored in this
bay in February 1793; that he was to proceed to the
Society Inlands, in order tu takn in the bread. fruit tree,
and carry it to the English Wcst.IuUia colonie!<, situated
within the tropics.

each other, and surrounded by other rocks miichl
smaller. Though it was then foggy, they dij
tinguished to the northward, some others, whiclil
made a part of the same group. They were e\-\
treniely barren, and were at first supposed to bej
uninhabited; but a thick column of smoke A'I
tending from the easternmost islot, proclainiedl
to them the presence of savages. They had pro-l
bably chosen this abode for the convenience ofj
fishing in the midst of the shoals.

About eleven o'clock our adventurers descritdj
the coast of New Zealand^ which they approaclij
ed, standing to the eastward, under favour of aS

Bligh had with him two botanists, who, at a small ()i>
tance from the shoru, sowed cresses, acorns, cellery, i;J
Towards the south-east was seen, at a small distance fiual
the shore, an appL .ti-ec, the trunk of which was aboi|
two meters in heii^ht, and one dcmi-dccimctcr in girth,
did nyt appear to liavc becu grafted.

ligW

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

123

light breeze. The natives had kindled a large
iire on the highest of the hills which skirt the
sea, and extend as far as Cape North. Be-
tween five and six they were at no great dis-
tance from this cape, when two '^.'-.noes jiiit oil"
from the shore, and stood towards tliem. After
some hesitation, they ventured to come along-
side, and approached them with confidence.
They received, with peculiar satisfaction, the
cloths of different colours that were presented
to them, and faithfully returned, with the most
scrupulous exactness, the value that was agreed

on.

They gave the Europeans, in exchange for
their articles, any thing they had in their canoes;
and were not backward even in parting with their
arms. The largest darts received from them did
not exceed five nie'ers in length, by four centi-
meters in thickness; the smallest were not half
so long. They each consisted of a single piece
of hard wood, w,iich they had completely po-
lished. They d'sposed of a qiiantily of fish Tocy
had just cau>;nt ; which are indeed so numerous
along the c'.<as<, that, in the little time that they
had been lying to, they saw several prodigious
shoals, which, rising to the surface of the sea,
ruflled it at dilVerent times for a very extensive
space. These savages even parted with their
clothes, to procure the European articles of
traffic. Some of the young lads had ear-rings,
made of a very hard serpent stone; they were
oval, and most of them about a decimeter in
*.

At that moment a third canoe arrived from the
nearest c'>ast : it was conducted by twelve is-
landers, who instantly requested some hatchets
in exchange for their effects. One of them liad
obtained such an implement, and another peti-
tioner loudly and peremptorily demanded such
another, and would not be pacified tiU another
was given him. It had been dark for upwards
of half an hour, when these people paddled
awav, directing their course towards the coast.
As our navigators continued lying to, they
sounded at different times; and the depth of

* It is well known (hat tlu;sc people delight in rating
hnnian ilcsli, mul every thing that awakens in them the idea
of such food, gives them infinite satisfaction. A sailor
belonging to the ship oflered one of them a knife; but, in
order to explain to him the use of it, he pretended to cut
ofl'his finger, which iie immediately conrcycd to his mouth,

Vol. II. No.LXXlV. \ • ^

Icngtli

water was constantly from thirty-three to forty-
six fathoms, over a line sandy bottom.

To the land-breezes, which blew faintly during
the night, some north-westerly winds siicerdt'd,
about day-break on the liUh. They were yet
very near the coast, and could easily have gone
to anchor in Lauriston Bay ; had not the la-
mentable events that had befallen Captain Ma-
rion, and afterwards Captain Furneaux, deterred
the admiral from putting in there.

On the I7th they got sight of Curtis's Islands:
they are two in nutuber, and very small, and are
about two myriameters from each other. At six
in the evening they discovered new land, at a '
great distance to the north-north-west, which de-
termined them io pass the night lying to. The
next morning they saw it as soon as day appear-
ed, and gave it the name of La Recherche :
its form is nearly triangular. They saw on the
coast a few small openings, where the earth had
fallen down, and where they might have landed.
On the 2'2d, at nine in the evening, they enter-
ed the torrid zone, in the longitude of 184* east.
The next day they discovered Eooa, one of
the Friendly Islands: the beautiful verdure with
which it was every whore covered, pronounced
the fecundity of its soil. At half past six they
hove to, in order to wait for the Espcrance: they
spent the night in standing off and on.

On the 'ilth, at seven in the morning, they
were but three myriameters from Tongataboo,
though they could hardly distinguish it, the land
being rather low. They ranged very closely
along its eastern shore; standing to the north and
north-west, that they might not Irse sight of the
.^.ening that leads to the harbour. When thev
were about the middle of the channel, several
canoes with out-riggers came out to meet them,
loaded with fruit, hogs, and poultry: thev were
each conducted by two or three natives, a few of
them contained four. One of them, advancing
too precipitately towards them, her outrigger
was unshipped, and the three paddlers fell into
the water. Without being much embarrassed,
howsvci, they swam towards the nearest coast,

and imitated the act of chewing it. Immediately the c.nii-
niliul, who observed all his motions, seemed in raptures,
and laughed aloud for \ considerable tim«, rubbing his
hands with a degree of extacy. These people are tall, and
extremely muscular. In the afternoon they departed.

dragging

VOYAGE IN 5?EAnrri OF lA PF.110U«K.

dragging aHor llicm llioir skiflT, which they soon
righted, iiiul iaiitu lied agiiiii '■.

Arriving, at length, ii> .he road of Ton-
galaboof, and having made several tacks in
order to reach (he anchorage, they h^t go the an-
chor two kilometers sonth-vvest of Panguimotoo,
in eleven fatlioms water. They were immediately
nurroundcd by natives, who came in such num-
bers on board the ship, that the dock was soon
ciMcrcd with them.

A native, attended by several others, who ap-
peared to hold him in the greatest respect, de-
clared himself one of the chiefs of the island.
Kequcsting to see the commander of the ship,
he instantly ordered a hog to be brought, and
gave it him as a present. This islander received
ii hatchet from the hands of the admiral, for
which he cxpressc-d his most o* cful acknow-
Icdgmnils. In less than an hntir, a dozon hogs
were procured, by mo-iiis of exchanges, the
smallest of which weighed five myriagrams : a
middle-sized hatchet was deemed a valuable con-
sideration for a middle-sized hog.

The admiral liad commissio'iied one of the of-
ficers to treat with (he islanders for what pro-
visions they might be able to furnish them ; and,
to avoid ali competition, he had prohibited every
other person from tr'afTicking; but the eagerness
of the natives was not to be repressed ; every one
displayed his conmiodities to the best advan-
tage. The adventurers were amused to see them
hold under their arm their little pigs, which
they from time to time squeezed heartily by the
ears to inform them, by their squeeking that they
wished to sell them.

A chief of the warriors, named Fcction, came
on board at five in the afternoon: he was of the
middle stature, very fat, and about forty-five

• Most of th"Ti had provisions on bouril ; but tfioy re-
marked one t. at was not thus eqiiippcd, and tlioy supposed
he had nothing to ofl'er tlicm ; but they were mistaken : she
vas navigated by two men, whose cuunlenance bespoke
much gaiety and fun : while they pointed out tu them two
women that were paddling with them : their sigiiK niul tokens
sufQcientiy indicated that they knew not how to bo unkind,
when favours were requested of them.

+ In the Missionary Voyage, 1797, there is nn inte-
resting map of Tongataboo, whieh thence appe.irs to be a
plain country, in an universal and surprising state of culti.
vation, the whole island consisting of inclosurcs, with reed
fences about six feet high, intersected with innnmerablo
roads. The whole is such a picture of industry as tu form
a reproach to nations who call themselves civilized. The
length of Tongataboo is only about sUtccu miles, by about

years of age. Like the other inhabllnnfs, \un
features were of the European cast, lie seated
himself on the spot appropriated for the of-
ficer of the watch, with four of the natives, and
commanded the others to squat; will the ex-
ception of a few, whom he permitted to sit
down on the arm-chest.

Feetwii had complimented the admiral wilh a
present of the largest hog that they had ever
seen »*ince they had been at the anchorage : he
had also given him two very handsome cinhs.
made of casuarina wo(kI, in which were in-
cnistraled pieces of hone, some of a. circular
form, some in the shape of star-fish, and otlicrs
representing birds. This chief seemed extremely
well pleased, when the admiral- presented hiiii
with .1 hatchet, a piece of red clolli, and a par-
cel of nails. T.> attest his gratitude for these
favours, he immrdiately ap[)lied each of the
articles to t!ie left side of his forehead, after
having received tliem with his left hand.

Towards siin-s(!t, the navigatori begged him
to send away from the ship all the natives, the
crowd of which was become extremely trouble-
some. They wished that none of them might
be permitteti to remain on board, that they might
avoid the trouble and iiiconvenionce of keeping
watch over them during (he night ; but lii> au-
thority, perhaps, was limited; for, having driven
away a considerable part of them, he de|'arted,
and directed his course towards (he west coast of
Toiigutahoo. His method of relieving us from
these islanders was somewhat singular : he pur-
sued them with his club, which he wielded with
such force, that (hey could only escape the blown
of ihisdcstr-'ctive weapon^ i y precipitating them-
selves into the sea|.

Ficnou, who returned the next morni.ig to pa^s

eifjht at its greatest breadth. On (lie north side there is a
largooii, with seven! isles, consticuting a tolerablo harbour.
The commodities at », as usual, hogs, bread-fruit, coco«.
nuts, and yams.

Though the pco] le of the Triendly Tslcs ure more frco
from wars than somi> of the ueishl)Quriiig group, y.t Ttn.
gataboo is often stained with human victims ; luu do th. it
ideas of projierty prevent iheir stealing from s(r«i>g<'ri.
Some missionaries were there left, who in)|)arted some lu;'.
ful arts to the natives, but the rats were diitructivo tu i!u<
Kuropoan plants. These, with hogs, dogs, nnd guBiio>,
constituted the only quadrupeds, till cats were left in ttio
voyage of 1797. The morals teem to bo here called t!.i.
tookas ; and are constructed In tho form of terraces, with
high steps, the material being coral stone.

X The uatlvus bad not como on board merely to satist'v

,tbcii

VOYAGE IN SF.ARCTI OF I, A PEROUSr;.

125

n few liours on board, was exceedingly ontcr-
<nined in observing tbe tricks and gestures of a
juoiikcy. vvhic b belonged to one of tbe gunners.
The tents for the observatory were pitched on
<he soiiUi-east coast of Pangaimutoo, and clothes
of tlilfereiit colours, with variety of articles of
bard wore, were sent to procure fresh provisions
ill cxchttiigej* An enclosure was marked out
with a rope, fastened to the extremity of stakes
fixed in tlie ground. With such barriers, it was
proposed to rrstrain, night and day, the inha-
bitants, upwards of two thousand of whom,
chiefly from Tongataboo, were already collected
round them ♦.

They found a great number of inhabitants em-
ployed in building houses, in order to settle on
I tlie'island of Pangaimatoo. They had been at-
hracted by the choice that our Europeans had
made of this little island, for purchasing the
provisions with which they could supply them.
The architecture of these mansions was not of
jthe most magnificent kind, nor the portal very
JBiil)erb. On one of the sides an opening was
Iformed, which sometimes extended the whole
llength of the house ; but a person could not enter
jit without stooping, and supporting himself on
Iiis hands. Under such a roof it was impossible
to stand upright, except towards the middle; but
these people usually remain squatted in the
Iiousef.

For a considerable time our adventurers fol-
lowed the skirts of the shore, where they saw
number of bread-fruit trccs in full vigour ;
though tlieir roots were often washed with brack-
[sii water. Presently the sea, swelled by tbe
ood, obliged them to penetrate into the interior
>f the island, where they traversed thick woods.
They then walked over cultivated grounds, in

Iheir curiosity, of to disposo of their gooils ; for it now

Vipcan-d that they had stolen a gnat many things from (he

lliip, and only six islandiTS wore riMTHiinirig. Thcso indivi.

iials, havingno other moans of returning on shore than by

wlimniiiii, bi'figed to be permitted to pas« tiio nigJit upon

vili: one of them, however, preferred swimming onshore,

DUgh they were two kilometers from the nearest coast.

ho facility witli which ho executed "11 his motions was

toniiihiiift. Our adventurers declared they had never

eii an l''uropc4n swim with so much confidence and

Itleritv.

» Fiitlfifaihe, ono pf the sous of the lafe king Poiilaho,

upaired to the mido ipot early in the morning. Ho ulider.

ok to keep the natives in order, and the trade Ma< con>

iiictcd with tranquillity; but his method of enforcing

ilicdieuco was scvcrot U any one gf thcu) offered to pass

some of which grew sweet potatoes : further on
they found llelds of the paper mulberTy-trre,
cultivated on account of its bark, of which the
natives manufacture cloth to wear.

Home natives attended llunn very closely, pre-
tending to have no other view than to be useful
to them: but they, from time to time, caught
some of them divitig tlieir hanils into their
pockets, to i)ilfcr their property. Whenever
they were detected, however, they were com-
pelled to restore the goods to the owner. But
one of them, having taken a kiiilc belonging to
a sailor, ran swiftly oil' with it into the woods^
and cfl'ecled bis escape.

Soon after they observed a group of islanders,
who were preparing to drink kava. Our ad-
venturers were invited to sit down near them,
where they remained while the beverage was pre-
paring. They call by the same name the species
of pepper-tree, of which it is chiefly composed ;
llnd the elongated, fleshy, tender roots, which
arc frequently upwards of a decimeter in thick-
ness. They first carefully clean them, then chevr
then into a sort of paste, which they form into
balls about a decimeter in circumference. These
balls are deposited in a large wooden vessel, and
placed at a certain distance, till the bottom is
nearly covered with them, when the vessel is
tilled with water. The liquor is then stirred
about, and distributedtaraong all who are present.
Our adventurers were invited to partake of this
rich liquid, but having seen the method of pre-
paring it, all but the chaplain of the ship begged
leave to be excused : that reverend gentlcmati
had the courage to swallow it. Wishing to
know the taste of this root, M. Labillardicrc pre-
ferred chewing a small piece of it hiftiself, which
he found tart and stimulant. All those who had

a few decimeters beyond the lina wliich had bRcu drawn, ho
instantly threw at him any thing that came in his way, re-
(fardless of the consequences that mi^lit thoncc result. A
young man had nearly lo'^t his life, fur not having strictly
uttouded to the orders of Vuttufuihc, who forcibly threw
at him a large billet of wood, wliich the youth had tho
good fortune to avoid.

+ In the environs of these poareful abodes, men of the
most obliging disposition, took a ploiisure in iiiforiiiiii^
strangers, that they might be favourably received by tho
Softer sex in these fortunate islau(is. 13ut, in making these
obligiiii; overtures, it appeared that they had an eye to their
own interest, as well as tho accommodation of Iovcts, foe
they never forgot to demand a rccotnpciite for their infor-
inatiou. ,. ,

■ . ' " drank

VIS

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSF.

drank of the kara, ate yunis, Irrsh rousted on
(lie embers, perhaps to counteract the ill cfl'ects
of this intoxicatinji' li(Hior.

Our Kin()j',eans were not far from Die tents of
the ibservalorv, wIkmi they were invited by some
of the inhabitants to cat fruits. Citi/en Richc
had just pjai'cd on tlio !;roiuid a pole-axe, when
a nati\c silly came behind him, snatched it np,
and ran away wii'li it. He was iminediat.'ly pur-
sued, but he (led too rapidly to be overtaken.
A chief, who was on the spot, went in pursuit
of the plunder, and the traindercr, but returned
without bavins: succeeded *.

On the 'iGtIi of March they landed early in
tlic morning;, on the nearest coast, where they
Iiad (he satisfaction of seeing these islanders in
possession of the sugar-cane. They sold them
several birds; and, among- others, a charming
species of lori. Several of them had lizards of
the species known l)y the denomination of laccrta
aniboiincnsiti, which they recommended as very
palatable food.

The natives, in their train, incommoded our
adventurers much by their numbers, and olfieious
eagerness to oblige. Many of these people pre-
tended a particular regard for them, whilst, at
the same time, they were rurloining their cttects.
They endeavoured, in vain, to get rid of such
attendants, but their remonstrances were so very
different from those they had been accustomed
to from chiefs, that they were not regarded f.

Two sentries watched night and day for the
safety of the settlement, which they had formed
on the island of Pangaimatoo. These were suf-
ficient for keeping oQ' the inhabitants, who had
endeavoured to enter slily to purloin the articles
that had been there deposited : but no precaution
had been taken against a vigorous and sudden
attack. An islander, however, availed himself
of a heavy shower of rain on the approach of
day, to follow one of the ccntries; and he struck
him so violently on the head with his club,' that
the latter instantly fell, and the assassin took
away his musquct. The other sentry spread the

* A prodigious number of canoes siirroiindeil iic ship for
fhc disposal uf their coiiiniodities, though the admiral bad
given orders for them to be kept oft'. Another kind of
traffic, more particularly prohibited by (he orders of the
Admiral Ob^ntrccastcaux, was also connived at by the sen.
tinels ; a number of young girls, found little difficulty in
escaping their vigilance, and eutcrcd every moment by the
aorts.

i Pressed by hunger, our adventurers retired under the

intelligence among those who were sleeping in
the tents. The alarm was given: every one (lew
to arms. The watch-word was hoard on board
the Esj)erance. she having the day before moored
within hail of ths shore: she immediately let oir|
some fahsi! (ires to apprize the Recherche.

The commander of the expedition went oiil
shore at six o'clock in the morning, withadc-
tachment well armed. He ordered the tents to be
struck immediately, and conveyed on board ,• luidj
with them all the articles which had been depo-
sited within the enclosure for the purpose of traf-
(ick. The retreat of our Europeans aniictodl
several of the chiefs, who lamented the mehiii-I
choly accident which occasioned it : tht»y repru-
bated the base act of treachery that had been I
committed, admitted that the oflender deservcdl
death, and protested that he should not long sur-
vive his crime. They endeavoured to obtain
permission for the tradic to be continued usi
before.

The detachment of our navigators having ud-^
vanced a little into ii'he interior of the island, tol
observe the disposition of the natives, perceivcdl
that about a thousand of ther
neighbourhood of their cstablis
manding oHicer requested thi...
greater distance, which they nl
except a small group of armed men, who iii-j
stantly raising ihcir clubs and darts, refused toj
recede a single step. Perhaps it would havcl
been necessary io repress this audacity, but al
chief named Toobou, one of the king's relatioiivl
fell on them with impetuosity, and dispersrj
them with heavy blows of his club.

The admiral, before he entered the boat lol
return on board, made presents to the several
chiefs who were collected round him: he inforiiiJ
cd them that he expected them not only to fri>|
up the assassin, but also the musquet that
had stolen; as well as to restore the sabre wlitctj
had been purloined the day before from one m
the gunners. He then informed them that, oil
those conditions only, the traffic should be re-

id slept in tlai

'. Thccom-

tu keep at a^

consented to,

tent, where they deposited the provisions that had IwiJ
purchased in the course of the day; they wore followJ
thither by two inhabitants whom they supposed wereiliiifJ
Our naturalist put his hat upon the ground, supposing it ijj
be in a safe place; but these two sharpers were atteutivo(!|
their business; one of them dexterously concealed his hiil
under their clothes, and went away before it was missed ; I
other very quickly followed hiin.

newea

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PRROUSE.

127

ncwrd. All the inhabitants retired when the
liiunch quitted the beach; but us soon as she
had reached the ship, several of them repaired
to the place which they had just abandoned, iu
hopes of discovering property that might have
been left behind. They observed one of them
who had the dexterity to extract a nail, on
which one of the time-keepers had been sus-
pended.

Fet'iiuu came on board in the afternoon, and
presented to the admiral some bread-fruit, yams,
plantains, and a hog; receiving, in return, a
Jiatchet, a hand-saw, and several joiners' cliissfls;
among which the natives gave a decided |irefe-
rcnce to the hatchet. After paying the ^^reatest
attention to the particulars of the assault, which
had been perpetrated by one of the inhabitants
on the sentry, he promised to have the musquet
restored to them the next day; and assured them
that he would also bring them the culprit, on
whom he would execute justice in their presence.

Our naturalist had formed the project of going
to pass the !i8th of March on the island of I'on-
gataboo, with some of his ship-mates; but the
admiral persuaded him to defer this jaunt, till
the chiefs had convinced him of their resolution
of checking the depredation of their subjects*.

Toohou received, as a present from the ad-
miral, a red coat, in which he dressed himself
immediately; he also received a hatchet from
him. Fcenou was likewise complimented with a

* A Rrcat iiiimlior of ranocs stirrouiidud the ships; but
none of them were pi'rmittcil to come alongside. Several
islanders, perceiving tliat no tralfic was permitted, aniuscd
themselves in fishing with nets, which were abont eight
meters long, by a meter and a half wide, and the mashes
of which were a fourth of a decimeter square.

About nine in the morning three chiefs came on board,
to inform our Europeans that they were shortly to receive
a visit from Tuobon, supreme chief (cguilo'^ of Tongata.,
Loo, Vavao, Annamouka, &c. that he was going to deliver
up to them the culprit whom they had demanded, and to
restore the musquet which he had stolen. About the hour
of eleven, Toohou arrived, with several chiefs. The cri.
minal was lying on his belly at the feet t'f the chief, with
his hands tied behind his back. Toobou ordered him to be
immediately conducted up the $ide of the ship, and the
stolen musquet and bayonet which he had taken from the
ccntinel delivered up. Two pieces of cloth, fabricated
from the paper mulberry-trcc, each of which was sufficiently
capacious, when extended, to have covered their ship, two
hogs, and sevcal large mats,, were the presents he made to
the commander of the expedition. The warrior, FcenoUy
motliisdaining to perform the office of executioner, instant.

Vou II. No.LXXIV.

coat, and a hatchet of a smaller she. Small
hatchets were then distributed among the oihcr
chiefs, who were on deck, forming a circle
round Toubou, honoured with the seat of the of-
ficer of the watch, with Fcenou on his right
hand, and Omalai, another chief, on his left.
Toohou seemed to be sixty years of age; he
was about the middle size, and much fatter
than Fcenou. His clothes were fashioned like
those of the otli(;r islanders, but surpassed them
in the fineness of their texture.

At length Fecnuu brought the sabre which had
been taken from one of the guiniers, and deliver-
ed it to the admiral; at the same time making
him a present of a large fish of the ^;trcrt gentis,
called the ycrca guttalu. Hefore he quitted
them, he informed the conductors of the canoes
on the spot, that the next day the tra(ii><: would
be renewed f.

Not far from the market^ whither the natives
had resorted with their commodities for sale^ a
very jolly woman, at least fifty years of age, was
observed, surrounded by an extensive circle.
Many tokens of respect were shewn her, in the
presence of our Europeans; as, by catching
hold of her right foot, and placing it on their
head, after having made a very low bow; others
touched with their right hand the sole of her
right foot. Several chiefs, whom they person-
ally knew, also paid her other marks of defe-
rence. They were informed that she was queen

ly raised his club, to give the culprit a decisive blotv upon
the head: it was not without much dilficnlty that he could
be prevailed on to avert the fatal stroke before their faces:
at length he gave him up to the admiral's disposal, nut
doubting but he wo\ild receive such punishment as his crime
demanded. The malefactor extended his neck, supposing
his last ntoment was arrived. At this critical time, the
sentinel arrived, who had been knocked down with his
club, and entreated that the life of the criminal might be
spared: his punishment was therefore mitigated to a few
strokes on the shoulders with a rope's end. lh\t Fcenou,
enraged at the mildness of the juilRment proposed, again
raised his ciiib to dispatch him. 'J"he admiral, however^
declared that he should live; but Fcenou, to the last, in.
sisted that he should not escape the punishment which lie
had merited.

+ An islander exposed a dog to sale, which was the only
animal of the kind, that our adventurers had seen at the
anchorage: he spoke much in commendation of the poor
quadruped, declaring it would furnish a most excellent ban.
quet. It is known by the name of koult, in these islands,
and is usually of a fawn colour: it is not uullko a wolf,
dog.

K k Tineh

i^l

I Si

IY'\ i

Vlt

VOYAGE IN SFAnCH OF LA PFnOUSP!,

Tinch. Her hair, cut about two- thirds of a dc-
cimetei" in lcnj>;th, was covered with a reddish
powd<T ; a part of hrr forehead was aUo orna-
lucntod in tho same uiunner.

After having expressed a desire to go on board
the Recherche, to sec thfi coinmaiuler of the ex-
pedition, she asked our ulvenlurers to accom-
pany her, and immediately embarked to go
thither m ith part of her court. She gave a hop;,
some yams, u-nd several very handsome mats to
admiral D'l'intrccasteau.i', who made her a
present of diflerent pieces of cloth, which she
seemed highly to esteem

Timh was very tenacious of the honours which
they vvci.i under the necessity of displaying wlien-
evor thev met '..v.'r. FccriQii, and the king's brother
Toobou, were on board, and had promised to
dine with them: when she came alongside, they
immediately urged the peo;)le not to let her come
upon the quarter deck; however, she prpsently
juade her appearance there, »>r.u i^^y saw *he
two chiefs precipitately retreat iv.io their CRiioes;
for they would otherwise have been obliged to
come and take hold of her rijtjht foot, and very
respectful Jy incline ilieir heads towards it, as an
acknowledgment of their inferiority. This queen
informed tnem, with an air of importance, that
even khjg Toobou was compelled to pay her
these marks of respect, because it was from her
that he held his dignity.

One of the sailors held in his hand a piece of
boiled salt pork, which Fcop;o, one of Tinfh's
ladies in waiit;:g, seemed to wish to taste; he
presented it to her, and she received it with
pleasure; but not daring to take the lilx^rty of
eating it in the presence of the queen, the latter
condescended to go and sit dotTU about twelve
yards further olF, that her attendant might be at
a proper distance from her; but before she
quitted her place, she received from this young
girl the same marks of res| ect as the other na-
tives had paid her iii their presence.

They were very near the small island Js\mgou-
runip^o, when some inhabitants pointed out to
them, under the name oi JMackaha, an islot ncai
Pangaiuiatoo. They proceeded towards this
island; Hi>d, as the tide was coming in, they
were obliged to walk into the water up to their
middle. Presently they arrived at the place

* T.ahillanlierc then gUvc a. long elabaratc account of tho
Admiral's vi^it, in cunseqiiciicc of nn iiivitation from Kin^
Toobou i but, judging of the probable feelingj of our

where the queen regularly held her court, uMe-
the shade of a very tufted bread-fruit tree. She
was (here giving a vocal concert, in which ViU-
tqfiiih^ i^aiig and heiittimc; which all tho mvtsi-
cians eraielly followed. S.omo performed tl'.uif
part in i( by aciompanying, with diiferent niO"
dulations, the simple melody of thq others.
During this concert, a number of islanders ap-
peared, each carryinp^ on the shoulder a largo
stick, at the ends of which were suspended yams
and Hsh' of these they formed the base of a qua-
drangular pyramid, which they Siiisnd tj about
two meters. This present wa.« iiilnnd"'i for Ad-
miral D'Entrecasteanx, to wiiom Tincli wus
gixing an entertainment*.

One of the prettiest girls of the company had
the little finger of her left-hand wrapped up ia
cloth made of paper mnlberry-tree bark, which
w;:s stained with hltiod. As they wece desirousi
of seeing the wound, she produced the two first
joints of her little finger, which had receoUy
been cut off on purpose, to cure a very serious
disorder. The little girl soon after ward» de*
partd; but not till after she had kissed tho
daughisrs of Toobou, in the manne.i of the. in-
habitants of the Friendly Islands; which consivtar
in touching, with tho tip of the nose, the note
of the person embraced.

The inhabitantb which lot mcd a circle round
them, having stolen several articles of their pro-
perty, they nompl.ained of their conduct to ToO'
bon'fi daughters, who instantly quitted the room
without uttering syllabic; probably intending
to go in search of their father, to request he
would put a stop to tlie repetition of these
thefts). Our adventurers remarked, that, as the
•were passing towards the island of Pangaimatoo.
they saw a woman enjoying a mea) in a very
singular manner. Seated near a pillar, and mo-
tionless as a statue, she occasionally opened her
mouth, to receive the pieces of bread-fruit
which another wcman put into it. They were
informed, that she was not permitted to touch
with her hands any kind of food, because she
had, within a few days, washed the body of a
dead chief.

When they arrived at Pangaimatoo, Queen
Tineh, seated in a shed covered with cocoa-nut
leaves, and erected under the shade of some fine

readers, from what thceditor experienced in pansin); though
Hiich An iiiiiiienHe quantity of trivial and impertinent matter,
hu has thought it his duty to omit the particular;!.
' bread-

->«ft.

I s

!«

bread-

bread-fnii
Admiral T
the young
did with i
time, whi
sit ion, dir
with his V

The El
the uuiTibe
their thirsi
nuts vhic
whtMJ ail 1
knife out
Indignant
pursued b
gataboo;
a great nu
turned to\i
♦he smith «
thouglit pi
the midst •<
and a laur
I the Es peril
brient. K
alarm, anc
posed to fi
the detach
very mouK
Mo it of tl
stantly jui
whom she
brient sent
This man,
with a cli
possession
other, and
he killed b
cesdingly
tidenl.

Another
liimselt'int
mast. A !
whom oui
Ainhoyna,
tcfrtunate
the hotton
with inteiii
2)on, a gu

* One of
prisod to SI
ntnlt'ii his sa
cognized, re

VOYACE IN SEARCH Or LA PEHOUSE.

129

bread-fruit frees, was giving an entertainment to
Admiral D'Entr€ca8t«au». She first commanded
the young girls of her suite to dance, whi^h they
did with infinite g:race. Tbey sang at the same
time, while FH<^a/rt»7it*, who was in an erect po-
sition, directed their motions and animated them
with his voice and gestures*.

The Europeans were assembled together, to
the number of about thirty, and were quenching
their thirst with the delicious juice of the cocoa-
nuts which Tineh had presented to the admiral,
^vhlMl an islander had the audacity to snatch a
knite out of the hands of one of their party-
Indignant at so much effrontery, the robber was
pursued by several as far as the island of Ton'-
o-ataboo; but, seeing themselves siifvouqded by
a great number of inhabitants, they speedily ve-
ttirned towards the aiichoring-place. However,
the smith of the Recherche, a German by birth,
thought proper to distingoish himself aJone in

scizied the arm of the rasl*. assailant, and threw
himself between the soldi'jr and the young girl,
wlK>se mother was not long in reaching the
beach, weeping bitterly for the loss of h«r
husband. The girl was much afllicted for tlie
Joss of her father, and struck herself with
violence on the cheek and the breast, with her
fist.

The Europeans retained, as hostages, the son
of the king, and ZiYj/rt, chief of the Island of
Pangaimatoo: but tliey observed, with much
concern, the dejection into which this detention
threw the king's son. The two chiefs passed the
time in the great cabin of the Recherche.
During the night they observed a great num-
ber of fires, on the north coast of Tongataboo
than theyliad ever seen before. At day-break
in the morning, they were waked by the piercing
shrieks of two women, who were, weeping as
they, conducted their canoe round the ship.

the triidst of these islanders. An affray ensued, [ They shrieked alternately, in order that their

and a launch manned and armed, arrived froB» | voices might be particularly distinguished; and

the Esperance, commanded by Lieutenant TrcH j 2'/7i/« instantly recognized them: they were his

•--■—' Knowing little of the subject of the j wife and daughter, who in the greatest agonie.<»

brient.

alarm, and supposing that the natives were dis- of grief were striking their checks and breast
posed to fall upon thetti, the lieutenant ordered with their fists. He immediately ran upon deck.

the detachment to sfeize a double canoe, at the
very momctit she was landing upon the coast.
Mojt of the natives wlio were within her, in-
stantly jumped overboard; but the chief, to
wlioni she belonged, remaining on deck, '^ro-
hricnt sent one of his boats' crew to secur
This man, having aimed a blow at the iitu
with a club, the latter disarmed him, and g(»t
possession of it: they then grpppled with eacl:
other, and Trobrient fired at t!ie islander, wliom
he killed by a musquet-shot. They were all ex-
cendingly concerned at the unfortunate ac-
cident.

Another islander, who beheld this deed, threw
himself into the sea. from the top of the canoe's
mast. A soldier, who was a German by birth,
whom our adventurers had taken on board at
Ami)oyna, perceiving the daughter of the un-
f(rt-tunate chief, who had concealed herself in
the bottom of the canoe, and lifted up his sabre
with intent to cut her down; but Citizen Avig-
non, a gunner belonging to tile Recherche,
" " • - ■

* One of llio armourers of (lie I'lMpcraiico was niiuh siir.
jirisi'd to sie, among the dancers, llif islander who had
ntnlcii his sabre. Tlie feilou', perceivin^y lie had been rp.
cognized, retired pr<.'eipitateiy. Our adveiiturers expressed

and assured them that he had been kindly treat-
ed on board, and that he might further appease
fhfHn, he informed them that he should quickly
return on shore. Soon after which he got into
the launch with the son of king Toohou, and they
were both conducted to the island of Pangai-
lUatoo

The wife and daughtc: of Titifa followed them
in uieir canoe, wh« n, as they were passing close
to the !\peranee, .. niusketoon accidentally went
off', and a ball passed through the bo(t«)m of their
skiff; they were then o iged to quit her, as she
was sinking. Our adventurers received ihcni
into their b )a( and they soon forgot the daOj^'er
they had escaped. When they landed on the
coast, the greater part of the natives left it, to
retire into the intr; of the island; but Titifa
persuaded them return, and ordered them to
range themselv. in a circle, which they impli-
citly submitted to. The traffic then recommenc-
ed immediately, and was conducted with great
regularity; the chief continued with them," but

a desire to l)elioId tlie feats of the wrestlers among tlin
natives; but they were Informed that such .amusements wera
iieTcr exhibited in the presence of the queen.

. Toobou'i

11 if

If I

> ♦

J '!

130

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OK LA PEROUSF.

Toobou's son deserted them as soon as he had set
his foot on shore.

It now appeared that the chief who had been
killed the preceding day, by Trobrient, was
much esteemed by these islanders ; several of
them having given manifest proofs of their con-
cern for him, and had seriously lamented bis
loss. Apprehending the natives might probably
think of retaliating, the admiral ordered every
person belonr^ing to the expedition to remain
within the inclosure where the traffic was carried
on. Their ships were now amply supplied with
all the provisions tLat these islanders could fur-
nish. Tilifa, and some other chiefs, were not
entirely free from inquietude, respecting the
hostile intentions of some of the islanders to-
wards them ; they communicated their fears to
them, and begged they would return on board
before the close of the day. They had not suf-
ficient authority to restrain the vindictive spirit.

On the approach of night they discovered that
their rudder chains had been stolen*.

Vuuaceecce, one of the chiefs of Fidgi, had
arrived at Tongataboo, a short time before our
navigiitors had cast anchor. He informed them
of what they had frequently heard, that, with
south-east winds," it took him three days to go
in his double canoe to Fidgi, the situation of
which he described to be the north-west, about
seventy-two myriameters distant from Tongata-
boo. This is an astonishing run for people, who,
having no instruments to take observations, steer
solely by tlie stars, as soon as they have lost sight
of the landf .

King Toobuu having been informed that our

* Many of tiic natives were incessantly asking fur rings
and glass beads, with which they decorated theiiiselvcs as
Boon as they received thcni. Their requests were always
accompanied with a gracious smile ; at the same time guntly
inclining their heads, and placing one of their hands upon
their breast.

On the 7th of April Queen Tineh came on board, when
Fccnuu « as in the admiral's cabin, to whom he had brought
as a present, a beautiful crown, f <rmcd of the brilliant
feathers of the red.shafted tropic 'ird, and others of a
shining tint. When he {-amc out, previous to his depar.
turc, he endeavoured to conceal himself from the sight of
the queen; but when she perceived him, she obliged him to
approach, and perform the foot-ccremony. Ho did not
dare to refuse her these honours, but he performed the nn.
pleasant task with a very il! grace.

+ Our Kuropeans were inform(Hl, by the inhabitants of
Tongataboo, that all the natives of Fidgi were cauiiibals;

si- i

Europeans would speedily quit the island, ar-
rived on the 8th to endeavour to procrastinate
their departure, at the same time expressing
much concern at their determination to sail so
speedily;}:.

Our navigators had often seen the chiefs openly
take possession of articles belonging to the peo-
ple; and they always rcinurked, with astonisli-
ment, that this kind of oppression did not lessen
the unalterable gaiety of their disposition. When
they were again assembled, they heard them
continually breaking out into violent bursts of
laughter.

Froi; the intelligence given to our navigators,
by tht mist respectable inhabitants, concerning
the ships which anchored in this archipelago,
they were convinced that La Perouse had not put
into any of these islands. Besides, they affirmed
that no fatal accident had happened to ithe vessels
that had stopped here, except to Bligh's launch.

The inhabitants of the Friendly Islands are.
in general, tall, and well proportioned; for
which they are doubtless principally indebted to
the abundance, and the good quality of their
food. The elegant form of these islanders k
not injured by hard labour. Their muscular ap-
pearance induced our l^uropeans to suppose they
were extremely strong, but they perceived that
an indolent inactive life had rendered them inca-
pable of making great eflbrts.

Both men and women have a custom of cut-
ting off one or two of the joints of the little
finger; and sometimes of the third finger, with
a superstitious idea of curing themselves of some
severe and alarming disorders.

but Vouacecceo endeavoured to exculpate himself from this
charge, by asserting that it was only people of the inferior
class (the touas) who ate human flesh: it appeared, how.
I v(T, from other respectable information, that it was like-
wise eaten by the chiefs. •

The admiral received, as a present from Ftittafaihe, ;i
small canoe with an outrigger, newly built. It was three
meters long, three decimeters broad, and could only carrv
two persons.

J On the SJth they were visited by several chiefs early in (he
morning, when they informed the inhabitants, that they wire
on the point of quitting the island: our adventurers wore
much surprised at seeing numbers of young girls burst inin
tears upon the occasion, and uttering the most grievous
lamentations Their grief was doubtless very poignant;
but it was not very durable: many minutes had not elapsed
when they wcrosccD makiug merry with their female com.
pauioni,

Tlie

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

131

The natives of the Friendly Islands have a j (heir habitations, or under the shade of the
Bwarthv skin, from their frcquenti)' exposina; trees, have a very fair romplcxion. The latter
themselves to the heat of the 8un ; but the have also, in general, a yety agreeable, and a
women, who are pretty constantly resident in I very animated eountenante.

^ SECTION Xll.

Departure from Tongntahoo — .Mai-" the South Part of the ArcMpelago Del Esphitii Santo, or .\1:y
Ilehrides — Anchor at Xcto Calcd'.mn — IntciTic-xs xcifh the .\ativcti — Description of th/ir Huts —
These .Matives are Caniiihnli} — Theirlinpuderice — Their Atlempis to get Possession of the Europeans'
Boats — Excursions into the Interior — Death of Captain Huon — j\cw Species of Spider, eaten bi/
the Savages of Xcw Caledonia.

ON the 10th of April our adventurers got
under sail about seven in the morning.
Some nativfcs followed in their canoes, testifying
their extreme concern at seeing them depart from
their island. They soon, however, outstripped
the canoes, which were conducted only by means
of paddles. They ceased to follow them as soon
as they had gained the open sea. The next day
at five in the afternoon, they saw Turtle Island
to the north west by north. On the KJth, at
seven in the morning, the Espcrance made the
signal for land at the distance of <ibout four my-
yiametcrs. It was Erronun, the most easterly of
the islands of the Archipelago Del Espiritu
Santo, disf ovcrcd by Quiros in 1606. A little
before noon they got sight of Anatom, bearing
Bouth-west by south, distant tive rayriameters*.
They were standing to tlie westward with a
fresh easterly wind, when, about three in the
niornitig of the I8th, the olKcer of the watch
heard the cries of a flight of sea-birds passing
viry close to the ship. Fearing they were in
the vicinity of the rocks, which frequently serve
thcui as a retreat, our navigator resolved to
wait for day-light before he contnuied his course.
When the dawn of day appeared, he discovered,
at a little distance to leeward, a great extent of
uvXs, on which the ship must have gone to
pieces, had they not casually made this disco-
very. The night was extremely dark, the wind
blew very fresh, and it would have been impossi-
ble to perceive Aw breakers time enough to avoid

* At five in tlioaftcriiDoii, flioj'inade (ho island of Tanna;
co'iiniiii'' of smoko worn issiiiut; fiom ils volcano, and cx-
kniliiig tliL-nisi'lvcs in the air, loiniing clouds which at first
voic to a prodigious hi'iglit; and which, after having tra-
versed an imiuen«c space, gradually sunk lower as they

Vol. II. No. LXXV.

them, Beyond this shoal they discovered, bear-
ing to the soiit!i-west, an island al)out a myria-
nieter distant from it, and to which was given
the name of Citizen Beaupre, the geographical
engineer )f their expedition.

About one in the afternoon they discovered, ,
to the s.)nth-west, the high mountains of New
Caledonia ; and at half past four they were two
kilometers from the reefs which skirt that island.
Here the foot of its mountains is washed by the
sea. They observed a fine cascade, the waters
of which, after often disappearing in deep
gullies, rose again, and discharged themselves
into the sea; and they admired the pietifresqtie
efiects of the torrents which they perceived to-
wards the south-west; the foaming waters of
which produced an agreeable contrast to the dull
verdure of these elevated lands.

At day-break on the 19th, they approached
within a kilometer and a half of the reefs, rang-
ing along them to discover the channel by wliicli
it was necessary for them to enter, in order to
arrive at the anchorage. Their depth of water
in the cut formed between (he reel's; was from
ten to twelve fathoms and a half; and as they
were between the reefs and the shore, they had
no more than from six and a half to eight fa-
thoms. A double canoe immediately got under
sail to come oft' to them : she was manned by
eleven natives, who displayed great knowledge
of the art of navigation. After addres"ing their
discourse to our adventurers and wa\ini>- about

became colder. During the ni^'it ilie 'enjoyed the brilliant
s|)octaclp of these clouds, wliicli were irradiated In thi; le-
fulgent light of the burning su!)s(a"iict"i, voniittd, at inter-
vals, from the bottom of (he ;il)\sso.s of the vo!ca:io.

i',

if",

JLl.

SOITjC

152

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

« ■''

some pieces of wliitc cloth, at tlie distance of
about two hundred meters from the ship, they
returned towards the coast.

The Esperance being u little to the windward
of them, ran aground on a shoal ; when the
Recherche manoeuvred so effectually as to avoid
the same danger, and they anchored soon after
in order to be enabled to give her assistance.
Admiral D'Entrecasteaux immediately sent their
launch to her, and by eight in the evening, in-
telligence was received that she was brought
afloat again, without having- received any da-
jnage *.

The adventurers held up some cocoa-nuts
and yams, entreating them to furnish them with
a quantity of those articles ; but instead of going
to procure such food for sale, they wished to pur-
chase theirs; ollering, in exchange for them their
darts and club«, acknowledging that they were
very hungry; at the same time applying their
hands to their bellies, which appeared extremely
lank. Perceiving that the Europeans had some
poultry on board, they instantly imitated the
crowing of the cock, in so exact a manner as to
■convince them that they had such feathered
animals in their island. None of the women,
who were a part of the freight of these canoes,
could be prevailed on to enter the ship ; and
when the adventurers wished to oblige them with
any article, the men undertook to deliver it to
the proper person.

Their canoes are not built in so workman-like
a manner as those of the Friendly Islands : one
of them received so much damage in her side,
by striking violently against the ship, that she
filled in a very little time. The savages, who
were in her, inmiediately jumped into another,
and suflfcrcd themselves to be drifted by the cur-
rent, which carried them towards the land.
Very early in the morning of the 21st, they
■weighed, in order to warp towards Observatory
Island, by means of hawsers fastened to each
other ; but they broke repeatedly, and obliged
them to let go the anchor again.

Our navigators were immediately surrounded
•by canoes, conducted by the natives, which came

* The next day, at sim-rise, four c.inocs ailTanced to-
-\vards Ihcir ships, but the people in them betrayed some
fears as they riimc nearer ; one of the siivages, however,
who conducted them, yielded to (he invitation of I'he Eu.
ropcans by coming on board ; and his example was follow,
ed by many of the others. They were surpriiicd to find

as that
cast of
Several

on board and bartered for a variety of their
articles ; but those who were possessed! of cocoa-
nuts and sugar-canes, would not part with them
for any price.

The savages were quite naked : their hair ig
woolly, and their skin almost of as deep a black
of the natives of Cape Diemen, whose
countenance strongly resembles theirs,
had their head surrounded by a small
net with wide marshes. Some had braids of grass
fastened to their hair, together with that of the
bat, which extended to the middle of the back.

Most of these islanders were armed with darts
and clubs, and carried in their girdle a bag filled
with oval stones, which are destined to be thrown
in their slings. The inferior lobe of their ears,
in which a large hole was bored, hung down to
their shoulders; embellished by some with leaves
of trees, and by others by a piece of wood,
serving only to increase its .size. Several had
that particular lobe cut into shreds. Behind
the ears of one of these savages, our navigators
remarked some tubercles in the shape of a sweet-
bretd, and half the size of the first. He was
much flattered at having this ornament examined;
the magnitude of which was increased by means
of a caustic.

The women had no other garment than a
fringe, formed of the filaments of bark, which
answered the purpose of a girdle, passing se-
veral times round the body. The canoes kept
close to the ship, by the assistance of ropes which
had been thrown to the conductors. By way
of anchor, the savages had a heavy stone fasten-
ed to a long rope, but nont of them rode by it.

On the 22d cur adventurers weighed at six
in the morning, und made several tacks to get
nearer to Obser' atory Island, named by the ia-
habitants Pudijoua. When tbey anchon d, at half
past ten, they saw the land of New Caledonia,
the nearest coast of which was eleven hecto-
meters and a half distant from the ship. The in-
habitants had no occasion for their canoes in
paying them a visit, most of them leaping into
the water, loaded with the articles which they
wanted to dispose of.

fhat they preferred rlofh to nails or hatchets ; though (hey
could readily perceive they wore not unacquainted with the
value of iron, which they dcMgnated by the uamc of pifiou ;
but the hard stones, frcquenily employed among them,
render the use of this metal much less necessary than to
many other islanders of the South Sea.

Going

f tliclr

cocoa-

th them

hair ie

a black

whose

theirs,
a small
of grass
t of the
; back,
ith darU
ag lilled

thrown
leir ears,
lown to
th leaves
wood,
eral had

Behind
ivigators

a SN%eet-

Hc was
camincd;
)y means

t than a
k, which

1891 ng S(!-

loes kept
[)C8 which
By way
ne fasten-
de hy it.
ed at six r*
ks to get
)y the iii-
[dj at half
valedonin,
en hecto-
The in-
tanoes in
iping into
hich thcv

though Jlicy
(c«l with the
ne of pifiou;
mong thtiro,
sary than to

':!!

Going

>'H

VOYAGE IN SEARCW OF LA PEROUSE.

138

Going on shore about one in the afternoon,
our adventurers were surrounded by a mul-
titude of inhabitants, who issued from the
middle of the woods, through which they had
penetrated at different times, without going
far from the sea-shore. Here they saw a few
insulated huts, three or four hundred yards
distant from each other, and shaded by a small
number of cocoa-nut trees. Some time after
they observed four, which formed a little hamlet
in a gloomy part of the forest : they were each
formed like a bee-hive, and were about three
meters in width and breadth *.

On the return of the Europeans to the land-
iiii'-place, they found upwards of seven hun-
dred natives, who had 6ncked thither from all
quarters. In exchange for their goods, they
asked for cloth and iron; and some of them took
the earliest opportunities of proving that they
wore most audacious thieves. The following in-
stance will demonstrate what is here advanced.
A fellow proposed to barter with one of our
adventurers a bag filled with oval stones, which
he carried at his girdle, for a certain equivalent.
He untied the bag, and pretended to give it the
European with one hand, while with the other
he received the value that had been stipulated :
but, at that instant, another savage, who was
placed behind him, began to scream outrageously
to induce him to turn his head, when the knave
ran away with his bag, and with the European's
property ; and endeavoured to conceal himself
among the crowd. They did not, however, wish
to punish him, though most of the party were
armed with musquets f .

* Many of these liuts arc surrounded hy a palisade, a
meter and a half high, made with the leaf stalk of cocoa.
nut trees ■ there were als6 a great many which were not
surrounded by palisades. Near some of these dwellings,
small heaps of earth were raised three or four decimeters,
aud covered towards the middle with a Tery open lattice,
work, two or three meters high. The sarages call them
nhouet, ami intimated that tl was a burial-place. The
natives inclined their head on mo side, supporting it with
their hand; they afterwards shut their eyes, to express the
repose enjoyed by the remains of those who are here de.
posited.

+ One of the savages, having in his hand a bone newly
broiled, and in the act of devouring the remains of the
flesh wliich was still upon it, advanced towards (atizen
Pirou, and invited him to partiilic of his meal. The latter,
imagining the savagi> was oU'eriug him a piece of some
quadruped, accepted the bouc, which was then covered
only with tendinous parts ; and having chcwn it to our na.

Ori their arrival on board, they were astonish-
ed to find none of the natives there: the reason
was instantly communicated. It appeared that
they had exercised the art of thievery in such a
daring and shameless manner, that they had been
driven away on account of the multiplicity uf
their oflcnces. Many of them had gone oif in
their canotn, and the rest had Jumped into the
sea, to effect their escape on shore.

Few of those belonging to the expedition, who
remained on board, would believe the particulars
related of the barbarous propensity of these
islanders: but Labilhirdiere brought with him a
bone, now picked clean, which their surgeou
recognised to be that of a girl. He presented
it to the two natives, whom he had on board,
and instantly one of these anthropophagi seized it
with avidity, and tore with his teeth the liga-
ments and cartilages which yet remained : he
then presented it to his countrynian, who seemed
highly gratified with gnawing it.

Near the watering-plare was found an iron
candlestick, eaten with rust, which had proba-
bly remained there since 1774, the period when
Captain Cook anchored in this roadstead J;.

The heat was now excessive, and otir Euro-
peans had not yet found any water. They fol-
lowed a gully, where they beheld the traces of a
torrent which there falls in the ratny season : the
verdure of the shrubs in the vicinity of it?, banks,
induced them to hope that a spring might pro-
bably be near it, at which khey might extinguish
their thirst. Soon after »hey beheld a very
limpid streamlet issue from the bottom of an
enormous rock, whence it (lowed, and filled a

turalis^ he perceived that it In-longed to the ossa inndmina~
ta of a youth of about fifteen years of age. This cannibal
tho-'ght it not disgraceful to avow that the flesh which had
covered these bones, had served as a meal to sonio islauderj
and extolled it as delicious food.

This discovery created some uneasiness among the party»
respecting the fate of some of their people who were ^till in
the woods; but they all made their appearance in a very
short time afterwards ; and they hod no longer any appre.
hensions of falling a Wctim to the barbarity of these savages.

+ On the 23d they landed, early in the morning, oa tha
nearest part of the coa^t, where they fo\ind some savages
who were partaking of a repast. They invited our Eiim.
peans to take a relish of some human llesh, which had beoii
recently l)roilcd. They signified, by very expressive siijns,
that, after having pierced with their darts, the individual
whose remains they saw in their hands, they had lUspatclicd
him with their clubs. They probably meant to insiuuata
that tlicy only feasted oh their cnemicsi

great

134

VOYAGF IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSF.

prcttt cavity, in a neighbouring' siind stone.
Our ndventurcrs stopped at this place, and
(he natives came iiiul seated themselves by them,
'ihey ollt'ied the latter son e biscuit, whiih thev
readily ale, lhou;h it was worm eaten ; but they
Mould not taste any theesc.

\^ lieu our adveniurers had proceeded half
vay up the mountain, the natives desired they
vould advance no further : assuring them that
the inhabitants on the other side of that chain
vould eat them. They ascended, however, as
far as t!;t> summit ; for, being- well armed, they
wcic under no apprehensions from these canni-
bli!s. Those who accompanied them were per-
Iiaps at war \\ith the others, as they would not
.attend them any farther.

On their return, our adventurers stopped at
■the foot of this mountain, in the midstof some
saviige families assembled near their hnt.<, and in-
timated a desire of quenching their thirst with
cocoa-nut juice; blit as that fruit was far from
being plentiful in this part of the island, they
did not immediately consent to sell them any.
At last one of them ascended a lofty-cocoa-mit
free, and pulled some from the top to present to
them. Holding the trunk of the tree with his
band, he rapidly run u>^ all its length, nnd dis-
played more agility than they had ever before
seen exerted, among the other islanders that they
bad visited. The waters of the sea frequently
"Washed the foot of the cocoa-palm, the fruit of
■w.bicb they had procured ; whence the tartness
of the beverage was easily accounted for ; but,
l^eing thirsty, they did nvit find it disagreeable.

Several thefts and outrages having been com-
mitted by different parties of the savages, many
of their movements had been noticed from on
board the Recherche; the admiral tlieref»)re
ordered two guns to be fired at them, wiiich dis-
persed them innnediately into tlic woods; but
shortly after, one of their chiefs advanced to-
wards them, alone and unarmed, holding in his
hand a piece of white cloth, which the com-
manding otiicef received as a pledge of the good
understanding that was not afterwards to be in-
tcxrupted between the savages and them.

On the 2Uth our adventurers set out carlv in
the morning, to the number ot about twenty-

* A heavy shower oblistd our advtndircrs to sceli a shelfcr
In. the canities of the rocks, where they lotUiiiiird for somu
tiois, They invited the savages, who attciiUed tJieiii, to

eight, all well armed, intending in eron Aver a
very lofly mountain to the soutli east ; and after*
wards to descend, if the weather was favourable,
into a fine valley which they hiid perceived, very
far behind this mountain. VV alking first to the
eastward, along the shore, they entered a large
wood, where, among the different birds which
they killed, they saw a beautifid species of uiaa;-
pic, which they denominated the magpie of ]S(;w
Caledonia; it is blark, except ihe upper part of
the belly, the back, and the neck, which are
while ; it is of a pale black for two thirds of iu
length, beginning at the [).is(!.

\\ hen one of the party expressed to the sa-
vages a wish to h:' e some viater, two of tijcin
immediately offered their services to feich some
from a gully, at the distance of about two thou-
sands yards. Thinking those voluntary servants
were a long time gone, the party began to sus-
pect that they had carried off (lie buttles, which
had been entrusted to them ; but thty at length
returned, and seemed happy at having had it in
their power to procure for them some very clear
water to quench their 4hirst*.

On the 7th of May they were informed of the
death of Captain Huon, Mhich occasioned deep
regret to all the persons belonging to the expe-
dition. About one in the morning, this skilful
seaman had sunk under a hectic fever, which
had preyed upon him for several months. He
Jiad supported the approach of death with he-
coming tirmness. He was buried, according to j
his dying request, in the centre of the island
Pudyoua, about the middle of the night. He
had requested that no monument might be erect-
ed to his memory, fearing the inhabitants of
New Caledonia might discover the place of his [
interment.

Soon after sun-rise they landed on the coast to
the niunber of eight, and penetrated into the |
woods to the west-south-west. Passing near a
hut, they saw a native, holding in his hand a
mask, which he ollered to sell for two joiners' M
chissels. It was cut out of a piece of cocoa-
nut tree. He repeatedly covered his face with
it, and looked through the holes which had been
perforated in the upper part. It had no aperture
at the eyes, but only at the mouth. It i» pro-

parf.ike of their repast: but they wore exceedingly siir.
prised to find that these cannibals would not cat the salt
pork which they ofTcrcd them.

bablc

g Aver a
id aftor.
oiirabic,
etl, tciy
st lo llie

a large
s which
of Ulil!?-
of New

part of
licit am
ds uf iU

> tlio sa-
ol' (luMii
icli »(»iie
wo thou-
r servants
1 to sua-
ft, which
at length
lad it in
tcry clear

ed of the
ined deep
the expe-
his skilful
er, which
iitlis. He
I with he*
cording to
Ihe island
ight. He !
t be erect*
ihitants of|
ace of his

le coast to
i into the
ng near a
lis hand a
\o joiners'
of cocoa-
face wit'i
li had hccii
lo aperture
It-i» pro-

acdingly sur.
t cat the salt

babic

t ft

VOYAGK IN Sr.ARCn OF I.A PFnOUSF!.

135

l)nl)lc tliat these people make use of masks that
tlicy may not be rccopnizi'd by tht-ir cm:uiics,
>vlit'ii hdstilifii's arc modifulcd *.

A marine, wlio accompanied tlicm, bad lost
One of bis pistols: (lie iuliabitnnfs of (lie bnis
uerc informed of tliis t'ircuinstaii>e, and that u
reward would be given <o anj jx-rsou who sliould
bring it to the owner. About lialf an hour after-
vurds, a savat,c was observed runninv'; towards
them to restore the lost article, which iic de-
clared he bad found -upon the sands. At ibis
intelligence the soldier recollcclcd that he !iad
torgot it in the place where he had dined. A bit
of cloth, and a waistcoat, fully recompensed the
islander for his honesty and trouble. He took
Lis leave of them, pronouncing the word nlaoiiai,
after having slightly, bowed his head, and went
away well satisfied.

When the party had reached (he beach, one of
(bcni fired oti a musquet to call the attention of
tlic people on board the ship, and as a signal
for tliem to send (hem a boat : the report of (his
piece drew about eighty of the natives r»uind
them: all of whom were prevailed on to sit down
as they arrived. One of the.><e savages had a
few •wecJish oranges, whicli he readily parted
widi fur u pair of scissors.

On their arrival on board, they heard that
several persons belonging to the Esperunce, being
in a boat, had just been furiously pelted with
stones by some savages ; on whom they had found
it necessary to fire several musquets to compel
them to retire into the wood«. It must, how-
ever, be acknowledged that this skirmish was oc-
casioned by the imprudence of one of their own
people, who, wishing to make the New Caledo-
nians keep back, had levelled at him his mus-
quet, which he had through awkwardness fired
off.

On the 8th c? May, Admiru? D'Entrecasteaux
appointed Dau'ibeau to the corumand of the
Kspcrancc.

* Two children wrrc ubscrvcd near a fire, reflating them-
fclvcs with spiders of a new sporics, which our advcr tiirers
hiid frequently remarked in the woods, where thc-y spin
threads of such an astonishinf; strength, that they were
often much incommoded by them in their excursions. The
children first killed them, by shutting the^ up in a largo
earthen vessel, which they were heating orcr a const erabic
fire: then they broiled them on the embers and ate them :
a hundred of thcui, at least, were twaUowed in the pre.

Vol.. II. No. LXXV.

Our naturalist went ashore in the afternoon,
and |)resently perceived sumo of the iidiabitHnl.>i
insidting (heir (ishormcn, and endeavouring to
take frtun them the net, with the fish they had
recently caught. They were obliged to fire at
tlieui several times, before they could completely
disperse them. All (his time they !,(o(mI (irmly
on (he beach, repelling th«j attack v/illj (h<ir
slings; and severely woimded the giuaiv:r of (bo
Espcrance in (he arm with a stone: ti:ey (hen
fled prccipitat'.ly, but in a few tuinules they re-
turned to their charge. At length, perceiving two
of their party brought to the ground by mus-
quet shots ; and so womided as to be incapahle
of crawling into the woods, without the utmotit
difliculty, the panic became general : they fled,
and not an individual among them had the au-
dacity to attack them again.

The next morning, at day-break, our Euro-
peans lauded on the shore the nearest to the
ship ; six of them, all well armed, penetrated
into the woods, and walked to the south-south-
west. Our naturalist found, in this excursion,
a great many vegetable productions, which he
had not before gathered. Being already got
to a considerable height in the mountains, some
of their people thought proper to fire olT their
musquets in the air, merely to discharge them
before they returned on board. The noise of
these small arms induced them immediatelv to
direct their steps towards them, apprehending
they might probably be involved in some quarrel
with the savages.

Night coming on, they got into the boat,
intending to go on board their ship, but the
wind blew so strong at ea >t-south-east, and the
current was so rapid, that they were carried
forcibly to the westward. With much diflSculty
they reached the Esperance, whence they set off
half an hour after, when the weather was be-
come more favourable, to proceed to the Re-
cherche f.

,. Their

scnrc of the Europeans. The inhabitants of New Cale-
donia call this species of spider twuquee.

+ The inhabitants of New Caledonia are, in general, of
a nruiOlin!; stature, and have woolly hair; but it is cus.
tomary, with many of them, io pluck out the hair: some
of thcui, however, permitted their beards to grow. The
colour of their skin is as black as that of the savag.'s of Capo
Diemen ; but they do not, like them, cover vhemselvos
with charcoal dust. Screral of them were adorned with

Mm nccka

£•(

E;i

136

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OV I.A PEROUSR.

Their diirts arc aoout five meters long, and
not above six centimeters in circumference near
the middle. They have an ingenious method of
accelerating the velocity of tlieso jt>."olins when
they throw them. For this purp')se tiiey use a
very elastic piece of cord, made of cocoa-nut
bass, and the hair of the vcspcvtiiii} tanotnlus ;
they fix one of its extremities to the end of the
Ibre-tinger, while the other, w hich is terminated
by a kind of round button, embraces the dart,
on which it is disposed, in such a manner that
it flies oiF the weapon as soon as it is thrown.

The well known voracity of these Caledonians,
deterred the admiral from giving them the he
and sh< goat which he had intended for them.
It was generally believed that they devoured the
hogs and dogs, of which Captain Cook made a
present to one of their chiefs, before they Buf>

fered them to multiply. They paiJ very little
attention to their fowls. Our adventuters saw
only three hens and a cock, while, they remained
upon the island.

Our Europeans, during their residence here,
could obtain no information respecting the fate
of the unforfunaJ;^ navigators, who were the
principal objects if their researches. It is not,
however, beyond the sphere of probability to
imagine, that this dangerous aiyd almost inac-
cessible shore ha** been fatal to them. It is cer-
tain that La Perouse was to explore its veslern
coast ; and it cannot fail of exciting horror in
the feeling mind to reflect on the destiny of those
hapless voyagers, who may be compelled by ship-
wreck, to take refuge amoug the cannibals by
whom it is inhabited.

' SECTION XIII. '

Hcparturc from ^exu Caledonia — Tnttvckw with the InhahUants of Santa Cruz— -Their Dinhonesty—
A Savage fatally wounds a Sailor with an Arroxv — See a Part of Solomon's Archipelago —
Interview Kith the Inhabitants — Their Treachery — Explore the J\orth Coast of La Louishde —
Jntci"vic7V with its Inhabitants— 'Death of Admiral D' Entrecasteaux— The Svuvvy makes great
Ravages — Death of the Baker of the Recherche — Anchor at IVai/giou.

ON the 10<h of May, early in the morning,
our navigator? set sail for New Caledonia;
but 'vbet. they had gained the open sea, they
^ere becalmed near a large chain of reefs, and
againi t which tlie sea was breaking with violence;
but they f iiccecded in drawing oflT from them by
jncsns o^ . light breeze from the south-cast :
<ht;y ran along them on the two foUowingvlays,
and on the l.Stli they discovered, beyond this
chain, Moulin's Island ; and soon after made
Huon's Islands. On the 14th, the ship was on
the point of striking on the shoals, with which
these islands are surrounded, when day-light
presented to them the danger of their situation ;
in consequence of ^^hich they immediately tack-
ed, and stood away from them.

Soon after they directed their course towards

necklaces, made of p!aitc<1 liair ; ami their arms arc some,
limes decorated witli biaceletsciU out of shells, or of f|(iartz,
am) other Uard stones, 'i'hcso warlike people are parti,
cularly attentive to the maniifpcturcof their H-capons, which
arc rert..irkably well polished. They sccmc<?, howeTor, to
tie uuttcc^uaiutcd with the use of the bow.

the island of Santa Cruz *, which they beheld
to the north-west, at about four myriameters
distance. On the 2l8t, about four in the after-
noon, they saw coming towards them, two
natives in a canoe, with an outrigger. They
stopped at a considerable distance, till five other
canoes had joined then), and then advanced
nearer to the ship. They invited our Europeans
by signs, to land upon their island ; but none ot
them would venture to come on board, thouph
re[)eated invitations were given them ; oiie of
them, however, came within the distance of
about fifty meters. They had bows and arrow.-,
and their persons were ornamented with ucck-
laces and bracelets, studded with shells.

Oi> the S'2d, at dawn of day, our navigators
stood in for the land, and they presently pcr-

* Tlii.s island was first discovered by Mcndana, in Iiis
second voyage, in 159(5, and received the name of E^moitt
Hand from Captain Carteret, v-ho visited it in August,
Sec Hawkesworth's Voyages; anu t^(tvigali"ns auJC Terns
AvstralvS} by dc iirosics.

ceivcd

: $4

py little
ers saw
iinained

e here,
the fate
ere tha
is nut,
lility to
st iiiac<
t is cer-
veslern
^rror in
)f those
by ship-
ibals b/

onestij —
oelago —
ishde —
^es great

Y beheld
I'iuincters
he after-
:in, two
p. Thoy
ivc othcf
advanced
uropcans
: none oi
, though
; one of
itancc of
d arrow.-,
it?! ucck-

lavigators
jntly pcr-

ana, in his
uf Egmoiit
ill August,
ttux Tirns

, ■yt^'^'^

ceivcd

^
^

.■■^'»,'

i-r lit II

^%1*^-w

'5^-'
i,

■« »,.;

-'»^.

:>^|*,-

«i'-V.'-* '^"f

I...-.

celved twi
They cara(
tliera were
It was 8011
appeared i
of estiinati
possession I
ill a wood
slicwii sonn
in tlie ace
They were
sented to p
afterwards,
turned aga
any of tbei
from the «
part with a
At eight
boats to 8(1
two kilome
sudden thej
.sitins were
when they i
of the cha
several ini

I these boats
had been a(

I ing the repi
ing canoes
which had

I be one of
separates .
Jersey.

A qiianti
whilst con!
beach, slro
by exhibiti
diflfereiit fi
leaped intc
ccive the pi
they were t

•Of their
they mi^ht ul
tiling, thvy o
tlut (hoy shoi
of (he coiidil
pfTrontcry to '
ii'fus«d io paj

+ These i
loaves of it, 1
of cocoa.nut
olive colour;
that of the gr

lljlAi-U^AdM.ie^r.- Ll .

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PE ROUSE.

137

ceired twdve canops steering towards them.
Tliey came alongside the ship; and ipany of
them were loaded with different sorts of fruit.
It was soiucwhat surprising, that these islanders
appeared to hold iron in no considerable degree
of estimation ; though one of them had in his
possession the end of a joiner's chissel, mounted
ill a wooden handle; but when they hnJ been
shewn some pieces of red cloth, they pronounced,
in the accents of admiration, jjoulee! t/oiUec !
They were so well pleased, that they even con-
sented to part with some of their weapons ; bui,
afterwards, fearing that tliey might prol'.ibly h't
turned against themselves, they would not sr.il
any of their bows ; and even took oft' the barbs
from the arrows, before they would consent to
part with any of them*.

At eight in tlie morning the Admiral sent two
boats to sound a bight which they perceived at
two kilometers distance to the north-west. On a
sudden they were not to be seen, and apprehend-
sians were entertained respecting their safety;
when they reappeared about noon, at the opening
of the cliaiinel that they had just examined:
several musqucts vhicb had been fired from
these boats, had proclaimed to them that they
had been attacked by the savages ; and, on hear-
ing the reports of these musqueti, the surround-
ing canoes had precipitately fled. This bight,
which had been taken for a bay, was found to
be one of the extremities of a channel, which
separates Egmont Island from that of New
Jersey.

A quantity of canoes had followed their boats,
whilst considerable grouns of savages on the
beach, strove to attnict tlicm towards the shore,
by exhibiting cocoa-nuts, plantains, and other
diiferent fruits: at last some of the natives
leaped into the water with their articles, to re-
ceive the piccesof cloth of various colours, which
they were to have in exchange.

• Of their dishonc.'i(y, they exhibited many proofs : (h^lt
they mi^ht ubtaiii the Kuropean articles of tratlic for no.
tliiiii;, (hvyulVcrccI a fair .tnd liberal price, but stipulated
th.it ihey should bo. delivered before hand. When that part
of the coiidiliun was ('om|ilied with, they had the daring
eirrontKry to keep possession of the article, and absolutely
jcfustd to pay the Taluc thai had been agreed on.

} These islanders delight in t;h(!wiug betel; they had
leaves of it, with caihew-nnts in ba^s made of matting, or
of vocoa.nnt bass. These people arc generally of a deep
olive colour; and their cast of counteuauco assorts wifh
that of the greater part of thoiuhabitants of the Moluccas:

The boats, having returned to the entrance of
the channel, not far from a small village o»
the coast of New Jersey, were on the point of
quitting these s.avagcs ; when one of them v as
observed standing up in the middle of his canoe,
and preparing to direct an arrow at a man in the
Esperance's boat. Though all the Europeans
were on their guard, this islander reconiiucnded
his hostile demonstrations. One of the seamen
levelled his piece at him; but the savage, dis-
regarding his threat, deliberately betjt his bow,
and shot off an arrow which struck one of their
bout's crew i^i the forehead, though he was at
the distance of eighty meters. This was instantly
returned, by the discharge of a niusquct and
musquetoon. The latter piece covered, with a
shower of bullets, the canoe from which the arrow
had been directed; and instantly the three islanders
who were in her, jumped overboard. Soon alter
they returned to their canoe, and paddled to-
wards the coast; but at length the aggressor was
struck by a ball, when they all three jumped
overboard a secoiid • time, and swam away ;
abandoning their canoe, with some bows and
arro>vs, of which the boats' crew took possession f.

The nose aud ears of most of thein are pierced
with holes, to which tortoise-shell ring.s are
aQixed- Most of them are tatooed, and par-
ticularly op .the back];.

The sailor who had been struck with the
arrow, suffered but little pain. He refused to
have his wound dressed by the Surgeon of the
Recherche ; choosing rather to wait till Ive re-
turned on board the Esperance. Indeed it was
n<;t then supposed that so slight u wound could
possibly be fatal to him

After running along the coast for alfout a my-
riaineter and a half, our adventurers arrived
opposite to a large bay, where there was proba-
bly a good bottom, but it is open to the south-
east winds which were then blowing.

it was, however, remarked that some of them had a very
black bkin, thick lips, an'l a broad ttat nose : and who ap-
peared to be of a very (liferent race; but all of tlieni had .
wide foreheads, and curly hair. They are rather tall, bnt
their thighs and legs arc far from being miiscubr, occasion.!
ed, as it is snppo.ied, by a life of indolence, and by passing
so much of their tioic in their ciitioer:.

+ These savages had a particular fondiicis for white
hair, as it formed a striking contrast to the coloi>r ot their
skins. The beaux of these re,;ions are said to employ lim»
to produce this cHect; a practice wl.ieh .''.so ^>i jvails iu tUn
Fricndly Islandf.

Our

1% : I

138

VOVACF, IN SRAnriT OF T,A PF.imUSR.

Our navifijalois liad not seen anv rauops iilou;:^
this coast, till about, four in the iiflrruoon of the
'^7<h, wlicn tlu'v ohsrrvi'd a skill' cntitlcil to that
ihMJomiiialiou a]>i)roa<liii!i>; the hliii). Tlwy MCic
imuli aslouislird (hat tiic ishiiidcrs who were in
htM- Ihid (lart'il (o vcudiio in so luizardons a con-
vi'y:>!1('<\ ll;f i:;rcatt'st Licadili ol" wliiili did not
c.\(T«>d two thirds »)!' a meter. The conductors
woro un(h>r the necessity of seatini:; tlieniselvos
in tlit> deepest part, to keep the canoo in pro-
per trim. M lien tliey were within about two
hundred and fifty me'lers of the. ship, they ad-
dressed a few words to tlioui in a very audilde
tone, pointinij; to tlieir ishmd, to which tboy in-
vited (luMU l(t repair : tboy condescended to come
a little neart r, but a very hard swell c(»nipellcd
them to lejrain Ibc shore. Tliese islanders wore
as naked as tlie inhabitants of E<:::n]ont island*.

On the ;W(b,\vith very little wind, tlic cur-
rents very pcrcej)tibly carried our adventurers
towards the Jxldiid of Coiiirtirictics. Tliey were
three kilometers iVom it, when a canoe put oil'
from the coast to conic al^nj:;side of their ship.
She c«)i;taine(l four native.':, who displayed much
gratitiuie lor the p,resen(s of cloth and hardware
bestowdl upon them, and gave them several
coroa-nuts in return f.

On tlic I2lh, at ten in the morning, they made
the coast of /.« Louisuulc'll nnd on the ISth,
in the morning, they saw two canoes, with out-
riggers, and under sail, each manned by twelve
savages: they ran rapidly round the ship, ob-
serving their motions w ith the strictest attention ;

* Tlie I'.spor.inre came within liail of tlic Ucchprchn, about
rii;ht in (ho ovrni'ig nf thi''.20ili, to roininunicatc the par>
licuinrs of an act of treachery of .some oi the islaiulors.
.She had betn mrroiintlcil during the priocding night by a
great number of canoes, from which only two natives had
Clime on board. Thesn had bestowed the highest eomnien-
•cUtionsen the produce ut their i.sl.ind, and promised to pro-
cure a large quantity of them for their jieople, if they
•would come on shore. These two men, however, went
a« ay about the middle of the night: but, among many of
(he canoes that hud remained near the Iwperancc, one of
them was observed to he considerably larger than the others,
which, on tlic approach of day, paddled several times round
the ship. .A t length this canoe .stopped fur about a moment,
und instantly flew from it at least a dozen arrows; by which
M. Dessert, one of the ship's company was wounded in
the arm: most of the other arrows had struck into the
ship's side. After this perfidious act the wretches (led.
A musquot discharged a ball after them without doing any
execution: but a sky-rocket, aimed with great precision,
burst quite close to their canoi^, and threw them into great
tfouftcruation.

Iml contiimed at a considerable distanrc. Kvery
thing proeluinicd to tbcni a numerous popula-
tion on the southern coast. Soon after they be.
held, coining towards thenij several canoes, eadi
containing ten or eleven savages, who kept at
about a hundred meters from tluuii; but tlie bid
of clot!;, wbieb were thrown overboard for (liein,
indiiced tliein to come nearer. Th«?y appt'tind
surprised at seeing in the sbi|) a young negro,
which they bad taken on board at Aniboyna.
These islanders had woolly hair, and their skin
wa.s of an olive colour. None of them wore any
cloathing, but they were decorated with brace-
lets, to which diH'erent shells were atlixcd. Some
had a ^niall bone, in a hole bored through the
sept inn of the nose.

Two canoes were observed clo.sc to the Kspc-
rance, tit half after three in thu afternoon, at
which time tiur inusquet shots were tired from
(hat ship, and the savages rapidly puddled
nway. It was soon proclaimed that the natives,
without the least provocation, had provoked this
attack by throwing stones at the crew. Fortti-
iiately, how«!ver, these treacherous islanders hud
m)t hurt any one ; and the otheers of the Espc-
rance only Jired at them to frighten them.

The commander of the Esperance sent Admiral
D'Entrccasteau.Y a bludgeon, and a shield, which
he had procured from these savages. 'J'lic
bludgeon was broad, and flat at one of its ex-
tremities. The shield was the only defensive
weapon, which had been remarked ;mong the
savage nations which they had visited. It was

+ On the "llh of June, our navigators doubled Capo
Hunter : and on thu 9lh, the (-aptain of the Ksperanco in.
formed them of the death of Mahot, the unfortunate fel.
low l)elonging to her crew, who seventeen days before haJ
beetii wounded in the forehead with an arrow, by a savaRi"
of l''gmont Island. Many persons |)resuuiedlhat the arro\r
from which he had received the wound, had been poisoned:
but those of which the 1'''.nropeaus had taken possession,
were found not infected with poison ; for tboy pricked
with them several fowls, and no bad consequences ensued.
It is iiy no means uncommon in scorching climates, to scp
the slightest scratch followed by a general spasm, which is
generally a symptom of death.

+ This land, which was discovered by Bougainvilk^
in l7t>S, appears to have been unknown before that
period.

It seems probi-ible that the land called Loiiisiade by Boii.
gaiiiville, is either nn extension of I'apua, or islands ail.
jacent to the south-east. In either case, when it shall have
been sulliciently explored, the description will probably fall j
into this division. Pinkcrtoii's Mod. Geog. u. 188.

about I

FiVory
)<)IMil;i-
licy !)('.

kc|)( ;it

(lie hid
)r thrill,

i|)t!iii('(l
? iK'i^ro,
iilxtytiii.
oil- itkiii

(iro any
hracc'

SoilKl

iigh (l;c

about

■k*

mmm

■^

itbout a ni
broad, and
It was of
jlightly con

On <be
pur Europ
He sunk uti

Staij at JVi
the Strai
Detentiui

natives, wl
which weig
the princip
the Aioii 1
extracted fr
scorbutic p
how much
ten times tii
sold them s
turtles' flesf
cancers. 1
form of a 8
to ferment.
Most of
naked ; tht
kind of CO
deed, are
loons, and
chase of t
near Ibis
silver bract
from the C
of these sa
spoke the ]\
a hat mad(
conical sh^
others had
ban. The*
and curl yb
in shooting
ward's of

• • It is a
landrd, such
the sciir?y, t

Vol. II

r/'

VOYAGR IN SKAWCIl OF -.A PKROUSE.

139

nbout a meter high, five decimeters auH a half
broad, and a centimeter and a half in thickness.
It was of very bard wood, ;fud the outside was
jlightly convex.

On the 2Ut, at about Bevci> in thf evening,
nur Europeans lost Admiral D'Eiitrecasteaux.
He sunk under the violence of a dreadful cholic,

which he had endured two wliolc davs. For a
considerable time he had cxpcriencf>(l %nine sli|>;ht°
svmptoms of scurvy; but tlicj di i not suiipose
themselves threatened with so sevens a loss. On
the 11th of Augusi they doubled (he Cape of
Good Hope of New Guinea, and on the 16lh
they anchored at Wu)^giou.

SECTION XIV.

Stni/ at Waygiou-^Scorhiiic People relieved — Interview with the J^lativcs — Anchor at tioxiro — Pafrn
the Strait of Houtin — Ravages of, the Dijumtery-r-Aftchpr nt Sourabnjja — Stai/ at Samaranp^ —
Detention at Fort Ankai — Stuy in the Isle of. France— Return to France.

WHILST our navigators rcmainpd at Way-
giou, tlu'v were frequently, visited by the
natives, who brought them turtles^ many of
which weighed from ten to twelve myriagrams ;
the principal part of which they had taken on
the Aiuu Islands. The soup which had been
extracted from them ail'orded great relief to their
scorbutic patients. The inhabitants, knowing
how much tliey were coveted, demanded about
ten times their value for them. The natives also
gold them some turtles' eggs boiled ; and some
turtles' flesh dressed after the manner of the Buc-
caneers. They also oflfered them sago, under the
form of a sourish paste, which they had caused
to ferment.

Most of the islanders have the body entirely
naked; the heat of the climate rendering any
kind of covering unnecessary. The chiefs, in-
deed, are dressed in a very wide pair of panta-
loons, and a banyan of cloth, which they pur-
chase of the Chinese, who occasionally anchor
near this spot. Some were embellished with
silver bracelets, which they had also prpji^ured
from the Chinese. The greater part of the'chiefs
of these savages had been to the Moluccas, and •
spoke the Malay language. Some of them yo're
a hat made of the loaves of the pandanus.'QY a. j
conical shape, in. imitation of the Chinese; i^uii
others had the head wrapped up in a sort <)f fur- '
Iran. They have, almost generally, thick, "lliong,
and curly black hair. They shewed great dexterity ,
in shooting with a bow, i.i the distance of up-
wards of forty yards, to which their arrows al- !

., ^ • -- • I

■"■ * It Is a very singular fact that, at the moment (hoy ,

landrd, such of the seamen as were in the least atfccted «ith '

the scurvy, and even those who had no appoofauco of 'it, '

"Vol. II. No. LXXV.

ways came extremely near. ■ Some of the natives
are armed with very long spears, tipped with
iron or bone.

These islanders seem to know how to manu-
facture iron, for they set a great value on the
bars of that metal which were given them: they
also manifested an inclination fur tin ; but they
gave a very decfdcJ preference to t|heir cloths,
especially those of a red colour. The island of
Waygiou, called by the inhabitants Oxvartdd, is
covered with large trees, and seems a very moun-
tainous country. The bamboo huts of the na-
tives are raised on stakes to about three meters
above the ground, and covered v^itti leaves of the
fanpalm*.

During their continuance in this' island, ouf
naturalist was constantly visiting its forests, and
gathered a rich collection of new plants. He
also killed several very sc&tcc birds; among
others the ispecies of promerops, which Bvffbn
called the promerops of New Guinea, a large
black cockatoo, and a new species of hombill,
to which he has given the name of Calao of the
Island of Watjgiou. It has an arched bill, of a
dirty white, two decimeters in length ; and each
mandible is unequally indented; the wings and
l)o^y arc black, and the tail is white, and the
neck of a brightish rufus. This beautiful crea-
ture is eight decimeters in length, from the end
,of the bill to the extremity of the feet.

A great many wild cocks were seen in the woods.
The female produced by one of the, natives was
not much larger than a partridge, though the

!l I.. . •

were considerably swelled in every part of the body; but
this syknptom, which very much alarmed many of them, en.
tircly dkiappeared after three or four iiouri, walking.

N n eggs

i:ri

m..

i .■

140

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

eggs she laid wcro twice as large as those of the
European hens. The species of wild hen is
black, whilst that which Labillardiere killed in
the forests of Java was of a grey coioiir *.

While they continued here, they received a
visit from several chiefs. One who enjoyed that
rank at Rawak, had supped and slept on board
the Esperance ihe eve of their departure ; but
when he saw that they were preparing to Meigh
anchor, he jumped overboardj fearing that they
intended to carry him away. This intimidation
was accounted for, when our adventurers were
afterwards informed that, five months before, the
Dutch hud carried off his brother, in the midst
of an entertainment which they had given him
on board their ship. The chief's clothing con-
sisted of a pair of pantaloons, and a very wide
hanyan, witli a sattin waistcnust ; rings of gold
were, however, peitdant at his ears.

On the fourth of September they anchored in
the road of Buro, at the distance of two kilo-
meters to the north-north-east of the Dutch set-
tlement. The commandant of this post im-
mediately dispatched to them a corporal, to
oftcr them such refreshments as they might stand
in need of. In a few minutes afterwards, some
musquet-shots were fired into the middle of a
herd of buffaloes, which were grazing on the
shore; and tbie corporal informed them that the
president had ordered the two fattest to be
killed for the two ships. Being no stranger to
the wants of rtavigators, he sent our adventurers
a great quantity of fruit, several bottles of a
very pleasant liqueur, extracted from the sago-
palm, and some young leaves of a species of
fern of the asplenium genus. \

This, and a few successive days were em-
ploved in visiting the different districts of the
island, which every where presents a diversified
and picturesque aspect. The sago-paUn is very
common here, forming the principal food of the
inhabitants; and is also an article of exporta?
tion.

The island of Bouro contains several kinds of
wood, appropriated to cabinet-work* Two

It I

* The great crOwnrd pigeon (cvlumba corotutta) is nty
ieominon in these thicks forests, where they a|so met witli
seme wild orange trees, the fruits of which suppied their
scorbiitie people with a very whulesome lemonade.

Our Europeans were informed by the natires, that the
road in which they had cast anchor, was infested by alliga.

■■;■. rr

Chinese junks were then aground on the rtud,
to the north-west of the Dutch fort. The village
near whi<h t'lis fort is built, is called Cni/eleein
the Malay language. Such of the natives as are
Mahometans, have a Mosque there ; the roofs
of which diminishing by stori<<s in proportion as
they rise, afford an agreeable object to the
eye.

Birds, especially parrakeets, are so extremelj
numerous here, it seems very evident that, from
them the island derives its name, which in Maluj
signifi«>o bird. Stags, goat:), av(\ wild boars aic
so plentiful in the woods, that tl-.e natives supply
the president with as many of them as he choosei
to have, for two musquet cartridges for each
animal. The natives entertain an invincible dread
of, snakes, which they say arc very numerous in
their island ; but our naturalist, during the time
rtf his stay in it, lunt with none of these reptiles,
though he traversed the forests pretty constantly.
The rainy season was not yet arrived ; but tlie
high mountains collected almost every evening,
st(»rin'^^ vliicji burst forcibly during the night.

On e Ifi^th of September, our navigators set
sail from Bouro, directing their course towards
the strait of Bouton, into which they entered on
the afternoon of the 22d. The next day they
anchored, about a kilometer from the coast.
Dauribcau being ill, Russel was entrusted with
the conduct of the expedition, and formed the
plan of sailing out by the channel which sepa-
rates Pangesaui from Celebes.

They consumed much time in getting thrnngh
this strait, as they had been under the necessity
of remaining at anchor every night ; and l)eforc i
they couhl make sail in the day, they were al- j
ways obliged to wait till the tides hud occasion-
ed currents favourable for them.

The natives came on board, bringing with
them difl'erent species of the fruits common io
the Moluccas. They also procured for our ad-
veinturers a great number of fowls, some goats
and a considerable quantity of 6sh, prepared
af%er the manner of the Buccaneers; and they
frequently furnished them with fresh fishf.

tors; but this intelligence did not ilelt-r their people from
bathing. Having penetrated into some forests of man-
groves, they observed their triiclis imprinted on the mud.
It is dnring the night that alligators arc most to be dnudd.
i The fruits of bomhux ceiba, and several new spccirs
of (he «ame genus, which were widely dittutcd in the

forsst,

ie rtud,
village

7i/elee ia
es as are
le roofs
irtioii as
to the

tremoly |^

iif, from

It Malay

iuur» aiu

is supply

! choosei

for each

bie dread

iprous ill

(he time

rcptilrs,

>nstaiit1v.

but (lie

evening,

light.

Ecafors set

B towards

[itercd on

day they

he coast.

sted with

(riTiod the

lich scpa-

r through
• necessity
ind l)eforc
r' were al-
occasioii-

;ing with
)mmun in
or our ad-
me goats
prepared
and thcv

shf.

people from
sts of iiiaiu
on the mud.
> be dri'adi'd.
new specirs
iuktil ill the
forot,

IV'

H ■.■^

t '!:

I, JflH

wtmmw

In the ill
often traverj
by the nam
tliey beheld
pnlmarum,
proach*.

The villa;
nence, and bi
tect the in
their enemic
and covered
inhabitants c
in a fort coi
oiir adventu
Htate of dis
East tiidia <
for tlic thrc
inhabitants
perinittod t(
up his resii
wretched so

It was dm
the sea-shon
of them hii(
I'severiul days
the water i
which niusl
Older.

In the COI
cured them i
goats, eggs
ottered then
hut they ga
is cnrrent ii
small coin v
which the I

forest, afforih
my moiikii's ;
serve fhoir sfc
iiunu'roiiB trac
very frequeiitl
many places :
foiiiul they wt
follow them tl

»Thc nati
marshes, whl
treniely iiiiwh
It was ill the
picked lip th(
in ail n great Ta
before been c
nicnts. A gi
this maliulv-

Oil the JJth

VOYAGE IN TSFAkcII OF T.A PFROUSR.

141

In the iaiand of Pang«tani, our adventurers
often traveraed thick forcata of the paim, known
by the name of corypha umbracul(fera, where
they beheld squirrela of the apeciea called sciurus
pnhnarum, which inatantij fled at their ap-
proach*.

The village of flouton ia aituated on an emi-
nence, and surrounded hy thick walla, which pro-
tect the inhabitanta against the incursiona of
their enemica. The houses are built of bamboo,
and covered with palm-leavea, like thoae of the
inhabitanta of the Moluccaa. The Sultan reaidca
in a fort constructed of atone. It appeared to
our adventurers, that thia chief lived in an evident
stale of distrust with the asenta of the Dutch
East tiidia Companv, though he waa their ally ;
for tiic three Dutch soldiers who were the only
iiihabifants of the Company's factory, were not
pcrmittod to live in the village where he takes
up his residence. They were sent away to a
wretched solitary habitation.

It was durk when oiir'advcnturera got down to
the sea-shore in order to return on board. Most
of them had been attacked by the dysentery for
sever.vl ilajs : but they were obliged to wade into
the water up to the waist, to reach the boat,
wlmh must ha^a greatly aggravated their dis-
order.

In the course of thia day the natives had pro-
cured them rice, maize, sugar-canes, yams, ducks,
goats, eggs, and fowls. Hard-ware had been
offered them in exchange for these refreshments,
hut they gave a preference to the money which
is current in the Moluccaa, and particularly the
small coin washed with silver, called kovpanpei'a,
which the Dutch bring from Europe.

forest, atfordfd plenty of food to numerous troops of pig<
my moiikii's ; they killed some of them in order to pre-
serve th(!ir skill. Thry remarked, on the moist ground,
numerous tracks of btaf;s, wild boars, and butl'aloes. They
very frequently met with herds of the last, lying down in
many places : but they always took to flight as soon as they
fonnd they were perceived, and it was next to impossible to
follow them through the mud.

* The natives, convincid of the danger of living near
marshesi, which render the northern coast of Pangesani ex-
troniety unwholesome, have not erected any village there.
It was ill tho midst of these marshes that the adventurers
picked up the ferni of a verv contagions dysentery, which
Iliad'* great TavniTcs on board tho ships, the people having
before been cnf-jcblcd hy the long use of iinwholcsomo ali-
nicnts, A great number of the people were carried off by
this malady-
Oil the yth, at fonr in tho aftonioon, our adventurers

On the 1 Ith in the morning, they croued the
strait of Sulayer : a great many natives were
scattered .ibout the shore, where their canoei
were lyinf;; othera were making sail towards
Celebes.

They brought up several times along the coast
of Madura, and in the afternoon of the 19th,
they cast anchor in five fatliuuis water, at the
entrance of the channel leading to Souri'baya,
one oi' the principal seltloments occupied by the
Dutch in l!?e island of Java. They intended to
anchor there, i^nd at nine in the morning a boat
had been dispatcled from the Esperance to the
village of Grissry, to procure a pilot to conduct
the ships up the channel that leads thither.

Some dc^mur, however, ensued, but instruc-
tions were afterwards received from Biitavia, that
the council of Snuraba yti would aQord tliein every
assistance in their power, and < .. the 26tb the/
sent them pilots.

The dysentery had then carried oflT six of their
people, since their departure from Bouro. They
soon obtained liberty to reside in the town of Sou-
rabaya; where, on the 31st, our naturalist took
up his quarters at the house of Messrs. Hawcr
and Hogh, who received him with great cordia-
lity. Ten days after, the council of Sourahaya
revoked the commission they had given, and ^hey
were immediately obliged "to return on board,
with the exception of the sick.

The sick was iixreasing on board the ships witli
alarming rupidity. Almost half the ships' com-
panies wt-re already attacked by the dvjjentery
and malignant fever; aK.-i the number of the
diseased persons only diiuinished by the death of
some of them: but at length the council restored

repaired to the village of Uouton, to see the Sultan, who
resided there : they did not know, that, in ordor to have
access to him, it was necessary to briiij^ him prosonts. As
they had nothing to offer him, he was not to be seen : but
his son, and his nephew condescended to receive them, near
the fort where he resides. They ad'ectcd no inconsideiablo
degree of consequence, frequently observing that the whole
island was under tho dominion of tho Sultan ; that he was
the ally of tho Dutch East India Company; and thut its
enemies were his. They informed them that the inhabi-
tants of Ceram, having once made an incursion on their
coasts, four of them had been seized and delivered up to tho
king, who instantly caused them to be belie.ided. Then,
having prevailed on fhem to advance a few yards, he shew-
ed them tho heads of these unfortunate beings, exposed on
the walls of the fort, at the end of very long pike?. With
an air of peculiar satisfaction, he commented invidiously
nu this tragic spcctaclCi

" ' 'i the

n '

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

tlie commission they had revoked a few days
before; and they had the satiisfaction of seeing
themselves again assembled in the town *.

Being" somev>hat recovered. from the dysenfery,
by wliich onr natnralist had been much enfeebled
he fn-vjiiently made excursions to the environs of
the town. Oi\ llic 1 1th of December the gover-
nor of Sourabiiya gave him liberty to visit the
mountains of Pra»i, about six inyriamcters to the
west-south-west of the toAvu. They set ofl' the
next day to go to the village of Poron, which is
built at the foot of these mountains. Some Ja-
Tanese carried their baggage, suspending it to
long bamboos, tlic ends of which they rested on
their shoulders f.

Resumiug their journey they experienced a
very heavy fall of rain, which incommoded them
exceedingly. They were accompanied by a Ser-
jeant of the Dutch troops, who soon convinced
them of his authority over the Javanese, who
were going to the village which they had just
left: he ordered the umbrellas, which they were
carrying, to be snatched out of their hands, and
none of them presumed to make any resistance.
He then presented those conveniences to our ad-
■yenturers, declaring that he ihoughi it extremely
strange that such people should think of pre-
serving themselves thus from the rain, while Ihey
Paw them exposed to the inclemenry of the wea-
ther. But he was greatly surprised when he
observed that not one of them would make u>e
of the umhrellas, which they intrcatcd him to
restore to the persons whose property they were.
At length they reached the village of Peron,
wherft t'lie'y were respectfully received by the
chief, who has the title of Demau.

They passed the night in a bamboo habitation,
where the greatest cleanliness prevailed. The

* Diiriiij; fho timo tliat M. liabillardierc spent av Sou-
rabaya, tlieli.'at wasexcoisive. IJe therosaw, \kith ast(ini>.)i.
iiu-nt RtaimiiiVs thormomefer rise to 27° ; but tliis lu-at was
of short (Jnraficn; for the change of the nionsuoi), which
liappeiicd early in November, occasioned abiin<l;iiit rains,
i'!.pi'(jially in A'.:- -jfternoon, which cooled the atmosphere
ill .«uili a iiK'.niufr t'^ut tlie thermometer stood at no more
than from 'i'i- to 23° in (he hottest part of the uay.

+ After proceeding about four inyriamcters, they arrived
.Tt Souda-kari, where (hey dined at llie house of the chief
of the ^illa;i;e. wiio had prepared for them a sumptiio'S
dinner, if ('onsisted of ditl'erent fish, dressed Hiieciineer
fashion, and of horse arid bnllalo flesh, which had been pre-
terved for upwards of six monlhs, after having been cut in
^vry thLii ctripes, aud dried in tJm sun. These dishes were

next day they took up their quarters at t^e
western extremity of this village, under the de-
pendency of Tomogon of Banguil^ who arrived
in the morning from his residence at a little dis-
tance, to order the inhabitants to watch over their
personal safety ; and to furnish them with such
provisions as they might re(|uire. This Tomogon
was a sensible man : he spoke Dutch fluentlv, <uid
was no stranger to the news and politics of
Europe. Boiug a Chinese by birth, he was
under the necessity of embracing the Mahome-
tan religion, to obtain the title of Tomogon.

On tlie 14th our afjventurers did not travel
far, but the following day they crossed a space
of a demi-myriameterinaplain much inundated;
they afterwards reached the mountains of Prau,
The Tomogon of Banguil went thither on horse-
back, followed by upwards of a hundred horse-
men. Our navigators found him in the forest,
where he was waiting for them. Having singular
notions of politeness, he had caused chairs to be
brought for them to sit down at the simuuit of a
mountain, whence they discovered, through the
trees, avast extent of country, which he inform-
ed them was in his dependency. Being anxious
to aftbrd his visitors a more satisfuctorv view of
it, he ordered the tops of a great many trees to
be cut off.

Peacocks are very common in this forest, which
they traversed in every direction, j'he inhabitanti
were employed in clearing, near the mountains,
an excellent spot of groiuid covered with trees,
the smallest of which they cut down with a
hatchet: from the largest, they contented them-
selves with peeling olf the bark near thvT root,
convinced that such an operation would termi-
nate the life of the respective tree J.

Not far to the westward of the villagf of
, Poron,

all very hi^'hly seasoned with pepper, pimento, and fiin^cr;
and rice supplied the place of bread. A profusion of Uc.
licious fruits concluded the entcftainmeiil.

+ In the course of the following d;;ys 'v.ir adventurers vi.
sited (he mountains of Panangouiian, advancing to the ter-
ritories of the emperor of Solo, into some large forests of
teak, wood, uider the shade of which i\\t' pamrutitim am.
bo^ntnse was fjrewin;; in abmulance. The guides wi'ie
much terrified \.ith the apj)rehe;isi()n.s of meeting with (iniMj
declaring (hat Ihey were numerous in (he thickets bordering
upon the rivulets; wliere they concealed themselves tli.it
they mif;ht be in readiness (o seize tlie ipiadrupeds when
they came to allay their (hirst. In (he=e diliorent exeii,.
sions, Liibiliardiere klll'd several wild cocks, whoso »;■.
riegatcd jJumajie -.nd biilliaut colours excited \m adml.a.

tjtjti.

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PE ROUSE.

143

poron, stood two colossai statues^ which the Ja-
vanese call retcio, and >vhich are held in great
estimation. The natives address their invocEtions
to these figures, in their greatest necessities.
They are fabricated from a block of stone, and
are about twenty-two decimeters higi. They
are represented in very ample garmencs, and the
two heads have the same cast of countenance as
the Moors. It ^eems probable that these statues
have been erected in honour of some of those
conquerors of the Moluccas, though the inha-
bitauts are incapable of giving any information
on the subject.

Riche and Labillardiere had formed the pro-
ject of g'"i^<f? to spend some time on the moun-
tains of Passervan. They are very lrf*v, and
remarkable for their fertility. Several s(,ccies of
fruit trees, brought from Europe, thrive ex-
tremely well on these heights, the temperature
of the air there being very mild. As Riche and
Labillardiere lived in the same house, they fre-
quently went together to prosecute their re-
searches: but on the lUth of February, 1794, at
four in the morning, the commandant of the
fort (Chateauvieux) followed by thirty Dulrh
soldiers armed, came and informed them, on the
part of Dauribeaii and the principal oHicers of
the expedition, that they were under arrest.
Shortly after, several cf their shipmates shared
the same fate, without bem^ ".bic to divine
what could have given occasion to so arbitrary
an act of authority. Soon after they were in-
i'ormcd that some news, wl'ich had arrived from
Europe, had induced Duuribeau to hoist the
white flag, and put himself under the protection
of the Dtitrh, who were then at war with France.
He had probably, at this time, formed the pro-
ject of selling the ships belonging to the expedi-
tion. And, in order to succeed with more ccr-
taint}', he thought it necessary to get rid of those
persons who were likely to disapprove of such
conduct. Accordingly, seven of them, viz. ie-
grand, Laignel, Willaumez, Riche, Ventenal,
Piron, and Labillardiere were delivered up to
the Dutch as prisoners of war, and they were

lion. Their crowing, which was frcqiiciicly hoard in the
middle of the woods, induced liim to iiiugiae that lie was
in the vicinity of some habitation; but he soon knew how to
distinguish it perfectly from that of the domestic cock. The
cnmb of the wild cocks is of a whitish colour, nii.ied with a
sli;;ht tint of riolet, and assumes a darker hue towards the
ed^e.

Vol. II. No. LXXVI.

conducted to Samarang, being compelled to tra-
vel about forty myriameters along terrible roads,
n the rainy season *.

At length, after having suffered much fatigtie,
they arrived at Samarang, on the morning of the
Ilth of March. The commanding officer of the
fort immediately conducted them to the house of
the Governor Overstraaten. The latter informed
them, that the principal surgeon of the hospital,
M. Albegg, had prepared a lodging for them,
and he desired they would come and occupy it.
On their arrival at the surgeon's,, they were as-
tonished at being led into one of the wards of
his hospital, where they were shewn seven beds,
which had been purposely provided for them ;
the apartments of which were totally destitute of ~
chairs or tables. In vain they expostulated with
him on his strange conduct, protesting that they
were not sick, and did not desire to become so
in an hospital. His answer was, that the go-
vernor's orders were such, that he was not per-
mitted t(. provide them any other lodgings.

Our sufferers were therefore under the neces-
sity of having recourse to the governor, in order,
if possible, to represent the har<hncss of such
proceedings, towards men who had endured a
long and fatiguing voyage for the advancement
of the arts and sciences; and that they thought
themselves entitled to a ditt'erent reception
among a civilized people. After a full investiga-
tion of this business, however, these unfortiuiat.'^
people were permitted to quit the hospital, and
take up their residence near the center of the
town. Some little time after, they were suffered
to go a demi-myriamct(^r from Samarang, but
were prohibited from directing their steps to-
wards the sea-side.

Our naturalist had remarked that, on the dif-
ferent heights ot Java, a great tuunber of cocoa-
nut trees had been stripped of their leaves, and
were dead as they stood ; but he was, at length,
informed, by several inhabitants of the hills, si-
tuated at a little distance to the north-west of
Samarang, that they had been struck by light-
ning : that these people had been witnesses of the

* '' Dauribeaii hod stripped Labillardiere of all his
rolleclions: most of the shi;i'8 company were thrown
into (he prisons of the Toniogon of Sourabaya, from
which they came out shortly after, some to be (lansferred
to those of Batavia, and the others to remain with Dau.
libcau.

fact;

I'M

11,1

.it-- '

Mil j

■il.

i'<'\

' 1 i-J^r

144.

VOYAGE TNT SEARCH OF LA PEROlfSE.

fact ; and tliey furtber declared that the siirae
jtliing happened on a great many other heif^hts
in the island. Indeed these tall trees, thns insn-
lated, are particularly exposed io the eflects cf
lightning-; and the abnndant aap, .wit.j which
they arc furnished, contributes nut a little to at-
tract the elastic matter.

On the ITjth of April intellijgence was received
that a packet was speedily to sail from Batavia
for Europe; and the Governor of Samarang per-
mitted tvv'o of the Europeans to wait upon the
regency of Batavia, to ask for a passage on board
that vessel. They were all impatient to revisit
their native country, but chance was to decide
who were to be the happy persons : the lot fell
on the Citizens Kichc and Lcgrand, and they ac-
cordingly set off for Batavia on the 6th of May.

The dysentery, which Labillardiere had caught
in the luarshes of the strait of Bouton, he now
expected a return of in the marshes of Bai;avia;
the exhalations from which are still more insalu-
brious. Batavia is so pernicious an abode to
most Europeans, especially in the first twelve
months that they inhabit it, that, out of a hun-
dred soldiers who arrive from Europe, ninety
are expected to die \vithin the year. The other
Europeans, who enjoy all the comfortjj of
opulence, do not indeed peri^ \ in so frightful a
firoporlion. Piron and Labillardino did not
obtain permission to go to ISafavia, till the mo-
ment of the depanuro of the DiiUh (iort. Their
cinnpanions in misfortune, Liiigiiel, Venteiiat, and
A\ iilaunu'/, set oil' to proceed thither ; and the
moment thcv arrived, they were sen! to fortTau-
garan, alxmt two in>riiinieters from the town.
Riche and Logrand insteiul of prociirini;' a pus-
«age in the packet which wr.s speedily to sail,
had been coniiiicd in fort Ankee ; but they had
the good tortnnc to sail, about two mouths affer,
for (he fsle of Fraiice, in a vessel that was con-
ducting prisoners thither.

Daurii)eau not satisfied with haviu^^ atrioped
Labillardiere of his colieotions, requested the
Governor of Samarang to ti'ke from him thevvii-
nuscript, containing his observations during the
voyage in search of La Perouse. In vain he re-
monstrated against this violation of the most
sacred property. Governor Overstraaten gave
orders for examining his baggage, which he had
caused to be sealed up a month before; but for-
tuuiitely that journal escaped these researches.

:itT

^'J

Dauribeau, who had lately arrived to treat
with the Governor, respecting the sale of the ships
belonging to the expedition, died there on the
'22^d of August:. The moment of the departure
of the Dutch lii- et was drawing near. Citizens
Piron and Lul ilardiere set out for Batavia on
the 1st of August. On the 2d of September
they cast anclior in the road of Batavia. Having
remained on l)oard here about two days, the coui-
ir.anding odiccr in the road convened them on
shore, and tlu;y were immediately sent to Fort
Ankee, which is situated about a demi-myria-
meter to tht- westward of the town. It is sur-
rounded bv iiiorassesj which render this abode
exceedingly iiviiiealthy.

These uii<sji'.'s serve as a haunt to enormous
serpents of the species called boa constrictor.
One of them came pretty regularly, every four
or five days, and carried off some poultry, from
the house of a publican in the neighbourhood of
Fort Ankee, at whose housethcy had been permitted
to make their meals. An old slave bad been long
suspected of stealirg these fowls, and had fre-
quently received filty strokes of the rattan, when
ever these feathered inhabitants were missed,
without regarding bis protestations of innocence;
but the real thief was at length discovered to be
a suake. This voracious creature had swallowed
a remarkably large hen, and became so swelled
that he was unable to return through the opening
by which he iiad introduced himself Tlie K^se
then took his revenge for the blows he hid re-
ceived. The hen that was taken out of bis sto-
mach, had entered it head foremost, and had un-
dergone no alteration. This snake was only fo: .
meters in length ; but a Javanese killed one, a
few dajs after, which was above ten meters long.
It did not appear that be was in the practice of
amusing himself only with poultry; they found,
in his sto,niacIi, a kid that weighed a myriagrani
and a half

The river which flows at the foot of Fott
Ankee, is frequented by alligators : Labillardiere
saw a large one advance among a group of
children who were bathing in this river. The mon-
ster instantly seized one of them and disappeared.

During the last two months of our adventurers'
residence at Ankee, four officers belonging to
the Modcstc, a French privateer, came to reside
in the fortress where they were detained, which
rendered their captivity more tolerable. They

had

VOYAGE IN SEARCH OF LA PEROUSE.

Ii5

!i.i(l been made prisoners of war on board a
Dutch ship, a few days after they had been iu
j)( ssesKion of her.

The fort Major informed our navij^ators of
<l)e dt-ath of the purser of the Recherche, whose
jiaiiie was Giranden. It was now discovered that
<his person was a woman, as had been suspected
from the con>meiicement of the voyage ; though
ijiie iiad a v«?ry masculine appearance. Motives
of ciuiosity, it is said, determined her to under-
take this vo\3ge. She had left a very young
child in Franc?.

The Nathalie corvetta, with Citizen Riche on
1)1), rd, had been sent from the Isle of France to
liatavia, to claim their ships from the regency ;
but on her arrival in the road she was detained
for five months under the guns of two Dutch
ships of war : and siie could obtain no other sa-
tisfaction than that of carrying away the persons
belonging to the expedition who were >":) con-
finement, and a few Froncli prisoners ot wiir.

At length, on the 2i>th of March, 1795, they

set sail for the Isle of France. It was high

I time that Labillardiere should quit the morasses,

{which surround Fort Anicee, where he had, for

upwards of a month, been attacked by a dy-

Names and Value of the Ni.ir I''iie\c.u 3lEJSvn^s
compared tci/h the Old.

JLinnear Measures.

Myriamcter

Kilometer

Hectometer

I Di'caniPter

j Meter

Ceiitiiucter -

Alji'iulitor
Kilolitcr .
hketolitcr
I Decaliter .
Lifer .
rDi'cilitcr
i Lcutilitcr

Toiscw.

5130

613

, 51

Feet.
4
0
1
O
3
0
0

Inchei. Lines,

5
5
10
9
0
3
0

4
4

1,6
4,06
11,206
8,330
4,433

3Teasiircs of Capaeity.

Cubit feet.

2» 1,7390

- 29,1739

2,9174

0,2917

Cubit inches.

60,4125
5,0112
0,5041

bentcry, and which was making a very rapid pro-
gress, ; but as soon as he breathed a pure air
his complaint as rapidly diminished. On the
7lh of May, he arrived at the Isle of France,
and often visited its high mountains, paying" par-
ticular attention to its diversified productiixis.

No opportunity presented itself of his return-
ing to his native country, till General Malartic
sent to France the Minerva, the command of
which he conferred on Citizen Laignel, one of
his companions in misfortune. He embarked on
board this vessel, which set sail fiom the l^jle of
France on the 20th of November. On the 12t!i
of March, lTi^6, they anchored off the Isle de
Bas, and shortly after he repaired to Paris.

Labillardiere soon received information that
his collections in natural history had been con-
veyed to England. The French government
immediately claimed them. Sir Joseph Banks,
President of the Royal Society of London, se-
conded his claim with great energy; and soon
after he had* the happi'^ss, in receiving them, to
find himself enabled lo make known the natural
productions which he observed in the countries
he visited during the course of this voyage.

Bar *

M^^^riagram

Kilogram

Hectogram

Decagram

Gram

Dccif^ram

Centigram

Measures of Height.

lb.'!. uz.

201
. 20
2
. 0
0
0
0
0

4
6
O
•J
0
0
0
0

dr.

5
2
2
O
O
0

54
63
35

10,72
44,27
18,827
1,883
0,18a

^ '11^^ ^

^i'll'fi

END OF ADMIRAL DENTKECASTEAUX S VOYAGE.

TRAVELS IN KAMTSCHATKA.

> : ■ V ■ During the Years 1787 and 1788,

...'. - . ■^ . ' ^ -*■ BY ■'^ "! >

Consul of France, and Interpreter to the Count Dc La Perouse.

AFTER accompanying the Count de la Pe-
rouse for upwards of two jcars, on his
destined Voyage round the World, M. de Lessops
was honoured by him with the conveyance of his
dispatcher, over land, from Kamtschatka to
France. On the 6th of September, 1787, the
king's frigates entered the port of Avatsha, or
Saint Peter and Saint Paul*, at the southern ex-
tremity of tlie peninsula of Kamtschatka. On
he 2yth of the same month, be was ordei'^d to
quit the Astrolabe, and received his dispatches
and instructions from the Count dc la Perouse.

In the evening he took his ieavc of the com-
mander, and his worthy colleague the Viscount
de Langle. . His regret at parting from them
cannot be described: he was torn
arms, and found himself in those
Kasloff Oiigrenin, governor-general
and Kamtschatka, to whom Count de la Perouse
had presented him rather as a son, than an of-
ficer charged with his dispatches. At this instant
his obligations commenced to the Russian go-
vernor, to whose amiable f disposition he was till
then a stranger. In conducting our traveller to
his house he spared no pains to divert him frum
hiH melancholy reflections, on being left alone in
these half-discovered regions four thousand
leagues distant from his native land ; but the re-

froui their

of Colonel

! of Okotsk

* The Russians call it Pctroparloskaia-gavcn.

f After repeated civilities to crcry individual engaged in
the expedition, he was anxious to supply the frigates \rith
proTisions. Though oxen could not be procured without
the utmost difficulty, he furnished seven at hisowncxpencc,
and could not be i)revailod on to accept of any equivalent,
but regretted that he was not able to procure a greater
number.

ception be met with from the inhabitants, and
the civilities of the Russian ofl[ie«rs, renderedl
him less sensible of the departure of his country^
men.

That event took place on the morning of Iht I
30th of September];: they sailed with a winal
tlwit conveyed them speedily out of sight, andl
continued favourable for several successive davs.l
The governor had promised to conduct our tra-l
veller as far as Okotsk, which was the. place of I
his residence, and he thought himself so happjl
under his guidance, that he could not hesitatel
about surrendering himself implicitly to his di-
rection. Mr. KasloH' had affairs to settle, whichj
with the preparations for their departure, d&|
tained them six days longer.

The bay had been minutely and accuratelrl
desTi'jed by Cap*;ain Cook, hut some alteraliorsf
had since been made, which arc to befollowedl
by several others, particularly with respect tol
the port of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. InstoadI
of five or six houses, an entire town, it is sup-r
posed, will speedily make its appearance there,!
built of wood, and tolerably well fortified. SiichJ
however, is the projected plan, which is to bel
ascribed to Kasl'jO', whose views arc equalljl
great and conducive io the service of his sovol
reign. The execution of this plan will increasci

+ Mr. Pinkerton, in his Modern Geography, .
*' this ingeiiiuns traveller," (M. de Ijcssops) ''gi ^>ilitj
most precise information concerning the manners ' f iln
Knmtschadales, and the Tcrhuks, the nvjst remote |H'0|iIo|
of Asiatic [lussia. lie travelled in the wintc:, whoti tliel
snowy hurricanes were often so thick Qj to obstruct thil
view as much aa a heavy fog." Pinkertoti's Modern 6Vc/ [
vol ii. 54i

tlltl

LESSOP'S TRA^■ELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

147

Modern 6Vci?

the celebrity of the port, already rendered fa-
mous by the foreign vesseU which have touched
here, and by its excellent situation for commerce.

Tlie port of Saint Peter and Saint Paul* is
situated at the south of tl i entrance of the bay,
and closed in by a narrow neck of land, upon
which the ostrog f, or village of Kamptschatka
is built. On an eminence to the cast is the house
of the governor, with whom Mr. KaslofF le-
sided during his stay : near it stands the house
of a corporal of the garrison, and a little higher
Uiat of a Serjeant ; who, next to the governor,
are the only distinguished persons in this scttle-
na-nt. Opposite to the entrance of the port are
the ruins of the hospital mentioned in Captain
Cook's Voyage X- Below these, and nearer the
shore, stands a building denominated a magazine
to the garrison, which is constantly guarded by
a centinel. Such was the state in w'lich they
found the port of Saint Peter and Saii?t Paul.

By the intended augmentation it will probably
become an interesting p'-vce : the entrance ivas
to be flanked by fortilicaticns, and a battery was
also to bti erected on the neck of land which
separates the bay from the lake. There is now
on the point of a rock, a battery of six or eight
camion, lately erected to salute their frigate?..
The augmentation of the garrison forms a part
ol the plan, which at present only consists of
forty soldiers or cossacs. In the time of ser-
vice they hu\e a sabre, lirelock, and cartouch
bo\; in other re»<pects they are not distinguishable
fi'oin the indigenes, but by their featurea and
idiom. The narrow projection of land, which
closes in the entrance of the port, is at present
com|)osed of between thirty and forty habitations,
including wiflter and summer ones, called islms
and halugans. The present number of inhabi-

* The curliust navigators say, (his is the must commodious
port in this part of Asia: and ought to be the general de.
pot for the commerce of the country. This would be the
niorc advantageous, as the mariners which frequent the other
; sually think themselves fortunateif they escape ship.

w^:ck ; and for this reason the empress prohibited all na-
vigation after the 26th of Septen-.ber.

+ An ostrog signifies a construction surrounded with
palli^vidoes. Its etymology may probaldy be derived from
the entrenchments hastily constructed by the Russians to
ju'uveut the incursions of the natives. Ostrog is now the
a|ipuilation given to almost all the villages in this country.

t Near this place was buried, at the foot of a tree, the
>jody of Captain Clerk. The inscription placed on the

Vot. II. No. LXXVI.

tants, including the garrison, does not exceed
one hundred.

The banks of the bay of Avatsha arc rendered
difllicult of access by mountains, wood, and vol-
canoes §. Our traveller was astonished at the
abundant vegetation of the valleys, the grass
being nearly equal to the ordinary liiMght of a
man: and a grateful smell /&i difl'iiscd far and
wide by the rural flowers, among which were
wild roses and many other odoriferous plants.

The rains are heavy here in spring and au-
tumn, and the blasts of wind are frequent in
autuiun and winter. The snow makes its ap-
pearance on the grou J in October, and in April
or May the thaw begins to take place. The
summer is moderately fine: the strongest heats
seldom lasting bey. id the solstice. Thunder is
seldom heard here, and its effects are never found
iiijuriojs. Two rivers discharge their waters
into the bay of Avatsha : they both abound with
fish ard water fowl ; but the latter are so wild
that you eannot approach them within fifty
yards. These rivers cannot be navigated after
the 26th of November, being always frozen
about that time : in the depth of winter the bay
is covered with sheets of ice, which are sta-
tionary there while the wind continues blowing
from the sea, but are totally dispelled when the
wind is blown from the land. The port of Saint
Peter and Sairit Paul is generally shut up by the
ice ill January.

The company departed from this port on the
7th of October ; they consisted of Messrs.
Kasloff', SchmalefF||, Vorokhoft', Ivasehkin**,
andM.de Lessops; besides four seijcants, and
an equal number of soldiers, in the .suite of the
governor. The commanding officer of the port,
perhaps as a token of respect to M. Kaslofl", his

tomb was in wood, and consecjuently liable to be eflkcod. La
Perouse, anxious that the name of this navigator should bo
ininiortalizc-d, and that no injury might be apprehended
front the weather, substituted instead of it an iuscriptioa
on <'0|i|)er.

§ About fifteen or twenty wersts from the port, there is
u volcano, which was visited b; '.he naturalists who attend,
ed liA IVrouse, and which has ')i't;ii particularly mentioned
in his voyage.

(I Insjiector-general for the Kaniptsehadales.

•* M. Ivasehkin is the unfortunate giHtlciiian whose dis.
tresses excite the compassion of every reader of sensibility ;
they ire particularly related in La Puronsu't Voyage round
tho World.

il '

. -it;;

;i;' ,^^f]

i^ ■.■!

iiilife

superior

T,FS;SOP'S THAVia.S* IN KAMPTSCIfATKA.

hit 'i^
■];'•

i!U])firior, joiiiPil ihcir liltk; troop, aiid llicv cm-
liaikcd upon /w/V/(/rA 'Mo cross llic bay to Para-
loiiiika, wlicitMlievwei'c <o bi; supplied wUli horses
<() pioeood iijioii their jounu'v. In less than six
hours they arri\cd at this ostrotf, wlierc tlic reefor
resides, and whcro also liis ehurth is situated.
Tli(!y were hos[)itabiy roeeived by the reverend
divine, wlio cnlntaled Iheni to niakrt his hous'-
Ihcir abode: but tiiey liad liardly entered wli^n
the rain (ell so ai)iuHlantly, that tliey were obliged
to nndu; the, visit longer than they h.:d '^tended.

The ostrog of Paraionnka in seated on the side
of the river of that name, at the distance of about
two leagues I'roni its mouth : it is not more popu-
lous than that of St. Peter and St. Paul. The
small pox has made dreadful ravages in this place.
The nimiber of b.ilagans and isbas seemed to be
nearly the same as at Petropavlofska. The
Kampschadcsresideinthelirstduringsununer, and
repair to the last in winter. In order to bring them
gradually to resend)Ic the manners of the Russian
peasants, tliev arc prohibited from constructing
any more yoiirls or subterraneous habitations
which are now all destroyed, except a very few
vestiges which still exist in the northern part.

The balagans are elevated on a number of posts
about thirteen feet high, placed ate([ual distances.
This sir.iplecolonade supports a platform of raf-
ters, joined to each other, and plastered over
with ela\ : this platform may be considered as a
floor to the whole building, whi( h consists of a
roof in the form of a cone, covered with thatch
or diied grass, placed upon long poles fastened
together and bearing upon the rafters. 'J'husthc
tvholc apartment is formed, and an opening in
the rools su|>plies the])lace of a chimney by letting
out the smoke, when a tire is lighted to dri-ss
their viduals: their cookery is performed in the
middle of (lie room, where they eat, drink, and
sleep togetlier, without disgust or scruple. The
uparlmcnt has no windows, a low narrow door

* llaiJars arc boats somcHliat similar to Kiircpoaii oiic :
niaJc of planks from four to six iiiclii's wido, fastcnrd to.
gt'tlicr wiili witliii-s or corils; they arc tlic only vcssrls iisi'il
to s.iil (o (lie Kinillcs islands ; tlicy are usually rowed, but
thi'v will admit of a sail.

+ As dried li-li constitutes the principal nourishment of
tlieniselvi's and their dogs, it is necessary that thoy blioiild
have sonu' place sheltered from the heat of the sun, and at
tlie .same time fully exposed to the air. Under the ruslie
porticos whieli form the Iomii' part of their balagiins lliey
hang their fish, taking care to place them beyond the reach
of their canine associates. Do^i are essentially serviceable

biiVely admits the light: Ihfi stair case Is well a.N
sorted with the rest of the building, and consist*
of a tree jagged in a slovenly maimer, so incom-
modiously contrived as to endanger the life or
limbs of any one who ventures to asc(Mid it.
AVhen the inhabitant is not inclined to receive
visitors, it is usually signified by turning the stair-
case, with the steps inward f.

Their winter habitations arc less singular, re-
sembling those of the Russian peasants, but on a
snialler scale. The isbas are constructed of wood,
and are formed by placing long trees placed
horizontally upon one another, and tilling (i|)
the interstices with clay ; the roofs res(unble our
thatched houses, and are occasionally covered
with coarse gras.s, rushes, or wooden planks.
The interior part is divided into two rooms, with
a stove so conveniently situated as to oonnnunicatc
warmth to both, and to furnish a tire-place for
their cookery. On two sides of the large room,
wide benches are provided, on the chief of wliidi
a wretched cotich is placed, made of plaiiki», ami
covered with bear's skin. This is the bed ap-
propriated to the chief of the family : and the
women, who in this country arc the slaves of
their husbands, thiidc themselves happy to be
permitted to sleep on it. Here is also a table,
and a number of images of did'erent saint.s, with
which the Kamptschadales delight to furuisi)
their chambers. The windowsaresmall and low :
the panes consist of the skins of sa! 'on, or the
Madders of some animals: the lisli skins are ren-
dered transpareni by dressing and sera|)ing, and
admit a feeble light into the apartment,* but
objects caimot be distinctly seen through them;};.

The rain continuing, the i)arty were unable to
proceed on their journey, butM. de Lcssopst
embraced a short interval that presented itself iu
the course of the day, to visit tlte environs of tlir
ostrog. lie went to the church, which waii
built of wood, and ornamented in the Rus!>iuii

to the Ivamptschadales to draw their sledgi.-s, and they have
no other kennel than what lie puriico of the halanaiu
aliords them, to the posts ()f whicli they .ire carefully tied.
+ III every oslroK a chief resides, who is called tovoii.
This •ijiecies of magistrate is chosen by a majority of theua.
tives of the country. This toyon is a peasant, like those hu
is appointed togtjvi.'rn, and is not honoured with anymarki
of distinction, ills duty is to watch over the jiolicc, and
enforce the execution of the orders of govcfiimeul : nudei
him an assistant is chosen, to execute a part of his functions,
or occasionally to supjily his place.

taste;

r.FSSOFS TRAVFLS IN KAMPTSflTATrsA.

IH)

<a«<p ■• ''c saw there the nrm* of 'Ciiptain Gierke,
mid the English inscriplloti irsptittii/^ his death.
The viliajce is surrounded With a'wbbd, whicli he
tniverscd hy procftediiig along' tlie river, and per-
ceived a vast i)laiii extending' to the north and to
llio e:i«it. On the banks of the rivers that wind
jilon"' this plain, frequent traces of hears aro per-
ceived; those animals bcin^' attracted hy the fish
with which these rivers uWtund : M. de Lessops
was assured by thc'inhabitftnts, that fifteen or
eighteen were frequerit!)' seeii together upon those
hanks; and thftt, whenever they hunted them,
they seldom' fa'iliSd to bring' home one or two
of thcni at least, in tlie space of twenty-four
hours*. '' '■ '

The ostrog of Korittki is situated in a coppice
wood, on the border of 'tiii Avatseha : five or six
isbas, and ahoutdhuble that nuYnber of balagans
com prising tlie wh(rte village ; it is smaller than
that of Paratounka, tthU ha;^ no parish church.
The next day the travellers inouiitf d their horses
to proceed to Natt-hikin, an ostrog on the
Holcheretsk ro'ute. 'I tAvas agreed on aniongthem
to stop a few days in <h^ neighbourhood to in-
sjicft the jaths, which IVl. Kaslolf had construct-
ed ill his own expence. The road from Koriaki
to N!'*chikin u tolerably commodious, and they
cffHscd, without much diiliculty, the little streams
descending from the mountains, at the foot of
which they \iere passing. Having travelled
about tiiree foihrths of the way, they met the
Iiokhaii rekai': they proceeded on its hank till
they came to a little niountaih, which they were
obliged to pass before they could reach the
village. A heavy rain, which began at
Koriaki, ceased a few minutes after; but the

'Tlie party at liMii; ill (|nittocl Paratoinika and rcMimed
Oioir j(i\iinu) ; twfiil) liorsrs siill'ufil to convey fhom anil
duii' ba;^!<.ii{t', M. Kasloir iiiiviti:r (|is|iiit(-iiod a part of it by
Milter iis far as tijo osiroj; of ivuriaki. Tlic river Avatsclia,
)w)viiit; iiu tide, it is. nut iiavi^'ahlu furtiier tiiaii this ostrog.
\Viili regard to tliciiibi'lves, they crossed tho river I'ara-
tuiiiikit at u ttliailuw, und winded along soreral of its
Lranehes; their hursies, noivvitlistandin^ their burthens,
advanced vtiry brinlvly, and (he weather was so fair that M,
do J/'tisopb began to tlunk the aecount lie had heard of the
rigour of the cliniato liad luen exaggerated; but he was
thorlly after eonvincud that it wuii his lot to experionee the
most pioreing frosts, and to contend with the violence of
wliirhtinds, and thu most alarming teinpusts, Tliu party
was idiout si\ or beveii honrii in tiavelling from Paratoiinlia
to Kuriaki, wiiich did not exceed forty wcrsts*. When
tlieyaj rived there, they were again obliged to hhcllci' thgtu.

• JL xtcnt is 0119 ihoinajxi j/(inh\

wind having changed to the north-cast, a va-it
quantity of snow poured down upon them, and
accompanied them till tiieir arrival attheir destincil
spot; at length thi^y forded the IJolchaia^-'reka,
and arrived at the ostrog of Natchikiii; where
they saw about six or seven isbas and twenty bala-
gans. They did not stay here, M. Ka.sloif beitig
desirous of hastening to tht? baths: equally in-
duced by curiosity and necessity J;.

They are situated about two wersts to the north
of the ostrog, and a hundred yards from the bank
of Bolchaia-reka; which must be crossed a second
time before a person can arrive at the baths. A
cotitinued vapour ascends from these waters,
which form a rapid cascade down a steep de-
clivity, three hundred yards from the baths.
In their fall they form a streamlet of a foot and
half deep, and six or seven feet wide. Not far
from the Bolchaia-reka, this little stretim unites
with another, and they both pass together into
the liver. At their conflux, which does not exceed
nine hundred yards from the source, the water is
80 extremely hot that the hand cannot be endured
in it for half a minute.

Tlie party lodged near these baths in a place
'•'^sembling a barn, covered with thatch ; the
timber work consisting of the trunks and branches
of trees: but their habiiation was found so
insupportable during the night, on account of
their being so extremely cold, they resolved to
quit them four days after their arrival. They
returned to the vilhige, and were again accom-
modated by the ttiyoii ; but the attraction of the
baths drew them back every day, and thev hardly
ever came away without bathing. M.' Kasloff
being desirous of ascertaining the properties of

selves fronv the rain, and to take refuge in the house of the
toyon, who ceded his is,ba to M. Kablotl, a J the night wa.s
passed under his roof.

+ Lar^c river. Runs.

+. Thu snow had penetrated through M. dc Lessop'i
clothes, and, in crossing thu river, his feet and legs were
uiado extremely wet; ho therefore wished to bu able to
change his dress ; but on reiicliing the baths, he was inform,
cd that tho bi^gage was not arrived. The company proposed
drying themselves by walking about in tho neighbourhood;
and after some coiiversatiun on tho subject, M. Kaslotf had
recourse to tho bath, which quickly reliered him from all
disagreeable apprehensions; but, not venturing to follovr
his examplt>t M. do Lessops was obliged to wait the arrival
of the baggage: he had imbibed so much uf tho damp, that
a shivering lit attended him during tho whole of the night.
The next day he made a trial of tho baths, and received
much pUusurc and adraatagc £codi tiiuiu.

tlicse

v:fH'M

150

LESSOP'S TRAVP S IN KAMPTSCHATKAi

these waters, they were analysed, and M. dc
Le6sops has inserted the process at large iu his
travels *.

The party having fixed upon the 17th of
October for their setting off, the sixteenth was
employed in preparations. Ten small boats,
which were really nothing more than trees,
scooped out in the shape of canoes, lashed toge-
ther in pairs, serving as five floats to convey
themselves, and part of their effects. What they
could not take with them, they were obliged to
leave at Natchikin, as they had already collected
all the canoes that could be found in the village.

The dinner supplying the adventurers with re-
newed strength and spirits, they resumed their
voyage, and had not advanced above a werst be-
fore two boats came to their assistance from
Apatchin. They were instructed to repair the
damaged boat, and to supply the place of those
which were unlit for service.

The Bolchui-reka, in its windings, ran nearly
in the direction of the east-north-east,'* and west-
south-west. Its current is very rapid, but
the stones and shoals obstructed the passage to
such a degree, as to render the labour of their
conductors truly intolerable. As they approach-
ed nearer the mouth of the river, it became
widfer and more navigable, dividing into several
branches, and then uniting; after having watered

• While the par<y remained at the baths, and at the ostrog
of Natchikiii, their horses had brought, at different times,
the effects which they had left at Koriaki, and they began
to "make preparations for their departure. In the mean
time M. dc I^ssops saw a sable taken alive. At some dis.
tancc from the baths, M. Kasioff observed a large flight of
ravens all hovering over the same spot, skimming continually
along the ground : the regular direction of their flight in.
duccd him and his companions to suspect that they were aU
tractcd by prey. They were indeed pursuing a sable which
was perceived upon a birch-tree, surrounded by another
flight of ravens. The gentlemon travellers had also an in.
clinatiou to become possessed of this animal ; but as they
had left their guns at the village, they were at a loss how to
effect their purpose: but a Kamptschadale happily drew them
from their embarrassment, by undertaking to catch the sable,
lie adopted the following method. Having procured a
cord from the caparison of one of the horses, he began to
make a running knot with it, while some dogs, accustomed
to the sport, surrounded the tree: the animal, from fear or
stupidity, stood watching them, making no other motion
than that of stretching out its neck when the cord was pre-
sented to him. His head was twice in the nouse, but tha
knot slipped : the sable then threw himself upon the ground
* M. Kasioff, who was president of this chace, presented
thit sable to M, de Lessopsy promising to procure him

a variety of small islands^' some, of which are
covered with wood. Different species of water
fowl divert themselves in this river ; the surface
being almost covered with ducks, plovers, and
many others, but they are too cautious to admit
the near approaches of man, thei^ natural enemy.

Night coming on, it was not thought prudent
to proceed any further, as during its obscurity
the smallest accident iqight have proved fatal to
them : this consideration induced our party
to desert their boat^, af\^ to pass the night
on the bank of the river, where Captain King
and his party halted f. A good fire warmed and
dried our adventurers, Onq of the floats contain-
ed the accoutrements of a tent ; and while they
were pitching it, they fortunately savv two of
their floats advance, wj^ich had not heen able to
keep pace with them. The pleasure which this
re-union afforded them, and their propensity to
rest after the, fatigue of the day, contributed to
procure tiiem a very comfortable night.

The next morning they proceeded to Apatchin,
where they arrived in about four hours ; but the
water was so shallow that their floats | could not
come up to the village: they landed about four
hundred yards from the ostrog, and accomplished
the rest of the distance on foot. This village i»
smaller than the preceding ones by three or four
habitations; it is situated in a small plain, on a

when the dogs attempted to seize him, but the nose of one of
them was so horribly torn with hi.s claws and teeth, that lie
was far from being pleased with his reception: Wishing
to take the animal alive, the dogs were kept buck by tliu
travellers, and t()c sable ran up a tree, where the noose*
was again presented to him, and tlic Kaniptsciiad.ile i>iic.
ceeded. This easy method of catciiirig siiblcs is a pleasing
circumstance to the inhabitants of this country, whoareri*.
quired to pay their tribute in the skins of these animals.

+ Cook's Voyage, iii. 208.

^ They embarked upon these floats early in the morniiif;
o(h the 17th. Four Kamptschadales, with the assistance uf
long poles, conducted their rafts ; and they were frequently
obliged to get into the water to haul them along, the stream
in general being extremely shallow. After some time, one
of their floats received an injury, which unfortunately hap-
pened to be that which was freighted with their baggage : at
noon a more deplorable accident happened ; the float whicli
contained their cookery, sunk to the bottom before their
eyes: such a loss they could not sustain with indilt'erenrc ;
they were eager to save the wreck of their provisions ; and,
lest a greater misfortune should arrive; they wisely resolved
to dine before they proceeded any farther.

anothcrf that he might take a couple with him to France.

braucli

Oil a

branch of tl
notliiii^ inti
the lloals, \
were waitii
vaiiccd, the
tiiul notliiiig
where they
by oii« of
(liemsrlves i

They wci
or coiuliict(
politely reqi
(lation whi
not only f
amusements
with all th
raided him

Siipposini
r»oithere(sk
(ilcdgvs cou
himseir hy
and a roprci
of the iiihab
of the towi
savs, issitiia
ill a small isl
river, whit
Tlie mostdi
chine conla
division hasi
woodon hu(
ttands a gi
juittice; it
by a eentii
< licrctsk is
built like tl
The ehurtl
(•hurt lies
bells are su

* .M.iloLc;
ticnmioiit in
nliirh liiul bi
(cidlrd wltli
al):iiuloiii-U til

+ Tlic po
U\o and til
hi'fCiUy cossa
comitoHC'il of
.111(1 CoBsacs,
ilit'in, c-ury
kuiiTory aio
Kamptbthadii

Vor.. 11

LKSSOP'S TRAVELS IM K AMPTSCHATKA.

151

branch of tlic Bolcliaia-reka. Apatchin afforded
nolliinj? interesting: M. de Lessops left it to join
(he lloats, which had passed the shallows, and
were waiting for them. The farther they ad-
vanced, the deeper and more rapid was the river.
uiid notiiing impeded their course to Bolchcretsk,
whore they arrived in the evening accompanied
by one "f the floats, the rest having found
theinselvos incapable of keeping up with them.

Tiiey were no sooner landed than the govern-
or conducted M. do Lessops to his house, and
politely requested him to accept of that accommo-
dation while he continued at Holcheretsk. ile
not only procured him all the pleasures and
amusements in his po\ *, but furnished him
ivitli all the information which his ollice per-
mitted him to give.

Supposing he should continue some time at
r»()itlieretsk, from the necessity of waiting till
pledges could be used, M. do Lessops amused
hiiii^cir by writing a description of the country,
and a representation of the manners and custqm-j
of tlio inhabitants Ho begins w ith a description
of the town or fort of Ilolcherctsk, which, he
savs, is situated on the border of the Bolchai-reka,
in a small island formed by several branches of this
river, which divide the town into three parts.
Tlie most distant division, which is called Paraii'
cliinc contains ten or twelve isbas; the middle
division bus also a number of isbas, and a row of
wooden huts, serving for shops; opposite to these
stands a guard-house, which is also a court of
justice; it is larger than the rest, and guarded
by a centinel. The governor's house in Rol-
< lu'retsk is higher and larger than the rest, and is
built like the wooden houses of Saint Petersburg.
The church is simple, constructed like the village
churtlies of Russia; on the side of which, throe
bells are suspended, covered with a timber roof.

* M.ilo Lessops tlii'ii rcliitcs ttin pariiculars of lilspenorous
ticntiiuMit in au excursion to viow (ho galliiit (roui Okotsk,
nliicli had been nnfortunately slilpwri-ckej, and was at.
ttiiili'd >vl(h bHch insurinountablo diniciiUtcg, that tliey
abaiidoni'd their project, and returned to Bulcheretsk.

+ The popula*! ■ . "f Boleherctsk amounts to between
two and three 1 tndiTS, Among these there arotx-y or
KCTcnty CossafN o • lioidici . ; the rest of tlie inhabitants nre
composed ofmerc.'iiits, ill. I sailors. These people, Uussians
and C(t83acs, coraLlnin).'. >vi(li a mixed breed found among
ihi'in, f;iiiy on a clan;'-, ntino conuncrce : their industry and
knavery are coiitiiiually employed in cheating the poor
Kauipft-ehudalea, who:>G credulity 4nd pro^cneity to drunken.

Vol.11. No. LXXVI. .^

North-west of the governor's house, several
dwellings present themselves, consisting of twenty-
five or thirty isbas, and a few balagans. The
whole of the wooden houses, exclusive of the
shops, the chancery, and the governor's house,
amounts to upwards of IW'iy. How this town ac-
quired the additional appellation of fort, appears
somewhat mysterious, as no traces are to be found
of fortifications f.

A vedro of French brandy here, containing IVotu
fifteen to twenty quarts, costs eighty roubles;]:.
The merchants arc permitted to (rulfic in (iiis ;n-
ticle. The inhabitants of Bolcheretsk diHlr little
from the Ivamptseliadalesin their luodeof liviiip;;
Lutthey are less satisfied however, with balj;>:aiw,
and their houses are a little cleaner, 'riieir
clothing is the same: the outer garment, which
resembles a waggoner's frock, is made of the
skins of deer, or other animals, tanned on one
side: under these they wear long breeches of the
same, and next the skin a short tight shirt of
nankeen or cotton; the womens' are of silk. Both
sexes wear boots, of goats' or dogs' skins in sum-
mer, and in the winter of the skins of sea wolves,
or the legs of the rein-deer. The men usually
wear fur caps: Their gala dress is an outer gar-
ment,-trimmed with otter skins and velvet, or
furs of the i.iost excellent quality. The women
are generally clothed like the Russian women.

As their food consists principally of dried fish,
the men are employed in procuring them ; and the
women, besides their domestic occupations, gather
fruitsand other vegetables, which, next to thedried
fish, are the most esteemed provisions among the
Kamptschadales and Russians of this country.
When the women engage in making these harvests
for winter consumption, it is a holiday with them,
which is celebrated with intemperate jov, accom-
panied with the most exlcavagant and indecent

ncBs expose them to the mercy of such unprincipled plun.
dcrcrs. When they are found in a st.^te of inebriety, these
haqiies obtain from th^^in the bartec of their most valuable
ctTccts, their whole stock of firs, frequently the fruit of tho
labour of a whole season. The fascinatinj; sight of a few
glass'.'u of brandy deprives th.'m of all prudence; foe tho
monienUiry pleasure of sjratLfyin;.^ their strange prope.niity
in this particular, -ihoy iviU Incur immediate and iiieTiia!)lo
destruction. They cannot r.uard against their o'.vn weak-
nesD, and the r.uuning and perfidy of these traders ; who iu
their turn swallow, in 'imilar potions, all tlie protits of
their knn.vory.

X i'''!j'''tccn pounds sterling.' * ■• '• ' ■ ■ ■ '"■ . ? "'

. . -\t Q q scenes.

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TEST TARGET (MT-3)

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Fhctographic

Sciences

Corporation

23 weST MAIN STRCrT

WIBSTSi^.N.'''. I«0C
(716) 872-4 jU3

5? J%i

152

LESSOFS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATkA.

' scenes, giving themselves up to all the follies
and ahsurdities which their imagination may
suggest *,

The most common fish here are trouts, salmon,
and sea-wolves: the fat of the latter is very whole-
some, and also serves the inhabitants for lamp-oil.

Among the vegetables used by the Kamptscha-
dales, are the sarana root, wild garlic, Slatkaia
trava, or sweet herb, and other plants nearly
similar to what are found in Russia. The sarana
is known to botanists^ and has been described at
large by Captain Cook. . Its farinaceous root sup-
plies the place of bread : it is usually dried before
it is used, but it is salutary and nourishing in
every mode of preparation. From the wild

farlic a fermented beverage is made, which the
[.at^ptschadalcs are fond of. The slatkaia-trava,
or swl^et herb, which has been minutely described
by the English, is highly esteemed by the natives,
particiilarly the spirit distilled from it. Brandy
is also ajstilled from this herb, which intoxicates
more expeditiously than French brandy f.

The K^mptschadales are mild, honest, and
I ipitable;Dut having little penetration or sus-
picion, they are easily imposed on. They live
together in the most perfect harmony, and their
unanimity disposes them L-- assist each other,
which strongly manifests their zeal to oblige,
when the slothfulness of their disposition is taken
into consideration. An active life would make
them the most miserable of mankind, their whole
happiness consisting in tranquil indolence: and
the height of intoxication;^.

M. Kasloff, and those who accompanied him,
frequently gave balls, and other entertainments

* fThey cannot be accused of too much delicacy in tlio
preparation of tiieir food: they waste no part of the fish ;
for, as soon as it is caught, they tear out the gills, which
they sucIl with great avidity : by a fi|rther refinement of
■ensuality, they also cut ofi" some slices of the fish, which
thoy swallow with rapture, accompanied with delicious dot*
«f blood. The fish is then gutted, and. the entrails pre>
■erred for the dogs. The rest u prepared and dried, and
generally eaten raw, though it is occasionally boiled, roast,
•d, or broiled.

But the food which extravagantly delights these epicures
b a species of salmon, called tckaouitcha. When it is
caught, they bury tt in a hole, where it remains till it be>
somes perfectly putrified: in which infectious state, it highly
ngales the delicate palates of these voluptuous people. M. do
Lessops wanted to overcome the aversion he had taken to this
luxurious repast, but his resolution was unequal to it ; he
was not only unable to taste i(, he could not admit it to ap.
proach his mouth : for^ whcoerer he attempted it, the fetid

for the amusement of the ladfes of this ostro^,
who accepted such invitations with alacrity and
joy. The women, whether Kamptscbadales or
Russians, have a strong propensity ta pleasure,
which their eagerness will not permit them to con-
ceal or disguise. The precosity or forwardness
of the girls is beyoild conception, and seems to
suffer no diminution from the coldness of the
climate. The women of Bolcheretsk who attend-
ed these assemblies, and who were principally of a
mixed blood, or of Russian- parents, were not
disagreeable in person, some of whom might in-
deed with justice be pronounced handsome. The
bloom of their youth, however, is of sliiort dura-
tion; but their dispositi6n is extremely cheerful,
and they sometimes engage in conversation be-
yond the line of decency; they omit no sally of
gaiety that tends to amuse and delight the com-

Eany: and the majority of husbands, whether
lussiaqs or natives^ are not very susceptible of
jealousy.

In their dances they sometimes imitate the ani-
mals they are fond of pursuing, from the delicious
partridge to the unweildy bear: they represent
the sluggish and stupid gait of the latter: its
feelings and 8ituations> his domestic amusements,
and his agitations when pursuecT. They certainly
have a perfect knowledge of that uncouth animal,
they are so exact and so extremely natural in re-
presenting all his motions. M. de Lessops a£^-<^ed
the Russians, who had often been present at the
taking of these animals, wliether their pantomime
ballets were well executed, and they assur<;d hinv
that the cries and attitudes of the bear were as ac-
curate as possible: butthesedan€esareasfatigu|ng.

exhalation which it emitted gave him an intolerable nausea.

f The inhabitants consist of three sorts ; the natives, or
Kamptschadales ; the Russians and Cossacs ; and the Issue
from intermarriages: The indigenrs arc few in number, the
■mall pox having made great havoc among them ; and the
few which remain are dispersed in the different ostrogs of
the peninsula. The genuine Kamptschadales are short,
their eyes small and sunk, their checks prominent, and their
nose flat: they have very little beard, and their complexion
is tawny: this description will apply equally to the men or
the women ; they are not therefore very seducing objects.

I But, notwithstanding their defects, it is to be lamented
that their number is not more considerable, for it clearly ap«
pears, from every information that M. de Lessops could
collect, that, " if we would be sure of finding sentiments of
honour and humanity in this country, it is necessary to seek
for them among the true Kamptschadales ; they have nut yet
bartered their risdo virtues for the polished vices of the Jl£uro«
peauf seat to civiUio them."

tESSOFS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

153

to tbe European spectators, as to the performers;
it is distressing to see them distort "nd dislocate
their limbs, to express the pleasure tliey enjoy in
these absurd diversions.

There are various mode& of attacking the bear;
sometimes they lay snares for him, bat there is
another mode, very much adopted in this country,
which requires strength and couragetoensuresuc-
cess. A Kamptschadale, alone or in company,
goes out to find a bear. He has no other weapon
than a gun, a lance or spear, and his knife; and
his stock of provision consists of about twenty fish.
Thus equipped he penetrates the woods to explore
the haunts of the animal : he usually posts himself
among the briars, or the rushes bordering on lakes
amfrivers, and waits with patience and intrepidity
the approach of his adversary: thus situated he
virill sometimes remain for a week together, till
the quadruped makes its appearance. When it
advances within his reach, the hunter fixes in the
ground a forked stick belonging to his gun, which
enables him t<f take a surer aim, and to shoot
with greater certainty. It is seldom that he fails
of striking the bear, with a rmall ball either on
the head, or near the shoulder; but he must in-
stantly charge again, because the animal, if not
disabled by the first shot, runs at the hunter*,
who has not always time to prepare a second shot:
he then arms himself with his lance, and enters
into a contest with the bear, and if he does not

* Sometimes it takei to flight, notwithstanding ilic wound
it has received, and conceals itself in thickets, where it is
traced by means of its blood, and found either dead or
dying.

-(- It is said that when a bear triumphs over his af pressor,
he tears the skin from the skull, draws it over the face, and
thcu leaves -him ; a mode of revenge which induces the
Kamptschadales to believe (hat this animal cannot bear the
human aspect.

X In the winter when the country is covered with snow a
different mode of hunting prevails: the bear then retreats to
the den which he has constructed during summer with the
branches of trees ; and there he remains, sleeping, while the
frost continues. The Kamptschadales pursue him in their
alcdfics, attack him with their dogs, arouse Mm and oblige
him to defend himself. Rushing from his lurking place, he
encounters sudden death ; and if he declines coming forth,
his fate is equally certain, by permitting hipiself to be crush,
ed to death under the ruins of h^ den.

§ Mr. Tooke says, the best sables are found near Ya.
koutsh and Ncrshink; but those of Kamptschatka are most
numerous, and 8«>eral stratagems are employed to catch or
kill the animal, without any injury to the skins, which is
sometimes worth ten pounds on the spot. The black foxes
are alio bigbiy esteeowd, one skin being sometimes lufficisnt

give him a mortal thrust, his life Is in imminent
danger f. In these combats, the man is not al-
ways the conquerr>r; but the inhabitants are not
deterred from this practice by the frequent ex-
amples of the death of their countrymen|.

Other animals are hunted nearly in the same
manner, such as rein-deer, argali, foxes, sables,
hares, otters, beavers, &c. but they have not
equal dangers to encounter. The Kamtscbadalei
sometimes suffer hunger for many successive days
rather than qiiit their station, when there appears
a probability of success; but they are amply re-
paid for fasting by devouring the flesh of the ani-
mals, and ruminating on the value of their skins.

The seasons for the chace are when the fur of
the animal is in its greatest perfection; sable
huuting begins with the winter. These animals
usually live in trees, and are called by their re-
spective names; a part of the fur nearest the skin
corresponding in colour with those that are th«
most frequent, as the birch, the fir, &c. Foxes
are hupted in autumn, winter, and spring; there
are four different species, k The whitish red
fox. 2, The bright red fox. 3, The fox with a
mixture of red, black, and grey. 4, The black
fox, having on the fur of the back a slight grey
tint There are also two other species, the blue
fox, and the white fox §.

Rein-deer are hunted in winter, and argali in
autumn : otters are scarce, but ermines are ex-

to pay the tribute of a village. The rock or ice fox, gene,
rally of a white colour, sometimes bluish, is found in great
numbers in the eastern Archipelago. This animal rivals the
ape in sly tricks and mischief. Other animals pursued for
their skins are the marmot, the marten, the squirrel, the er.
mine, and others of inferior repute. The bear is destroyed
by many ingenious methods. The Korials contrive a loop
and bait hanging from a tree, by which he is suspended. In
the southern mountains his usual path is watch^, a rope is
laid in it wiffl a heavy block at one end, and a noose at the
other. When thus entangled by the neck, he is either ex.
hausted by dragging so great a weight, or attacking tha
block with fury he throws it down from the precipice, whoa
it seldom fails to drag him to destruction. On the Europeaa
side of the Uralian chain, where the peasants form the bee*
hives in tall trees, the bear is destroyed in his attempt to
seize the honey, by a trap of boards suspended from a stronf
branch, and slightly attached to the entrance of the hive :
the animal finding this platform convenient for his purpose,
undoes the slight fastening to get at his luscious repast, but
is instantly conveyed to a great distance, and remains in the
perpendicular of the bL.44cli, till be is diseovered and shot
by tha coatrifcrs. Titvkd's Vku, iU, 43. Fmk. Mod Geot,

• tremelj

154<

LESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA;

Iremely plenty. The Kamptschadales fish for
sahnon and trout in June, for heiTings in May,
and for sea wolves in spring, summer^ and au-
tumn; but principally in the latter, Theyge-
norally use common nets, or a kind of harpoon :
seines are used only for sea wolves. They have
niso a method of fishing, by closing up the river
with stakes, leaving narrow passages for the fish,
so constructed that when they once have entered,
they find it diflieult or impossible to retreat.

There are but few horses in Kamptschatka; but
dogs* are numerous: they are used for all the
purposes of carriage, and are fed with the oflTals
of fish, or such parts as are rejected by their
masters. In summer, when their services are not
required, they are permitted to provide for them-
selves by visiting the sides of lakes and rivers;
but they return with great punctuality at the time
they are expected. When winter returns, their
labour is renewed. These animals are not very
large, but resemble such as are commonly used
by shepherds. Hardly a single inhabitant, whether
a Russian or native, has less than five. They
use them for the conveyance of their effects, their
provisions, or their persons. They are harnessed
to a sledge, in pairs, like horses, with a single one
before, serving as a leader, who is appointed to
that honourablestation from his superior sagacity,
and one who perfectly understands the terms used
by his conductor. The number of dogs employ-
ed in drawing is proportioned to the load; five
are thought sufficient for a common team, which
is called a saunka. The harness, which is made
of leather, passes under the neck, and is Joined
to the sledge by a strap : bears' skin is sometimes
used to decorate these collars.

The form of the sledge resembles that of an ob-
long basket, each end of which is elevated in a
curve : it is about three feet in length, and one
in breadth : tlie body of the sledge is made of
very thin wood; the sides are of open work, em-
bellished with straps. The seat of the charioteer
is covered with bears' skins elevated about three
feet from the ground : the charioteer is furnished
with a stick, which serves him as a rudder or a

* They are cMtrateii, like hones; but «ome of them
do not si^rvWe the operation, aad others become crippled
and unfit for service ; should they be permitted to remain
In their natural state, it would be impracticable to
harness them with females. All males, howeTor, are not
niitilated; a sufficient number is roscrred for tbo pro.

whip; iron rings are suspended to ornament the
stick, as well as to encourage the dogs by their
jingle. The Kamptschadales are singularly ex*
pert in the management pf their dogs.

The common mode of sitting in a sledge is side<
ways, as a lady rides on horseback. M. de Les<
sops, astonished at the dexterity displayed by the
drivers of sledges, and thinking he should acquit
himself tolerably well in that character, procured
a carriage, and ventured to become the charioteer :
a number of falls, which he successively, received,
from his inability to conduct that curious machine
in a masterly style, did not discourage him from
proceeding, and he at length became an amateur
of the exercise, and acquired a degree of reputa-
tion in it. From that moment he became his own
driver, and almost abandoned every other mode
of conveyance.

To fill up the additional time M. d? Lessops
was destined to continue here, he visited some
of the environs, and amused himself much with
the constructing of his travellingf sledges; but
his principal delight was in the company of M,
Kasloff, and the officers of his suite.

In adverting to the diseases of Kamptschatka,
the small pox demands particular notice, as hav-
ing committed great ravages. It appears not to
be natural to the country, nor is it common. It
made its appearance here in 1767, and 1768, be-
ing brought into the place by a Russian vessel.
The Kamptschadales are probably indebted to the
same party for their knowledi^e ^f the venereal
disease, which happily is not prevalent. It ap-
pears to be exotic, and is attended with ruinous
effects from the injudicious administration of
medicines.

Surgery isina state of barbarism at Kamptschat-
ka, and physic does not appear to have made
any considerable progress. They have had their
impostors and empirics, which seem now to have
lost all credit among them.

Women of this country have generally about
four or five children, and seldom produce more
than ten. They sometimes suckle their ini'anti
four or five years; whence it may be suppose^

■r.r.Trr — -m tt-^ti ■
servatioQ of the species, and those are frequently occupied
in hunting.

f A close coach to sle^P in, dtted to the sicdgo, qot un*
like a common carriage in Hussia called ve^ok; this wtis
lined with a bear's skin, and covered with the skin of a ka
wolf.

LKSSOFS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

155

ihat Kamtschadale mothers have very strong con-
stitutions. It is observed, however, that the na-
tives of either sex, do not live longer than Rus-
sians *.

The district of Paratounka, includes seven
ostrogs and the Kurilles islands. The number of
inhabitants, in the whole, amounts to about six
hundred and twenty. The rector of Paratounka
is allowed a salary of eighty roubles, and twenty
pounds of rye flour. He has no tythes, but re-
ceives a certain emolument attached to his church.

The current coins arc the golden imperial of
(en roubles, the rouble, and half rouble. A very
few silver coihs are under this value. Copper
and paper money have not yet made their appear-
ance in this peninsula. The pay of the soldiers
is fifteen roubles a- year f.

Towards the cU-' of November the cold grew
suddenly severe, and in the space of a few days
flll the rivers were frozen ; not excepting even
Bolchai-reka, which generally escapes the severity
of frost, from the rapidity of its stream. On
each shore of the peninsula, a manifest diflTerenee
is found in the atmosphere. A drought prevailed
at St. Peter and St. Paul's, while frequent showers
were complained of at Bolcheretsk. Very heavy
rains produce much injury here, by occasioning

* The Christian religion was introduced here by the
Russians, but the inhabitants know little of it except the
ceremony of baptism. Slates to their inclinations, they foU
low their impulse upon all occasions, and practice religious
rites only when thry accord with their own intirest or con-
Tciiience. There are-cight churches in Kamptschatka, Tiz<
Paratounka, Bolcheictsk, Ichinsk, Tiguil, Verckney,
'lutchesskaia, and two at Nijcnci : to which may be added
the church of Jingiga, in the country of the Koriacs.

■I- The property of the Kamtschadales deTolres, upon
thoir decease to the next heir, or to whom the testator be-
queaths it. The will is as much respected and adhered to as
in any cf the European nations Divorces are not allowed.
The penalty of death is never inflicted at Kamptschatka : the
punishment of the knowt is now no longerpractised. For
petty, or capital offences, whipping is inflicted. Perhaps
tlie offenders «aln no advantage by the change in punish.
mcnts; whipping being more simple and expeditious, re>
course is had to it with less scruple, and it is liable to frc.
qncnt abuse. The Kara ptschadalc idiom is uncouth, guttural,
and difficult to be ))ronounced.

X The wind varied considerably while M. de Lessops re.
tided at Doicheretsk.; the south and west winds are gene,
iilly attended with snow. Hardly a day passed withonthis
experiencing two or three violent tempests. " Woe to all tra.
tellers" exclaims this iDtelligcut writer, "who arc exposed to
this terrible weather! Necessity compels them to«top, or they
run the risk of losing themselves, or of falling every moment
tato some abyss ; for how Js it possible that Uiey should find

Vol, II. No.-LXXVII.

g:reat floods which force the finny race from the
rivets, when a famine has been more than once
the consequence in all the villages along the
coast J.

The frequency of these tempests, and. the de-
plorable accidents which they occasion, convinced
the party of the necessity of deferring their de-
parture. M. KaslofF was certainly impatient to
arrive at the place of his destination, and M. de
Lcssnps was equally anxious to prosecute bis
journey, that be might excciiJo the trust reposed
in him ; but the other gentlemen condemned their
eagernoss, and clearly demonstrated that it would
be the height of rashness to proceed. This re-
flection had its proper effect, and furnished M. de
Lessops and M. KaslolT with an acquittal from
all censure, for consenting to so necessary a de-
lav^.

To enjoy this tumult more at his ease, M.
de Lessops quitted his sledge for another, of
smaller dimensions, where he could better observe
what passed. He rejoiced that no accident had
happened, and was perfectly convinced that all
this embarrassment had been occasioned by the
inhabitants of Bolcheretsk, who voluntarily at-
tended M. Kaslofl^ to Apatchin, from motives of
profound respect. Hardly had they arrived at

their way or advance a stop, when they hare to resist the im.
pctuosity of the wind, and to disengage themselves from the
heaps of snow that suddenly encompass them."

§ These gales of wind having ceased about the middle of
January, they eagerly prepared for their departure, which
was Axed for the 27th of the same month : they furnished
themselves wilh brandy, beef, flour, and oatmeal. A quan-
tity of loaves were provided for them, some of which wero
reserved till the commencement of their journey, and the
rest were sliced and baked to bo eaten as biscuits. Multi>
tudes of dogs were collected, and provisions in abnndance for
their support. The party started at seven in the evening,
their baggage not being ready till that time : it was moon-
light, and the snow added lustre to its brightness. Thcj
started with eclat, having thirty.flvc sledges in the pro.
cession ; a scrjeant named Kabechoff superintended ; and
when he,^ave the signal, the sledges set off in file. Three
hundred dogs were employed in drawing these sledges, all
active and adroit; speedily the line was broken, and thd
utmost confusion succeeded; a spirit of emulation among
the conductors produced a kind of chariot race , d tlie
cpntention was who should drive fastest. The dugs resented
this insult; and, partaking of the rivalship of tlicir respect.
ire masters, fought with each other for the precedence, and
many of the carriages were overtnrned. The rlumubr of the
persons overturned, the yelping of the contending dogs, and
the vociferous chattering of the guides, made " confusioa
more confounded," and nothing that was said could ba
understood.

Rr , ' this

:l '

::»"

156

LE&SOP'S TRAVFXS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

this ostrog, when a tempestuous wind arose,
which continued the whole night and the follow-
ing day. Here a last farewel was taken of the
inhabitants of Bolcherctsk ; and M. de Les-
sops was particularly struck with their gratitude
and attachment to M. KaslotT, and tlie regret
they expressed at leaving our author ; having en-
tertained an idea that the famous Beniwousky, a
supposititious Frenchman, had successfully repre-
sented that nation in an invidious light. M.
Schmalefi' quitted the party at break of day, to
proceed to Figuil in his official character.

Leaving Apatchin ahnost at the same time,
the small party of travellers became still smaller,

Sid were rendered more capable of expedition,
aving passed the plain in which this ostrog is
situated, they met the Bolchai-reka, and followed
it through many of its windings : they found it
necessary, however, to quit this river, tne current
having put the ice in rapid motion ; and^ before
they reached Molkin, they crossed the Bristraia.
and arrived at the ostrog about two o'clock.
Having no supernumerary dogs, they were obliged
to halt here, to give tneir canine travellers a
little rest to recruit their exhausted strength.

The toyon of Malkin respectfully met M.
KaslofT, and offered him his isba : great prepara-
tions had been made for the reception of this
little party, which induced them to pass the
night at the ostrog. They. were very hospitably
treated by the toyon, but their repose was horri-
bly disturbed by the incessant bowlings of these
clamorous steeds ,* yet M. de Lessops says, that
after a few sleepless nights occasioned by their
shrill incessant yelpings, Morpheus at length
overpowered him, and he became insensible to all
their noise. By degrees he became so inured to
the rricts of these animals, that he could repose in
the midst of them «ith the most perfect tran-
quillity. The^ogs are fed but once a-day, and
dried salmon is their most common repast.

The ostrog of Malkin contains about iive or
six isbas, and a dozen balagans, and is situated
on the borders of the Bistraia, surrounded with

* But a most unpliasatit odour is exhaled from a dismal
lamp, serving to light the whole house; r rag rolled up io
the middle performs the part of a wick, and the grease of
the sea wolf or some other animal is the substitute for oil:
when lighted a dark thick vapour seizes the nose and throat,
and penetrates to the very heart Another disagiceable
smell is experienced in these habitutioiis; it is the nauseous
«xbaUtiuu fruiu the dried and stinking fish. I'bu iuhabitiwts

high mountains. From Malkin the travellew
proceeded towards Gamel, hut they met witfi
several impediments on the road : the Bistria not
being completely frozen, they were obliged to
make circuitous marches ai>d to cross the vvood.s,
where the snow, though deep, wanted firmness,
and the dogs sunk in it. They were therefore in-
duced to abandon this road and make again for
the Bistraia; and when they again arrived at it,
they found it in a more practicable state. The
solidity of the ice seemed to promise good' travel-
ling, and they readily emjbraced the ipparent ad-
vantage, following its course till they came to an
ostrog on its bank, consisting of tout isbas, and
twelve balagans. After passing an indifferent
night in the house of the toyon of Gaiml, they
set oft* the next day for Pouch ine. The Kampts-
chatka passes near the lower part of this ostrog ::
the isbas liere had no chimnies, having only, like
the balagans, a narrow opeaing in the ro»f to aid
the smoke in its departure, but which is^ often,
closed up to confine the heat: the interior oi
these isbas is lined with soot *.

The travellers slept at Pouschine in thehonse of
the toyon, and departed early on the following
morning I the farther they advanced, the more
were they obstructed by the snow. The con-
ductors were constantly employed in keeping the
sledge upright to prevent it fntm overturning :
they were also obliged to exert their lungs to en^
courage the dogs, who frequently stopped, though
blows weiQe cruelly and lavishly bestowed upon
them. These poor animals found infinite labour
in disengaging themselves from the enow, which
covered them as fast as they could shake it off.

The party next arrived at the ostrog of Charonr,
situated upon the Kamptschatka, where they
passed a part of the night, and left it before
the morning. In seven hours they reach-
ed Verrknci-Kamptschatka, thirty-five wersts
from Charom : it is a very considerable place,
having more than a hundred houses : the situatioa
is commodious, and commands a pleasing
prospect. Besides bordering on the river, it is

of- these dwellings exhibit a spectacle equally disgusting:
a group of women, besmeared with fat, are seen wallowing
on the ground amidst a heap of rags; some of them suckling
their hf',' nuked children, bedaubed with tilth ^rom top to
toe; others ravenously devouring dilFercnt fragments of fish,
principally raw and putrid. Several appeared in a dishabille,
as disgusting as can be conceived, gossipping on the most
iadcUcatc domestic ocGupattoiu.

adjacent

LESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

157

adjacent to the woods, and has a fertile soil,
vrbicb the inhabitants begin to cultivate. The
church, though built of wood, deserves com-
mendation. Here are a species of buildings,
about the height of a balagan, constructed solely
for the purpose of drying fish. A serjeant had
(h? command at Vercknei, and inhabits a house
belonging to the crown. This village is also the
residence of the unfortunate Ivascbin, of whom
mention has been already made.

The travellers remained but a short time at
Vercknei, setting out from thence after dinner to
Milkovaia Dcrcvna, or Milkoff, at *''e distance
of fifteen wersts. They passed a preli^ large field
inclosed with palisades, and, farther on, a hamlet
inhabited by labourers, who are Cossacs, or Rus-
sian soldiers, employed in agriculture on govern-
ment account : they had also eighty horses, be-
longing to the crown. M. de Lessops had some
conversation with the Cossacs, relative to the pro-
ductions of their canton ; declaring his opinion
that he thought every species of corn might be
cultivated there with success ; and they, in reply,
assured him, that their last harvest had surpassed
tlieir hopes, and was not inferior to the finest
harvests in Russia.

Arrived at Milkoff, the travellers no longer
saw Kamplschadales or Cossacs, but a colony of
peasants. They were selected in 1743 from
among the primitive inhabitants of Russia and
Siberia, and chiefly from among the husband-
men. The view of administration in sending*
them here was to clear the land, promote agricul-
ture, and encourage th^ native inhabitants, by

* The habitations of these emigrants, situated on the
Kamptschatka clearly shew that they live at their case.
Their cattle thrirc from their exemplary care and indnstry,
and their <;ountonances display an air of satisfaction and
cuntunt. Their labour, though advantageous, is not ex.
cessive. Every niaii ploughs and sows his own field, and
having only a trillc to pay for it, he is abundantly rewarded
for improving a fertile soil. This colony has no concern
\vith the chace, (lovernmcnt having wisely taken care to
prohibit it, that their labours might be devoted wholly to
agriculture. Their chief is a saroHe, selected from the old
niuH of the village, who is required to inspect the progress of
agriculture, and to regulate the operation of seed time and
harvest; as well as to animate the zeal of the labourers, and
stimulate the negligent to a rational performance of their
duty.

\ His dress usually consisted of an outward pargue or
covering of deers' skin, and a fur cap, which would ucra.
sionally cover his ears and part of his cheeks. When the
cold wat more iateaie, ho added two kowklaoki^ made of

their example and success, to employ themselves
in the necessary art : but unfortunately their ex-
ample and instruction had no effect upon the
sluggishness of these unaspiring natives *.

Wishing to go to Machoure, to pass a day
with the baron de Steinheil, M. de Lessops left
M. Kaslofi* at Milkofi; and set out twenty-four
hours before him, that his journey might not be
delayed. The roads, however, were in no better
condition than what he had before experienced,
and he could not proceed so rapidly as he intend-
ed. The first village he came to was Kirgan v.
the few houses which compose the ostrog, stand
on the border of a river called Kirganik, which
is formed by a variety of streams descending from
the mountains, and uniting above the ostrog.
The cold was so severe that, though he covered
his face with his handkerchief, his cl^eeks were
frozen in the space of half an hour : he rubbed
his face with snow, (a common practice upon
these occasions ) and was speedily relieved, though
at acute pain succeeded it, which continued U)r
several days. But if his face was frozen, the rest
of his body experienced a different fate : By con-
ducting his own sledge, the violent exercise threw,
him into a violent perspiration, and fatigued hia»
extremely +.

He made no stop at Kirgan, but reached
Machoure about two in the afternoon: he alighted
at the baron Steinbeil's, with whom he became
acquainted at Bolcheretsk, and was so happy as
to be »ble to converse with him in several lan-
guages. He passed tlie whole day with the
baron, (4 Feb.) and in the evening M. Kasloff"

thicker skin, one of them having the hair on the inside, anA
'the other on the outside. In the severest weather, another
kowklanki still thicker, was put over all this, made of
argali, or dogs' skin. To these kowklaukis a small bib is
fixed before, to defend the face from the wind: they have
also hoods behind which fall upon the shoulders. His neck.
was guarded by a cravat, made of sable or the tail of a for,
and his chin with a similar preservation, fastened upon hiS'
head. His forehead, being very susceptible of cold, was
covered with an otter or sable fillet, and over this his cap.
He derived more warmth from his fur breeches, than front
all the rest of his dress : he had double deer-skin spatter,
dashes, with hair on both sides, and he put his legs intO'
boots of decr.skin. With' alt tiiese precautions, his feet
grew wet, after travelling two or three hoars, either from
perspiration or the p^netralion of the snow and if he stood
mutionless for a moment in his sledge, they instautly became
frozen. At ui^ht he exchanged his spatterdashes for a pair
of far stockings made of dcer>skin.

arrived

I,;--:

.J*

158

tESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

arrived as he had promised. The ostrog of
Machoure was one of the most considerable in the
])eninsula, but the cruel ravages of the small-pox
has reduced the number of its inhabitants to
twenty families *.

At break of day M. de Lessops took leave of
the baron de Steinheil, and travelled with his
party sixty-six wersts upon the Kamptschatka,
the ice of which was perfectly firm and smooth :
in the evening at sun-set they arrived at the village
of Chapina. Setting oft* the next morning, they
found the snow extremely troublesome ; it had
fallen so abundantly that they were hardly able to
proceed; but they made ^ome little progress
through woods of fir and birch. At length they
met with two rivofs; one of which was small ;
the other, however, was about sixty yards in
breadth : the latter is called the great Nikoulka.
Both these streams issue from the mountains, and,
uniting here, pass in company to the Kamptschat-
ka; neither of them was frozen, which may
rationally be attributed to the extreme rapidity of
their current. The quantity of firs that skirted
these rivers, resembled so many trees of ice : a
thick hoar frost, occasioned by some dampness,
having given the whole a lucid chrystaline ap-
pearance.

Crossing a heath at some distance from Tolbat-
china, our travellers perceived three volcanoes,
none of which emitted flames, but columns of
black smoke. The first, on a level with Machoure
has its reservoir in a mountain of a conical shape,
the summit being a little flattened ; this volcano
^vas long thought to have been extinguished, but
it has lately resumed its ancient ofike. The crater
of a second volcano, north-east of this, continually
throws up smoke, but exhibits not a spark of fire :
the third, which is north-east of the second, could
not be distinctly «een, a high mountain somewhat
intercepting the view.

Arriving at the ostrog of Tolbatchina, forty-
four wersts from Chapina, the party were inform-
ed that a Kamptschadale wedding had been cele-
brated there in the morning: they regretted their

* All the Kamptschadales of this Tillage arc chamans, or
believers in the uitchcraft of these supposed sorcerers.
They pay a secret homage to their God Kouta, and address
their prayers euliisively to him when they solicit a boon or
blessing. When they engage in the chacc, they abstain
from washing themselves, and carefully avoid making the
sign of the cross: they invoke their Jvoutka, and sacrifice
to him the first animal they catch. It is ak>o a part of their

not having been ])resent at the ceremony, but they
saw the parties; the bridegroom appearing to be
about fourteen years of age, and the bride nirt
exceeding eleven. Such marriages would be
thoujirht premature in any other country than Asia.

IJcing particularly desirous of seeing the town
of Mijenei Kamptschatka, and supposing it
would be an unpardonable oflenco to have loft
the peninsula without seeing the capital, M. dc
Lessops resolved to visit it, having first consulted
with M. Kasloir to rejoin him at the village of
Yclofki, where some government arrangement'!
would detain him several days : he took leave of
him, and proceeded to Kosirefsk ,• and from
thence to Ouclkofl^, a village containing one isba,
and eleven balaganfi. A lake in the neighbour-
hood is so abundantly prolific in fish, that all (lie
villages in the environs resort to it for their winter
stock.

Leaving Ouclkoff', M, de Lessops travelled
partly upon the Kamptschatka, and partly across
extensive heaths, till he arrived at Krestofl', a
small ostrog where he only stopped to change his
dogs. The weather which had been fine since his
departure from Apatchin, now suddenly changed.
The sky became clouded, and a west wind pro-
duced a heavy snow, he could not therefore ex-
amine minutely the volcano of Kutchesskaia; it
threw up flames which seemed as if they ascended
from the midst of the snow, with which the moun-
tain is covered to its very summit. On the ap-
proach of night he reached the village of Klut-
ehesskaia, inhabited by Siberian peasants from
the neighbourhood of the Lena sent to cultivate
the land.

The ostrog is preilty large, extending principally
from east to west : the church, which is built of
wood, and in the Russian taste, is situated to the
eastward ; the houses ire cleaner and better con-
structed than usual in this part of the country.
The Kamptschatka which passes at the bottom of
the ostrog, is never entirely frozen in this part:
in summer it often overflows the houses, though
all of them are built upon an eminence f.'

====== ^^' *^^

superstition to consecrate to the Koutka (heir new-born
children, who from their leaving the cradle are destined to
become chamans : their veneration for sorcery approaches
to insanity, and is really to lie pitied. The magicians, how.
ever, no longer decorate their garments with mystic rings,
nor exercise their magic instruments.

+ Leaving Klutchefskaia, our traveller proceeded through
Kamina, Kamahofi', and Tchoka, and from thence to

JJijunci;

LES50FS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

159

M. de LcMwpi ftlighted «tth«i house of an un-
fortunate exile, pwned So^fklaff. who had been
banished to Kainpt«chatjta in 1774-. He had
hardly entered, when an oOicer from M. Or-
leankoff caRoe to congralulate him on his arrival.
Many of Jhe principal officers followed his, ex-
am pie, and *M qf them made a vpry obliging teii-
(Icr of their, services.. As soon as he meiis dressed,
he hastened tO; return his,thank» to each of them
separately, beginning with Major OrlcanHoff,
^^loio he found busily preparing for an entertain-
ment, in cousequenco of an approaching mar-
riage*. •"{''*!

The next day he was invited to dme M'lih. the
uncle of the bride, and partook of f^n entertain-
ment similar to that oh the. preceding day,, Uip
fire works excepted. This gcntlemanis the pro-
tapope or chief in all the churches in Kampts-
chatka, who has the decision of all ecclesiastical
affairs. He is an elderly man, with a long whit^
beard, and has a truly venerable appearanc^^
There are two tribupals at Nnenei, one respecting
the affairs of government, and the other for regu-
lating mercauti'.o disputes, and each of these jurist
dictions holds from the tribunal of Okot^, to the
governor of whiph it is answerable for ite pro-
ceedings. ,,i,^.^ ■■,, ^ .*T.. •' r*id

Willie M. deXcssops contmued at Nijenei, he
saw nine Japanese, whoha^, been brouj^ht, there
the preceding summer, from the Alenttenne u-

Nijencl ; and hart the pleasure of entot-Ing, a IltHe bcroro
noon, that capital of Kamptschatka, which is neither very
•triking nor agreeable. It exhibits merely a cluster of
houses, with three steeples soaring above them, and is situ,
ated on the border of the Kamptschatka,, in abason formed
by a circular chain of mountainst which are however at a
pretty considerable distance.. The houses, which consist of
hbout a hundred and fifty, are built of wood, in a wretched
taete, small, and almost bnricd under the snow, which the
hurricanes drive among them. Of theiwo churt-hes which
make their appearance in this tewn, onels ornaroento*! with
two stcdplcs, and the other belongs to the fort; botli miso.
rablo structures !" The fort is near the middle of the town, in
an enclosure of a square form. Here are also the Maga.
zincs, the arsenal, and the guard>hous«. The hoase of the
governor, Major Orlcankofl', is near. the fortreit: it is
larger, but not more elegant than the other housea.

* The contracting parties were a Pole in the Russiao 8cr>
vice, and the ncice of the prtftopopo, or chief priest. The
major not only politely invited our author, but attended in
the morning to conduct him Ui his house, that he roi^ht net
lose any part of this interesting spectacle. Tho strictaesi of
ceremonial, the|extreme delicacy, formality, and civility did
flot promise much mirth or pk««antry : tlte repast, however,

yot.II. No. LXXVII. ■ .. »,

landsy by a Russian yessel ; mntiy particular^ of
whom he circumstantially relalt^d ; hut to (ollow
him through his narrative would be wantoiil-y di-
gressing from the abridgment that may be reason-
ably expected frou) us.

Having spent three days .it Nijenei Kompts.-
chat^a, he left i^ in the afternoon of the 12th of
FebruaFv, to meet M, kasloff, depending upon
seeing him.,a|: Yelofki. He arrived at Tchoko
e,i|rlyjp the evening. The next liiorning he ar-
rived at the UH^rog of Kaminij where betook th^
road.9f Kartchi^na: He passed three lakes, the last
ii(wh|ch,>va^^np|;,lcss than 6ve leagues in circum-
ference; and slept at the o.strog, wlhich was seated
on the river Karfchina. He continued his route
as soon as it was light, and notwithstanding the
bad weather, travelled seventy wersts, which
brought him to Yelofki, oi\ a river of the same
name, surrounded by mountains-)-.

M. Kasloff was surprised at our author's cx-
peditioni but hei coulfi not immediately accom-
pany hiui in his departure. His business not
being finished, ihey were obliged to prolong their
stay ; and they had a further expectation that M.
Eeiiasleflf Would soon arrive, and meet them at
thi« ostrog. Five days were thus passedyn fruit-
less expectation. ^ At length M. Kasloflf^qip plied
with the impatience . of our author, and they
agreed to set off on the morning of the 19th ;|;.

The first business of their Kamptschadales was

now

wai extremely sumptuous, consisting of an in finife variety of
soups and other delicacies^ 6n which the company fed
heartily. Roasted dishes, and pastry composed tlie second
service. The fruits of ih^!. country, which hud been boiled
up Mid mixed with Frcucb brandy, formed, a principal part
of th« beverage. Making a little free from tiiis, the guests
by degrees assumed ap air of gpod humour, the potency of
the fumes having occasioned the grossest mirth to be circu..
lated round the table. To th^ feast a ball succeeded,
which was accompanied with decent regularity : tbo com.
pany were gay, and Polish, as well as Russian Dances,
were introduced. The festival ended with fire-works, which
had b«en prepared by Major Orleankofi*. Our author en.
joyed the astonishment of the spectators, who were iittle ac.
customed to such exhibitions, and exclaimed in full chorus at
the aroasing splendour of oaclt squib. He was equally Aruck
wjth the regret they expressed at the shortness of its du ratios.

f The villages have generally the same name as the riven
on which they are placed, except those that are oa the
Kamptschatka.

I They travelled gently in the morning, and in the.a/teri>

noon were suddenly molested by an outrageous tempest

from the west and, north.west. Being an open country, the

wbiriwindi became soviolont that there was no possibility of

( .- :4i> ' Ss -.y. prooeedioc

^'^\

\t:

160

LESS01»g tRAVlLS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

now to die a Iiule in the anolv, trhich wui here
about six feet deep ; others procured wood, a fire
was kindled, and the kettle put on it. A Kght
repast, and a glass of brandj to each, exhilarated
the company; and, as the night approached,
measures were prudently taken to facilitate re-
pose. Each individual prepared his own bed,
and they wern not cereihonioiis on the occasion.
Having dug a hole in tlie snow, they covered it
wxth the sniall branches oC trees; then, wrapping
themselves up in a kouklanki, with the hood over
their heads they lay down very comfortably.
The dogs were unharnessed, and tied to some ad-
jacent tr^cs.

The wind abating, the adventurers proceeded
on tfaeir journey, before the appearance of day-
light: they arrilted at Ozernoi at ten in the morn-
ing, but thei#^dog9 being excessively fatigued,
they were oBliced to pass tire day and njght
there, hoping' the tempest would subside. The
ostroghas its name from a neighbouring lake; the
little river Ozernaia runs at the bottotn of the vil-
lage. The toyon's residence was the only isba
they saw7 but there were two yourii, and fifteen
baiaeans. The next day before noon, the^ reach-
ed Ouke, and waited there in eiipectation of a
scrjeaDt of M. KaslofTs suite, had beci^ or-

dered to visit them there. Ou'L tains but one
isba, twelve balagans, and two yoiirts. One of
the yourts bad been cleaiied for M. KasloiT, and
the party passed the night in it.

At Knaluli> an ostrog on the river of the samv
name, there were but two yourts, and twelve or

procepdiitg'. The siiow, whifeh (hey dreir up Intt> the air at
erery btaxt, created a (kick fog, and their guides declared
(hey could Hot be answerable for misleading them, for tbey
knew not bow they were proceeding. They could not pre.
Tail upon them to conduct them any further. They pro*
posed to litad them to a neighbouring wood, where some
shelter might probably be found ; a step which was assented
to without hesitation, after they had collected their slcdgei>,
lest they shoald be separated and lost. IlariYig accomplished
this business, they happily gained the wood, at about two
in tbc afternoon.

* Speaking of the yoorts, which he attempts first to de.
scribe, be says '* We hare no sooner descended those sarage
•bodes, than we wish ourselres out again ; the view and the
lacll are equally otfensive: the interior part consists of one
entire room about ten feet high. A bench, fire feet high,
and covered with various skins half worn out, extends all
rbund it. This bench is only a foot from (he ground, and
Cfiininonly serves as a bed for a number of families." He
tbcn ittforms his readers that he has seea in one yourt more
twenty persons, mixed together, eating, drinking,

thirteen balaganii'' Nothing worlby of remark,
occurred h^re: The adventurers als& passed an
n'd village of the same name, which had been de>
serted oh account of its disagreeable situation;
Inaschkiii cotisiMft of two yourts and six balagans,
situated on a small river of the same name : the
adventurers slept at thiit village, and passed the
greater part of the following day thene, under
terrible apprehensions of a hurricane! '?;■•'; v<

They next proceeded to Oranki, a smalt bsfrog,
which they quitted at break of day. In the after-
noon they crossed a bay fifteen wersts wide, and
upwards of twenty- five deep. Karagui was the
next ostrtM^they arrived at, seated On an eminence
and afibrdiifg a view of the sea. It has three
yourts, and twelve baUgans.

The travellers being obliged to wait here for a
stock of dried fish, intended for the nourishment
of the dogs in the desert, which they are now to
traverse, M. de Lessops takes this opportunity of
transcribiiig many particulars which he had re-
gistered among his memorandunos from time to
time. They are npt placed in the order they
were written, but they must be supposed to have
been written with rapidity *.

The dress of the children resembles that of the
Koriacs, consisting only of one garment, formed
of a single deer-skin, which sits cloae to every
part of the body; so that the children appear to
be entirely sewed u p. An opening at the bottom,
before and behind, is covered with a piece of
skin, which may be fastened and lifted up at
pleasure f .

These

sleeping,' and obeying all the commands of natarc without
restraint. The fireplace is either in the middle, or against
one of the sides. In the ercning they rake the coals in a
heap, and shut the entrance that the smoke may not crapo.
rate, and diminish the heat ; a wretched image of some saint
is perceived in one corner of the apartment, shining with
grease, and blackened with smoke: To such images the
Kamptschadales prostrate themselnw and address their prat-
ers.^ The furniture consists of aoats and vessels, fabricated
from wood, or the bark of trecsj. Their culinary utensils,
which are copper or iron, are disgustingly filthy : The rem.
nants of their dried fish are scattered about the room, and
the women and children bre almost perpetually employed in
broiling pieces of salmon skin, which, they swallow with aji-
parent gfee.

■f leaving been informed that two hordes of Koriacs were
at ho great distance, M. de Lessopa sent a messenger to re.
quest them to sell him somoof their animals; in consequence
of whfch two rein.deer were brought to him alive the same
day, which proved a leasonable supply to his people, who
began to apprehend a scarcity of provision: but as these

Koriac,

LE890FS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKiV

161

Tiiese animalfl are employed by the Koriaci, as
the do^s are by the Kamptschadale«.

The long expected provisions at length arrived,
under the guidance ot the serjennt who had been
long expected. Our trnvellerit had prepared for
their departure, but an impetuous wind, accom-
panied with snow, detained them. Their supply
of food was not considerable, and as their neces-
sities were so urgent that- they were obliged to
have immediate recourse to it, expedition was re-
quired, lest their stock should be consumed be-
fore they passed the deserts *.

Ail the men and Women of this place smoke and
chew tobacco ; and, by a strange kind of refine-
ment, mix ashes with their tobacco to add to its
strength. Snuff was presented to them, which
they applied to the mouth instead of the nose.
Their pipes resemble those of the Chinese, and
are made of bone. When they make use of them,
they swallow the smoke with seeming gratifica-
tion, instead of emitting it from the mouth.

All the toyons of the different ostrogs we had
visited in coming from Ozeraai, escorted the
travelling party as far as Karagni, which was to
manifest their respect for M. Kasloff. The'second
day aOer their arrival, they took an affectionate
leave of him, expressing their sorrow that they
had not been able to afford him a better reception
ill the course of their journey. They addressed
tbemselvea ita the same friendly terms to M. de
Lessops, and earnestly entreated him to accept some
presents from them. Refusal made them the more
urgent, and to oblige them he was under the ne-
cessity of receiving their favours.

Koriacs apoke oetther Russian nor Kamptschadale, they
found it intpouible to treat about the price, till an inhabitant
of Karagui kindly undertook the office of interpreter.
There are Koriacs of two denominations : those who are
Tegularly entitled to that appellation have a fixed residence ;
the olhct* are wanderers, and are called rcin.dcer Koriacs ;
llieir ttocks, which are numeroue, arc maintained by con.
ducting them to those cantons that abound with mo>s| and
when they areeahausted to convoy thtm to others. Thus
they wander about incessantly, eucami<:.ng under tents of
tkiii, and existing on the produce of the deer.

* The storm abated, but another tfimpest arose, and con«
tinued till tlie evening: To divert their attention therefort^
(hey wished ta be entertained with the abilities of a ccle.
bratcd female dancer, who was a Kamptschadalc. Her ex-
alted fame excited ihe curiosity of oar travellers, and in-
duced Ihcm to send for her, but she positively refused to
dance. Prayers and entreaties wore repeated in vain ; no
consideration could induce her to comply. A bumper or
l(i»of braady, hujirever, seemed to effect a change in hciin.

The travellers left Karagui ut one in the morn-
ing on the 2d of March ; (he weather was tole-
rably calm; but they found themselves unable to
cross a bay, which the tempest of the preceding
evening had cleared of its ice; they were therefore
obliged to go .round it. On the approach of
night, they erected their tents in the open country,
and the sledges were ranged around tlieni ; the
spaces between being covered with linen or skins,
accommodated their guides with shelter and beds.
When the keltic boiled they took tea, and then
prepared for supper, the only certain meal (licy
partook of every day. The corporal acted the
part of a cook: the dishes provided were neither
numerous nor delicate, but he was expeditious;
and keen appetites were very indulgent, lie
usually prepared a kind of soup, consisting of a
biscuit of black bread, mixed with rice and oat-
meal. It was manufactured thus: he put a piece
of beef> or rein-deer into boiling water, having
first cut it into thin slices, and the article wa»
ready for eating in an instant. The evening be-
fore their departure from Caragyy they had killed
their second deer, and regaled themselves with its
marrow ; they also had its tongue boiled, and
thought it extremely delicious.

They pursued their journey in the morning,
but found it impossible to travel far ; the wind
blew with extreme violence; and the dogs suffered
severely; some of them were so much exhausted
that they died of fatigue upon the road, and others
were unable to exert their strength for want of
nourishment: they had only a fourth part of their
usual allowance, and not a sufficient quantity re-

clinations: at th« same time a Kamptschadale began to
dance before her, challenging her by his voice and gestures.
Gradually her eyes sparkled, her countenance became con-
vulsive, and shciccmcd completely agitated. She answered
the shrill notes of the dancer in similar accents, beating time
with her head, and assMifiiug extraordiuury postures: her
movements became more rapid, and she appeared unable to
contain herself' ; she darted from her seat, and defied her
partner with the most extravagant cries and distortions : her
limbs appeared disjointed, she tore her cloaths, and fixed
her bands to her bosom, which she attempted to tear also.
Her transports were accompanied with more extravagant
postures, and she appeared no longer as a woman, but as a
fury. In her frcnxy she would have rushed into the fire,
had not her husband industriously prevented it. When ho
perceived that her head was disordered, and that she stagger,
ed in all qu.irtcrs, he took her in his arms, and placed her
on a bench, where she fell, and remained an inanimate clod.
This scene, however, instead of affording amusement, wa»
found disgusting to our travellen.

mained

t '

:..:•

^iii

:t:ii!

( '■'

i' J ;

102

LESSOPS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

maincd as a scanty supply for the last two days.
In this extremity tiiey sent a soldier to the ostrog
of Kaminoi to procure succour, and to send the
appointod escort to meet them ; which was a
guard of forty men, sent from Ingiga, on the lirst
Hitelligence of the revolt of the Koriacs.

Being only fifteen wersts from Gavenki, where
they expected a supply of fish for their dogs,
thev ventured to encourage them with a double
portion, the better to eiiable thepj to convey our
travellers thither. They pursued their journey at
three o'clock in the mornmg, and arrived at Ga-
venki about ten, where they saw two isbas falling
to ruins, and six ill constructed balagana. It was
not* astonishing to hear, that, not long before,
upwards of twenty of the inhabitants voluntarily
quitted their country in search of a better abode*.

There is neither spring nor river, in the nei^h-
bourJiood: a lake supplies the inhabitants with
water. In winter they break the ice on this lake,
and carry home large pieces of it, which they
cause to be suspended in a trough of about five
or six feet high : the heat is found suH^cient to
dissolve the ice, and when any of the family are
thirsty, they have recourse to the trough f.

Famine had now soprobableanappearance, that
our travellers apprehended such a fate in this de-
sert. Having no fish left for the dogs, they were
obliged to feed them with their own provisions ;
but small was the share allotted to them, prudence
dictating the most rigid oeconomyto be observed.
They were in want of water ^ the only little brook

* Soon after fho arrixu! of tho (ravcUrrf 8t Gavenki, a
dispute arose between their Hcrjennt, and two peaaantt of
the village, to whom he had applied for wood : they refused
to give him anv, and a violent quarrel enMic^J. The Kampt.
Bcliadalcs drew their knifes*, and attaclied them, but thej
were immediately disarmed. AVhen M. Kailoff was informed
of this violence, he ordered the guilty to be punished ; and
he wer t out himself to hasten that punishment. One of the
culpriw was about eighteen years of age, and the other
bordering on thirty! fccing stripped, and laid prostrate on
the ground, two soldiers held their hands and feet, and four
others gave them a copious distribution of lashes. The »c.
Verity exercised by M. Jvasloff on tliis occasion, Mas ex.
tremcly necessary, as our trayellers began to perceive in this
Tillage, some symptoms of tl^e contagious turbulent dis.
poeidon of the Koriacs.

VOur travellers remained at Gavcston abo\it thirteen
hours, who« they set off in the night for Portaresk. On
the first day they bad little reason to complain of the river;
the next they were mnch harM»ed -by snow, and the galo
^rrc so impetuoits, that tJjcir conductors wore blinded. To

• IV length of these knives in ab»ut three feet, (hey arc
,»»r;j in their ^ii'dlCi unihung upon the thigh.

iheiy could find was a mere mail of ice, and they
could only quench their thirst with the snow :
Want of wood yvas another misfortune ; not a
tree hud they hcen during the whole jouftiey, and
they could hardly procure a shruh. There wan
no possibility of their warming themselves; nnd
the cold was extremely rigorous. From the slovr
pace they travelled, 'they were almost frozen.
They were also obliged to stop frequently to un«
harness the dogs, that were successively ex-
piring!.

On leaving Gavenki, the western coast present-
ed itself to view, about two werstfi from Pouster*
ctsk. Our traveller! had, crossed the whole of
this part of Kamptschatka, which is at least two
hundred wersts; and they had travelled more
on foot than in their sledges. Their conductors
could not make their dogs proceed, without har-
nessing themselves to assist them in drawing.
They also frequently encouraged them, by holding
up a handkerchief, folded up to resemble a fish.
By such contrivances as these, they were able to
pass the mountain leading to Pousteretsk. From
the obliging manner in which the women received
them, t^cy thought themselves perfectly safe, as
eooo as they set toot in the hamlet. Six of them
catne to meet them« exhibiting enthusiastic trans-
ports of joy, and skipping and singing like so
many maniacs. The rest burst out in loud bursts
of laughter, to express their satisfacfion at the ar-
rival of these travellers, which they said wm ua«
expected ||

add to their misfortunes, , their Gavenki guide was old and
shQrt.slghted, and, though he had an incredible knowledge
of these roads, he was continpaily mislwlding them. At the
conclusion of the second day*t journey, the dogi' provision
tras reduced to a single fish, -which M. de Lessops 4li«idcd
among them. The want of food enfeebled them, and rou.
dered them unable to proceed : some of tiiem sunk under
the blows of their conductors, others declined their duty,
and many of them expired on the spoti only twen^.thrce
now remaine<l of the thirty.seveh dogs that wore harnessed
on leaving Boloheretsk, and these were reduced to extlcmo
poverty. M. Kaslofs stud was also Btuch reduced.

X M. de Lessop's feelings in this dilemma, are thus affecf.
ingly mentioned by himself~« I cannot (tayi he) deicrlbo
what my feelings were in this situation. - My mind itill suf.
fercd more thud my body. The inconvenienees that were
common' to us, I patiently shared with my oempaaions;
their example, and my youth gave me courage to support
them. But when I thought of my'dispatches, my constancy
forsook me. They were continually in my hands, aud I
never touched them without shuddering.

II The travellers entered Pousteretsk on the Stk of March,
at three In the afternoea. They visited ail the reservoirs of

LESSOPS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

10.*^

To Hiis strange sight succeeded the distrcMHing
gpcctucle of Ihuso hapless do^s that heset Uieir
voiirt; (heir leanness was truly affecting, as they
could hardly stund upon their legs. Ky their in-
cessant crif'8, tiiey seemed to appeal to tlie com-
().i8sion of tlicir masters, and almost to reproach
their incapacity to relieve them. Many of <liein
approachtul the aperture in the roof of the yourt
to let unt Uie smoke ; ami feeling the bonciit of the
heat, drew nearer still; and at last, from fuintness
or inability to support themselves, they fell into
(lie iiro bcVorC their eyes.

U iidiT uU these distressing circumstances, M.
Kasloft' HOorded them some consolation, by com-
iiiKiiicaling- to them the last expedients he intend-
ed to adn|>t. Hearing that a whale had been
driven ou shore near Potkagornoi, he had dis-
Niatched a messenger to that village, to bring as
much of the ilo<>H and fat of it as he could ^et.
This resource, however, being uncertain, M.
Kasloif proposed thateach of them should sacrifice
tiic provision intended to be reserved for their
(hgs, to be given t.) "irjeant Kabechofl', who had
pruiniiicd to go to Kaniinoi. Situated as they
were, a feeble ray of hope was a suificient in-
ducement for them to risk their all : especially as
jthe poor soldier, whom they had dispatched to
Kauiinoi, had failed of procuring succour. They
embraced the proposal of M. Kasloif, confiding
in the integrity and abilities of this serjeant.

Having received instructions for conducting

bis juurney, and taken with him the whole of their

I provisions, he was directed J^o take up the poor

I soldier in his wav> and proved to the execution

I of his commission; the particulars of which

fish, but bad the uiUfurtunc to find them empty. All their
rescarchrx in ptirsait of them were fruitless. The dogS had
biica, in tiio mean time, unharneucd, preparatory to their
being tied up in troops, as is usual. No sooner were tliey
fattened to the posts, lliun they bctcan to derour tlieir
strings and harnesses, and the majority of them instantly
escaped into the country, wandering abont, and consuming
whahiTcr their teeth could penetrate: Some died, and be-
came the prey of the r^tt they eagerly rushed upon the
dead carcasses, and feasted with avidity; every limb, when
seized upon by one hungry dog, was contested by a number
of competitors, and if he was vanquished in thecombaf, he
became, in turn, the object of a new combat.

* This is a small village seated on the declivity of a moun-
tain, washed by a narrow gulf of the sea: two yourts, con-
taining about fifteen persons, forms the whole of its popula.
tion. The inhabitants pass the summer in fishing, and pre.
paring stock for the winter. But the country docs ifot ap.

Vol. II. No. LXXVII.

must be deferred till after some ohscrrati()n<>, con-
cerning Poustaretsk have been conimunicuted *.

In catching rein-deer, they pursue the follow-
ing method: they enclose a ccftain extent of land
with palisades, leaving several opening!*, where
they spread their nets or snares. They afterwards
cndcuvour to drive the deer into them ; but, by '
Attempting to save themselves, the deluded animals
run through the openings, and are caught by the
neck or their horns. Stime few escape by tearing
the nets or leaping (he palisades, but the hunters
arc generally successful.'

The women, exclusive of their domestic occu-
pations, are employed in preparing, staining, and
sewing the skins of anidnals. The sinews of the
rein-deer, stripped very slender, serve them instead
of thread: tbr*" needles, which have nothing sin-
gular, are broiir!;Vf from Okotsk, and their thim-
bles are always worn upon the fore-fingcrf.

M. Schasmaieff Joined them on the l^th, which
gave our travellers nuich pleasure, as they had
entertained very unpleasant apprehensions on his
account. He had left them about six weeks, and
a month had elapsed since the timehehad ap-
pointed for oicetuig them. He had not much
provision lefl, but his dogs were in as wretched a
state as theirs. They embraced the opportunity
whioh now presented itself of fetching their
equipage which they had left upon the road,
concerning which they had received no in-
telligence.

Letters were brought them from Kaminoi. in-
forming them that they had no succour to expect
from that quarter: the detachment from Tngiga
were unable to come near tliem : they had been so

pear to abound much in fish, if a judgment could be formed
from what our traveller remarked: their aliment, at that
time, consisted of the flesh and fat of the whale, the bark of
trees, and the buds steeped in the oil of the whale, or in the
fat of aiiy other animal. They seemed, upon the whole, to
fare very wretchedly.

+ The pipes, which they ufc'in smoaking, will scarcely
contain more than a pinch of tobacco, whirli thry renew till
they are completely satisfied. They constantly swallow the
smoke, instead of blowing it out, and gradually become so
intoxicated that they would fall into the fire, if precautions
were not previously taken to prev^cnt it. The fit lasts them
about a quarter of an hoiir, during which their sufTcring i<i
beyond conception : a cold sweat covers their bodies, the
saliva distills from their lips, and their breathing is short and
convulsive. When they have experienceil all these symptoms,
they coDgratuiatc themscWcs on having eHterrtl into the true,
spirit of spioaking.

Tt . long

S'll

'5|-u

hS/i

■am

16^

1,1 SSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSflHATKA.

— — -, .. . .,. „...■.„>

' long at Kamiiioi, tlint Hicy liad not oi'ly con-
sumed their own stock of provisions, bd :ilsolIlo
flupply that had Wen destined for them.

This intelligenre'dastioved all their hopes; the
despondence of M. KiisUiff was 8<i extreme, that
lie seemed insensible of his proraolion, an account
of which was conveyed to him by tlie same mes-
senger. He was advnnced ffcom the govcroment
of Okotsk to that of Yakoutsk. A more extensive
fieldVas now open for exercising his talents in
the art of govornment; But his thoughts were
otherwise employed than in calculating the emo-
luments of his new appointment.

In this critical moment an idea suddenly oc-
curred to M. dc Lessops of separating himself
from M. KasloU'; artd yet, upon reflection, he
saw every thing in it Hiat was disobliging to him,
liiid uiortirying to himself; he therefore endea-
voured to drive this strange idea from his mind,
but in vain. He even disclosed the purport of his
scheuje to the governor, who instantly pronounced
it a wild project, and opposed its being adopted.
Our author answered his objections, alledging
that bv continuing together, they deprived each
other of the ability of pursuing his respective
journey. They could not set off together, as
there were only twenty-seven days remaining;
%vith that number one of them would be abldto
procee(t, and his departure would relieve the
otlier from the ditHculty of maintaining so many

famished steeds.

At this moment their express from Potgagornoi
arrived, and brought them a large quantity of
the flesh of the whale. Our author rejoiced at
this fortunate circumstance, and renewed his ar-
gument; and M. Kaslofr", instead of opposing
hiut, applauded his zeal, and complied with his
solicitations ; the 18lh of the month being fixed
on for the day of his departure. Every thing
ttatlcrcd him with the hope of success, and
no obstruction was to be apprehended from the
Koriacs. Their friendship was established by
presents of tobacco and snull's, as well as other ar-
ticles which M. de Lessops had pjirchased during
his sea-voyage, with what had been left him by
the Count' de la Perouse. But particular care
was taken io make them as drunk }« possible, that
they might report favourably of their reception.

» While they rpmaiiieil at Poustarctsk, the gorernor dis-
missed their Kamptschiidalc guides. SoniD of Hiem belonged

It was of the utmost importance to consult their
taste, and to ii*dulge them with complete ii|.
toxication, which would be considered as the
very essence of politeness.

Our author requested the Korincs to take
charge of his two portmanteaus: at iirst they ex-
pressed some unwillingness, objecting to tlie
distance, which was as far as Ingiga; but en-
treaties, •enforced by the purse, induced them to
take them into their sledges. Having adopted
this method of getting his baggiige properly con-
veyed, he had nothing to think of but his dis-
patches. To the last moment of his stay, M,
KaslofT, had been employed in preparing his let-
ters ; with these he delivered a passport to M. dc
Lessops, which contained an order to ail Russian
ofticers, &c. te" a4sist him with the means of -])ro-
ceeding on his journey with safety and expedition.

The 18th arrived, and M. de Lessops took
leave of M. Kasloif. In his travels he passes over
the particulars, but admits that it was equally
aft^tionate 'and disttessing. He departed from
Poiistaresk at eight ' in the morning, in an open
sledge drawn by seven dogs, which he drove
himself: the soldier, who escorted him, had eight
harnessed to his sledge. They were preceded by
a guide, chosen from the inhabitants'*, whose
sledge was drawn by a team of twelve, which
contained the remainder of the author's effects,
and the provisions. He was accompanied by M,
Schamaleff, andthe oflicersof his suite; but instead
of travelling together to Ingiga, as had been
agreed, they separated a few days after.

On leaving Pousfaretsk, they descended the
gulf, and in ft few hours arrived at the mouth;
after which they travelled upon the sea, but were
greatly interrupted by piles of ice, that had the
appearance of so many rocks: they were con-
tinually under the necessity of attempting to sur-
mount them, frequently at the risk of being over-
turned. M. de Lessops many times narrowly
escaped from being dangerously wounded : his
musquet, which was fastened to a sledge, was
bent like a bow, and many of his companions
were severely bruised. In the evening they ar-
rived at a hamlet, containing two wretched
yourts, and three balagans. A persi i, who lived
in one of the yourts, fled at their approach f .

died of fatigue and hunger, were obliged to return on foot.
* All the wandering Koriacs avoided them in the suutf

misscil their IVain|itscaauaie Biiiucs. nuum ui wivm Moi«..gv.. ^.... v..'l. ..a....riiii(} ■<.»■ 101,3 uiuiucu iiii:i im

to Bolcheretsk and were four hundred leaijues from their manner, fearing they might be obliged to assist them,
home. Thwe poor creatures, most of their dogs baviog

A Cossu

LESSOP'S TRAVFXS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

515

A Cossac Iiad been sent forward previous to
their depnrlure from Poustaretsk.byM.Schnialeff,
v/iih orders to r«main at this hamlet till ihey
should .arrive, and endeavour to explore some re-
positories of fish. This precaution had the de-
HJrcd cd'tict: when they arrived, the Cossnc con-
ducted them to a cave, which contained u plentiful
stock, and our author purchased a considerable
quantity. Early in the morning on the 19th, the
party pursued their route; but tlio roiid was so
terrible, that the sledges would soon have beert
shattered to pieces, if the company bad not de-
termined to proceed on foot. M. de Lessops was
compelled to this alternative, to ^uard against
the danger of being overturned; buthe only avoid-
ed one misfortune to fall into another. Finding
himself much fatigued, be resolved to rc-asrciid
his sledge; and a sudden Jolt ensued which turned
it upon its side. He could only drag himself on
OS well as he was able: his lags bent under him,
a profuse perspiration came on, and a burning
thirst added to his weariness. Unfortunately he
saw a little river; absolute necessity conducted his
steps to it; he broke the ice, and impatiently put
a piece of it into his mouth, but he soon repented
it. H'» thirst indeed was relieved, but his ex-
cesisive heat was exchanged for the opposite ex-
treme; an universal chill seized ajl his li'.Hb».
The sharpness of the night co-operated with the
aguish sensation, and be became so extremely
weak, that he was unable to proceed a step
further. He entreated his companions to halt, to
which they complied, from pure civility to him.

W ith much dilBculty a few little shrubs were
collected, and a fire produced which barely
answered the purpose of boiling some water in the
kettle, to make a decoction of tea. After taking
u few cups of that beverage, he retired to his tent,
where he laid down on a small mattrass spread
upon the snow, and covered himself with plenty
of furs to revive perspiration; but in vain: he did
not close his eyes during the night: a burning
fever, with all its concomitants, attended him, and
when be rose in the morning, he could not articu-
iiite a sound. Supposing that a longer continu-
ance in (his place would be of no benefit to him,
he determined to conceal the malignity of his dis-
ease from M. Schmaleif.

lie was the first to propose going on, but be-
fore he proceeded, his sufferings became insup-
portable. Me was obliged to drive himself, and

consequently to be in continual motion: some-
times the badness of the roads compelled him to
run by the side of the sledge, and to call aloud to
the dogs to encourage them to proceed; By ef-
forts that tortured his lungs, and exhausted iu's
strength, ire at last succeeded: but this painful
exercise proved salutary to him; and gradually
promoted perspiration; in the evening his breatit
improved, and the fever tt>ok its leave of him.

His. depression of spirit was succeeded by the
most lively joy: a supply of unexpected suc-
cour was convened by Serjeant Kabechoil' for him,
and he was on the point of receiving a hundred
and fifty dogs, well fed and trained. Wliat a
sudden and happy change in such a situation!
The soldier who conducted these animals offered
our author part of his provision*, but he refused
tl»em, n(>t being absolutely in want, and the
soldier had no profusion. |.

In pursuing their route, the travellers perceiv-
ed a small river, bordered with some shrubs, and
beyond it a chain of steep mountains; over whitli
they were to pass before tliey could arrive at
anotlier riv,^, called Talofka. They left th©
road at a distance from Kaminoi, to traverse an
extensive heath, and "afterwards a considerable
lake. Crossing the river Pengina, almost at its
mouth, they were astonished at the vast heaps of
ice that covered it. They were imder the ne-
cessity of hoisting their dogs, and even their
sledges from heap to heap; a manoeuvre which
consumed more time than can easily be conceived^

They reached Kaminoi, however, on tl»e 24tb,
before noon; and were received by the inhabitants
with the utmost civility. In the absence of Eitel,
another prince called Eila had tli<> connnand; he
conferred on them every nunk of respect, and
placed a centinel at their door to refuse ad-
mittance to any suspected person.

This was not in consequence of the rej)ort that
had been spread of the robellion of the Koriacs,
which was evidently false: their !?eliaviour to our
travellers, and the reception thoy had prepared
for the governor, plainly announced their prcscr)t
disposition. Nor can it be presumed that the ar-
rival of the soldiers sent from Ingiga could have'
this effect; their wretched condition was ill calcu-
lated to awe men like the Koriacs, who know not
what it is to be intimidated. The sight indeed of
the cannon, and of the Cossacs in arms, who
had entered the village without any hostile decla-
rations,

i,V M

V I

n^i'4

til

Y' fl

■I

i6e

lESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCFTATKA.

rations, created some alarm. Tbey called upon
(heir leader to mention, whether he was come to
strike a blow at their liberty, and extirpate them ;
adding, that if such were the intentions of the
Russians, they would all die rather than submit.
The officer politely assured them, that he was sent
to meet M. Kaslotf, which was an honour his
rank demanded.

This explanation removed all their suspicions;
and thcKoriacsand Russians lived together on the
most amicable terms; but the apprehensions of a
famine occasioned such guests as the soldiers to
be considered burthensome.

The oslrog of Kaminoi is situated on an emi-
nence, at the mouth of Pengina, containing a
number of balagans, and twelve very large yourts.
• These habitations occupy a considerable space of
ground; and the palisades, which surround them,
are fortified with bows and arrows, spears, and
nuis(|uc<s. Thus wretchedly defended, the Ko-
riacs suppose themselves impregnable. Here Ihey
repel the attacks of their enemies, and particularly
the Tchoukchis, the most formidable of their
foes. The population of Kaminoi ispstimated at
three hundred, including men, women, and
children. Before he left the village, M. de Les-
sops saw ten or twelve baidars, or boats, of differ-
ent sizes : many of them were well constructed,
and some would commodiously hold about twenty
five persons*.

He left Kaminoi at eight in the morning of the
^26th, the weather being tolerably calm. At the
distance of 6fteen wcrsts, be traversed the moun-
tains he had seen before, and crossed a river called
Chcatokova f. Gusts of wind came with great
violence: the islands of snow so obstructed the air,
that day-light could hardly be distinguished. In
the course of this terrible hurricane he was eager
to proceed, but the guides refused even to make
an attempt', thus opposed, he sullenly retired to his
tent; but was agrettably consoled by the arrival
of seven Tchoukchis, in sledges drawn by rein-

I TTri I i" "I'l"
1* M. Schainalcfl', perceiving that lie could not accompany
our author from (his vjllage^ his presence and assistance
being ri-quircd towiirds the better accommodation of the AC'
tachrornt of sokiicrs, he resolved ncTerthcless to let liini de.
part without ihim. He made him a present^ however, of a
con fidrntial soldier, inumcd lir^orrCrWiXq//'*; saying, '-'In
this ma'i I m»key<iiu a valuable present;" and it afterwards

* ///v escort tftits coinhtedoffoHr men; this Colikoff^ the
tulJivr uho ucfonipanicd htm j'rom Poustarvtsk, and itco
Mthcrs taken from the detachment su (litfuidttf- he thought'

/^ i

deer. He received them under his tent, and tljcy
thankfully accepted bis invitation tp continue
there till the storm subsided. Among these
Tchoukchis was the chief called Tumme. He
addressed himself to our author io express hig
gratitude for the reception he enjoyed from hit
indulgence, and declared that he desired nothing
so ardently as his friendship and ncquainlance.

They next adverted to general subjects, and
particularly concerning the advantages of tbeir
respective countries. Not being able to conceive
iu what part of* the world, M. de Lessops wai
born, (hey asked him if be did not come from the
other side of the great river. He readily perceived
that he was incapable of instructing them in tl)j<i
subject, and that they did not understand a word of
a geographical dissertation which he addressed
to them; they had had no accurate idea either of
number or extension: to give. thci.. some concep.
tion of the subject, he took a sheet of paper, in
which he drew a sort of geographical chart,
wherein he marked the situation and distances of
Russia and France, with respect to their country.

He was not perfectly understood ; but he was
gratified by the eagerness and attention with
which they listnaed to him. He was a8V)nished
at the solidity of their understanding, and the
anxiety they felt for the acquisition of knuwlcdge.
Superior in these particulars to the Koriacs, thcr
seem to reflect more on what they say, hear, and
see than they are accustomed to do : these two
people have nearly the same idiom; but the
Tchoukchis have a method of prolongigg *he
final syllables of words ; and their pronunciation
is slower and sweeter than that of the Koriacs.

The attention with which M. de Lessops ex-
amined their dress, created a wish in them of seeing
the French habit |, he therefore ordered bis uni-
form to be taken out of his portmanteau ; at the
sie-ht of which they were particularly delighted :
Every one was desirous of touching it, every one
was enraptured with its singularity and beauty.

appeared that he W4s not deceived. Thig generosity In.
creased the reluctance he felt on leaving so good and gallant
an officer.

f A subaltern officer who had been killed there, at the
head of a detackmeut icut to keep the revolted Koriacs io
awe.

+ He was then in a Kanptschadalo dress.

it necessuri/, hoaever, to add a Kbriae guidcj suppotinght
nuit be better acquainttd uith the road.

His

"t ' ,

LESSORS TRAVELS !N KAMPTSCHATKA.

167

His buttons, marked with the arms of France, were
particularljf inspected, and admired: after which
tbcy eagerly' reached out their hands, and begg:ed
be would divide them among the petitioners. He
consented, on their promise to preserve them, in
order to shew them to all strangers, hoping thsit,
among the rest, a Frenchman might arrive upon
their coast.

After regaling them as well as he could with
tobacco, they parted upon terms of the greatest
amity. On leaving our author, the Tchoukchis
said, he would probably soon^mcet their equip-
ages and their wives, whom they had left behind
that they might not be retarded in their progress.
The weather becoming calm soon after the de-
parture of these Tchoukchis, M. de Lessops pur-
sued his journey.

The next day he perceived, by the side of a
wood, a troop of rtin-de^r browsing on the top
of a mountain. Examining them more attentive-
ly, he saw some men among them who appeared
to be guarding them. Curiosity prevailing over
fear, he advanced to learn the nature of the
business. While he was surveying the men with
the rein-deer, he was approached by two women
walking about : the eldest accosted him in the
Russian language, and informed him that he was
within two hundred yard's of the camp of the
Tchouk'ihis, the view of which was intercepted
by the wood : desiring these two women to con-
duct him thither, he submitted himself to their
guidance. As they went on, he asked them of
what country they were ; when one of them in-
formed him that she was a Russian, and had been
induced to visit this country from a sentiment of
maternal affection. She had braved dangers and
fatigues to recover her daughter, who had been
detained by the Tchoukchis as a hostage. The
other woman also related an interesting story re-
specting herself; but as such details are incon-
sistent with our plan of brevity, they cannot be
recited at large.

The histories of these women had so entirely
engrossed his attention, that our author arrived
at the camp before he perceived it. The joy of
the people at seeing him was extreme, and they

* M. dc Lessops distributed tobacco among the most dis.
tingitishml of these Tchoukchis, and afterwards entertained
them with tea and rye biscuits. Their chief named Che,
gouiaga, of equal rank and power with Tumm^, two of his
relations, and two women who undertook to be interpreters,

Vol. II. No. LXXVIII.

instantly surrounded him, Thcv «rtvcra?ly ad-
dressed him, to pass the night witii them, nnd
when be answered in the affirmativr. they sahited
him with transports and huzzas. Ordering his
tent to be erected at the extremity of the camp, he
invited the chiefs to vi.sit him, am) they eagerly
obeyed his obliging summons. A.i'U'r the first
con)'pliments were over, they entered into general
conversation, and talked in a sumuiary way, of
the respective manners and customs of their
countries *.

The camp of these Tchoukchis was fixed upon
the margin of a river, and behind the wood, as
already mentioned. It consisted of about a dozen
tents, ranged along the bank. Bundles of spears
and arrows are fixed to guard the entrance of
each : the tents are extremely hot, their covering
being made of deer-skin, which the air cannot
penetrate, and a stove is placed in the centre of
each. The bed consists of small branches of trees,
spread on the snow, like litter, and covered with
deer-skins. Here a whole family will lie down
and sleep together, regardless of sex or age :
their filthiness surpasses imagin^^tion ; they are
not disgusted at seeing their fiod close to the
most oH'ensive objects, for words .'cannot describe
their excess of indolence.

Among these Tchoukchis, who did not exceed
forty in number, there were about sixteen women f,
and nearly as many children. Every person of
superior rank has valets in his service, to under-
take the management of the deer, and guard
them in the night against the intrusion of wolves.

The dress of the women is remarkable. It con-
sists of a deer-skin fastened round the neck, where
it has an opening both before and behind. VV hea
they travel, they have a kouklanki over their
common dress, and their feet are covered with
boots made of the legs of rein-deer. Their hair
is black, sometimes turned up in tufts behind,
but more frequently separated on the forehead,
and hanging in long braids on eaci- side ; their
ears and their neck are decorated with glass beads
of different colours: and, when they find them-
selves cold, the hood of their pargus forms a
suitable covering.

supped with him. "The necessity of taking rest, at length,
induced them to separate.

f Polygamy is tolerated among these people : and the/
are so singularly polite as to offer their wives or daughters to
their guests. To refuse this offer would be an insult.

U u Their

;* '. 'a>

:PfWM

168

LKSSOFS TRAVELS'IN KAMPT8CHATKA.

Their countenance is far from pleasing: ; their
features are coarse though the nose is not flatj nor
their eyes sunk in, like the kamptschadales. In
these particulars they resemble them less than the
Koriac women : they are also taller, but notslender,
and have a slug:gish appearance ; but they perform
all laborious and domestic offices. The features of
the men are more regular, and less Asiatic : Their
complexion, like that of the women, is very
tawny, and their dress, manners, and customs are
similar to those of the wandering Koriacs. These
Tchoukchis go annually to Ingiga : they leave
their country early in autumn, arrive at this settle-
ment in March, transact their business, and return ;
but they seldom reach their home till about the
end of June. The merchandize taken with them
is chiefly of sable and fox-skin parkes, and morse-
teeth, for which they receive in exchange tobacco,
kettles, lances, musquets, knives, and other in-
struments *

Not choosing to prolong their stay, our author
took leave of these Tchoukchis, and received
from them the most affectionate caresses ; which
he gratefully returned, as he could not too highly
extol the reception of this hospitable people. He
set off early in the morning, and having travelled
about fifteen wcrsts, he passed two balagansand a
yourt, and soon after arrived at Pareine. This
ostrog is smaller than Kaminoi, though pei'haps
more populous : The first person he beheld in
this place, was a woman of a mixed breed, with
melancholy pourtrayed in her countenance; en
enquiring the cause of her di*ii:ress, she uttered a
loud shriek, and tears fell abundantly from her
eyesf.

* Like all (lie northi'rn people, they IiaTC a strong pro-
pensity to drunkenness: their fondness for brandy is so ex-
treme, that when any one permits them to taste of it, they
must repeat thoir kindness till they are perfectly intuxi(-ate<j
or insults and violence would ensue. They smoke as much
as the Koriacs, and use pipes of a similar construction.

+ AttvT a momentary pause, she informed M. de Lcssops
that she hud left Ingiga, with her husband, her son, and
some friends, to visit some relations at Pareine. Overtaken
by a most terrTble hurricane, they had unfortunately strayed
' from the road, and were totally separated from each other.
The father and son were in the same sledge, and after
wandering a long time, in pursuit of shelter, were at length
completely lost. After two days search, their bodies were
found buried in the snow, dead and frozen. Mure success,
ful than her husband, this woman had found a shelter on the
margin of a river, fifteen wersis from Pareine. where she
and her companions had arrived, ilmost perishing with grief
and fatigue. The tempest, she said, was so terrible that
neither the heaveas nor the earth could b« perceired : the

While M. de Jjessops vfM commiserating the
woman's distresses, the inhabitants of Pareine as-
sembled about him : Youltitka, their chief, ap-
proached to invite him to pass the night in the
village, but being strongly prejudiced against
him, as well from his character as his perfidious
countenance, he intimated to him that he had no
inclination to stop. On his refusal, the chief
mentioned the impossibility of procuring dogs and
provisions for him till, the next morning. Our
author construed his behaviour to signify some
fatal intention, and resolved within himself that
no consideration should induce him to stay.
Youltitka alledged some new obstacle, and with
a sarcastic smile, seemed to defy him to proceed.

Two hundred men, at least, now tumultuousiy
pressed about M. de Lessops, to inspire him with
terror, or to observe his embarrassment. In this
perilous conjuncture he addressed them in the
Russian language, hoping sonic among them
might understand him, who might have less per-
fidy than their chief. His harangue was short
but vehement ; and after mentioning his unremit-
ted endeavours to merit their kindness by his be-
haviour, and thanking them for the favours he
had already received in the course of his journey,
he added, that, " Except in the present instance,
I have never had occasion to demand the succours
of which I stood in need: far from waiting till I
had produced my orders, they had shewed the
utmost readiness to anticipate my wishes, before
I could make them known];."

With a view of atoning for his improper be-
haviour, he invited our author to wait in his
yourt, till the necessary preparations were made

snow, frozen in the air, g'ew thicker as it fell, and seemed
a shower of icicles. To complete the catastrophe, six-
grievously lamented her inability of returning to her native:
country, and again burst into a flood of tears. Our author
having said every thing to console her that compassion sug.
geste<l to him, quitted her w ith regret, as he had nothing to
alford her any relief biit useless pity.

I At the mention of the word orders^ he perceived they
cast a look of astonishment at each other; and being satislie.l
that hv had been favourably attended to, he assumed niuro
warmth and resolution. Then, taking his piissport from
his pocket, and viewing Youltitka with an air of displeiisiiis
he presented it to him, declaring it was his intention to d('|):irl
in the space of two hours. The ehi(!f was disconcerted by
this abrupt conclusion : Convinced that ho was now com.
prMcd to comply with our author's wishes, or render him.
seif criirinal, by disobeying the mandate of the governor, he
ordered the quantity of fish, which M. dc Lcssops wanted,
immediately to be collected for him.

^ for

LESSOFS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

169

for his departure. He also invited tliem to dine
at bistable; to this he also consented ; but shud-
dered at his imprudence, >vhen he was conducted
forty feet under ground to his yourt ; yet as
he was well armed, he thought he should be
able to defend himself. Youltitka *, suspecting
our author was not very well satisfied with his
situation, endeavoured to excite his confidence,
swearing that he had the highest esteem for
him, and that he was in perfect safety : but he
knew the chief too well to place any faith in his
asseverations.

Though a tragic scene was doubtless intended
to have been exhibited, this repast was attended
with apparent convivial mirth : The dinner being
ended, our author sent one of his soldiers to
order the dogs to be harnessed ; and, the pro-
visions being also ready, he was prepared, in the
course of ten minutes, to take leave of his Koriacs.
Though they appeared to be satisfied with him,
he knew not that they were leally so : and was
happy to escape from them. It was two o'clock
in the afternoon, but conceiving it was incumbent
on him to make up for the delay he had expe-
rienced, he did not halt tiM he was fifteen wersts
from Pareine. That day, and the next, he cros-
sed a variety of rivers, though- nothing worth re-
citing occurred.

His principal food had long consisted of rein-
deer; delicious as it was, it was always cloying ;
but the most alarming circumstance was, that
our traveller's stock began to be .fimost exhausted:
they fed on it but once a-day, their other meals
consisting principally of dried fish. Fortunately
our author had this day the good fortune to shoot
abracc of partridges, which varied the uniformity
of his daily food. The day wiis beautiful, and
the sky prognosticated colder weather, which was
devoutly to be wished, as the snow was so soft
that the <''•""' sunk up to their bellies. Before he
retired to his tent, our author perceived some ill-
boding clouds, and communicated his conjectures
to his guides : they considered their own know-
ledge on such a subject to be infinitely superior
to bis, and positively asserted that there was not
the least -reason to apprehend foul weather f.

* A more disagreeable countenance than that of Youltitka
can hardly be iuiagined. Large and squat, his whole face
named with the small. pox, aiid,niutilatcd with several scars:
a sutica countenance, black hair, and enormous lowering
eyebrows, under which there was but one eye, and that
luuk in his head; the other be had lost by accident.

Our travellers had proceeded but a few wersts,
when they perceived, at a distance, a company
of five Koriac sledges, drawn by rein-deer. The
dogs, allured by the scent of these animals, ad-
vanced, towards them with ardour : the Koriacs
seemed to avoid them. It was at length discover-
ed that the company they had seen were wander-
ing Koriacs, returning to their families from In-
giga, where they had been to see their friendsj
and dispose of their deer-skins.

While our author waited the return of the
soldier, who had been sent to gather intellignce
respecting the company of strangers, he observed
some clouds pass rapidly over their heads, which
confirmed him in the idea that they were menaced
by an approaching tempest. His confidential
soldier, Golikofi', had defended the contrary opi-
nion, but he was now convinced that this pre-
diction would be verified; he said he had even
mentioned M. de Lessops to the Koriacs, as a
prophet, upon this occasion, and he should be
sorry that he should be mistaken in the very first
instance. This simple avowal diverted him, espe-
cially as his conductors were witnesses to it; aitd
he, in return, intended to amuse himself with
their simplicity.

To conduct this business with the greater cer-
tainty, he intended to have recourse to his com-
pass, which would be an ample guide in the midst
of the whirlwinds. He asked one of the most in-
telligent of bis conductors to point out to him in
what direction Ingiga lay, with many other
questions relative to the task he had undertaken,
and received very satisfactory replies. Havir^
taken these precautions, he informed his people
that he intended to proceed, and was determined
not to stop, on any consideration. If they should
at any time, suppose he had lost his way, they
need only to mention it to him, and he would set
them right. They started at each other with an
air of astonishment, not caring to say, in abso-
lute terms, that he was clearly out of his senses.
The most intrepid of them, however, ventured to
declare that it was impossible hecould guide them,
without the greatest danger of losing them; and
he was certainly in jest. Without making any

+ In the morning, by wuy of jeer, the guides again qucs*
tioned M. ilc Lrssops, respecting the weather. He perse.
Tcred, however, in liis original opinion, and requested tiiem
to wait till the evening before they dogmatlcilly persisted
in their obstinacy.

1 * • '

r«ply

i. i ": o'

170

LFSSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA;

' Tcply, lie ordered every one to his sledge, threat-
ening punishment to those who should dare to
disobey him, and instantly gave the signal to de-
part *.

Finding themselves so near Ingiga, they were
no longer desirous of stopping; they even impor-
tuned our author to gain the river, and proceed
instantly to the town. He complied, and Ihey
coasted along the bank till they arrived opposite
to Ingiga, vvherethey crossedtlie river before they
could approach its walls. Answering the neces-
sary interrogatories, as in all fortilied places, they
were admitted through the gates ; when Major
Gaguen, having heard of our author's approach,
civilly received hi ra, and oltered his house for his
accommodation.

The town is very large and populous, situated
on a river of the same name, defended by a square
inclosure of palisades, and wooden bastions,
erected on piles. These bastions are provided
with cannon, and contain a quantity of warlike
stores. Tliey are constantly guarded by centinels,
as are also the three gates of the town, of which
only one is kepjt open. The governor's house is
situated in a square, and 'iyis a strong guard.
The houses are of wood, and low, but very uni-
form. The church is a wretched edifice, and al-
most in ruins; a new one is under contemplation.
The population is about five or six hundred in-
^labitants, who are either merchants, or €T>gaged
in the service of goveiument. The commerce of

* At half after eight they had ailvanccd about fifteen
wersfs, when the horizon was almost cojercd with dark
clouds : the tempest unfolded itself, and the wind raised the
fiiiow in eddies ; terror and confusion reigned among his
companions, and they knew not what they were about.
The violence of the hiirricanederanged many of thcirsjcdges,
and the conductors entreated our author to halt. He re*
minded them of his promise, and seemed determined to pro.
ceed. Then ordering the sledges to keep as close together
as possible, he took his compass from under his fur cloak,
that he might have it continually before his eyes, and began
his task of dirccling the caravan. They travelled thus
during the rcrraindcr of the day, in the midst of solemn
darkness, not being able to tea the Eoldier in the sledge,
and hardly his foremost dogs.

Amidst the complaints and remonstrances of his people
who requested him to stop, he strove to pacify them, and at
a quarter before nine, a dark veil was visible before them,
which gradually became blackur and more extensive. The
next moment they perceived the trees, and exclaimed in
raptures, " wc are safe!" — It was indeed the forest of In.
giga: to be certain of which he sent tbcm a little forward to
Itfkc a survey, and they speedily returned, transported with

Ingiga consists of furs, and particularly the skin
of rein-deer.

In mentioning the customs of the Koriacs, AT,
de Ijessops informs us that his chief suOrce of in-
formation was a Koriac, with whom he became
acquainted at Kaiiiinoi : the facility with which
he expressed himself in the Russian language, and
his rectitude of mind, commanded his esteem;
he also understood that he was a Koriac prince,
called Oiiiiiiavin, and brother to a chief of the
wandering Koriacs. During our author's stay at
Kaminoi. his conversation was a source of in-
struction and amusement to him.

In many respects there is a strong resemblance
bet'.veenthe fixed, and the wandering Koriacs: itjj
therefore surprising that there should be so little
cordiality among them, as to occasion them to
be considered as two dilTerent peoj)le ; their
country, however, is the same, and comprehends
a vast extent. It was formerly extrenulv popu-
lous, till the number of inhabitants was consider*
ably diminished by the ravages of 'he small-pox:
their contests with their neighbours, and with
the Russians have aiso contributed to reduce it»
population. The tlitAiber of fixed Koriacs, even
at this time, hardly exceeds nine hundred; and
though it would be difficult to calculate that of
the wandering Koriacs, they are not supposed
to exceed that amount f.

A ferocious spirit is the consequence of such a
state of war: attacking and defending creates

joy, to inform him that they were close to the river. Thcv
admired his miraculous skill in predicting bad weather
when appearances manifested the reverse, and afterwards
preserving them among all the horrors of the tempest: they
could not recover themselves from their astonishment. It
was in vain that he exhibited his compass, and endeavoured
to explain to them his manner of deriving /rom it all bis
knowledge: They replied, that such a conjuring book was
unintelligible except to persons like himself, skilled in the
art of magic,

+ The manners of the former, which are far from bcin»
estimable, announc. 'uplicity, distrust, and avarice. They
have the vices of all the northerit nations of Aaia, without
the virtue: they are strangers to generosity, mercy or
benevolence : nothing can excite them to perform a merito.
rious action but the absolute certainty of a reward. From
this perfidious and savage disposition, no durable connections
could ever be formed with their neighbours: So unsociable a
spirit, naturally created an abhorrence of all foreign donii.
nion, Jlence originated their insurrections against the Rus.
sians. their atrocious robberies, and their daily incursions
00 the people who surruun^ them.

iofleziblfl

LKSSOPS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

171

inflexible couragje, which pants for perpetual
combats and glories in contempt of life. Siiper-
sition gives a zest to this ardent thirst of blood,
by imposing a new law enforcing them to con-
quer or die. Neither the bravery, nor the num-
ber of their adversaries can in the least intimidate
them: in these situations they swear to dcstroij
the stut. This terrible oath is discharged by
murdering their wives and children, and burning
tlieir possessions. The vanquished never seek their
safety in flight; honour forbids it ; and not a Ko-
riac will survive the slaughter of his countrymen.

The vicinity of the Russian settlements has
produced no civilization among the resident Ko-
riacs. Their only aim, in their intercourse with
the Russians, is to acquire wealth or plunder.
Insensible of the advantages of polished life, they
consider their own manners and customs as abso-
lutely perfect. Tlieir regular employments are
Iiunting and Ashing, but they cannot always ex-
ercise those employments : at other times they
practice the lessdifiiculttasksof sleeping, smoking,
and procuring intoxication. Enemies to industry,
like the Kamptschadales, they live upon fish, and
tb; I'at of the whale or sea-wolf. The whale
is usually eaten raw ; the other is dressed like
(heir fish, except the sinews, the marrow, the
brain, and perhaps a slice of the flesh, which
they devour raw with the utmost avidity. Rein-
deer is thought delicious among them : vegetables
compose a part of their food, and they make a
refreshing beverage of various sorjls of berries*.

The extravagant price of brandy, and the
diliiculty of procuring it, has led them to adopt
a potent drink extracted from a red mushroom,
known in Russia as a strong poison, by the name
of moukkaraorr f . It is not from absolute sen-
suality, nor for the enjouuent they receive in
drinking the liquor : they merely seek a state of
oblivion, stupefaction, or a cessation of existence.

The features of the greater part of the Koriacs
uc not so Asiatic, but thev might be taken for
Europeans, did not their low stature, aukward

* It is used in Russian housosi to destroy insects.

-f The rivers near this ostrog are so small ax to be frozen
op as soon as the cold sots in, and, for upwards of half the
year, the inhabilun's ran only drink melted snow or ice.

I On the death of a Koriiic, his relations and friends as.
sciiible to pay him th"ir list visit of respect: they erect a
fiiu'Ml pilf, on which they place a small portion of the
v,,\\\i) of the deceased, and a stork of provisions, brandy,
■m\ whatever ho may be supposed to require for SO long a

Via. 11. No. LXXVllI.

form, and the colour of tiieir skin proclaim the
contrary. The other Koriacs exhibit the f^amo
outlines as the Kamptschadales : very few of the
women, in particular, arc without flat noses,
siuik eyes, and prominent cheeks. The men are
almost beardless, and have short hair. The hair
of the women is neglected, and generally flows
upon their shoulders.

Among the absurd customs adopted by the
Koriacs, is the probation to which a young man
subjects himself in order to get married. Having
fixed his choice, he waits on the relations of his
mistress, and becomes the drudge or slave of the
family. The young lady is enveloped in a multi-
plicity of garments, which so completely con-
ceal her, that the face itself is hardly visible:
She is not permitted to be alone a single rioraent;
her mother and several old matrons accompanying
her wherever she goes. The lover's aim is ta
touch the naked body of the lady by any means
he can devise: during which time he execute*
with zeal and submission, all the functions that
the relations impose on him. After experiencing
a variety of tribulations, vexations, and disap-
pointments, and perhaps after the expiration of
two or three years, he obtains his end. Elate
with his victory, he communicatss his success to
the relations ; the witnesses are summoned, and
her hand is bestowed upon the conqueror ; after
this long preliminary step, he is admitted without
restraint to his elected wife, free from all her cum-
bersome attire. The second stage of courtship
is extremely short; the damsel, in the presence of
her family, pronounces her consent, and nothing
more is requisite to entitle him to all the claims
of a husband. A nuptial feast is provided for
the relations, and a general intoxication is fre-
quently the consequence. Though a plurality of
wives is not allowed among the Koriucs, M. de
Lessops has "seen instances of its being prac-
ticed without scruple J."

The Koriacs acknowledge a supreme being,
the creator of all things, who inhabits the sun,

and

journey, and to prevent his starving in the other world. If
the deceased be a wandering Koriac, his deer conduct him to
the pile; if a resident Koriac, 'his dogs convey him thither,,
or his relations. The body is exhibited in its best attire,
lying in a kind of coflin. There it receives the last best
wiihes of the attendants, who, with torches in their hands,,
deem it an honour speedily to reduce their friend to ashe?..
The funeral pomp terminates in a scene of intemperance,^
where the fumes of their tobacco and strong liquor obliterate-

X X tix*-

\^' «

ii •!

t <i

I !«

']■ :il!

:y^lt\.

■a

172

LESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

and whose burning orb they consiiier as the thrnnu
or palace of the lord of rature*. Tliey neither
fear nor vvorship him; neither do they address
any prayer to him. Goodness, tliey rny, is his
essence; all the good that exists in the world pro-
ceeds from him; and it is inipostiible that he
should ('o »n injury. The principle of evil they
consider an a malignant spirit, who divides with
the immaculate being the empire of nature.
Their power is equal. One is intent on procuring
happiness to mankind, the other endeavours to
■ lender them unhappy. Diseases, famine, tem-
pests, calamities of all kinds, are the instrunienis
of his vengeance. To pacify his wrath, they
sacrifice their personal interest, and have recourse
to devotion: the terror of this menacing deitv' tills
every heart, and draws forth expiatory sacrifices.
Theyofier to hira various young animals, as rein-
deer, dogs, &c. the first fruits of their hunting
and fishing, and whatever they possess that is
most valuable. There is no temple set apart for
bis votaries : this fantastic God h equally wor-
ahipped in all places, who conceive that they ren-
der him propitious by piously getting drunk in
their yourt: for drunkenness is a religious prac-
tice with these people, and the basis of all their
solemnities.

The idiom of the Koriacs is for ign from that
of the Kamplschadales; the pronunciation is
•lower and more shrill, but it. is free from those
hissings, which are as diihcult to be uttered as to
be written.

M. de Lessops was anxious to quit Tngign,
but his dogs were fatigued, and there were Uit
few to be procured in the town; and those few,
not in the best condition: he therefore proposed
to take rein-deer instead of dogs, hoping to travel
much quicker by that mode of conveyance ; he
naturally expected greater risks, more fatigue,
and less repose than he had before experienced;
but he was particularly desirous of trying this

the remembrance ot the solemn scune. Tlicir grief indeed is
to transient upon those oecaiiion!!, even for the loss of per.
BtinK most dear to them, that it iii an evident proof of their
iuditrcrenccabontlire, the brevity of which neither astonish.
es nor afflicts them. After a, few months widowhood the
women are permitted to marry again.
. *The also believe in inferior deities: some of whom
they consider as bousehoid Gods, the guardians of their
rustic habitations. These idols, rudely carved and blacli.
ened with smoke, are hung up conspicuously in their
yoarts, dressed like the Koriacs, and adorned with bells,
5

fashion of conveyance, to enable him to pass %
decisive opinion on the speed of these animals.

Every difficulty and impediment being removed,
his departure was fixed for the 5th of April.
M. Gaguen caused every preparation to be made
for that important business : a quantity of small
wheaten loaves, were made under his inspection,
and a necessary supply of biscuit. A great va-
riety of food, intended for his own consumption,
was, contrary to his remonstrances, added to our
author's baggage. M.iny other presents wore
presented to him in so fascinating and friendly t
manner, that he had not the ntsolution to refuse
them: his kindnesses were indeed so numerous to
our author, that he was unable to mention half of
them; and to his care he was principally indebted
for the re-establishinentof his repose and health.

Though prepared to depart on the 5th of April,
none of his conductors were to be found : Ibu
next day a new obstacle arose : it was Sundav,
and therefore an improper day for travelluig;
this objection was the effect of superstition, rather
than of devotion : It was not the sanctity of tlic
day that operated upon them, but the idea that
some misfortune would be the coosequetKe.
After a variety of ineffectual entreaties to prevail
on them to set out, to no purpose, our author
was obliged to stay and dine with M. Gagiicn,
who politely congratulated himself on the delay.
Perceiving, however, that M. de Lessops win
really dci^irous of starting, he proposed to cure
iUc conscientious people of their imaginary fears:
lie defied him, and he accepted the challenge.
He ordered brandy to be profusely dealt out to ull
our author's attendants, Russians as well as Ko-
riacs. Their heads became speedily wanned,
and in the full flow of their spirits, they no longer
regarded the pretended danger: every one was
alert in harnessing the deer, and the sledges were
ready for travelling in an instant f.

Our author walked out of the town, escorted

.-..-^...=. ^^

rings, and other iron ami copper trinkets. The other in.
ferior deities they consider as inhabiting mountains, uoods,
rivers, 6cc, M. de Lussops frequently saw the remains of
dogs and rein.dcer, suspended on stakes, and testifying tht)
devotion of the sacrificcrs.

-I- A pleasant scene occurred during this interval : Oumi.
avin, merely out of compliment to M. de Lessops, became
completely inebriated; to shew the height of his respect for |
that gentleman, he practiced many absurdities, which he I
called taking leave. He went out, and instantly returnd,
officially attempting to assist ia every thing. The tluilge

bt!in|

being ready, he

LKSSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

171

by most of the inhabitants, m^ ho delighted in do-
ins; honour to the only Frenchman that had ever
visited them. M. Gaguen, and the officers of
flic garrison, condticlcd him to the gates, wliere,
liavin^ repeated his thanks for their politeness,
tlicv separated.

Of (he four soldiers who nftended our author
vihen he left Kauiinoi, only Golikott' and Neda-
rc7.oif remained with him: the odiers were left at
liigiga, whicli was the place of their rosideiice.
But, on the recommendation of M. Gaguen, he
accpptcd the services of a young merchant, who
desired to accompany him to Okotsk.

Fcai'ing some fatal accident might happen, if
M • de Lessops was perniitted to drive his own
sledge, remonstrances aud petitions were ad-
dressed to him, not to presume to engage in so
(lengerous an undertaking ; or, at least, they en-
joined him not to attempt the experiment the first
(lav. When he came to his vehicle, he saw his
guide already seated in front, and took his place
without particularly observing him ; but, on
looking round, he saw it was a Koriac prince,
named Eviura. He eagerly expressed his joy in
having the honour to conduct him, and then as-
sumed his situation.

They travelled very slowly till the evening;
but M. de Lessops felt a great inconvenience in
not having an interpreter, to enable him to enjoy
the conversation of the princely guide. They
stopped at seven o'clock. It was thought neces-
sary to gain a mountain, well known to our Ko-
riucs, in our first stage; the convenience of a

being ready, lie pretended (u lift it, that ho mi^nt form a
judgment uf its weight; but, unable to keep himself from
!>tagg<'rin((, the Rood Koriac fell, and in failhig broke the
puiiit of AI. do LcHSop's sabre. The poignancy of his grief
at the sight of this accident was astonishing ; he threw him.
icif at the foet of that gentleman, which he cmbracrd and
bathed with his iears, conjuring him nut tu depart 'till ho
had forgiven him. Our author endeavoured to raise him,
and assured him of his most cordial friendship: but he per.
fisted in hi° posture, and his eyes continued deluged with
tears: it was half an hour, at least, before ho ap|)earcd to
be pacified.

* Ucfore our author remounted hit car, Eviava told him
lie \rHS under the nece«sity of rendering their vehicles less
ponderous, the continual weight of two persons exceeding
the ability of their steeds to draw. He wished him to make
the experiment of lieing his own charioteer, and take one of
theempty sledges, with which he was furnistiedas a resource
in case of accident. This proposal was so ^nsonant to his
wishes, that he instantly accepted it, ■•b.ed the reins, and
lonuaenced •his new apprenticeship. He found th« task ex*

traveller is not considered in the choice ef a rest-
ing place; that of the rein-deer only is consuKed,
and a spot abounding with moss is constantly pre-
ferred. When half way up the mountain, tlie
steeds were unharnessed, and no other attention
paid to them than tying tlietn with leathern
thongs. The aniiuuis instantly scraped away the
snow, under which they knew they should be
able to find their food. At a short distance the
travellers made a fire, a frugal supper ensued ;
the Koriac prince being permitted to nieus wi(K
our author, he appeared to be highly flattered
by that honour. M. de Lessops was then per-
mitted to repose about two hours in the snow,
aud when that time was expired, he was ready to
proceed on the journey.

The Koriacsske accustomed to travel, four, five,
or six days incessantly, almost without renose.
The rein-deer travel day and night, being unhar-
nessed every two or three hours, and allowed an
hour for feeding, after which they go on with
equal ardour; and they persevere in the same
method till the conclusion of the journey. De
Lessops might therefore consider himself as for-
tunate, when night arrived, to be indulged with
two hours uninterrupted sleep; but this favour
could afterwards be only conditionally granted,
for he was generally obliged to submit to the
practice of his inflexible conductors*.

On the led of the road, he saw Karbanda, a
small village on the sea coast, ninety wersta
from Ingiga. Thr'e weists farther on, he saw
two yourts and si^ balagans, which are only iu-

trcmcly arduous: from inattention or inexperience, his
lugs became entangled, and the Tiolencu of his fall induced
him to relinquish his hold of the reins, that ho migiit apply
his hand to it. The deer, tlnding no lon^^cr tite same re.
straint, udvanccd more rapidly, and became mure initatod
iu proportion to his etlbrtii to get free. Draij;;cil along in
this alarming manner, with his head sweeping tiu> snow,
and frequently striking against the skate of the sledge, his
Bufl'erings were inconceivable. Ho was no longer capable of
crying out, and gave himself up as lost; when, by a motion
purely mechanical, ho extended his loft haud exactly on the
reins that floated by accident. A sudden jolt of the sledgu
.suddenly obliged him tu draw baick his hand, and this itu
voluntary check instr ally stopped his doer.

A swoon succeeded, ^Jt his senses returned in a few
minutes and he recover.'! his strength : He sustained nu
other injury than a contusion on his logs, and a, head..-\ch,
which were attended with no material conscqueitccs, Utu
joicing at bis narrow escape from danger, ho again asceude<l
his sledge, and'placidly pursued his joiuocy.

. . -• , habited

■'I I

-:^^ y.m

174

LFSSOP'S TRWKLS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

'■'^-.

babited in summer. Proceeding- through a small
ivood, watered by the Noyukhoua, he rame to a
■wreuiu'd hamlet, consisting of a single yourt,
and three or four baliigans, inhabited by ten or
twelve Koriacs, who civilly produced him shelter.
The following day afforded nothing interesting;
but in the evening, Eviava, who knew not per-
fectly the yourt ot Oumiavin's brother, proposed
to him to ascend a mountain to the left, hoping
to find his countryman to assist them. More than
an hour was consumed, when no trace of a habi-
tation could be perceived. Observing that our
author was weary, and little disposed to go any
farther, Eviava seemed displeased ; M. de I^s-
8ops desired he would make the search without
liim, and he would repose himself on the spot
they then occupied till his return. In about three
liours he came back exulting, and informed our
author, that he had found his friend, prince
Amoulamoula, and all his herd. They requested
him not to quit the place where he was before
the morning, as they all intended to come to meet
bim. He was not sorry for the event, as it pro-
cured him almost a night's repose.

At the dawn of day his visitors appeared : the
chief approached him first, to accost him in the
Koriac mode: his compliments were accompanied
with a beautiful fox-skin, or sevadouschko, which
be presented to him and compelled him to accept.
In return for this civility, he entertained them
MfUh brandy and tobacco, which he had brought
with him from Ingiga. Having thanked them
for their kindness, he respectfully took his leave;
being furnished with the necessary information
to enable him to direct his course.

Though tbe snow was deep and soft, the deer
ran with ease and celerity : having broader feet
than the dogs, they sink less below the surface
than the dogs ; but though this may be considered
as an advantage ; let it be remembered that the
dogs are not so soon tired, and the traveller is
not under the disagreeable necessity of stopping

* His name is Onmiavin, but he is distinguished from liis
brother by the addition of Simeon, a name which' he received
ill baptism when an infant : like all the Koriacs, heis^mall
&nd sallow : his countenance declares his frankness and be.
neToIenco, and the whole of his figure commands strong
prejudices in his favour. His short hoary locks, and sym-
metry of features, give him an air of dignity and distinction.
He is lame of his right arm, in consequence of an obstinate
contest with a liear: his companions^ declining the encounter
(Iirough fear, lie was left alone to oppose tbe monster ; and

every two or three hours. In their way our
travellers killed a number of partridges, and saw
an amazing quantity. Some rein-deer fled rapid.
ly from their presence ; and happily the abun-
dance of their provisions was no incentive to coin<
mit slaughter. About noon they perceived the
Stoudenaia-reka, and about an hour after they ur.
rived at the yourt of Oumiavin's brother.

The new host, as head of the family, advanced
to meet M. de L^sops : the satisfaction dis-
played in every countenance within the man-
sion, was perfectly understood. The address of
tlie old prmce was short, but replete with cor-
diality and politeness. Every thing was at his
disposal, and he was courteously requested to
command the services «f himself and family.

>yhen M. dc Lessops entered the yourt, his
first care was to discharge the debt he had incur-
red to prince Eviava. After making a proper
estimation, according to the agreement, he ac-
knowledged to owe him seven roubles, forty
hopecks. In receiving this sum, hi» good con-
ductor accused him of an excess of generosity,
and that it was more than he was entitled
to; and that to pay him for an obligation
conferred upon himself, w».% in his opinion, an
act of sublime virtue. They sat down to a jovial
dinner, and fared sumptuously ; a profusion of
brandy was not withheld upon the ocasion. A
farther account of our Koriac host may not be
unacceptable *.

The deer is the only source of riches to this wan-
dering people; the chief of a horde has seldom
less than two or three hundred, and some of them
are possessed of three or four thousand. Ouinia-
vin's flock, when M. de Lessops was with him,
amounted to about nine hundred. Multitudes of |
these animals are seen on the top of a mountain,
near the Stoudenaia-reka, collected together, or |
scattered into parties, seeking under the snow for
moss : they seldom wander from the flock, and
are regained without much difficulty. On the j

though he had no other weapon than his knife, he dvfcateJ
and slew him. The chase is his favourite amusement:
equally skilful and intrepid, be is regarded as a very furtu.
nate huntsman. But the strength of his mind renders him I
most estimable and interesting : he formed a project, which,
if it had been permitted to be carried into execution, would
have been a lasting monument of his superior sense and pro.
found reflection, though it arraigned the coort of Russia fur j
a tyraouical abuse of power.

evening I

autumn, and foi

LESSOR'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCE1ATKA.

17:

eVctiin"' of our author's arrival, he saw a plcasiug
foniirniatioii of this fact: Lhey had been asscm-
bk'd, on liis account, that a selection might be
made for his use. On a particular cry of their
keepers, the tame deer came forward, (the young
ones and those exempted from labour going- oil"
in a different direction,) those that were wanted
were easily caught, by means of a noose, thrown
over tlieni with singular dexterity. The choice
being made, those which were destined for our
author's use, were forcibly detained *,

A young deer was killed, by the order of Si-
meon Oumiavin, and cut up for the use of our
author : half a wild deer was added to it, the
llesh of which appeared more succulent. To this
present was added four beautiful skins. De Les-
sops then entered the yourt, where he passed the
iiiirlit on a mattrass.

There is no kind of resemblance between the
habitations of the wandering, and the under-
ground dwellings of the fixe4 Koriacs, though
(he appellation is the same : the Russians indis-
criminately give the name of yourt to all the
lodgings of these people. The primitive signi-
fication of the word yourt, is a subterraneous
apartment; but the yourts in question arc merely
tents or huts placed on the surface of the ground.
Round it a number of poles are erected at equal
distances, which, uniting at the top, strengthen
Qiid support each other. This rustic timber-work
19 covered with tanned deer-skins, extended from
the base to within half a yard of t'ae summit,
vvhich is left open to admit air, and to serve as a
passage for the smoke. The family, and the
«ervants, who superintend the flocks, sleep under
i)o!()^s, which are a kind of inferior huts, ranged
indistinct apartments round the wall of the yourt
and resembling the square tents of the Tchoutk-
(his.

This species of habitation is adapted to the
convenience of these wandering people : the re-
moval of their dwelling being no very laborious

• The female deer U not usually employed In labour, being
ipservcd for the propagation of the species; they aio coupled in
autumn, and foal in the sprtug. The young' inulea, which
»re Intended for draught, are castratctl. There are always
three or four deer in a iluck that aro tiaiuod fur the chaeo.
Tholosllnct of these aidmals is astonishing, for they are
hunting oven while they are fee<llng. When » tamo deer
perccivtjfl a wild one, be imitates the gait and manner of the
other, who Rometiinci approaches him without suspicion :
tiiey soon begin to play together) their horns becorac en.
tuQ|{led, they part, join each other again i itud these fpurlive

Vol. 11. No. LXXVIU,

task, they feel no rcluctnnrc in occ^asionnllv
changing their quarters. On any inconvenicnto
being discovered, they remove to a more commo-
dious place; their sledges arc always kept loaded
by the side of their habitations, and the provi-
sion and other articles resorted to when they are
wanted.

Twelve sledges were by this time prepared for
our author, and Simeon Oumiavin assured him
that he would himself be his guide, and accom-
pany him, if necessarry, as far Yainsk ; but,
after gratefully thanking him for his polite atten-
tion, he declined the acceptance of that favour :
In the morning of the 10th of April, he therefore
took his flight, and at noon reached Tavatoina,
desirous of seeing a hot spring, which Ou-
miavin had pointed out to him in the neighbour-
hood. Accompanied only by M. Kissclioff, he
travelled two wersts to reach the spi ing ; which
is said to be composed of a number of others, is-
suing from a mountain at the left of the river,
and which unite as they descend. A thick smoke
appears in the clouds above these waters, but it
has no oflcnsive smell : they arc extremely hot, and
continually bubbling. Their taste being sharp
and disagreeable, they are supposed to contain
sulphurous and saline particles : the stones
the party picked up along the stream had all a
volcanic quality: but the effect of the water was
astonishing : M. de Lessops washed his mouth
with it, and M. Kisselioff his face; the latter had
the skin of his face taken ofl" by this application^
and the former had his tongue and palate flayed,
and was for a long time unable to eat any thing
hot or high seasoned.

Their curiosity being satisfied, they prepared
to join the rest of the company. To effect this
they imagined they were to pass a mountain op-
posite to that on which the hot spring issued.
Their rackets made them retreat instead of adT
vancing, which induced them to take tlicin off,
and ascend by the use of their hands, and

amusements arc continued till the tame deer gradually draw^
his prey within musquei.shot of the hunter. With a well,
managed deer, sorootimes the companion may be seized alive^
but when too many artifices are practiced for that purpose,
the wild deer sunietinies suspects the trick, and escapes the
danger by precipitately galloping away.

When ft Korlac leaves his yourt In the morning, the deer
gather about him In expectation of their favourite bcrurage,
which Is human urine; for this delicious treat they manifest
the keenest gratltudo, by instantly swallowing up whatevur
quantity is ndmiaistercd to them,

Y V knees

(!■ t

!• ■ I

,, j;.';

V.yi

i^imM^

i'M.,

176

LESSOR'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCIIATKA.

knees. Apprehensive that they bad mistaken
the road, and overcome with fatigue, our author
inlrcated his conipmiiou to endeavour to gain the
siinituit, (rem ^vlle^^e he supposed he might pro-
bably perceive the rest of the party. He succeed-
ed, and after anxiously waiting about an hour
and a hull',, he saw (he t^ood Koriac advancing
with a sledge to liis assistance. They had in
reality taken a wrona; direction, and were several
times on the point of perishing before they dis-
covered the party they had deserted. *

He was tormented by a burning thirst; and
though the mountain was covered with snow, he
could not procure fire to dissolve it, as not a
single shrub could be perceived : at length he
observed some small cedars, and a fire having
been kindled, he allayed his thirst. It was now
two o'clock, and at seven they all assembled :
Oumiavin met with no accident, but he was so
extremely fatigued that it was nine before he
could proceed.

The next day's labour was troublesome ; espe-
rially to the deer; the snow was so deep and
loose, that the animals were buried in it up to their
necks: many of them refused to draw, and were
consequently left behind. Great inconvenience
attends a reliance upon the efforts of deer, when
a long journey is required to be performed with
only short intervals of rest: as soon as they are
tired, the traveller must abandon them or stop ;
it i<) no longer possible to make them move.

Our traveller, and his companions, were pro-
ceeding towards Toumane on the morning of the
14(h, and were within ten wersts of it, when a
violent gale of wind, accompanied with snow,
had almost blinded them ; but they reached the
village about four in the afternoon. It is situated
south-west of Ingiga, at the distance of four
hundred wersts, in a wood through which the
river Toumane flows. It contains three yourts,
three wooden magazines, and about a dozen ba-
lagans. Though this river abounds with fish,

* They had determined on the 11th to endeavour to as-
cend the mountains of Fillcquinshoikrcbout, but the task
was inipractirable: on the following day they ap|)earcd to
be within a few wersts of them, though they were still at a
considerable distance. Having at length passed this place,
they rrossed a small river at the bottom of these mountains,
when they came to that of Villeguy, which is the luftiest,
and give> its name to the rest. At first sight it seemed inac-
cessible, but a narrow passage presented itself ; and, con-
iiding in his noble conductor, they entered it. In four

the inhabitants feed principally upon the bark of
the birch tree steeped in the oil of the whale.

The deer were now incapable of drawing our
travellers any further, on which account Ouiiiju.
vin appeared extremely melancholy, as he found
it impossible to conduct our author, as he liiid [■,.
tended, as far as Yamsk. By his advice, h^\\.
ever, he entreated the inhabitants to supply ln'm
with what dogs they had, but he could only pm.
cure a small number. There was no other inc.
thod of making up the quantity required, tlmn
that of harnessing young dogs, and females iua
state of pregnancy. On the iTth, after two days
of bad weather, the wind abated, but the sky
was covered with black menacing clouds. Hav-
ing taken leave of Simeon Oumiavin, and his
Tourmane, M. de Lessops departed in the after-
noon, with his escort, and all his baggage, in
five open sledges; each team consisting of eight
or ten dogs : he had also hired a servant extra-
ordinary, to serve him in the rapacity of a
charioteer, being bo longer able tu undertake
that office himself.

Approaching the sea, it was thought advisable
to proceed upon that element, in order to avoid
seven mountains : when they had advanced about
fifteen wersts, partly upon the ice, and partly
upon the coast, they were under the necessity of
returning, as the snow fell so abundantly, and
the wind blew with such impetuosity, as to make
the sledges totter, and the dogs recede. Our au-
thor's guides informed him of his danger, and,
fearing to mislead the travellers, they proposed
to seek refuge in a deserted yourt in the neigh-
bourhood, with the situation of which they were
perfectly acquainted.

This deserted shelter was situated on a small
river called Yovana, about tvveuty wersts from
Toumane : when they approached it they were
covered with snow. Eager to descend into this
asylum, that they might escape the remainder of
the tempest, they attempted to find an aperture;

hours they arrived at (he peak, after climbing an enormou!
and almost perpendicular mass of the height of two hundred
yards, with rocks and stones projecting in a variety of
places. When " arrived at the summit," M. do Lossops
says, " I became giddy upon looking down the precipice I
had climbed, and my heart shuddered at the danger 1 had
escaped." He was far from thinking himself safe, as he was
still to iindiTgo the task of descending ; but his obliffin:;
Koriac explained to him the methods he might safely take,
and enabled him to arrive securely upon firm ground.

but

f :=1

LKSSOP'S TRAVFLS IN .CAMPTSCHATKA.

177

but they soon discovered that the entrance was
flopped up vith anow about four feet deep.
They arranged their sledj^es, and making the
raikctB aupply the place of ohnvels, they began
to open a passage. T\m part of the buHincsi
(in ployed the assistants about an hour, but they
v'crc still in want of u ladder; however the most
hardy among them leaped down, and the others
were not long in following him. They fell upon
the carcasses of several sea-wolves, entirely fro-
zen, some of them in part devoured, most pro-
bably by wild bcBitita that had chosen this subter-
raneous habitation for their den. A leathern
leine in a corner of tlie yourt was the only indi-
cation that this wretched mansion had ever been
visited before by human beings *. %

Tl - next day the wind was changed, but con-
tinued equally violent ; it was the more trouble-
lome to our travellers, as it drove the smoke so
forcibly into tlie yourt that they were almost
blinded and snifocated, and endured the extreme
cold, without a fire; except to prepare their
meals, rather than support so horrible a smother.
Our author, wishing to remedy this inconveni-
ence, erected a kind«)f fence suflliciently high to
procure a free passage for the smoke. From that
moment they enjoyed a fire ; both night and day,
without intermission: but they soon perceived
that a dampness began to prevail, which was as
insupportable as the cold : the fire gradually
molted the surrounding ice, and a constant drib-
bling descended upon their heads; a stream
of water at the same time accumul,ating under
their feet. To increase their difficulties the sea-
wolves began to thaw and difi'use an unpleasant

* While the travellers were employed in removing the
nea-wolvcs, tliat they might have room to lie down, the con.
ductors fastened the dofjs*, ami furnished thera with their
allowance of food. During which time a fire was kindled :
the company warmed thrpiselves, and partook of a supper ;
afirr which M. du LessopH extended himself on the leathern
act he found in the yourt: he placed a sea.wolf under his
head fur a pillow. Suu:e of his companions imitated his ex.
ample, and, all circumstan< «)> considered, the night was
passed with some degree of romfort. An entire corner was
a|i|)ro|)riated to the Koriaca of our author's suite, who
huddled together, and were unahTe to stretch themselves at

I their length ; but they did not complain, or seem to siiifer
the least inconvenience. They sat down with their elbows

* The vRurc came down in such abunduace, that these
I foor animalu isi-rc almost buried under it : but, bcvtg ac
tmlomedtu such weather, thtj/ croisd together, and holding

their noses in Ike airy the heat of (j^eir breathy bifpemaa

odour ; a proposal was therefore itartcd and ai*
scnted to, that, to purify the air, the dogs should
be fed with them while they continued in that
deplorable situation. This proposal was the
more readily complied with, as the scantiness of
the dried fish, rendered it necessary to consult
ceconomy f .

On the 21st there was a possibility of pro-
ceeding ; though the sky was obscured with'
clouds, and the snow fell heavily, the wind had:
ceased, and our author, and his party resolved
to set oft' in spite of their apprehensions of another
hurricane. They directed their course toward*-
the sea, upon which they travelled the distance
of two wersts from the shore; but in the evening
they approached nearer in order to halt. The
ice being perfectly smooth, their little camp was
easily erected. The next morning they made for
the main ocean, in order io avoid the curvatures :
they had observed several bays, and they crossed
that which was the most extensive, though un-
fortunately a gust of wind prevented them from
examining it ; but they were informed by the
guides that it was named from the river Iret,
which falls into it. On the approach of night
they came on shore, and halted till the morning
on the banks of the river Iret.

Nothing remarkable occuved on the 33d. The
wind indeed assailed them with much violence
in the middle of a large plain: the sky cleared
up, and they met a Serjeant with dispatches from
Okotsk. They saw the river Yamsk, and, mirsuing
its course came to the ostrog of Yamsk. The bis-
cuits beingnearly consumed, M.de Lessopswasnot
only obliged to bleep there, but also to continue

resting upon their knees, and seemed to sleep profoundly)
and at their ease.

+ The weather hemming calmer and milder on thc.SOth,
preparations were ordered to be made for their departure:
the dogs were harnessed, and they were issuing from the
yourt, when a gust of >viiid deranged all their measures;
the snow came on with renewed violence, and they were
obliged to retreat, thinking themselves happy that they were
within the reach of shelter. A sudden illness at this moment
seized M. de Lessops: the zeal of the soldiers displayed it.
self in their endeavours to restore him ; one of them deluged
him in water, while the other chafed his temples with such
immoderate kindness that he rubbed oiT part of the skin.

ting their cold covering, creates a free passage for respira.
lion. They have also the sagacity to shake themselves when
the snoa becomes too heavjj,

■ ' . ' ' 1.^,'' !"• there

j : ■!■

;i! ;l

I't I.

il «

178

l.K^SOP'S TRAVELS IN KAiSIPT.SCHATKA.

Ljl

there a considerable part of the next day, to pro-
cure a supply of provisions. Tlie serjcant who
commanded the garrison, received him with po-
liteness, and furnished him with necessary in-
formation. Yanisk consists of twenty-five wood-
en houses, a part of which, where the church is
situated, being surrounded with palisades.

Two days previous to our author's arrival at
Yamsk, a troop jf wandering Toungouses had
quitted this settlement; but to console him under
his disappointment, he was favoured with a sight
of the full dress both of the men and the women,
ivbich our author has described in his perform-
ance ; a repetition of which would probably
aftbrd but little entertainment to the readers of
this abridgment.

The force of the sun this day announced an ap-
proaching thaw, M. dc Ijcssops tiiereforc resohed
by the advice of the ])cople in the country, to
travel in the niirht, and to rest in the day when
the sun had greater power. He quitted Yamsk
at eleven in the evening; the caravan consisting
of nine large sledges.

At dawn of day onr travellers found themselves
at the foot of a mountain, at the distance of fifty
wersts from Yamsk. The Koriacs call it Ha-
houschka, or Grandmother, The summit is said
to be the tomb of an old sorceress, equally famous
and formidable. The superstition of the people
has induced them to call this the loftiest mountain
in the world;' but travellers are of a diflerent opi-
nion. Arrived at the top of this mountain, the
adventurers placed iron cramps under their feet,
in the form of tripods, and adopted many other
precautions, as the descent is supposed to be ex-
tremely dangerous*.

Our author cc.'ld hardly avoid laughing in the
face of the timid prophet; but, on considering
that he might probably require the assistance of
these people, he aflccted to shew respect to their
absurdity, and assumed a becoming gravity. The

* Having escaped this danger, uud arrived safe at tho
bottom, the Kuriacs who attended M, dc I^rttenopK, instantly
hung up their respective otl'erings, consisting of tobacco,
piecc« of iron, scraps of fisb, &c, on tlio »iiinniit, wheru
they suppose the sorct-rofis takes her repose of i night.
Others had before left on tho same place, iron, arrows,
knivc!), Sec. Our author perceived a Tchouktchi javelin,
decorated with ivory, and advanced to take possession of
it, that be might preserve it as a curiosity, but he was in.
Btantly deterred by tho exclamation of one of the conductors
— -<< What (said he) do you wish to ruin us all ? So
sacriU^' us au act would draw down upon us the most iior>

dread which the Koriacs entertain of this Ra-
bouschka, most probably originated in the follow-
ing manner; as a natural efiect of their prejudice,
they feel themselves disposed to gratitude the very
moment they consider themselves out of dan»-cr,
These ofVerings were tlu-refore the result of their
gratitude for benefits received.

The travellers proceeded to Strednai, a vilLige
on the border of the sea, at the entrance of a
deep bay. The Koriacs who inhabit it, received
M. de Lessops with great cordiality: he rtstcd
himself a lew hours in a yourt beloigu)^ :;• that
ostrog ; another building of the same denoinina-
tion, and some magazines, constituting the whole
of it. The yourts are constructed like those ol
the fixed Koriacs, with this difference, that thev
are not subtorroricous, and (he entrance is by a
door on a level w ith the ground. Muscles, m hidi
abound on these coasts, arc (he principal food of
the inhubitants.

In the morning of the 26th they arrived at thp
ostrog of Siglaun, the last in the Koriac terrilorv,
on a river of the same nanip ; it is neither hirije
nor oopulous, and contains but one yourt. Tho»
departed from Siglaun at five in the evening, anil
crossed a bay known by the nan)e of that \il!;i<:c;
is was large and well defended. Fartlier on the* |
found another curvature, called the Jiay of Ok,
though they proceeded with velocity, they were
ten hours in passing over the widest part of it, i
The 27(h, in the afternoon they stopped at Olii,
a Toungoose ostrog. situated at the month of
the river Ola, which affords a small harbour, tol
the extremities of which the 'I'(»ungouses retire i
severe weather. They had just quitted it, aiid|
taken possession of ten yourls, in which they re-
side during the contimiance of warm vvcatiiert.

When M. de Lessops arrived at Ola, he uail
visited by a uumber of women ; some dressed in
the Russian fashion, and others in that of ik
Toungou. Expressing his astonishment at Miing

rible calnmidcs, and you would become incapable of pur.
suing your journey. I

+ these yourts are not formed under ground, like thoscufl
the Kamptschndales, and some of the fixed Koriacs; \m\m
thoy are longer and more ingenlousiy cuiutincti'd. Tlel
winter yourts arc round, andbullt on Ihe ground liJtc iliil
summer ones. Tho walls aVe formed of larfic btamH, pladJ
perpendicularly, and tho covering is inolincnl like tho Fr-iniir
roofs, with a hole at tho top for tho evaporation of tmoke

They have also
foundation.

buttwi door upoa a kvoi Hit!) tiiJ

tiioifll

LESSORS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

17*

ihem so fine, lie xvas informed that it was a vil-
lage feast ; and it wan also cu&tomary with thctn
(o appear in their best attire before strangers.
Among their ornaments, embroideries of glass
beads seemed to take the lead ; and some of them
were not deficient in point of taste.

A striking resemblance is observable between
the Russians and Toungouscs; they have the
game language, and similar features. The men
are strong and well proportioned ; and aome of
llie women have an Asiatic appearance, but with-
out the flat nose and broad face of the Kampts-
cliadales, and many of the Koriacs. These peo-
ple are very mild, hospitable, and anxious to
oblige. On leavin^;; "his village, the travellers
proceeded on the sea ; they were much embar-
rassed in the course of the night by the ice ; and
the frequent cracks which they heard under themj
were not much calculated to dispel their fears.

At the dawn of day they arrived on land, in-
tending to surmount a steep promontory, which
(hey found attended with great difficulty and
danger : they ventured, however, to ascend
it, and after their descent, it was rumoured
among the guides that it was not possible to
proceed any further; in consequence of which
DcLcssops sent his soldier GulikolTand others to
examine the nature of their situation, who quick-
ly returned with very unwelcome tidings ; Goli-
koft', earnestly recommended that they should re-
turn, and endeavour to find a way by -land ; but
this counsel was rejected by his guides. After
iome consultation iLnd reflection they proposed
that the adventurers should abandon their sledges,
and taking the most valuable! part of tlieir pro-
perty, cross the bay by leaping from one sheet of
ice to another ; but the current had so forced
them into motion, that the sea was covered with
Jiiiular pieces. M. de Lessops felt no inclination
to adopt this mode of travelling, though he
knew not what other plan to pursue. At length
he resolved upon the exploration of some practi-
cable path along the shore.

insuperable difficulties now seemed to present

* Iiisplrod wUh coiitidonct: by thin iicrond succoBS, the
tr:ini|i!ri> thouf^lit it possible to transport their dogs and
ilodj^ci in tlio hiivnc eitraurdin;iry manner. However incro.
dil'lu It may appear, the roadfi'may Tfntiire to roly on this
u«>( rtion, that it succeeded beyuod the moiit 8angui«B ex.
pifutioii of the adventurers. It may be proper, hpweTcr,
to riiriiti'k, that wiien they retiirned a (ccond time to fetrb
iht' tlug-", the poor ^ninialii jecrood- moro sensible of thctr

Vofc. U. No. h}LXlX.

themselves: with infinite danger he gained a
perilous situation on the shelve of a rock, the
sea then beating against it, about ten feet beluw
its surface : emboldened by the solidity of this ap-
pendage to a rock, he advanced in a side-long
direction, with his face turned towards the rock ;
and in the space of three quarters of an hour,
during which time the moi>t trivial .slip or acci-
dent must have destroyed him, he arrived in a
place of safety on the other side of the rock.
Having thus surmounted his danger, he .began
to think of his dispatches. He had left them
under the care of his soldiers, but he now thought
himself capable of saving them himself. Em-
boldened by success, and proud of his discovery,
he did not hesitate to return the same way.

He took up his port- folio, and the box that
contained his dispatches ; bis two soldiers Goli-
koff, and Neradezofi^, consented to accompany
him ; without assistance it would have been im-
possible to save this precious deposit : they car-
ried it in turn. At every stride over the gaps of
the path, our author thought he saw his box
ready to fall into the sen : twenty times it was on
the point of falling from his own hands, and he
shuddered as if death itself bad been gaping
under his stops ; he knew not a moment's ease,
till he had licposited this charge in a place of safe-
ty; and his joy was then as vehement as bis.
anxiety had been *.

These crossings backwards and forwards oc-
cxipied seven hours of incessant labour and appre-
hension. No sooner were the travellers out of
danger, than they returned thanks to the almighty
for Uicir miraculous preservation : they repaired
their sledges, and innnediately proceeded on a
flinty strand, the breadth and solidity of which
relieved them from all anxiety. A few hours
after, near the ostrog of Armani, they met a
number of empty sledges returning to Ola, aud
earnestly wished them success.

The village of Armani, which is eighty
wersts fr<^m Ola,- consists of a Bummer yourt and
a winter yourt, situated on a river of the same

dangor than their commanders: they barked and drew back
at all difflcult passages: they were not to bo cheered or
flattered by the Tolce to the porfor^nanefi of their dnty ; it
was necessary to strike severd/, and poll them forcibly.
Four of the dogs from awkwardness or terror, cuiild not
^o^} like the rest: uno of these perished instantly; and
oaothofi after havlitg ruroalnod some time suspended by his
forO'feet, was extricated from his peril.

K 2 name,

I '

r !'•■

llf

I I

t'<

ns\t?.:i,ir

180

LESSOP'S TRAVKLS IN KAMPfSCMATKA.

name. M. de Lcssops passed on to the house of
a yakout, three hundred paces farther, wliere he
expected to find a more commodious lodgiiijj;: it
was a yourt in a wood of large fir tree*, which he
had occupied for thirty years. In his absence
his wife received our author cordially, and ten-
dered him some milk, with an acid beverage
made principally of mare's milk, called kovkouis's.
It was far from disagreeable, and his Russians
in spite of their superstitions for any thing pro-
ceeding from a horse, seemed to relish it highly.
The husband, by this time, arrived, who had the
appearance of a healthy venerable old man.
Having been informed of the nature of this
journey, by his wife, the host instantly
cleaned the most distinguished place in the room
that our author might repose himself. He was
awaked by the lowings of the herd which were
admitted into the yourt : eight cows, a bull, and
some calves divided the apartment with him ;

and upon the river Kava, nvithout perceiving
a single habitation.

On the 3d a gale of wind arose, accompanied
with a heavy snow : his tent suspended over the
baggage, afforded shelter to the party ; but a fire
was also required. His conductors undertook
to procure wood, which they could not effect
without being buried as high as «heir waists in
snow: in the afternoon the wind changed, and
(he sky became clear. Mayjthe 4th our travel-
lers passed over the mountain of Inee, which may
be compared in height to that of Babousthka:
on the summit they were so severely pierced with
the cold, that they stopped to kindle a fire. In
a few hours they came again to the sea, which
they left at a short distance from Ine, wlwre
they arrived in the evening.

This ostrog is peopled by Russians and Ya-
kouts, whose habitations are isbas and yourtii.
Here M. de Lessops proposed to change his team,

but though such were his companions, everything | and set off immediately ; but he was detained by
about him had the appearance of cleanliness, and ; the difficulty of procuring dogs : the chief of the

the air was sweet and wholesome. This yakout
does not, like the Kamptschadales and Koriacs,
employ himself wholly in catching and preparing
fish : hunting, md the management of cattle,
demand his chief attention, and gratify all his
■wants. Exclusive of his herd, he has ten or
a dozen horses, which he cmplo}s for various
useful purposes. Every thing about the premises
indicated prosperity, happiness, and tranquillity,
and the repast, though simple, was thought
sumptuous by the partakers of it.

They separated the same evening, perfectly
satisfied with each other, and De Lessops travelled
the whole night : he arrived at Taousk the next
morning, being a distance of forty-two wersts.
This ostrog is situated on the river Taon, and con-
tains a church, twenty isbas, and a building for
the reception of tributes, surrounded by palisades.
Twenty yakouls, two chiefs, and some other Ko-
riacs compose the whole of tlie inhabitants. The
garrison consists of fifteen soldiers, commanded
by a Serjeant named Othotin, at whose house our
author t«'ok up his aboce till the evening. At
flight he passed through Gorbe, peopled chiefly
by yakouts, and in the morning lost sighf of the
sea. During the first and second of May, he
aiid his conjpanions, travelled through fields.

place was so completely intoxicated, that he
could not assist upon this occasion. Twenty-five
wersts from Ine, our author passed two yourts
inhabited by Yakouts and Toungouses; the name
of this hamlet is Oulbe. Coming again upon
the coast, he travelled forty-seven wersts, without
quitting it, where he saw several sea-wolves, and
a whale driven upon the shore.

Having crossed, with some degree of trepida-
tion*, he entered Okotsk on the 5th of May,
accompanied only by Nedarezoff. He alighted
at the house of Major Kokh^ invested with the
command in the absence of M. Kasloff, whoise
arrival with M. de Lessops had been long expect-
ed. The governor's letter had communicated to
him, the cause of their separation, and our au-
thor had briefly related to him the circumstances
attending it. He hastened to pay his . pects to
Madame Kasloff, and deliver some packets ad-
dressed to her; but she was absent in the country,
and M. de Lessops was too weary to attend her on I
that day. An express was immediately sent olf
with the letters, and a day appointed for hisf
visit. Presimiing that he required repose, the
Major conducted him to the apartment dcstiufd I
for him in the house of M. Kasloff, and he found
every comfort and Conveniencr he could wish. In I

,,; ,.v * The ice wa^ lo thin that it bent under the iledgc at cicry raotion,

/jt;^juij tii

•i"* >'«

•A
♦ I'

tilt

the space of
bad not, exc
gence of slec

* M. Kokh
to his house i
plans of ami
him to stay i
ness was so g

I journey, that

tatiuns, and tl

for the faith f

him. Of the

yielding to hi

ca/jerness to c

The rains i

rival, that the

leiist for dogs

appeared no

without havin

therefore sent

Toungouses,

these animals.

Having pei

duty, the Ma

the country rt

politely receiv<

and the comp

I of Iter atfectioi

versation. Tl

their ditlicultif

He attempted

might probab

♦ Soon after h(
[ of Major Kol(h,

the. town. M.

Billings, was am

man «,i,<; u fortun

had returned: h

afterwards ackiio

I indebted for (he |i

+ M. Kokh w:

Russian language

to this settlement

Ltcs foniforlably

estcf ->, and hapf

afforded hira of di

i The town of

! to west; the sea

yards of the houi

•ftinty strand : at

Okhofa. The hi

arc larger and mor

fur the nsu of the

I «nd of the town i

liouis, are both

J t

LESSOP'S THAVEL8 IN KAMPTSCHATKA,

181

(be space of three hundred and fifty leagues^ he
Jiad not, except once at Yamak^ had the indul-
gence of sleeping in a bed ♦.

M. Kokh t invited and conducted our author
to his house to dinner, and communicated several
plans of amusement to him, in order to induce
him to stay some time with hiiu ; but his eager-
ness was so great for the rapid progress of his
journey, that he resisted the urgency of his invi-
tations, and the fascinating pleasure of his society,
for the faithful execution of the trust reposed in
him. Of these facts he informed M. Kokh, who,
yielding to his reasons, became satisfied with his
eagerness to quit him.

The rains had been so incessant during his ar-
rival, th:it the roads were thought impassable, at
leiist for dogs. From the best information there
appeared no possibility of advancing farther,
without having recourse to rein-deer. M. Kokh
therefore sent an express to a horde of wandering
Toungonses, to procure our author a supply of
these animals.

Having performed this necessary part of his
duty, the Major accompanied him to Boulgin,
the country residence of Madame KasloiF, who
politely received him as the friend of her husband,
and the companion of his dangers. The object
of her affections engrossed the whole of their con-
versation. The lady dcman'Icd unaccount of all
their dithculties at the time of their separation.
He attempted to soften such circumstances as
might probably tend to impress themselves too

♦ Soon after he rose in the morniog he received (he visits
of ^lajoi- Kokh, and the priiiripal oflicers and morchanh of
the town. M. Allegetti, surgeon to the exprdilion of M.
Billings, was among them. Ills meeting with that gentle.
man ^^.t5 a fortunate circumstance, as the pain in his breast
had returned: ho consulted him without hesitation, and
afterwards acknowledged, that to his skill and care he was
indebted for the perfect cure of his complaint.

i M. Kokh was a German by birth, but he spoke the
Russian language as tlucntly as his own : he had long retired
to this settlement with his wife and three children, where ho
Utcs comfortably with his little family, rich in the public
rstce ->, and happy in the opportunity which his situation
alfordcd hira of doing good.

X The town of Okotsk is nearly in a direct line from east
to west; the sea at the south, being within a hundred
yards of the houses^ and the interval between consists of a
.flinty strand : at the north the walls are washed by the
Okhota. The habitations are only isbas, a few of which
are larger and mure coinmodiuus than the rest, being destined
kt the use of the otficers. M. Kokh resided at the other
end of the town: the governor's honsc, and the Sessions.
iiouK, are both uudcr tbo same roof, aud form a part of

forcibly: she therefore supposed the most dis-
agreeable particulars were only sKghtly noticed^
from an unwillingness to give her uneasiness;
a caution which only alarmed her the more. M.
d& Lessops knew not how to console her, as he
himself experienced the utmost anxiety for the
fate of this valuable man: but, assisted by M.
Kokh, he assumed an air of serenity, and the
Major proposed a number of consoling expe-
dients: at last they restored tranquillity to the
mind of this aflectionate lady, by encouraging
her to expect the speedy arrival of M. Kaslofl":
This lady was born at Okotsk, and, among other
female accomplishments, spoke the French lan-
guage with elegance. In her present solitary re-
treat, she is priucipally amused in educating au
amiable daughter about three years old.

The next day tin express arrived,, informing;
our author that the Tongueses we'-e separated,
and dispersed through the country, and that no
rein-deer could be procured. After mature de-
liberation, and taking the advice of M. Kokh^
who endeavoured to dissuade him from it, he
came to a resolution to set off' the next day with-
out the rein-deer which he had expected. M.
Kokh, finding his oppo3iti.)n useless, no longer
advised him to tlie contrary, but promised to give
the necessary orders,, that every preparation,
might be made for his departure. M. de Les-
sops spent tlie remainder of the day in taking %
survey of the town, which he describes in the
following manner, or to that effect |..

the square. Here is also the guard.hi)u.i.p, and the parish.
church; but these buildings have not a very splendid ap.
pearance. A street-behind, extending almost to the river,
is inhabited by tradesmen, whose shop.s are re'^nlarly ar.
ranged on each side of the street, 'J'lie port is very in,«igi»i-
ficant; seven or eight vessels or galliots were to be seen,
part of them belonging to the crovtn, and others to mer.
chants, who trade with America for furs

M. Kokh having made preparations fur our author's de.
parture, and his sledges being loaded and ii.iriio'<.sod, he
took leave of that gentlenion and the rest of tl)e officers on
the evening of the 10th of May. His company was ang.
mented by two men, who were to act as pilots on the river
Youdoma: he travelled all night, without re.^arding the
wretched state of the roads, though they were covered ^^th.
water, and in some places reached the bellies of the dogs :
the wind continued soath, and strongly indicated a con*
tinuanco of the thaw. In the mew time having crossed
the river Okhota, he arrived at Aledvej(J Golova, or Rear's
Head, a village inhabited by Russians and Yak jiUs: been,
tered it early in the morning, but the dogs were so weary,
that he was under the necessity oi passing the day, and cve.i\
the night in that ostrog.

ii 1

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182

lESSOFS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

He hoped to reach Moundoukan the following
day, which is twenty wersts from Bear's Head ;
but, when he had proceeded about half way
fiomc of the dogs refused to draw, and Hie com-
pany reluctantly ventured upon a river that seem-
4id to be the preferable expedient. They had
not advanced many paces, when they heard a sud-
den crack under their sledges ; and the next mo-
ment De Lessops felt himself gently sinking, but
a piece of ice still kept him up. It broke a
second time, and his skates were hardly to be seen.
All endeavours to extricate himself would have
been useless, as the least motion would have
plunged him into the water. Fortunately it was
but four feet deep, from which embarrassment
his people relieved him, till they were nearly as
much in want of assistance themselves.

Deaf to the remonstrances of his conductors,
he still wanted to proceed ; but their mutual aid
became necessary to enable them to gain the bank.
In the mean time, the snow continuing to melt
rapidly, the dogs only paddled in the water,
without making any progress, and fel' upon one
another exhausted with fatigue.

Among our author's guides was a serjeant,
whom M. Kokh had strongly recommended. His
reputation for courage and experience taught
him to regard him as his monitor and guardian :
he therefore observed his motions and studied his
countenance, which had hitherto been inflexibly
composed. While the rest of the company mur-
mured, he uttered not a word, nor altered a
muscle of his face. Encouraged by his silence
and seeming unconcern, our author almost aban-
doned his fiears, and yielded to a kind of tran-
duiility. But how great was his astonishment
when this serjeant stopped suddenly, protesting
he would not proceed a step farther. He urgc-^
him to explain himself. " 1 can no longer be
iiient," replied he; " but the more I admire your
intrepidity, the wore I feel myself authorised to
iaforoi you of the obstacles which may surround
you: many of the river* indeed are thawed, and
could you so far succeed as to pass them, the
floods would speedily overtake you. Where will

* Ak «im!l.ar arci<lt-iitE .nrc iiiU Hiicoinmon to those who
irnvv] in thill soasuu of the year; thu unl'urtiiiiate trnvclli>r8
luiiiilly ascend tho loftk't>t tiTv«, where tlwy fabriratu with
till' brniirht'ti ;i kjiul of hut, cnWcAlafmzl'' ; liiit it soinotiint!*
ba|)|)('Mi« ihit fhesp torrwitii do not abiiiti, ia which cuinthiy
fot'ith for want of food.

you then find a resource? Perhaps you may seeV
an asylum on a mountain, or in a forest *, should
you be fortunate enough to meet with either.
Can yeu erect yourself a cabin on the tops of the
trees, and rest securely there three weeks, or per.
haps a month till the inundation shall subside >
And are you certain that, even thus exalted,
the vraters will not reach you, and force you
down, together with the tree you rely on for
protection. Are you sure that your stock of pro-
visions will, during this interval, be sufficient to
preserve you from the miseries of famine? If you
are not intimidated by any of these considerations,
proceed; you are your own master. 1 have done
my duty, and I shall take the liberty of quitting
you f.

He accordingly set out. and reached Beiir'i
Head the same evening, where he remained till
the afternoon of the following day. From
thence to the river Okhota, he experienced no
other inconvenience than that of travelling vcrv
slowly; but in crossing the river, new perils and
new alarms arose. "The instability of the ice,
which was moved up and down by the current,
made him apprehensive that it would not bear the
weight of so many passengers, and he was con-
tinually in fear that an abyss would open, and
swallow up some of the party. Having at length
gained the bank, they counted over the company,
and had the happiness to find that not a single
person was lost in the tremendous danger. Tbey
arrived at Okotsk, about noon on the i4th.

So speedy a return produced some pleasantries
on the part of M. Kokh, and the other officert:
but our author was less concerned at the folly of
the attempt, than at its failure. He could not
avoid contrasting the tcdiousness of his passage,
with the common mode of accomplishing such »
journey : Eight months had already elapsed, and
he was no farther on his route than Okotsk ; but
he had not selected any particular season, and
had been necessarily detained three nionthii at
Bolcheretsk ; he had aUo to contend with tern*
pests, and a thousand other obstacles; and ftli
these delays had been equally involuntary and

f This rcsoltito remouttranco stroogly operated on the
mind of J)e Lt'ssops, and iiulund him to considop, thai if
ho attended to the iiianitioni of pnidijiico, he could uo( ilu
bottt-r than retitrn immediatoly to Okotiiii, from which itn)'
ncru but fifty.livo worsts (liRtaiit. , .

■ ^ ■'" unavoidable

LKSSOrS TRAVELS

IN KAMPT8CIIATKA.

183

unavoidable. But though these circumstances
migU all be pleaded in his justification, he still
thought it in the highest degree distressing
that he had not been able to execute the trust re-
posed in him. Such were the reflections which
acitated his mind, and poisoned the pleasures
whi<h every one was dcsicious of procuring him.
At length, however, tlie attentions he experienced,
und the amusements which courted his participa-
tor on all sides, totally dispelled his chagrin.

' hoftsolV, inspector-general of the garrison,
was particularly obliging to M. de Lessops. He
immediatel} directed that the best of their wretch-
ed horses should be collected from the environs,
and kept in readiness for departing at a moment's
warning.

An express arrived from Tngiga which gave
infinite pleasure to our author: it brought in-
telligence of M. KaslolTs arrival in that settle-
ment; hut iilas he had brought no letter from the
tfovernor. This consideration occasioned much
anxiety. Every one questioned the messenger
bv turns, and they would hardly be convinced
oif his safety; but the probability, and the in-
variable uniformity of his account, persuaded
them at length that their fears were unfounded.

The river Okhota had usually been free from
ice by the !<i()tli of May ; but, to the astonish-
ment of the inhabitants, it did not begin to float
this year till the ^6th in the afternoon. It form-
ed a curious exhibition for the town, and M. de
Lessops was invited as to a party of pleasure; but
supposing it to have been similar to what he had
seen at Petersburg, he was not much inclined to
repair to it; but, being further importuned uppn
the subject, he went to the river. Multitudes
were there assembled, who expressed their asto-
nishment, in loud vociferations, at the sight of
the enormous sheets of ice, which were lifted up
by the rapidity of the current. The next moment
luud shrieks assailed his ears, and be endeavoured
to discover their cause: he approached with tre-
pidation, supposing some unfortunate child was

• These (lo!?s were the only victims of the dei>arture of
the icii: but it* ofTcets hnvo bcun gumetimes su tremendous,
■u to havfl (ipCiisioncU tho removal of the hoases near the
river. Tho thaw at length biMug ended, and a famine bo-
glnnin;; to prevail, as the stot-k offish procured in the pre>
M(ling summer was nearly exhausted, M. du Ivessops or.
dered tho seine tu be iuimediatcly used. Ho was present
with a lar)(n party, and saw a most agreeable spect.icle: it
iUmpussiblu tu i;onrey an idea of .lie pleasure, the (rans.

Vol if. No. LXXIX.

in danger of being drowned, but he was mistaken
in his conjecture.

A society of about a dozen dogs excited this
lamentation. Their master, either from avarice
or compassion, thus bewailed the fate of the^e
poor animals whose loss now seemed inevitable.
Seated tranquilly on the ice which supported
them, they gazed with astonishment at the crowd
collected upon the bank, whose utmost clamours
could not move them from their station. Two
only had the sagacity to attempt to save them-
selves, and with difliculty arrived on the oppo-
site side; the rest almost instantly disappeared,
and were probably conveyed into the ocean,
where they infallibly must have perished*.

To these fishing enterprises, which daily be-
comes more successful, the hunting of water-fowl
succeeded : these winged visitors were so abun-
dant as to cover the surface of the water, and
furnished a new means of subsistence for the fa-
mishing inhabitants. The season now rapidly ad-
vanced, and in spite of the frequent fogs, they
had fortunately some fine days. They were the
more acceptable, as the snow had fallen two inches
deep on the 2^th, and the cold was remarkably
severe. The waters gradually abated, but no
appearance of vegetation was perceived: some
rotten grass, indeed, from the last elforts of na-
ture at the close of autumn, was all the earth
could aflbrd to iiie horses, till the return of a
resuscitating spring.

Our author was so anxious to be gone, that
though he was no stranger to the miserable state of
these animals, he inticated M. Kokh to order those
intended for him to be collected, as he should cer-
tainly leave Okotsk on the fitli of June, His
orders were punctually obeyed, and by the !Jnd-
ncss of Mrs. Kaslotf, with the additional liberality
of his friends, he found himself amply pro-
vided with bread and biscuit. But the idea that
he was to support himself with the sacrifices of
friendship, was hostileto his feelings, audit was not
without much pain that he was obliged to keep

port of tho spectators upon the first cast of the net. An
immense quantity of small fish were the produce of one haul,
and the joy was loud and vociferous on the occasion. Those
who had begun to feel tho ^iressuro of famine were first serr
od, and shared among them tho blessing of this fortinaie
beginning. Our author could not restrain his tears when
ho saw how ravenous these poor creatures were: whole
families were crowding and contending for the fish, which
were devoured raw before his astonished eyes.

3 A what

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184-

LESSOFS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

^vhat no refusals coald prevail on them to take
buck.

The daj preceding bis departure^ be had been
inrurmcd that M. LoftsoiF intended to go with
bim to Moiindoukany, and that Lieutenant
Hall was to accompany them; M. AUegretti also
informed our author that he had prepared every
thing to conduct him, as far as the cross of
Yuodonia, and that personal attachment was the
sole motive of his journey. Of his two soldiers,
only GolikoiF attended bim; Ncdarezoff remained
at Okotsk; but our author took his father to
serve as a pilot on the river Yuodoma. All bis
preparations being completed, he tore himself
from the arms of M. Kokh. Many of the inha-
bitants did him the honour of attending him to
the gates of the town, where the horses waited
for them, and where, after mutual good wishes,
they separated. On beholding the horse he was
to mount, our author drew baek with horror and
concern: never had he seen before so poor and
wretched an animal; the other horses, engaged
for this expedition, were equally lean and despi-
cable. In this pitiful plight, the caravan began
to march. To console themselves during this
cavalcade, each was merry at the expencc of his
steed. Twelve wersts troin Okotsk, a salt-work
was pointed out to our author on the sea-coast,
in which only malefactors were employed. Be-
yond this houb'e they left the sea, and travelled
for so'^.e time on the banks of the Okhota. If
the breaking of this river is alarming to the inha-
bitants of the town, its overflowings must be
more fatal to the environs. In overflowing the
banks, it not only inundates the adjacent country,
l>ut becomes a torrent that swells as it extends it-
self, and has been said to rise two feet above the
tops of the highest trees.

Not far from Medvejcgolova, De Lessops'

♦ The Yakouts do not seem much concerned at the loss
of these animals, und have little idea of atlording them any
avsistdiice. When tiiey refuse to go on, or fall down from
fdfigne, tliey are abandoned tn their fate, and their carcases
are left to bedcTourcd by bears: who never relinquibh their
prey wliile any llesh remains n])on tlie bones. Every ten
steps these »•'. letcns were seen: more than two thousand
of thorn hi) been passed between Okotsk and the cross of
yuodoma

+ Settin^ *t nine the next .'ng, the company ford-

pd the river ' hota, the eourse of which they were no

longer to pursue: 1'hey perceived some scattered yoitrts at

a distance from each other, but hardly ever saw any con.

horse fell under bim, and there appeared no
probability of getting bim up again: fortunately,
however, be had quitted the saddle, and there-
fore received no injury. The animal was left
upon the spot*, but could not survive many
hours. Eleven horses still remained, and our
author was remounted in an instant, and readied
the village without any further accident f.

Arriving at Mandoukany, when the horses
were much fatigued, the party passed the night
there, and all the following day, which was the
8th of June. At the dawn of day M. de Ixssops
separated from M. Hall and M. Loftsofl", who
were to remain in this place. M. de Lessops as-
cended a high mountain called Ourak, the sum-
mit of which was still covered with snow: a
river of the same name appears at the loot of the
mountain, wkich is wide, deep, and rapid, and
on its bank a yourt is situated inhabited by water-
men. At present, howevor, they were ail absent;
and being tired of waiting for them, the party
launched the best of the boats that »vere fastened
on the bank, and after diligent search they found
some oars. They unloaded and iu)saddled tiieir
horses, and put the baggage in the boat, which
in turn conveyed usio the other side: the steeds
remained behind, and our author trembled with
fear lest the animals should not be able to swim
across: the Yakouts seemed perfect in this part
of their business; by whipping them they forced
them into the water, and the boat preceded them
to guide them. One of the conductors remained
upon the bank they started from, exclaiming,
booting, and throwing stones to fright them, in
order to prevent their turning back. In about
half an hour they were safely conveyed over,
where they were instantly saddled and reloaded |,
and they pursued their journey.

They halted about twenty-five wersts from

siderable number of them together. They live in this isohit.d
manner from a motive of SL'Jf-intercst ; horses being tlnir
principal source of wealth (some of whom possess np\v;inl<
of a thousand) if the proprietors should build their hablia.
tions nearer to each other, how would they be able to pro.
cure nonrishment for their numerous studs ? Hence it would
be necessary to send multitudes of them to a considerabit'
distance, as the neighbouring pastures must be soon ci.
Imusted.

+ The Yakouts are so much accustomed to this cxirciM',
that they might defy the most expeditious groom: tlu) lie
the horses three anil throe to each other's tails, and a single
rope serves to lead them ail.

Mouu-

LESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

185

Monndoukany, to which they were invited by
the anpenranoe of some pasture, and few traces
of bears were discoverable. From a fast of about
gix nionlhs, the voracity of these animals was
ffreatly to be dreaded. Depardiig their dons they
prowl about the country, and ravenously attack
any a»iin*l ♦''cy can discci.er, and particularly
horses. When the travellers arrived at their des-
tined spot, the horses were eased t)f their bur-
thens, and permitted to graze at liberty. Fires
were tben ligbted at equal distances round their
little camp, and our author frequently discharged
his inusquet at the entrance ofliis tent; knowing
the report and the smell of the powder would
effectually drive away the bears. At day-break
their horses are summoned to asseixible ; and,
should any of them be dispersed, they come at
the cry of the Yakouts, who, like the Koriacs
with their rein-deer, possess eminent talents for
this purpose*.

To make the most of his lime, he restricted
himself to one regular meal in the evening, taking
no refreshment in the course of the day but some
rje-biscuit. Sometimes indeed he and his party
subsisted on the fruits of his success. But if he
happened to kill any small animals, they fell to
the lot of his Yakouts, except the skins which
were returned to him. Goiikolf had prejudiced
him against this kind of food, by representing
them as extremely nauseous; but being once
tempted by the whiteness of the flesh to taste one
of these little animals, he found it less disagree-
able than lie had been induced to believe: though
they retain tlie flavour of the flr, he should
think them very acceptable in a time of scarcity.

Their principal food, known by the name of
bnnrdoiik, was more ofl'ensive to him: it is a kind
of thick frumanti, made of rye-meal, water, and
fish-oil; the quantity they devoured of this com-
position shocked him^ though he was informed
that in general they are not very great eaters : it
was however said, that sometimes, by way of
treat, they roast a whole horse, which is speedily
demolished at a meal, by a very small number of

* Having oftrn seen tufts of horsehair siispondod to
llic branches of trees, our author asked the cause of it, and
«as informed that they were oflerings made hy the inhabi-
tants to the Gods of the woods and iiigitways; a spcries of
superstition that has at len.st one good cDect, as the oiler,
ini; niay serve to identify the road to travellers. In the
course of the preceding day our author crossed various

guests; and the intestines of the animal, are not
considered as the least delicious.

Our author was awaked at an early hour by
his guides, who came to inform him that the
river had considerably abated during the night.
A number of horsemen had also just arrived, who
had been detained on the opposite side, and who
had crossed withoutdifliculty, which inspired them
with the fullest contidence. Theywcre reduced mer-
chants who intended to try their fortune as factor?
of a man of property, whose speculation had ob-
tained the approbation of the courts and all the
succours which they required. Its object was
the fur trade, particularly that of sables, caught
by the Koriacs and Tchouktchis. They were al-
lowed four or five years for their undertaking;
and they were not only to collect furs by way of
purchase, but also to hunt the animals that fur-
nished them. Fearing no other (»bstatles than the
hostilities of the natives, they were provided with
ammunition and arms to repel their insults.

When our author had passed the river, he
asked the guides if it was the last he should have
to cross; they replied in the negative, and as-
sured him that he would meet witli three others in
the course of the day. This intelligence alarmed
him, and the dread of his horse's falling with
the box made him shudder. Emerging from a
thick wood, he found himself on the bank of a
rapid torrent, the breadth of which was about
two hundred yards; at a little distance this streaiti
was received by the Oiirak. Conceiving it to be
iordable. he spurred his horse to make him de-
scend: in the middle of the river he felt his legs
tremble; he encouraged him: he proceeded, and
the water did not reach above his knee. Em-
boldened by this circumstance he pushed on, and
soon approached the opposite bank ; to ascend
which a ridge of ice was to be surmounted. The
declivity was steep, but no better landing-place
presented itself: he directed the animal towards
the perilous ascent; and, though he had gained
a position for his fore-feet, he fell backward into
the water; the horse and the rider floating in

branches of the river Ourac; and about five in the after,
noon met that river again: its width was not considerable,
but as the r^.ii. had swelled the current, and the principal
guide represented ii is dangerous, the resolution foniicd of
passing it was not persisted in : he pitched his camj) in the
neighbourhood, where the horses fortunately found some
pruvcuder to cat.

different

186

LESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

diflfcrent parts of the stream; they were both
carried along* by the violence of the current, and
our author insensibly grew weaker. Approach-
ing (lie spot wliere the two rivers joined, a voice
suddcnlv assailed his ear, exclaiming, " Cutrh at
the bridle of your horse, or it is over with you I" —
The sound, the idea of the danger reaniniuted
liim; he strfuk forward with all his might,

' stretched out his hand, and seizi^d the rein. Pro-
videntially, at the same moment, liis li'jrse ob-
tained a tiooting. Our author seized tlie u|)per
end of the bridle, and threw his .irms lound the
neck of the animal ; remaining, as if he had been
suspended between life and death, and calling
aloud for assistance. His faithful GolikolF had
endeavoured to follow him in his misfortune;
but the vigour of his horse did not correspond to
the zeal of the rider: he was the person tliat had
given hiin the salutary and terrible advice of
grasping at his horse ; and w hen he perceived its
happy effects, he hastened to ascend the shore,
to land, to run towards him in order to preserve
Iiis life*.

The party again mounted their horses, but M.
de Lessops declared his blood froze in his veins
■whenever he approached a river; and he was
now become so cautious that he sent one of his
guides before, and was not willing to venture
till he had received a signal from the opposite
side. He arrived in a reasonable time at Orut-
skoi-plodbische; which was the first habitation
he had seen since the yourt belonging to the

watermen, and he contimied ther^the remainder
of the day. The Ourac flows at the foot of this
hamlet; here are only five inhabitants, each of
them being a soldier, and has an isba: they are
- ' -

* After having leaped on the iicok of his deliverer, his
first care was to tear oA' the part folio which wuh fiibtened
to his girdii;; and he had the satisfaction to fnid that the two
important packets, which La IVroiise had particularly re.
cininiended to his care, had not received much injury,
Jle had lef« hi« hi x on the other ^ide; but tho uneasiness on
that account was soon dispelled, by the arrival of M.
Allegretti and his other companions, who safely returned it
to its awiKT, and congratulated him on his miraculous
fsrape.

+ The next morning the travellers crossed the river Orak
in a boat: its source is at no great distance: it proceeds
from an immense lake where they halted in the evening; it
.is about seven wcrgts.iiirirciiiiiference, and is snid to abound
with fish. A scene took place this day among the Yakoufs,
concerning a horse that it was thought necessary to leave
upon the roud. Accountable for horses committed to thoir
cue, it it usual when they Um any of them from the excess

appointed to guard a magazine for the reception
of effects belonging to governraeutf .

Wishing to travel quicker, our author entrusted
the baggage to the care of old Nedaresoft', and
passed on before with M. Allegretti, (JolikolF,
and a Yakout. A pond, of the depth of about
a foot presented itself; into which M. Allegretti
rode, and Golikofl' followed, holding our au-
th()f's box on his saddle. After a few paces the
horse stumbled, and threw him olf sideways; but
more intent on his deposit, than his own prtjserv-
atiun, he fell upon the box, in consetiuencc o|'
his extreme caution not to relinquish his hold,
He immediat<;ly alighted to assist him; but hav-
ing fallen into the mire he had received no iiijiirv;
though the box was evidently wet, the water had
n(»t penetrated to the inside. The horses were so
fatigued, that their riders alighted and led them
by the J>ridle, while the Yakout was lashins;
them behind. Tliey travelled the remainder <vt'
the day, except where the new grass| began to
appear, when a pause was made to console the
poor beanis w it!i a little retVeshment.

In the afternoon they arrived at the Cross^ of
Yijodoma. On an eminence, secure from the
overflowings of this river, a number of magay.iiie<
appear in view, guarded by four soldiers, and
which are also con:iidered as an asyluui to them,
when their common habitations by the side of the
Yuodoma are flooded: these soldiers also act in
the capacity of watermen. On seeing our au-
thor's passport, they submitted entirely to his
guidance. Unfortunately all their boats were in a
wretched condition, and he had neither materials
nor workmen to reHt them.

Of the four boats that were on the strand, our

of fatigue, i&c. to cut olf the tail and the ears, which tbty
must proiluco to the proprietor to exculpate themselves, or
paythevaluo of tho animals. A dispute now arose, whether
they should terminate tho life of this poor unfortunate b<<a<it.
Our author proposed a more simple and less crnel way of
cti'ocling this end, and prou)igcd them a cortiQcalu t!ut
should attest the loss, and supply tho usual proofs, by takiii);
the blame of their failure in this respect upon himtetf,
They acquiesced in his proposal, which wan considered as
an unequivocal proof of their deference and respect.

X The progress of vegetation was every day porcoptiblo;
the trees, which hud so lung continued bare, gradually r*.'.
covered their foliage, and tho country soon appeared like ai,
immeusu meadow, enamellod with rural ilowcr^. What a
delightful spectacle for a man whose eyes had, for tho spa<'e
of six months, aeon nothing but froiten rivers, and plaint
and mountains covered with perpetual snow \

§ There is really a erosi oa the bank of the river.

author

LKSSOP'S TRAVF.I.S IN KAMPTSCIIATKA.

187

aiillior chose ihe best and the narrowest ; which
was twelve feet in length, and six in breadth :
lie caused it to be caulked, and tarred, and an
additional plank to be placed at the head, to en-
able it to resist the force of the waves: with
sonic nails from an old boat, and the assistance
of one of the soldiers who had been a car-
penter, he proceeded ; but without mentioning
the diihculties he had to encounter, and his adroit-
ness in overcoming them, let it suffice to say, that
at throe in the afternoon their repairs were com-
pleted, the helm fixed, and the oars adjusted,
and M. de Lcssops ordered his people to be ready
bv the next morning.

When they were on the point of setting out,
a cararanof Yakoutsk merchants appeared: they
^vcre proceeding to Okotsk, and our author de-
sired M. AUegretti to accompany them : their
separation took place about nine o'clock, after
tiic sincerest professions of reciprocal and ever-
lasting esteem. Our author engaged two of the
soldiers to row him, one of whom had before
made this voyage : Nedarezoflf was at the helm,
and Golikoff* and our author were to relieve him
when he became weary. The rapidity of the
current carried them on with such violence, that
they required no oars; their velocity hurrying
them on at such a rate, that they would probably
have reached the famous cataract before night,
which was upwards of eighty wersts from the
place of their departure.

The conversation of the rowers turned, solely
upon the dangers they should have to encounter ;
and being prepussessed with the idea of their in-
experience, our author began at last to be alarm-
ed himself, and resolved to act with the utmost
cure and prudence, that he might not have any
reason to reproach himself. Towards the even-
ing, a west-north-west wind produced rain, in
consequence of which be halted, and ordered his
tent to be pitched over his boat, not choosing to
run any risk in bad weather.

* Tliey had still a difRcuU pass to make, which terrified
the adventurerR : it is called Podporojenci, or the ebb of
(ho Cataract, and is at the distance of about a worst from it.
Their object was to make choice of the deepest side, which
WBi pointed out by the blackness of the water, and our an>
thor steered to wards it. A multiplicity of high swoln waves
tossed them about with more violence than if they had been
in the open sea. Suddenly their boat was pitched upon a
rock, which was on a level with the water, and which had
not been perceived. They were thrown down by the force

Vol. II. No.LXXIX.

After four hours navigation the next day, ho
perceived the cataract : accompanied by his two
pilots, he went to reconnoitre the spot. At a
short distance from it, he saw a little stony island,
which is only visible when the waters begin to
fall. The soldiers advised him to pass, if the
waters were sulFiciently high to admit of it, bv
the canal at the right; though they admitted
that the descent was very ra^iid, they assured
him it was much less !K) than that of the cataract.
Approving of this advice, he returned to the boat,
and resolved to put it in practice: then, encou-
raging his people as well as he could, he look
the helm : Nedarezoft' sat by him, and Golikoff
assisted one of the rowers, as they had only two
oars among them. They proceeded thus tilt
they reached the conflux of the two stream?, one
of which led to the canal, and the other was de-
voured by the cataract. The impetuosity of the
latter would have drawn them into the abyss,
had not the strength and skill of the rowers pre-
vented it: and they were at length so fortunate
as to get extricated from the treacherous current,
and enter into the canal*.

To avoid this accident, care must be taken to
pass exactly in the middle of the stream, without
attending to the waves which rise and seem to
break against the rocks. At the bottom of this
podporojenei, another river empties itself, the
clearness and smoothness of which forms astriking
contrast to the turbulence and agitation of the
Yudoma, thatthe two rivers are easily distinguish-
ed. At the left of the Yudoma, another formidable
arm appears, which is called Tschortosskoi-pro-
tok, or Devil's Arm. It falls into the Yudoma.
It is well known by the number of rocks and
dead trees which obstruct its entrance: those who
are not careful to steer constantly to the eight,
arc drawn in here by a rapid current, and ruin is
inevitable.

M. de Lessopg found himself indisposed by the
attack of a fever, but did not much attend to it :

of the shock ; and, supposing themselves to be irretrierabl/
lost, had not the resolution to raise themselves.

In vain were they importuned to row on— they were deaf
to the repeated exclamations of our author — he caught hold
of the helm, and, perceiving that the boat had sustained no
Injury, he animated their drooping spirits, and prevailed oa
them to resume their stations. The moss on the rock pre^
served them from imminent destruction; the boat gentljr
touched it on its passage, and glided along with wonderful
facility.

3B lie

ir, ':

A I

188

LESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

he only laid himself down in the boat, and ob-
served no other regimen than that of drinking
cold water. Notwithstanding the assertions he
had heard, he could not easily beindiiced to be-'
lieve that the Ourak \\a» more rapid than the
Yudoma,

He entered the Maya on the 22d, the banks of
M'hich are not so deep and dreary as those of the
preceding, though at intervals there are moun-
tains and rocks. The ditterence of the current
was very perceptible, as they only sailed four
iversts an hour. The gnats became so trouble-
some as to be almost insupportable: they could
only be kept oft" by the smoke of rotten wood,
with which it was necessary to support an inces-
sant fire *.

He discharged his guides, who continued their
course on the Aldann : they were a wcrst from
him, when he repented the having dismissed them.
The Yakouts, who were the proprietors of the
horses, apprehending they would be too much
fatigued, heard with regret that he intended to
make use of them. Not daring openly to refuse
him, they endeavoured to escape by stealth ; but
being pursued they were prevailed on to come
hack. To secure them, they were all shut up in
one isba, from which they were not permitted to
come out, till they had consented to convey him
to Amgui : a selection of ten of the best horses,
had in the mean time been made for his use.

After a night's repose, which relieved our au-
thor from his slight indisposition, he cheerfully
mounted his horse, ac#>mpanied by the Yakouts;
who had been reprimanded by Golikofl^, and
were become more manageable. They were now
in perfect good humour, and sang with the
greatest glee : but their vocal music is not very
agreeable, as it principally consists of a perpe-
tual aud mom)tonous shake in the throat. They
are, however, great improvisatori. Their sub-
ject is derived from whatever passes before them,
or whatever occurs to them, but does not display
a ray of genius ; it is little more than a, tiresome
repetition of the same words.

* On the 23d M. de Lessops quitted the river Maya, for
one larger and more rapid, calird the Aldann ; but he only
crossed it to visit a habitation on the other side, opposite to
the mouth of the Maya. He there found some marines be-
longing to M. Billings's expedition, who advised him to
embraced the opportunity which presented itself of furnish,
ing himself with horses of burthen, which on their return
would convey him a^ far as Amgui. According to theitiDe>

In the midst of an extensive wood, M. dc li^
sops saw, on the border of a lake, two fishermen
providing for their winter consitmption : tlicir
habitation was merely a roof coui^lructed from the
bark of trees: when the summer is on the point of
departing, they seek among their relations, a
warmer and less exposed retreat. A great deal
of rain fell on the 25th, particularly while oiir
author halted, which was from four till eijjht in
the afternoon. The Yakouts, in order to defend
themselves from it, placed a bear's skin on tliejr
shoulders in the form of a cape : the tail of ^
horse, attached to the handle of a whip, served
as an useful instrument to keep oft' the flics, with
which they were so much molested, that our au-
thor was frequently induced to have recourse to
this fly-trap.

On the evening of the 23lh, the travellers ar-
rived at the border of the river Amgai: it was too
deep to be fordable, and the boats- were all on the
opposite side. They called in vain for assistance:
no person appearing from these reiterated shout;>
one of the Yakouts stripped himself, and swam
over to procure a boat. The crossing of the
whole caravan consumed almost the whole of an
hour; the travellers then mounted their horses to
proceed to the habitation of a Yakout prince,
named Girkoft'. In their road they saw a num-
ber of yourts, but all at a considerable distanco
from each other. Golikoff went on before to that
belonging to the prince, to pave the way for i
good reception. To do him justice, it must be
admitted that he treated our author with tha
greatest civility; he not only oflered hira his
yourt, and entertained him with excellent milk
and butter, but declared the best of his horses
should be devoted to his service f. Being inform-
ed that he had much occasion for repose, he
pointed out the habitation that was intended for
him; and while it was preparing,, he politely
shewed him the conveniences of his yourt, which
was one of the most complete that he had seen.

The size of these houses is usually regulated
by the wealth of the proprietor, and the numbor

rary, he was to go by water to Belskaia.pereprava, wliicli
is in the usual road frum Okotsk to Yakoutsk, but by go-
ing the way of Amgui he would considerably shorten it.
This certainty, together with the happy chance that pro.
vided him with horses, induced him to alter his former plan.
f He had a stud of two thousand horses in very good
condition, though he had lost a considerable'itumbcr by the
coDveyances occp/aiouei by M. Billings' expedition.

liiii'iit IS now sr

luianucrs, customs.

LESSOPS T«AVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

189

of liii family. Beams placed by the aide of one
aiiotlier, and plastered with clay, form the walls,
which arc not perpendicular. Inclining towards
(he lop, they supported a roof. The house,
vliich has but one door, is divided into two
I ap:ii tincnls. The cleanest is the residence of the
faniilVi wl'O "'^<^P *" distinct huts, distributed
acainst the walls ; every couple having a hut to
llicinselves. The other part of the yourt, des-
tined for the cattle, is no more than a kind of

I stable*. . , ,

In the idolatry of the Yakouts are umted all
I the absurdities of the ancient Kauiptschadules, Ko-
riacH, Tchouktchis, and other neighbouring inha-
bitants: but they have some more solid principleSi
and amidst all their fictions and superstitious prac-
tices, may be traced some exalted ideas of the
supreme being, and of future rewards and punish-
ments. They delight in fables drawn from their
absurd mythology, and they relate them with all
jthe confidence of credulity itself. M. de Les-
Isops has given two specimens of their allegorical
[iiigcauify in his travels at large.
I Remains of ancient tombs of the Yakouts were
I frequently pointed out to our author in the woods ;
Itliev were clumsily put together, and suspended
Ion the branches of trees. But, from some mo-
hive, they have renounced this custom of ex-
|]iivin^ their dead in the open air, and remote
Itiom fheir habitations. Their mode of intcr-
luii'iit i^ now similar to that of Christians*.
The pomp displayed at funerals is^ more or less

"^ A Icalhoni trough is fixed i i one corner of the yourt,
ijnio « tiirh till V ilaily put inart-'s inilk, andstir it about with
'i stick somewhat similar to what is used in churning butter.
jlTiTv person who enters the apartment, more especially the
|>toii>i'ii, stir the milk a few minutes before they attend to
lui) uthir business. It is thus they procure that acid plea.
lijnt beverage, calUni kounoiiiss; which, if permitted to fcr>
Incut, becomes a very potent liquor.

As his host spoke the Russian language with tolerable
Itiiicncy, he drew fron him some information respecting the
luianucrs, customs, and religion of his countrymen. — When
Isuincior commences, they quit their winter habitations, and
Ivitli their families, and some horses collect fodder for the con.
Irmnpliun of the frost season. In their absence, the other
Ihrses ure left to the care of the servants, and the neigh.
■touring pastures furnish an ample maintenance for their
Ik'rds. Our author sincerely lamented that he was not
Ipiesi'Dt at their ficstival in the month of May, in which was
■(dcbratcd the return of spring. They assemble in the
\t\Ka country, where they roast' both oxen and horses ;
linil, having provided a large quantity of fermented kou.
pouiss, tJicy cat and drink immoderately, dancing and sing.

magnificent, according to the wealth and quality
of the deceased : if a prince, he is decorated with
his most splendid habit, and his exalted arms.
The body, placed in a coihn, is conveyed by the
family to the tomb, amidst their most solemn
groans : his favourite horse, and another which
is the best of his stud, both richly caparisoned,
are led by the side of the corpse. When arrived
at the place of intermeiit> they are fastened to
two stakes near the grave, and while the body
of the master is conveying to the abode of clay,
their throats are cut over the corpse. This san*
guinary libation is the homage paid to his attach-
ment to these animals, who are supposed to fol-
low him. They are then flayed, and the hides
fixed horizontally on the branches of trees near
the grave. A fire is kindled, and the favour-
ed animals are roasted and eaten on the spot;
after which the company disperses. If the de-
ceased should happen to be a woman, instead of
horses they sacrifice her favourite cow : In othec
respects the ceremonial is the same.

The Yakouts are generally large and robust;
strongly resembling the Tartars in their features.
Their dress is simple, and almost the same in
summer as in winter. Over their chemise they
'wear a large striped waistcoat with sleeves;
Tiieir breeches only extend to the middle of the
thi^h ; but their boots, called sarri, reach above
the knee.

Polygamy is admitted among these people: as)
they are accustomed to take frequent journies, &■

ing at intervals, and tctmiaating with nccromanccs. la
these festivals their chamans preside, and deal out their
rodomontade predictions.

These aorcerers are more revered than in Kampt^chatka.
Regarded as interpreters of the Gods, they grant their me.
diation to the Yakont, who solicits it with fear and trem>
bling, but never appears remiss in paying fur it. Our au«
thor has seen these dupes m-ilce a prcsent.of their finest
horse to convey a chaman to his village. Nothing can be
more terrible than the magic exhibitions of these impostors.
Knowing nothing of them but from report, he was desiroun
of being present, and ho thus describes the chaman that ex>
liibitcd before him — Dressed in a habit which was ornament.'
cd with bells and plates of iron, which made a horrible
noise, he also beat upon a kind of tabor with so much
violence that it was terrifying. He then ran staring about
like a maniac, with his mouth open, and his head turned
about in frantic motions. His black dishevelled hair con.
ccaled his face, and from beneath it alternate groans, tears,
sobs, and peals of laughter, rapidly succeeded, These are-
the usual preludes of these revelationst

Yakout

I iKl

- i

''^m

1 ■'■ I

190

LF^SSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

Yakontlins n wife Inovery place where lie stops: but
though they have this licence, they arc extremely
jealoii!), and the inveterate enemies of whoever
shall dare to violate the rights of hospitality.

M. dc liessops found, when he awoke, nine
excellent horses ready saddled, for which his best
thanks were due to prince Girkofl*. lie requested
he would ride his favourite horiie, which ambled
with the most perfect ease to the rider. Grateful
for his favours and civilities, he left him early
on the 27th, hoping to meet with more habita-
tions than usual, that he might more frequently
rest himself, and get a regular supply of steeds.
In the evening he alighted at the house of another
Yakout prince, who had just repaired to his sum-
mer habitation *,

On the 2Sth our author approached the river
Sola, and rode upon its banks. The heat and
flies incommoded him much; and he experienced
such extreme thirst that he stopped at every yourt
he saw, to get a supply of kouniouiss. The next
morning he reached Yarmangui, two hundred
wersts from Amgui, and on the border of the
Lena. By crossmg this river he would have been
at Yakoutsk ; but by order of the governor, every
traveller was required to wait here till he had per-
mission to enter the town. He had reconciled
himself to this regulation, when a subaltern- of-
ficer requested him to go a little farther, where he
would find the inspector-general, and a lieutenant
belonging to Mr. Billings. They were iiiformed
of bis arrival, and received him with a counte-
nance of joy : he represented to them that the
threatened delay would counteract his views; in
consequence of which they gave immediate or-
ders for his being conducted to the otiier side of
the river. About noon he entered the boat pro-
vided for him, and was four hours in crossing
the Lena, the width of which ap{>eared to be
about two leagues.

On his landing, an officer of the police con-
ducted bim to the apartment which he thought
proper to fix upon for his residence. Requesting

* It may not 1)c dcomcd impertinent iiere to descrilK; their
oiirassiSf for such i;' the name appropriated to these pictur-
esque dwellings. Like the yonrts of the wandering Koriacs,
they .are circular, spacious, and constructed with poles,
ranged in the same manner, and kept asunder by a kind of
lioops at the top ; the whole covered with the bark of the
birch tree, fornusd into pieces, placed in a downward direc-
tion. TJiese pieces are edged with a ribband, made of

to be directed to the house of M. Marklofski
the governor, he received the necessary infornn!
tion, and waited on him immediately. ||e r^.
ceived him with tl»e utmost politeness, convemin;
entirely in French, and invited him to stay a i'tl\
days at Yukoutsk, to recover from his fatigue
Among his obliging attentions, he requested (im
author to sup with him and Mr. Billings (h(
same evening : having a strong deske to be ac.
quainled with the latter, he waited with impa.,
ticnce till the hour arrived. Their profession of
travellers gave them a degree of fHmiliarit> tlij
moment they met; but they were both silent and
reserved on the subject of their r'^spective mi,.
sions, carefully avoiding, in conversation, every
circumstance that migh* lead to it.

Having been extremeiy fatigued with ridin^
our author was advised to sail up the Lena to
Irkoutsk: approving of this advice, M. Billing
assisted him in procuring a boat, ordered two
sails to be made of his tent; and gave him a triiMil
soldier for a pilot; taking care also to furni^ii
him with every thing that might he thought use-
ful in his passage. The five days which our au-
thor remained at Yakoutsk were principally em-
ployed in preparations for his departure ; but lit
had leisure to remark, that this town was tlienio<i
pleasant and populous of any he had seen iiitli(
country through which he had passed.

Yakoutsk is built on the western side oflliel
liCna; and the houses, which are large and com-
modious, arc formed of wood. The churches arel
principally of stone. The port is formed by an
arm of the river f, that flows under the walls of
the town. Barks are the only vessels that trade
here, and are principally used for transporting
the provisibcs sent by government. The mer-
chants hire those boats to convey their comnio-,
dities from the neighbourhood of the source of
the Lena.

This town is principally inhabited by Russiam,
the Yakouts seldom appearing in it but when tliiil
business demands their attendance. Having sup-
bark, and shaped into festoons ; and the inside of the yourt I
is ornamented in the same manner. The nature of these or. I
naments, depends upon the taste or caprice of the proprietor. I
The chairs and beds are also thus embellished for the head) I
of families. The domestics sleep on mats upon the ground,!
and the fire is lighted in the middle of the house. I

f The Lena crosses Siberia, almost in its widest part,!
and pours itself afterwards into the Frozen Ocean.

plied himself with a freih
do I^ssnps left YaknutsI
one * o'clock in the raon
light announced the appr
liiiul hanks which line th
ita^. could be distincti
not Hlways be avoided, i
the boat were continually
vere in it. to place th
and assist, like the conduc
the shoals. An account o
will not be given, the ol
not being suniciently intei

The stages are estimat
frequently thirty, forty,
wersts. Hence a judgm
the labour of those who
service. For twelve bun
employment is the punisi
victs and malefactors. ''.
with the horses. These (
relief than a small quanti
government. Many of th
married, and retile with
isbas, scattered along the i
Seeking shelter from the n
entered a miserable residei
but M'as nearly overcome
Words cannot convey an
picture of misery that stri

Fishing and hunting oc
of these outlaws, but th
vicious propensities. On
they usually have recour
the laborious service im
government.

The travellers arrived a
of July. This town was
thor had seen since his dep
though it is seven hundred
a small ill-constructed placi
of a river of the same nam
two hours, a canoe came

* In the northern latitudes thi
interval between day and night f

+ He was struck with the f
canoes, but the bottoms were s
mit but little surface to the wa
»ree.isily overset. TlieToungc
jmcrd to see him : they surrou
cirilly, that he knew not how t(

Vol. L No. LXXX.

LKSSOPS TRAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

191

9\iei himself with a fresh stock of provisions, M.
Ic licssops left Yakoulsk on the 5th of July, at
)nc* o'clock in the morning. Already thefwi-
jirht announced the approat-n of the sun, and Hic
lijiHl hanks which line this river as far us the lirst
taire, could be distinctly seen. As Ihcy could
lot always be avoided, the men who conducted
he boat were continually rcqiicittingall tiiose who
jaete in it, to place thiMnselves in the water,
ind assist, like the conductors, in hauling it over
he shoals. An account of every day's navigation
vill not be given, the ob),crvation8 it furnished
lot being sumciently interesting.
The stages are estimated by stations, and arc
requently thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, or seventy
versts. Hence a judgment may be formed of
he Ittbour of those who are condemned to this
crvice. For twelve hundred wersts this severe
;niployment is the punishment inflicted on con-
victs and malefactors. They share this labour
vith the horses. These culprits have no other
elicf than a small quantity of flour allowed by
roveriiment. Many of these wretched beings are
narricd, and retire with their families in ruined
sbas, scattered along the right bank of the river.
ieeking shelter from the rain, our author one day
intered a miserable residence of this description,
lilt was nearly overcome by the noxious air.
iVords cannot convey an idea of the shocking
lictiire of misery that struck his eyes.
Fishing and hunting occupy the leisure hours
r these outlaws, but they still preserve their
icious propensities. On the approach of a boat^
ley usually have recourse to flight, to escape
le laborious service imposed upon them by
overnment.

Tlie travellers arrived at Olekma, on the 14th
July. This town was the first that our au-
lor had seen since his departure from Yakoutsk,
ough it is seven hundred wersts from it. It is
small ill-constructed place, situated at the mouth
a river of the same name. Leaving it in about
vo hours, a canoe came up to them, with only

» In <hc northern latitudes there is hardly any pcrreptible
tcrval between day and night for more than a week.
f lie was struck with the form and lightness of their
noes, but the bottoms were so nearly circular as to pre-
nt but littlo surface to the water, and consequently they
e easily overset. The Toungouses were so exceedingly re-
iced to see him : they surround«d and welcomed him so
rilly, that he knew not how to anSK'cr their profuse pro-

Voi. I. No. LXXX.

one man in it : He nflcred fitr «a1c some bark of
(lie birch tree, which he hud btrijiped in the
neighbouriiig woods. This trader was a Tuuii-
goiite, whose family was scllicd on the Id't bank.

Wishing to he better acquainted with tlle^e
people, our author ordered his b Ht to be fastened
on (he right bank, and lucoinpaiiied only by
Golikoff, he entered '.hv eauiie of the Toungouse,
who, vt wvW as hiniselt', was highly pleaftud with
the favour of a visit \\hich he intended to make
to his relatione f.

The Touiig.iuses, like the wandering Koriacs,
live in an unu'ttled manner. Their yourts are
smaller, and are covered with the bark of the
bireh : in other respects there is no dift'crence.
Every family has a separate yourt. A small
wooden idol is the chief ornamental piece of fur-
niture; it is of the human shape, but has an
enormous head, and is decorated with rings and
bells. It is named Saint Nichohn, in allusion to
the patron saint of Russia. The Toungouscs arc
not so large as the Yakouts; but (heir eyes, flat
nose, and broad face, resemble those of the
Kamptschadales : they arc hospitable, ingenious,
and good-natured. In religion, they have the
stupid credulity of the Koriacs.

After fishing and hunting, which oblige these
people to be more settled, their attention is en-
grossed by their rein-deer. These animals con-
stitiit^ all their wealth, and provide them with
food and clothing : Obedient to the hand that
guides them, they permit their governors, whether
men or women, to mount and ride them wherever
they please ;[. They train them up to carry in
this manner, and yield obedience to the motions
of a bridle twisted about their horns.

Our author's navigation became more agreeable
when he had reached Pelodoui, a village inha-
bited by Russians. There he was relieved from
the dangerous exiles, and was attended only by
honest and assiduous peasants. Vitim was the
next village he arrived at, but as it resembles alt
the Russian hamlets, it requires no particular

fessions of friendship. A young deer was killed and laid at
his feet; and in making him this acceptable present, they
lamented that their poverty deprived them of the ahility of
doing more. Our author, like these Toungouscs, was not
at that time able to be very bountiful in presents, but he
testified his gratitude by leaving them sonic of his clculis.

^ Their journeys extend to the frontiers of Tartary and
China.

3 C description

' .J ' ■ ' B ' ' '

I \

3 i:

I::;;.

»SI

m(i

193

LESSOFS TPAVELS IN KAMPTSCHATKA.

dLScriptlnn. Birds are mimoroiis in the environs,
»iul on tlic borders oC llie tjoiia. The ilotids of
gii:i(s whicli cover ♦lieia invi<e thoni lliUlier.

As (lie bank became wider and more sandy,
M. de Lessops and his party were fr'?f|uently
drawn by liorses : the ropes were weak, but the
pleasure of advaneine; inspired him with con-
Jideuoe. In the nii>;ht of the iiUth, iliis vessel
touched upon a rock, v\hich the darkness had
concealed. The rope broke with the shock, the
bo it was in an instant full of water : with much
ditiiculty it was drawn on shore by him and his
assistants. Immediately our author mounted one
of the horses, placing his box before him: he
soon arrived at a village, where he was accommo-
dated ; and, his boat beiiio' reiitted in the course
of the day, he proceeded ou his route the uext
morning-.

His boat was afterwards broken a second time,
and as hastily repaired : another day his rudder,
wliicli often sti uck against the bottom, was car-
ried away. He to( k horses at Toutoura, and
having passed through the village of Vcrkhalensk,
lie arrived the iy(h, at two o'clock in the after-
noon, at that of Katscliouga. In this place
travellers are provided v^ith hibifh^*, or Russian,
four wheel carriages, which are conducted by
exiles, and occasionally by the Hratskis. be-
tween this plu'*; and Irkoutsk an. uncultivated
district presents itself, inhabited solely by these
JJrritskis, who are only a colony of shepherds,
said to be descended from the Tartars, whom
they very it'uch resemble. Their appearance is
savage and ferocious, and they are cxtrcnu'ly ad-
dicted to theft and robbery: their numerous
Hocks consist of oxen, horses, and sheep.

In passing over mountains, and througli the
most terrible roads, the faithful (ioUkod" vt^as
frequently obliged to cry out from the bruises
aiid anguish he experienced, by the continual
jolting- of their infernal vehicle. At length
Irkoutsk became visible, and the adventurers
crossed u <<mall arm of the river without coming

* Thi'se conv^cvanr 's rcst'iiih!'! a large fra<lle, Ijiit (hey
are iiof liiiniir yytox any thin-,; a pursoii, indord, may lay
down ill thi'iii, i)iit ill' fi-els every jt)lt nf liis cradle.

t Diirinir M. tie liOssops' sf,/ at OUoUl'- M. Kokh, at
his rcqiust, liad re. iifcrrcd on liini the ra^A of curpuraJ.
This nnexpi-eted faviiir made so strong an impression ;:!)on
liim, llial on liis ret irn from the parade, lit' seemed to .';e
almost fr.iii ic witn ,'ratituclc and joy.

^ 1 his town, wiii(-h is the capital of tlie govcrumcnt ui

out of the carriage. There he was detnim-J Ky
a centinel, who was 90 perfect h satisfied v.iiji
the name and oflice of our author, givri) |n
writing, that he permitted him to go before liju,
It was in the evening of the ()th of August, that
he entered this capital, liaving travelled, since
he left Yukoutsk upwards of fifteen hundred
wcrsts.

Alighting at the office of police to enquire fur
a lodging, the superintendant conducted him (0
a house, but the master of it, instead of obcyinn.
the orders which enjoined him to receive hini, did
not condescend to rise from hi.s seat to mention his
refusal. The oilicer was much irritated at this
behaviour, and seemed determined to avenge his
insulted authority ; but, ulmnst at that iiistani
the commandant of the place, Itlajor Dolgopoloii'
arrived: he had heard of our author's arrival, ami
of the mortification he had experienced, anil
alter making a thousand apologies for his bein?
so indecently treated, conducted, him to a very
elegant apartment, furnished and ornamented
with peculiar taste and splendour.

The next day the commaiidiiiit presented our
author to the governor, luajor-general Ar.senicH',
to whom he deli\ered the dispatches of M. Kas-
lolf, as the governor-general was then at Peters-
burgh. M. Arsenieft' recei\ed him with the
most polite attentions, and insisted upon his hav-
ing no other tabl*" l<'indiiig the governor so
willing to oblige '.im upon all occasions, he em-
braced this favourable opportunity of warmlv
recommending to him the soldier Golikolf. The
service which this brave fellow had rendered hu
master, and his fidelity and zeal on a variety of
trying occasions, suiKcicntly pleaded for liim,
and M. Arsenielf was anxious to secure hiiusclf
so good a subject. But poor Golikofff had not a
wish beyond that of being incorporated in tlx'
garrisor of Yakoul <k, where his father lived, ami
where he ;jhould be able o shew his attaclu.'u,
to M. kaslolf, under whose orders it would be
his hripj)iiies3 to obey ];.

Irkoutsk and Kolivania, is situated near tlic month of the
Jrkont. Witiiin its extensive circumference niany sluiic
ediliees are eontained, and churches huHt of l)ric k ; the 1
wooden hoejie.s are large and cnnniodious ; its population ii
numerous, and il.s society l)rilliant. The modes and ( iislnnis
of I'etcrshurg are introduced here. Kvery per.sun iu ollii •
has an equipage, and rank and cpiality regulate the nii- ;- r
of li'/rse.s whiih are desiined to (heir respective cai ^ .
Thib towa is the i>cc of an arclibishop,

IT,SSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMl'TSCITATKA.

193

I!" had ^^ prPpnraUon to make for his dc-
na.'tuic, excepl that of ptirchiising si kiliitk :
aiid he was no longer coiicernpcl al)oiit provisions,
knowing he could readily procure a regular sup-
ply of sustenHOCC at every stage. The governor
liad supplied him with a jwrachjennj, or Pass-
port, as far as Petersburg. Having taken leave
of M. Arsenielf, liis sou and ]M. Dolgopoloss
insisted on conducting him to the first .stage.
When the travelling party were seated in their
C!irriii"es, Golikoft* approached him with tears
jn his eyes, and begged he might be per-
mitted to accompany him as fur as these gentle-
men, as it was the noblest recom pence he could
bestow on him. Ifc was so alfectfid with tliis
last instance of attachment in complying with his
request, his pleasure was equal to that of
(.Jolikolf.

Our author crossed the river Angava in a ferry
boat, and soon arrived at the place of their sepa-
ration. While he repeated his thajiks and took
leave of his two friends, IM. KasloH" concealed
liiiiiself behind the carriage, and endeavoured to
[lomeal his tears, earnestly recommending our
author to the care of the soldier who succeeded
Iiim. He fell at his feet, and seized the ddor of
,lhe carriage ; nothing but force could tear him
ilioni it, and never did our author's sensibility
I experience so violent a shock, lie departed with
I a very wounded heart, as he could not flatter
[liiinsclf that he should ever see liim again.

Here the ingenious writer apologi/f.s for the

i brevit) which will be buttoo manilest i'l the future

lartouiit of his travels, partly on sccount of the

same country being already fully f'.escribed by iu-

I ^niiuus and impartial writers ; and partly from

inability, in point of leisure, to furnish a more

I iiiiiple detail of particulars. From this period,

Lis observations are principally directed to what

[more immediately concerns himself.

ilc ti>en proceeds to inform bis rcriders, that

I hi; passed throurj;h a small canton inhabited by

llratskis. tievond Oudinsk he arrived at Kruns-

iiiiiyark, where the axlf'trees of his carriage were

repaired. He afterwards entered the desert chllcJ

r '

* Mr. rhikcrtoii says Tohollsk rontaiiis aliout 15,000

>oiils, and is cstccini'd the capital of Silu'riii. I?i'iiif{ mostly

[Uiltof wood, it wa^ nearly coiisiiiiied by lire about 178C.

l/oi/, (liog, ii. .'«'.

t Till' iiuad-dress of thu Tclicremisscs is a sniiill shell of

houd; placed ou the forehead ueui' the ruo< uf the haii :

Barahinskoi-stci). The post-service is perfornud
by exiles. These unfortunate wretches exist like
those who conducted M. de Lessops from Ya-
koutsk to Pelfdoui, and are equally indolent and
ferocious. Accustomed to the fertile country
about Irkhout, their eye cannot survey this bar-
ren waste 'without concern: perhaps this melan-
choly contrast may be ascribed to the sloth of the
perverse inhabitants. The earth to which justice
has banished them, seems reluctant to support
them; its withered bosom refuses to assist their
impious culture.

Our author crossed the Oka, the Yenisei, the
Tom, and the Obi, which are the principal
rivers of this province; on the last he narrow iy
escaped drowning. Before hearrived at Tobolsk*,
he passed the Irtisch twice, the last time near the
mouth of tlw Tobol. This capital, situated be-
tween the two rivers, would have been one of the
handsomest towns in Siberia, had not a tremen-
dous fire reduced the greater part of it to ashes.
In quitting this town lie passed the Irtisch a third
tiuie to reach Catharinebourg, where he remafncd
till his carriage was again repaired ; during w hicli
time he visited a neighbouring gold mine, and the
place ap|)ropiiatfd to the copper coinage. Out
author then refers to several travellers <br a de-
scription of the colonies of Tcheremisses, Tchou-
vaschis, Yotiaguis, and Tartars. He only adds
respecting these last, that the neatness of the in-
side of their houses astonished him These Tar-
tars, who lead a tranquil life, an husbandmen,
having a profusion of corn and cattle. They
profess the Mahometan '•eligionf.

The necessity of having his pussporl examined
by the governor of Casan, and the difficulty of
procuring horses, kept him in that town till break
of day. The Wolga, which washes its walls,
jidds to the beauty of its biii.!H<.iori. The houses
are chiefly of wood, and (he chunhes of stone.
iSeyond the W olga, which is a river famous for
its navigation, and which falls into the Caspian
sea, our author pas^ied between llou/modcmiansk
and Makarieir. The latter, though but a village,
is celebrated fur its linen mauufuctures. At a

til's is fastciu'ii ..illi a knot, anil rovored with an embroider,
cd haniJki'rciiiuf, in which the most glaring colours haTctho
prcl'cic.icc. The handkerchief is largo, and hangs loosely
behind, cd;;c(i with a broad fringe or Ihco of ^'olJ or silver,
{iropurtioncd to the rank or opulence of ihe nearer. The
rcit uf their dress rcbciubleti a rubu dc uhambre.

• small

«■:.;. ;:f

« A'H

!'!!

I it Ih

194'

LEssop's thavels in kamptschatka.

1".

■ ■'t'l' ■

.*«!

^'^

•'1

• 1

Vj '

\ ■

■|

small distance from it, lie had just crossed an ill-
constructed bridge, which trembled under his
carriage, when his impatience had almost ter-
minated his lif- His postillion, animated by his
repeated requests, drove him with great rapiiiity *.
Hearing a sudden and violent stroke agaiuKl the
box of his kibith, he pushed his head forward
and instantly received a blow which forced him
back in hjs carriage. A cry, uttered by the
courier who rode within, informed him that be
was wounded. — A stream of blood ran down his
forehead; the carriage stopped, and he alighted.
It appeared that the circle of a wheel had broken,
the edge of which had struck him with additional
force in consequence of the speed. Applying his
hand to ttie wound, he found it large aitd deep ;
and, snpposingthebkull was injured tie considered
himself as a dead man.

He now began to reflect on the cruelty of his
fate: after surmounting so many obstacles, so
many perils; and at the \ery gates of Petersburg,
where he ardently longed to behold the best of
fathers; on the eve of entering his native country,
of acquitting himself of his embassy, by deliver-
ing his important dispatches, and to be struck jy
.t\ mortal blow! The reflection overcame him,
and he swooned. -Recovering, he armed him-
self with courage, tied a bandage about his head,
and causing the wheel to undergo a temporary
repair, he proceeded.

He left his kibith jn this village to the care of
his soldier; and while his post-carriage was har-
nessing, he entered a public house, and had some
brandy poured into his wound : a L'ompresi was
also placed upon it, which enabled him to pro-
ceed to Nigenei-novogorod.

The surgeon major being absent from home,
he was co'v' ;;cted into a flllliy habitation \o wait
for him. Impatient of suflering, without being
professionally informed respecting the nature of
nis wound, he asked if no other person could be
found to administer relief A fodtcker, or sur-
geon's mate, was recommended, who, after many
ditiicullics, came to assist him. His address gave
bim no favourable opinion of his talents and so-
briety; his bluntness and tottering gait pronoun-

* In no country arc traToilcrs driven wU\> such rapi'Jity
•• in liussia; Ihc reason i<! plain ; the postilions are »<ways

ting him a drunken man. In his alarming situj.
tion, though feeling some coippunction at trust-
ing himself in such hands, he consented to be
probed, but the wretch had forgotten hig ji,.
struments. A pin, however, was the probe bor-
rowed for the purpose; and, after examination
he declared (hat his skull was bid open, but not
fractured in the least; and that, with the appH.
cation of brandy and water, he might proceed on
his journey. This place has nothing particular
in it to render it essentially diflerent from any of
the Russian towns. When our author pasyf)
through it, it boasted of the honour of havingj
company of comedians.

Arriving at Moscow, M. de Bosse wished to
have our author's wound examined by the most
eminent surgeons, whose report gave him con.
tidence, though the pains in his head were very
acute. His carriage being much shattered, he
left it at Moscow, and travelled in the commoii
post carriages; but they were small and inconi- .
modious. He passed by Iver, Vonischhei-volol- "^
schok, Novogorod, and Sophia near Tsarsko-i
ccio, and entered Petersburg on the 22d of Sep-
tember, having travelled six thousand wersts in |
forty days.

Conforming to the instructions of the count del
Perouse, he delivered Ins packets into the handi
of the cour* de Se^ur, minister plcnipoJenliarj
from the court of France to the empress. Tliii
min:ster not only received him most graciouslv,
but interested hinis(;lf in his health by the strong-
est marks of attention and affection. Charged I
with his dispatches, M. de Lessops left Peters-
burg the 26th. At Remor, as the weather
was foul, he was eight hours in procuring water-
men, to take bim across an arm cf the sea, called
Courich-haiT. He slept at Berlin; and at lengthl
arrived at Versaillej- on the 17th of October, at
three o'clock in the afternoon. He alighted at the
house of count de la Lucerne, and had tbel
honour of being afterwards presented by him to
his Majesty, who graciously condescended to in-l
terrogate him respecting various circumstances of|
his expedition, and rewarded him the next
by appoiiating him consul at Cronstadt.

tipsy. In the villages, after harvest, it is nocesiary toUki
them forcibly from the public houses.

^("i ;M^Dedi(

END OF LESSOP'S TRAVELS IN KAMPSCHATKA.

VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD;

BUT MORE PARTICULARLY TO THE

NORTH-WEST COAST OF AMERICA.

• Performed in 1785, 1786, 17U7. and 1788.

-,, ^, ,_t, . ." '. m THE

KING GEORGE AND QUEEN CHARLOTTE.
BY CAPTAIJ^ PORTLOCK AjYD DIXOX.

ABRIDGED FROM THE NARRATIVE, DEDICATE^} TO HIS MAJESTY.

BY C^PT^IJV JV^TM^^JYIEL PORTLOCK.

^ (pf '';; ^ Dedication to his Majesty, prefixed to
"*' ji. Uiis performance, after descanting in the
usual complimentary strain, on the essential use
of Voyages of Discovery, adds, " To a people,
whose renown and whose safety arc derived
froDi their shipping and navigators, the Voy-
ages of L.scovery, which your Majesty suc-
cessively projected and atchieved, may be regard-
ed as highly useful to your subjects, and
beneficial to mankind. English seamen have
been always celebrated for their bravery : vour

Majesty has, by those Voyages made theM
more skilful. They have ever been adventurous,
but your Majesty has made them more safe."

Before the adventurer concludes his dedication,
he judiciously adverts to the sa'titary methods re-
commended by the sovereign for the preservatton
of the health of seamen. " Your majesty has
taught them," says this illustrious navigator, bj
your salutary intimation, " how to preserve their
health in every climate."

»„..; , SECTION L

-ft

\OhnvaHor^ .-? 'he Fur Trade — The King George's Sound Company established — Two Vessels pur-
cJiascd--'? ■ •■■- C^'ews, and J^atnes of the Officers — Passage to Portsmouth — Departure from
Portsmouii. in Danger near the Caskets — Various Refreshments procured — Proceed on the
Voyage — Am i J r.' St. J ago — Falkland's Islands — Method of extracting Oil from the Blubber-^
Arrive at Owhi/hee. • . . . ,

THOUGH Captai.i Cook, with all his aUiW
and perseverance, 'I not obtain the great
object of his voyage to the western coast of Ame-
rica, the discovery of a practical passage from
the North Pacific to the North Atlantic Ocean,
he added many additional facts to philosophy,
and op«'in. ' to commerce several very extensive
prospct. The voyages of this reign were pro-
tecutcd v>"il. di,-;n(!?iTstod views, and were libc-
|riillv«x posed to tbi* world without reserve.
Vol. II. No. LXXX,

If Great Britain has formerly received inform-
ation from the discoveries of' France, the French
are much indebted to them for having lately
opened the whole globe to human eyes, and
to human industry. But no sooner were the voy-
ages of Cook, of Clerk, of Gore, and of King ac-
complished, and their respective narratives pub-
lished, than a new expedition was, in 1785, dis-
patched from France, under the conduct of
Perouse and De Langle, to glean on this ample

3 D field

I r'm

I;, 'i^-

;lf^liW-:i-;::i

11 ■

) m

■;■ !' :i '

■^m

\99

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

field wliat tbe misfortune of Cook bad left unat-
tained.

As feariy as 1781, Mr. Bolts attempted an ad-
venture to the North Pacific Ocean, from the
bottom of the Adriatic, under the emperor's flag;
but this feeble e^ort of an imntudent man, failed
prematurely, from causes wnich have not }ct
been sulliciently explained. The project of
Bolts was afterwards adopted by the British sub-
jects who are settled in Asia: they were naturally
struck with the suggestion of Captain Cook, that
an advantageous trade Inight be carried on from
America to China for furs. A brig of sixty tons,
with twenty men, under the command of
James Hanna, was dispatched in pursuit of this
flattering object, from the river of Canton in
Ap^i^ 1785, and arrived in the subsequent Au-
gust in Noofka Sound, the American mart ^
peltry. Whatever Hanna's success might ha*i'
been in 1785, he performed a similar voyage in a
larger vessel in 1786. In this year, the nier-
(fhants of Bombay sent two vessels, under the
direction of James Strange; and the traders of
Bengal dispatched two vessels, which were com-
manded by the Lieutenants Mears and Tipping,
to the American coast for furs, in the hope of
Indian profits. These several adventures incited
to similar pursuits the torpid spirit of the Por-
tuguese at Macao, whose progenitors had been
tbe discoverers, the -conquerors, a.nd the mono-
polists of the east*.

To carry this design into execution, the King
George's Sound Company purchased a ship of
three hundred and twenty tons, and a snow of
two hundred tons; having thus a size and a burden
which Captain Cook recommended as the fittest
for distant employments. These vessels were im-

* Thi'se enterprises have, provetl importaat to the worJd

by enlarging tliu iintite of discoTory, and rendtMing nuviira.

♦ion more saff in the North Pucilic Ocean : and by familiar.

ising fbrSoufh-Sca Islandor.s to European |)ersons, manners,

and traffir. In the present times (he Britl.^h, the French,

and the Spaniards have at the same moment, busied them.

•elves in searching every coast and creek, with the glorl«ns

purpose of beneliting the linnian raee, by adding to their

happiness. In May I78d, Ri(hard Cadman Ktehes, and

other traders, engaged in a commercial jiartnership, under

the title of (he King George's Sound (Juinpany, for con.

tlucfing a fur trade from the western coast of America to

(!hina. This enterprise alone evinces what Kngljsh copart.

ncr»hips and l*]nglish capitals could undertake and execute,

were they less oppoted by prejndico, and retitraiacd by

nouopolistii.

mediately put into dock, that tbey might be il((ej
for so long a voyage, tt w»s not, howevef, (i||
tbe 8th of July that they were moored at
Deptford : the best provisions were purchased, as
being in eflect the cheapest; and great attention
vvas paid in providing such articles as would tend
to preserve the health and comfort of the crews.

In the mean time Uie owners appointed their
hinnble servants Nathaniel Portlock commander
of the larger vessel, and George Dixon of the
smaller; both of them having accompanied Cap-
tain Cook in his last voyageitito the PacificOceaii;
and were therefore thought equal to such engage-
nicnts. Other officers of competent talents were
also selected, that they might be the better qiiaH-
fied to decide upon their respective merits. The
novelty of this enter^irise attracted the attention
of many persons, emitient for talents or station,

I) countenanced this voyage, and strengthened
company by their approbation. When Sir
Joseph Banks and Lord Mulgrave, Mr. Rose,
and Sir John Dick came onftmard, tbe Secretary
of the Treasury named the largest vessel the King
George ; and the president of tbe Royal Sot^iety
gave the smallest the appoliatian of t'he Qimui
Charlotte. Besides the profhs «f Iraffick, nr the
advantages of discovery, Ihis^oyBge was destined
to other national objects. Severnl gontlemens'
sons, who had manifested an inclination to a
naval life, were put under tbe care of Captain
Portlock, for the purpose of being early initiated
in the knowledge of a .profession, Wihich requires
long experience, as well as a superemincnce of
genius to arrive at perfection f.

Having mo.st of th«;ir stores on board, they
proceeded down the Thames to Gravesend on the I
'29th of August. The next morning the crews |

— ' * r *' ^r — ^ - ■

+ List of tho oflicers and men on board the Ki.sa George.
Nathaniel Portlock, Captain; Willlani Mc. Lcod, .luhii
Christlcman, S'amuol Hayward, Mates. Surgeon .lumei
Iloggan. Assistant traders, Robert Hill, Willimi Wilbio.
Boatswain, Archibald Brown Carpenter, Robert ilornc.
Seamen and boys 50. 'I'otal 59.

On board the Queeti Charlotte. Captain George Dixon,
states, Kwen Carew, James Turner, George White. .Snr.
geon, William (.Muiler. Assistant Trader, William Bir.
resford. Steward, Henry Forrester. Boatswain, John Ga.
tenby. C.irpenter, John Sadler. Seamen 34. 'I'otal .Tf.

Mr. Kvans, and Mr. Woodcock, two pupds from \k\
Malheraatifal school in Christ's Hospital, were employeilin
taking views of runiuckable lauds, aud la construclin;
charts of cummudiuus harbours.

:u,fr h-

wert

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

>97

•ere paid ^'C"" "^^'^ wages, with a month's ad-
vance, and the ships came to anchor the same
evening in the Margate Roads.

Adverse winds detained them for several days,
but they arrived at Guernsey on the 20lh of Sep-
tember, where theytook ill a considerable quantity
of spirits, wine, and cider At five in the morn-
jag of the 25lh» they umuoored, and after en-
countering a heavy gale, they proceeded without
any memorable occurrence, and arrived safe at
St. Jago 0" *''^ ^'^^'^ ^^ October, where they
^•ere amply supplied with water and refreshments.

After waiting on the commander of the fort,
who is staled the " Captain Moor," and paying
a port charge of four dollars for each vessel.
Captain Portlock visited the two wells in the
neighbourhood, both of which afforded excellent
water. Having set the people busily to woik in
filling water-casks, and rafting tlicui off to the
i boat, he again waited on the Captain Moor, ac-
companied by Captain Di\on. He knew not
that he had given any cause of offence, but from
the haughty and disrespectful manner in whit h he
Qow conducted himself, he was uouvinccd that he
had by scmic means been disgusted, lie seemed
incliucd to thwart him in every reasonable re-
quest, and though the day was extremely sultry,
he appeared un\^illingto grant him a little water
I to drink: but, when the captain intimated a re-
1 solution of waiting on the governor, who resided
jat some distance from Praya, to inform him of
tbisimproper treatment of the subjects of a friendly
power, he thought proper to relax a little, and
civilly permitted him to trade with the inha-
bitants. The remainder of the day was employed
I 111 purchasing hogs, sheep, goats, and oranges,
I with which the market was toleraldy supplied.

The watering of both the ships being coin-

lileted, the captain resolved to continue here two

I Says longer, to give the crews an opportunity of

I recreating themselves on shore; being convinced

1 that such a measure would have a salutary effect

on tlwm, especially at a place where no great

quantity of spirituous liquors was to be procured.

The business at this place bcng at length com-
pleted, and the crew in excelle'.it health, the cap-

* On (he 15th of NoveiiibtT Uavi I Gilmoru, a boy about
j teii years of age, fell overboard from tlic woiither main
ihiuudi', and, being unable lu swim, drop; hI a.storn.
Eisry effort waa a loog while iaeifuctually put iu practice

tain proposed sailing the first opportunity. At,
day-light on the 2yth they unmoored, and pur-
sued their voyage.

Saint Jago, though generally mountainoui,
appears to be a very fine island; but the pro-
fessional duties of our navigators would not per-
mit them to make excursions into the interior
parts; (he vallics seem fertile, and well calcula-
ted for producing sugar cane. Cotton is raised
here; and some of the natives appear to be in-
dustri(»us, but they are exceedingly oppressed by,
the Portuguese soldiers, Avho impose an exorbi-
tant toll on the unhappy countrymen who bring
their commodities to market. Refreshments of
all kinds are tolerably plentiful, and might bo
purchased at very reasonable prices, were it not
for those oppressions, which seem to be without
remedy from an inattentive f;overnnient*.

On the 15th of Decen:ber, they passed a great
number of spermaceti whales; a large piece of
bark, which seemed to have been recently sepa-
rated from the tree, was observed floating in the
water; and albatrosses, with a number of birds
entirely white, were seen flying about in every
direction. During the forenoon of the 20th the
water was very much discoloured, but as there is
no known land near the situation they were in,
they did not choose to interrupt their progress by
sounding. They saw a shark," many silver-colour-,
cd birds, and several whales.

From this time to the 2d of January 1786, they
had very tempestuous weather, attended with
violent squalls: they were often induced to sound,
but never got any bottom with 120 fathoms line^
Early in the morning of the 2d, they got sound-
ings in 72 fathoms water, and immediately after-
wards saw Falkland's Islands, <\bout seven leagues
distant.

On the 4th of January they came to anchor at
Falkland's Islands, where they found a tolerably
good harbour, and other coiivenicaces for water-
ing, with a sandy bottom in twelve fathoms
water. Here all hands were permitted to go on
shore, and had a double allowance of brandy;
some fresh pork being also killed on the occasion.
Some of them made excursions iiuo several paits

fur liis preservation ; but a boat ar lens^lli pictieil hi n up,
when he was about two iiiiiidred yards from the ves.tel, and
liad been eight ur ten minutes in the ocean j frigliTand fu>
ti^u? had alaiu«t do^irivcd bim of uxistoacc.

,. >« a'

mrbf^ fii!

i.i <

f i

198

A vovAor: t^ound the world.

of the country^ and tUscovered the ruins of a town,
surrounded with garden-ground; where many
lorts of vegetables were observed ; such as horse-
radish, shallots, celery, and small potatoes; but
many of these articles appeared to be somewhat
in a degenerate state: our navigators also saw a
liOiT, but thev found him too wild and active to
sutler himself to be raptured.

From this time till the 14th, *hc ship's com-
panies were engaged in several necessary employ-
ments. A number of seals and sea-lions were
killed, for the sake of their skins and blubber;
and liberty was given to the people io go on shore
at every opportunity.

At nine in the evening of the 15th, a sloop ar-
rived in the harbour, and anchored oiTthe town.
The next morning Captain Cotlin came on board
the King George, and informed Captain Port-
lock that his sloop is named the Speedwell, and is
tender to a ship called the United States, com-
manded by Captain Hussey, now lying at Swan
Island, in company with the Canton, Captain
Whippy: the United States having 300 tons of
oil on board, and the Canton about half that
quantity.

The principal part of their oil is procured from
animals which they call sea elephants; these are
certainly amphibious, as they usually frequent
sandy bays. A large animal of this kind yields
about half a ton of oil, which is produced with-
out boiling, the blubber is so exceedingly free.
From the description given by the late Captain
Cook of an animal he saw ut New Georgia, it was
clearly a ■« ;a-elephant; and there is every reason
to suppose they may be found in that island in
great plenty*.

Every essential business being now completed,
(he captain was determined to get to sea imme-
diately; but having occasion to send one of his
mates on board the Speedwell, he returned with
a message from Captain Coffm, informing him

* The featliiTcd tribes Mhidi inhabit tliesc inlands, are
Bunieruns, and contain a gruat variety, bnt must of them
arealrcadj' well known. Captain Porllock procured ^pe.
ciinens of the Y'clloir.xnitii^ed Oiiti/im^^ the Rusfi/.a-oxcticd
plorcr, and the cinereons larli. The jeliow- winged bunting
is nearly the size of a vellour hammer : the length five inches
and a half: the bill brown ; the phimnge on the upper part
of the body, a reddish brown : the le!>>. yellow.

The rnstj-crowncd plover, is nearly of the size of the
rini^cU plover ; its length about Seven inches and a half; bill
three (jnarters of an inch long, and black ; the forehead,
•hcst, rore.])art of tlic ueck, and the upper part of tiic

that Captain Hussey had^ on board the United
States, six or seven tliousand fur seal-skini
which woiil'I be disposed of at a moderate rate.
Not willing to neglect an opportunity of making
an advantageous purchase, Captain Portlocksent
immediately for Captain Dixon to consult him on
the business.

After some deliberation Captain Portlock
accompanied Captain Dixon to the Speedwell, to
have some conversation with Captain Coffin re-
specting the skins; but the information he then
gave them respecting them, amounted to little
more than what he had before said of them jq
the message. 1 i.^ day being far spent, and their
distance from i\\c ships considerable, they re-
mained on board the Speedwell all night. Cap.
tain Portlock embraced the earliest opportunity
which presented itself, of having some conversa-
tion with Captain Hussey respecting the purchase
of his fur seals; but they perceived that he wai
not disposed to part with them, dropping an in-
timation that he meant them for an Eastern
market +.

Having furnished themselves with what neces-
saries they could procure at Falkland Islands,
with a fine southerly breeze, they weighed an-
chor, and came to sail on the 23d of January,
They run clear of Ball Island, which is situated
on the west side of the entrance into Swan Island
Bay, and then shaped their course for New
Island- Captain Hussey communicated the fol-
lowing intelligence to Captain Portlock, " — that
most of the springs at New Island arc rendered
brackish by a very heavy sea, which constantly
sets in with a westerly wind, the spray of which
flies over the beach, and mixes with the fresh-
water springs."

In the afternoon of the %th, they saw Staten'il
Land very high, bearing south, distant about six
leagues. At midnight (hey tacked, and at two|
I in the morning of the 27th, they again saw Sta-

' breast and belly, white. Dehind the black bar on the top I
of the head, is a circle of rusty iron colour, surroundiiii;
the back part of (he head as a wreath. The legs are black.
+ In aeconipi'nying (,'aptain IFuspcy to the north side of
States Hay, Captain I'ordoek found a soa-elcplihnt, which
at once convinced him that those animals they saw at I
Kerguelen's Land were really sea-elephants, and that they I
were much mis(.iken in calling them sea-lions. The elephant
was killed with (he greatest cast- imaginahie; but at tliol
north point of (ho bay, many of the sea-lions were drartnl
up in a kind of rank on (he beach, and iliiputcd their \iiu
sage with thu greatest lurocity,

teii'il

(en's Land.

point of Sti

west liy cor

cli()0.'>ing io li

the strong cii

of La Maire

On the 22d

markably lim

hanmiocks to

bedding to b(

inattention to

I'iitality amont

of navigators,

vail in this |:

navigators ex

be erroneous,

past, having

westward ; an

ed with squall

In the aften

tain Portlock

Charlotte for (

the king Geoi

directly for Lt

the Spaniards.

their track, in^

it, thinking tV

vith a good

enable them to

crews; withou

Islands, (hatw<

.4t the same tin

place of rende

fore they arriv<

I days for each

period, to sail

From this ti

ricty occurred ;

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD

],<)')

Icn's Land, joon after they doubled the east
Hoiiit of St»ieii'8 Land, and »teere,d south by
JveHt by compass, to gel a good oHiiig; not
choosing to keep near the shore, on account of
the "Strong current which sets through the straita

of La Maire *.

On Ihe 22d of February, the wcatlier being re-
inaikably line, the captain ordered the sailors'
liaumiocks to be brought upon deck, and their
bedding to be completely aired ; convinced that
inattention to things of this nature often occasions
iatiility among seamen. It is the genera! opinion
of navigators, that south-west winds usually pre-
vail in this ])art of the Pacific Ocean ; but our
UHvigators experimentally found this opinion to
be erroneous, the wind, for a considerable time
past, having blown from the northward and
westward; and generally in strong gaies, attend-
ed with squalls.

In the afternoon of the 2l8t of March, Cap-
tain Portlock sent a boat on board the Queen
Charlotte for Captain Dixon : he came on board
the King George, and they agreed to stand on
directly for Los Majos, an island discovered by
the Spaniards. This island being but little out of
their track, induced Captain Portlock to steer for
it, thinking there was a probability of meeting
vith a good harbour and water, which would
enable them to refit their vessels, and refresh the
crews; without running down to the Sandwich
hiands, that were considerably out of their course.
At the same time they appo.ntcd Owhyhee as their
place of rendezvous, if they should separate be-
fore they arrived at Los Majos; there to wait ten
(lays for each other, and if notjoined during that
period, to sail for King George's Sound.

From this time till the 10th of April, little va-
riety occurred : on that afternoon they passed a

* SuaU were obiifrvud in cuiisuturalite numbers^ and many
picci's of ri)(k-wi'i:il were scon about Ihe ship. On the 1st
of Febiuury Captain Portlocli struck a very remarkable
fhh; (lie hind part and fail resembled those of a shark 5 its
nose was similar to tJiatof a porpoise: he could not describe
ilniore niinvitely ; for in strugt^ling it extricated itself from
tlic harpoon, after being struck near lialf a minute.

+ A niiaiber of the ship's crew wen- now attacked by the
"ciirvy ; the symptoms of which were a slitlness about the
kiioos and hanis, afterwards the shin-bones became sore ;
intl in a few days, the parts whii-h had before been stiH",
lii'j.':ui to swell and turn black; (lie mouth becoming sore at
tlic !^:iRie time.
I As there arc few instances of a ))crson rrroverinfj from an
iiiiauced stage of the scurvy, whilst at sea, Captain Port-

Vol. II. No. LXXX.

turtle, and the captain scut Mr. Mc. Leod, hii
first mate, after it: he brought it on board, but
it had been dead some time, and was almost in a
state of putrefaction: it was conscjjucnlly throw n
overboard, and the navigators were much dis-
appointed in their expected dainty; but to con-
sole themselves under this disappointment, they
picked up a very lively one on the loth, weigh-
ing sixty-five pounds, which was caught juht
in time to furnish them with a bani|uet for
Easter Sunday. / • •

Notwithstanding every precaution, the scurvy
made its appearance among the people; the boat-
swain was indeed so much atUicted with it, that
his recovery was thought extremely doubtfid :
fortunately, however, it happened, that some
small salad, such as mustard and cresses, which
Captain Portlock had sown in several casks of
mould procured at Falkland's Islands, was now iu
the height of perfection. He had also some
horse-radish, and potatoes, in the same state :
these things were given to the boatswain, which
efi'ectually checked his disorder, and his health
and strength gradually returned. This un-
wholesome weather, had also alTected the
health of several seamen on board the Queen
Charlotte : and Captain Dixon, in particular,
was much disordered; and when Captain Port-
lock paid him a visit on board the Queen Char-
lotte, he found his disorder to be the scurvy.
On his return, he sent him a cask of mould, with
salad growing in it ; together with some krout,
garden seeds, and a few bottles of artificial mine-
ral water, prepared by Dr. Melville, iu imitation
of Seltzer water, supposed to be a most excellent
antiscorbutic f .

With a fine breeze they steered west by south
to make Owhyhee, the principal of the Sandwich

lock tlius mentions the regimen his boatswain was under
durin<; his illness. — " Besides the assistance he received from
Mr llogan my surjjcon, who was very skilful in his pro-
fession, he had for his breakfast a pint of sweetwort, with
some soft bread, which I ordered to bo made for him.
About ten o'clock he gathered some small salail from the
little garden: this he ate with vinegar: for dinner he had
portable soup with barley, celery seed, mustard seed, mus-
tard, cress, and rape swd boiled in it; besides which, he
ale |)leutifully of krout. Tiiese things hatl so good an
cH'ect, that in a fortnight he wa« able to do his duty as
usual : Captain Uixon likewise grew better, though slowly;
and ho attributed this faToiir.ible turn of his disorder
chiefly to the mineral water prepared by Dr. Melyille, a few
bottles of which I sent him."

Islands.

t-:

200

A VOYAGK ROUND THE WORLD.

Islands. Tlioy expected to have fiillen in with
Ihe islands of Los Majos, from the situation they
are laid down in; but no such islands were to be
found in that track. They made their way,
therefore, as fast as possible ito Owhyhee, where
they arrived on the 24th of May; when a num-
ber of the natives came oft" in their canoes, and
brougnt with them some small hogs, and a few

plantains, which were purchased for beads anj
smal! pieces of iron. A great quantity of their
fishing lines were also purchased, some of \\lii(.|,
were about four hundred fathoms long. The In.
dians traded cheerfully and honestly ; and, afier
taking a general survey round the sliip^ returned
to the shore extremely well satisfied.

'i»«H '<"

' «T» >»♦

SECTION II.

Proceed nlonp: the Coast of O-xhjihee — Arrive at
Arrive at IVoahoo — Supplied uith Water hi/ the
— Method of salting Pork — Meet uith liussian

KARAKAKOOA Bay being the only har-
bour our navigators knew of at Owhyhee,
they were anxious to make it as soon as possible,
which they expected to have accomplished the
next day, but were disappointed by variable
winds and frequent squalls. Soon after the close
of day, a number of fires were observed all along
the shore, which w€re supposed to have been
lighted in order to alarr . the country : it is cus-
tomary for the natives, however, to light fires
when they make olFerings > . their Gods for suc-
cess in war ; and this might possibly be the case
at present; but they had observed a shyness in
the people, as they approached Karakakooa, fre-
quently enquiring after Captain Ring; and seem-
ed, by their behaviour, to suppose they were ar-
rived to revenge the death of Captain Cook.

On the <iOth of Mayan inferior chief came on
board, who informed them that Tereeoboo,
was king of Owhyhee, when Captain Cook was
killed in that island, and that the present king's
name was Maiha Maiha: he strongly urged
Captain Porllock to go on shore ; but, on his de-
clining it, he assured him that the king would
pay him a viiit the next day : the captain paid
little attention to this piece of intelligence, as it
was not probable that Maiha Maiha would ven-
ture on board, afler the active part he took in
thnt unfortunate aftray, which terminated in the
death of Captain Cook.

Many canoes came along-side, and the people
we"c extremely importunjite to come on board :
tliev behaved in a daring and insolent manner, and
coiild hardly be prevailed on to quit the ship : all
this, however, was endured with patience, not

Karakakooa Pay — Pehaviour of the Mitivcn—
^Ititives — Arrive at Onehoxu — Transactions thm
Settlers — Almndancc of Salmon.

■ '.St.. tl.

choosing to have recourse to violence, if it could
possibly be avoided ; but the captain was afraid
he should not be able to do the necessary busi<
ness at Karakakooa with ease and safety, and par-
ticulttrly that of filling their water, and getting
the sick people on shore.

As they approached the harbour great num-
bers of canoes joined them; and as many of tliem
vere hanging by their ship, their progress was so
much retarded, that it was four in the afternoon
before they came to anchor. When they had
anchored, they were immediately surrounded bv
an amazhig number of the natives, both in ca-
noes, and in the water ; they grew extremely
troublesome, constantly crawling up the cable,
and the ship's sides. During this time no prin-
cipal chief made his appearance, which was
much to be regretted ; for had any person of
consequence been on board, the rest would have
been kept in order, and the business properly con-
ducted.

In the afternoon they procured a number of |
fine hogs, a quantity of salt, plantains, potatoes,
and taro; which last was the finest thoy had ever
seen. Bread-fruit was scarce, and what they ob-
tained of it was very indiftcrent. At night fires
were kindled all round the bay, and the people
on shore appeared to be in perpetual motion:
several canoes were continually about the ship,
and, about midnight, one of the natives broiij^lit
off a lighted torch, seemingly in ord(;r to set fire
to it ; but being driven away, he paddled to tlie i
Queen Charlotte; where they being equally on
their guard, he again resorted to the shore.

Early the next morning they were visited bv a I

vast

A VOYAGK noUND THE WORLD.

201

vast multitude of the natives, but no cliiefs ac-
jj,, allied them who had influence sufficient to
Lcp them in order ; they grew so extremely
(laiinff and insolent, that the captain was obliged
«o place contincls with cutlasses to prevent their
boarding them. This unexpected reception con-
vinrcd tnem that nothing could be done on sliore,
,vi(liont the protection of a strong guard ; and
their taking a step of such a nature might proba-
bly be attended with fatal consequences. After
fonsiihing with Captain Dixon on this business,
it was resolved on to quit Kurakakooa with all
imaffinahle expedition.

Exclusive of the vast concourse of Indians that
were assembled about the ships, immense num-
bers were collected on shore; some on the beach,
and others on the top of a lofty hill which com-
mands the watering-place; and there also appear-
ed (0 be many chiefs among them. At nine o'clock
Captain Portlock gave orders to unmoor, but the
crowd was so great round the ship, thr.t iheir
boats could hardly pass to the buoys It now
Ibccanie absolutely necessary to drive ♦hem away :
and Captain Portlock wished to dcU-r them with-
lout injuring them ; after drawing out the shot,
liey tired six four pounders, and six swivels ; at
[lie same time their colours were hoisted, and the
ilijn tabooed by hoisting a white flag at the main-
■•rnllant mast head. This measure was found
Iftlectual ; for immediately on their beginning to
fire, the Indians made for ihe shore with con-
Iftiiionand precipitation: intheextremchurry and
iistie, many of the canoes were overset ; but the
iwners did not stay to right them, swimming
apidly on shore without them ♦.
Several canoes continued to attend tlie ships ;
ionie of them bringing off water, in calabashes,
hirh our navigators purchased with nails.
iiring the night of the SOth of May, they stood
if and on, with variable winds and hazy weather.
he natives of Owhyhee still following the ves-
Iswith hogs and vegetables. At three o'clock
in the morning on the 31st of May they wore and
ilood in for the land; but when day-light ap-
arcd. Captain Portlock was surprised to find
liatlie had been driven, during the night, eight

They had now an oppordinity of unmooring without
Boli'statiou, and about eleven o'clock, iw^nn (o warp out
kf ilicl);iy to the westward, till thry were at the distuncoof
Lliout three leagues from Karakak<toa, where they wi^e in-
■untly surrounded by a great number of Ciiuoes, with

or nine leagues to the soulh-we^t; and instead of
fetching in with the west point of Morotoi, as
the Captain expected, he was hardly able
to weather the east point of Woahoo. At length,
however, they anchored in the bay, which the
captain distinguished by the name of King
ficorge's Bay, in twelve fathoms water; the cast
point of which was denominated Point Dick, itK
honour of Sir John Dick; the west point being
named Point Rose, after George Rose, esquire,
secretary of the treasury.

Soon after tlicir arrival, several canoes came
off with cocoa nuts, plantains, sugar cane, and
sweet root; in return for which they received
small pieces of iron, and a few trinkets. The
next morning a greater number of canoes appear-
ed about the ship, having small hogs and some
vegetables. Great numbers of the natives, of both
sexes, inpelled by curiosity, anxiously visited
them, notwithstanding they were so far distant
from the shore.

As watering the ships was become an object of
the first consideration, u convenient spot was
sought for that purpose. They landed on some
rocks, just round Point Dick, and met with no
opposition from the iidiabitants : on the contrary,
they were kindly received, and conducted to a
sort of bason formed by the rocks, about fifty
yards from the place where they landed ; but the
quantity they found was insufKcient even for a
present supply. Finding, at length, that they
could not water near this spot, without an in-
finite deal of trouble, besides the danger of losing,
their casks, and getting the boats dashed to pieces
against the rocks, they g; -^ jp the idea of water-
ing here.

In the morning of the 3d of June, Captain
Portlock dispatched Mr. Hay ward and Mr.
White, in a boat from each ship, to examine the
west part of the bay for a landing place, and fresh
water. In their excursion, some of the natives
supplied them prettv. briskly with water, and
some of their calabashes contained about ten gal-
lons; for one of which a ten-penny nail, was
cciven, which tv>uld not be thought umeasonable..
In the afternoon the boats returned, and Mr. Hay-
plenty of hoijs and veifetables. Many of their ])eopleu'rio
now employed in killing and sallini; down hogs for sea-s fork j
their present situation being mucli more conveniiiii I'lr car.
rying on that business than the harbour: Hen: t.iey liad a
tine free air ; in the biy it was close and sultry.

ward.

.i: ,lt

I ';ill lif^

". t;

:n .?

':■ ; K

: S:

■:K!

■^-1*0 ■: ■1:1

i' i.i'l:,.|iif '

202

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

•Ward reported, tlial he found onl^a pond of stand-
in^rwatorj which could uothi* ^ot atwitliout much
ditiiculty. Towards cvcuiiii^ (he surgeons re-
turned on board with the convalescents, and in-
formed the captain that the inhabitants had be-
haved quietly and inoHeniivcly, and that there
was no danger of their heina; molested ; they ad-
mitted, however, that tliey were rather incom-
moded by the innnrnsc number which curiosity
had collected together.

The inhabitants now brought them water in
such abimdance, (hat, aiiout noon on (he 4th,
they had filled all (heir empty casks, having pro-
cured twenty-nincbuts, eighthogtihcads, and three
brandy pieces, v^hich contained one hundred and
thirty galloiis each. As good water may be pro-
cured at this island, with great facility, for small
nails and buttons, it is a method which seems
wortliy of adoption. Potatoes and taro are to be
met with here in great plenty ; bread fruit and
yarns appeared to be scarce.

Having completed their water, and obtained
such refreshment as Woahoo atlbrded, they de-
termined t«) lose no time in proceeding to One-
how, to get a supply of yams which that island
produces in abundance. On the morning of the
iVth, they weighed and stood to the westward,
under an easy sail. As they approached Point
Rose, a vast number of canoes joined them :
when they were a-breast of Point Rose, their old
friend the priest came on board, in a large double
canoe, to take his leave; bringing with him an
excellent feathered cap as a present for Captain
Portlock from Taheeterre, in return for which
he sent him two large towees, and some other
trivial articles. He also gave the old priest a
light-horseman's cap, and another to a young
chief who had been a constant visitor on board
since their arrival ; being desirous of shewing any
future navigators who might happen to touch
here, that the place had beer recently visited by
British ships. The guests we.e exceedingly de-
lighted with their presents, and after many pro-
fessions, took their leave, and went to shore*.

As their daggers are very dangerous and de-

♦ Captain Portlock is of opinion that Woahoo is the
finest island in the whole group, and the most likely to
prove ailvantagroiis, should it be settled by Europeans;
there being hiirilly a spot in it nhich does not appear fertile.
Warriors, and war>like iustruinenls, were seen here iu

structive weapons, the captain would not sufler
any to be made in eitlier of the ships, thougli
frequently importuned by the natives for (bat
purpose. He always thought it a very impru.
dent action to furnish the Indians with weapon,
which might be turned against themselves; and
his suspicions were but too well founded ; fur by
one of the daggers, which was given by tlietnto
the natives of Owhyhee, their much lamented
commander Ca])tain Cook was killed ,* after (
series of years spent in the service of his country,
and for the benetit of mankind in general.

tie, unfortimately set the example, by causing
some to be made after the model of the Indian
pahoos; and this practice was afterwards fulinw-
ed by every person who could procure iron
enough to make one ; so that the armourer
' jriug their continuance at these islands, waial- 1
most whollyemployed in making these destructive
weapons.

Since the year 1778, when the Sandwich Is.
lands were discovered, almost a total change in
the government took place. It appeared that
Taheeterre, the present king of Woahoo, was
the only surviving monarch tlien left among the
islands. He was then only king of Morotoi, and
Peereeoranna, who then governed Woahoo, «ai
at war with him, and had diftpatched a number |
of fighting canoes to attack his dominions. Pe.
reeoranna's forces appear to have been defeated on I
this occasion, for presently afterwards Taheeterre I
took possession of Woahoo; and, flushed with bill
success, attacked and conquered the island o(|
Mowee, which is now annexed to his domiiiioiui
Tereeoboo, who was then king of Owhyhee nnd|
Mowee, fell in battle, in de'^ence of his diij.
nions. There appears to be no reason to doubtl
of what is here advanced; for Maiha Maiha, thcl
present king of Owhyhee, when our navigatursl
I 'ere last there, was only an inferior chief, aiidl
is now, as Captain Portlock undei (lands, insomel
measure subject to Taheeterre. Jesides whichj
the Woahoo chiefs having left in their
session most of the daggers that h.ul been left at]
Owhyhee, amounts almost to a proof of thcin

abundance; and many of the former were tattoouil in i
manner totally ditlui-ent from any the captain had orcrMvii
among the Sandwich Islanders: by excess of tatooing, manri
of the faces of the natives were rendered totally blaik.

. ,\ ■ :■'. V havinfl

Iiaviiig been '
islands seem (J
wcaiMHis but 1
III tiie mori
away and ma
land on the
rises gradually
in the high lui

I a few small sa
lor ships to ri(
point (he land
li\a(('(l. Su\c

I from which
Itiit tiie surf r;

' iiiitivcs could

i(|iiaiitityt.

ill the tnorni

fd by canoes,

I and stiii'ar cai

whom Captain

I this island belt

coijiiised his o

appearctl on b

I dozcii persons t

I the captain wei

luentioned by ]

I benooe as a. ^ui

I of the natives

J (hey were p .'rm

Mhc least mole!!

I (ion, they foum

I wells was bracl

I forded good v

■ On (his occasii

I would reconinie

[Indians, (o hu\

jhooped with wc

* From the best
lappeared, the print

time governed bythi
lloi, and Mowee, we

gi)n'iiii'(l Owliyhoc
[was said to be Ta'aa
+ As Atooi was
lother refreshments,
jCaiitaiii Cook anct
jof proruring somi

di'appointpd, they |
hail tlicy could carry
[ienral canoes visitoc
land a fiw small pigs
lio evcliangc. Amoi
[faces were recognise

VuL. II. No.

A VOYAGE ROUND TFIR WORI.I).

203

r^yiiig been victorious; and the natives of tliesc
islaiiJs seem dclerniined never to part with their
vratM'iis but at the expcnec of their lives*.

In (iic morning of the 7th of June, they bore
-iwav and made «ail from tlie westward. The
laiul on the east and south-east part of Atooi,
rises craduailv' from the sea-side, till it terminates
ill the high lain!. On the eastern shore there are
a I'l'w small sandy bays, but they atlbrd no shelter
tor sliips to ride in. After passing the south-east
l)(»iiit the land appeared to he generally well cul-
)i\at(ii. Several canoes wore about the ship,
jVoiii which they ])rocured a few vegetables;

k|it tlie surf ran s:) liigh on the beach, that the
unlives could not bring off any considerable
quantity f.

liitlie morning of the 9(h they were surround-
fd by canoes, ubinulantly supplied with yams
jiiid sugar canl^ A chief, named Abhonooe,
uhoiii Captain Porllock knew when he was at
thij island before, also paid him a visit, and re-

Locnised his old acquaintance, the moment he
iipni'ured on board. Having appointed half a

I dozen persons to trade with the natives for yams,
ihe captain went on shore in search of the wells
mentioned by Mr. Bligh, accompanied by Ab-
benooe as a guide. On their landing, a number
of tlic natives appeared upon ihe beach, but
tliev were p 'rmilted to walk to the wells without

[the least molestation. After proper examina-
tion, they found that the water of one of these

Kvelki was brackish and stinking; the other af-
forded good water, but in no great quantity.
On lliis occasion, Captain Portlock says, " I
would rcconunend it to all ships watering ainong
Indians, to have a suflicient number of casks
hooped with wood instead of iron, for the pur-

* From the best information that could be procHred, it
lappearud, the principal of the Suiidwich Isles, were at this
Itimc governed by the following persons: Wooahoo, Moro.
Iloi, and .Mo wee, were subject to Talieeterre; Maiha Maiha
IgovciiitHt Owliyhcc and Uannai ; and a chief, whose name
[was said to be Ta'aao, was king of Atooi and Oneehow.

■f As Atooi was known to all'ord plenty of hogs and
I other refreshments, they stood in for Wymoa Kay, where
I Captain Cook anchored the last voyage; being det>irons
lof procuring some good hogs fur salting; but being
Idi'sppointed, they proceeded to Oaeehowf under all (he
I'iil tlicy could carry. No sooner were they moored, than
jievcral canoeg visited thera, bringing yams, sweet potatoes,
land a few small pigs, for which nails and beads were given
lia excliangc. Among the people in these canoes, several
{races were recognised which had been seen before ; parti-

Vol. II. No. LXXXI.

pose of tilling on shore. By this means much
mischief might be avoided; for the Indians,
having no temptation to steal them, probably
would behave in a peaceable manner, and might
safely be trusted to assist in rolling the casks'."

Though Oncehow belongs to Taaao: king of
Atooi^ Abbcnooc governs it in his absence. Cap-
tain Portlock made the old man a present of
some red bai/e, and two large towes, which ho
sent away immediately to Taaao at Attooi, The
messenger informed him that Taaao himself in-
tended to have paid him a visit, but that he could
not leave Attooi for several days, being obliged to
perform some religious ceremonies for one of his
wives, who was lately dead. But they had very
little reason to regret the absence of his majesty,
for Abbenooe kept the natives in excellent order,
and encouraged them to bring whatever the
island aiforded ; and after the people of Attooi
had disposed of their cargo, he sent them back
for a further supply.

Anxious to make Taaao some further acknow-
ledgment for liis salutary supplies, he sent him,
as a present, a light-horseman's cap; this, how-
ever, was not thought a sutHcient recompence
by Abbenooe, who strongly importuned Captain
Portlock to send with it un armed chair, which
was a part of the furniture of the cabin, as it
would be extremely convenient for one of tha
king's wives, who had lately laid in. He readily
complied with his friend's request, and dispatch-
ed the chair and cap to Atooi, in the charge of
special messengers. Their business now pro-
ceeded regularly, and the trading party were
fully employed in bartering for yams and other
refreshments: others were wholly occupied in
killing and salting hogs for sea stock. Since

cularly that of an old priest, in whose house a party of our
l')uropeans had taken up their abode, whcu detained all
night on shore by a he.ivy surf.

^ After examining these wells, Captain Portlock made
an excursion into the country, accompanied by Abbenooe,
and a few of the natives. The island seems to be well cnlti-.
vate'!, but its principal produce are yams : a few trees arc
irregularly scattered without order or variety. Some ure
about fifleen feet high, and have a smooth barl<, with round
leaves, and bear a kind of fruit resembling a walnut.
Another kind were about nine feet high, wMh blossoms uf
a beautiful pink colour. Another variety had nuts grow.
ing on them, like our horse.chesnuts. Tlie last .sort are in
use as a substitute for cajidles, and ailbrU a must e.vcetleut
light.

I I !l

■ 4

r !« ii

■Hi!' Hi

■Vln'i '*H''r

:i;fl; li^r-

U.H

'■^.. ■■■••.: -v '■ -'

i'^i^:

tlieir

SOi

A VOYAGE TIOUMD THE WORLD.

their arrival here, such of the Heamcn as were
convalfscfiif \v(*ro dailv sent «»ii shore, and recfiv-
ed mmli bcncHf from c.\or< isi^ and land air. 'I'lie
inhiioitiiDts Ht til 18 iiiland are n(«t nnmeruns, and
tlif" Uf iiinler such perfect regulation hy Ab-
henooe, tliaf the people walked about wherever
their i .clination led them, without the least mo-
lest iit ion.

Not only hogs and vegetables, but salt-fish of
various kinds were brought to market, such as
rock-cod and bonetta: some curious fly-flaps
were also to be purchased, the upper partcompo-
Ecu of beautiful variegated feathers; the handles
•^^ -re of human bone, neatly inlaid with tortoisc-
Bhell.

IJythe l'2tli of June they had bought about
thirty hogs, weighing, on an average, not less
than sixty pounds each ; they were principally
brought from Atooi, and were salted for sea
store, as they were daily supplied with sufficient
for present consumption. The method of curing
pork in tr<>pical climates v :»« given by Captain
Cook; but his plan is not generally known:
Ci' ptain Portlock therefore mentions jthe mode
he. adopted, and says he found it answer his most
sanguine expectations. Three diti'erent parties
were employed in this business; and the best
time for killing, was about three in the afternoon,
and again in the cool of the evening. An awning
was placed over those employed in killing and
Baiting, that the sun may not prove injurious.
One party having cleaned the hogs well, another
set takes the bones entirely out, cuts away all the
bruised parts and blood-vessels, and divides the
meat into four or six pound pieces; at the same
time making incisions in several parts of the skin,
to admit the salt freely. Those pieces were then
delivered to the salters, who rubbed them
thoroughly with good white salt, and afterwards
stowed them on some hatches that were fixed as
a kind of temporary stage, about two feet from
deck.

A quantity of meat being placed on this stage,
it was covered with canvass an'l boards, on which
heavy weights were placed. Thus it remained

* In additi(W tu ^hc aliuve, Capfuiii Portlock makes the
following ri^niarks: — " 1 shall just observe, that aftt'r the
hogs are killed, they cannot be too expt'ditioiisly cleaned
and salte.i ; for on that the safely of the meat lyiiiicipally
depends, though I believe in most countries where much
pork is cured, they usually leave it to cool before the salt

till the morning, by which time all the blonj
was pressed out, and the meat was hard and
firm. Every piece was then carefully examined
and if any parts appeared to be tainted, they were
cut away, and fresh salt rubbed on. The pork
was then packed in casks filled up with very
strong pickle, and pressed again with licaw
weights. After having remained in casks about
twenty-four hours, it was repacked, filled up
with fresh pickle, and put away for future use.
Some p()rk that luul been salted at Owli^hee,
was examined after it had been packed a wcelv,
and found perfectly sweet and fine. The bonr,
were broke, rubbed well with salt, and after-
wards put into strong pickle; the flesh bcinf
cut from the heads, it was dry salted, and keiit
extremely well.

Several whole sides, after the bones were taken |
'.nit, were salted without pickle, and they made
very excellent bacon*.

ny this time they had procured about ten tons
of excellent yams, and Captain Dixon had ^ot
eight tons onboard the Queen Charlotte. The
health of both ships' crews was now perfectly
re-establislied, and every business completed, no
time was therefore lost in making preparation |
for the sea ; as the season for commencing opera-
tions on the American coast, was already begun. I
At five in the morning of the 13th of June thct
unmoored, and at eight they got under sail, I
standing out for the bay, which obtained thel
name of Yam Bay, from the quantity of vainsl
that were observed there. As their visit totliel
Sandwich Islands was a transient one, little in-l
formation could be procured respecting the man-l
ners and customs of the natives,

Among the refreshments which these islaiidil
abounds with, besides hogs, sweet potatoes, taroi
yams, &c. already mentioned, the sweet root, drl
tee, is met with in great abundance at VVoabool
it deserves to be particularly noticed, as veryl
good beer may be made from it; which, at'ler|
Uvoor three trials, Captain Portlock .says,
brought to perfection. The utility of this rooll
was not ki.own to our navigators in the lust vov-j

is laid on. This method, however, is certainly a had oiifi
tor 1 have known a house in Virginia, by following' it. (i
lose near six hundred hogs at one time ; whereas, hail llijl
began salting while the meat.was warm, and the blooil ruiJ
iiing, ] have every reason to think that the greatest iiirlj
if aut all of it, would have bucu preserved."

A VOYAGF, ROUND TFIF, WORLD.

«05

islaiiikl
ocsj (aro,

root, ('t|
^^ ouIkkiI

iis vcryl
ch, aftcrf

siiys,

this root!

liist \o(i

iit>p, but it niay not improperly be mentioned in
tills pluce: The root was peeled very clean, cut
into Hnitiil pieces, and put into ii kettle, six of
the \a\'f!(C roots bein^ fonnd a suflicient quantity
for twelve gallons of water. This wiis put on
the fire at three in the afternoon^ and, having
boiled an hour and a half, was put away to cool.
By the time the liquor was luke-warni, a gill of
prepared yeast was added, and the beverage then
put in a cask. It generally began to work about
midnight, and by nine in the morning it was
pleasant and palatable. This beer was constantly
drank by such of the seamen as were allected with
the scurvy, ond they found great beueiit from it.
It is useful as a common drink, and is a most
excellent antiscorbutic.

They stood to the north-north-west, along the
west side of Oneehow, which form several sandy
havs, seeming to allbrd shelter and good anchor-
ng-v. About ten o'clock their good old friend
Abbenooe took his leave, and all the canoes de-
parted; on which occasion they fired ten guns,
ui'H hoisted their colours.

I the 22d of June, they saw a grcjit number
♦ rols of a sooty c(»lour, and about tlic
81* of a pigeon. On the *i8th Captain Port-
]'>ck went on board the Queen Charlotte, to ap-
point a rendezvous for the ships in case of a sepa-
rition, the weather being thick and hazy. They
fixed on a situation in Cook's River, near Cape
Bede. This situation was a very eligible one,
there being a probability of finding a good har-
bour there; and which ever vessel happened to
arrive there first, would be able to make signals
to the other on her entering the river.

On the <iSth the water altered its colour, and
had the appearance of soundings; but when they
xuundcd with a line of 120 fathoms, they got no
bottom. The next morning a number of seals were
•foil playing round the ship, but their distance
from America was so great that they could not
think these animals came from thence, or from
uny known islands near the coast : there was great
rrasoti to suppose they were near some land which
has not yet been discov ered. They had daily seen
jcals, whales, and porpoises, with a great num-
ber of petrels, and various (Jther birds : they often
sounded-witb a line of 150 fathonis, but found no
boltimi; nor was there any appearance of land.
Captain Portlock struck one of the seals that were
playing about the ship, and got it on board: its

fur was HO very close and fine, that the captain,
at first sight, imagined it to be u sea-olter.

On the IDtli they were greatly surprised to hear
the report of a great gun from the shore: it was
now so very llii( k over the land, that they could
not see the smoke of the gun; but they lired a
gun, aud hoisted their colours, and picsenlly
afterwards fired another, supposing it would Ik*.
answered. On their firing the second ^i\\\, ano-
ther was fired from the shore, in the iliiiction of
east, three quarters south. It no a seemed very
clear that some person had got (o this placi:
before our navigators, at which l.apt.iin Po,(IihIc
was not a little chagrined. Soon aCUr wliicli they
perceived a boat rowing towards tiic shijjs; on
which thi;y tacked, and stood in shore to meet
her. By seven o'clock, the strangers came ou
board, and were found to be Russians.

Having no person on hoard who understood
the Russian language, they could gather i)iit
little information. It seemed, however, (hut
they last came iVom Kodiac, and proceedoa to
Cook's River in boats. The harbour which tlu-y
intended to make, the Russians informed them,
was a very good one; and they oll'ered to take a
person from the ship in their boat, to examine it.
Their offer being accepted, Mr. Mc. Leod was
sent with them to examine the harbour, and
sound the entrance. The Russians lel't them be-
tween eight and nine o'clock, and innnediately
afterwards they came to anchor, in thirty-five
fathoms water. At four in the morning of the
20th, the Russian boat returned with Mr. Mc.
Leod, who informed Captain Portlock that the
harbour was a very good one, and that there was
a safe passage into it ou cither side of the small
island at the entrance.

Atlif. examining the spot, he landed on a
beach where the Russians had taken up their
abode: as they had nothing more than tents,
covered with canvas, or skins to live in, it should
seem they only continue here diu'iiig the summer
season. lie observed but few sca-ott(;r skins
among them, and they appeared green, as if they
had been recently stripped from the animal.
The Russian party consisted of twenty-five men;
though they associated with a uundier of Indians,
who were on the most friendly terms with theuj.

The Russian chief brought Captain P(»rtlock
a present of a quantity of very fine salmon, suf-
ficient for the consumption of both ships, for a

whole

k I

! ■•ill!:

V!i I

M If]-; - ,M;^ ■ U

111

vr:,^;

206

A VC'AGE ROUND THE WORLD.

\vholo day; for vhich lie presented him some
excellent yarns, and instructed him how to dress
tljcm: Iheso were accompanied with some beeC
pork, and a few bottles of brandy. He ex-
pressed his gratitude as well as he was able, and
returned on shore, perfectly satisfied with his re-
ception*.

On the 21st of July Captain Portlock went on
sliore, in search of a convenient place for wood-
ing and watering the ships. He fonnd abun-
dance of wood, and several excellent runs of
water. None of the natives had yet made their
appearance; but, as the Russians were con-
tiniially on their guard from their apprehensions
of being s.rprised by the Americans, Captain
Portlock thought it prudent to adopt a similar
kind of conduct; and s» nt a chest with arms to
.attend the parties on shore.

In the afternoon <he seine was liauled at the
head of the bay, but a few cole-fish only were
caught. A^ hilc they were performing this, ope-
ration, the Russian chief paid the Europeans a
visit, and informed them that very few fish were
to be caught in that place, but in a spot near his
residence, very considerable quantities might he
,irocured. Captain Portlock therefore took the
seine thither; and, in several hauls, took thirty
salmon, and a few flat fish : but the Russian in-
formed him, that his indiflercnt success was owing
to the time of tide, it being then low water; and,
to give himself a proper chance, the experi'tient
should be made when it was nearly high water.
But he assured him, if he would leave the seine
all night, and a man with it, he should have
plenty of fish tha next morning. The captain

* Contrary to the il'issian custom, these people were
always fearful of j, "tting intoxicated : but this rantion was
supposed not to originate from their dislike of their -jietcnt
liquor, biitfroir a fear of being snrprisedby theneigiibourinj
Americans in p state of iiUwvication. They were con-
tinually on th<r guard, with tlieir arms always ready ; not
a man among them s-lec.pinij '..ithout a rifled barrelled piece
under his arm; having a lung knife and a cutlass by his
side.

+ The Russian settKinrnt, if surh a temporary residence
deserves that title, is situated on a pleasant piece of flat
land, about three ml! r. In length, and yOO yards over,
bDunded by a sandy beach on one side ; and a Like of fresh
water, which falls into the sea on the other. The llii^-.'ians
were only twenty. five in number, e'iclusive of tlie Indians
brou({lit from Kodiac and Oop:ild,ika: they had two skin
hiiiits, each calculated to row twelve oars, and thi- thwarts
vere double baukud. Thu chief, and the ludiius, took

gladly embraced this oR'er, and left one of lilj
seamen to assist in the operation f.

At seven o>lock, tlic next morning, he sent
the whale boat to the Russian settlement, to learn
what success they had had with the seine. The
boat returned about nine, deeply laden with ex-
cellent salmon, part of which was conveyed on
board the Queen Charlotte. The people now
htniny a plentiful supply of good fish, they were
no longer kept upon salt provisions, in lieu of
which, they were regularly served with fish and
yams.

Towards noon the Ru:.sian chief returned the
captain's viitit: his information pointing out ilip
mode of procuring abundance offish, denifiiuied
some addition to his former present; he tliercioie
gave him several articles which he thought would
be found serviceable; as Port wine, brandy,
vinegar, and salt. Having been informed at the
chiefs residence, that he had boiled some of the
yams which had betn given him, and found tliem
Very excellent, he add.'id to his present about
four hundicu more. Though the i'aptain and
his new acquaintance understood each other but
very imperfectly, they were both delighted with
the mutual exchange of friendly oflices. After
staying on board a short time, he took his leave,

Soon afterwards Captain Portlock went in the
whale-boat, accompanied by Captain Dixon, to
make a survey of the harbour : it runs up a'^iut
nine miles, nearly in an east-south-east direction,
and afterwards terminates in a fresh water ri\er,
which branches out in several directions. There
are several projecting points on each side of the
harb''ur that form very snug bays, with excellent

up their abode in a small tent covered with canvas, and the
remainder slept under the two boats. They have no bread ;
their food consisting principally of fish, and a mess madouf
ti.e root of a plant, by Steller called the Serena, which
would have been palatable, had it not been mixed with
animal oil. They procured no furs by bartering with the
Americans ; nor had they furs of aiiy.kind, but such as tlii;
Kodiac Indians, their attendants, caught in hnntin.;.

It seemed evident that this little party v» ere under ureat
apprehensions from the AmeiiJans: they v\n\ a.-biiiid
them that they had atiunpti'd to surprise tlieni sev^-riil linn's;
which rendered it absolutely necessary for theui to h;
eternally on their i;iiard. 'I'he Russian chief represented
them as a set of cruel savage peo|)le, though tliey spulic
very favourably of the Oonolaska and Kodiao Indian.
Ilaviii;^ procured what intelligence he could from this chiif,
Captain I'urtlot k returned to his own vessel iu the evening'.

bcaclies

A VOYAGE ROUND THE ^VORLD.

307

tfcflclics, where a ship might, if necessary, be
safely lia"'e<' jn shore ; the depth of the water,
close to the beach, seven and eight fathoms.
After determining the extent of the harbour, they
landed, a>id walked up to the fresh-water river:
it was nar /ow, but abounded with salmon ; and
on the banks were observed the tracks of bears
and mouse deer. On getting into the mouth of
the largest branch, their attention was excited

I by fi large brown bear coming down the river.
Captain Portlock entertained hopes of his coming

i within niusquet-shot of him ; but getting sight
of 'hcin, he made ofl" into the woods, w ith a
rc-.e rapid motion than could have been ex-

[ peeled from a bear.

In the course of an hour, they saw about
twenty more of these animals, but they were
all so extremely shy that they could not shoot
one of them. Night coming on, they repaired
onboard about ten.

By the 25th of July, they had complef )d their
wood and water, and their ships were ready for
sea: a-: thcrti uas a probability of meeting inha-
bitants, they consequently stood a chance of pro-
curing furs. Landing on the west side of the
bay, and walking round it, they discovered two
veins of kcnnd coal, situated near some hills
above the beach, about the middle of the bay.
In the evening they returned on board, and tried
some of the coal tliey had discovered, and found
it to burn clear and well.

At noon point Bcde bore south by east, and
j*nchor Point north 21"* west, distant from the
naarest land about (ivc leagues. They stretched
up the river with light breezes from the south-
ward and eastward, till half past five o'clock,
when the flood-tide being spent, they came to
with stream anchor in twenty fathoms water, over
a rocky bottom.

SECTION III.

'0 '1

■■u:

\ln(1ian.s xisit the Ships with hum — Exhibit a thieving Disposition — Bring Salmon to barter— De-
scripliimof the Country, Climate, Produce — Ships proceed down the River — Presents given at
parting — Quit Cook's River — Proceed towards Prinee Williani's Sound — Proceed along the Coast
—Departure from th^ Coast — Arrive at Owhyhee — Anchor at Woahoo.

SOON after they had anchored, two small
canoes came off' from the shore nearly a-
ibrcast of the ship, and went along-side tiie Queen
Icimrlotte. The persons in the canoes had
Inothins; to barter but a few dried salmon, which
ICaptain Uixon purchased for beads: he also
liiiadc thejn a fcsv presents, to convince them that
lliis intentions were j&iendlv, and that he wished
|lo (leal with them on amicable terms. They
KTined to comprehend Captain Dixon's meaning,
liinJ promised to bring furs on the subsequent
, About seven the next morning, two large
niioos, and several small ones, were seen pushing
loil i'luin the shore. The large canoes contained

From i\m party -ur Europnau n.iTigahirs ]ir(>('iire(l

)iijur iwciity sea-otter sk.in<>, \vith a (aw clwakii iimde of

Itln' I'lirlcss marmut skins, sewed together very neatly.

rinyli ailed with great integrity, iind iniportniicd the Kii.

pu;iC'aiis to go on shore. Tiio riiptuin entreated one of

U1I, hIjo appeared (o bo a cliicf, to rome on board,

l;!ili lie declined at firtit. unless a sailor was placed in the

Ltiuins a hbhta^o ; but in the course of this cuuvcr^alioi);

Vol. II. No. LXXXI. ' '■"'■ ■•" ■'" •

about twenty people each ; the small ones oulr
one Oi two at ihe most. When at some distance
from the shore, they began a song, which was
continued for a considerable length of time; after
which they came along-side, extending their
arms as a token of their pacific intentions, and
many of them exhibited green plants with a
similar intent. Most of these Indians had their
faces smeared with red ochre and black lead,
which gave them a very disgusting appearance;
many of their no' <"% and ears were ornamented
with blue b(:ads oi teeth: and they had a slit ia
*\\z upper lip, i;i a line parallel with the mouth,
decorated in a similar manner *.

aiiotlier of his companions ventured on board; and fioon
after" ards (he, chief, and many others followed his exam-
pio: To convince them, however, that they were perfect! r
safe, the captain sent one of his people into their boat, as
iiad been at first proposed. After remaining a eonsidcrablo
time on board, and gratifying their curiosity with takiner »
survey of the vessel, they left them, and paddled on shore
wUti seeming satisfaction.

3 G Fron

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208

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

;i-

From this favourable beginning, the captain
supposed be could not change his situation for a
better, be therefore determined to keep it a few
days; accordingly they righted the best bower,
and moored it to the southward, and the stream
to the northward*.

An aged chief went on board the Queen Char-
lotto, from whom r:«ntain Dixon received some
information respect. ng the Russians. He per-
fectly comprehended from the old man's point-
ing to the guns, and describing the explosion
they made, and other particular circumstances,
that a battle had happened between the Russians
and the natives, to the disadvantajre of the former.
The chief, however, intimated that he was not
displeased with our navigators on that account,
as he was certain they belonged to a different na-
tion, and their dress was totally different. IIow
this quarrel originated, they could not learn with
any degree of precision, but theft is supposed to
have been the probable cause.

The Indians, on leaving the ship, informed
our navigators that the neighbourhood was drain-
ed of furs, but they would visit the adjacent
country in pursuit of more. Our navigators were
inclined to believe the information obtained from
their visitors, respecting the scarcity of furs in
this part; as they had observed for several days
past, that the canoes came from different quar-
ters, and the very few skins they brought were
of an inferior quality. They were therefore de-
termined to quit Cook's River the first opportu-
nity, and proceed to Prince William's Sound,
'where they expected to procure an abundant
supply of fine furs.

After some very unsettled weatlier, they had
fresh gales to the southward, with thick hazy
weather; but this did not prevent two canoes
from venturing along-side with a few salmon.
On the 8th, two of the natives came on board,
and Captain Dixon gave each of them a knife,
a gimblet, and some beads. They knew not the
use of the gimblet, till it was pointed out to
them; after which they were taught to bore a
hole through a piece of wood, which at once

♦ On the 30tli a niimber of Yisitcrs came in (heir canoes,
of whom they 1)11 rch.iseil some exei'ili-iil si'.i.oKor skins;
■HJth several marmot cloaks, racoons, and foxes: plenfy of
fine salmon was also obtaineil, for an cqiiivaien* in btads
and buttons. For several days (ralfic was tarried on with
peace and quietness; but not being abiis^o jjet (he belter of
their propeusity to tfaivTtng; some of thc.nadvcs could nut

discovered thoir value; and the gimblets ^ej.
thought superior to any of the other presents

The visitors being prepared to go on shore, jt
began to blow very hard ; when they were polite,
ly asked to stay on board till the gale was over
and their canoes should be hauled upon deck'
This proposal was readily agreed to ; but a surly
old man in one of the canoes, thoaght proper to
object to ii, and insisted on their leaving the
ship; which they accordingly did, and witlj
difficulty arrived on shore.

The land to the westward is beautifully diver-
sified with vallies and gently-rising grounds, and
generally clothed with pines and shrubs. Many
of the vales have small rills of water, which dis-
charge themselves into tl'e sea; in one of tliera
several houses were observed, and some stages on
which the natives dry their salmon. These, con-
trasted with the mountains situated behind them
which are enveloped in snow, compose a pic^
turesqne landscape.

Besides the various sorts of furs which have
been enumerated. Cook's River produces native
sulphur, ginsang, snake-root, black lead, and
coal, with t.ie greatest abundance of vcrv line
salmon; and the natives conduct themselves with i
so much candour and liberality in their bartering,
that a very profitable business might be carried
on here by any persons who have sufKcieiit en-
terprise to undertake it.

On their leaving Cook's River, several canoes I
came off from a town near the south point of I
Trading Bay. In one of them they found a man '
who was 80 extremely useful in procuring furs,
that they gave him the appellation of "the I
Factor." From him they understood, that the
Russian* frequented the west side of the island to I
the southward, and that there is a passage from
that to the main. The factor brought nothmgl
with him to dispose of, except a few salmon:!
his principal motive in paying tlie navigators thisl
visit, was to entreat their assistance against thcl
Russians: he was extremely importunate with]
them to comply with his request, intimiitnig, A
the same time, that he could instantly asseniblcl

nsisttho tem|)(a(ion of stealing the hooks from i Wockj
strap, an.I ;i (•.-■indstone handle, ..hich, being made of iiouj
wa>^ (lonbii ' . il.niijihf ,i valnaMe | rlze, The ntptain, hoJ
ever, did nt>i i. Idj.! violmt mi'iMircs for this olli'iav, bud
contented himself by ordering Ktrict attentionto be paidiJ
the actions of such plunderers, who should presuuc id
pilfer any tbing in future.

.1 /v .'. «>u

<»>*

A ler^

If'
( .i

A VOYAGE ROUND 'i HE WORLD.

larffC fle*t of canoes, with which, and the as-
sistance of their ships, they could certainly get
the better of their enemies. On the captain's
refusin"" to comply with this request, he seemed
much disappointed and chagrined; hut to aflbrd
him some consolation under his disappointment,
he gave him a light-horseman's cap, with which
he was highly pleased; and his countrymen
viewed him with such a confused mixture of ad-
miration and envy, that it seemed questi(mab!e
whether he would long keep it in his possession.
\ few trifles, however, were distributed among
the other Indians, and they returned on shore
perfectly satisfied, though the British navigators
had refused to espouse tlieir cause.

About nine o'clock in tiic morning of the 11th
of August they saw a number of canoes, which
they supposed were traders ccming off to the
sliip; but, viewing them through a glass, he ob-
served two Rus.'ian boats among them: they
were probably the same party tiiey had met in
Coal Harbour; whence they concluded that the
factor's intelligence might probably be true, of
their having a settlement on the west side of the
island*.

On the 27th of August Captain Portlock sent
his whale-boat on bo'.rd the Queen Charlotte
for Captain Dixon, to consult him on their fu-
<ure proceedings; he prt sontly appeared on board
the King George; and having fixed on George's
Sound ifor their winter quarters, (hey formed a
resolution of quitting this part of the coast in a
(liiy >,'■ two, should the wind continue unfavour-
able, a"!d endeavour to make some harbour far-
Iher to the southward. These points being set-
tled. Captain Dixon returned on board his own
vessel.

On the 4th of September, finding his state of
health but very indi.lerent. Captain Portlock
again sent for Captain Dixon to come on board;
i:ii(ending, should his illness render him incapa-
ble of keeping the deck, for the Queen Char-
h)(tc to take the lead, and make for Cro.ss Sound,

from thence to Cape Edgecombe, and then to

^ • " "" '

• Having light variable winds, with calms by turns, thoy
tuok the aiUaiitu^c uf thu tide in standing duuii tliu rivor,
and at noon uii the 13th wore duar of it. 'I'iic Barruti
l>lanits (hen boru suutli west and south, and Capt) F.liz.i.
bi'ili north ; their distance fi'oin the nearest shore about
llirro loai^ii.s. The land on which Cape Mlizabutli is situ-
ated a an inland, and in the t^i raits funned by that and the

''V lands, there is good aiicborajjc and shelter, ifere

King George's Sound ; where they had agreed
to winter, and build a shalop of about sixty or
seventy tons burthen, if they should be forti/nate
enough to arrive there before the severity of the
winter season had hindered them from mak ing
the necessary preparations.

In the afternoon of the 9Mi, finding himself so
ill as to be unable to keep (he deck, Captain
Pordock desired his first mate to spoak the Queen
Charlotte, and request Captain Dixon to take
the lead, which ho accordingly did. Not falling
in with Cross Sound, and not having leisure to
look for it in any other situation, they tacked at
four o'clock on the 9th, and stood to the south-
ward, with a moderate breeze from the east-
south-east. The almost constant succession of
disagreeable weather they had for some time ex-
perienced, induced them to suppose that tie bad
weather was set in, and that their making a port
on the toast was a precarious point; in which
case they would be under the necessity of spend-
ing (he winter at the Sandwich Islands. Under
this consideration, the captain thought it prudent
to put the ship's company to an allowance of
water, at the rate of two quarts per man each
day.

They plied with variable winds till the 16th,
when not supposing there was a probability of
meeting with a harbour near Cape Edgecombe,
they declined all fiirtlior (houglits of it, and de-
termined i (and for King George's Sound.
The Queei. .; lotto being some distance a-h<;ad.
wore and stit d under (lifir lee, and Cap ;ini
Dixon hailed, inlon.iinLi Captain Porllock, that
he saw no appca/ance of a harbour or my inha-
bitants.

Early on the 2'id, they saw land extending
from north to north-east distant about ten leagues.
At two o'clock on the 23d, seein- i canoe put-
ting off from the shore, they sht;. cned sail and
brought to, for her to come up: she had two
Indians, but neither of them could be previiied
on to come on board : they had four Hsi which
were purchased of them, and the^ o further

would be a most desirable situation fur carrying on a whale-
fishery, (hose animals being very numerous on the coast,
and close iu shore j and there are excellent harbours handy
for the business. The Barren Islands winch arc jitiiateil
nec.rly in the midway between Point Banks and Lape I'^liza-
bcth, are high and totally barren : they lie in a cluster, and
liavti good passage^ between tbcm.

gratided

■ R '«

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i',(i-->;

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210

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

gratified with a few trifling presents; after which
they quitted them, and piiddled for that part of
the shore between Woody Point and King
George's Sound. In the course of the evening
they frequently sounded, and had from fifty-four
to sixty-two fathoms water over a muddy bottom.

After many ineffectual attempts to get into the
Sound, and reflecting on the improbability of
getting into it this season, the bad weather seem-
ing to be set in for a continuance : added to these
considerations, the crews stood greatly in need
of refreshments. It was therefore irrevocably
determined to quit the coast, und stand directly
for the Sandwich Islands: after hailing the Queen
Charlotte, Captain Di.xon was made acquaiiiled
with this resolution. They procef^tScd towards
the Sandwich Islands, witliout any memorabh!
occurrence; the wind hanging from south to
south-east, and being generally light and va-
riable, their progress was rendered somewhat
tedious.

On the nth of October, steering west by
south, at five o'clock in the afternoon they saw
land, which they soon discovered to be the high
mountain on the island of Owhyhee, with seve-
ral patches of snow on its summit, bearing west
rear thirty leagues distant. In the morning of
the 16th, with a fresh breeze at south-east, they
stood to the south-west for Owhyhee, the north
point bearing west by south, eleven or twelve
leagues, and their distance from the nearest
shore five leagues. At noon they stood to the
north-west by north, about three miles distant
from shore: about five the east end of Mo wee
bore north-north-west, about len leagues distant.
Night coming on, fires were lighted in dilierent
parts of the country, perhaps to inform the in-
habitants of more distant parts of their arrival.
As they run along with u gentle breeze, almost

* On the 19(h of November, CapKiin Porllock wont in
]m wlialc-boat on board the Queen Charlotte, to confer
Mith Captain Dixon respecting their future proceedings.
The result of this conference was, that tlieir rigging fore
and aft stood much in need of repairiwg and overhauling,
and that it would bn prudent to quit chetr present situation,
and proroed for King George's Bay, Woahoo, where
tlioy could be sheltered from the prevailing winds, and ad.
jii«t the hulk and rigging uf both ships ; accordingly, with
a li^ht breeze, and very unsettled weather, they bore away
to the northward, intending to pass to the eastward of
Alowee, and then to run down for Woahoo. A little be-
furi; (l:iri«, they saw a canoe to the 8outh«wcst, making

within pistol-shot of the shore, the natives of
both sexes assembled numerously on the beacli
waving slips of white cloth as a token of peace
and amity. Expecting to find good shelter jm
bay on the west side of the island, and near a
district called Toeyayaa, the captain sent the
whale-boat to sound, and look out for a har-
bour. In the mean time they stood off and or
under an easy sail, giving the natives an (»i pof.
tunity of exhibiting the produce of their isiaiid
which was done in great abundance. lUm,
fowls, geese of • wild species, plantains, bread-
fruit, taro, and cocoa-nuts, and salt. Mere bar-
tered for nails, towes, and trinkets of difl'cnnit
kinds. In the course of four hours, the naviga-
tors purchased as many hogs as, when saUcJ,
filled seven Tierees, beyidts great numbers of a
smaller sort for daily jonsumplion. Near twu
tons of vegetables were also prociired.

The Indian traders acted very fairly and con-
scientiously, but some of the spectators, of whom
there were great numbers of both sexes, manifest-
ed their usual propensity to thieving. One man
had the dexterity to steal a boat-hook out of a
boat along-slJe, though a boat-keeper was then in
her; and another crept up the rudder chains, and
stole the azimuth compass from a cabin window.
Many trifling things were peculated in the course
of the day, which cannot be any matter of asto-
nishment, as there were about two hundred and
fift} canoes about the ship at once, which con-
tained at least a thousand people.

With a light variable breeze they steered south-
east towards Owhyhee, and by noon were within
three miles of the shore; many of the visitors of
the preceding day came along-side, with fine
hogs, and plenty of vegetables, which they wcic
willing to dispose of*.

In the afternoon of the *23d, it being calm and
pleasaut,

after them, Ji-iviug a small in-it up lor a sail, and paddlin?
very laboriously. 'J'hc\ brought to, and piik.il her up.
Four mi n were in ilieii e.inoe, bi --ides a quantity of pio.
visions, as potatoes, plaiil;iins, &c. It appeared tiut tlu'?
belonged to the island of Mo wee; and on our navigators
standing in for the east part had put oft' with tluir little
cargo, expecting to take It to a good markit; but, jpoo
their bearing aw.iy from the island, thi-y found the weather
so very bad, and the wind so strong against them, that (hey
could not reach the shore: They bore aw.iy after them, set
tlieir sail and i)r:ictised every eflbrt to art up with the ship:
The captain thought himself hapi>\ m li ing fcrtmiute
enough to get sight of them; f<»r tho/ must otbcfwisc Iran!

A VOYAGE ttOUND THE WORLD.

ill

pleasant, the Indians they had picked up off the
'ast end of Mowee, embraced the opportunity
of going 0" shore. The captain urged them to
stay on board till the morning, that they might
have an opportunity of standing close in shore,
aod have less danger io encounter; but they fixed
iipon the present moment, and seemed regardloss
ofthe- distance, though it was not then less than
about five leagues. These poor fellows did not
depart empty-handed, for, in addition to the
presents they received from the captain, almost
every person on board gave them r<ome sign ili cant
token of their friendship : their misfortunes thus
became singularly advantageous to them.

It was the intention of our navigators, after
leaving Owhyhee, to proceed immediately for
King George's Bay, Woahoo, and there attend
to the necessary reparations of the ships. They
plied, however, with variable winds till the
morning of the 30th, without any material oc-
currence; at that time the wind seeming fixed to
the northward and eastward, and in a more set-
tled state than it had been, they bore away for
Woahoo. At four o'clock they hauled round
Dick's Point, and at five came to anchor in King
George's Bay, in twelve fathoms water.

ii-''A» *i|

^1 'I

t 1

i.:, /,-"•;. I'.-- ;;. :^-^. ,..;,-,- .. SECTION IV.

llsitf:' h;i Tahceterre — Baneful I^ffects of the Yava-root—^Transactions at Woahoo — An Eatooa
erected — The Chiefs make Offerings — Attack on the Ship meditated — The Effect of Fire Arms
displitycd—lhoo Indians embark for Atooi — Take Leave ofTaheeterre — Departure from Woahoo
—Refreshments procured — llsited by the King — Large Shark — Arrival at Oneehow — A Woman
and a Pupbii — Departure from the Samlwich Islands.

HAVING anchored in King George's Bay
on the 30th of November, a few canoes

I came along-side immediately after, but they had
hardly any thing for sale : the bay indeed seemed
very lliinly inhabited, and by persons of little
iinporJance. The captain expressed a wish to
i>omc of them to procure him a supply of water,
and directed them to bring it as they had former-
ly done. They would icadily have complied
will) liis request, in consideration ofthe nails and

' brads which were to have been given to them in
euhangc; but they instantly informed him, that

[ not only water, but every thing else upon the
i.laiid, was tabooed by the king's order.

Finding matters thus situated, he gave a man,
«ho exhibited some degree of importance in his

deportment among the present visitors, a pre-

I m\t for the king, and another for his old
acquaintance the priest; requesting him to in-
form the king that they wanted water and re-

laon purislicd, their canoe being nearly full of wafer, anil
ihiniclvos so far rxhanstcd with fatis;iie, that they could
>«t ascend the ship's side without assistance. Their things
were safely conreycd into the ship, the cane e being hauled
in upon deck, and cTcry method talccn to recover them,
vliicb cfl'ectually corrcspundud with their cndvavours; and

Vol. II. No. LXXXI.

frcshmcnts, and humbly requested that the taboo
might be taken off. At sun-set the natives, at
the captain's request, quitted the ship, and went
on shore. Early the following morning, several
canoes were observed along-side, which, not-
withstanding the taboo, had brought them water,
and vegetables. Several large and small canoes
came round Point Dirk into the Bay, and landed
at the head of it. His old friend, the priest,
paid the captain a visit soon afterwards, accord-
ing to custom, in a large double canoe, orna-
mented with branches of the cocoa-nut tree.
After solemnly paddling round the ship, and
amusing himself by running down every small
canoe that came in his way, he came along-side ;
but before he entered the ship he enquired for
Captain Portlock. The captain, attending to
this encpiiry, appeared at the ship's side to receive
him, when the priest handed up a small pig,
which was afterwards formally presented to the

never was gratitude more feelingly expressed than by these

poor Indians, for the little farours they had fortunately been

able to confer upon them. On the 32d towaj^ sun.iet,

their visitors, after disposing of their cargoes, took » very

friendly tear* Of tkcBi, and pu'fthcd imaediately for the

shore.

» ~ 3 n captain,,

Siii

p.:

It,

i 'ii.

I h\

't/iii; 11

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K ■■' ■

^j|y

t^M

Slf i '

\ ]

r.tHi'

few

y,if.

"!l

vii

212

A VOYAGE ROUND THE V/OLRD.

captain, as a token of peace and amity, agrcc-
ablv to the usual |n;icticc at all the islancls.

The old man then informed the captain, that
the king', (who was just arrived in the bay with
a larg'c fleet of canoes) would come on board to
visit him, and on his return on sliore I he taboo
would be taken off, and the natives be at liberty to
supply him with whatever the island afl'ordod.
'J'he captain made him a present, and sent ano-
ther for the kinp:, to be delivered on shore by
him into his own hand- The priest departed
about ten, and returned about eleven in hii- own
private canoe, acconipani<^d by many others. In
a very large canoe, paddled by sixteen stout
fellows, the king then made his appearance, at-
tended by many of the principal chiefs. When
his canoe approached the ship, all the rest pud-
dled off to some distance lo make room for his
incijcsfy; wlio, after having paddled three times,
approached the vessel with great state and
solemnity, entered confidently on board, hut
would not permit any of his retinue to follow
liim, till he had obtained permission for their
attendance, which was granted to eight or ten
of the principal chiefs. The king brought (lie
captain a few hogs and vegetables, by way of
present; for which a suitable compensation was
made. Many of the chiefs also brought trivial
articles, which were properly noticed and ac-
knowledged.

The king, whose name is Taheeterre, is a
stout personable man, about fifty years of age,
and seems highly esteemed by his subjects. He
continued on board the greatest part of the day,
and directed the natives to bring an abundant
supply of water, and plenty of every other article
of refreshment that was required. Towards
evening he returned on shore, highly gratified

* On the 3d ef ""cembcr thuy reci'ivfd aiioflior visit
from Taheeterre, which was rendered as agreeable m the
former by the customary presents of hogs, vei^etables, and
cocua-nuts. The ships Mere surrounded by eanoes, and
inultitiides of both sexes were playing in (he water, though
tkey were at a considerable distance from the shore. Their
old friend, the priest, was almcst ronstantly on board,
and, as usual, drank such an immoderate quantity of
yava as f;;reatly to incommodu hiin : ho seemed almost de-
bilitated, and his body was covered with a kiuil of leprous
scurf. lie had generally two attendants on board with
liim, to chew tbo yuTa.root for him ; and h^ furnished them
with such constant employment that their jaws were per.
fatuully in the act of ihcwiof. Sometimes, indeed, he was

with the reception he had met with, and (lu
presents he had received. They instantly boijun
to feel the good effects of Tahectcrre's visit: m
longer under the influence of the taboo, the in.
tives now procured a plentiful supply of water
hogs, and vegetables; a party was therefoie in!
slant ly directed to salt a (quantity of poil; j,j[
stock : the boatswain, and another set, were or-
dered to examine and adjust the rigging*.

Tlicy were again visited by his majesty on Hig
4th, who, in addition to his customary pre.
sent, brought a large quantity of very excel-
lent nuillet, which had been taken in a small ^It
hike ut. (lie head of the bay. Though he frt,
qnenfly ate with our l-Miropeans, he never could
be prevailed on io ta.ste any wine or spirits; ii„t
did he ever use the yava, water being \m only
beverage. lie seemed much delighted with the
attention that was usually paid him, and lij,
visits were fotiiid very agreeable; for he not onlv
encouraged the natives to furnish them with
proper supplies, but even kept them in due oriiir
and decorum, that they might not incominods
the Europeans by assembling too fretpientlv in
multitudes. This afternoon their stock of wain
was completed ; the natives having in the spate
of three days, filled forty buts, besides a con-
siderable nainber of puncheons and braml\-
pieces; so eager were the natives in the prosecu-
tion of this business.

They were now rather deficient in the article of
fuel, having consumed a great deal in lipulinj
water to scald hogs, and various other pnrpOMs,
This circumstance having been mentioned, a 1
quantity of excellent fire-wood was readily pro-
cured, in exchange for nails and butions}-.

The natives daily repeated their visits, brin jinj I
with them wood, hogs, and vegetables; and .naiiv
came

under the necessity of hiring rhewers in assist him, w^'wh
he eould not get perfovnieil on more moderate terms ili.i;,
a bead forevi'iy monthful.

f Numbers of sharks were seen lurking about the ship,
four or livoofwliich were caught: and, 'having taken out I
their livers, they wore given to the Indians, who consider
them as very acceptable presents. The priest got two uf
(he largest, which he seemed to behold with delight, and
having ordered them to be carefully lashed in his canoe, was
preparing to send them on shore. On this occasion, arc
niarkablc tircuinstance occurred; at the mornent tliaMhH
I)riest's canoe !;ot a-stern of the ship, one of tlie sharks nnt
being perfectly secured, fell out of the canoe, and ,siink(o|
the bottom iu clevcu fathoms water; there being at tie

taux I

came from 1

curiosity; th

caiioP'. couli

fliC distance i

mainiiig the >

difficult task 1

The old pr

tlirtiigh he «(

pr(>fence of pa

but it clearly i

was to repleni

ronsumption

|)C extremely

captain's cxpr

he intimated t

warriors were

against our na

lie pointed to :

over the caster

informed him,

House, wherei

to their differe

upon the event

they \\erc detci

encouraged b]

])lcascd with t\

sion, and desi

their guard ag

Improbable

it would have

tallv to disrega

fore ordered to

might not be

■.imo time sceral
lii;!i;in, how«'ver,
di'.ul sliiirk, and
Hidiniit any appa
S'lrrouiuled him.
lliiy aiiiwer a var
jio|)le are very
for ilriii.T iieads,
>triimcn*s to atisv.
■ On the 1 J'h
prinripally laden
cime ull in a largi
(■iiief>, ail i.f \vh(
treated nith the li'
however, prcparei
been attempted ;
the yhips, ami the
the eanoes along-
Tal.uelei-re h id ee
eicn spuke of (1
vhieh he condiiei
hiving t)eea ou bo.

4||

A VOYAGF, KOUND THF, WOnLD.

S2I3

fame from the sole motive of gratifying tlicir
uriositv; ll'ose who wore not furniiihed with
caiii'cs couUl swim from the shore, though at
(1;c distance of ahout two miles; and, after re-
tnainine: the whole day in tlie water, found it no
tlifficuU task to rcf>air to the destined spot.

The old priest was still a constant attendant,
tlionn-h lie sometimes went on shore, under the
piTtence of paying ^ niorjiing visit to his majcgty ;
but it clearly appeared that liis principal motive
was to replenish his stock of yava, of which his
coiiKumption w;is immense. He now hegan to
be extremely restless and uneasy; and, on the
captain's cxpressinjr a desire to know the cause,
lie intimated that Taheeterre, and his principal
warriors were plaiming some mischievous plot
against our navigators. Taking hirn upon deck,
be pointed to a large house on the top of a liill,
over the casterii point of the bay: this hou.se, he
informed him, was built for an Eatooa, or God's
House, wherein great offerings were to be made
to their different Eatooas, uud to consult them
upon the event of an attack upon the ship, which
(hey were deternimed to persevere in, if lh( v were
encouraged by their oracles. He seemed dis-
pleased with the king's conduct upon this occa-
MPii, and desired they would be constantly on
(jioir guard against him.

Improbable as tliis information appeared to be,
il would have been the hoiii;ht of imprudence to-
tallv to disregard it; a constant watch was therc-
ibre ordered to be kept upon the cables, that they
might not be cut or injured by the natives.

Mine time sceral large luiii;;ry ones fivimming about; an
liulian, lioNVi'vrr, vmtiinil down uilliii rope, sliin^ tltp
doad siiark, and afterwards hauled him into liis canoe,
vtidiont any apparent api)rehensions of fear from those th.it
sirrouiided him. Sharks arc by .some thought valuable, as
lliiv aiiiwer a variety of purposes. Of salted shark, some
inoplc are very forul ; the skin makes an excellent rover
forilrin.T heads, and their teeth are fixed in wooden iu-
. (rumen's to answer some of (he properties of knives.

■ Vin the 1 Kh a number of canoes attended the ships,
jirincipally laden with tire.wooJ. About noon the kiUf{
ciniu uir in a large double canoe, attended by his principal
fiiii'f>, all of w horn were jiennitted to come on board, and
trcKctl with the usual freedom and attention. They were,
however, prepared for an attack, if any thing hostile had
hoiii attemi>(ed : cenlinels were placed in ditiercnt parts of
(he .'hips, and the ftroat tjiins and swivels were pointed into
ilic tanoi's alonp-.side, with lighted matches ready at hand.
TaUeterre had certainly perceived these preparations, and
etru spuke of them to his attendants, not-.tiihstandinK
which he. conc^iirted hiuiself in III'.- usual >-.iannor After
h*viiig been oa board some lime, lie .visited to know the «T.

People were constantly observed going np loaded,
towards the house mentioned as the scene of so-
lemn offerings; it appeared nearly finished, and
the natives were covering it with red cloth.

The captain having, at all times, treated the
king and Lis attiuidants with the most marked at-
tention, could not give credit to this report of
the old priest; not even supposing that all the
iron they might have on board could induce
them to engage in such an attack. He resolved,
however, to admit Taheeterre on board, as usual,
whenever he came, and to regulate his conduct
as circumstances occurred. In the evening the
j)rie.st quitted the ship to go on shore, having
promised to return the following day*.

The king remained on board about two hours,
and, after receiving a small present, took his
leave ; informing the captain, at the same time,
that ho intended to quit the bay, and return to
his residence at Whyteetce in the evening. It
was remarkable that, when Taheeterre left the
ship, all the canoes left them, and paddled to
the shore in different parts of tlte bayf.

For the two following days, not a single na-
tive came near e aer ol the ships, their canoe*
being hauled oui of sight; but vast numbers
were observed about the house upon the hill.
Es^rly on the 1.7th of December, the old priest
came on board, attended by his yava-chewer
Towanooha. The vetiran seemed exceedingly
enrag<;d at the king's recent condlict; and inform-
ed the c .ptain that the king, and all his principal
chiefs had been presenting offerings to their gods,

fens of their fire-arms; of whidi Ca])t.ain Portlock gave
him orular demonstration, by dischar^tu!; a loaded r,istol
with a ball at a hog that stood at a little distance, and killed
it on the spot. The king and his attendants were startluJ
at the report of the pistol, but when they saw the hog lie
dead, and the blood (lowing from the wound, they were
terrified, as much as they wer;; surprised. This instance
of the fatal elFects of their lire-arms made so deep an iiiu
pression upon their feelings, that thoy no longer entertain.
ed any idea of attacking our Kuropeans.

+ U was not long before the old priest came on board,
not in a l:>rge double canoe as usual, but in a small old bat-
ter.'d one hardly capable of conveying him, and seemed to
have performed this visit as if it was undertaken by stealth.
As soon as the old man made hi.s appearance upon deck, ho
bei?;';i to accuse the king of being a villain, minutely rejieai-
ed hi former story, and begged the captain would watch
him narrowly. After haranguing for some liiue, he went
on board the (Jiieen Charlotte, where he passed the re«
mainder of the day. Their wooding business was now per-
fectly completed, a sufticient quantity having been pro-
cured Uit at least six months consumption.

and

■ ':) I

\ Ph

\%:

• ' «;

t;-i

>: ^

•';lj

'' . n

i ;.

i '■'

1 ■ ", ;

Iv^

'■1''''

,v K

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

and consulting them, but that the gods were good
for nothing, and that the king and his adherents
were the basest of men for aiming to injure them
' most essentially, though Jhey had received innume-
rable unmerited favours from those liberal naviga-
tors. The captain thanked his enrrgcd friend
for his intelligence, and said he •wouhl rndeavour
to counteract what was meant to be injurious to
him.

For a consideruble time Captain Portlock had
been strongly importuned by Towanooha, and a
distinguished youth in the island, who was on
the most intimate terms with his majesty, to take
them with him to Afooi; but he never supposed
they were in earnest till <he 17th, when the young
chief, whose name is Paapaaa, came on board,
and mingled his intreaties with Towanooha so
pressingly, that he promised to attend them on
hoard ; and they returned on shore to get ready
for the passage. The yava-chewer being now a
kind of gentleman passenger, no longor consider-
ed himself in the humble capacity of a servant,
but drank plentifully of yava himself, and laid
in a plentiful stock of that root*.

In the forenoon sctciaI large and small canoes
came oif, bringing a considerable supply of vege-
tables, and a few hogs. The king also, with his
retinue, paid the captain a visit: on his coming
on board, he seemed rather shy, but conducted
himself nearly in his accustomed manner. When
Captain Portlock mentioned the red house upon
the hill, he seemed very much confused, and,
changing the conversation, began to talk about
his two countrymen who were to accompany him
to Atooi. lie seemed particularly interested in
Paapaaa's welfare, and earnestly requested he
would take care of him and use him well ; and if
they stopped at Atooi, he begged the captain
would leave him under the care of Taaao, who is
brother to Tahecterre, and a relation of Paapaaa 's.
The captain also made the king a present, on
which he bade them adieu for the last time; and
after taking a very affecting one of his country-
men, he went on shore : the other canoes remain-
ed along-side, expecting to dispose of their car-
goes. In the afternoon, the rigging was set up,
and every thing prepared for sea.

* Towards' ercning the natives began to pull to pieces
thitir new.built house upon the hlll ; and at eight o'clock
seTeral houses were on fire along the shore near the bay ;
but, as no Indians were on board, Ihey could not learn
whether they were let •■ fira bj a^i4«at or design : but

About four on the 19th of December, tlic?
began to unmoor, but, in the necessary prcpar,v
tions, they found tho stream cable gone about
three fathoms from the hausc: as they lay in te^
fathoms water, this part could never have been
at the ground, as they never had rode the least
strain by it; it therefore appeared very certain
that it must have been cut by the Indians. Tlic
Queen Charlotte having weighed, and stundiiur
out of the bay, they made the signal to anchor,
when she stretched in the bay, and came to close
by them.

The best situation for anchoring in Kiu^
George's bay, is near the middle of it, and about
a mile from the reef; where there are six and
seven fathoms water.

They did not anchor again till the 25th, which
was in Wymoa bay; soon after which several ca-
noes came OiT. They enquired for the king and
their old friend Abbcnooe, who they understood
were with the principal chiefs at Apoonoo, a
town in the island where the king usually re-
sides; but they were informed that the king and
his retinue would speedily be at Wymoa. The
natives, in the mean time, supplied them with
every necessary. The next day Captain Portlock,
accompanied by his two passengers, repaired on
shore, with a view of examining the western
point of the islana, to search for a wcll-aheltered
bay for the ships to ride in. On reaching tho
shore, he was respectfidly treated by a great
number of the inhabitants, a was afterwards
indulged by some of the most respectable people,
by their services in keeping the multitude at a
distance, whose curiosity might otherwise have
incommoded them.

Being disappointed in his search for a harbour,
he began to think of returning on board ; but
after walking four or five miles, he found it im-
practicable to reach Wymoa before night over-
took tliem ; and being then ut no great distance
from a mansion belonging to Abbenooe, he re-
solved to take up his abode in it for the night,
They arrived at this comfortable spot about sun
set, and one of Abbenooc's men, who had joined
in the party during the afternoon, ordered a hog
and dog to be killed and dressed for their sup-

thc next morning, when the old priest enquired the cause of
the fires that had been seen the preceding eTeniog, he wu
informed they were houses belonging to the Gods, with
whom the chiefs were displeved; who, to be reieogcii,
had consumed Q«ds and houses together.

pen;

A VOYAGE ROUND TflE WOULD.

215

. a large quantity of taro wos directed to be
Procured; and the house w»s most brilliantly

chted with torches prepared from dry rushes.

I'lie report being ready about eight o'clock, it
I as served up with great order, and was excced-

iiigiv enjoyed by the hungry partakers. At the
I , ,iiclii»ion of the feast, the remains were ordered
Ito be preserved, to ailbrd a relish in the morning,
Inrcvious to setting out on their return. On their
Imiitting the house at tliat time, not less than a
Ijiuiidred women were seen about it, most of
Lvlioni had children in their arms : they were ex-
llrcmely desirous of knowing the captain's name,
Lvliich they generally pronounced Po Pole ; and
Ijuch of the infants as could speak, were instruct-
ed by their mothers to call on Po Pate. On this
loccasion he distributed a few trinkets among
Itliem, with which they appeared perfectly satis-

Durir,? the captam s absence, the commerce
■on bdiud had been very considerable ; and on
lliij return, he had the supreme satisfaction of sec-
Ijiiopthe decks full of line fat hogs for salting.
I III the morning of the "iMi of December, Ty-
laana, a chief whom the captain had seen before,
Icamc olf in a large double canoe, bringing with
lliim a present of hoj^s and vegetable?, for which
la liberal return was made, lie informed them
Itliil tite king, and a number of his chiefs would
|bi' down in a day or two, and in the mean time
jthev should be plentifully supplied with whatever
Ithe inland aflorded. After many professions of
■[("''urd Tyaana took his leave, and returned on
Isliorc *.

Farly the next morning Abbenooe went on
1010, anel returned about nine o'clock, in the
Ifompaiiv of Tuaao, and many of the principal
jliicl's belonging to the island. His majesty
lnuii;;lit the captain a very handsome present,
Itmi^bling of hogs, and a great variety of dillier-
Iciit vegetables, together with cloth, mats, and

Tho natives roiiiiiuictl to supply our navigators with
III. hugs, fiuit, and roots; and a large party wore cnijagfil
III shore in killini; and salting i orlv for stock. Oti tho
fc^lh. tliey saw .>. nnmhcr of canoos come round the eastern
biliii of the bay, i«id soon afterwards Abboivpoe came on
lujrJ, but so exceedingly emaciated, avd covered with a
Viiw scurf, from the immoderate use of the yava, that he
lail not tlie appearance of the same person. He broiijfht
»o canoes loaded with proTisioiis, as a present for
*« two ships: After staying some time with Captain
lirilock, he went on board the Queen Charlotte, with
\t present destined for Captain Dixun, and, luturaiiig

Vol. II. No.LXXXII.

several elegantly feathered cloaks; s'l wl'ich he
insisted upon his receivir.g; they were conse-
quently conveyed into th j ship, aid the captain
displayed his gratitude by the return he made for
these favours.

Paapaaa and Towanoha being now oji board.
Captain Portlotk took an o^^portunity of intro-
ducing them to the king, agreeably to Tahce-
terre's request. Previously to vhis, he gave them
a few trifling articles which tuey presented to
liira, and were favourably received. He now
found, as he had before supposed, that Abbe-
nooe was highly esteemed by his majesty, being
consulted by him on all important occasions.
Taaao appears to be about forty-five years of
age, stout, and well-proportioned: and his dis-
position is said to be more amiable than that
which is possessed by any of his subjects. He
made olfers of friendship to Captain Portlock,
and kindly assured him tliat he should be amply
provided with the produce of the adjacent island?
lie entreated Abbenooe to continue on board, <o
prevent disputes between the natives and the ^'p •
ropeans, in the course of their extensive ti.. ''■'['
Canoes in abtnidanco came oft' on the .''Im .F
December, freighted as usual, with hogs antl
vegetables. The king also paid Captain Port-
lock another visit, accompanied by an old chief
named Neehcowhooa, who was said to be the
king's unrle, and u person of the first conse-
quence. This oltl chief, it seems, had formerly
been one of the greatest warriors that Atooi, or
any of the islands had ever produced, and had
been greatly instrumental in establishing them
under their present kings Tahccterre and Taaao.
The hardy veteran shone forth in his appearance,
and the scars with which his body was almost
covered, bore unquestionable testimony of his
valour. Ho was quite a cripple, and had lost
one eye : the sight of i.he other was also much
impaired by thi; wounds he had at sundry time*

in tho evening, took up iiis lodging with Captaia Port-
lock..

t The kinif, and liis retinue, remained about Uro hours
on board, gratifying their curiosity in observing the ship,
itsenibelli.>ihments, aud conveniences. Takin;; leave of Cap.
tain Portlock, they went on board tho Queen Charlotte,
where they continued a sliort time, sutA then retnrnc<{ on
shore. Abbenooe attended his majesty to sue him safelj
landed, and returned to tho ship for the night. Ho was
indeed so constant an attendant, that a cut was hung up
for him in tho cabin, wtth which h« was so highly pleased
that he never slept out of it.

3 I received

■iii'V ill

9^\ :

'^ ' llllli

I ■;)?'*;»'., I' till

5' '■'i«;a!fM-i'-'lh

■IK' V • :'

i::i:M

/.iin':t :■:!!:

'ilO

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

received iit biiUlc, Nvliich baflled all llic arts of
8urger;y to heal. Tuaao appeared much afflicted
on account of liis uncle's situation, and, sup-
posing our Europeans could perforin wonders,
entreated tlieni to cure liini. Captain Portlock
recommended liiui to the care of liis surgeon,
'who examined his wounds, anil furnished him
with proper dressings, accompanied with instruc-
tions for the application of them, The veteran
seemed perfectly to underi^iand the surj>eon's 'li-
rections, and promised punctually to attend tu
them.

On the 1st of January, 1787, the weather was
extremely line, but hardly a canoe was to be scea:
orj enquiring the cause of Abheuooe, he said a
tabooara had been imposed by the king. A
tabooara is a kind of tax demanded by the
sovereign on the property of the adjacent planta-
tions, being a certain portion of their produce.
At Abbcnooe's request. Captain Portlock attend-
ed him "71 shore, to observe the ceremony ,* and
greatly admired the order and regularity by which
the natives were governed : men, women, and
even children, submitted to the impost with the
greatest cheerfulness. Some brought forward
their hogs, others bread-fruit, taro, or whatever
the island produced; all which were separately
placed in heaps *.

On the 2d and 3d of January, the wind blew
very fresh, with frequent squalls, duri'g which
time they had but little intercourse with the na-
tives, and their stock of vegetables was nearly
expended ,* Abbenooe^ however, procured a sea-
sonable sup pi';'.

The weather being fine the following day,
they sent the long boat on shore to procure pro-
vision!!,' and Captain Portlock, accompanied by
Abb4;iooe, followed in the whale boat. They
landed on a beach a-brcast of the village of
Wymoa; and whilst the people were getting

* Taaao, and many of the principal chiofs, attended to
seethe rules of the Irtbooara properly enforced; and, at
the complftion of it, the whole was difided into two ])ar.
eels, which the king told Cajitain Portlock were intended
as a present for the two ships, and desired he would send
boats on shore to carry them off. The king's generous
method of proceeding obtained the Crntain's approbation,
and he was determined that he should iiot be a loser by his
liberality, though he had it not then in his power to make
bim a suitable return.

f la the afterooon of the 4th they caught a female tharkj

the hogs and other provisions into the long boat
walked two or three miles up a valley, leadinj
from Wymoa towards the mountains f . °

Taaao paid the captain another visit on tlie
lOlh, accompanied by his eldest son Taaevee, J
fine youth about twelve years of age. The kinff
informed him that he intended this ns a farcnci
visit, as he intended shortly to return to Apounoo
but tliut Abbenooe should be left on board to ac-
company them to Oneehow, which island, togt.
ther with its produce, he lu'^od the captain d,
accept as a present; and desired Abbenooe (J
take care that the natives supplied them snnicieni.
ly with yams, without expecting any tliinir j,,
return for them. But Captain Portlock bi-irccd I
(if they Voidd not permit them to sell the pro.
duce ot the island, ) that they might be rewurdrd I
for their trouble in digging and bunging otlihJ
yams to them ; which he very reluctantly assent.
ed to, and after receiving a present witli which
he was much delighted. Tic took a very fritMidiv
leave of him, as did his son and the attemlinv
chiefs; to each of whom, on parting, he ga\e|
a satisfactory present.

Among the persons of consequence in the trainl
of Taaao, on his farewel visit, was his unclel
Neehcowhooa : His wounds being considerablvl
better, he knew not how to express his thanks in)
such language as ought to accompany his grali-j
tude. He biegged permission to come daily od|
board to have them dressed, and seemed con-
vinced that they would speedily be healed. Al'terl
attending his nephew on shore, he returned witbl
a large double canoe, laden with hogs, as a pre-l
sent to the captain and the surgeon, as atokom
his gratitude. The hogs were taken on boardJ
though they protested against receiving them a|
a present ; the old warrior, however, coulil
hardly be prevailed on to receive any thing in re>
turn. The captain desired him to attend dailii

so very large that ic was necessary to hoist it out of llic wa(J
with a tackle. It was thirteen feet and a half in Inij;! J
and eight feet and a half in circumference: its iiioiilli wai
so capacious as to admit the head of a puncheon with easeJ
On opening the shark, forty. eight youii{{ ones w ere I'nunl
in her, each about the length of eight inches, two (urtlej
weighing about sixty pounds each, several small \)\j;$, ah
a large .quantity of bones. The liver, which was ml
large, was kept for oil, and the fish given to the natlvd
wh« considered it as an inestimable treasure.

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

217

-n board. Ibftt his wounds might be regularly
dressed, which gave the veteran the highest satis-
faction. .,,.., J .1
On the 27th, the king in a large double canoe,

aUciidfid by several others, quitted the bay
proceed to Apoonoo, Abbcnooe still rc-
inaiiiing on boiird the King George, where his
nicscnc'e was of considerable importance; for if
aiiV disturbance arose in their traflie with the na-
lives, he always settled it to their mutual appro-
bation. . , , . , J •

On the 1 1th they were employed ui preparing
for sailing ; the weather was cloudy, with some
rain. At six o'clock tin v weighed, with a fresh
brfc/c from the north-cast, and came to sail ;
the Queen Charlotte and the long boat in com-
pam: after clearing the bay, they made way for
the south point of Oneehow. From the 12th to
the ICth nothing important occurred, when they
tame to anchor in Yam Bay, in fifteen fathoms
water, over a bottom' of coarse sand. They
found a very heavy sea rolling into the bay,
which rendered it dangerous for the natives to
come ofl' with any thing : they went on shore to
request of the natives a supply of yams, but the
surf still continued so heavy, they refused to
have any intercourse with our navigators.

In the morning of the 17th Captain Portlock
yieni on shore with the whale-boat, accompa-
nied by Abbcnooe; and, as the surf ran too great
for canoes, they were obliged to row in under
the reef, where they found a place that the boat
could lie at her anchor with safety. They enter-
ed a canoe, intending to go on ^hore, but were
overset by the surf before they reached it, and
v^cre obliged to swim for it. After landing they
valkcd about seven miles to the northward, at
some little distance from the beach; but the
country seemed very poorly cultivated; and

* The following anecdote, though extraordinary, rc-
I laied by Mr. Goulding, a ToJimteer in the service, shews

In what estimation a favourite dog is held among the natives.

Ill walking along tlic shore, bo met with an Indian and his
Uife; the latter of whom had two puppies, one nt each

kiasl: struck with the oddity of (lie rircumstance, he was
1 induced to try if he could not purchase one «f them. Per-

iuasioiis a.nd temptations were carncsUy employed to pre-
I Tail un the woman tu consent to such a transfer of proper-
Ity; but they were long found inelfectual; at length, how.
I tier, the sight of some nails had such powerful attractions
I on the husband, that he commanded her to part with one of
luiein: at ieogtb) with crery Uemoustratiou of affectionate

Abbcnooe informed him, that after the people
had taken their stock of yams in, tlicy had great-
ly neglected tho island, barely planting a siif-
ficiency for their own use; that b>y,uc of them
had even quitted the island, and taken up their
residence at Atnoi.

On the 20lh several of the people were per-
mitted to go on shore; allof vvhou) rclurnt>(l except
three, who were in an indifl'crent state of heallh,
and whom the captain was willnig to indulge
with a longer absence till the v should Hnd them-
selves u little better. Abbcnooe had provided a
comfortable house for their reception, and or-
dered them proper necessaries and refreshments.
A heavy gale coming on presently after, obliged
the captain to cut the cables, and run out of the
bay, and the three invalids were conse(]uently
left on shore. Abbenooe, and several of the
Indians, were on board at that time, and went
to sea with them.

Fom the 21st to the 26th they were kept beat-
ing oflf and on about Oneehow and Atooi ; at
length they came to anchor in the south point of
Yam Bay. The three invalids, who had been
indulgently treated by the natives, and who had
been on board the long-boat ever since their an-
chorage in the bay, were now got on board.
On the 5th of February, the captain permitted
the second Wktch to go on shore : a number of
Abbenooe's people attended them by his order,
that no quarrels or altercations might arise, and
that they might be regularly supplied with pro-
visions. In the evening when the people return-
ed, not a single theft had been committed, and
every one had been generously treated with every
luxury the island could atlbrd. On the 31st
they came to anchor in Whymoa bay, in twenty-
nine fathoms water, over a bottom of fine mud-
dy bbck s^nd *.

>S _ The

concern, she rcliirtantly coiisunied, giving it a Inst endear,
ing embrace. Though she was then at a considerable dis-
tance from the ship, the woman would not part with her
nursling, till she arrived where the boat was lying to receive
him on board. On its quitting the beach, she earnestly
requested to be once more permitted to caress it before she
parted with it. That favour being granted, she immediafe.
ly placed it at the breast, aud after a profusion of endear-
men Is, returned it to him again.

The following passage, from Mrs. Piozzi's Travels
through Italy may serve to accompany this anecdote. " If
the Neapolitans do bury Christians like dogs, they niak6
some siugular compensations we will confess, by nursing

dogs

r if ''i-iyfei^ " : ill

218

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WOULD.

This day, nt Captain Portlock's request, two
cliiefs oil board, wlio were residents at Whynioa,
thought proper to exercise themselves with their
gpenrs: their wonderful dexterity in that science
astonished every person on board. One of them,
named Na-Maa-teerac, is a well made person-
able man n.bout five feet six inches high, but his
skin is much blemished by the immoderate drink-
ing of yava, and he is blind of one eye. Though
lie is not supposed to possess much property,
lie is greatly respected, and his company is
i^ought by ail the principal men of the island,
lie n now reverenced, on account of :.aving
been, and still remaining a man of valour. The
loss of his eye was occasioned in battle by a stone
slinig from n sling, but this accident did not
binder him from distinguishing himself in mili-
tary exercises and engagements, of which he
gave the most satisfactory proofs. He took his
stand, unarmed about, three or four yards from
the cabin door : the other person stood at the
distance of eight or ten yards from him, provided
>vith Ave spears. On the signal being given for
commencing the action, a spear was forcibly
aimed at Na-maa-tee-rae, which he avoided by
a motion of tlie body, and caught it by the mid-
dle as it passed him: with this spear he parried
all the rest without the least apparent concern,
and with no great exertion. He then returned
the spears to his adversary, and armed himself
■with a Pa-ho-a; they were again thrown at him,
and again as easily parried. One of the spears,
struck into the bulk-head of the cabin, and the
barbed point was broken oil' in attempting to get
it out. The indiflerence manifested by his coun-
tenance, while the spears were casting at him,
sultieicntly proved his courage and expertness.
Though all the spectators shuddered at the
danger he seemed exposed to, they were equally
astonished to see with what facility he bailled his
opponeni.

Being on shore, on the .5th of February, with
his old friend Abbonooe, the captain observed,
in the village of VVyuioa, four or five pretty

dogs like Cliri.stiaiis. A very veracious man iiirormed me
yt.>tvrda.y morning, that liis poor wife was half-brokcii
h'.artcd at hearing kucIi a rountrss's dog was run over; for,
saiil lu', fiavi'tg suckled the prelti/ creature herself, she
loved it like one of her children. 1 bid hint repeat the cir.
CKiiistanc-L', that no mistake might be made: lie did su ;
but seeing me look shocked or ashamed, or something he
did uot like — Why, uiadain, said tiic fellotc, It is a com.

large houses without inhabitants, though sccm
ingly in good condition, on asking Abbcnooc
wily they were tabooed, he was informed tliei
were structures erected for the king, whencvo
he chose to honour Whymoa with a visit, and
that no persons were permitted to use them in hi
absence. He also informed the captain, that th
king had directed him to build him a house on
clear spot to the westward «)f these houses, and
that he had brought him here to make choice of
a situation to his own liking. For a time he dp.
dined the favour intended him, but his friendj
earnest entreaty at length prevailed on him to
consent to gratify them; and accordingly fixed
immediately on a spot.

No sooner had he signified his consent than
workmen were engaged; some were dispatched
to fetch wood from the country ; otiiers to pro.
cure long grass for thatching; all orders were re.
ceived with the greatest satisfaction, and every
one exerted himself to the utmost ; so delighted
were they with the idea of having their fnend
Po-poo-te among them. Neai' to the spot. Cap.
tain Portlock had fixed, he procured a larw
stone, on which he etched the initials of \%
name, his country, and the year of (uir Lord
All this he explained particularly to his friend
who seemed delighted with tlie explanation.
The stone was ordered to be placed in tlie centre
of the house.

One very great inconvenience attends their
houses, which is their want of windows: the ex-
treme heat of the weather makes them very un-
comfortable and close; but the principal pre-
cautions are against the rains and cold. ^Vhen
they find it too warm, they repair to the water |
to cool themselves, being totally indifterent whe-
ther it is by night or day. The captain re(|ucst-
ed of his friends to have windows in his house;
one at each end, one on each side of the door'
and one at the back, for the double advantasjcof
light and air. He assured him it should bo done
as he desired; and every thing being adjusted
respecting the building, they proceeded up the

man thiii^ enough for ordiuary men\t tcivcs to siidlel
the lup.dogs of ladies of quality ; adding, that tlwif r.-(ytf
paid for tlieir milk-, and he snto no harm in s^ratifi/iiii one's
superiors. As 1 was disposed to see nothing but liJirm in
disputing with such a competitor, our conference (iiiisjird
soon; but the fact is certain. PiozzCs Travels throwkl
Italy, <§c. Sfc. ii. 47."

I -

vallev

A VOYAGF, ROUND THP: WORLD.

219

L]|,.v amended by a great number of the
r ', "f »ift«li sexes, who behaved with the

, of both sexes, who behaved
,,,(r,t fri«'iidship iind hogpitality; pressing liini

r ^stlv «> *'"^''^ ^^'■'"^ house he came to,
I'^Mk/of stich fare as they wow able to bca

and
bestow.
linyi'f the women brought llieir children in
' ihiit is to salute, bv Miiiching noses; his

ill

with which sermcd to afford them
"n'llar salisf^ttio" lie was much delighted to
"Ki) much happiness in the countenances of
'^'^, l„„idred of the Indiiins, whom he had for-
! Iv the irreatest rcasov> to think were a trea-
llnnu pM'P'''- This vx( ursion gave the cap-
liii all :id(litioii:d opp »'ii'nity of adinirinj; the
|,,.„',,itv and industry M' the'niitives, in laying
" tluir <;tro and sugRi-cane grounds; a con-
rioral)!*' part of which are made on the banks of

rivpr, witl' rauseways of stones and earth,
„,|inn. lip the valleys, and to each plantation.
j.^, faro beds arc usually a qtiarter of a mile
,.r^ diimmcd in, havinsc a place in a part of
L j,,j,ik which serves as a gateway. When the
[ins connronce, in the winter sca-on, the river
Uls with the torrents from the mountains, and

[iro beds are overflowed. When the rains
Ic over, and the rivers decrease, the dams are
lipped np, and the wafer preserved to nourish
t! tiro ;ii»d ^ugar-canc during the dry season;
I, water in the u u.. is usually a font and a lialf,

two feet, over a muddy bottom: the sugar-
lr,c gcmrally in lo*s water, grcws very large
[d fine, and is a uiateriul article of food with

natives, especially the lower class: the taro
k|) (rrows as large as a man's head, and is the
Martiilc of 'he bread kind they have; some-
nes tlicv m.ike a pudding of it, which they
(ill it becomes a little sour, when they
leim it a great delicacy: it is then called po-e.
L Indians eat an immoderate quantity of this
Hide. Captain Portlock says he has se<Mi his
lend Abbenooe eat about two quarts at a meal,
Lcs a quantity of fish or pork.

to siidli
thcq r:ye
I///',;,' D'if'i
t l>:trm in I
■n liiiish.'ill

v;»llev

I On Ills .irrival on board, he found every thing in good
ler: the iiilciilion and industry of the pL'0|)lcin supplying
tnititli overy thing in their power, cxcoodt'd all example;
|ir hospitality and generosity were unbounded. Abbe.
lis atl;u hmoiits to both ships' comiiauie» was singular.
general he sUpt on board the Kiug George, where he
\ indulged with a cot, as has already been observed ;

Lid man, however, had sonic falls before he perfectly

Lrslood its cwistrnction, by getting in ou one side, and

ling out of the other.

hi.W. No. LXXXir.

After gratifying his curiosity among the planta-
tions, his friends accompanied him to a large
house, near the bottom of the iiilU, ua the west
side of the valley, not exceeding three miles
iVoiu the beach. It was larg*', commodious, and
neat, with n handsome new mat on the floor: a
woud- n image of a tolerably large si/e, was seat-
ed una chair; a grass-plat, with this figure in
the centre, is inclosed with a small railing inadt;
of wood: several to-e?, and (»ther small aiticies,
were also observed. Abbenooe itiiormed the
captain that this hou.sc had l)een biiik with the
to-e lie had given him on his iir.st co(ning to
Oncohow; and the other articles were also pre-
sents bestowed on him at ditrerent periods; and
that till? image was to commeniorat.; his having-
been among them. Few people could obtain
admittance into tliis house. Among other arti-
cles, it contained w^veral drums; on': of which
was of considerable magnitude; the head of
it was made of the skin of the large shark,
already described; and these drums were said
to be d<'diciited to their gods. Having taken re-
frcshmcMts, such as pork, salted fish, Uxxo, and
cocoa-nuts, they returned to the beach.

The long-boat being in shore, to convey pro-
visions ci'llected by a tabooara, or tax imposed
by the king, Captain Portlock says, be had
great reason to be well satisfied with the natives
who attended on this occasion: he went oil' in
the long-boat, accompanied by Abbenooe, and
soifie other chiefs, who were nuith delighted
with the (tail to the ship, a brisk breeze happen-
ing at the time*.

From the 9th to the 12th of Februarv nothina:
remarkable occurred. Three canoes came mII'
with provisions, and, after having sold their
cargoes, took their leave of us, as did their
faithful friend, who left his son on bc-ird, wish-
ing* to go with us.

Oi' the Itith their old friend Abbenooe came
oft' frou" the east point of A tool, in a large

On the Rth tii.. king arrived in the bay, willi his usual
attendants: he c»mb on board, and sociiu-d delighted with
tiic friendly intcicours^ that subsisted between his subjects
and the people- The JIuropeans always went on shore un-
armed, that the nativ'S niip,ht not bo apprehensive of dan.
ger; and this coitdiict encouraged a mutual confideace iiv
each other. The king continued on board a few hours^.
and then Captain Portlock accompanied him on board tho
Queen Charlotte, to ^ c Captain Dixon.

.?K

double'

I m

(' 81'! ,1

' m

.■u

!'i

■t.

l\ -i !!«'

■t • -•■

'■%'B:-

220

A VOYAGE ROLAND THE WORLD.

double canoCj 'oriiiging a fii.e hog and some
tare. Captain Purllock made him a present,
■with which he was perfectly satisfied, and ini-
luediatcly went on board the Queen Charlotte.

From this time till the first of March nothinj^
extraordinary happened. A chief of some con-
sequence, named Nohomiteliitee, who had fre-
quently been on board, a^ld found very service-
able in procuring proviKions, requested to be
taken into the ship. He was so earnest it his
solicitations, that the captain at, last consented.
He sai(! he had collected a number of little ar-
ticles, which he made a present of to his father,
a very aged and infirm man, but Pooreeare, one
of the; king's messengers, who rules with an un-
limited 'ay when the king and chiefs are absent
from the island, krjwing the old man was pos-
sessed of these things, went to him, and insisted
upon all his treasure, consisting of to-es, !)eads,
rings, and othe.'' articles which his son hud given
Lim. The aged nip.n denied that he had any
such property in his possession; having pre-
viously taken care to remove them out of the
bouse, and conceal them in a hole on the
ground, at a convenient distance from the habi-

tation. The messenger still insisted upon hnA
ing where they were, and the old man condiuiii).
obstinate, the king's oOicer seized him In \U
throat, and threatened to nmrder him, if hpjji
not inmiediatoly deliver up the goods. Ilcliajl
proceeded so far in the execution of his tiirejil
that he was nearly .strangled before he wouijj
discover where his treasure was deposited: A
soon as this informatioH was obtained,- the mci.]
senii;er made himself master of the whole.

Nohomit<;hitee landed with his canoe at iihji
instant, and saw his father thu? perfidiously pluJ
dcred of his" property, but did not iiitcrferf I
not perhaps from a deficiency of courage, bull
dreading the luilimitcd power of a king's mej.
senger. Nohomitehitec being taken on l)o;i;ii|
according to his request, and relating his sorrow.
ful tale, wanted to punish the messenger, t'orlij
ill behaviour ; but Captain Portlock advised liiigl
to the contrary; and being afterwards tired ol
living upon salt provisions, he quitted thcsliiaj
and left them. Since that time, the captiiin iuj
no opportunity of seeing the king or Abbciiooi
before he left the islands, to enquire what I
'jceii done in his father's atl'air.

SECTION V.

Passage from the Sandwich Inlands to the American Coast — Beer made of Sxccct-Root — Arraali
Montague Island — Anchor in Ilanning's Ihnj — Hoats sent on a trading Expedition — ^kctxdm
a Vessel from B'ligal — \''isilcd hii a yoxecrful Tribe of Indians — Their Prnpensitj/ to Thcft~M
})arturc from ^\Ioutaguc Island — The Ships separate — Indians visit the Ships xcit'i Sea-ollcr Sld4
— Boat sent out — Plundered by the Indians — f 'isited In/ several Tribes.

PROCEEDING for the coast of Americo, a
second tim». nothing of m;i1ericl conse-
quence occurred till the 19th of March. This
d'ly Captain Portlock, supposing himself about
twenty-tivc or 'hirty leagues tO the eastward of
tlu Resolution and Discovery's track towards
the coast, and having a strong gale with very
thick weather, did not think it prudent to run
during the uigiit. Queen Charlotte brought to
close under their lee quarter. During the night
it continued to blow very hard, with heavy
squalls from the south-south-east. From this
time to the I2th of April, they kept their course
for the coast. Both ships' companies were very
well.

Having mentioned the method of brewing (
sweet root. Captain Portlock here observes, ll
three quarts of molasses were put into sixi^al!,)oi
of beer, in addition fo a pint of essence of malt
and after remaining a short time ia holtloi,
was not inferior to the finest cyder. Ricliiii
Greenhalt, one of the quarter-masters, liij
bottle given him daily, and it was foinul nf ii
finite service to liim; its good effects were alinoi
instantaneous: it is an excellent and niott \i
luable medicine. The poor man was so rediice[
with an almost rontinual spitting and vcniitii
of blood, that Captain Portlock's surgeon vl
of opinion he could not live many days.

Towards evening on the ITtli^ supposing (Ij

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

221

trere not wore than ten Icaajues from the south-
vest point of Montague Isiand, Captain Port-
lock hauled the wind to the westward, under an
easy saib to wait for day-light to run in for the
land; but in this ho was disappointed; for soon
after midnight, the weather grew very thick,
and it began to rain. On the 18th, at three in
the morning, the weather cleared a little: this,
however, was of short continuan e, for, in less
tiian an hour, it again became thick, and the
wind began to blow very fresh at south. They
sounded with a hundred and lifty fathoms line^
but jot no bottom. They had then a succession
of fresh gales, and thick dirty weather.

During the night of the 23i\, they stood to
the eastvpard under an easy sail, and early the
next morning they stood in for the south-west
i)oint of Montague Islands, under all the sail
they could make. At noon on the 24th, the ex-
licini's of Montague Island in sight bore east-by
soiilli five miles, and uorth by cast four leagues,
their distance from the nearest shore about three
miles.

About one o'clock an appearance of a good
bay presented itself on the Montague Island
shore, to which Captain Portlock directed his
course: at two o'clock the whale-boat was sent
to sound and examine it. She returned in an
hour, when the otlicer in her reporteJ, that the
ships could ride in it with safety; they accord-
ingly hauled in for it, and anchored at four
o'clock in twenty fathoms water, over a muddy
bottom. On looking round the bay. Captain
Portlock thought be could perceive it take a
short turn round a point nearly at the bottom,
on which he went, accompanied by Captain
Dixon, to examine ir. They cjirried good sound-
mp to the said point, and found that a ship
(Mild lie in toiir and a luilf and five fathoms
water, with (he south point of the bay just shut
in vuth this point at about a cable's length from
'l»c shore.

Before he left the ship they were visited by
five ca'T.cs, some containing only one man, and
others iwo; but the captain was surprised to Hnd

that they had not the skin of any animal among
them. They had beads of various sorts, par-
ticularly yellow and green, of which they seem-
ed much to approve. These visitors frequently
repeated tl'c word Moolka, nt flic same time
pointing up the sound. Towards evening those
people went away, and paddled out of the bay,
after stealing several fishing-lines which were
hanging overboard*.

No Indians coming near, he resolved to quit
the place; and accordingly, on the 29tli tliey
weighed, and sailed out of the bay ; but the
same evening was obliged to run in again on ac-
count of contrary winds. During the night of
the 2d of May, they had light variable winds,
with calms by turns; but at nine the next morning
n fine little breeze springing up from the westward,
j they weighed, and stood out of Manning's Bay ;
j when coming to an anchor, the long-boat and
; whale-boat of each .ship, were made ready for
I a trading expedition farther up the soiuul, under
; the direction of Captain Dixon, In the mean
I time Captain Portlock proposed staying with the
I ships, and to have them hauled on shore. Here
j they could also fill their water, aud do many
; other necessary works; this harbour being per-
fectly convenient.
' Early the next morning the boats set out on
their expedition, and by five were out of sight,
clear of the harbour. Their varioi'.s operations
I now began :• the starboard side of the ship was
I cleaned, and paid with a coat of tar, chalk, and

train-oil well boiled togetlier.
; When Captain Portlock was last at the Sand-
wich l«l:;nds, he bought a double canoe, which
was fitted up; he now sent her, with two of the
people, into an adjacent creek to get crabs and
iviu«;oles; they being the only refreshment, the
•lei'ocHon of spruce excepted, which they could
now obtain. About noon he had the satisfaction
of seeing an Indian enter the harbour in a sing'e
, canoe; he soon appeared along-side, but had
i nothing to barter, except a little porpoise- blub-
! ber, which he seemed to consider as a valuable
: article. The captain made him a present, which

♦ On the 2.')th thiy j;ot sciiuo water far immediate use,
but the sciiio was liauled without siuccbs: some of Uie ship's
(Dinpany wore »t'iit on shoro the 'iCth to collect shell-fish,
the only refreshment 'he j)lace was kiiowii to aliord ; they
(ould walk only along ihc beach, tiio adjacent country
!)i'injj entirely covered with snow. Uild geese and ducks
ap/CAfcU ia great plenty, but thry were su cxtr«u> ^iy shy

that they could not be approached within gun. shot. In
walkini; along Ihe bi'»'.h. Captain Portlock saw the remains
of two Indian huts, and a quantity of wood that had
evidently been cut down with ed^e tools; ho therefore con-
( lulled that the llussians had visited this place the last an.
tunin, not supposing the people of any other nation had
buon iu (hcso seas.

WIS

Mi I

'fi:

'■I'i'i

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD,

was more than cqiiii! to his expectations, and en-
deavoured to m".lve him understand the nature of
the tratlic ht wanted. He seemed to compre-
hend him, and respectfully took his leave, which
ilattcred liiui \v;ih liopcs that he would bring
otl;ers to trade Vt 'ih hiui. Wild geese and ducks
were now 11.) in^- about in great abundance, but
they were exlremcly shy; tbe captain was indeed
afraid <(> lire at llieui, list the repurt of the nius-
quet might prev( nt the Indians from coming into
the harbour.

By noon on tiie Ttls the larboard side of the
ship was linislic'd; and at higii water, they at-
tempted to heave her oil", but she did notHeet:
Next m(»rning at three o'clock, being high-
water, and a higli tide, tliey hove her off, and laid
lier in her foiuit-r station. On the 8th they were
visited by throe of the natives in two canoes;
but they had nothing to barter, except two river-
otter skins, and two seal skins, which Captain
Portleck bought of them, and sent them away
well pleased.

On the 10th of May Captain Dixon returned,
with the boats, from Snug-Corner Cove. Du-
ring this excursion he had purchased thirty-six
sea-oltcr skint, and a few other furs; they were
principally procured near Cape llinchinbrooke,
to which place they first repaired, and afterwards
proceeded towards Snug Corner Cove; the

• Being on sliorr, piving dirnctioiis about the armourer's
font. Captain Porlloclt was informcil from tlie stiip, that a
boat was seen about the entrance of the h»y, piling into
the harbour: concfiving tiii-s to be the Nootka's, lie went
immediately on board, and sent his whale-boat out to her
assistance; at ten o'clock the boat returned, with the
IVoutka long.kjat in low. Thcii- .ussistance proved very
acceptable, for the long-boat's crew were almust perished
with wet and cold, and in a very weak condition. Captain
Mcarci came in the boat himself, and more particularly re-
Jated a narrative of his distressed situation di'.ring the win-
ter, which was indeed a dreadful one; for before it broke
ni), the captain, and a Mr. Uoss his chief mate, " were (he
onlj two persons capable of dragging the dead bodies from
the ship over the ice, and burying them in the snow on
the shore. Nay there was not a single person on board,
who was not deeply afl'ectcd with the scurvy."

Towards evening the wind blew strong, and i:« squalls,
but the next morning the wcatlicr grew moderate: all hands
were employed in wooding, watering, brewing, and work-
ing ill the hold. The Queen Charlotte, having fuiished
cleaning, brewing, and paying, hauled off the beach into
her former station. In the afternoon they completed their
water. At five Captain Mcarcs took leave of our naviga.
toTSf and proceeded towards his ship with as many refresh-

Indians having informed them that there was a
vessel in that neighbourhood. The natives spoke
several English words distinctly, and pointed out
to Captam Dixon the place where the vessel hv.
From this information he was induced to set oil',
attended by some of th>: Indians in their canoes
to the place he had I) en directed to, and on (he
8th arrived on board. He found her to be the
snow Nootka, Captain John Meares, from Ben-
gal. Captain Meares had left that place i'l Mnn Ii
1780, and arrived in Prince William's Sound in
October, where he wintered, and had buried a
considerable part of his ship's company, and tlie
survivors were in a very sickly state, ("apiain
Dixon brought Captain Portlock a letter tVom
Captain Meares, pointing out his distresses, and
craving his assistance. He read the letter with
intinite concern, and resolved to embrace any
opportunity that might present itself of rendeiiar
him service*.

Most of this necessary business being now
completed, the forges and brewing utensils wire
brought on board, and every thing got ready i'<a
sailing. At six in the afternoon the long boa!'
set off for Cook's River, her crew in excellent
spirits, and well found for a six weeks cruise.
In the evening four canoes came along-side, but
soon paddled away, having no articles to trade
withf.

' ■■ ' ■ On

ments as the boat co-jld carry. They spared him some
Hour, sugar, molasses. Sandwich Island Pork, gin, hr.iinly,
and cheese; "'th two good seamen to as.^ist in navi^'ating
his ship to China; at which place he was to return tlicm.
It was on their own requests, that both of them Meutoo
board the Nootka, and not from any influence of inlreaty:
the names of these two worthy fellows, were George Willis,
and Thomas Dixon. Besid.-s the articles above enumerated,
Captain Portlock fnrnislud Captain Meares with ISO
cocoa-nuts, hoping they woild assist in the recovery of hit
people.

+ In the afternoon of the I3th, two large Indian bosh
ajjproached our navigators, containing about forty iiersons,
including men, women, and children : a nuinb:'r i>f sinull
canoes attended them, 'i'hey brought only two .cry in-
dill'ercnt skins, and a few lish, which Captain Portlock
bought, and made their chief, named Shee-na-wau, a hiiiul-
fomc present: he was, the captain uinler^lood, cliicf uf
thi! most powerful tribe in the Sound. These people ivirc
audacious thieves; for even the little boys were possessed
of small hooked sticks for the puipogeof pickiug pockets:
about six o'clock these shameless pilferers quitted them,
and went out of the harbour. The Quocn Charlultc's
boat was then about two miles without the harbour, with a
fishing party, and the Indians hastened to join her. Fearing

thosf

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLll>

223

On enquiry, it appeared that Captain Dixon's
neople had no fire-arms in the boat ; which was
f unfortunate circumstance, as the bare sight of

niusquet will deter the Indians from attempting
kiiv violence.

Every thing being ready for sea, they wcigh-
b anchor at "day-light on the l-ith, and with a
|j(rlit breeze from the north-east, went out of
% harbour; and after getting out of the bay,
Uuled up towards Prince William's Sound.
U| the morning they had light variable winds ;
but at tiiree in the afternoon, a fine breeze came
L with which they stood over for Hinchinbroke
no'vc, At six o'clock Captain Portlock sent his
iliale-boat on board for Captain Dixon; and as
I mod opportunity now stemed to present itself
(f getting out of the Sound, they determined nn
eparating, and for each ship to adopt the plan
jlrcady mentioned.

Captain Dixon soon afterwards returned on
loard, and the two captains took leave of each
Lbcr: the Queen Charlotte shaped her course
(ut of the Sound, and Captain Purtlock bent his
et Hinrhinbrokc Cove. At six the next niorn-

n, a fine breeze sprung up from the south-
pntli-west, with which they ran up; and seeing

point in an arm of the cove, that promised
Led shelter round it. Captain Portlock sent the
Ihale-boat to examine and sound the place ; and
Jbllowing with the ship, he soon perceived there
Las a fine harbour round the point; he therefore
jtood in, and anchored in seven fathoms water,
(veraniuddy bottom.

Tbougli their situation was an eligible one,
papta'i. *ortlock discovered, by sounding around
Jie sh., . .^hat they could h<ivc a better birth by
ling higher up the harbour. In the course of
lie day several canoes came along-side, from
jrliom the captain purchased about a dozen sea-
Itter skins. In the morning of the lOth, they
Lp up the small bower, and after hauling tuc

lii|) within shore of the best bower, let it go
[piw ill five fathoniH water, and moored the

liip head and stern. The land around theui had

ligte daring wrctclirs should pillage the boat^ Captain
loriluck kopt a good louk uiit %vitli his glass, and soon ob-
ViTi'il a struggle between (ho twoparticc hv imiucdiatcly
Lii'fni hit* wha!c-l)uat, i>hu being always ready armed ;
jsdliaviiig directions %vith his mate to follow in tlio yaul,
li>U uitt rapidly towards theni! No sooner had the In.

N H'cii the bout round (he point, tl'in tt.<7 took to

llui„n. No. LXXXIi.

a very dreary appearance, being deeply covered
with snow quite down to high water mark : no
space presented itself to walk in but the beach,
after the tide had fallen. Two fresh-water rivu-
lets were observed at the head of the harbour,
which had the appearance of aflording plenty of
salmon at a proper season.

The articles they had to barter with, not being
hold in jg.eat estimation, the captain resolved to
dispatch the whale-boat and yaul, under the di-
rection of Mr. Cressleman and Mr. Bi yant, on
board the Nootka, to procure of Captain Meares
si>nie trading uiiiclcs which he wanted, and which
he knew that gentleman could spare. In the
morning they had fresh gales from the eastward,
but the weather being more moderate about
noon, the captain sent the boats off to proceed
up the Sound.

Next morning several canoes brought a trading
jiarty aloug-side, having with them thirteen
gooti sea-otter skins, and a few very indifl^ereiit
ones. The harbour affording very fine crabs and
muscles, a considerable quantity of each were
coMected. On the 25th the whale boat returnied
from the Sound: they had parted with the yaul
off the nt>rth point of the bay. Mr. Cressleman
brought the articles captain Portlock had sent for
to the Nootka. except a compass ; the other
things which had been requested. Captain Meares
promised to deliver on his joining Captain Port-
lock at Cape Hinchinbroke, which he engaged
to accomplish as soon as possible.

On the 26th they had a very heavy gale from
the eastward : at six in the evening, the gale in-
creasing to a violent degree, with constant rain
and sleet, the top-gallant masts were got down
upon deck, and the top-masts stuck close to the
rigging. From this time to the 80th, the weather
was so strong, that thoir operations on shore
were considerably retarded. During this inter-
val, only three cunoes came along-side, with cod
and haliuut, sufficient fcr a day's support of the
ship's company *.

Being at Garden Island on the 9th, Captain
_ PortlocTc

their paddles, and went oil" as expeditionsly as (hey v,er9
able. The captain rowed out and joined the Charlotte's
boat, and soon perceired that the Indians had (aken all
their fishing lines, and were forcing their anchor out of the
bout at (ho very niomrnt that be hove in sight. ,

* On the 16th of June the we.ither being fine, the captain,

1 1W;' ^^:i

.* ,ui'f ',*•-:*. . :.r|

the boatswain, with four of tho pcupl

3 L

went to dig a spot
of

ii'2^

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

Portlock saw th6 Noolka turning in towards the
port, and dispatcliod ihc whale-boat and yaul to
her assistance. At seven o'clock she anchored
just without the King George. Some Indians
coming into the bay Ihe next day, seemed rather
shy on seeing the Noolka, which might probably
have been occasioned from their having tired at
some of the natives before they quitted Suther-
land's Cove, and wounded one of them. Captain
Mearcs went on board the King George, .to re-
quest his assistance, which was readily complied
with.

On the 1 1th the long boat returned from Cook's
River, having met witTi tolerable success; Messrs.
Hay ward and Hill assuring Captain Port lock
that more business might be transacted in another
trip. As soon as the boat was cleared, she was
ordered to be fitted out wirh provisions, and an
assortment of trading articles, for a seoDnd ex-
pedition.

The seamen and artificers were occupied in
various employments for the Nootka, till the
ir)th, when a strong gale came on, witli violent
gusts of wind, and heavy rain. The weather
becoming moderate on the 16th, the people re-
sumed tlieir various employments, and by the
J7tL the Nootka was in t contiition fit for sea.
For some time the weather had been cjtrcmely
wet, and ha'.i much injured the health of many
of the seamen; several of whom were ill offerers,
and violent colds. The Nootka being ready for
sailing. Captain Portlock sent his whale-boat
on the 1 9th, to assist them in getting under way,
and at one she stood out of the cove: their spruce
beer, being nov in excellent order, v*;as dailv
served out to the ship's company ; and the sick
people received considerable benefit from it.
The surrounding country now wore a plca-

ef ground for a i;arilcn, am » kuuII island near thi entrance
of the cuve, and whicli be named Gardra Inland. Wbcu
the grouqd was ready, a Tariety of ditfercnt sorts of seed
were sown in it ; as cabbage, onion, radish, savoy, celery,
and many other culinary articles. On the 7th a canoe,
with five Indians, cauMt alon^-sidc, from whom tho captain
bought two sea-otter skins, and a considerable quantity of
fine cod.

At ten in the crcning the whaicboat and yaul relnmod
from their expedition, with some very good fttcins, which
they had purchased of a chief named Shceoaawa. Theeap.
tain intended them for h longer trip, but they unluckily
got into a large flat bay, where the boats grnnnded, and,
before they could extricate themselyes, the tide ebbed, and
left then dry for about two miles round. Sltccnaawa, and

sing aspect; tlie rains had melted most of
the snow, and every thins; seemed to indicate tbj
approach of summer. The surgeon, and manv
who had lately b;eu his patients, walked
sh(ire, on the liOlh, an-,! gathered a quantityofl
water-cresses, which giew oi: the margin of HiJ
I frosh-wafer rivuk-is. Plenty of flounders Wf,„
i caught in thesi; streams with hook and Wi^'.
' these, with excellent crabs, which were abui^l

dant, proved an admirable substitute for
I provisions. In (Ishing for flounders, several codl
I and halibut were taiven ; which induced the cap.
! tain to send the canoe some distance into thebav
I to try for them; the canoe ret\irne(l, laden witb
halib"' , vi cod of veiy excellent quality.

In the afternoo'.i they were viiited by an In.
dian party, bringing with them some good sea-
otter skins. The\' pointed towards the soiilh.
west, signifying tiiat plenty of good furs tni4j
be procured from that quarter. This informa-
tion occasioned the captain to <«end the bonis on
another exneiiftion ; and on the '!i4th he dispatcl.
ed the whale-boat and yaul on a trip to (lie
south-west part of the Sound, with provisiom
for a month, and a regular assortment to cnsuttl
succcsu in trade. Such of the ship's company u
could be spared, were now indulged with
to recreate themselves on shore : Sonte of jbi
ascended the highest hills in <he neighbourli
on the sides of which grew snake-root in gn
abundance, and a variety of llowers in
bloom. About eight in the evi^niug Caplaii
Portlock observed two Indian boats, and seven
canoes, enter the bay, landing on a sandy beaclj
about three miles and a half from the ship.

Early the next morning, these new vitilsi
came along-side, in one of their large boalj
t^ey consisted of twenty-five persons. Theti

his tribe, which cousislcd of about two hundred men, ol
serving their situation, paid them a visit, nio&t uf tin
armed with sppiirs and knives. 'Ihe boats crews, pom
ing that plunder was what the Indians wanted, cndoiivuii
to prevent it, but at the same time prudenrly kept tin
plunderers in good te.nper ; which was acting very jm
ciously ; for had they acted otherwise, and l^orcil)!)
vented them from stealing, not a man in either bnal r
have escaped the vengeance uf their numerous uppuiiti
The pinnderinf party, all circumstances couNidertd, «
satititied with modorate plunder. They stole two iiiiiili
the same number of pistols, and some of the prapli
clutht-s ; and what old Shtvuaawa regarded as a thin;
inestimable value, wss Mr. Cressleman's quadrant, whii
he iWBiouily sciM'd, together with hb cphemeris.

cliitl

A VOYAGE ROUND TIIE WORLD.

V25

cliief seemed to be a well-disposed man, of low
stature, Iiaving a long beard. His body had
been injured on one side, probably by a paralytic
stroke; and Ms age was supposed to be about
sixty. The old man made Captain Portlock a
prcscntot'a vaiuabieiikin, but had hardly any thing
else to dispose of except a few salmon, which the
caiiiain bo'ugtu of himi He also made the chief
a present, and distributed sonic trinkets among
the women and children.

The name of this chief was Taatucktelling-
niikc : Ue informed the Captain that Chcneecock,
situated in the south-west part of the Sound,
was the counUy to which he belonged. Our
uf \v friends remained alongside the remainder of
tlic day, and went on shore in the evening ex-
tremelv well satisfied. The Avhole of his party
were courteous, well informed, and well dis-
posed. The natives belonging to Tacklaccimute,
whom the captain supposed to inhabit Comptrol-
Im Bay, are particularly docile and friendly*.

Sheenawaa, whilst the Ni'otka wintered in
Sutherland's Cove, sent repeated messages, in-
timating that he intended to come and cut them
off. These messages, or rather menaces, were
ajwati delivered to an Indian girl, that an
officer had purchased on their first arrival in the
Sound. This girl made her escape from the
Nootka in the winter, and probably gave an ac-
count of her weak and defenceless situation ; as
there can hardly be a doubt, from the number of
nen that Sheenanaa had with him at the time
«f the affair with the boats, that be meditated an
attack on tlie Nootka ; but bad weather coming
an afterwards probably frustrated the design.

Tutucktelliogrnike visited Captain Portlock
»n tiie 'i<^th, requesting him to permit one or two
I of bis people to attend him on sliore to ^pend the
iiight, oU'ering to leave some of his people on
bdard as hostages till their return. This singular
request was complied with, and he ordered two
I of the (leople to accompany hiui ou shore : he

* Tlic country, iiihaliitcd b^.^'ioeiiuawaa and his tribe, U
j oiled Taatui-kU'lliiignukc; ami Ihov are said to be (he most
powerful tribe about (he Sound, being hated by all (heir
iwif;]) hours, ui^h whom (hey are pcrjietually at variaiie«.
UldSlifeBaawa(wboBo rapacious di!i|>uKi(i«ii kusalrmdy been
noticed) had never appeared iu the harbour aft«;r his dcpre.
(kliuus in the boatfi; but sonic of liiii people brought our
iufi|;ators a few aea-ottcr skins, which they hud procured
ky plunder or barter.

i They daily caught iiu-go quantities of laJmoii, but the
Ueathcr not permitting them to be cured on board, captain

left three of his tribe on board, fully to con-
vince the captain that he intended oi harm.
Early the next morniiig the old chief ciuric a'^uifj
on board, and brought the two Europenn. uUii
him. Hostages being then formally exchanged,
the captain made the old man and his compa-
nions some inconsiderable presents, and they all
went to shore, perfectly satisfied with the atten-
tion that had been shewn (liein.

These Indianc lodged in temporary luits, com-
posed only of a few sticks, and a little bark :
their j)rii»cipal food was fish, but by way of va-
riety th"/ fed OT the inner rind of the pine-bark
<lficd. Their greatest luxury was, however, a
kind of rock-weed covered with the spawn of
some fish, of which they gather and devour great
quantities: they also eat the inner rind of the an-
gelica and hemlock roots, whicli, though abso-
lute poison to our Europeans, by constant and
habitual use became salutary to them.

In hauling the seine on the 30lh, they caught
a large quantity of herrings, and sonic salmon ;
the herrings were small, but very good, two
hogsheads of which were salted for sea-store.
On the first of July old Taatucktellingnukc took
his leave of the captain, and with his tribe pad-
dled from the harbour toward^ Montague
Island f .

On the Slst Captain Portlock went iii th«
whale-boat into a small bay, about three miles
from the ship, where some daye before h^
had discovered a quantity of fine water cres-
ses. The weather being tolerably fine, tlie
captain took several of the people with hini
who had lately recovered from sickness, that
they might have a walk, and receive soMie re-
freshment from the water-crei-scs : this little ex-
cursion bad a beneficial efi'ect on e\^y one ; they
sat down on tltc grass, and dined heartily upon
fried pork and salmon, and, by way of sallad,
ate abundantly of the water-creases; they also
gathered a sufliciont quantity to serve every per-

' II.' T r r,; - -
Portlock sent (he boatswain with a imrty on shore, to build
a kind of house to smoke them in: in (his erection there
Wfts sufficient room to hang six Itundred lish np coutenient.
ly; and, »ev«i tires being constantly buraiu({, they w era
extrrmtily well cured. The soine was several times haiileJ
on the llth, and not less than two thousand saUuon were
takTH at each baul; but as the weather would not sulTcr
them to cnro them as well as they could have wished, tliey
only kept a suflicient quantity, and let tho rest tKoapw.
Tfae salmon wurt now so niiraurous along thn shores, (hat!
any quantity of Uicm might be taken with the greatest e.ise.

son

;f\ ' h '

I • :'irt::!'

; '.1!

:.:'.-

l„ '1 '

h' '

'' '■ It ] ■

I It

■i i

'226

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

i«

son on board. Behind the beach where they
landed, a fresh-water lake empties itself into the
bay by a small river at the northern part of the
bciiclij in which there was abundance of salmon.
On the edge of the lake, the track of an animal
was observed, which much resembled that of the
mouse-deer. They returned on board in the
evening, without seeing any of the Indians.

The long-boat appearing in sight the next
day at noon, it appeared that all her crew were
in good health. In this trip they had experienced
much very bad weather, and had not been so
successful as they expected. They fell in with
numbers of the Kodiac Indians, who always be-

haved with great propriety, as did all the inha.
bilants of the river.

On the 'i4th their wooding and watering was
completed, and every thing they had on shore
taken on board: they lopped oft' the branches of
the tallest tree on Garden Island, and (ixedalonff
stafl" with a wooden wane on it; near the bottom
was inscribed the name of the ship, with the year,
and day of the month. Every thing being ready
for sea, they weighed anchor at two o'clock in (he
morning of tlie'^5tli, and stood out of the cove;
and by four, being clear of the tove, the boats
were hoisted in.

SECTION VI.

■•^
Bangc along the Coast of JMontague Island — Prince WiUinm'a Sound — The Inliahitanis, Mmnen,
and Cimtows — Food — Cookcri/ — Produce — Weapons — Hunting Iviplements- — Anchor in Poi'tlock'n
Harbour — Intercourse -cilli the .Mitivcs — Long-boat sent on a trading Expedition — Visited bij a
distant Tribe of Indians — A Parti/ of Traders from the East — Jlsit the JSlatives — Visit from
J^orth-u'cst Friends — Account of the Jsatives — Leave Portlock's Harbour.

ON quitting the harbour (which was named
Port Etches) Captain Portlock intended
to stand out of the Sound by way of Cape Hin-
chinbrookc, but not approving of the appear-
ance of the weather to the south-east, he resolv-
ed to push for the passage on' the west side of
Montague Island. He theref(»re shaped a course
for the north point of Montague Island, with a
fresh breeze at east-north-east.

After various occurrences of no importance,
they were obliged to anchor in twenty-one fa-
thoms water, over a black sandy bottom ; the
south point of the bay bearing south three quar-
ters west, two miles, and the south poirit of
some low land, lying oft' the entrance: into the
Prince of Wales's Passage west by south, three
leagues distant. Soon after they arrived in the
Bay, three of their old friends from Chceneecock
came along-side, in two canoes : they were on a
hunting expedition, and had three very good
sca-otter-skins in their possession, which they
readily parted with on receiving what was
equivalent.

As they were now taking leave of Prince Wil-
liam's Sound, some description of the natives,
their mainieri), customs, &c. with the pro-

*'(

ducc of the country, may probably afi'ord the
reader satisfaction ; the ifollowing particulars,
which arc the result of very close attention, and
minute remarks on their behaviour and general
conduct, will not be perhaps unacceptable.

These people are, taken in a general point of
view, short in stature, and square made : their
faces are ftat and round, and they have promi-
nent cheek bones, with flattish noses : their teeth
are white, and good; their eyes dark and quick
of sight: their sn.ell, which is naturally acute,
is much improved by (heir habitual method of
scenting the snake-root. Their complexions are
generally lighter than the Southern Indians,
and rosy cliceks are seen among some of
their women: their hair is black and straight,
and they delight in having it long ; but on the
death of a friend, thev cut it sln>rt, to signify
their sorrow ; no othn method seeming to have
been ad(>pted as expressive of their lamentations,
The legs of the men are generally ill-shaped,
which may be rationally attributed to their con-
stantly sitting in one position in their canoes.
They are not destitute of pride or vanity, for they
often paint (he face and hands, cause their cars
and noses to be bored, and the under-lip slit,

A VOYAtiP KOUMD THF, WORTn.

«27

Anornanwnt made of boneorrrory, is hung in
the hole of the nose to decorate it, and from the
ears beuds are usually pending, which extend
almost to their shotilders. The slit in tlie lip is
also ornamented with bone or ivory, fitted witji
holes, which arc sometimes embellished with
bends reaching to the chin. These holes in the
li» :ire sometimes as large as the mouth, and have
a very disgusting app(;arancc. liut with atl t'his
iiiiao-inary finery, they are extremely filthy in
their persons, and are frequently covered witli
vermin, which in times of scarcity, are frequent-
jytaken as food. Captain Portlock says, " I have
seen them pick and vat to the number of a dozen
or more; and thoy are not very small*."

During the intercourse of our Europeans with
these people, tlu\v became less addicted to thiev-
ii)<', from Captain Pdrtlock's sometimes appear-
jflw a little angry witu them, and faking pains to
shew them the imj)ropriety of their conduct.
Upon the whole tlicy srcm to be a good kind of
people, and could a settlement of sufficient

Istrentjth be estxiblislied, they would probably be
an industrious sot of people, in hunting and pro-
curing sea-otter, and other skins for sale. The

[weaker tribes arc frequently plundered by the
stronger, and often prevented from hunting,
which would not be tbe case Were a proper set-
tlement established; for that woald ^ive protec-

Ition to the whole inhabitants of this Sound f.
The country round it, after the snow leaves it

[about the middle of June, is pleasant enough:

kefou that period, the weather is at times, very

I fine and pleasant, and at other times exceedingly

. — ^--1^ —

* Their cloathinf; consists M'holly uf thutikiiis oi animals
jiuJ l)irds. Tlioy are very friondly ; anil rumarkably teiidur
laiiJ allectioiutc to their women and children; but if the
Itot inipropiT treatment is practised to tlieir women, tlieir
|i(idi!;natii)n is ^reat. Thieving is a prcTailini; propensity
Itoiung them; a vice by no means peculiar to themselves,
Ibatrquatly obsnrvable iu till other Indians; not only from
|!iraiim.rs, hut from one another When they happen to Ik;
doiK'al, (iiey will Rometimes ^ivn np the articles they have
|!!i)li'ii, with a loud laiipli, and instantly appear as uncon-
IfcriiiKl as if nothing had happened amiis. Tliioving, amon^
Ifco iii'ople, is ralher considered as merilorious, instead
lof ili-i^riKefiil, if the pilferfr h«s shewn any dexteiity,
Ikt ilie I)iiii!?lii)i5 robliiT is not mnch admired. The pro-
Itoiid thief is generally known by a profusion of p-iint
lupmi his face; and whilst others arc adimrin^ liio whim.
|iiralli( of his appearance, his han<ls wiliidfviiiMi) be cm.
Ijijoyed, if any thin:; near him is entitled to'hi!* attention.

t The whole of these people stand ao much iu awe of

Vol. II. No. LX^XIII.

boisterous with constant rain, which washes away
the great quantities of snow, l^eaving the lower
■paHs elear, and the vegetables ai% instantly per-
ceived coming forth.

This country abounds in trees of the pine kind,
a quantity of alder, and a kind of hazel. Fruit-
bushes are extremely plenty; such as raspberry-
bushes, bilberry-bushes, alderberry-liiishes, cur-
rant-bushes, and strawberrie?. Here are water-
cresses, wild celery, sour dock, shepherd's purse,
angelica, hemloc, and wild peas. The buds of
the young black-ctn-rant bushes were made use of
as tea, with the pine tops mixed, which drank
very pleasant:};.

During the sumtner season, these people lead
a stranjie wandering life, and in bad weather,
are ttitlier sheltered in their canoes, or small
sheds, made of a few sticks, covered with bark:
their winter habitations are from four to six feet
bigh, about ten feet long, and seven or eight
broad. Thev are built with thick plank, and
the crevices filled up with dry moss.

Their weapons us'trd'in war are spears of six-
teen or eighteen feet long, headed with iron, and
long knives, in the use of all which they are
astonishingly dexterous. Their fishing imple-
ments are wooden hooks, with lines made of
small rock-weed, which grows to a good length,
and will bear a good strain, if kept clear of
hinks, and properly moistened: with these hookas
and lines they catch halibut and cod ; they catch
salmon in wicrs, or spear them; and herrings
are taken in small nets. THc instruments with

which they kill the sea-otter, and other araphibi-

firearms, that a few men well jirovided wonld l)c perfectly
secure. Captain I'ortlock says, " Were I to advise a
place for wintering at and forming a settlenieut, it should
be the west harltoiir of Port F.tches. It hath several ad-
vantages over any placi? f have seen on the coast ; one of
them is, that it lies si> near the sea, that in all probability
it irottid be ouc of the last places that would freeze, anJ
one of the first iu wiiich the ice 'vould break up."
. J The natives never practise the method of smoking their
provisions; aud, for salt, can only dry their fish in the
sun, havini; no other method of cnrins; their winter stock:
they generally roast ihoir fresh lisli, by runi>ing some sticks
through to spread it, and clapping it up before the tire.
They usually dress their animal fooil in baskets or wooden
vessels, by putting to it red hot stones, till thuy think thu
victuals arc dressed enouj^h. It is indeed astonishing that
th':y can dress tlioir provisions so Mpe^itiouiily as they do
in this way. ■• . > '

ou»

I ''If '^H 1 1

2'28

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

M-

OUB animals, are harpoons made of bone, with
two or more barbs; having' a staft' of seven or
eight feet long, on which a skin, or well-blown
bladder, is i'astened as a buoy; and darts of three
or four feet long, which they throw with a
wooden instrument of the length of about a foot.

Being well clear of Montague Island, they
stood to the southward and eastward, intending
to make a harbour near Cape Edgecombe. All
the land next the sea, beginning about eight
leagues to the south-east of Cross Cape, and
trending to within ten leagues of Cape Edge-
combe, appears to be composed of low woody
islands, having apparently several places of good
shelter. On drawing near the opening, about
two miles from the shore to the north-west of it,
they had twenty and twenty -five fathoms water.
A large Indian boat came out, perhaps to view
the ship: of twelve people who were in her, only
three of them were men; the rest were women
and children.

The navigators run up to the north-west of
the harbour, and anchored about noon. Soon
after they were moored, the Indian boat, which
bad followed them, came along-side, and the
people entertained them with a song. Their
language appeared to be totally different from
that spoken by the natives of Prince William's
i)ound ; but they extended their arras, like those
people, as indications of peace. Their boat was
the body of a large pine-tree, neatly excavated,
and the whole of it neatly and elegantly finished.
Captain Portlock made bis new visitors a few
trifling presents, and spoke to them about sea-
otters' skins, by the name they bear at Prince
William's Sound ; but as they did not understand
him, he shewed them a sea-otter skin, intimating
by signs that he requested they would bring him
some; to which they seemed perfectly inclined.
They were ornamented with beads of various
sorts, and had some articles which induced him
to suppose that the Queen Charlotte had touched
near this neighbourhood ; particularly in a tin ket-
tle and some towes, exactly corresponding with

*• Towards evening (he visitor-^ were preparing to go on
siiore, but by scturini; (lie captain's friendship, (ht;y wished
to leave one of their party on board for the nit^ht, and take
<iii(< of his people with thcin on shore. As they seemed to
betray no uiischicvuiis or |)hinderiiif; disposition by their
manner of behaviour, the captain had no particular objcc.
(ion to the proposal ; especially as the person he might
sond would hare aii oppurtiinity of observing what number

theirs. The Iiulians, after receiving a few pr;.
sents, left the ship and went on shore, where
they continued a short time, and then returned
with a few dry Rea-otter skins. The chief in.
formed Captain Portlock that they had frequent
intercourse with the inhabitants t>)' Prince Wil.
liam's Sound, in the course of which quarrels
sometimes arose, and battles frequently ensued'
one of the men pointed to a deep wound near hi!
lip, which he had received in an engagement
with them*.

Early the next morning the Indians returned
with the European, to be exchanged : but tiie?
brought very Vdilc. trade. The pers-ni who went
on shore willi the Indians, informeit the captain
that their residence was at the foot of a hill, near
a run of fresh water, issuing out of an acijaccnt
valley. Their house seemed to be of the IcMpo-
rary kind, and very few articles of trade were to
be seen in it.

The long-boat, at five in the morning of the
7th of August, was sent on a trading expedition
towards Cape Edgecombe, and the islantls totlit
south-east of that cape: the adventurers were!
particularly enjoined to return in seventeen davs;!
and, if they happened to fall in with the Queenl
Charlotte, to desire Captain Dixon to sail wM
them towards their present harbour, and reiminl
in the oilipg till Captain Portlock should jo
him.

The adjacent country abounding with whilel
cedar, Captain Portlock sent the carpenter ool
shore with a party, to cut some for sawing into!
sheathing boards: the remainder of the shipjl
company were employed on various ncccssarrl
occasions. A small canoe came along-side oil
the 8(h, with one man and a woman; buttherl
had nothing to dispose of: they soon rcturnei
towards the eastern point of the Sound. AboutL
eight in the evening, the same canoe came &t^m\
in company with two large boats, contauiing
twenty-five persons. They entertained the Eul
ropcans about an hour with singing, and then
took their leave, and went on shore. Oii L-avin

of sca-ottor skins they had in their possession, and niigi
be enabled to form an idea of their manner of livin;;. Ilj
therefore permitted one of his people to go on shore;
that he mightjibc under no a|)prcheusion about his s<tfet|^
two of thcliKliaas (instead of ono as had been at liiiitpro]
posed) remuirted on board, and beli.ived very prupirh
They were good-lookiii}? young nu;ii, and had much tiif
appearance of being brothurii.

the ship, the;
celient skins f
produce them
light they agi
side, bringing
a number of I
captain had n
they were a sp

this tribe
fairly, and as
thieving dispos
of them on boi
the cabin these
tton to partiikt
mid so well di(
' set before then
and there was
was accord ingl_
lis keen an appe
I fairly satiated,
reluctance. Af
of the ship, an
presents, they rt
I lied with their li
These Indian:
[them, extremely
jtain had before
[adze, with the
lit The chief <
larticies from tw
I them to the no
Itiiat tiiey had a
jguiis. When t
lllie chief requc
jwith the elder
Iwillingly compt
Icock on shore
iThe chief from

* About one o'c
Iboat came into the
ItHelvL" years of age,
Jmcn was not only a
jip|K'aranc« of a pc
[Portlock bought of
land a number of wili
lliirds is, to chase and
Vlerthey have shed
^ire unable (o escape

f Some of their ol
[lusk-cp with them, a
mm', as usual: it
ktuin of (he nativi
pncc, when hostages
Nraiicc of bad '

I- t

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

229

tbe ship, they intimated that they had some ex-
cellent skins to dispose of, and that they would
produce them in the morning: soon after day-
light they again made their appearance along-
side, bringing five excellent sea-otter skins, with
a number of beautiful black skins; such as the
captain had never seen before, but he supposed
(hev were a species of seal.

This tribe traded very conscientiously and
fairly, and as they had not exhibited traits of a
thieving disposition, the captain admitted several
of them on board. When dinner was served in
the cabin these people required very little invita-
tion to partiike, but began to eat very heartily;
and so well did they relish the repast that was
jct before them, that the table was soon cleared,
and there was occasion for another course; that
jwas accordingly brought in; and they ate with
(IS keen an appetite as before; but being at length
fairly satiated, they gave over, but with some
reluctance. After surveying the different parts
of the ship, and receiving some inconsiderable
[presents, they returned to the shore, well satis-
llied with their luscious feast*.

These Indians had a quantity of beads about
[them, extremrly different from any that the cap-
jtain had before seen: they had also a carpenter's
lad/e, with the letter B and three, flour-dc-Us on
jit. The chief declared that he received these
lartielcs from two vessels, which had been with
Ithem to the north-west: he further observed,
Itliat they had a drum on board, and several great
Iguns. SVhen this small party had done trading,
Ithe chief requested to stay all night on board
Iwith the elder boy ; a boon which the captain
hillingly complied with, and sent Joseph Wood-
Icock on shore with the other man and child.
iThe chief from the north-west, with his little

» About one o'clock on the 9th of August, an Indian
Iboat came into the Sound wilh two men, a boy about
lt»elve years of age, and a young child in her. One of the
linen was not only a fine looliing fillow, but had much the
|«p|ioaraiic« of a person of Rreat conioquence. Captain
Iportlock bought of these visilors some thiL- sea. otter skins,
Lnd a number of w ild Rcpse. The nuthod of cutchiiij^ these
Ibirdsis, to chase and kiioi-k them down as soon as possibi'
Vier they have shod imir larije wiug-fealhcrs, when they
|ire unable to rscniio by lli^lil.

I Some of their old friends came on board in the evening
■uslfti) Hilli theui, and a man was sent on shore by way of
liostage as usual: it ajipcared necessary to conform to the
Itihtoin of the natives in this particular; for more than
We, when hostages were refused in consequence of the ap-
fccaraiici! of bad weather, they were niuth aUriucd,

party, took leave of the captain the r £ morn-
ing, and proceeded towards home; promising
him to return in the course of eight or ten days
with more sea-otter skins.

On the lltli of August two large boats came
into the Sound from the eastward, containing in-
dividuals belonging to a tribe who were entire
strangers to the Europeans: of men, women,
and children; taken collectively, they amounted
to twenty-five. Of these Captain Portlock
bought some valuable sea-otter skins, a cloak of
small black skins, and several separate hides of
the same denomination. This new party of deal-
ers did not associate with the other Indians: but
when tbe business was over, and their curiosity
gratified, by examining the ship, and its con-
tents, they went on shore in a bay near the ship,
where the cooper was employed in brewing
spruce-beer f.

The next morning the captain went in the -
whale-boat, accompanied by Mr. Wiibye and
one of the young Indians, to the residence of the
latter; he undertaking to be their guide and
conductor. Rowing to the north-we.st for about
two miles, they came to a point of land, which
was found to be an island, situated at the en-
trance of an arm of the Sound, which trends
away between north and north-eust. The Indian
informed the captain that his habitation was si-
tuated up that arm. Arriving at his place of
abode about noon, they found it a small tempo-
rary house; near which were the ruins of two
others which had been considerably larger, and
seemed to have been used as winter habitations.
On the beach was observed a large boat, and
three others on a smaller scale; the large one
could acconmiodate thirty persons, and the others
not exceeding ten each. From this circumstance

and would not come near the shi]) on any consideration.
On Sunday the lith Captain Portlock permitted the
ship's company to recreate themselves on shore, supposing
a walk would be highly serviceable to tliem : the surround,
iug country was pleasant and agreeable, affording great
quantities of ripe blackberries and raspl)erries. In tho
course of their ramble, this party fell in with a large spot of
low swunipy ground, situated behind the brewery beach,
on which the Indian tea grew in great abundance. This
discovery was fortunately made at a critical period; the
greatest part of our other tea boirig exjiended, and that
which we had so recently explored was found a most ex-
cellent substitute, ft grows on alow shrub, about twelve
inches from the ground; the leaf is about half an inch long,
tapering gradually to thn point, and the under part is coTCf'
ed \ 'th a li^ht douny substance.

I U'ii

'-'»d^('l

i^{- t ,:!( Ill

.; .1

I u

I, i

•'■ ■■ ':

iti ■ ' I V.'

iii.

Ui ■ !^lt!!-

iiSO

A VOYAGE nolJNI) TMl WOULD.

he expected to have seen a numerous tribe, and
was surprised to discover that it consisted only
of three men, three women, the same number of
j^irls, two boys aged about twelve years, and
two infants. One of the women appeared to be
at the advanced a<i:(3 of eighty: the eldest of the
men was very much marked with the small pox;
and the disease seemed to liave been equally se-
vere with a yountf girl of the aire of about foifr-
teen. The old man said tliat distemper had car-
ried oir a trieat number of the inhabitants, and
th;it he himself had lost ten children by it; ten
strokes were tatooed on one of his arms, to sig-
nify that h(! had sustained such a loss. Tlie
captain did mo\ observe any of the children under
twelve \e;iis were so marked, and therefore sup-
posed this disorih r about twelve years before
that period: as the Spaniards were on this part
of the coast in 177^ 't seemed probable that
from them these poor wretches caught the fatal
infection. They seem to be a nation designed by
providence, to be a scourge to every tribe of
Indians they come near*.

On the irxh the long-boat returned fro4n her
expedition to the eastward; she had been to the
eastward of Cape Edgecombe, where they met

* Thii Sp.iniards »»i'ri! amotisr tht-ni in the hc'it?ht of sum-
iiior, niiii |)rolubly they cau)<ht the infection about August.
To ohsurvc their manner of Jiving at that season of the
x-Hr, it seems miriiciilous that any of thuni should escape
vith their livos. j\len, women, and children are all hud-
died tojclher in a close house near a large fire, surrounded
with stinking tish. All ro'i.id the house, and along the
banks of a little creek running; down by this miserable
dwelling, were strewed stinking fish; among which were
observed several beds of maggots a foot deep, and ten or
twelve feet in cireuiiiference. The sulferings of the poor
Indiana, when this disorder was at its height, must have
been inconceivable, and 'hu country was doubtless nearly
depopiiljled; for to this day it remains very thiuly inha-
bited.

f A siiort (iiiifi before they intended sailing to rctnrn to the
ship, two liidi.ins went in two boats, and took an oppor-
tunity of ciitiing thiir cable. The anchor lay in twenty-
eight fr;t!i(iins water without a buoy, so th:it there was not
the least c'Kiuce of recovering it. Having uccompiished
this piece of iniscliief, they hastened to the shore, and
landed at a small distance from thtt long-boat. Kxaspcnu
ted at tituir djrin^ behaviour, the I'lUropeans landed with
the boat, and entirely destroyed both the Indian boats;
«hcii the iiitives fled into the woods. 'J'his crime of the
Indians was of so mischievous a nature, that it became no-
ccs<<ary to punish them for it ; and the destruction of thoir
boats would probably make a greater impression than
Uking away some of their lives. After filling their water,

with si>me inhabitants, aixl purchaicd ^out •
score of good sea-otter skitis. Between the liar,
hour and the cape, tliey fell in witli a itraji
about a league wide at the entrance, with boU
shores and good anchorage f.

On the 'iOth tlitur late visitor from the south.
west made his appearance m a large bout; hj,
party consisting of twenty men and women, mj
ten or t-velve children. As this chief, on bij
taking leave of Captain Portlock, had prooiiijeil
to return with a large cargo of nea-otter skins, i
brisk trade was now e -. pected to begin ; but at thii
time his old acquaintance was not for transacting
business in a hurry; he supposed that, on bjs
last visit, they were not impressed with an ade-
quate idea of his importance; for now he ciinic
along-side, with his parly, in great pomp aiid
solemnity, alt of them singing: they had in.
strumental, as well as vocal music, which con*
sisted of a large old chest, beaten with the hands.
by way of drum, and two rattles. The chirfl
held one of the rattles in his hand, often shakini;
it with an air of const nee, and the rent of Ins
tribe were particularly e.xact in copying hij
mutions^;.

After this long ceremony was over, the chief I
made

and getting a little wood on board, the long-boat retiirncil
to tlie ship, and during the whole passage did not src s
single canoe.

On the 18th Captain Portlock weirt in the wh.ile.boalto
survey the south jwiiit of the entrance into the Sound;
and, landing in a small bay, found a sort of nioiiiiinintl
near the beach, probably erected to the memory of some I
distinguished chief. This editir« consisted of four \muA
each about twenty fi^et long, stuck in the ground about ski
feet distant from each other, and in a quadrangular forni.f
About twelve feet from the ground there was a rougl
boardcil floor, in the middle of which an Indian chest wail
deposited; and oi\ the side of the etlifice to the wcstwanij
and wliicii pointed u|) the Sound, the resemblance ufal
human face was painted. This wooden edifice, from iiJ
tottering condition, had probably been erected a long timfT
as it began to decay: in attempting to examine the chest,!
to learn what it contained, the whole fabric had like tv|
have given way, on which Captain Portlock ordered th<
boat's crew to desist, that a building might not be destroJ
ed that was possibly looked upon by the Indians as sacndj
and whicn they were anxious to preserve.

I He was decorated with an 4>ld coat, made of rIoilJ
which formerly 'lad been scnilct, with some old !,'olil oa
silver fringe about the shoulders: he had also a cloak, inij
bellished on each side with a profusion of biittonj, anl
small lead pipes, each about an inch I mg. I/is hair, ;ifiif
having been well oiled, was entirely tilled with dcm takn
from gulls: and in this grotcEtiuc lignre, ho displayed i

inucl

Iniade the cap

nifcr skin; bul

i iiinating that I

IfralHc could bf

Lailv, Captain

Luiiild instant! V

,|,sii|i|)(iiiitod, fii

Jincrtlcr to vary

IsiMiied ii v.iricfy

were engaged ii

I iirarcd as ti warr

|(li;s<, and seenic

liidiai) conqiicro

I in the character

[(vliich repiosentt

lii.iial ornaments;

loiiu'd unil suppt

Ircacii of Indian

After the cone

Iwliii'h the approl

l|iei:tcd and reqin'i

Itaiiie on board, a

Itbu course of tli(

jtwonty-five piece

laboiit ten whole t

Irliiel' charged for

jliirs, lor he was

lli'ir for the artici

The chief renui

|pro|ile, and as h(

lain stint Joseph

artv. ^\'oodcoc

t> an hostage, wat

llic natives, and

liivrompaiiv. I

pcniiincd thrt'e dn

w him an e.xce

Iheir customs and

jroiiiit exactly talli

Irrvalions on shore

lili rdiisivpience as a

III llii'' eurioiis dres

IjJ :iiii»llier in the bo

Iwiiii niipetred, dirri

»l»i ii\i(ii;- in this re

I Jii' likially KviaiUi

Pill .IS ii.> iiiiKer of ii

\v:y lime gi'.'w iiMi

iBiNiii-'. al'ter h niii.;

I's, in<lenl. w

liii/iuiis and ra>eMoii

fiiims, (he inside oiiiw

Vol n. No. l:

A VOYAGE ROUND THF, WOlftD.

ii:H

made 11'* captain a present of half a sca-

oltcr Hk'"«' '''"* P'"0«'"f<'d nothing for sale, in-

(nnatinjf tl>at lie mnst go on »lioie before any

ifralfic could be|i:in. Returning again, with his

Ipailv, Captain Portlock thought the trairic

'vdiilil iiistiintlv conirnonce; hut he was again

|,l,sii|.|t(»iiitcil, tor singing was again begun ; and,

jiKtriliT lo vary the imuisemcnt, the chief ropre-

.„,e,j ji v.irictv of t-haraeters. whilst his people

Iwt'tc. ongagi'il in singing. At one time he ap-

iiriiri'd as a warrior, and assumed an appropriate

(hi'n^i ""f^ set^"**-'*' to have all the ferocity of an

Indian conqueror about him. lie next appeared

■ in llic character of a woman, wearing a mask

Iwliicli roproscnfed a woman's face, wifh their

III. mil ornaments; this character was so well ima-

jniiud and supported, that it seemed beyond the

Ireatii of Indian art.

After the conclusion of this entertainment, of
Iwliitli the approbation of the spectat(trs was ex-
Jneded and required, the chief and his attendants
lame on board, and trade was proceeded on. In
Itlic course of the day Captain Portlock bought
Lvcnty-tive pieces of good sea-otter, equal to
laboiit (en whole skins; but it appeared that the
Ifliit:!' charged for the entertainment as well as (he
Jliirs, for he was obliged to pay extravagantly
Idi'ir for (he articles he purchased.

The cliiof remaining on board with one of his
Inronli', and as he required a hostage, the rap-
llaia sL'iit Joseph Woodcock on shore with his
partv. >\'oodcock having been frequently left
ti an hostage, was become intimate with many of
Ilic natives, and they seemed excessively fond of
.rompanv. Upon one of these occasions, he
kcniaincd three days among the Indians ; which
|ra\i; him an excellent 0|)por(uni(y of observing
Iheir ciiMoms and mode of living; and his ac-
lount ixacdy tallied villi the captain's own ob-
[rrvalions on shore : their filth and na^tiness e\-

lih riiiisi'.|iu'iH\' as a Spiiiiish don could liavi? doni-, Dc-
, ilii". iiirioiis dros-:, \»irK:!i llu- cliivl" liiiusolf norc, he
|j>l aiiKilici ill flu- l)<i;it not lis-s rcinarkiibk', in which ii
Vmiii :i|ipi'ir«l, during the (iliif of her siiii;iiij{.

1 !,\ii.:; ill this i-c'Ci'|)tucle foi- lilth, tlic-e pour wrotch-
,a;,' liUr.illy suaiuiiiij; "illi vi-nniii, but thfy regarilod
(iii,is IK) 111 ilhT of i'lciiun'iiii'iici', I'orif thcst- attiMidunts
|i r V liiiu' f;i>'w (r.)iihU"-onic. thi'\ fod upon their liKlu
,!ii";. a!'l< r hiviiii; capliiird liicin about their [irrsons.
Lftiincs, iiidi'i il. whi-n thry wen; found iinconimunly
Igiii runs and ra\tiiu)its, Ihcy ohtuiiud n littiu .-i'S[iito, by
Viiiii,!! the inside oiilH.irds. ^^^

Vol. 11. No. LXXXIII.

ceeded all conception ; and their food, which
consisted principally of fish, was juixcd witli
stinking oil and otls^r di.sagreeable ingredients.
The remains of every meal were thrown into a
corner of their hut on a heap of the same kind of
materials in a complete state of putrefaction,
which diffused a very loathsome and ofiensivc
odour : to render the situation still more horrible,
the same apartment served them both to eat and
9le£p in.

This comfortless situation frequently induced
Woodcock (i) t.tko a ramble into the woods ; but
his motions were strictly watched by some of his
new companions, who were always apprehcnsivt;
that he sought ah opportiniity of making hi«-
escape from them. Once in particular, when he
had rambled a ennsiderahle distance from the re-
sidence of the Indian*, lie began to amuse him-
self with wlii-lliiig ; not supposing, even if the
natives heard liim, that thoy could posMblv be
oHoiulcd ; but in this re-^pect lie was rxeeitriin^'ly
mistakeji: for .ie\eral (if them ran un iruine-
dia(ely, and insisted on his silence. Not per-
fectly coinpreliending tlu; meaning of this pe-
remptory injunrtion at lirst, he ventured to go
on with his time. One of the natives, however,
put a stop to It. by layin;v his hand on Wood-
cock's mouth; coiisideringthe whistling as a signal
for his companions to come for him. Hut though
he was thus narrowly watched by these people.
they treattnl him in other respects with great
kindness; and. at their meals, .selected the nicest
morsels for him to regale on, mixing his fish
with plenty of putrid oil, winch lu their opinion,
added greatly (o its perfection: thev were so fullv
convinced of tin* dciteiotts relish eommnnicated
by this oil, tli;it he found it no easy matter to
persuade them to let iiii:i cat his fish without
sauce *.

On the 2l.st (he Indian chief, with his party.

Poor Woodcock iooii bt'canic .-js much caressed bv thc««
crawlers as hi; (Miiiii.uii'ms, luu. as .such guiKts wcro a
novelty to him, In; lui;au i«. f'lvl liis .situation extromelv dis-
agrecahle. The Indians eiu'leavoiired to |inisii,it!n him to
retaliate in tiio nianncr lliey \v.«re accu.stoin-.d Jo ait; but
this wa.s so tolaliy irpn^'nant to \\\* feelings, tiiat he could
ijot follow their plan of oiKraiions. .\' leiiolji, however,
he prevailed on some oi the women to drive them from
iheir quarters, niid the iiiinUTs were probably well paid for
huntiuj,' by the gaum ilie\ capmred.

returned

Id3'2

A VOYAGE ROUND TIIK WORLD.

returat-d on board, but he waa us tedious in the
disposal of bis furi^as ho had bt^cii on the preceding
duy. About seven in the evening their trading
WU8 finished; and, knowing (he neighbourhood
>vas cleared of all (he furs^ Captain Portlock re"-
Bolved to take the earliest opportunity of quitting
the Sound : (he ship was consequently immedi-
ately put into a state fit for sea.

This party from the north-we»t undet?tood
the art of thieving with as much dex'erity as ayy
of their former visitors in (he Sound. Wiicn any
one had fixed his e)e on an article he intended to
steal, it is astonishing to see with what patience,
secrecy, and dexterity he will convey the booty
away. One fellow, in particular, conceived a
fancy, for Captain Fortlock's drinking mug,
vshich was u black-jack : be had got it under his
frock, which was made in the fashion of those at
Prince William's Sound ; but, unfortunately for
the poor fellow, it happened to be about half
full of beer, a part of which having splashed
over, discovered the thief and his intentions.
Though the captain kept two people continu.ally
in his cabin, to observe the motions of the bye-
fitandcrs, whilst be traded with any of them, one

and

put a piece of copper wire to prevent jt
from closing; this they wear (ill (hey arc about
fourteen, when it is taken out, and the wooden
ornament introduced. They also have their cars
bored, where they wear their ornaments of bcadi
and other things. Their apparel is the same
kind as worn bj the men; and both sexes delight
in long hair, considering it as a very preposscgNin»
ornament. The women wear the hair cither
clubbed behind, or tied up in a bunch on the
crown of the head : the men wear it loose, orded
at the crown. The method of dressing the hajr
with bird's down, is only practised by flie tiie„
The women are generally hair-drcsscrs for their
husbands, in which character they conduct them,
selves with dexterity and good nature.

Polygamy is not countenanced here : Captain
Portlock never observed any of the natives to
have more than one woman, whom he seemed (o
consider as his wife; to whom they pay strict at-
tention, and treat with tenderness and adertiou;
any familiar advances towards another's wife jj
deemed an unpardonable aftVont. Both men aod
women are also fond and affectionate parent^
The women are (he treasurers, who generally keen

set

fellow found an opportunity of getting a cutlass | their riches in a box or basket; and the women

also take the lead in fashions. It is not (he cus.
torn of these people, as with the South
Islanders, for the men and women to eat scpa-
rately, nor are the females confined to food of »
particular description. Men, women, and chil-
dren sit down indiscriminately at their meals

which principally consist of diderentkiads of lish;
siicli as salmon, seals, sea-otters, porpoises, and
a variety of shell-fish.

Their persons, with regard to size, are like
the Europeans: the men have a fierce and savaee
aspect, which, with (heir dress, gives them iinich
the appearance of warriors; their weapons of war
are daggers, and long-pointed spears: they are
soon irritated, and their revenge is unlimited:
being well acquainted with their tempers. Cap-
tain Portlock always guarded as much against
them as possible: and upon all occasions took
care to be well provided for them in case of an
attempt, by keeping his pistols ready cliarged!
before him.

Their women, were it not for the filth whichj
they abound in, would be by no means disagree
able; their features in general are pleasing, and!
ex press! \e of 4 modest diflSdence. They fre-|

quenlljfl

under his frock, and was not detected till he was
descending the side of the ship. Captain Port-
lock took it from him, gave him several strokes
with the flat side of if, and afterwards drove him
from the ship. Yet, notwithstanding all their
vigilance, another fellow stole out of a box in
the cabin four pair of worsted stockings, and
several other articles, with which he got out of
the ship undiscovered. Their visitors from the
east appear to have much more honour and
honesty than the western people, and are less
savage and ferocious.

The women at this Sound, which has obtained
the appoilatinii of Portlock's Harbour, disfigure
themselves in a very extraordinary manner, by
making an incision in the upper lip, in which
they wear un oval piece of wood, the size being re-
gulated by the age of the wearer ; some of them
had these ornaments of the magnitude of a tea-
saucer. The weight of this preposterous em-
bellishment drags the lip down so as to cover the
whole of the chin, leaving the lower teeth and
gum naked and exposed, which gives them a
disagreeable appearance. The children have
their lips bored when about two years of age.

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

833

(*!

nuently g*ve our navigators an opportunity of
witneuing tlieir desire to please, particularly
when the wooding party, went on shore. At
those times, they usually ranged themselves in a
line, VL»i began to aing, not omitting to exhibit
innocent scenes of drollery, to please the people
while they were at work, If their exertions hap-
nencd to please the people, and make them
I laugh, they all immediately joined in a loud
burst of joy and approbation. Their language,
however, is harsh and unpleasant to the ear.

The habitations of these people are made of a
I few boards, which they take away with them
Uhen they repair to their winter quarters. It is

surprising to see how well thf y shape the boards
with the wretched tools th'jy errtploy. Their
country is mountainous, and covered with tho
pine-tree; many of which grow to an amazing
size.

They have great ingenuity, which they de-
monstrate upon variii'is uccusions : thf^y form
a curious basket of twigs, in which they fre-
quently boil their victuals, by pitting red-hot
stones in them. Their ideas of carving i'.rc far
from being contemptible; every Ktcnsil they
make use of, having some rude carvMig, repre-
senting one animal or another.

;ii '»,

SECTION VII.

\pmae:e from the Coast to the Sanduich Islands — Transactions there^-Lctters received from Cap-
tain Dixon and Mr. Ross — Their final Departure — Passai^e to China — Arrival there — And pro-
cecd to England — Anchoring in Margate Roads on the Itith of August, 1778.

arc like

savage)
^u nuR-h

of war 1
Lhey ate I
limited:!
|s, Cap-

again-tj
Ins took
Ic of an]

[•harged]

ON the 17th of September, at two in the
morning, standing to the south by east,
ICaptain Portlock saw a large flight of flying-fish,
Itlic first during the passage: also a few tropic
Ibirds, and some bottled-nose porpoises. From
tliJ!) time to the 27th, nothing interesting hap-
gened; and then, at half past eight, they saw
llie high land of Owhyhee, bearing west-south-
lest, distant Gfteen or twenty leagues. On the
;th at five in the morning, they found them-
Ives two leagues and a half from the land : at
Ml time they bore up, and made sail towards
lliesihore. At five they were six miles from the
Lliorc, when a parcel of canoes came otfwith the
jlltrent productions of the island ; as hogs,
io»l'i, bread-fruit, plantains, taro, and a few
Idioa-nuts. Of other articles they also bought
in abundant supply; and though there .was a
eavy swell, and the day unsettled, some of them
Hide several trips to shore, before the evening
inie CD, for other cargoes, as they di<< posed of
lieir first. Remaining within about four or five
lib of the shore, from seven in the morning
pi seven in the evening, they purchased about
to hundred hogs and pigs, six dozen fowls,
liiee tons of bread kind, with plenty of fishing
they foujid these articles very commodious

for trading with, as they could get provision
for them upon very moderate terms.

On the 29th of September they caught several
very large sharks : it was astonishing to sec how
little these fish are dreaded. Captain Portlock
frequently saw five or six large sharks swimming
about the ship, when there have been upwards of
a hundred Indians in the water, includi.ig men, •
women, and children. They seemed perfectly
indifferent about them, and the sharks never at-
tempted to make an attack upon them, though
at the same time they would seize the bait of the
Europeans very greedily.

On the yd of October, in running along shor*,
a number of canoes, large and small, came off' to '
our navigators, but had hardly a single article of
provision. From these visitors they understood-
that the king, and most of the principal men of
the island were at Oiieehow, and that previous
io their sotting off for that island, they had ta-
booed the hogs, and prevented their gettinji^ any.
They were also informed that the Nootka and
Queen Charlotte had been at the island : and
Captain I'ortlock received intelligence that Cai;
tain Dixon had left a letter for him with Al;!;c-
nooc, which then lay at his house a* V\ uin.t.
The next morning a young man^ named Tuhiiet-,

M ho

>!:'

i» ■ n

^^^:

I'U,

■ilii M

1 '■■ ;l

8*' ■■' ■!

.1 .1 c

<§

23i

A VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

viho was the son of Abbeiiooe, came on boards
witb intelligenee that the letter was tabooed in
the house, and could not be delivered to any per-
son \iit Abbenooe/ or in obedience to his direc-
tion , About ten o'clock the following" morning,
Captpiii Portlock, made sail for Oncehow, with
a fair breeze at east south-east.

On the 4th of October, at six in the evening,
they came to anchor on the south-west side of
Oneehow, in sixty-two fathoms water. At nine
in the morning two canoes came alongside, from
which they procured a temporary supply of
yams. From the people of these canoes they un-
ilcrstoodj that Abbenooe would be on board in a
flho'/t time, accompanied by <he king and liis
])riiicipul men. About two in the iiftcrnoon tlie
king came on board, .attended by Abbenooe and
the principal men of Oneehow and Atooi, bring-
ing with them a large quantity of yams and po-
tatoes. Abbenooe, observing one of the people,
who was just returned from shore, having only
one shoe on, enquired what was become of the
other. Being infoimrd that he had lost it in the
surt^ as he got into the boat, Abbenjoe took a
•canoe and paddled away for the beach, and in
Ies.s than an hour he returned on board, bringing
t' ■'. shoe and buckle, greatly di'lighted that he
had been successful in his undertaking.

In the nii)rning of the 7tli, a niessongcr from
Atooi brought ('apfain Dixon's letter, dated the
18th of September, and that lie had left the
coast, on the 'Jth of August, all well, and with
fifteen hundred skins. Novcmbfr 4, at five in
the evening, saw. at day-light tlic islands of
Suypan and Tinian. At half p-ist eight, the
passage between S,'a\pai> and iinian open, steer-
ed fur it, and about nine passed close to the
south cud of S.i\|>an, iinnicilialelx to the west-
ward, olf which |)oint is a g->tKl !>ay *.

Uu the 18th, at day-light our navigators were

* A niiinI)i,T of wliiti' aiiiiii;ils 'w.tc oliscrvi-il gr.iziiig on
the phrins of 'I'iiiiiiii, whii'li wore Mijipo'iil (o be Uic wliife
catlle witi'i wliich t-onl .Aiiuoii says ilu; islaciJ of Tinian so
tiitich aliotiiiils. 'J'hcv t'oiilil not, tlH)i':;li v^idiin half a
iiiik' of Sa_v|>ait, pciccivt; an aniinal of any knul : ?)ii( both
(Ik' i.s!.inil.'< appear (ranscxMuloiitly hLiiaiiful, nhunntling in
Ininionsc qnaiililics of ('o('()a-n;u and otlwr Irt'ivs.

+ W'liilst tliry lay (licio, a (lanfjcn.tss niiifiny liapponcd
,o>i board (lie Ui'lvidijrc, ("apiain (incr, (hoii lyiag at the
Maine jilasc On «vhic'i o. cation a court of iMKpiiry was
Ju'lil for (he irial of tlie mutineers. Tlie court liavini; Jfone
Atiruuglt tliu evidence, ani.' a»kc'd whai thu pruoni-rs had (o

surrounded by a number of Chinese fishing v«s.
sels, or junks. At half past nine, seeing a Chi.
nese vessel steering towards them, they shortened
sail, and brought to, hoping to get a pilot out
of her. Sent the whale-boat on board her
which speedily returned, accompanied by a boat
from the Chinese vessel, iu which came a pilot
with whom Cfaptaiu Porllock agreed for his
carrying the ship to Macao for fifty dollars.
At half pait ten .stood to the west-north-wost.

On the 2ist they weighed^ and stood towards
Macao, and ai hajf past four anchored in Ma-
cao-road, in four fathoms and a half. On the
'i5th, at two in the afternoon came to six fathoms
two miles below \\'ymoat.

On the .')()ih of May Captain Portlock sailed
for Englaiiil, and on the l.'Jlh of June arrived at
the islai'd of St. Helena, from whence thcyic-
sumed their passage on the 19th, and anchored
in Margate Iloads on the 24th of August : the
people all in high spirits, and rejoiced to see H
their native shore.

The grand object of the voyage, of which an
acctumt is given in the preceding sheets, beiiufj
to trade for furs, in expectation of finding tan
advantageous traffic; the public will tlicieforei
naturally encpiire whether such expectations has
been answcroii, especially as reports have hpon
industriously propagated to the contrary. That
the A'/'wii iu-));-y:c's Sound ComiHini/ have not ac-
cumulated immense tortunes, may perhaps be,
true, but it is also true that they are gainers to
the i>nu)unt of some thousands of pounds; audi
that they have not been more completely siir-
ces^ful, allowance will naturally be niaile I'drl
their inexperience in a first essav. Imoiii this]
plain staicnient of facts, it is perhaps the most
profitable and lucrative employ that the enter-
prising merchant can possibly engage in.

say for themselves, i( apprar.-d (hal there had not been ikl
1 'as! eaiisc fur iii!:riniir an:!iii>t (he ship'^ eoinpaiiy, ur fori
ill iis.ij;e from my one jieCy otTiecr in the ship. The (niirtl
Mere iluTeforo 111' (ipiiiion, that severe anil iiiimoriiad' cor-l
t)ornl pMiil^lniient slionld lie indirted upon Ihr riiifjleadi'isji
fln<l that llcinj and Lillji, at diiferent ."ihips of the licit roJ
ceive, Ihri ij one (I'lndred, and l.il'ji -ivciity lashes; \''.A
th( r-sl be pntiish.'il on bond the Ikkidcn^ and tliiit L:l\
.M(»( and Ai ///' rei:eive sixty laOies: (.'(ir/aiid, SIJ:n,'i; aiil
Ctiriii'jf forty. I'iijlii lashes: ll<is//iiii< and J^ariffjcnl iwen^yi
four lashes; and Kclh/, as least cuJpable, rciciTC t\(ri/
lushe.«.

END OF PORTLOCK S VOYAGi: ROLND THE \\ORLn.

VOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR..^

AND

;i-»l

THE EAST INDIES.

. • MY TME ^EME ROCMOJW,

Member of the Academies of Sciences of Paris and Petersburg, .Astronomer of the Marine,
Keeper of the King's Philosophical Cabinet, Inspector of Machines, .Money, Sgc.

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.

.'Mi I''')-- '■

hi'

. I : ...

MIE islaud of Madagascar was discovered in
150(5, by Lawrence Almeyda; but it has
jjccn known from time immemorial by the Per-
Liis and Arabs, iindf-r the name of Sarandib.
hviien the Portug-uose first discovered it, tliey
nisliod to give it tlie name of the Island of
JSaint Lawrence. In the reign of Henry IV. <he
Ij'roiich named it Isle Danphiue ; and though its
Viii name is Madccasse, it is generally known
liiniltT (hat of Madagascar.

This large island appears, by the united testi-
jnoiiv of several learned geographers, to be ihe
iLVnii' of Pliny, and the .'l///Hi////Visr/e of Ptolemy.
It extends almost N. N. E. and S. S. W. and lies
L(«e(Mi the twelfth and twenty-sixth degrees of
Idutlii'rn latitude. It is greatly celebrated for
]jic leitility of its soil, and the ' ariety of its
Litiiiciions; and is plenlifuily watered bv
lliciiii'^ and large rivers, .;s w«'ll ax by a number
lufsiiiiill rivulets, which have their souries at
jie boltoui of tliut Ituig eluiin of mountains,
Rhith separates tie eastern hum ihc western

riie traveller, who. in the pursuit of know-
Ytzf, traverses for the first time, wild and
jiiiiiitaiiiuus countries, intersected by ridges
y \alleys, must be often struck with terror
Ind surprise, at beholding the awful preci-
ifcs; the summits uf which are covered with
iets as ancient, perhaps, as the world: his
litonii'lunent is further increased on hearing the
Lull (if immense cascades, which are too in-
Kci'SHlile for him to npproach. Hut these truly
I Vol,. II. No, K\\\I!I.

picturesque scenes, are ever succeeded Ly rural
views, delightful hills, and flourishing plains^
where vegetation is never interrupted by the se-
verity and vicissitude of scrsons. Exuberant
pastures afford nourishment to numerous herds
of cattle and flocks of sheep. Agriculture is
here seen making wonderful advances, while
nature alone defrays almost all the cxpences.
The fortunate inhabitants of Madagascar never
moisten the earth with the sweat of their brows:
they turn it up slightly with a pick-axe, and
the biis'.iicss is achieved.

riie forests contain an infinite variety of the
r.iost beautiful trees; such as palms of every
kind, ebony, wood for dying, enormous bam-
boos, and orange and lemon-trees. All the
forests of lMatlaii;ascar abound with plants un-
know ii to the botanists; some of which are aroma-
tic and niedieiiial, and others fit for dying.
The most indefatigable botani.st, in the ctKirse
of a long life, would be but slightly acquainted
with the n;itural history of all the vegetable
productions of this island, the extent of which,
in latitude, comprehends several cliuKites. 'I'hcrc
are, indeed, few countries in the world where
navigators can find, in greater abundance, and
at less expen(e, refreshments of every kind.

The natives of Madagascar are called Ma/r-
gachcs, or Madecasses: they are portly in their
persons, and somewhat exceed the middle s<ature.
The colour of their skin is different: and among
one tribe it is of a deep black; among another
it is tawny; some are approaching to a cojiper

•'{ O colour;

.i!?!

V III

'■Vth

I'jl 1

'i p!

'Is

\ 1 ;

i 11

1 ■ si

1 '" '

1 .

■<•:!

'256

A VOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR.

colour; but the greater part of them have a
tint of the olive. Those who are black have
wooUv hair, like negroes on the coast of Africa:
those v('ho exhibit a complexion similar to that
of the Indians and Mulattoes, have as lank hair
as the Europeans. Their nose is not flat; they
have a broad open forehead, thin lips, and fea*
tiires regular and agreeable; and they display
a countenance of peculiar frankness and good-
nature. These people are extremely indifferent
about acquiring knowledge, which cannot be
^obtained without reflection. A natural want of
care, and a general apathy renders every thing
insupportable to them that requires attention:
they pass the greater part of their lives in sleep-
ing, and in amusing themselves*.

The Malegachc, like the savage, is absolute
master of himself; his freedom knows no limit
or restraint: he goes where he pleases, and acts
as he pleases; so that he injures not a fellow
creatlire. The Malegache never attempts to op-
pose the will of any one: each individual has
his own peculiar manner of living, and his
neighbour never attempts to disturb or interrupt
him. lo this respect these islanders are much
wiser than the Europeans, who ridiculously sup-
pose that all the people of the earth ought to
conform to their customs, prejudices, and
opinions.

Are savages then so much to be pitied ? Are
tht V tij be censured for confining their wants
and desires to the procuring what is absolutely
necessary for their subsiste"'c; They enjoy in
peace the gifts of nature, and calmly endure
th(H(' evils which are inseparable from humanity.
The conduct of a man in a state of civilization

opulence

* The Malegachc, like the savage, liafs no idea of virtue
or vice; hv. (hinks only for the pn'scnt, and siippoiics there
arc no men on the earth who are uneasy respecting futurity.
These islan Icrs are free beings, enjoying peare of mind,
and health of body; man is naturally :i humane compas.
sionate being, and ])ossesses that salntary orf^anization,
which, in a great dejjreo, supplies the want oi' laws and
virtues. It is that which prevents the robust savage from
robbing childhood, or feeble old age, of its siibsisteneo.
To this noble organization the savage is indebted for that
aversioa which he feels to hurt his own species.

+ Vander Stel, governor of the Cape of Good Hope,
having procured a Jlottcntot child, caused bim to be
educated in the best European manner: splendid apparel
was given him, and he was instructed in several languages,
ia which he made a considerable pro^^rcss. Vander Stii,
picaacd with his talcntsj sent bim to ludia under the p:o-

is more reprehensible: idleness and
plunge him into vain and false enjoyment?
which entail on him a train of infirmitiej'
while unrestrained passions, and a taste foj
frivolity make him deviate from the path that
leids to happiness. Were the savages hs im,
happy as we sup|)08e, because they'reject the
superfluities on which we set so great a valu^
why do they not adopt our manners, our custonu'
and our lawsPf.

The inhabitants of Madagascar, which are 1
divided into a great nimiber of tribes, have been
estimated at about four millions; but this cat.
culatiou is supposed to be iuflnitcly ton great-
though it is impossible to ascertain the truth oj
this point, as the island is divided into a great I
number of societies, who are totally disttinct
from each other, and are governed by their i
usages. A tribe is composed of several vi
who have a particular chief, sometimes elecli
but /,'.^nerally succeeds by hereditary right. The I
lands arc not divided, but are considered to bel
the property of those who takt' the trouble to f
cultivate them. These islanders are unacquaint-
ed witli locks or bolts: hungCu* regulates their
hours of repast, though they usually dine about
ten ill the morning, and sup at four in the after-
noon. Their food consists of while rice, ex-
ceedingly light, and well boiled: which tbcyl
besprinkle with a succulent kind of soup, madel
of fisli or flesh, and s«;asoned with pimento,
ginger, saffroii) and a few aromatic herbs. Thiji
simple dish is served up in the leaves of tbej
raven, which perform the offices of plates, dishc«,|
and spoons. These vessels are always clean, aJ
they are renewed at every meal. The Malpga-f

tertion of a commi siiry.general, who cni|iloyed hiiniullJ
coni|)aiiy"s ali'airs. On the death of the e()lnnlis^ary, tfiii]
FFottenfot returned to the Cape; and, after visiiiiij; v
Hottentots who were his relations, he came to a rt>oliiiioiil
of pullin;; off his gaudy l'itiro|)can dress, and to cloljii
himself with a sheep's skin. In this new attire he rcpairct
to Vander Stel, taking with him a Imndle, containing hi^
lid rio'hes; and, presenting th-.ra to the governor, Ihuj
addressed him : " Be so kind, sir, as lu observe, tint ll
for ever renounce these clothes; I am determined, from
this moment, to observe the religion, matiuers, and customJ
of my ancestors. The only favour I have to request uj|
you is, that you will i)ermit mu to keep the nccklaoc aiil
cutlass which I now wear." — lie then instantly withdroifJ
without waiting for the governor's answer, and was iictJ
afterwards beheld at the Capc§. And such examples
far from being uncommon among the Mad«!casges.

chesl

^ Ilinloire des Foifagcs, Tom. V,

A VOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR.

2S7

chcs lia^e only two methods of preparing their
food ; they either boil it in handsome earthen
I vessels, or they broil it upon the coals*.

The Malegaches catch immense quantities of
I ea and fresh-water fish. Those who live on the
borders of the sea are supplied with the dorado,
soUs pilchards, herrings, mackarel, oysters,
crabs, and turtle.. The rivers also afford abun-
dance' of fine eels, and fresh-water mullets, much
uiiucrior in taste and excelles'ce to sea-mullets.
There are, however, on this coast, several kinds
of fisli which should not be cafc'in till proof was
oblaiued of their not being poisonous. To try
whether they are really in that state, a piece of
silver is placed under ilicir tongue; and if it loses
coll)""", and becomes black, those who would
llmve eaten theiu would experience very fatal
sviintoms, and be exposed to great danger.
iicvcral of the people belonging to Admiral Bos-
cawi'ii's squadron lost their lives at Rodriqucz,
bv omitting this necessary precaution.

Of the Southern Part of oMADAGASCAR.

That part of Madagascar in which Fort Dau-
Iphiiie is situated, is very populous. The vil-
llaees are chiefly built upon eminences, and siir-
Irounded by two rows of strong palisades; some
■of (hem are also f jrtiflcd by a ditch ten feet in
Ibrcadth, and six in depth. The chief re-
Iside^ in a place Called Douac, consisting of two
\m three buildings, surrounded by a peculiar
[kind of ipLkJsure, for him, bis women, and his
Children.

The chiefs are always armed with a fusee, and

|a stick headed with iron; at one end of the latter

lasmall hum' of cow's hair is aii\xed; and a

jtap of rod woollen cloth serves as a covering for

Iheir heads. Though the authority of these

Ithiefi is now very much limited, yet in the pro-

lince of Carcanossi they are the supposed pro-

Letors of all the lands, which they distribute

ifliong their subjects to be tilled; f<»r which

iit) require o.ily a small quit-rent. The people

^Thry iirs export at catching a it 'mber of birds unknown
D Kuropc, which arc prized by tiio naturalist for the
Luty oi' their plumage, as much as they are by traTclkrs
naccount of their exquisite taste. The pheasant, the par«
kidge, the quail, the pintado, wiUUducks, and tualii of
liferent kinds, afford the most excellent md delicate nou>
)ikin€iit to the Hurupcans. The black paraijuet, the tur>
ledove, tlic tpooii ijill, the bl .-ik-bird, the green wood-

;:on, aad a kind of bat of most extr luidiuary magnitude

of the province of Carcanossi are not entirely ig-
norant of the art of writing; they have some
historical books in the Madecasse language: but
their learned men, whom they call Ombiasses, use
only the Arabic characters. These Ombiasses
:irr both sorcerers and physicians ; the most cele-
brated of whicti come from the province of Ma-
tatane, where magic is supposed to {l(;urish in
its full glory. The Ombiasses profess, in the
public 8';hool8, Geomancy and Astrology; and.
it appears certain that the art of writing has been
brought into this island by the Arabs, who con-
quered it about three hundred years ago. Their
paper is manufactured from the 1-apjjnts nUolicn,
which the Madecasses name Sanga-Saugu. The
pens used by these islanders arc made of the bam-
boo; and their ink is produced from a decoction:
in boiling water of the bark of a tree which they
call the ovandraio.

The Arabic language has made some progress
in the north-west part of (his island; and it is
well known that the Arab princes forme'' large
establishments along the African coasi. They
also took possession of the island of Comora; and
when they emigrated to Africa and the adjacent
isles, they did not forget their own country.
They still carry on an inconsiderable trade with
Aden, Mascate, and tiie coasts of Abyssinia..
Thus have they introduced their language, and
left some traces of Mahoraetanism among the
Malegaches. Formerly there subsisted between,
the Arabs and the Portuguese of India very great
animosity, arising from the zeal of these two na-
tions for the propagation of their respective re-
ligions, and iinuch mischief ensued. The Arabs
made frequent attacks upon the Portuguese esta-
blishments OP the coasts of Africa, and even de-
stroyed some of their settlements; but this hatred
gradually subsided, when the decline of the Por-
tuguese power rendered them less objects of jea-
lousy. An attempt was made at Goa, about
twenty years ago, to take advantage of this sup-
pensiun of lioiitilitics. and to form a Portuguese

improve the deHcious catalogue. The Abbe Rvchon sayj^
" it wa« not without a cousiderable degree of reluctance^
that I first ato the bats of Madagascar, i!rcssed after the
manner of a fricaseed chicken. The animals are so hide.
0U4, that th« very sight of (hem frightens our sailors; yet
\vhen one can overcome tliat disgust which h inspired
only by the idea of their figure, th(4r flesh is found to be
more palatable than that of our best fowls."

settlement

k^'im

■lit ''ml

•''M

V\'.

V: )'

t ■'

li ■ \

. I :

23S

A VOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR.

ficUlement at Uape St. Sebastian in Madagascar.
The intention of this establishment was merely
relig:ions. ". i>« Porlugiiose thought of forming
a mission, rather than a factory; but this pro-
ject was not attended with success.

As this island has been so much frequented by
the Arabs it seems surprising that Mahometan-
ism has not made greater progress inj^; but, if
we except circumcision, abstinence from pork, and
some few unimportant practices, the descendants
of the Arabs themselves have lost sight of tho
fundumf-ntal parts of their religious opinions.
They believe not in a future existence: raid, like
the Maniacees, they admit of two principles,
one superlatively good, and the other extremely
wicked. Tlieyiuner address their supplications
to the former, but they dread the severity of the
latter, to whom they are continually doing
homage, ami olfering up sacrifices*.

The Anacandrians are descended from the
Rhoandrians; on which account they share with
the Rhoandrians the honour of killing, for the
other islanders, thn animals necessary for their
subsistence. The Ontzalsi enjoy no particular
marks of distinction: they jvre generally valiant
soldiers, and can throw a stone with great dexte-
rity; their time = usually spent in dancing, sleep-
ing, and amusii.^ ^hcmselves. From their earliest
intancy they are taught songs, replete with lessons
of morality, or containing fables respecting their
origin.

The native blacks are divided into four classes;
riz. the Voadziri, the Loavohits, the Ontzoa,
and the Endeves. The Voadziri. it is atlirmed,
are desoendod from the , sovereigns of the island:
they are rich in slaves andi flocks, arid are permit-
ted to possess several villages. These people are
held in much estimation among the islanders of
Madagas( ar, for they have preserved the right of
killing, when they are not in the presence of a

* The isliind of Madagascar is so liltle disfaiit from the
CDast of Africa, that it may probably have been peopled
from the vast cotitincnt; but the dili'cTont race^ are now so
iiitormixc't', that they could with diiriciilty be discriminated.
The descundauts of rial luj^roes may, however, be iFistin-
giiihhed, but it would be a vain attctnpt to point out those
who descended frou) (he whites.

+ Such of the islanders as have any erudition relatR, that
the creator of heaven and earth formeil, from the b(idy of
the first man whilst he was a^lL-op, seven women, whd vrterc
the motliers of the dilFerent c.ihHcs; of w'lich the author
jrives a v«rv uninleresfin^ section.

t The Malenachcs of the province of Anossi are lively,

Rhoandrian or a Macandrian, such animals a,?
belong to their subjects: The Lohavohits are
less powerful, and never can possess more than
one village. The Ontzoa arc related to the Lo-
havohits, but they have no kind of authority or
privilege. The Ondeves are slaves by extractionf

How can it be supposed that these people, ju!
volved in the darkness of ignorance, can defend
themselves against the deception of the Ombiiisse<
when the most enlightened nations are dupes to
quacks and impostors. Reason is seldom so now.
erful as to prevent a man entirely from that fond.
ness for the marvellous which often hurries Iiim
into the most ridiculous allusions; and if he some.
times conceals this fatal propensity, it is mereiv
because he is ashamed of his weakness;};.

A ])liirality of wives is common among tlie
chiefs and those who are rich; but they can-
not legally be married to more than one; the
rest are only considered as concubines. A
divorce is easily procured whenever the conjugal
imion displeases th^ husband or wife: but, when
ihey separate thus, by mutual cou'^etit, thcv re-
store to each other the property thev respeciiveJv
possessed before marriage. In Madagascar, the
adulterer is deemed a robber, and punished ac-
cordingly. The people therefore pay the great-
est respect to marriage, and cx!u)rt strangers to i
behave with decency to their wives; but tliev
voluntarily offer them their daughters. Married
women have their hair separated into tresses, and
bound up in the form of a nosegay on the top of
the head: young women permit it to r.iil'care.i
Icssly over their shoulders, Husbands are al\va\i
sprightly and merry -n the cotnpanv of Iheit
wives; as soon as tlie. perceive th'mi, they beifiaj
to dance und sing. The Malegache women ge-
nerally set.'n cJ i-erful and happv, and their iii-iii-
ners are found peculiarly pleasing to the Eiiro-
[>ean8.

intelligent, and grateful: they arc passionately fond ufl
women, and. never ai)pear sorrowful or dejected in tliritl
comiiany : th<^ir principal aim is to procure the •ppnihalionl
of the fjiir. The man here never coiuma'uls as u de^put, iiurl
docs the woman over obey a.s a slave ; but the bal.iiin' off
power iticlines in f.ivour of the wonie i. Their einpin'nl
Ihat- of 'beauty, mildness, and the graces; for, wlirii uj
e.vcept the colour, the .Malegache women are hanilsDiio.f
Their |iersons arc slender and i^enteel, thi-ir fratiirj
delicate, their skin soft and smooth, an<l (heir teelli ar^
reiparkably white: they have also line blue eyes, (he impil^
of which are brov^u aud s|)arkling.
<•••■■■ ^^ •' . --• • • - . -v :--.-. .. ..

A VOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR.

ii39

U'lien the Malegachcs arc at war, their woinoii
(v and dance almost iiu'casnnlly, in order to
l'"iniit(! t!ic vijro'''' »"<' ro»rafj« of tlifiir liiis-
Ib!tii(l3. Their songs are citlier panegyrics or
■(■i and arc well calculated to interest ';e
I Klito'rs, In these compositions, gh)rioii8 deeds
I re fcK'liriited, and contemptible actions repro-
I, , jgj ^V hen a woman suspects her health has
1.' „ injured by a faniiliar intercourse with Eu-
I oneans, she absents lif^rself from their assemblies
llo escape the raillery of her companions, aud
Iromiiiits herself to the care of the physicians, or
loiiibiitsses. These savage people know how to
lililiviT themselves happily from the venereal
jj.iaso, and prevent it from spreading in this
lislnml so much as it has in Europe.

\\ hiitcver travellers may say, depraved niora'«

Jjire only fouml in a state of civilization. Per-

fcifioiis examples, frivolity of tastes, a variety

lot' interests, and ticlitiotis wants, degrade human

iiitiiit' so far as to make some metaphysicians

Ijelitvc, (hat they are all born with a secret pro-

incn.'itv t<» vice, Man, naturally, says Hobbes,

L a wicked being. Let us i)anish such a dis-

Icreoable idea, " I have studied, says the Abbe

ifoclion, with son*'? care thc^ character and cus-

„iis of the islandvTH of Madafrasrar ; I have

tvi-ral times assisted lU their assemblies when they

tarre deliberating upon important allairs; I have

r,illii\\e(l iheni in their dances, their sports, and

Luiseiiients ; and I have alwuys found among

lliciii that prudent reserve which secures thorn

[rdm liiose fatal excesses, and those vices, so

LiiiniiKi among polished nations."

li'tlic Malegaches liiive sometimes employed
Irrailicrv, it has been occasioned by the tyranny
\i ilu" Europeans. Can these people defend
ilitm-^t'lves bv any other means from otu' bayonets
Ind artillery ? If they aie destitute of know-
jIl'C add resources, have wc not taken advau-
Itffo ot" their weakness to make them yield to
Virri prices? They are rigorously trcattd by us,
juiTlimi for their generoMS hospitality; and we
Irand ihem with the ; xmes of traitors and
lovaids, f 'r compelling (hem to break the yoke
liicli we thought proper to load them with.
lust' nielaneiici' . ♦ruths arc sufficiently proved
Ivtlio ruin of ..le different establishments which
he European;, have endeavoured to form in Ma-
|a?i-.scar.

lii> Abbe then obsc vca that in 1612, Captain
Vol. II. No. LXXX.1\.

Picaulet obtained for himself and his associates
the exclusive |)rivilege of trading to Madagascar,
and at the same epoch a grant of the island was
given to a powerful company by letters patent
from the crown. After which one Pronis was
commissioned to take possession of it. The
conduct of Pronis giving great offence, Flacoir
was chosen to succeed him, hut he did not ariv i
at Fort Dauphine till December, 1648, and a
tedious account of the ancient history of tlM
place is then given by the Abbe, which would
almost occupy the usual number of pages given
in a volume; all of which would be for ;ign to
our plan, and consequently be offensive to our
readers.

Towards the conclusiori of the last century,
the French were anxious to people theii colonies
at any rate; and they were not very ■ '.rupulous
respecting the means. Young men, accused of
misconduct, were often hurried away by strata-
gem or violence. The greater part of their
colonics, however, received benefit from these
forced emigrations; and the exiles seemed to
have forsaken their vices when they forsook
their climate. It may be readily perceived that
case and liberty must have produced this change.
In civilized coi'ntries, rt'straint inllamcs the
passions; but in free and fertile countries the
disturbers of social order almost instantly lo.'ie
their vicious inclinations.

" Can there be a happier nation in the universe
than the United States of America? The rights
of every individual are there held sacred; and
dangerous would it be to attempt to violate any
of them. In that happy country, virtue, know-
ledge, and taients meet with a most distinguished
reception. Little inequality is found there; and
the people acknowledge that only which arises
from superiority of talents aud knowledge. Law-
is equally powerful there over him who com-
mands as over him who obeys. Justice is dis-
tributed with an equal aud impartial hand, and
convenience is never substituted for equity.
Here the most numerous class of citizens arf
never degraded by absurd prejudices, which, in
Europe, renders individuals so discontented wilh
their situation that they arc induced to quit it.'

It is Ihcn highly necessary to reform evcrv
thing that leads man aside from his duty; to
inspire him with love for his fellow creatures,
and convince him that it will prumute both his

uiierost

i":-' t

■ .1:

'2iO

A VOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR.

interest and his happiness not to do an injury to
another. But this salutary end cannot be attain-
ed by multiplying capital executions. Every
society indeed luis a right of excluding from its
bosom, all those who disturb its good ordor:
but can it as«»me to itself the power of life and
death over those individuals who compose it ?
This question has frequently been warm'y de-
bated, but has it ever been resolved? The mar-
quis of Becaria, in hii treatise on crimes and
jvrrdf^hmeiit.'i, says, " It appears to me absurd
that laws, which arc only an expression of the
public will, that detests and punishes homicide,
sliould commit the same crime themselves ;
and (hit, to deter maidiind from murder, they
sliould themselves command a public murder."
"What then are real and useful laws?" adds
Becaria, " Those which all would propose, and
•which all would wish to observe." According
to this iUustrious author, the death of a cri-
minal is a less cflectual check than the durable
example of a man deprived of his liberty, and
obliged to repair by labour the injury he has
done to society*.

The islanders of INIadagascar are not u stupid
and worthless people, merely because their maimers
are contrary to ours. C;istoms and usages diil'er
according to climates. Men are every where
delighted in disfiguring themselves a thousand
various wavs: the Indian lengfhcns his ears, the
Cliiiiese cr'iisbcs liis nose, and carefully (laKcns
his forel ",'1'!, and if we narrowly search info
parficiilars, we shall pcrhiijjs discover that man
in a sfafe of civilization is guilty of as many
great aiisurdities as the savage.

If tliese people imbibe the most ridiculous
prejudices and suj)erstifions; let it be obsprvcd
that there is no country upon the face of the
earth which has not i(s chimeras and its fables.
In all regions you may see men invoking spirits,
ooiilidin-, ill amulets, and anjiised with astrolo-
gical reveries. And are i:at the roost civilized
nations the dupes of this spirit of infatuation.
When supi^rxtitio!) is added to the multiplied
vices of large societies, its poison acquires ad-

ditional .strength and activity. But wc om-ii|
not to be astonished at the superstitious y,j"
tices of the Madecasses : Can it be siuprisici
that a weak and tender being, exposed from 1,1' I
cradle to a variety of infirmities, should ert
respecting the cause of those calamities whicli
oppress" him? Is it wonderful that the savage I
under the influence of a deranged imagination's
should have recourse to amulets or spells^ to|
avert *'.e dangers with which he supposes lijuj
self threatened? If hurricanes ravage the lielc I
V, iiich he has cultivated; lightning destroys iIkI
shelter he has framed; and the earth opens under I
his feet, as if preparing to swallow large tractj
of country. Menaced by so many disasters, caJ
the .^Tadecasse remain an unconcerned spectator'!
No! the less enlightened he is, the greater \vi||
be his terror. He will ascribe these evils to tliel
anger of an invisible being, whom he resolveJ
to appease by praters and sacrifices; and mij.!
taking the nature of the worship wliicli is duel
to the Deity, his folly will dictate to liim O
most absurd, childish, and even saiijruinarJ
practices. It is only the eilect of infalualioii,|
from which few people are free; that the .^InU
gaches seem to us more criminal than caiiiljalij
when, urged by superstition, they expose to tliel
teeth of ferocious animals, their iiew-bor.i iiJ
fants, according to the decision of the ()iii.j
biasses.

These wretched impostors pretend to ob^pnel
the Jisjicct of the planets, and coijdeinn to dealiil
the new-born children, when the moment ofllifiil
birth has been pronounced unpropitious, 'I'i
months of March and April, the last v^eck
every other month, and every Wediiesdav aiij
Friclav throughout the year, are days ol' prJ
scription. Tliis inhuman decree of thi; Omj
biasses, however, is not always carried iiiti
execution; fathers more alleelionate, and ksi
superstitious, sometimes cause these iiiiiociii
victims, after they are sentenced to the luro<l
to be privately taken away by faithful servaiitjl
and avert t;ie malignity of the cruel star.

* Should (lie colijiiy of miilcfuctors wliuli the English
liii>c' I'si Jjlishi!(! in IJot.iny IJ.iy, have, for (lie happiness of
tiumaiiify, that succcs'^ \vl:iih inisht iiMsontilily he pxpecfcd,
ran thi' other n:itions of l';iiri)|)e hcsilatc at follo*ving| tlie
cxainph'? Will they be iifriiiil of (hu (.'xpeiiCL's which such
eniif^ratioiih may occasion ? Jjiit llu'se evpences .ire just, as
tvcll as beneficial to Kocieiy, and >sould be found iuciisi du.

rabJe when romparcd with the pri'-rnt disbiirs('inrnt5
iini)risonin)f and exociitiii!; rriniinals. C'.m «e jik iVr llil
p\itiishmunt of the galleys to sin:h a banisliineiit: What:
vantaRo can society derive froii\ f;:illey. slaves? Do tiicy
become more biirtheniionu! than useful? Besides, (heiin.,
of viciousMien spreads corruption to every individual. In>;iil
society the least guilty soon arrive at the height of pieili-a^

A VOYAGE TO MADAGASCAR.

241

obscrtel

to (leatiil

(»f llieii

week (II
(lav aiil

Ooi]
icil iiiiq
and leii

illilOl'iil

t; l'(iri'>

srincnt? Ill
|ii( iVr ill
What a

Do Ilii'V
ihi' Miiid

ii.il. ln-;iij

Of the Xorlh-East Part of MADAGASCAR.

The north-enst part of this island is a rich
njan-azinc for (lie colonies of the isles of France
aiitf Bourbon; and the most frequented port? are
(lie Foulepoint, St. Mary, and Uie bay of Anton-
jrjl. In these thrre places the French have at-
tcuinted to form all their establishments. A
soldier, named Bigorne, who was in the service
of ihc East India Company, gave me some inter.-
estiii£f information respecting the settlements of
t|)C pirates in these districts. This man had gain-
ed the confidence of the islanders, and by a long
rcsidoiuc among them, acquired a kind of in-
ihioiice over them. From tliis man I procured
(■misKltrahle knowledge respecting the produc-
tions, as well as the manners and cu'<«oms of the
iiilial)iti»iits of the north-cast part of Madagascar.
The inhabitants of this coast are more docile and
liumani; than those in the province of Carcanossi.
These inoHensivc people are unacquainted with
locks and bolts, and shut the doors of tbeir
honses with nothing more permanent than the
branches or boughs of trees. Were they the re-
positories of treasure, they would leave them
equal!} exposed, without dreading the visits of
aiiv pluiuleiers. Their dwellings are constructed
iiiorely with leaves and mats, and are therefore
far from being impregnable.

'I lie pirates who practised their depredations in

die Indian seas, alarmed at the preparations

which were making to extirpa'T them, or at

lea t (o check thorn in their nefario is career, took

rcfuiie on the north-cast coast of Madagascar.

[.v\cral nations, who experienced enormous losses

[liiiin these banditti, united together to deliver

the Indian .seas from the oppression of these

f(irinidM!»le tyrants, who had sci/cd a large Por-

liiiriii'-i' )-Iiip, in which was the arcl)bish()|> of

|(i(.a, and (he Count de I{i'C«'ir(\" and the same

ilav another vessel richly freighted. IJoth these

|\aliiabit! prizes were captured before the isle of

IHoiirhiiM.

riie pirates, accustomed to war, and elated
hull) ilu'ir success, resolutely continued to ex-
i'rci>e the plundering trade lor a long time; and
Ibffiirc they were extirpated it was found neces-
lurv to bring a consideral)le force against them;
lluterrily them by exemplary punishnicnt, and to
jpurKiic tlKMn through the most imminent dangi^rs,
Icaii to the place of their rctrcat.s, where they

were under the necessity of setting fire to their
vessels. Such were the measures adopf(^d to clear
the Indian seas of these aquatic robbers ; who
had infested them from the time that Vasco de
Gama opened a passage to India, by the Cape
of Good Hope. The total destruction of their
maritime forces now prevented them from in-
terrupting commerce any more, and compelled
them to quit the establishment they had formed
at St. Mary, an island bordering on Madagascar.

They soon began to signalize themselves, how-
ever, by new acts of atrocity. But of all the
evils, and all the disorders occasioned by their
perfidy, is that of having introduced the slave-
trade into Madagascar. Liberty is so connected
with the essence and dignity of man, that it seems
to have been the height of injustice to have con-
verted it into a saleable commodity.

These banditti, being thus obliged to renounce
their former wandering kind of life, they found it
necessary to excite quarrels and wars among the
Malugachcs, and also render war advantageous to
the islanders; convinced that the sale of prisoners,
that is to say, a trade in slaves, answered two
ends to them, that of perpetuating divisions
among the Malagaches, and that of procuring a
new mode of enriching t''emselves. By this new
crime the pirates terminated their course of rob-
bery, i^ crime which continues to depopulate the
island of Madagascar.

If these observations do not make that im-
pression which they ought on enlightened nations,
and force them to proscribe slavery, how can
they suppose that it will be perceived by savages
involved in the darkness of ignorance? We can-
not therefore be surprised that the Malegaches,
considering the advantages which thi^y continually
derive from the sale of slaves, still entertain a
grateful remembrance of these infamous men, to
whom they conceive themselves indebted for a
considerable part of their riches.

Jiefleciions on the J^ortht^ii Part of

MADAGASr.iR.

*rhis is more fertile in productions of every
kind than the Southern part, and is much more
frequented by European vessels; but the interior
part of the country has never yet been visited.
♦The high uioiintains of Vigagora present, at
every step, obstacles sutiicient to stop the most
resolute and perscvcriug adventurer. The man

who

i \

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i'l; i !-■

r^- nl

.! ' !

1. Si;

1 ;;'t-i i

4 ■■• U i

2^2

A VOYAGK TO RIADAGA AT?.

'il

who inay he so advcnUirous as to undertake a
journey by this ruggell Viny, ought previously
to furnish hiuiself with ropes and poles to climb
the steepest places.

In the forests the compass is an essential guide;
and, every wlicrc else, mechanics furnish the
traveller with tlie means of escaping from the
most diiiicult si'.iation<i. T'lCi^e means, however,
vary according to circumstinces: — a kind of
hammock, like those used in the colonics for car-
rying women and children, would be found ex-
tremely useful to those who travel in these wild
countries; hut it should be light and water-proof.
This hammock should therefore be made of strong
canvas, covered with gum elastic dissolved in
linseed oil, a kind of varnish used for confining
the inflanuuable air in balloons. Such a ham-
mock might serve as a bed, by suspending it be-
tween two trees; or, by means of a bamboo, it
might be formed into a vehicle for transporting
the adventurer from one place to another when
he finds himself fatigued.

Foulepoint, called by the natives Voiilou-
Voulou, is the place most frequented by the Eu-
ropeans in the northern part of Madagascar.
The harbour is surroiuided by a reef of rocks,
which check the force of "the waves, and shelter
ships from heavy seas. The shores are very bold,
the least depth of the water being twenty-three i it from one end to the other: but these phinlii

bidden them. Tim Omhiasse prcteiukd iy
dreadful misfortunes would aKend them, if (|||,„
did not endeavour to destroy the race of (|,„^;,
filthy animals: but this prohibition does iinl (1,^
ter the Europeans from procuring them in (|;,
mountains, where they may be found in |;,rJj
quantities. "

The villages in the neighbourhood of roni,,.
point, which arc not niuuerous, are dispersed uw
the declivities of little hills, and defended [),•
palisades. They are agreeably shaded In a mni.
titude of trees; but the most remarkable U ilu
rarai, a kind of palm-tree, known only in Mada-
gnscar. This tree, the top part of which is prp.
paied and eaten like the cnhbage-palm, rins lo a
great height. It is covered with a hard Iiaij,
and its fibrous wood is used in constructing Ijouw/
the walls and partitions of which are fornud of
the ribs of ifs leaves, which are both solid anj
pliable. Of the leaves of the niveti the Madera*,
scs also make their plates, dishes, and cups; and
under the membraneous covering, which iiicioseii
the tlowers of this palm, a gummy substance of
on exquisite taste is found, which is not inl'crior
to honey.

It cannot be surprising that the IMadera'Sff
should delight in being surroimded by so useful,!
tree. They make large planks of it, by splitting

'?;s

feet at low tides. The entrance of the harbour,
which is on the north side, is about fifty fathoms
in breadth; and the depth of the basin is fifty
fathoms : it is capable of receiving ten large ves-
sels, which may anchor along-side of each other
ii; upwards of thirty feet of water ; but in the
winter season, the entrance is shut by a shifting
sand bank; which is dissipated when the south-
east succeeds the north winds. During the neap
tides the reef of rocks appear above the water;
and many natural productions may then be found
on them; such as marine plants, mosses, black
coral, sea-stars, insects, and shells, which by
the variety of their form, and the brilliancy of
their colours, are chosrri to ornament the cabinets
of the curious. The mouths of the rivers here
abound with oysters of an excellent flavour. Ships
can procure at Foulepoint all kinds of provisions
in abundance, and on very reasonable terms. Some
>ears ago, however, the inhabitants of Foule-
point refused to deal in hogs or pigs, becatise an
old man, who was reputed a sorcerer, hud for-

must be straightened the very moment fliev aic
split.

Tin lands in theneighbourliond of Fonlepdiiit
abound with rich pasture and cattle. In pa^^siny
along the fertile banks of the delightful ri\tf
Oiigleby, the traveller is surprized al ils suddeiilv
disappearing in the sands, at the dislanec of
about four miles from its mouth. This river
which is deep in some places, and sliiilou m
others, abounds with fisli and water-fowl, liul
this stream, like the rest in Aladagasear, is infi>^t-
ed with monstrous crocodiles, the sight of wliieli
strikes a terror in the most intrepid islanderv
(>'reat precaution is necessary to avoid the daiiirtrj
of thescdestructi\e ani'uals. The Abbe lf.oiii(i\f
says, "\ one day saw an ox dragged away an
devoured by one of these monsters." That wiiiilil
renders the rivers of Madagascar delightful, tmi-
tributes to makes them dangerous: the trees audi
shrubs which cover their hanks, serve as iin|
asylum for these formidable animals.

On advancing from Foulepoint, towards tliel

J lli!>'l!

(,,'gh mountai

dually rises, ai

ed from ihew

ever, does no

liiifli and cov

I being less cul

[ The islanders 1

suffer them to >

The nieadov

(trcams and t[i\

I lijriiiful as they

The flowers \i

splendour, and

than thoie whi

Tiifts of trees,

rural spots nior

] When you qi

I fertile immense

1 8 variety of wili

Inishuient assails

I solitude, refresh i

I shades inacccssil

jerhoes from ail i

I of cattle, afford j

|enjo}'tnents are n

Tliesc are all I
IRocJwh's lut/age
.1 Description of
I Tii.ioK. bij M.

''■ OiH i

I' iwui.i I

i HOI) V.

(bu id» ,

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■■'■ 1'-iiJl<! ytlt

Vol. II. No. L

:":• I

I.'

A VOYAGF, TO MADAGASCAR.

243

high mountains of Ambotismcne, the land gra-
Hiiallv r'''^''' ""'^ *''® plains and valleys ar« shelter-

1 ffom the winds by little hills. The heat, how-
gyer, does not incopmode, the c6untry b^ing
lijrh and covered with wood: the low lands
beinff l«*»s cultivated, are more wild and rural.
Xlie islanders here do not secure their cattle, but
sulTer them to wander without a guide nr Hhackles.

The meadows are watered by a multitude of
jtrcaras and rivuiets, and they are the more de*
lijrlitful as they are formed by the hand of nature.
The flowers which decorate them have more
splendour, and display a greater variety of tints
than those which adorn the European meads.
Tufts of trees, irregularly scattered, render these
rural spots more intere^ting and picturesque.

When you quit the plains and meadows tO en-
<jr the immense forests which form a retreat for
a variety of wild animals, another scene of asto-
nishment iiKSuils your imagination. Profound
sDlitude, refreshing coohicss in so warm a climate,
shades inaccessible to the rays of t|ie sun, and
echoes from all quarters repeating the bellowing
of cattle, afford you new enjoyments. But these
eniovments are not equally delightful to all ; yet.

however inscnsibl'^ many may be to the beauties
of nature, they cannot behold without a kind of
enthusiasm, that multitude Of enormous trees,
among which the fotersbe is particularly distin-
guished.

Those who prefer the study of botany to t..at
of mineralogy, will find plants in Ambotismene to
gratify their curiosity. Excellent iron mines are
dispersed in great profusion all over the island,
and approaching almost to the surface of th«
earth. The Malegaches break and poiuid the
ore, place it between four stones lined with pot-
ter's clay, and then employ a double woodea
pump, instead of a pair of bellows, to give the
nre more strength : thus, in the sprvce of an hour,
the mineral is \n a state of fusion ; the iron pro-
duced by this operation is soft and malleable,
and cannot be exceeded.

There are doubtless many other mines in the
mountains of Abotismene ; but their summits
abound with steep rocks and precipices, and pre-
vent their being approached. The highest of
these is about eighteen hundred fathoms above
the level of tl,e sea.

_' !>-■'; . ^ ■- ■■ (-,•,.! -. ':'' ji. ,!?!> ;•■. •jj,:;: ■,

TJiesc are all the pnrticiilars that ive think, it our duty to hiij before our renders from the Ahbe
X^ochon's ioyage to J\fada£^df!cur, tlwugh the original ivork contains Aid pages, and an Introduction
1,1 Description of Cocins-CuifiA is also given : and there is added, A Mkhoir of tiik Ci/isesic

iDitDf:. btj M. Bttuygi., -'"'•"'•'''.»■

Hi{ I ■; ,si|h» iii\'( Sf. I ,V .!)•;:; ■{{'« ! ff>^; " ,f.-i]i\ini-y> :,ui -tw, :3<( ^I'j' ^' ^J
i''i ) ij.M) i .u-jiff// <U\y^ liijjjf '..fl u'-m, u,>y. ' \;\\ uv itwy^ * 'I to liij^ nUf' "'::•;( I liv'iju. •
; f.''iit'jn;i^' ■' '• '- " ■'■■'' '' ■ '>' ' ■ ■ ■ ■ . ;, v,,|| ;j, ^^j,, ,,,.,,,

"' "^'* ^ END OF ROCHONS VOVAGK TO MAD.VGASCAR. »'" '^^'^^^^f ! '' ^

1 >'/.( ;... I .-I t'

. I

.*■ P >J5 "''i; f

C-vtl'.l

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...... ; M:ii t .'tift Ui'jl '\ ) ^:Uii 1 i;t };:./! ,-•! >r.;ii.!i; t-nU .i-ijir-: -rit"; ;•■•;,-:> 'a !v/ (,>■;!,;■ •-.

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ii'vll ibilm>^m;iOi >.;»■ '^-'f .1 I wi- -iS '•'i"' • tf| Ji; '!.. fi-ii ■ ..••.i.i. -'i-i'.J; .<tf i.r. », .'

a:;!?"';'! lit if^lUfK! ■ifuflii «;'" '} ia:'-.'l i^'i^ftC/Oi . ' ^^'tt'I• •; •jHjjm; =.: i,,iili ;i,i^ ,.;• ./

vi\Uf!i -vit ^/■■»ow RiilJ 'i;' 'ht{\ *j.ii (4 «/i t h o J- ■ : .i h ih V • ■••ill, "'."i . i t .,; Vi, -.iJj [!,. , <•
hi / |r>rjj| ft, bi)efi ()o!J?n::i 'nft Ji ,7<vUift 'ort • u-iv-t* >j iia-sl'!, < i s ! .;; ^j ■ ' ir !j , - ^

; 'IfiU >-.Mr uM ■,j-i ■ ■ •■ - ' ■■■ill ' . ■ ..Oil.':* .. ,•.;:.( ,;

...1 f-ui« ; v'filc 1,1,^ ,!, ' , 1, , c ;■ . ■-.-■' -^

Vol. II. No. LXXIV. ; f . 3Q TRAVELS

ft' illlii

: 1 ■ . : ' "'.SI

M sMv ; i

t
. I

5 i.\

.1,

TRAVELS

-• -„..

■ -- ^

1 \ '> .

.il; .^

1 ■«.'■■'>■ ■

■ V

. *I i fUliiUitU

•m

,. / » .' ..THROUGH

<•! .

(• t\>\\is}t, ,^'.

SYRIA AND EG Y'p'Tr''

i »

f'">\ t,.

In the Years 1783, 1781, and 1785. „ , y, „ ,., ^,7, . -,., , ^,._:

INCLUDING

ll^.'l ft -.11 5*.-»?.l

.4« ^ccouut of the present Stnte of those Countries, their Productions, Arts, Mannfacturcn nni
Commerce; with Obaervalions on the Manners and Customs of the TURKS and ARABS.

. , '•■' ^. ;, ' ■ MYM. €. F, rOLJVEY, ''';; 'l 'i''"^,--'."' '

■ '! ' '• '' i! ' . ■'' ■• -I' ';'i"-"' i^ TWO votUMEi*. ''"'"•''♦"'■ ''■*''J''t>''':,4"'''" >'n-n '.. ■

-■ '•} '11 'i 1 • V ',: '.I ■■(..■.. 1 •.'<'/!!( •ft. -.ll» 'iV<IjC -nOCf '.itid*

l!l

MVOLNEY has prefixed a preface lo the
. First Volume of his Travels, in which he
informs his readers that he iiad acquired a taste,
and even a passion for knowledge when a con-
siderable access of fortune furnished him with
the means of gratifying his inclination. He had
read, and frequently heard repeated, that. Trav-
elling is one of the most efficacious methods of
adorning the mind, and forming the judgment.
Sjria, especially, and Egypt, appeared to him a
field equally adapted to those political and moral
observations, with which he wished to occupy
his mind; considering what they once have been,
and what they now are.

" Those are the countries," said our author,
" in which the greater part of the opinions that
govern us at this day have had their origin. It
will be interesting, therefore, to be acquainted
with the countries where they originated, the
customs and manners which gave them birth,
and the spirit and character of the nations from
whom they have been received as sacred : to ex-
amine to what degree this spirit, these manners,
and these customs, are altered or retained; to
ascertain the influence of climate, the efl'ects of
the government, and the causes of the various
habits and prejudices of these countries : in a
word, to judge from their present state, what
was their situation in foimer times."

With these views he informs us that he set out
For Egypt in 1782, and after continuing seven
months at Cairo, and procuring but little Jis-
sistance in learning Arabic, he determined to
proceed into Syria. Eight months' residence

among the Drui»es in an Arabian convent, how*
ever, rendered the \rabic familiar to him, and
enabled him to travel through all Syria during a
whole year. Travellers, in general, have been
deficient in the two principal means of acquiring
knowledge, time, -d the language of the
country, \yithout ] assessing the latter, it is im-
possible to appreciate either the genius or (lie
character of a nation. Interpreters can never
supply the defect of a direct communication.
And without continuing a siifiicient time, no
traveller can form an accurate judgment ; for the
novelty of every thing around us naturally con-
founds and astonishes.

M. Volney adds, " I have endeavoured to
maintain the spirit with which 1 conducted mj
researches into facts : that is, an impartial love
of truth. I have restrained myself from indul*
ing any sallies of the imagihation, though I am j
no stranger to the power of such illusion over
the generality of readers ; but I am of opioion
that travels belong to the department of history,
and not that of romance. I have not therefore
described countries as more beautiful than the; I
appeared to me : I have not represented their in-
habitants more virtuous nor more wicked than I
found them, and I have perhaps been able to see
them such as they really are, bince I have never
received from them v<-:ither benefits or injuries."

As to the form of this work, the author ha I
not followed the method used in books of travels,
though perhaps the most simple; he rejectedl
those details as too prolix ; and has only exbibitedl
general views, as better calculated to coinbinel

RYRTA AND EGYPT.

245

facts nnd idens ; and from a desire of saving the
time of the reader he has avoided the order of
an itinerary, as well as personal adventures.
Our author recommends his readers to consider
(he situation of a stranger, who arrives by sea in
Turkey. In vain he has read histories and travels;

in vain has he, by their descriptions, endeavour-
ed to represent to himself the a.spoct of thn
countries, the appearance of the cities, the
dresses, and manners of the inhabitants : he is
new to all these objects, and da/zled with their
variety. ,. ,

•n^ .vivnf'

' r /r-!: if «-

1 -ii:

l-M

i'j| i .'»V»

SECTION I.

Of Egi/pt in gaier(d, ami the Citij of Alexandria— -Of the Climate and Aiv — Of the W7
the various Inhabitants of Egijpt — Their Phmiomena — Of the hot Wind, or Kan

ndt, and of
amsia.

ALEXANDRIA, in Egypt, will properly
elucidate the point we have agitated. The
nnnie of this city recalls to memory the genius of
one of the most wonderful of ncn, and reminds
usof many great events; the picturesque appear-
ance of the place itself; the spreading palm-trees :
(he terraced houses, which seem to be without
a roof; the lofty slender minarets, all proclaim to
the traveller that he is in another world. Innu-
merable objects present themselves to every sense :
he hears a language whose barbarous sounds
olfend his ear; he sees dresses of the most unusual
kind; and 6gures of the most whimsical appear-
ance. Instead of our smooth-shaved faces, our
lide-curls, our triangular hats, and our short
compact dresses, he views, with astonishment,
tmei visages, with beards and raustachios, with
large rolls of stuff wreathed round their bald
heads ; long garments, extending from the neck
if) the feet, serve as a veil to the whole body ;
and every one is provided with an enormous pipe
of the longitude of six feet : a filthy drove of
emaciated half-starved dogs prowl through the
streets in eager pursuit of prey ; and a kind of
wandering phantoms, under a long drapery of a
single piece, discovering nothing human but two
eyes, bardy inform us that they are women.
Amid this crow'd of grotesque objects, his mind
is incapable of reflection, and till he becomes
more calmi he views unnoticed t!i<; tuv'- houses
and ill- paved streets, as well as the nicagr*', swar-
thy, and bare-footed inhabitants ; ^vh(> i;ave no
other clothing than a blue shirt, fasi^iiod with a
Icatlicm girdle, or a red handkerchief; while the

universal marks of misery, so apparent in ail he
meets, and the reigning mystery around their
houses, make evident the rapacity of oppression,
and the distrust attendant upon slavery.

In our country, ruins are an object of curiosity ;
but in Alexandria, we no sooner leave the new
town, that we are astonished at the sight of an
immense evtentof ground overspread with ruins;
the earth is covered with the remains of lofty
buildings destroyed ; whole fronts crumbled,
down, roofs fallen in, battlenients decayed, and
the stones corroded. The traveller passes over
an extensive plain, furrowed with trenches, pierced
with wells, divided by walls in ruins, covered
with ancient columns, and modern tombs, amidst
palm-trees and nopals*, where no living creature
appears, but owls, bats, and jackal Is.

Alexandria is, at present, the emporium of a
considerable commerce. It is the harbour for all
the commodities exported from Egypt, by the
Mediterranean, except the rice of Damietta.
The Europeans have establishments there, and
factors dispose of their merchandize by barter.
It is constantly visited by vessels from Marseilles,
Leghorn, Venice, Ragiise, and the dominiong
of the Grand Seignor ; but it is dangerous to
winter there. The new port, which is the onlj
harbour for th*? Europeans, is clogged up with
sand, insomuch, that, in foggy weather, ships are
liable to bil^i. ; and the bitttom being also rocky
the cables soon chate and part. The old port,
tht entrance to which is covered by a neck of
land called the Cape of Figs, is not subject to
this inconvenience; but the Turks admit no

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246

VOLNKYVS TRAVEIJ?' TMr'OUGn

ships into it but those of MiissQlinen. If Coro-
peaiis express their surprise that the new pprt is
not rcpuirei], tlie answer is obvious, that, in
Turkey they destroy every thing, and repair
nothinjj. Tlie spirit of tlie Turkish government
is to ruin the labours of past ages, and destroy
the hopes of future times, the barbarity of ig-
norant despotism never thinking about to-
morrow*.

The Kalidj alone connects Alexandria with
Egypt; for, from its situation without the Delta,
and the nature of the soil, it certainly belongs
to the deserts of Africa. We do not indeed
really enter Egypt till we arrive at Rosetta;
there the sands peculiar to Africa end, And a
black, fat, loamy soil begins: there also for
the first time, we behold the waters of the cele-
brated Nile ; the woods of palm-trees tm each
side, the orchards, refreshed by its streams, the
lemon, the orange, the banana, the peach, and
other trees, by their perpetual verdure, fender
llosetta astonishingly delightful, its beauties
being still more charming by its contrast with
Alexandria.

As we ascend the river tve acquire some ge-
neral idea of the soil, the climate, and the pro-
i' jtions of this celebrated country. All this
part t>f Egypt is so level and so low that it
aifords very little prospect of the country, and
offers very little variety. Nothing is to be seen
but palm-trees, single, or in clumps, which gra-
dually become fewer as you advance: wretched
villages of mud wallfd huts; till at length, to-
wards the jtmction of the two branchrs of the
river, the mountains of Grand Cairo are dis-
covered in the east, and to the south-west three
detached masses appciar, which, from their tri-
angular form, are known to be the pyramids f.

it is not the same in Turkey aS in Europe:
with us, travels are agreeable excursions; but

* In time of war, Alexandria is of no importance; no
fortification is to be seen : even the Mty Pharos, with its
aspiring towers, cannot be defended. It has not four
cannon fit for service, nor any gunner capable of pointing
them. The nominal fire hundred Janisarics, which shonld
form a garrison^ are now reduced to about half that num.
hpr, and know nothing but how to smoke a pipe A tingle
Russiin or Maltese frigate would bo able to lay it in ashes ;
but the conquest would ba of no value, as the country is
i^ithout water. This must be brought from the Nile by the
Kalidj, a canal of twelve leagues, which conyeys it thither
annually at the time of the inundation, and fills the re-
scrvoirs due under the ancient city, which must supply

there they are ditHcult and dangerous undeN
takings, especially for Europeans, yv^otn the
superstitious natives supp;)se to be sorcereri,
come to discover by magic, treasures "which t^
Genii have concealed under the mine.. This ri-
dici''ous opinion deprives the traveller of security,
and prevents every discovery. No one presuwcj
even to walk alone in the fields; nor can he pre-
vail on any person to accompany him. We arc
therefore limited* to the banks of the river, a
route frequented by every one, and which conse-
'quently can afford no new information. It is oniv
by comparing what we have seen ourselves, with
the observations made by others that some general
ideas can be acquired.

After having made this comparison, we shall
find reason to conclude that the basis of all
Egypt, from Asouan to the Mediterranean, is a
continued bed of calcareous stone, of a whitish
hue, containing shells analagous to those found
in the two neighbouring 8eas|. This quahtyis
discoverable in the pyramids, and on the Lybian
rock on which they stand. The same kind of
stone is also found in the catacombs of Alex-
andria, and in the projecting shelves upon the
coast. Copper is the only metal of this country
mentioned by the ancients.

The two lakes of Natron, described by Father
Sicard, are more interesting objects: they are
situated in the desert of Shayat, or St. Macarin?,
to the west of the Delta. Their bed is a sort
of a natural trench, three or four leagues long,
by a quarter wide, with » hard and stony bottom.
It continues dry nine months in the year, but in
winter water of a reddish violet colour oozes
from it, which fills the lake to the height (if
five or six feet: the return of the great heats
causing this to evaporate, a bed of salt remains
about two feet thick, and very hard, which is
broken with bars of iron. Thirty thousand

them till the next year Hence it is evident, that were a
foreign power to take possession, the canal w^uld be shut,
and the supplies of water cut off.

f To give a description of Egypt in .a few words, let
the reader imagine, on one side, a narrow sea and rocks;
on the other, immense plains of sand, and, in tho middle,
a river flowing through a valley of one- hundred and fifty
leagues in length, and from throe to seven wide, which, at
thirty leagues from the sea, separates into two arms, the
branbhes of which wander ov ;• a cauntrjr where thty meet
with no obstacles, a.id whieh is almost without declivity.

I These shells consist principally of echim, Tolulcs, bi>
valves, ftud a ipeciei iu the form of lentils.

A quintals

^(T-IV.

8TttrA ANto EGYP1.

Ui1

gtiMnh «fe' ifi^rifcurcd' 'fVo^, t^W eiiWV VM'

ibi: With snlf, is' camdn thf bdgh^Ut ^ll' EktJt.

ncnl pf^Afri'ci iiwl ArAbi'a, seems eirtieir to bfc'
cnmprtscfl of^salt; or trt pbdiicc it; ..

In ll<6 rtiiisi of 'tfiese tnJhi^rals, aiid of tWl
jliiB' re^tfish t'6!o\jr*d *knd' peculiar to Africa,
the earth of )tfte valley- tliroug)^ ift^ch the Nile
flow^, dftt'^Vfers pt'(^f»(E!rlies^whftIr prttVe it of a'
disiljiftcli^s. ' IfsMtfi^kish cotoot*, ahd i<8't'laV«fy
tciWtHirtg quklity^ jirocfafd t^ foWt^h oHgii^^'
Itisbrtfnght tiyiWe river from the'hieart of AbjfS-
sinia, ati.ii^natiire bad r(»olved to' form a habita-
ble island in a coontry; to which she had ficni^tf
every tiiip^. Without this uncti^Uin Oiiid, Egyt>t
nev«ckii>iy'h'aV€J pi-o!d[uCed ariy tfiiii^; that alone
itmi t6 corttalii Ae seeds of v<*geli?tioti ahd' fe-^
ftindity; and' thpscf are also indebted' to' tllfiie'rivfef^'
by wfiith it is d^^owtcdi ...... ..

The whol^ pnjsicAl jintl political c'xjsferijfe of
Effyj^tdcpeiids ufj'oft the Nile; that alx^rtJi pro-'
vidcs for the greatest necefieitj of ahimaV lifej
<he want of water so freqiierttly, apd' so' dis-
tressfully experienced in warm cliina'tes. thib
Kile alone, unassisted by rbin, supjilies vege-
tation vtith nOoisture, the Citrth, diifing tiic
three months' inundation, imbibing a sufficient
quantity of that valuable fluid fur tne rest of the:
yiat. Were it not for this providential over-
flowing, only a very stbaH p'art of '.he cpuhti'y
could be cultivated, rth'd' evert that would be
attended with prodigious labour. With ap-

• Wc cannot wonder that tho Kgyptia'it hnrt alwkys
profnicd^ and stUI retain » rcneratiun farthcNile. Th«y
railed it holi/y blemed^ facftd; ,»nil on *he appearanoe ^t{
the new waterv^ that is, on the vpciiing of the caoaU,. mf>>
thcfs are seen 0liihginf( thi^if chHdrcft in'thc'sVrcnift, from a
firm boKcf that tht-se wafer* hiiro a purifying and dtViiie
tlrlne, luch a« the aocicnte attributed to iiTi;ry rivur.

Earthen vetKclit, unglaS|N), arc usually licpt in every
apartment, from ^cnc^ thp fvater coatiuually tranapiroi:
this traus|)1rut{on pruducri thu mure ruolncas, ' in propbir.
tiun as it Is mitre c'«n!iiiIer~aT)Te;, therefore tl^Ptc tcsscIa are
ofli-n sii!<|)ui'idi-'d (u uEissagcs, 'where there are current^ of
air, and uiidi^r the shade of trees. In many parts of Syria,
tlicy driiilk. the water which has transpired; In iRgyptthey
dritilc (hat which remains; besides, in no country Is so much
water iiacd. The first thing an I'.gy ptian does, on entering
I house, is to %y ,h\)Iil of tFie kolla (,th.! pitcher of water) and
takuabciirty dpaught'of it; and thai \s to the , p^rpb^iial
MTspiraliun, they fcut no inconTcoience from the practice.
But, in the midst of our panegyric, trdtli requires ut to do^^
I cUiii, tliat, for six months of the year, tlio water o^iHii rWor

Vot. II. No. LXXXIV.

^rt^briate feasop, therefore, ihii river has b(
sailed the soiirce i^ plenty, of happincssj. vind

iijiii8eir*.,,;:\_^. , ., ., ,, '...^ , . ;\, , ,^ ,

B'tit never will thi^s*^ tiitiddy waters t^li^ v^^.
ap'lSur6ped,n the ch^rra of transparent ,foiiut(||u4
iM'id'''liinpidi str'cains; nev^r, e;i|'cept {rQm .somp.
extrau^qiqary 'inciteineilit, will a swarthy Egypr .
tian' woiiian, dripping froth these yiellow an4(
muddv .vvttters, r(pmpf(. hup of t^^^ hatili^g:

'The ndhUeirtjr winds,' Wji^li pibw annuatly al
certain periods^ : (;i^rry into Ahyuiiila a vase
du^nUty of cl'o^uds : frotp AprU> to July we actf-
tneqa ihcessantty ascending towards the south,
and inight be ijitiiiced to expect raiii from them;
but this parc|ied country, can receivq i)0 ^ne--
faction from them bu|t,^nder a difi^r^'ltt fii^^^
Ifil^ summer it never rains'.in the 0el'tfi| '^w /hu^
rair'ely, aiid in small quantities, durins'' (tie M'libiie
cuuir'i^e of the j ear. It is also^pieirlain ibi^]^ iL
raini» still less as you a8ceii4 tpN^^'rdla.the ,|^Jd:.
raiii'js therefore more fV'^quQhjt': at j^l^xaii^cifk
and Hoseita thaii ai Cajro,' and at' (Jairp tHanal
M'iniah;' an^\ it alipost a prodigy at. Djirda.'
fhe iiihabitanU ,of jiurafd countfies, indeeij,
canpnt conceive It posstbt'e to subsist, witnoui
raioJ\ but in Egypt, exclusive of iht; water
witicn thf earth iiiiuibe^, at the, rnq^dation,. Uie
dews which'^d'escend' in' suinqnerjPiikht Be sufr
flcicnt for vegetation., .^This rs.suraciently p.rpvc4
by their ^aier melons, for when 'f hoy. bavepn'.yf
a dfry dust under tliem, their' leaves aire alwaya
(resh. It is also ap parent th»t. these devvs, as

is (6^ thick, that it mnsttu- al!(iwctl tinie to'tettic, l>My>re i^
oaa iHiidruali. During' thlo three months wbidh precede the
inundation, the stream -becomes reduced ,to aa Incionsiderabit

iopt^^ and iippfarj^ ^reeo^ fotid, and full' of wyjcj^i
•copio of , dblic^cy, at all times, talie care to pcrfunie it,
ant( co^l it liy eraporation. Bitter almoudt arc sometimes
utod.to purify this water, with «rhich the «cksi*I should btf
well rulibcd, and the* the beverage roallK becomes ligtit
ami good. , ,

f A long altercation then asiscs between M. Savary anj
M. Volney, respecting the risij of the Delta, and Tftrious
authors on ^l^c subjcpt arp ri^sijectsrely cited: as Herodotus^
TiibUothcuue, Oiicntuleof l^' llcrkelol. Dr. Shaw' i TVavcU^
Kalkafcmlas, Dr.Vofock'fTm-aclii, M.Nwbuhr, DemotrU
' tusf Sfc. but th^ editor of this abridgment could not feel
himself justified io giving a positive conclasioa on this cua>
tested matter.

I '\Vhen rain falls in Kgyptand in P^ettinc, it dilTases
general joyamoitg the people: they aiscpible together in
the streets, singing and cKuui^ug t/e allahJ ye morattcf
That is to lay, O Godl 0 Blessed! &c.

3 R vrell

""c: :!:!

\v>:^\

2i8

VOLNEY'S THAVELS THHOUGH

well as the rains, are more copious in proportion
to their proximity to the sea. The dewg, as well
as the rains, are also more or less plentiful, ac-
cording to (he prevailing wind: The southerly
and the soutti-easterfy^ produce none; the north
wind occasiqiis a great deal, and the westc.ly
still more: the two former proceed from the
deserts ot Africa and Arabia, .which afford not a
drop of water ; while the northerly and weiteHy
winds convey over Egypt the vapours from the
Mediterranean,. >vhich the first crosses, and the
lattei* traverses length' ways. , ,

•Th^ southerly .winds, which I have aibntioned,
are kdiown 'in Egypt by the general name of
Winds of !F{fii/ Dai/s ; aoi because they continue
^fiftj/ days, without intermission, but from their
prevailing mbre frequently in the fifty days pre-
ceding atid following the equinox. They are by
s6me diendininated poisonous lofnda, or more cor-
rectly Aof wi'n^ of the desert. Their heat is
jibmetidned do ekctesive, that it is difficult to form
an idea of its violence, without having experienced
it ; but it itiay be compared to the heat of a large
ftveh at the monient' of draWing out the bread.
When these winds b^gin to blow,' the atn^isphere
assumes an alarming aspect. The sky, which at
other times is clear in this climate, be<;omefl dt^rk
and heavy; and the sun, having lost his splen-
dour, appears of a violet colour; and, the air,
though not' cloudy, seems impregnated with
subtle duk. It is not, ^t first, remarkably hot,
but gradually becomes so; and respiration is ren-
dered short and difllicult; the skin is parched and
dty: a too rarefied uir prevents the expansion of
the lungs, and they are found painful. Large
draughts of (Water are found ineffectual to restore
perspiration; and every substance deceives the
hand which touches it. Even in the absence of
the sun, marble, iron, and water feel hot: the
streets are deserted, and universal silence reigns.
The inhabitants of towns and villages shut thcm-
lelves up in their habitations, and tliose of the

• But these hot win^Is are not peculiar to Egypt; thry
also blow ill Syria iM. Niebuhr m6t with tljotn in Arabia,
at Bombay, and in the Diarb«ki. They arc also known
ia Persia, in the rest of Africa, and CTcn In Spain..

Tho climnto of Egypt is certainly extremely hot, for in
July and Angict Keaiimur's thernomcter stands in the
most temperate apartments, at 24 and 'iS degreed above tho
freexing poiflt. In the Said, it rises still higher. Two
seasons only should be distinguished in Egypt, the Spring
and hammer, that is to say, the C'oo/ Season and the Hot.

desert in their tents, or in pits formed in theeuth
where tber retnain till the termination of thii i^
structive beat. The duration of it is utuall*
about three days; but, if it exceeds that tinJ
it becomes insupportable. Woe to the traveller
whom this wind surprizes remote from shelter
as the worst of consequences frequently ensue!
This wind is particularly fatal to persons of |
plet'ioric habit, and such as have destroyed the
1,0 ae it f 'the vessels by fatigue. Much of the
danger, upon these occasions, qtay . be avoided
i.^y stopping the nose and mouth with handker-
chiefs: the camels practice a very efiScacioui
method to guard against this pestif^roui
effluvium, by burying their noses in the saod,
and continuing there till the squaU is over.

Its extreme avidity is another eztraordinarj
quality : if water is sprinkled on the floor, it
evaporates in a few minutes. Its astonighing
dryness withers and strips all the plants, closes
the pores of animal bodies, and occasions that
feverish beat which is the effect of suppreswd
perspiration*../

It might naturally be imagined that Egypt, oi
account, of the excessive heats, and its moist
marshy condition for three months, must be ag
unhealthy country. This indeed was my iirst
idea on my arrival there; but when I observed
at Cairo the houses of Eurppc^an merchants ranged
along the Kalidy, where the water stagnates till
the month pf April, I conceived that the exhala-
tions thence arising, iniist create many inaladiet:
but experience taught me the fallacy of this
theory. Though the vapours of the stagnant
waters are so fatal in Cyprus, and Alexaiidretta,
they are not so pernicious in Egypt. This secoit
to be owing M the'nalural dryness of the air, to
the proximity oif Africa and Arabia, which in-
cessantly draws off the humidity, and the per-
petual currents of the wind which is never op-
posed. So great is their avidity, that flesh meat
exposed, even in suinmer, to the north wind,

The latter continues from March till JPfoveqiber ; and efcn
from the end of February, the sun is not supporlabio, fur
an European, at nine o'clock in the morning. During tht
wholo of this season, tho Leat is oppressire to. all unac
customed to it. Even tho lightest dress, in a stale of pru.
found repose, occasions tho body to sweat profusely; aud
this perspiration is found so esaonlially necessary, that the
slightsst suppression of it is a serious malady. The de-
parture of the sun, howoTer, ia some degree, tempenl
thete heats.

does,

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

S4S

does not putrif^« but dries up, and becomes as
bard as wood. In the deserts dead bodies of
aniui^t^ are found dried in this niiinner^ which
bave bv dr^'iog bo far lost their ponderosity, tlmt
a man ta%y easilj lift with one hand the body of

a camel*.

In addition to this drying quahty, the air of
(his country seems to be strongly impregnated
nfith salts, the proofs of which are every where
apparent. The stones are corroded by natrum,
aad in moist places, crystallizations of it are
often found, wnich might be taken for salt-petre.
It is doubtless this property of the air and earth,
which, added to the heat, gives vegetation an
activity whieh appears almost incredible to inha-
bitants of cbWer eUmates. Wherever plants
bave water, the rapidity of their growth is asto-
oiihiog- In Cairo, or Knsetta, the gourd lulled
karcif will, in twentv-four hours, emit or send
out shoots near four inches long. It is however,
evident that this soil ' unfavourable to all exotics ;
foreign pUnts degenerate there very rapidly; the
truth of which is proved by daily eiperience.

Amid tjies^ revolutions which all nations have
experienced, these are few countries which have
preserved their original inhabitants more pure
and unmixt than that of Egypt. Though de-
prived, twenty-three centuries ago, of her natural
proprietors, she. has seen her fertile fields suc-
cessively a prey to the Persians, the Macedonians,
(he Romans, the Greeks, the Arabs, and the
Georgians, and at Ipngth the Tartars, distinguish-
ed by the name of Ottoman Turks. Several of
these nations have left vestiges of their ttansient
possessions; but they have been so blended and
confounded in succession, that it is rendered
difficult to discriminate their respectivecbaracters.
\>(j may, however, still distinguish the inhabi-
tants of Egypt into four principal races, of dif-
ferent origin :

The lirst, and most general dispersed, is that
of the Arabs, which niay be divided into three
classes. First the posterity of those who, on the
conq^e8t of Egypt by Amrou, hastened to settle
it his country, so justly celebrated for its fer-
tility. This first race is preserved in the present
class of fellahs or husbandmen, and artizans, who

* It should be observed, howevur, that the air near the
Ktismnch drier than that which \% higher up the country :
tliDS, at Alexandria and Rosotta, iron cannot be exposed
tweoty-four hours in the air without becoming rusty.

still retain the features of their ancestors, but
are taller and stronger, having a supply of more
plentiful nourishment than that of the deserts.
The Egyptian peasants in general reach the height
of five feet four inches, and many among them
attain to five feet, six or seven inches. They are
muscular, but not corftulent. Their skin, by
the. influence of the sun is almost black, but
their countenances are not disagreeable. Most
of them have heads of a fine oval, with large
projecting foreheads: under a dark eye-brow:
they have n black, sunken, but brilliant eye;
the nose large, well-shaped mouths, and excel-
lent teeth. Those of the villages, forming no
alliances, but in their own families, have more
general characteristics, and something ferocious
in their air, originating in the passions of a mind^
soured by the perpetual war and tyranny which
surround themf.

A second class of Arabs is that of the Africans,
who have arrived at different periods, and under
differient chiefs, and united themselves to the
former; like them, they are descended from the
Mussulmen conquerors, who expelled the Greeks,
from Mauritania; like them they practice agri-
culture and trades, and are numerous in the Said,
where they have villages.

The third class is that of the BcdouinsX, known
to the ancients by the name of Semites, dwellers
in tents. Sonne of these inhabit the rocks, caverns,
and sequestered places, where water is 'to be
procured; others, united in tribes, pass their
days in perpetual joiirncyings, sometimes in the
desert and sometimes on the banks of the river;
consulting principally their own safety, and the sub-
sistence of their flocks. Many tribes arrive every
}ear after the inundation, from the heart of
Africa, to enjoy the fertility of the country, and
in the spring retire into the depths of the deserts :
others arc stationary in Egypt, where they farm
lands, which they sow, and annually change.
They confine themselves to certain limits, on pain
of war, and their manners and customs are gene-
rally similar. Ignorant and poor, they preserve
a kind of original character distinct from sur-.
rounding nations. Pacific in their cauip, they
are hostile every where else. The husbandmen,

+ Near fire feet eight, and five feet ten or cIctl-h i.. iics,
English measure; the FrtMich foot (meant through tliis
translation) being to the I'.iiglish as 144 to 135.

X Formed of 6i(/, detertf u country witiiout habitations.

whom

Wmlr*

'!f^«'

I!';!

f'ill

111 ,1

ill

iio

VOUiETS TRAVELS^ THROUGH

ivliom ttiey pilla^. detest fhera ; tlie travellers,
\vhum they plunder, resent their treatment: and
tlie Turks, knowing too many of their artifices,
endeavour to divitu' and corrupt thoni. The
difi'erent tribe* of Bedouins in Egypt, are sup-
posed to amount to a body of thirty thousand
horsemen; but they arc dispersed and diHunited
that they are only considered as vagabonds and
robbers.

A second race of inhabitants are the Copts, of
whom several families are to be found in the
Delta.; though the greater part of them inhabit
the Said, where they occupy whole villages.
They descended from the people who were con-
quered by the Arabs; that is. from a mixture of
Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks, who, under
the Ptoieiaies and Constantines were so long in
possession of Egypt. They differ from the
Arabs by their religions, which is Christianity ;
and tliev are distinct from other Christians, by
being Eutychians: their heresy has drawn per-
secutions on them on the part of the other Greeks,
which has: rendered thorn irreconcilcable enemies.
When the Arabs subdued the country, they look
advantage of these animosities, to enfeeble them
both. The Copts, have, at len^h, expelled their
rivals, and become the depositories of the re-
gisters of the lands and tribes. Under the ap-
pel'ation of Writers, at Cairo, they are the secre-
taries and collectors of government. These
writers form a kind of separate class, the head of
which is the wri^ to the principal Bey, who
disposes of all employments in that department,
which, with the true spirit of the Turkish gov-
ernment, he bestows on the best bidder. Th"
Copts are properly the remains of the ancient
Egyptians*. This is rendered more probable,
by considering the distinguishing features of this
race of people: they are characterized by a sort
of yellowish dusky complexion; with a puffed
visage, . swoln eyes, flat noses, and thick lips:
they have indeed the exact countenam-c of a
Mulatto^. It may, indeed, be laid down as a
geaeral 'principle, that features are a kind of

• This is the more probable, as they wcrcitr the Said bp.
tote the time of Diurlcsian; and it is ccrtaio the Grrclis
were less numerous in the Hnid tbaa in (ho Ut-ita

•I- The eonntenonce of the Negroes ret>rd.*ciitR proeiseiy
that state of contrttction which ow faces assume when
strongly aflfected by heat. The eyo>brOirs arc' knit, the
cheeks riso^ the ey^.lids are contracted, aMd the month
liktoftf^ This state of contraction, to which the features

monument, capable, in marcy'lcMfb^/ itfiit^tll^ti
ing the testimony of history, cbticerhti^'^ the crimg
of nations. Travellers who pat^ from Normandt
to Denmark, sef, wit'h astonishment/ the' ir,'pj|
resemblance of tlie' inhabitants of tht'se two
coiir.trioa, which still subsists, nntwithsfandin'^
the distance of limes" lind places. Do «ot the
Je\vj», wherever they reside, carry with them
distinguishing marks never to be effaced?

Language may bp considered as artother mnnn.
ment equally capabje of eli/cidating and confictn.
ing the testimony of history: that ftVrmerly
spoken by the Copts is a cbntlt'matibW of thij
remark. The form of their lettr rs, and the great-
er part of their words, shew, that th^ Greek nai
tion, during the period of two thousand jeari
that it continued in Egy(>t has leflf: ir^ref^^abl^
marks of its influence and power. The AVabs,'
at length, disdaining the language of thenationi
they subdued, intrposed on theOi the necCSKity of
learning tflat of fh^ir conquerors. Prom that
time the Arabic became universal; and the other
languages, coniincd' to books, subsistet^ Qnly for
the learned, who deserted thAin. Stich Has bAeeu
the fate of the Coptic, that the priest^ no longer
understand it; and io Egypt, as id Syria, everr
one, vt'hethcr Malrometan or Christian, speak*
Arabic, hardly any otliei'' language being under-
stood.

But, to rcturu to my subject, a third race of
inhabitants in Egypt are the Turks, who, if they
are not masters of the countt'y, it least possess
that title. The name of Turk, originally, vat
not peculiar to the nation to which it is now gene-
rally applied: it signified, in general, all the
hordes scattered in the east, and' even to the
north of the Caspian Sea. These are (he people
who were known to the Ancient Greeks by the
names of Parthians, or Scythians, for wliich that
of Tartars has been substituted; a -nation of
wandering shepherds, like the Bedouin Arahs.
They have, in every age, been brave and formi-
dable, insomuch that neither Cyrus nor Alex-
ander were able to subdue them. But the A^abt

arc perpetnaily exposed in the hot ctimatce of the negroes,
h become the peciHiar characteriitic Of theit c<>antenaiic(.
Kxrcssivc cold, wind, and snow, produce the same cfi'ect,
aitd thus we discover the faces among the* Tartars; wliilt
ill tku temperate zoaet, where tiieso ettremci are iinknowp,.

i th« fcalnros are Icngtiienedt the eyes less promiacDt, and

; th'j ^ho)« eonat^nanee is moro exiModed.

SYHTA AND EGYPT.

251

ttte mon successful. About eighty years after

Wahomet. tlicy invaded, under '-he direction of
[he Calipli Waled I, the country of tlie Turks,
lorcibly imposed on them their rehgion, and
fcblice" *^*"" ^^ P*y tribute. But confusion
laking p'^ce in the empire, the rebel governors
lad recourse to their aid to resist the power of
[lie Caliphs, and they engaged in every contest.

rinis initiated, and furnished with arms, they

oon became a warlike people; and, like the Be-
jjouins, were divided into camps. These tribes,
feither as allies or enemies, according to their re-
fcpective interests, yere perpetually engaged in

Rars. Hence, in their history, several nations

trere equally called Turks, alternately attacking,
Rcstroying, and expelling each other. e shall

bcrefore, to prevent misapprehensions, cotifine
llie name of Turks to those of Constantinople,
[iving <hat of Turkmans to their predecessors.
J Some hordes of Turkmans, then having been
iDtroduced into the Arabian einpiie, soon attempt^
Id to give lavK to those who had sought their as-
kistaoce, either as mercenaries or allies. Of this
Ihe Caliphs themselves were convinced in a very
Lnarkable instance. Matazzam, brother and
iuFcessor of Almamoun. having selected a body
bf Turkmans for his guards, was obliged to quit
Bagdad for their improper conduct; and^ after
ills timev their insoleixe arrived to such a pitch,
liiat they became the disposers of the throne and
jife of their princes, and murdered three of them

I the course of thirty years.

Amidst the disorder** n anarchy, a multitude
brXuikman hordes penetrated into the empire,
jiDd founded diil'erent independent states in ll.i;
(crmaD and Korasan ; at Icooiumj Aleppo,
Damagcus, and in Egypt.

TiM that time, the preseut Turks, distinguished
by the name of Ogouzians, remained in the east
pi Ihe Caspian, bordering on Djihoun; but early
III the thirteenth century, Djenkiz-kan, liaving-
U(ed all the tribes of Upper Tartary against the
princes of Balk and Samarcand, the Ogouzians
legan their march under their chief Soliman, and,
Hrivjng their herds before them, encamped in
r2l4 in the Aderbedjan, to the number of fifty
nousaod horsemen. The Moguls, following
km, pushed them into Armenia. Soliman be-
k' drowned in 1220, in attempting to pass the
Euphrates on horseback, Ertogrul, his son,
uoMhe command of the hordes, and proceeded

Vol. IL No. LXXXV.

to the plains of Asia-Minor, allured by' abut>-
dunce of pasturage for his catde. The good
conduct of this chi^f caused his alliance to be
sought by all the neighbouring princes. Among
these was the Turkman, Ala-el-diu, Siiitaii of
Iconium, who,'finding himself old, granted lands
to the Turks under Ertogrul, and appointed
their chief general of all his troops. Ertogrul
proved that (he confidence of the Sultan was nut
misplaced, by vanquishing the Moguls, and in
other respects acquired great honour utid rcpiitao-
tion. On his death, his honours were trunsmilted
to his son Osman; who was also complimented
with the Kofetan, drum, and horse-tails, sym-
bols of command among all the Tartars. This
Osman, to distinguish the Turks, his followers,
gave them the name of Osmanhs, from whjth we
have made Oltovians. In 1300 he assumed the
dignity of Sultan, which gigniHcs absotulu
sovereign.

His successors continued to aggrandize them-
selves at the ^xpcnce of the Greeks; till, con-
tinually depriving thetii of whole provinces in
Europe and Asia, they at length shut them up
within the walls of Constantinople: and Ma-
homet II. having taken that city in 1453, anni-
hilated this branch of the Roman empire. The
Turks, being now disengaged from (he ad'airs of
Europe, turned their arms against the southern
provinces. Bagdad, subjugated by the Tartars,
had been long without Caliphs; but a new power
in Persia had succeeded (o a part of their do-
mains; and another, subsisting al that time under
the name of Mamelukes, had seized on Syria.

Tuc Turks wished to check the ambition of
these two rivals: Bayazid, the son of Mahomet,
executed a part of this phin, by taking Armenia
from the So(i of Persia, and Selim his son com-
pleted it, by subduing^ the Mamcltikes. This
Sultan, having prevailed on them to approach
Aleppo, in 1.^17, under pretext of soliciting their
assistance in the war against Persia, suddenly
turned his arms against them, and took from
thorn successively Syria and Egypt. From (hat
period the Turks' established themselves in that
country; but they are not very numer'ius among
the villages. Individuals of vhat na(iun are sel-
dom met with, but at Cairo, where they exercise
the arts, and occupy the religious and military
employments. Formerly they were admitted to
offices under government, but, within the last

3 S thirty

lil

ii viU

■)

252

VOLNEY'i TRAVELS THROUGH

thirfy yi^ars. n tacit revolution has taken place,
^liich hna deprived them of the reality of power,
without taking from them the title.

This revolution was etl'ectcd hy a fourth and
hat racle ; the individuals of svhich were born at
the foot of Mount CaucaHUs: t< ey are distinguish-
ed from the other inhabitants by the colour of
their hair, which is fluxen, and entirely diflerent

from that of the natives of Cgy|it These weni
distin{<;uiBhed by the Crusaders lo'the thirtQeiull
century, and called by them M»melu{(eg; aful
reraaininK almost in a state of annihilation y
two hundred and thirty years, under the govei|,|
ment of the Ottomans, they may be &aid to Idm|
regained their consequeace.

SECTION II.

,4 Summary of the History of the Mamelukes— The Present State of Egypt — Military Conttitu^Ji
of the Mamelukes — Thcr Accoutrements — Education — Manners,

THE Greeks of Constantinople, under a de-
spotic ;ind bigoted government, let the
finest provinces of their empire, during the course
of the seventh century, fall a prey to a new peo-
ple. The Arabs, though inflamed by fanaticism,
and corrupted by luxuries to which they had befen
unaccustomed, conquered,within eig^y years, the
north of Africa, and the soutlrof Asia, as far as
the river Indus: but though the Arabs knew how
to conquer, they were strangers to the 9rt of
governing, and their ediBce of power soon
mouldered into ruins. The vast empire of the
Caliphs, passing from de!)potism co anarchy, be-
camedismen)bered on every side; and the temporal
governors every where erected themselves into
£0vereigns, and formed independent states'*.

Ad'had-el-din, the hist of (hat race, after hav-
ing been invaded by the crusaders, who had im-
posed on him a tribute, one of his generals,
whom he had dismissed his service, threatened
to di^prive him of a power of which he seemed
absolutely unworthy. Knowing he could not {
confide in a nation, which his conduct had '
Alieuiiled from him, he had recourseto foreigners. ;

* But thong'i K^ypt was not the tist to follow this ex.
(BRipIp, it was not till 069, tliat a rcgiklar power was csta-
blish.il in^that caimtry, in the uersoit of princos, who, as.
■umlni; tiic na nc of Fatmitc Caliphs, disputed the title of
thi'ir diguHy with th'jse of Bngdad. The latter, then strip. ,
ped of th.ir authority by the Tnrkinen soldiers, could no •
long' r oppose thrir pretensions; and th'is tUe Egyptian ;
Caliphi peaceably obtainetl posse^bion of that rich country, ;
of which they might have formetl a jiowciful state. But the ;
soTorcigns of. t^^ypt^ no Itus despotic tbiii those of Bagdad, |

He called in the tribe of Turkmans who hidc^l
slaved the Bagdad Caliphs, and implored M
sovereign of Aleppo, to send an army intniyl
country. These troops speedily delivered AdMl
from the tribute, and the roenaces of ihe generii,!
But the Caliph soon discovered that be bad onlJ
changed his eneBii«s : they left biro snlv ty
shadow of power; and Sekh -«<l-4in, wtiototk]
the command of the army in M71, conciuo^dl
strangling him. The Egyptian Arabs thwl.
came subjected to stra'Agers, whose princes k\
gan a new dynasty in tt e person of Selah'«l-diD.
Durtng these transactions in Egypt, and whili
the Crusaders were, by ill conduct, lajingi
foundation for their expulsion from Syria, otbt.
revolutions were preparing in Upper AsL
Dienkiz-Kan become (be chief of most of thl
Tartar hordes, waited for an opportunity to i»
vade the neighbouring states: an insult comiDit|
<ted on some merchants, under his protection,
duced him to turn his arms against tlie Sultan*
Balk, and the eastern r^art of Persia; counlrie^
which, about the year !lil8, became the tlwatn
of the most bloody devastations. The Mogulj

took part in the quarrels of rcl^ious sects ; they cTcn let ai
new ones, and endeavuiircd to create proselytes by persccg]
tion. One of them, named Haketn b'anr ellak*, mn
absurdly aitd extraTagantly impious to pronounce hlaisi^
a God; and had the folly and wickedness to set AreiJ
Cairo, for his amusemeot. Others dissipated the pultii
treasure in a capricious luxnry, and their courtiers wen
ea;rer in partaking of the spoils : the people, whom thej
oppressed, were thus induced (o hold thoqi jii abhurrtacbl

* Governor bj/ the command of God,

swol

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

$54

word in 1»«n<J» 1»ning:1nff, b-iminff, and nHirtJor-
j,,T witliiMjt distiiHtioii, reduced the whole coun-
trv of S'hmn to a heap of aslies; and extended
their ravages even into Russia and the Cuban,
rj-ijjgexpeditirn, in 19^7. eventually introduced
(he M«mel»'s*« into Egvpt. The Tartars, weary
of massacring, had broug:ht back with them a
vast quantity of younjj; slaves of boih sexes; the
camps and market* of Asia were full of them.
•Jhe. snectfuors of SeIah-el-diD> who corresponded
vitb the eoasts of the Caspian Sea, saw they had
now an opportunity of formin^j?. at a cheap rate,
a fine body of soldiers of tried courage, one of
(belli purchased twelve thousand of these ypung
fata, who were Circa«Ri»aSi Mingrelians* and
Abazaas. He caused them (d be trained up to
isjiit^y exercises, and be itbua obtained a body
of the handsomest, and best soldiers in Asia,
th«ugh they were fiirtinous wi upe^perienctd.
This soldiery, like tke Preioriao bands, ii>« short
tiiM gave laws to their maatv: tj^ey gnayr miore
ia«o1ant under his au^oewOr. wh9in tbey deponed
in 1350, and slew the lastTuskmM priiiQ^i 4ub-
ititttting ond of their owiP'«biefi, witih t^i^ tH\fi of
SuHan; rttainicg to ibemsclvei that of Miuiie-
liikts, which signijies piiUtary sUvfs*.

In the year Ift^n, Selim, Sult»o of the OUona^ixs,
U*ing sieized «nd Jukoged TouoM Bey, tj^e Jasjt
chief of the Mainclukest, put » if mod t» ib<^
iyaasty.

To conceive the nature of this revolution, leit
III consider the manner in which the Mamelvkes
tre continued and multiplied in Egypt- Ou
iflding them resident in thi? country for several

• Wi(l)Out any other public right to authority, th^n that
p( ronquest, thc.Mameluki-s hnu no other rulu of c6nduct
and govcrnmdnt,'' than that of a lirentioni and insolent
ioMiery. The firsf leadkr wh^Mn they elected, whose tur-
buleat spirit was eioploytjd ip the conquest of Syria, rei/^nuU
t^f^teoii years; but not cine of them has since governed so
lung; tho bow-string, poi'jii, the sword, orprivalis ussassi.
«atioii, having been the fate of a series of tyrants ; forty,
fovtm of whom are enumerated ia the space of two huiidixd
and fifiy-seven years.

+ The Turks, howcTer, are not diiliciilt to piiiasc : if a
voman is fair, they pronounce her handsome ; and if she
be fat, she is enchanting : " Her counfenance is like the
full moon: her haunches nre lilie cushions," say they, to
express the superlative of beauty. They may be said to
measure them by the qui»Utl. They have besides a proverb
wprtjty the notice of Qa,ti>ralists : '* Tike a fair fcinale for

centuries, it poems reasouable to imagiire their
race is preserved by tliu ordinary means; but if
their first establishment was a singular event,
their continuation is at least equally so. Though
there have been Manielukes in Egypt upwards of
five hundretl and fifty ypars, not one of them has
left subsisting iWne: not a single family of tlicm
exists in the seco'id gen,qration : all their children
perish in the f <-s|t or secopd descent. The same
is also asserted >yith regard to the Turks f; and
it is observed, that their only method of securing
the continuance of jlheir families, is to marry
women, who are natives, which the Mamelukes
have always disdained. Le^ the naturalist expliiin
why men, fp^rri/^d to Wealthy ^oifien, are unable
to n^turaliz^ on ^^e ^ai^ks of jtli,e Nile, a race
born at the fpojt qf Moifoi P^u/cajSus!— And let
it be rejpembe^ed* tha|t ihfi pla^s of Europe, in
that copplry, tjire eqt|i.a.l)y pnabje jto continue
their ^ccjcs! Sprnje peraons piay not believe this
extr^ordipary faf;t,,byt it i^ not, oo that account,
the less certain, npr does it appear to be new.
The ancipo^ h^vis .made obs^eryat^ui^ of the same
patijire. , ' '

The Sultan's prders ^re receivejd< as they ex^
press it, on the head^nA qn t^e eyf^; ihaX is ^ritb
the greatest I'espect; hut this appearance of reve-
reuce is pot Pibqdieptly 4t(^ndc)d to^ Abiding by
jier usM«l inplii^, i^^ ^orjifi is blind i,o J^ianv
ftbiU^Pj W^l}Liv>mag, ]th«it ^o corriect t^«p, ^ilt
require icxjifpfive efforts, and prob^Iy an ojien
w^r, in,\vhi(^h jthf dignity of the empire migl^
sufler. Ufi^nt afiVirs, for some years past, hav/e
also made it pecessary to collect all their forces

thy eyety but f0|r pleasure an Egyptian." Rxperlencc has
proTdd to them tlia^V'the northern women are colder thi^n
those of the south.

Since the revuiution of Ibrahim Kisya, tho Ottoman
power h.-i8 bccooe (pprc precarious in i^gypt titan in any
other province. The Porte, indeed, still retains a Pacha
there: but this Pacha watched in the castle of Cairo, is
rathi-r the prisoner of the Mamelukes, that the representa.
tive of the Sultan. He is deposed, exiled, or expelled at
pleisure ; nud, merely by ih6 summons of a herald, clothed
in black, 'must 'instantly descend* from bis high station.
Some Pachas, chosen for that purpose by the Porte, have
endeavoured, by intrigues, to'i;ecoTer the power formeily
dnnexed to their title ; but the beys have now rendered such
attempts so dan <;crou*, that they quietly submit to their
throe years' captivity, and confit;c themselves to the peace-
able enjoyment of their salary and craolumcnts.

! I, Xi

• 7%e formulan/ of tkposUion comisU in the word mttel, that it, descend fnm t^ wstk.

towards

t '

S54

VOLNEY'8 TRAVELS tHtlOUGH

towards tlift north. Deairoiis of brstowing; Jhc
utmost atteiitidii to Constuntinoplp, they leave
the restoration of their authority in thft distant
provinces to time and the course of events.
They find it necessary, however, (o ci-eate divi^
sioijii among; the rival partieii, that none of them
may acquire an established power; a practice
that is fuuiid beneficial to the state, as well as
advantageous to the great officers, who derive
large emoluments from the rebels, by purchasing
their influence and protection.

The Muiuelukes, on obtaining the government
of Egypt, adopted measures calculated to secure
them the possession of the country They im-
mediately degraded the military corps of the
Azabs ai\ji Janissaries: these two bodies, formerly
the terror of the Pacha, are now as insignificant
as himself. Of this the corrupt government
of the Turks has been the principal cause;
for, previous to the insurrection of Ibrahim
Kiaya, the number of 'Ciirkish troops, which
should consist of foirty thousand men, had been
reduced to half that number, by the avarice of
their ofiicers, who appropriated the pay to their
own use. After Ibrahim, Ali Bey completely
terminated their consequence. He first displaced
all the officeis whose conduct he did not per-
fectly approve, and left unfilled the places that
became vacant, deprived the ' ^''^Tiauders of all
influence^ and so effectually .aded all the

Turkish troops, that at this du^ ae Janisiaries,
the Azabff, and the five other corp&, are a mere
rabble of artizans and vagabonds, who guard the
gates of those who pay them, and tremble in the
presence of the Mamelukes, as. much as the po-
pulace of Cairo. The whole military force, of
Egypt really cf'nsist in the Mamelukes; some
hundreds of them are dispersed throughout the
Country, and in the villages, to support the au-

* But by proper management, aqd liberal presents, stratu
gets of consequence, who caiu« only to Tisit tliu country,
may be excused from this humiliating restriction. Lord
Algernon Purcy, now Lord Louvaine, and the l)at\ of Clare-
niont, obtained permission to ride on hjrseback in 177C.

The dress of the Mamelukes consists .-^f a Hide shirt of
thin cotton, of a yellowish colour, over which tiicy wear
an Indian linen gown, or a sort of gown made of the light
stulTs of Da^nascus and Aleppo. Thisi robe, which is called
a/Uarif reaches from the neck to the ankles, folding over
the forepart of the body, towards the hips, where it is
fastened by two strings. A second covering of the same
foeia i»d width, is worn, over it, having aoiplu sleeves de-

thority of their corps, collect the tributes, mj
practise evf(ry opportunity of extortion : biitthg
main body reside continually at Cairo. Frniq
the most ttccurute computation it appears, that
their number amounts to eight thousand five
hundred men, incliuling Beys and Cachet's, com-
mon-freed men, and Mamelukes who are still
slaves. In this number there are a multitude of
youth under twenty-two years of age.

The most powerful house is that of Ibrahim
Bey, who has six hundred Mamelukes: Murad
has about four hundred ; the rest of the Bevi,
amounting to eighteen or twenty, have each of
them about fifty to two hundred. There are
also many Mamelukes, who may be called ni.
dividual', these, being sprung from distinct
houses, sometimes attach themselves to one, and
sometimes to another, as their interest or iriclioa<
tion dictates, though they generally enter into
the service of the best bidder. There are alto
some Serradies, a sort of domestic on horseback;
who carry the orders of the Beys ; but the ivboU
together does not exceed ten thousand horse, hr
fantry are not mentioned here, as ndi being known
or esteemed in Turkey, especially in the Aiiatie
provinces; The ancient prejudices of the Pe:*
sians and the Tartars, continue to prevail i.i thow
countries, where war consists only in flight and
ptirsuit, and the horfemen, who is beet qualified
for both these, is reputed the only soldier; and
the warrior is alone the man of distinction.
Walking on foot being held to be degrading, that
exercise is reserved for the common people : The
Mamelukes, indeed, pernrit the iahabitauts of
Egypt to ride on mules or asses, appropriating
to themselves the exclusive privilege of bein§;
carried by a horse*. Of this peculiar distinction
they make a' very sufficient use, whether tbey arc
in town or country; for, if they only make a

visit

sccnding to the finger ends, this is called a'cnf/an, and is
usually made of silk stutf, richer than the former, iiuih
flicsc robes arc fastened at the waist by a long belt, diTliIin; {
the dress into two bundfus. About this is a third, called |
eijunltu, made of cloth without lining, in nearly the form i
of the other; only the slcevos are cut at the elbow, is
winter, and .sometimes in summer, this habit is lined \vith
fur, and formed iuta a pelisse. Over all these three wra;^
pcrs, they put on an ontcf garment called the benifh^]
which is the robe of ceremony, and completely covers the
whole body, even to the ends of the fingers, which it
would be highly indecorous to exhibit before the great:
The whole habit, with the bcnishc on, appears like a sack,

from

SyniA AND EGYPT.

«53-

Ti'iit io ^^^ "^'^ door« tbey never are seen but on
lioriebftck.

So far with respect to the drcM of the Mime-
llukei< let ^* "'^^ advert to their hone accoutre-
penti. Since the Europeans have had the good
lenie to examine into the principles of ever^ art^
they hiSt found that the horse, to enable him to
move freely under his rider, should be as little
btrnessed as the necessary solidity would permit.
This improvement, which has taken place among
I US in the eighteenth century, has.been totally neg-
lected by tne Mamelukes, who have hardly ar-
I rived at the knowledge of the ninth. Continually
(he (laves of custom, the horse's saddle among
them ii > clumsy frame, loaded with wood,
leather, and iron, on which a trussequin rises
behind: and a pummel before projects so much
|i) to endanffer his breast, if lie should stoop.
Under the saddle they spread three thick woollen
I (OTcrings, and the whole is fastened by a sur-
cingle, tied with leather thongs. Each stirrup
ii 1 plate of copper, longer and wider than the
foot, with circular edges, which are sharp
ind used instead of spurs, to make long wounds
in the horse's sides. The horse's furniture
titogetber weighs above thirty-six pounds,
I which is rendered the more ridiculous, by the

^yptian horses being so very small. The bridle
I II 8 kind of snaffle, but without a joint, and with
s curb, which bein^ an iron ring, binds the
jiw so as to lacerate Uie skin. Instead of mana-

5ing the mouth of a horse like us, the Mamelukes
citroy it by violent and sudden checks. This
I consists in putting a horse on a full gallop, and

from which ii Ihnist a bare neck, and a bald head, corcrcd
with a turban. The turban of the Mameluke* is yellow,
ind of a cylindrical form, turned up on the outside with a
roll of muslin. Thoy wear, on their feet, a sock of yellow

I leather, reaching up to the heels, and slippers wilhont
quartori: they haTe a sort of pantaloon, or trowsers, so
long IS to reach up to the chin, aud so u-ido that what is pro.

I Tidnl for one of the legs, is large enough to contain the
whole body.
* The art of nsing these arms to perfection, constitutes

{ tlie education of tho Mamelukes, and is the whole occiipa.
4ion of their lives, hlarly every morning the greater part
of them resort to a plain, near Cairo, and there, riding full
speed, exercise theniicWcs in judiciously drawiag out their
arbine from the bandalecr, discharging it with excellent
lim, and then throwing it under their thigh, to seize a
pistui, which they fire and throw over their shoulder; im'
nediitcly .firing a second. They are encouraged by the

|)teyi who are present, and whoever breaks tkt earthen

Vol. II. No. LXXXV.

suddenly stopping him, when at the highest speed.
Checked thus by the bit, the horse bends in his
legs, stilleiis the fore-legs, and slides along like a
wooden horse. This manoeuvre must greatly in-
jure the legs and mouth of the horse; but
the Mamelukes think it graceful, and it is adapt-
ed to their mode of fighting. It must be admits
ted, however, that they arc firm and vigorous
horsemen, and that they have a warlike appear-
ance, which pleases the eye even of a stranger.

Their principal weapon is an English carbine,
about thirty inches long, of so capacious a bore
as to discharge ten or twelve balls at a time.whicb',
without much skill, cannot fail of great execu-
tion. They also carry two large pistols in a belt,
fastened to some part of their garments by a silken
string. . A heavy mace sometimes hangs at the
bow of the saddle, ready to knock down an ene-
my; and on the left thigh is suspended, by a
shoulder-belt, a crooked sabre. The Mamelukei
usually procure their blades from Constantinople,
and from Europe; but the Beys rival each other
in Persian blades, and the sabres of the ancient
steel of Damascus, for they sometimes pay the
extraordinary price of forty or fifty pounds
sterling*.

In Europe, when we hear of troops, and of
war, we figure to ourselves a number of men
distributed into companies and squadrons, with
uniforms, ranks, and lines ; and a system of ope-
rations founded on established principles. The
Mamelukes know nothing of our military arts;
and they are strangers to uniforms, to order, t»*
discipline, or even to subordination. Their ttoopi

vessel which is nsfd as a Butt, receives great commenda.
tions and a reward. They also practise the management of
the sabre ; and shoot with bows and arrows, though thoy
no longer employ them in battle. But their favourite ex.
ercise is throwing the ^trid. Though the proper sigiiifica.
tion of this word \i a reed, it is used io signify any statf
thrown by the hand, after the manner of tho Roman pilum.
The Mamelukes use branches of the palm.tree, fresh strip,
ped; these branches are four feet long, and weigh five or
six pounds. Armed with these, the Cavaliers enter the list,
and, riding full speed, dart them at each other from a con.
sidcrable distance. When the assailant has thrown, h«
turns hit horse, and his antagonist throws his in his turn.
The horsois, accustomed to this exercise, are so delighted
with it, that they sometimes enjoy it as much as tlieir
masters. But this practice is attended with danger; for
tome of theiA can dart the weapoa with such force as t«
wound, and sonetiines siortally.

«rfl

K m

... v\

fB9

VOLNEn TRAVELS THROUOtt

•re a mob, (heir inarch a riot, their battles
duels, and (heir war a scerfc of robbery and plun-
dor, which generally happen even in the city of
Ciiiro, where there is the least reason to ap-
prehend any Ihing of the kind : a cabal gathers
together, the Bcyii appear on horseback, the
alarm spreuds, and their adversaries present
themselves : they charge each other in ttte
»<rect, subrc in hand; a few murders terminate
the quarrel,, and the weakest is probably exiled.
The people give £liemselvt'8 little concern in
thcRO alTrays. It is of no material importance
tx) them that these tyrants out each others throats.
They do not, however, remain spectators of
llie contest, as there would be danger in the
midst of bullets and scymetars: everyone, there-
fore, quits the scene of action till tranquillity is
restored ;. and sometimes the populace plunder
the houses of the exiled, which the conquerors
seldom eudeavour to prevent. . In the differences
and quarrels of the Beys, the people are merely
passive instruments*.

The .young peasant, sold in Mingrelia or
Georgia, no sooner arrives in Egypt than a new
and extraordinary scene opens before him, and
every thing conduces to awaken his audacity and
ambition : though now a slave, be seems destined
to become, a master, and assumes the spirit of

* Sometimes tho ,war is transferred to the country, when
i^o strongest and most 'daring party pursuri the other.
J{ tbey suppose thcmsclrcs nearly equal in coarogo or force,
tkSy Wait for e»ch other, or appoint a rendeEtous whor«
the re8|icctiire troops assemble in platoons, the boldest
marching at their head. After mutual defiances, the attack
begins, and every one chooses bis man : they fire, if they
can, after which they begin to fall on with the sabre; it is
then that tho dexterity of the horse and the cavalier are
displayed : if the former falls, the destrnction of the latter
is inevitable. In defeats the valets, who always attend,
remount their masters; but should they happen to be un.
ebservcd, they knock them on the head, to get the sequins
they may happen to have about them. The battle is frc>
, qifently terminated by tho death of two or three of the
combatants. If they are overcome, they capitulate with
the conqueror, and return to find a master at Cairo who
.pays: there they live, at his expcnce, till some new revo«
lution may haippqn to take place.

f Luxury is how so excessive among the Mamelukes,
that there is not one of them whose maintenance costs less
thaa o4ie hundred and four. pounds annually, and many of
them consume double that sum« At every Ramadan they
jDust'havc a new suit of French arid Venetian cloths, and
Damascus and. India stuffs. They must also have new
koiies and kuaeUf with pistoU and sabres from Uuuascus,

his future condititm. Ho ctvntitlcn how ht)tn
is necessary to his patron, and rates himself k,
cordingly. No sooner is a slave enfranchijcj
than ho aspires to greatness. In those who conj.
mand, he observes no superiority of talents wliid,
can impress him with respoct; be only behold,
so'diers like himself, arrived at power by {\^^
decree of fate; and if fate should be cquajlf
favourable to him, he tliinks hi shall not be
less able in the art of governing, which cuiui,ti
only in taking money, and giving blows witji
the sabre f.

Such are ttie men who now govern aad decide
the fate of Egypt: some fortunate strokes, with
abundance of cunning and audacitv, have given
them this pre-eminence: but the change of for.
tune has not wrought a change of character jg
these vile upstarts; they have still the meannesi
of slaves though elevated to the rank of mo<
narchfl. Sovereignty vriih them is only the
means of more luxury, more toys, more horses
and slaves, and of gratifying all their capricei,
The whole administration is conducted on (bii
principle. It consists in managing the court of
Constantinople to as to elude the tribute, or the
menaces of the Sultan; and in purchasing i
number of slaves, countermining plots, anii
taking off their secret enemies by poison, or

gilt stirrups, and saddles and bridles plated with (ilier.
The chiefs roust have trinkets, precious stones, fin
Arahiai horses, rich shawls of Cashmirc, and variety of
pelisses. The women disdain any longer to wear sequisK I
on the head and kreast, as not sufficiently gay and spleit. '
did, and figure away with diamonds, rubies, ami t)i»,
finest pearls ; to which they have added a passion for
Lyons stutfs and laces.

The manners of the Mamelukes are horrible, thougl^
most of them pretend to the rites of the Greek church, and
are circumcised the moment they are bought, even (he
Turks themselves consider, them as renugadocs, void of faitb
and of religion. Strangers to each other, they are dch
titiite of those natural tics which unite tho rest of mankind.
Without parents, without children, tho past has duncno<
thing for them, and they provide nothing for the future.
Ignorant and superstitious, they become ferocious by the
commission of frequent murders, perfidious from their nu..
merous cabals, seditious from tumults, and base, deceitful,
and corrupted by every species of debauchery. They are
even addicted to that abominable vice, which has been so
shamelessly practised by the Greeks and the Tartars. It
is certain that there is not a single Mameluke that is not
polluted by this depravity ; aad the cuntagiou has extended
among the inhabitants of Cairo, and evea among the Chris*
tians of Syria wbo reside iu that city.

the

RVniA AVT) EGYPT.

S31

(he i»K*^- ^^*' tortured by suspicion, the
fhicfi »"S*'' "• "'"'■'' ■• *'•• •mieni tyraiiti of
Syracuse. Morab «ud Ibrahim pleep continually

ninidit sabrcn mid carbinfi, fietne nbsnlut^
strangers to a pulice, or a well rpgulated go-
vernment*.

SECTION III.

Cuttdiiion. qf the People of Egypt'-Of

IK lucli a country^ levery thine t« analogous to
10 wretched a governuaent. Where tite culti-
vator cannot enjoj the fruit of his labour, he
works only by constraint, and agriculture lan-
(Tuishes. Where there ia no security in pro-
perty, there can be no hidustry to procure it.
The greater part of the lands are in the hands
of the Beys, the Mamclukeit, and the professors
of the law; they have few other proprietors,
and the little property of theirs is liable to a
thousand impositions. Contributions are con-
tinually required of theoa^, and there is no right
ofiuccessioa for real. property; every thing re-
turns iq government, from which every thing
nuit be re-purcbaied. The peasants are hired
jtbourers, who are permitted to retain what is
birely sufficient to susiain life: tbejr can reserve
for tliemselve* nothing but dourra, or Indian
millet, of which they make a wretched tasteless
lort of bread, without leaven. This bread is
I baked by a fire made with the dry dung of buf-
filoes and cowsf, which, with -water and raw
I obioni, is their only food throughout the year.
Tbey think themselves extremely happy if they
ciD sometimes procure a little honey, cheese,
lOur milk, and dates. Flesh meat and fat can
only be procured by those who are in the best
I circumstances, and on the greatest festivals.

Their whole clothing consists in a shirt of
Icoarte blue linen, and a kind of black cloak :
Itbeir head-drrss is a cloth bonnet, with a red
iwoollen handkerchief rolled over it. Their
llegs, arms, and breasts are naked; many of
Ithein not being provided even with drawers.
■Their habitations arc mud-walled huts, in which
Itbey are almost siiffocated with heat and smoke ;

* WhcD M. Volnpy wai at Cairo, some Maraeliikes
larried off the wife of a Jew, who was passing tl» Nile
liilh her husband. The Jew complained to Mprad, who
■hhiiroiinh tone of »o1co replied — '* VVtll, let the young
Ifolksaimise ihwnsclvcn !" — In the evening, one of the Jiiame. ^
liikia iaformcd the Jew that they 'would restore him his

the Diseases of Egypt — The Small Pox.

'tit tVof; I ■

16 these distresses Mb addled 'i:ontinun1 alarms,
the dread tf the robberies of the Arabs, the ex-
tortions of the Mamelukes, family feuds, and
the calamities of a civil war,

Such is the picture of all the villages, and
the towns have not a more agreeable aspect.
Even at Cairo, the stranger on his arrival, is
struck with the universal appearance of wretclied-
ness and misery. The crowds, with which the
streets are ih'or>»;e.i], present to the spectator
nothing but filtli;' rags and disgusting nudities.
Sometimes, indeed, he meets with a horseman
richly clad, wl.icii rendei's indigence the more
shocking by being contrasted with' the display of
luxury. The blood of nian is here lavished
with that of the vilest animals: justice herself
inflicts death without formality. The officer of
the night, and e\'Rn of the day, frequently judge,
condemn, and execute, in the twinkling of an
eye, without appeal. Unfortunate is that man
who is suspected of beiiig in easy circumstances;
a multitude of spies are ready every moment to
recuse: him; and it is only by assuming the ap-
pearance of poverty, that he can have auy
chance of escaping the rapacity of power.

Not many years ago. the capital of Egypt, as
well as the whole country presented a spectacle
of the most deplorable misery. To the constant
evils of uncontrouled tyranny, were added na-
tural calamities still more destructive. The
plague, brought from Constantinople in Novem-
ber 1783, made its accustomed ravages during -
the whole winter. Fifteen hundred dead bodies
were supposed to be carried out of the gates of '
Cairo. The summer, indeed, asswaged its fury, [
but another scourge, equally terrible, soon foL- '

wife, if he wauld pay bim one hundred piafters for fiu
trouble, and to theso tcrniR ho was obliged to submit. This
instance is the more remarkable, since in this country wo« i
men are hold moKC saured than oven life itself.

f The reader need not be informed that l^gypt is a naked
co'uatry, which afl'ords no lire wood.

lowed

\ ' )

S58

VOLNKT's TRAVELS THROUGH

lowed. The inundation of 1783 ^^as not suf-
ficient, therefore a considerable part of the land
could not be sown for want of bein^ watered,
and another part for want of seed. Ir '784, the
Nile did not rise so high as was wished, and the
dearth became excessive* Soon after November,
the famine carried oft* at Cairo, almost as many
■s the plague ; the streets, which before swarmed
with beggars, was now free from them ; all of
them having perished, or deserted the city. It
was generally supposed that the country had lost
about a sixth part of its inhabitants. I'he streets
and public places swarmed with meagre and dying
skeletons, who implored, in vain, the pity of
passengers. These wretclies expired before the
doors of the Beys, who had large hoards of rice
and corn; and frequently the Mamelukes, im-
portuned by their cries, drove them with blows.
IV!. Volney relates that, when he was returning
from Syria to France, in March 1785, he saw,
under the walls of ancient Alexandria, two
wretches sitting on the dead carcase of a camel,
" and disputing its putrid fragments with the
dogs*."

In this state of barbarism, rt seems extraordi-
nary that commerce should still continue so flou-
rishing as we And at Cairo; but, from an ex-
apiination of ihe sources, it appears that two
powerful causes have contributed to render
Cairo the seat of a very extensive trade: the first
is, that all the commodities consumed in Egypt
•re collected within tlie walls of that city; and
all the persons of property, such as the Maaie-

* In the present situation of the Egyptians, they may
not display probably iiuicii courage; (hough the seeds of it
may Dot be wanting in (hem, or (hat It is denied theni by
the eliinaie. Instead uf tlie dci;reu of heat, it is the ardour
of the passions, and llic. conlidcncu ve ha?c in our own
powers wliich enables ns to brave danger. We deceive
ourselves if we represent the Egyptians as enervated by heat,
ot ellominate by debauchery. The men of opulence may in.
deed bo a prey to that eircmiuacy, which is common to
them in every climate; but the wretched despised peasants,
denominated /(.'//^<Afi endure astonishing fatigues. Volney
says, " I have seen them jiass wlioledays in drawing water
from the Nile, ev|)uscd naked to n sun which would kill
ui." Those who arc valets to the Mamelukes follow their
wasters every where, and always on foot; they will run,
for vriuAo days, before or after their horses, and, when
fatigued, will tie thcjnsclves to their tails, rather than be
lelt behind.

+ // /•; not uncommon for them to bepiil to death, merely
on sti yyicioriy and this is equally the fnar^ice if Syria. At
liurndttf a jtcaiiunf came into the market for ieverid dajfSy

lukes and lawyers,
draw thither their

are assembled there, and
whole revenues, without
making any return to the country from wliich
they receive them.

The situation making this city a centre of cir<
culation, is the second cause, while, by the Red
Sea, it corresponds with Arabia and tndia; bj
the Nile, with Abyssinia, and the interior parts
of Africa; and by the Mediterranean, with Eu-
rope and the empire of Turkey. Every year i
caravan arrives at Cairo, with black slaves, eje.
phants' teeth, gold-dust, ostrich feathers, par*
rots, and monkeys f; while another, destined tor
Mecca, coasts along the Mediterranean, and a^
rives by the desert of Alexandria, consisting of
three or four thousand camels. Frona thence it
proceeds to Cairo, and joins the caravan of
Egypt, and they afterwards iset out jointly for
Mecca. The lading of these caravans consists io
India stuffs, pearls, shawls^ gums, perfuoies,
and the coffee of Yemen.

The same commodities arrive by another route
at Suez : small caravans also come from Damas-
cus, with silk and cotton stuffs, oils, and dried
fruits. During the favourable season vessels fre-
quently come in the road of Damietta, unloading
hogsheads of tobacco from Latakia, the con-
sumption of which in Egypt is wonderfully great,
Vessels come likewise from Marseilles, Leghorn,
and Venice, with cloths, and a variety of other
articles, which are conveyed by sea to Rosetta,
in barks, called djern^. We need not therefore
hesitate to admit the report of the commissioner-

The character of their minds is perfectly correspondent
with the hardiness of their hodies: their implacability Id
their hatretls, their obstinacy in battles between contendini;
villages; their sense of honoar in suffering the bastinado,
rather than divulge a secret ; and the severity with which
they pnnish deviations from chastity in cither wives or
daughters *, will shew that they are capable of great energy,
which only wants a proper direction to become a formida.
bio rourage.

'< This caravan comes by land along the Nile ; it was that
in which Mr. Bruce returned in 1773, from Abyssinia,
after having performed the most adventurous journey at-
tempted in (ha present ago. In traversing the desert, ihd
provisions of the caravan were nearly consumed, and the
travellers were supported, by gum only, for several days.

^ Boats which carry m very largo lateen sail, striped with
blue and brown, like ticking.

having hi.i cloak stained with the blood of hit daughter Khom
III! had that killed; and the action aat generally ajijiroted,
2.\trki!th jiutice never interferet in these affairs.

gcdcral

-■■«*■

SYUTA and EGYPT.

»l en 111

25.9

»encra1 of (lie customs, who asserted, that in
lYiSS, Cairo had traded to almost (he amount of
lone li'undfed and fifty millions of livres. But, if
Ue consider the channels into which this wealth
oured, vte shall be convinced that all this
icoinraerce is carried on without adding greatly to
Ithe riches of Egypt, or the benefit of the inha-
bitants, . J .

Haviog mentioned the commerce carried on at
ICairo, ^^'itli Arabia and India, a question natu-
jrally arises, whether it would be practicable to
[(ut through the isthmus whhch separates the Red
ea from the Mediterranean, that vessels might
Ijirrive at India, by a shorter route than the Cape
|of Good Hope *.

The only method, therefore, of eflfecting this
Ijunction, is that which has been already prac-
liised at different times; which is to make the river
iuelf the medium of communication, the ground
\e\ns: extremely well calculated for that purpose;
Mbr Mount Mokottom suddenly terminating in the
Ratitude of Cairo, forms only a low and semi-
circular mound, round which there is a continual
plain from the banks of the Nile, as far as the
Doint of the Red Sea. The ancients adopted the
(ilea of joining the two seas by a canal connected
Kith the river f. At present the commerce
Cairo with Suez is only carried on by means
of caravans, which wait the arrival of the ves-
lels, and set out on their departure. That which
[accompanied in 1783, consisted of three thou-
and camels, and five or six thousand men J;.
There were also a number of pilgrims who prc-
Ifcrred a sea voyage to a land journey: It also

* Tlic space which separates the two scat docs not ex.
ted eighteen or nineteen leagues; neither is (his intrrtal

intersected 1>y mountains. It scrmt also aclinowiedged
Ihattlic ditri'rcnce of level:* aflbrds no material olijection to
lorh a junction ; but the great difliculty arises from the na.
|la;cof the corresponding coasts of the Mediterranean and
llii' Ili'rt Sea, which are low and sandy, furniing lakes,

ihoils, morasses, which will not render the near approach
|of vessels practicable. It is 'udce<i thought impossible to

lit a permanent canul amid tSese shifting sands. It must
kiso be considered that the country has not a drop of fresh
)i>t('r; nur can a supply of (liut article be procured for the

blubitaiitri, without bringing it as far as from the Nilo.
t Sliiibo, lib. 17.

* It (untinucd forty day^i assembled, deferring its de-
^riurc for various reasons ; among others, on account of
kmluchj dajc, iu which rc>;ppct the Turks are .is super.
^liliaus as the Romans formerly were. It set out, however,

!ihc'27th of .July, and arrived tlu'29lh at Suez, having
|agriic)'«(l twenly.nine hours by the route of the llaouatitt

Vol. II. N'^^. LXXXV.

carried the necessary provisions, fd-r no place
upon earth is more destitute of every necessary
than Suez. From the tops of the terraces, the
eye, surveying the sandy plain to the north-west,'
cannot discern even a single tree, or the smullcst
spot of verdure. Suez aQbrds no prospect but
extensive yellow sands, or a lake of green water;
the ruinous condition of the houses heightening'
the melancholy scenery. The only water that cau
be drank is brought from the spi'ing, at the dis-
tance of three hours' journey on the Arabian
shore; but it is so extremely brackish that it
cannot be drank by Europeans, without a mix-
ture of rum in it. The sea might probably fur-
nish plenty of shell and other fish, but the Arabs
are not expert fishermen ; and the governor, >
who is a Mameluke, is only left with twelve or:
fourteen persons at Suez ; these form bis house-
hold, and the garrison §.

Next to the christians of Syria, the most con-
siderable body of merchants is that of the Eu-'
ropeans, known in the Levant by the name of
Franks ||. The principal article of French tradtj :
in Egypt, consists in light cloths of Languedoc, '
of which they sell amiually between nine bun- >
dred and a thousand bales. The other articles
of importation are iron, lead, groceries, cochi-
neal, laces, Lyons stutl'o, dollars, and sequins, r
In exchange they take cofl'ee of Arabia, coarse
cottons, African gums, untanned hides, sal am-
moniac and rice. Cairo is the most precarious
and most disagreeable fiTctory of the Levant.
Fifteen years ago there were nine French mer-
cantile houses at Cairo; iu 1785 they were re- '

Arabs, a league farther to the south than the Lake of the ,
Pilgrims.

§ The fortress is a defenceless mass of rnins, which tho
Arabs consider as a citadel, as it contains six four pounders,
and two Gr^ek gunners, who cautiously turn their heads
aside when they lire. Thcic the merchandize is embarked,
to be conveyed over the banks of sand to the vessels vr-hieh
anchor in tho road, and which might bo attacked without
opposition ; the ships themselves arc incapable of resistance,
none of them having any other artillery than four rusty
swivels. Their number diminishes annually, for, by con.
tinually coasting along a shore full of shoals, ona out of
nine or ten is generally shipwrecked. In 1783, sno of
them was surprised by the Arabs, while tho crew were
sleeping on the shore. Having plundered it of fifteen
hniidred bags of coil'ee, they abandoned the vessel to tho
wind, which blew it upon the const.

II The orientals usually hold the manner; of Europe itk '
detestation, which prurcnts every idca| of emigration. ,'

duced

i ■((.'

:<(!

*-j

'i,?i

til 113 , i- ■•

11:1

1 ,>

d«o

VOLNEY's TRilVKl^ THROUGH

duced to tbree, and shortly, it is presumed,
there will not remain one. The Christians of
Syria, settled some time ago at Leghorn, have
given a fatal blow to the French factories at this,
place, by the immediate correspondence they
carry on with their countrymen : and the Grand
Duke of Tuscany, who treats them like his other
subjects, contributes materially to the encourage^
ment of their trade.

As Grand Cairo is a celebrated cHy, it deserves
to be more particularly described. The founder
of this capital gave it the name of El Kahera ;
the Arabs know it only by that of Masr, which
seems to have been the ancient eastern name of
the Lower Egypt. This city stands on the east-
ern bank of the Nile, about a quarter of a league
from the river. When we hear of Grand Cairo,
we naturally suppose it to be a capital, at least,
like those of Europe; but when it is considered,
that towns have only begun to be made con-
\enient and elegant within these hundred years,
we shall easily conceive that a country which has
not been improved since thetenth century, must
partake of the common barbarism : Cairo, indeed,
contains none of those elegant public or private
edifices, in which the architect displays his genius.
The environs are embellished with heaps of dirt,
formed by the rubbish, which keeps daily multi-
plying and augmenting, while the immensity of
tombs, with the stench of the common sewers,
are equally offensive to the smell and to the sight.
Within the walls, the streets are crooked, nar-
row, and impaved, in consequence of which the
crowds of men, camels, asses, and dogs, with
which they are thronged, occasion continual
clouds of dust. Individuals frequently water
their doors, and to this dust succeeds mud and
pestiferous exhalations. The houses here have
two or three stories, which is contrary to the
general custom of the east: they have, however,

* The |)op»Iation of Cairo has oftcH been a subject of '
dispute. Anthony Faraoun, who was the head oflicer of the
customs, says it approaches seven hundred thousand souls*,
including Boulak, a port and suburb: but no calculations
of the number of inhabitants of Turkey can be relied on,
as no registers are kept of births, marriages, or deaths.
Tbc Mahometans have superstitious prejudices against num.
bcring their people; though the Christians may bccstimatcd
by (heir tickets of capitation. According to the plan of M .
!Ni(buhrt taken in 1761, Cairo is three leagues in circum.
fercnce, which is about the same with Paris, by the line of the
BouUfards. Now, if Paris does not contaia abore scren hun.

the appearance of prisoiifj *^ tbejr Iiave not «|.
light from the street; it being v«ry dangetoiiij
to have many windows in such a country, ggj
the entering door is made very tow. Their rooiM
within are ill contrived. The superior peopk
however, are not without ornaqients and com
veniences : they have spacious halls, in whic^
are water-spouts ; discharging into marble ba?
sons, and are well adapted to the climate. The
paved floor, inlaid with marble and eajrtheo ware
is covered with mats and mattresses, over whicb
is spread a rich carpet, pn which they sit croii.
legged. A sofa, with cushions, also embelljshei
the apartment; and above, at the height of seven
or eight feet, a range of shelves, decorated wiili
China and Japanese porcelain. The walls, wh:«K
in other respects are naked, abound with sen-
tences extracted from the Koran, and paiDted
flowers. Their windows are without glass, oi
moving sashes; but they hao an open lattice
work, which may probably be more expensive
than our glazing. The light enters from the
inner courts, from whence the sycamores reflect
a pleasing verdure. An opening to the north,
or at the top of the cieling, iqvites a refreshing
breeze, though the different individuals, at the
same moment, carefully wrap themselves up in
furs, and warm woollen cloths. The rich are
thus careful of themselves to avoid diseases, but
the common people, with their coarse covering,
are perhaps less liable to take cold, and are more
rational candidates for superior health*.

A great nnraber of ugly dogs roam about the
streets of Cairo, and kites in abundaoro skim
over the houses with frequent and dolorous criej,
Though both these creatures are held unclean by
the Mussulnien, they never kill them ; but, on
the contrary, throw them the fragments of the
tables; and devotees endow charitable foundt"
tions of bread and water for the dogs f . These

dred thousand inhabitants, though the houses are fire sloriesl
high, it cannot be supposed that Cairo, where they arc butl
two stories, can contain more than two hundred ami firtjrl
thousand. It is equally impracticable to give a genuine esti.|
mate of the population of all Egypt. But as it is known thatl
the number of all the towns and villages does not exceed twol
thousand three hundred, and the number of inhabitants inl
each, on the average, does not exceed a thousand, thctoiall
cannot be more than two millions, three hundred thousand, j
f Turdc.dovcs, which are very numerous, build theiij
nests in the houses, and evca the children do not venture t«
touch them,

toimal!

died l>ii Baronik Tott.

STMA AND EGYPt.

aoi

2«>

iiiiilb Tiave° ftlx) ike resource of the common
' wets, which does not, however, prevent their
■ufleriog greatly- from hunger and thirst ; but it
ujg very extraordinary that these extremities
never produce madness*. Canibe madness is
vholly unknovyn in Syria ; though the name of
^e malady is to be found in the Arabic language,
I ind is not borrowed from any foreign tongue.

Blindness is not the only remarkable disease in
I (his country^ there being several others which
I eaually deserve attention, It is indeed extraor-
I dinarVt that such a prodigious number of per-
lODS are seen in Egypt whose sight is either lost
Of impaired. " Out of a hundred persons," says
M.Volney, "that I have met while walking
the streets of Cairoi twenty have been quite
blinds ten wanting an eye, and twenty others
have bad their eyes red, purulent, or blemished:
lilmoit every one wears a fillet, a token of ap-
proaching or conv^iiescent opthatmy." But
nothing astonished him more than the indiffer-
(Dce with which they support so dreadful a mis-
I fortune. It toas decreed, says the Mussulman,
[mistd be God! — God has willed it, says the
■Cbriitian, blessed be his name! — Thongh re>
tiigmtion is the best resource when the evil
I bat happened, it prevents an enquiry into
Ithe cause of the disorderj and precludes the
Idiscovery of its cure. The following ob>
IsirTations aiay probably assist others in future
lenquiries :

I ht. Deflaxions on the eyes are not peculiar
|to Egypt; tliey are also frequent in Syria, but
■not so general; and the inhabitants of the sea-
Icoast are alone subject to them.

a. In Cairo, which is always full of filth,
Itbete disorders prevail more than in the rest of
lEgjpt. They happen more frequently among
■the common people, than on those in easy cir-
Ituaistuiices, and among the natives more than
Iforeigners. The Mamelukes are seldom attacked
Iby (hfni : The peasants of the DeHa are afflicted
Iwith (hem more than the Bedou^i Arabs.

3d. They happen at no certain periods, as
IPrusptT Alpinus has declared, but are common
Ito every mouth of the year, and to every age.

We cannot ascribe these maladies to any sub-
llile dust in the air, because the peasants are more
liposed to this than the inhabitants of towns:

* This remark has boen made by Prosper AlpiaaS; in his

'')ilii««a the Physic of (hv Kgy^jtiau.

the custom of sleeping on the'terraises appears a
more probable cause. The usual diet of thm
Egyptians seems to be a powerful cause. Cheese,
sour milk, honey, confection of grapes, green
fruits, and raw vegetables, which constitute the
common food of the people, create a disorder in
the stomach, which physicians say eflfects the
sight : raw onions, in particular, of which they
devour great quantities, have a peculiar heating
quality, which the Monks of Syria induced me
to remark on myself. Bodies thus nourished,
accumulate corrupted humours which are con-
stantly endeavouring to discharge themselves.
Diverted from the proper channel, by habitual
perspiration, they fly to the exterior parts, and
take possession where they find the least resist-
ance. They naturally attack the head, because
the Egyptians, by shaving it once a week, and
covering it with a very hot head-dress, princi-
pally attract the perspiration to that part, and if
the head receives any impression of cold, on be-
ing uncovered, this perspiration is suppressed,
and falls upon the teeth, and more particularly
on the eyes, as being the tenderest part: every
additional cold weakens that organ, and at length
it becomes totally destroyed. To itrengthen the
probability that the excessive perspiration of the
head is a principal cause, it is certain that the
ancient Egyptians, who were bare-headed, are
not mentioned by physicians as being so much
afflicted with opthalmies f ; and that the Arabs of
the desert, who cover it very slightly, are equally
exempt from them.

Blindness in Egypt is frequently in consequence
of the small-pox, a very fatal disorder in that
country, and very improperly treated. During
the three, first days, debs, or confection of
grapes, honey, and sugar, are administered to
the patients; and, after the seventh, they are
permitted to take milk, meat, and salt-fish: at
the time of suppuration, they are never purged,
and carefully avoid washing their e^es, even
though they are full of pus, and their eye-lids
closed by the glutinous matter: they never per-
form this operation till after forty days, and, in
that time, the pus, by irritating the ball, pro-
duces an inflammation which aflects the whole
eye. Inoculation is not entirely unknown among
them, but they seldom practise it, nor is it much

f History, howeror, rclates,that several of the Pharaohs
diud blind.
L . countenanced

u- n

I Vlii^

MX.

■■' '-.B

^ (ft

Eii^f

9.:\\

' \ I'i'i- '.

■;;;'■

i ■ , '

262

VOLNETs TRAVELS THITOIJGH

counteifanced by the Syrians, and the inhabitants
of Anadolia, who have long been acquainted
with it*.

This improper regimen is more pernicious
than the climate, which is far from unhealthyf.
To unwholesome food may be attributed both
the deformity of the beggars, and the wretched
appearance of the children of Cairo. Their hol-
low eyes, pale and putTed faces, swollen bellies,
meagre extremities, and yellow skins, give them
all the appearance of being hastening to the grave.
'J'heir simple mothers pretend that this is the ef-
fect of the evil eye of some envious person, who
]ias bewitched tliem. This ancient prejudice is
still general in Turkey: but the real cause is
their pernicious food J;.

Another troublesome complaint, peculiar to
the climate of Egypt, is a cutaneous eruption
that returns every year : towa' s the end of June,
or the beginning of July, red spots and pimples
appear all over the body, occasioning much
pain. As this eruption regularly happened at
the time of the new waters, several physicians
have supposed, that it was occasioned by the salts
with which these waters are impregnated : butM.
Volney assigns another reason; he says the waters
of the Nile become corrupted, towards the end
ef April, in the bed of the river, and, when
drank, produces malignant humours. When the
new water arrives, it occasions a fermentation in
the blood, which separates the vicious humours,
andexpel them towards the skin whither they are
invited by the perspiration. It is in effect, a

* The operation is performed by Uiserting a thread into
the flesh, or by making the patient inhale, or swallow, the
powder of dried pustules.

+ The Mamelukes, from a wholrsome diet, and a proper
regimen, enjoy the most robust state of health.

j: Another very general distemper at Cairo is vulgarly
railed the Dles&cd Evil, called also the Neapolitan and
French disease, with which half Cairo is infected. M'ny
of the inhabitants suppose it to proceed tromfright, wiich.
craft, or undcanness. Some of them suspect the real
cause, but are too reserved to ineutiun their euspicions.
This blessed evil is found very dithcult to ciire; mercury
generally fails ; sudcrllic vegetables succeed better, but are
not infallible: fortunately, the virus is not very active, ou
account of the great and natural j)crspiration. Both in this
country, and in Spain, we see old men carrying the disor.
der about them to the age of eif;hty ; >but its ctfccts are fatal
toichildrcn born with the'.nfection ; itistflso very improper to
rarry into a cold country, whcrcit nevei fails to make a rajud
progress, becoming more inveterate from transplantation.

§ Tho Egyiitians, aod the Turks in general, have a fond-
^1

real purgative depuration, and is aWays salutan
Another disease, coinmbn at Cairo, ig ^C
swelling of the testicles, which sometimes ttitoj
to an enormous hydrocele. It is said; principally
to attack the Greeks and Copts; whence a sus!
picion arises that it is occasioned by the frre^t
quantity of oil which they use tww-tliirds of the
year. It is also conjectured that the immoderate
use of the hot baths $ contribute to k, and pro.
duces other effects equally injurious to health.

The spring, which in Egypt is the summer of
our climates, introduces malignant fevers, which
soon arrive at a crisis. A French Physician
who has attended many persons afflicted ^it||
them, says, that the bark, given in the intermix.
sions, in doses of two or three ounces, has fre-
quently saved the patient at the last extremity |j,
As soon as the disease appears, the patient must
be restricted to a vegetable acid regimen: meat
atid fish are prohibited, and especially eggs: the
latter are a sort of poison -in Egypt. In thii
country, and in Syria, bleeding is more injurioui
than beneficial, even in cases where it appears to
be most necessary. The Egyptians are, in ge-
neral, of a bilious habit, as appears from their
eyes, and their black eye-brovt^, their browD
complexion, and meagre form. The cholic isaa
habitual malady among them; and most of them
frequently complain of a sourness in the throat,
and an acid nausea; emetics, ai\d cream of tartar
are therefore generally successful.

Some persons have expressed an opinion that
the plague originates in Egypt ** ; but this siid-

ncss fur the stove.baths. The law of the Koran, wliirh
enjoins a con^plete ablution after the conjugal act, is aloni!
a very powerful motive ; and the gratification of their vaiiiiy
in its observance is another. With respect io the wonin
they have -other motives; First, the bath is the ouly place
where they can make a parade of their luxury, and rrgil;
themselves with melons, fruits, pastry, aud other ddicadcs.
Secondly, they believe that the bath gives them that enbon.
pomi which passes for beauty. Strangers ditl'er in tlirir
epiniuns : many merchants of Cairo are pleased with tlie
baths ; to others they are disagreeable. M, Volney found
the bath produce in him a vertigo, and a trembling in tht
knees, which continued two days: Ho candidly acknov.
ledges, that he docs not envy the Turks cither their opium,
or their stoves.

.Jl The next day he always administers a clyster to cipcl
the bark.

** Prosper Alpinus, whowrOto in 1591, also says that
the plague never originates in Egypt; that it is brought
from Greece, Syria, and Harbary ; that the heats dc&trojr j

it, &c. See Medecitta jEgj/plioruntf p.i8.

poaitioo

SYRIA AND KGYPT.

263

nosition proceeds from vague prejudices. The
European merchants, who have resided many

j„ at Alexandria concur with the Egyptians
in declaring that the plague never proceeds from
the interior parts of the country, but first ap-
nears on the coast at Alexandria, from thence
passes to Rosestta, then to Cairo, then to Damiet-
^ and through the rest of the Delta. They
alio observe, that it is always preceded by the
arrival of some vessel from Smyrna, or Constanti-
nople ; and when the plague has been violent in
one of these cities during the summer, the danger
is jrrealer for themselves the following winter.
It is well known that it really originutes from
Constantinople, where it is continued Ly the
folly and negligence of the Turks, who publicly
tell the effects of persons known to have died of
Ihat distemper. The ships which go to Alex-
andria, carry the furs and woollen cloths pur-
chased on these occasions, which they expose to
sale in the Buzar of that city, and most etfer-
tiially spreads the contagion. The Greeks, who
('mI in these articles, usually become the first
victims; and by degrees the infection reaches
Kosetta and Cairo. When it is confirmed,
the European merchants shut themselves and
(heir domestics up in their Kans, and have no
further communication with the city. Their
provisions, which are deposited at the gate of
(he Kan, are received there by the porter, who
cautiously takes them up with iron tongs, and
plunges them into a barrel of water provided for
the purpose. If they have occasion to speak to
Ian) one, they carci'iilly avoid coming near
I enough to touch his clothes, or even to breathe
near them. This imprisonment sometimes
[continues for three or four months, during
which time they have no other amusement than
that of walking^ in the evening, on the terraces,
or playing at cards.

At Constantinople the plague piccvails during
the sumratc, and is weakened, or ceases in the
winter : ii. Egypt it is most violent in winter, and
ends in the months c i June. In Egypt the winter
nourishes the plague, on account of its being
{mild and humid; but the summer being hot and

» Tliciloclrine of prc<li'»tiiiation, ami <hc barbarism of

{the guveriimciit, have pri'suiitcd (lie Turks fruin guarding

Lgaiiiit lliis (listructi?e Jisiase. It is said, however, (hat

ati edict was issued last juar for cstabHshing a Ijaiaretlo at

I Cunitaiitinopic, and three* others atSni|riia, Candia, and

Vor,. II. No.LXXXVI.

dry, it destroys it. Egypt is afflicted with the
plague every fourth or lifth year, and its ravages
would probably depopulate the country, did nof
great numbers of strangers resort thither from
every part of the empire, and in a great me? sure
repair its losses.

In Syria the plague is not so common: twenty-
five years have elapsed since it has been known
there*.

Every man has his peculiar taste, according to
which he judges. To an Egyptian, Egypt will
perhaps be the most beautiful country upon
earth: but if I am permitted to give my judg-
ment, from what I have myself seen, I cannot
entertain so high an opinion of it. I am not
unwilling to do justice to its extreme fertility,
to the variety of its productions, and its excellent
situation for commerce. I admit that it is but
little subject to the variations of weather which
discourage the harvest with us; and the hurri-
canes of America are unknown there, and that
earthquakes f are extremely rare. I will even
admit that the heat which is so insupportable
to Europeans, is not any inconvenience to the
natives; but I cannot be reconciled to the pesti-
lential southern blast, the north-east winds which
constantly occasion the most violent head-achs, or
those swarms of scorpions, gnats and flies, that
it is impossible for any person to eat without the
danger of swallowing them. Besides no country
presents such an uninteresting sameness of aspect :
a boundless naked plain, with an horizon every
where flat and uniform ; date-trees, with bare
slender trunks, or mud-walled huts on the cause-
ways, arc all that present themselves to the eye.
No richness of landscape, no variety of objects,,
or diversity of scenery, which is so gratifying to
true taste ! No country is less picturesque, or
less adap'ed to the pencil of the painter, or the
descriptions of the poet. AV'e cannot be sur-
prised that neither the Arabs nor the ancients make
any mention of Egyptian poets. They know
nothing of limpid streams, nor verdant lawns, nor
solitary caves ; and they are equally strangers to
vallies, mountains sides, and pendent rocks. The

face of nature, there eternally the same, presents,

— — "' ' ""^ —

Alexandria: but the Turkish police is crcry where $o
wretched, that little success can be expected from these
cstublishments, though of such infinite importance to com-
merce, and the safety of the Mediterranean states.
i A Tcry violcat earlhqu.%k.e happened there iu 111'^.

3X H

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264.

VOLNEY's TRAVFXS THROUGH

it will be admitted, well-fed herds, fertile fields, a
muddy river, a sea of fresh water, willi villages
risino-outof it, resembling islands. Should the eye
reach the horizon, it beholds nothing but savage
deserts, where the wandering traveller exhausted
with fatigue and thirst, shudders at the immense
space by which he is separated from the world : in
vain he invokes heaven and earth ; his cries, lost in
the boundless plain, do not receive an echo in
return : destitute of every thing, and separated
from mankind, he perishes in despair amid a
gloomy desert, without the consolation of excit-
ing a sympathising tear. The contrast of this me-
lancholy scene, so near, has probably given to the
eultivaied fields of Egypt all their charms.

The Turks are strangers to the art of garden-
ing, so much cultivated by polished nations, and
despise every kind of cultivation : tl.cir gardens
are but wild orchards, in which trees are indis-
criminately planted, but they have not even the
merit of a pleasing irregularity. In vain they

inform us of ihe orange-trees acid cedars, wIiiA
grow naturally in the fields : in Egypt, wiij,j ,
they are frequent, they are -vulgar, as being as-
sociated with the misery of the huts they cover
and recal only the idea of poverty and desolatioD'
In vain do they describe the Turk, repbsing undet
their shade, and happily smoking his pipe, with-
out care or reflection. Ignorance have their en-
joyments, ' as well as wit and learning ; but |
never could enjoy the repose of slaves, or dignify
the name of insensibility with happiness.

It has been frequently remarked that travellerj I
delight in boasting of the countries throughwhich
they themselves have travelled. Vanity, whi,
pervades everything, becomes one of the principal 1
causes of the propensity, we all have; eitherto
• bc'ieve, or to recount prodigies. We have also
le^s desire to be instructed than armiseu : for these
reasons, tale-makers of every kind, have alwaTs
held a distinguished rank in the esteem of uaa-
kind, and in the class of writers.

SECTION IV.

Gco^rapliy and .Vulurnl History of Sj/ria — liockfi — jMouiitaiiif!, Caverns,. Enrtliqunkcs, LovMid

Animals Of the Inhobilants of Syria — Of iJic Pastoral or -luaiidcriug Tribes — The 'Turkmans-\

The Curds-^Thc Bedouin Arabs. .., ■ • '

LEAVING Egypt by the Isthmus which se-
parates Atrica from Asia, and following
the coast of the Aleditcrranean, wo cuter Syria,
another province of Turkey. The name which
has been traiismifted to us by the Greeks, is an
abridgement of Assyria, and was lirst adopted
by the Inonians who frequented those coasts,
after the Assyrians of Nineveh had made that
roiiiitry a province of their empire. The
name of Syria had not therefore so extensive a
signification as it has since obtained: it neither
included Phmnicia nor Palestine. If we examine
a map of Syria, wc shall find that this country is
little more than a chain of mountains, which are
distributed in various directions from one leading
branch : and such is the appearance it presents,
when we approach it from the side of the sea,
or by the immense plains of the desert. It first
runs' close to the sea, between Alexandretta and

the Orontcs, and continues its course to the soiitli-l
ward, and stretches as far as the source of ihel
Jordan, where it separates into two branches, tol
inclose, in a kind of bason, this river, and ilil
three lakes. As these mountains change theirl
levels and situations, they are also greatlyl
changed in their form and appearance. Batwcenl
Alexandretta and Orontes, the firs, oaks, hm
trees, laurels, yews, and myrtles, which arc nu-
merous, give them an air of liveliness whichdc*
lights the traveller, disgusted with the melaa-|
choly nalfedness of the Isle of Cyprus *.

On sonib declivities he observes cottages, eii-j
vironed with fig-trees, and vineyards. Exteiid-I
ing to the northward of Aleppo, the couiittw
exhibits nothing but bare rocks, without curlhod
verdure. To the south of Antioch, and oiithd
sea-coast, the hill-sides are cultivated for tobanoJ
olives, and vines. Towards Lebanon, thouglf

majesty, or gi

* Vessels in their pKsngc to Alexandria, (uuch at Cypruf; the southern part of Avhicli is a naked and desolate plain.

thl

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

265

ibe mountains are lofty, they are covered with as
iDUcli earth as qualifies .them fur cultivation.
After leaving the country of the Druze;., the
mountains arc neither so high, nor so rugged,
and are therefore better calculated for tilhtgc.
To the south-east of Mount Carmel they rise

again>

and are covered with woods, affording
very agreeable prospects : but on our nearer ap-
proach io Judea, they lose their verdure, their
valleys become narrower, and they are dry and
stoney ; terminating, at the Dead Sea in a pile of
desolate rocks, full of firecipices and caverns*^.
To the west of Jordan,\Dd the Lake, a higher
and more rugged chain of rocks present them-
selves, making a more gloomy prospect, and an-
nouncing the entrance of the desert, and the end
of the habitable lands.

The most elevated point of all Syria is Lebanon,
on the south-cast of Tripoli. As soon as we de-
part from Larncca, in Cyprus, though at the
distance of thirty leagues, we discover its sum-
mit, capped with clouds. This is also discernible
on the map, from the course of the rivers. The
Orontes flows from the mountains of Damascus,
and loses itself below Antioch : ThcKasmie, from
i'w north of the Balbcc, takes its course towards
lyre; and the Jordan, forced by the declivities,
towards the south, prove that this is the highest
point. Next to Lebanon, the most elevated part
of the country is Mount Akkar : it has the up-

• The place is called Tlif Crottoes of Engaddi, which
has been a refuge for vagabonds for several ajjes, some of
which arc sufficiently capacious to con(aiu lifteen hundred
pfople.

f Mount Blanc, the highest of tho Alps, is estimated at
tHuthdusand four hundred /athom above the level of the
sea, and the peak of Ossian, iu the I'yrcueus, at uinctecn
hundred.

Lebanon, which gives its name to the whole chain of tho
Ki'jraouan, and the country of the Diu/.es, |)rcsents variety
of majestic mountains. F.vcry step displays eitlier beauty,
m.ijisty, or ;;randuur. When we land on the coast,
tlic loftiness and steep ascent of this mountainous rid^c,
which seems to enclose the country, inspire astonishment
and awe. Here the curious traveller seems to command the
■whole world, now surveying the successive chains of moun-
tains, while the wandering eye, in an instant, transports
the inianinatiott from Anlloch to Jerusalem ; and now up.
pniachiug the surrounding objects, more minutely examines
the rocks, woods, torrents, villages, and t(^wns. (le con>
templates the valley, obscured by stormy clouds, with soma

» Slrabo Htys, " that the tradition of the inhabitants of
the couiiinf (that is of the Jctcs themselves) Kas, that
Jormciijf the vallei/ of the lake uias peo^kd by thirteen Jhu-

pearance of an enormous flattened stone, and is
in view for two days journey: in winter their
lops are covered with snow, from Alexandretta
to Jerusalem. Since it is well known that snow^
in this latitude, requires the elevation of fifteen
or sixteen hundred fathoms, we may conclude
that to be the height of Lebanon, and conse-
quently much lower than the Alps, or even the
Pyrenees f .

If we examine the substance of these moun-
tains, we shall discover that they consist of a
hard calcareous stone, of a whitish colour, and
disposed in strata variously inclined. In tra-
velling from Aleppo to Hama, veins of the same
rock are continually seen in the plain, while the
mountains on the right present hugh piles, ap-
pearing like the ruins of towns and castles. The
satne stone, tmder a more regular form, also com-
poses the greater part of Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon,
the Mountains of the Druzes, Galilee, and jMount
Carniel, and stretches to the Lake Asphaltites.
The bed of the torrent of Azkalan, in Palestine,
is also lined with a heavy stone, porous and salt,
which cDiitains a great number of small volutes
and bivalves of the ^lediterranean. Pococke saw
a large fjnantity of Ihem in the rocks which bor-
der on the Red Sea. Iron is very ubtindant here.
Every summer the inhabitants of Judea cannot
he Mitliout it, for Mosfs observed, above three
thousand years ago, that its stones were of iron,{;,

. . Syria,

dea;ree of pleasure, and smiles at hearing the thunder,
which had so often burst over his head, now growling under
his feet.

I The south of Syria, w liich is the hollow through which
the Jordan Hows, is a coinitry of volcanoes : the sulphur-
ous sources of the l/.ik.e Asphaltites, the lava, and the hot
balli of Taberia, plainly demonstrate that this valley has
been the seat of a subterraneous lire not yet extinguished.
Glouds of smoke are often seen issuing from the lake.'arHl
new crevicis appear forn\ed upon its banks. It seems pro-
bable that file whole valley has been occasioned by a violent
sinking of a country, which formerly pound the .Jordan
into the Mediterranean. It is, however, certain that, at least,
tiie catastrophe of five cities, destroyed by tire, must
have been from the eruption wf a volcano, tlien burning*.
The (piantilies of ruins, still found on the western border,
seems to be a confirmation of tias. Though these ern|itiou3
have long ceased, carthcpiakc^s continue to be felt, at inter-
vals, in this country. History gives us many examples of
earthquakes, which have changed the face of .Antioeli,
Laodicea, Tripoli, Berytus, Tyre, and Sidon. Even so

ri'.him; cities, and that they Kcrc i nallo :ced tip by a volcano.'*
Lib. 10. p. 764.

'':',., _' Z . ' ", ' ''.] lately

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M-

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|:.|V

^63

VOLNEY's TRAVELS THROUGH

Syria, Effypt, Persia, and most of the south-
ern parts of Asia, arc subject to clouds of locusis,
so often mentioned by trav<^ller3. The quantity
of these insects is ahnost incr'^diblc, the whole
earth being covered with them for the space of
several leagues. The noise they make in brow-
zing on the trees and herbage, may be heard at
a considerable distance. A person would sup-
pose that fire had followed their progress:
v'herever their myriads spread, the verdure of
the earth disappears ; trees and plants, deprived
of tfaeir foliage, and reduced to their naked
boughs and stems, compel the winter instantly to
succeed to the rich scenery of the spring. When
these clouds of locusts take their flight, to traverse
more rapidly a desert soil, the heavens appear
to be obscured by them. Happily, indeed, this
calamity is not frequently repeated, for it is the
certain fore-runner of famine, and the maladies
it occasions. The Syrians have remarked, that
they are usually bred by two mild winters, and
that they invariably come from the desert of
Arabia. Hence it may be apprehended, that the
cold has not been suificiently rigid to destroy their
eggs, innumerable legions issue forth. When
they make their first appearance in the cultivated
country, the inhabitants endeavour to drive them
ofTwith clouds of smoke, but they cannot always
procure a sulHciency of herbage and wet straw :
they then dig trenches, in which many of them
are buried ; but the two most effectual destroyers
of them, are the south, or south-easterly winds,
and the bird called the sarmarmar. These birds,
which resemble the wood-pecker, follow them in
great multitudes, devouring as many as they can,
and destroying large quantities of iihem. They
are therefore much respected by the peasants,
who never disturb or injure them. As the winds,
just mentionedj drive these myriads of locusts

lately as 1579, an earthquake happened \rliicli made won.
dcrful ravages. It destroyed, in the Talley of Balbcc, up.
wards of twenty thousand persons: the inhabitan(s of Le.
banon were so terrified at thfe shocks of it, that for three
months they abandoued their houses and dwelt under tents.
— *• When I was at Aleppo, in December, 1783," says Mr.
Volney, '<so Tiolent a shock was felt, as to ring the bell in
the house of the French consul." — It is remarked, in Syria,
that earthquakes seldom happen but in winter, when the
autumnal rains hare ceased.

* Tlic Jordan, however, has considerable depth ; but if
the Orontes, were not impeded by successive obstacles, it
vould be perfectly dry during the summer.

+ Lake Aspbaltitcs contains neither animal nor vcge.
tabic life : its waters are without fish, and its ))anks with.

over the Mediterranean, such immense quantities
of them are drowned, that when their carcawt
arc wafted to the shore, they infect the air for
several days, even to a considerable distance.

In so extensive a country as Syria, wc cannot
suppose the quality of their soil is every where
the same. The mountains are generally harsh
and stoney ; and the plains flat and loamy, ex-
hibiting every sign of the greatest fecundity. In
the territory of Aleppo, near Antioch, it reiem-
bles brick-dust, or Spanish snuif. The waters of
the Orontes, which pus through this district,
are whitish, acquiring tbat colour from the nature
of the land towards its source. The earth, in
general, is brown, and as fine as garden mould.
Hardly a pebble is to be found in the plaint of
Hauran, Ga/a, and Balbec.

The grand ideas which travellers usually give
of distant objects, have accustomed us to nicntioii
the waters of Syria with respect. Wc are frp.
qucntly induced to say the river Jordan *, the
river Orontes, and tl>e riv«r ^idonis. If we
would, however, wish to speak properly, we
should hardly find any respectable strcamg but
Rivukls in this country : the channels of tbc
Orontes and the Jordan, though the two moit
'considerable, arc hardly sixty paces wide nt their
mouths; the others are hardly considerable
enough to be mentioned. They may be said to
be nothing but Torrents and Cascades, that from
the proximity of the mountains, among which
they rise io the sea, the waters have not time to
collect in long valleys, and to form rivers. The
obstacles by some of these mountains, form lakes,
some of winch are considerable, as those of An- 1
tioch, Aleppo, Damascus, Tabaria, and that
which has been honoured with the name of the
Dead Sea, or Lake Asphaltites. All these lakes, |
except the last, contain fresh water f .

out verdure ; the extreme saltncss of the water far cxceedi {
that of the sea, and it therefore hostile to animals and vegi.
tables. The soil around it ii so impr^nated with this saline I
quality, that it produces no plenty : henco tkc nielancln/ly I
aspect which reigns about this lake. The origin of liiii
mineral was particnlarly uoticeflhy i1/. Folney, who^ays,
that on the south.west shore, there " are mines of fussil
salt, of which I have brought away several specimens." On
this shore arc alse found fragments of sulphur and bitumen,
which the Arabs convert into trifling articles of commerce.]
Unshapcn blocks are observed here, which pass with super.
stitious pilgrims for montiments of the Adventures of L)fs\
Wife, tiiough St 18 no where pretended that she was metii.
morphosed into stone, but into satt.
The lake of Antioch abounds with eels, and a sort ofl

redl

SYRTA AND EGYPT

2(J7

Tt U genersDy said that Syria is a very hot
I ,„(jy ; btit several distinctions are necessary to
Ibeniade: first, 6n account of the diflRerence of
llatitiiM which, from the two extremes, is not
less than six degrees ; secondly, from the divrsion
lof tlie country into low and flat, and high and
mountainous. We may venture then to establish
Itwo general climates ; the one very hot, which
lis that of the coast, and the interior plains, as
llhose of Antiocli, Balbec, Tripott, Gaaia,
lAcie, &c- The other temperate.

In this climate, the order of the seasons nearly

Rallies with the middle provinces of France : the

fiflter, wliicli contimjes from November to

larch, is sharp and severe. Not a year passes

vilhout snow, and the ea'rth i» frequently covered

vith it, several feet deep : tlie spring and ao-

lumn are mild, and the summer heat is absolutely

Insupportable. In the plains, on the contrary,

vtien the sun returns to^ the equator, the transi-

lion is rapid to oppressive heats, which continue

[ill the conclusion of October. But the winter

|9 so moderate, that the orange, banana, and

btiicr delicate tree», thrive in the open air. It

Lppears equally extraordinary to an European at

Tripoli, to see, under hi» window, in the month

Lf January, orange-trees, well stocked with

Powers and fruit, while the towering head of

«banoii is covered with ice and snow. In the

turthcrn parts, and to the east of the mountains

Jie winter' is indeed more rJgorous, without the

luinaiop being leas hot. At Antioch. Damascus,

Ld Aleppo, there are several weeks of frost and

now every winter ; which arises more froir, lUe

iiluatiou of (lie country, than from the difference

^t' the latitude ; the plains to tlte eastern moun-

tins being high above the level of the seut and.

[iposed to all the parching blasts of the north

M south-east, and screened from the humid

vinds of the south and south-west.

In spite of the barbarism of Syria, which is

enemy to all industry and improvement, we
Ire astonished at the variety il affords. Besides

fish not Tery excellent ; but the Greeks, who keep a
lerpclual lent, consume great quantities of them. Lake
fabaria is ttill richer ; crabs, especially, are very numerous
lit; but the environs, being inhabited only by Mahomet.
iBi, they arc very seldom disturbed.
* It was long supposed that the insect of the cochineal
Iw peculiar to Mexico ; and the Spaniards, to secure the
Delusive possession of it, have prohibited the exportation
f the iiriog cochineal, under pain of death ; but M.

Vw. II. No. LXXXVI.

wheat, rye, barley, beans, and the c6ttr»n plant,
we find a multitude of useful and agreeable pro-
ductions. Palestine abounds iu sesanum, from
which oil rs procured, and duura as good as that
of Eigypt. Maize thrives in Balbec, and rice is
succcssfiilly cultivated on the borders of the
marshy coontry of Havula. Indigo grows with-
out coiltivstiii^, on thcf banks of the Jordan, in
the co«mtry of Bisan, aind with care may be made
of a very excellent quality. The hill-sides of
Latakia produce tobacco, a principal article of
the commerce of that town with Damictta and
Cairo. The olive tree of Provence grows at Au-
tioch, and at Ramie to the height of the beech.
The white mulberry-tree enriches the whole
country of the Druzes, by the beautiful silks
which are produced on it, while the vine sup-
ported on poles, supplies grapes which produce
red and white wines that might rival those oii'
Bourdeaux. Raifa, besides its lemons, produces
enormous citrons ; and water melon?, superior
even to those of Brulos. Gaza produces dates
like Mecca, and Pomegranates like Algiers.
The oranges of Tripoli are equal to those of
Malta, and Bairut figs like those of Marseilles.
Aleppo has the exclusive advantage; of producing,
pistachios, and Damascus possesses ail the fruits
that are known in the provinces. Its stony soil-
is equally suitable' to the apples of Normandy,
the plums of Torraine, and the peaches of Paris.
No less than twenty sorts of apricots are reckt)ned'
there ; one of which contains a kernel much'
esteemed through all Turkey. The cochiueair
plant also grows on that coa'sf, in as higii per-
fection as ill Mexico and 8t, Domingti *. When
we consider that the mountains of the Yemen,
which produce most excellent coQuc, and that
they are only a continu.Uion of those of Syria>
and that their soil and climate are nearly the
same f , we may reasonably suppose tlia:t' Judcrt
might easily cultivate this valuable production
of Arabia;};.
The face of the heavens, in Syria', especially

Thicrii, who succcccdcd in ^"lngiug it away in 1771, an4
carried it to St. Domingo, ixind th; nopals of that island
contained il before his arrival. Il seems as if Nature hardly
ever separated insects from the'plants appropriated to thcmi

+ The situation of the conntry of Yemen and 'I'aharaa i^
very similar to that of Syria. See M. Niebuhr, f'oi/age en
Ara/ife.

X With' all the adVnntages'or soil and climate it is not
surprising that Syria should have always been esteemed a

3 Y most

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268

VOLNEY'i TRAVELS THROUGH

on the roast, and in the desert, is more constant
and regular than in our climates; tlic sun is seldom
obscured for two successive da^'s. In the course
of a whole summer, we see few clouds, und still
less re in. It begins about the end of October,
and is then neither long nor plentiful. The
husbandmen wish for it -to sow what they call
their winter crop, meaning their wheat and
barley. In December and January, they have
heavier and more frequent rain, and sometimes
snow in the higher country. Sometimes also it
rains in March and April, when the husbandman
embraces the opportunity of sowing his sumvur
crop of sesamum, doure, cotton, tobacco, beans,
and water-melons. The remainder of the year is
uniform, but the iidiabitauts more frequently
complain of drought, than of too much wet.

The winds in Syria are, in some drgrcc, pe-
riodical, and governed by the seasons. About
the autumnal equinox, the north-west wind be-
gins to blow stronger, and more frequently.
It occasions the air to be dry, clear, and sharp ;
and on the sea-coast," it causes the head-ath,
like the north-east wind in Egypt ; and more
in the northern than in the southern parts. It
also usually blows throe days successively, like
the south and south-east at the other equinox,
and it usually prevails till November. These
ifrinds are followed by the north-west, the west,

most delicious country, and that the Greeks and Romans
ranked it among the best of their provinces ; they did not
even think it inferior to Egypt. In more modern times, a
Pacha, who well knew both these provinces, being asked
to which he gave the preference, thus delivered his answer —
" Egypt is certainly a most beautiful farm, but Syria is a
charming country house."

To the natural history of Syria we may add, that it pro-
duces all our domestic animals, as well as the bufl'alo and
camel, whose ability is so wdl known. We also find ga.
zelles (antelopes,) in the plains, and a number of wild
boars in the mountains. Jackalls are very numerous, they
march in droves, and frequent the environs of towns,
where they feed on what carrion they can find. They never
attack any person, but are ever ready to save themselves
by flight. Every evening they give each other the watch
word, to begin howling, and sometimes amuse themselves
thus, in very doleful strains for a quarter of an hour.
In unfrequented places there are also hyenas, and ounces ;
(properly called) but the country is free from lions and
hears: water-fowl are plentiful; but game is not so abun.
dant : The hare and the red partridge are the most common.
The colibri, (or humming bird) still exists in the territory
•f Saide. Them, and the pelican, are the only remarkable
birds in Syria.

The ^ualitiei of Utc ai. and waters ia Syria ought aot to
' 1

and the south-west, whicfi continae from Noretn.
ber to February. In March the pernicious ^rjnj,
arise from the southern quarter, with the &an)e
circumstances as in Egypt; but they nre li^l
violent as we advance towards the north, j
more supportable in the mountains, than in the I
flat country. Their duration, at each return
is usually twenty-four hours, or three days, Tb^
easterly winds, which follow, continue till Jun^
when a north wind succeeds. At the same sea.
son, also, the wind varies through all the pninij i
everyday ; passing with the sun from theeastiJ
the south, and from the south to the west, to
return by the north, and then re-commeiicc iliel
same circuit. A local wind, called the h
bree/e, at this time prevails along the coast)
during the night; it springs up after siui-setj
continues till sun-rising, and extends onlj twourl
.three leagues out at sea.

No country is better adapted to observation}!
than Syria: the confined horizon whicli buuiidJ
our view, circumscribes also our ideas, Inl
Syria, on the contrary, an immense scene opcii!
before us, and the great agents of nature arc I
collected in a place where her various operalioiuj
may be waitched. To the west is displayed t!ie{
vast liquid plain of the Mediterranean ; to thel
cast, the vast desert, but absolutely dry: AmidstI
these two level surfaces, rise the mountains, of)

remain unnoticed. These eU^mcnts in S/ria prrscnt Trryl
remarkable phenomena. On the ni ntains, ar.ii all ilml
plains, which stretch to the eastward, the air is light, purpJ
and dry ; but on the coast, and narticularly from Alci.l
andretta to Yafa, it is moist and heavy. The air uf ihJ
desert, and the mountains, though not unwholugoniefursudil
as are in no danger of pulmonary complaints, is injuriouil
to those who are ; and it is neccss.iry to send such fromj
Aleppo to Lahakic or Saide, The salutary air on thjf
coast, is, however, over-balanced by those that arc per.l
nicious : and it may, in general, bi; proiuiiiiu-ud iinhcilthyj
as it occasions intermittent and putrid f.'yi;rs, with ilcJ
structions of thcoyL-s, Tlic evening dew.*, and sleepinjoi
the terraces, are found much less prejudicial in the iiioun^
tainous and interior parts of the country, the distance fruni
the sea being greater.

There is also a remarkable ditrerencein (he waters ofthij
country: In the mountains, that of the springs is light anJ
good; but in the plain, both to the east and west, wo fiiiij
nothing but brackish water, which becomes mure so tha
nearer we approach the desert, where there is nut a (Iroj
of any other. From this inconvenience rain is so desirablJ
to the inhabitants of the frontiers, that they have at al
times taken care to collect it in wells and caverns, propcrll
closed: hence, among all ruins, cisterns arc usually som
of the first things that wc discover.

V'iiicl

SYRIA AND KCVPT.

26£)

I which the summit* are so many observatories,
Ifom whence objects at thirty leaguej distance
mav be perceived. Four observers might discern
the whole extent of S}'ria„ They-might observe
how tiie region of the sea, at first unclouded,
ytil§ itself with vapours; how these vapours
form into grou pes, and separate, and by a per-
notual mechanism, ascend above the mountiiins :
while the desert, invariably clear, never produces
clouds, and has only those it has received froui
the sea. They would be sensible of the truth of
HO axiom, which should no longer be disputed.
That the heat is greater in proportion as wc

Lpproach the surface of the earth, and diminishes
jswc remove from it." Hence it seems to pro-
ceed only from the action of the rays of the sun

upon

the earth. In »hort, they might attempt

tlie solution of the greatest part of meteoroiogicul
problems.

gjria, as well as Egypt, has had many revolu-
lions, which have confiuinded the diflereut races
of its inhabitants, Within two thousand live
hundred years, it has been ten times inviuied,
mdthe invaders have introduced into that country
a succession of foreign nations. First, the As-
syrians of Nineveh, who, about the year 750
before the Chistian a;ra, obtained possession of
almost the whole country lying to the n()rtli of
Jiidea. Next the Chaldraiis, or Babylonians,
who completed the conquest of Syria, except the
Isle of Tyre. The Chalda;ans were followed by
the Persians, under Cyrus; and the Persians by
the Macedonians, under Alexander.

It then appeared probable that Syria would
cease to be subject to foreign powers, and that it
«ould obtain a distinct independent government ;
but the people, who found in the Seleucida only
despots and oppressors, perceiving they were
reduced to the necessity of bearing some yoke,
preferred the lightest ; and Syria, yielding to the
arms of Pompey, became a province of the
Roman empire.

* Syria has not, like I^gyi^t, rofuscd to adopt tho
Iforcigii races : they arc all bi-come equally naturalized to
Itlic country. The inhabitants of the southern plains arc
Inorc swarthy than those of the northern ; and these more
liotlian the inhabitants of tho tnoun tains. The women of
iDainascus and Tripoli are celebrated for the fairness of their
Itoniplrxion and the regularity of their features, but as they
Iperpctiially wear a veil, these perfcclioiis arc perhaps oTer-
Intcd; no person having it in his power to make nice ob.
li(tT.iiions. In several districts, however, the women are
Ibiscrupulous. In Palestine, for example, mu-'^od women
Vciccn unveiled, but want and fatigue have deprived them

Five centuries after, when the ions of Thco-
dpsius divided their immense patrimon}', this
country changed the capital to which it was to
appertain, without changing its masters, and was
annexed to the empire of Constantinople. Such
was its situation in 022, when the Arabian tribes,
collected under the banners of MiThomet, seized
it and nearly laid it waste Since that period,
torn to pieces by the civil wars of the Talinitcs,
and the Oniiniades, wrested from the Caliphs by
their rebellious brothers, taken from them by the
Turkman soldiery, invaded by the European
crusaders, retaken by the Mamelukes of Egypt,
and ravaged by Tamerlane and his Tartars, it at
length fell into the hands of the Ottoman Turks,
who have been its masters for two hundred and
eighty-six years.

These vicissitudes have introduced into the
country so many distinct tribes of inhabitants,
that the people of Syria must not be considered
<is one single nation, but rather as a mixture of
different nations.

They may be divided into three principal
classes : First, the posterity of the people con-
quered by the Arabs ; that is the Greeks of the
Lower Empire. — Secondly, the posterity of the
Arabian Conquerors. — Thirdly, the present ruling
people, the Ottoman Turks *.

The disorders prevalent in Syria are dysenteries,
inflammatory and intermittent fevers, produced
by pernicious fruits, which the people greedily
devour. The small-pox is often fatal ; but the
most frequent illness is the cholic ; the causes of
which are very evident when we consider the
vast consumption of raw vegetables, unripe
fruit, cheese, olives, sour milk, and ill-fermented
bread. Hence, the first prescriptions in almost
all disorders, is an emetic.

The Arabic tongue is the general language of
Syria : though it is said by Niebuhr, that the
Syriac is still used in some villages of the moun-
tains. The Turkish language is only used in

of many of their charms. Their eyes arc generally very
beautiful, and the long drapery, which forms their geucral
drvss, display tho shape of the body, which is not always
elegant, tiiough hardly ever deformed. 37. Vuliicij says —
" I do not recollect havin<; seen in Syria, nor even in
Egypt, two persons crooked or deformed."

The Syrians are, in general, of a middling stature, and
less corpulent than the inhabitants of the iioi tli. We find,
however, in the cities, some individuals, w liosecorpuKnco
sjilKcicntly proves the inllucnce of diet even in a warm
climate.

' ' • Syria,

I !

I:,! 1 ' ■

■■> ''llffliilc';,'.' ' ■ >'

1270

VOLNEY'« TTIAVRLS THnOUGIT

Svrin, by ilic mlliUry. persons in office, and the
Turkiuaii liordeH*. Tlie Arabic of Syria itt muck
harsher limn tliat of Egypt, but AI. J^icbuhr
ntLyn, tliat of the iuliabitauts of Yemen, and the
soutliern coast, is much softer, and gives a
tlueitcy to tlic Arabic beyond what could have
been supposed.

Among the variety of inhabitants of Syria some
are dispersed over diiferent parts of tlic connUy,
and otiiers confine tiiemselvesto particulur spolsf .

All their property consists in cattle; thfit u,
in camels, buffuloes, goats, and aljcep. They
live on milk, and sell or barter tUe surplus in
the neighbouring country, for arms, clolhca,
money, aiiU corn. Their women spin wool, and
make carpeta. The mon aire vvbolly occupied \a
smoking, and looking after their illocks. Con-
tinually on hoisoback, with their lances on their
shoulders, their sabres by their sides, and their
pistols in their belts, they are expert horsemen,
and indefatigable soldiers. The Pachalita of
Aleppo and Damascus, which are the omIv parts
of Syria they frcqueiit, are supposed to t^ontain
thirty thousand wandering Turkmans. Miiny of
these tribes pass, in sumnper, iptQ Armenia and
Caramania. where plenty of grass maj be found ;
and in winter they return to thpir, f^uj^mer quar^rs;
The Turkmans are reputec^ ]VIus>M'.men, iuid, have
generally submitted to the opei;atio4i, of ciccu/m-
cision ; but they seem to giye tlieipsel ve» v^jy littl|U
concern about religion- Tl'^y have r>/i)t (Ive re-
putation of being robbe(a> like the Arabs, a^id
they are said not to be d^Qficiient. ii| h"sp«,ttt,liity o*
generosity. ^Vben we consider that the.y liv<; iu,
plenty, w^itbout being i-i<ch, and, are in^,rcd t^t,
war, fatigue, a^id danger, we. may rc^astHiul^ly Hi^'
pose they a^e equally removed T'^om <be iguM-
rance and servility of the p^asiiuti>, aud the corr

* At Alexandretla, and Bciliiiii, they speak Turkish,
but these places must be reg%rdccta$ fruntiers of Caramania,
where Turkish is the vulgar tougiic

+ TheTurkmaus arc among the TRrtar hordes, who,
on the great revolutions of tha empire of the Caliph, emi.

Sated from the eastward of the Caspian Sea, and spread
cmselves over the plains of Armenia and Asia Minor.
Their language is tho same with that of the Turks, and
their mode of life resembling that of the Bedonin Arabs.
Like them they arc obliged to travel over immense tracts of
'land, to procure subsistence for their numerous herds.
But the countries frequented by the Turkmans being rich ii(
pasturage, they can feed more cattle on them, and arc con-
fic(iue?itly less dispersed than the Arabs of the desert.

I A third wandering people in Syiia, as well as in

ruption of the merceuary inhabitants of (owns,
The Curda arc another national body, tlie
tribes of vfhich are di^ipersedovcr the Lowi'r Asia,
and have nuicb extended themselves during tlie
last ccntifty. Their original ruuiUry is tin; ilmm
of mountains, from whence issue the dilKri'iit
branches of the Tigris. In modern geography it
is known by tlic name of Card-iHlan. 'fhii
country is mentioned in the must ancient historiei
of the east. Among the curds, each viilug;e has
its chief, and the whole nation is divided into
dlderent and independent factions. The dis-
putes, inseparable from this slute of atiarchv,
have detached from the nation a great tiumbcrof
tribes and families, which have adopted the wan-
dering lite of the Turkmans and Arabs.

These arc dispersed in the Uiarbekir, and over
the plains of Ar^roum, Erivan, Sivas, Aleppo,
and Damascus. All their tribes united amount
to about oue hundred and fok:ly thousand tcHls,
or one hundred and forty tii oiisand armed men.
Like the TrnkiuAti^ these Co r(U are pa«t«r4aii(l
wanderers, bgt (li4JC«r from them in some particu-
lar causes. The Turkmans give theix duu;j;'!ii<>rs a
marriage dawqr ; the Curds receive a picmiuiiij
for th^m. The Turkmans disregard anti(|uityof |
extraction: theCurds esteem ilhighly honourable,
The Turkmans have i^n aversion to slcuimg; the
Curds are accused of being plunderer),, mid art
therefore much dftaded in. the umig^hbouilioudun
Aleppo, Antipch. 4s^'. In their Pach;ili(>, and
in that qC Ii<ttua«({Mj!i, their, number exceedii twcutji
thousand teuta and hubi> They are repuUij
Maii^rnQtan^ but think little of religious rJlejI
or opinions. The language of the Curds ii
divided i^iio UireQ di;ilect^ It has neilli(;r tiioj
a^picajtionp, uor th^ gult^j^iaj&of.the Arabic |.
The Hoil, hou^ever, varies, cqusiderably iu dif-

Rgy.pt, arothe Bednuin-Arubs. With rcspectto the An1»,|
they scorn especially, coudemncd to a wandering lift', lit lb
nature of the deserts. To have an idea of these (li'scrt$,|
the reader must imagine to himself a sky almost pcrpctiijllr]
inflamed, and without clouds, immense plains, wiiJKJutj
houses, trees, riyulets, or hil|$ : where the eye !;('iH'tall;|
meets nothing but an extensive and uniform horizon, lik«|
the sea, though in some places the land is uneven and stony.]
Almost naked on every side, tho soil presents nutliiiit;
a few wild plants, thinly scattered, and thickets, whihJ
solitude is hardly ever disturbed but by antelopes, harcsl
rats, and locusts. Such is the description of the wIidI^
cquntry, wiiich extends six hundred leagues in )eni;th, anl
three hundred in breadth : it stretches from Aleppo lu iliaj
Arabiai\sea, and from Egypt to thcl'crsian gulph.

fereufl

SYHTA AND FCYPT.

't\

271

f^ri-nt places: On Uie froittiers of Syria, for cx-
ain|'l«, the earth is cultivable, and even fruitful.
y iiiiM'li may be siaid of thc> bunlcH of the Eu-
i)|iralt'!< : but in the interior p:irtf) of the country,
1,11,1 (owords the south, it becomps white and
ihulliV, ns in Ihtt parallel of Damascus: rocky,
.,; in the Til), and the Ilcdja/; nnd u pure ^and,
;nt(> the eastward of tlie Vt-nicn. This viuiety
III the qualities of the soil occasions some minute
diilei'-iifes in the condition of the Bedouins : for
iibtaiire, in the most sterile countries, the tribes
me rccble, and very distant, as in the desert of
Suez, that of the Red Sea, and the interior of
the Great Desert, called the Najd. Where the
joil is more fruitful, as between Damascus and
(he Euphrates, the tribes are more numerous,
and not so far distant from each other : and in the
cultiv; 'le districts, the camps are frequent and
conlieuous. In the former case, the Redouins
subsist oidy on the produce of their herds a few
dates, nod llesh meat, whirh they eat fresh, or
dried in the sun, and reduced to a powder. In the
latter, they cultivate some land, and add cheese,
barley, and rite to their tlesh and milk *.

No creature seems more peculiarly fitted for
the soil and climate it inhabits than the camel.
It cnnnot be doubted but the nature of the
one, has been adapted to that of the other by
sonic disposing intellig;encc. Designing the
camel to dwell in a country where little nourish-
ment is to be found. Nature has been sparing
of her materials in his formation ; she seems
to have furnished him with nothing but what is
absolutely necessary : she has not bestowed on
bin) the plump fleshiness of the ox, horse, or
elephant ; she has given him a small head with-
out ears, at the head of a meagre long neck witL-
I out flesh. She has withheld from his legs and
(liighs every muscle not absofutely requisite for
inution, and. has barely given to his withered

* The causes of the sfeiilky and unriilliTatod state of

I tlii<ilesort, is principally to l)u attributed to ttic absence uf

fuuntains and rivers; and, in general, to the waat of

nratcr. This want of water is uccaiitoncd by the nature of

Itbe ronntry, which being ilat and destitute of mountains,

I the clouds glide over its healed surface. They never rest

Ithore hut in winter, when the coldness of the atmusphcro

Uinders them from rising, and condenses them into rain.

I The nakedness of the country is another cause of drought,

luthc air is consequently moro easily heated, and compels

llhcdouds to rise.

t The lledunins arc, in general, small, meagre, anr<

Vol. II. No. LXXXVI.

body only the vessels and (cndon.i necessary fo
connect its fruMie together. She has allowed
him a strong jaw, tti (MKibh; him to grind the
hurdctit alimentH ; but, that he miglit not consume
too inuth, hhe has contracted liis stoniuch, nnd
obliged him to chew the cud. Slic has incumber-
ed his foot with :i lump of rti-sli, which, sliding
in tin; mud, and being incapable of climbing,
renders him unlit for any soil that is not dry,
level, and sandy, like that of Arabia. She has
evidently calculated him for a life of slavery, by
refusing him any sort of defence against his
enemies. Without the horns of a bull, the hoof
of the horse, the tooth of the elephant, and the
speed of the stag, how can he avoid the attacks
of the lion, the tiger, or the wolf? — Nature has
therefore, to preserve the species, concealed him
in the depth of the immense deserts, where the
absence of vegetables can attract no game, and
whence the wantofgan)e repels every voracious
animal. Tyranny must have expelled man from
the habitable parts of the earth, before the camct
could have lost his liberty. Become domeatic,
he has rcndei'ed huhitable tlio loost bi'.rren soil :
he alone supplies the whole that his master wiints.
The milk of the camel noiiri.^hes the family of
the Arab, under the various forms of curds,
cheese, and butter ; and they frequently feed
upon his flesh. Slippers un ' harness are fa-
bricated from his skin, and tents and cioatliing
of his hair. Heavy burthens are transported, by
his means, from place to place; and, when the
earth denies forage to a horse, so essential to the
Bedouin, the female camel sn|)plics that de-
ficiency by her milk, for the triPing consideration
of a few stalks of brambles or wormwood, and
pounded date kernels. Of such ir'portance to
the desert is the camel, that without iliat useful
animal, it must infallibly lose every inhabitant f.
It has already been observed, that the Bedouin

Arabs

tawny, and their complexion is darker than that of the
neighbouring peasants. The rich, and their attendants,
are, however, taller, and more corpulent than the cominuii
class, some of them arc five feet six inches high, thouch,
in general, they do not exceed five feet two inches. The
lower class of Ucdouins live in a state of habitual wretched-
ness and famine : their diflTurcuce, therefore, can only be
attributed to their food, with which the former are sup.
plied more abundantly than the latter. Ab^tiucnce is most
remarkable among the tribes of the Xaid and the Hcdjaz.
Six or seven dates, soaked in melted butler, with a little
fresh milk, or curds, serve a niau a wiiulc day : he is rciu
3 Z ' dcied

i ^i'lilla! 'M^r

Uas:*:^ Vr:l!,l:

I' iwi % If

272

VOl.NEY's TRAVELS THROUGH

i' ■■•ft

Arabs are divided I'n^o tribes, which constitute so
uiiiny distinct iiutioiis. Each of these tribes pos-
sess a certain tract of land, arid are collected in
one or more camps. If a tribe, or any of its
subjects, enter upon a foreign territory, they are
considered as enemies and robbers, and a war is
the consequence. The mannor of proceeding,
on such occasions, is very simple. The offence
being made known, they mount their horses,
and seek the enemy : having met, they enter into
a parley; vs'iert the matter is cither adjusted, or
they proceed to the attack cither in small
bodies, or man to man. They encounter each
other at full speed, with fixed lances; which,
notwithstanding their length, they sometimes
dart at the flying enemy : the victory is seldom
contested ; the vanquished generally take their
flight full-gallop over the naked plain of the de-
sert. Night generally favours their escape from
the conqueror. The tribe which has lost the
battle, strikes its tents, removes to a considerable
distance, by forced marches, and seeks protec-
tion amons its allies. The enemy, pleased with
their success, drive their herds farther on, and
the fugitives soon after return to their former
situation.

The camps of the Bedouins are formed in a
kind of irregular circle, composed of a single
rowoftients. Each tent, inhabited by a family,
is divided by a curtain into two apartments, one
<)f which is appropriated to the women. The
empty space, within the large circle, folds their
cattle every evening. They have no intrench-
inents, and their only advanced guards and pa-
troles are dogs : their horses always remain
saddled, that they may be ready to mount on the
lir.st alarm ; but they are strangers to all order
and discipline. . . -

dcrcd extremely liapp)', if l>c can add a small quantity of
iiKirse Hour, or a sinuli l)all of rice. Meat is oiilv to he
ivtoii at the greatest festival-i : and tliey never kill a kid but
for a marriage or funeral. lU times of deurtii, the coiiMWon
people do not disdain (he nio>^t wretched kinds of food, and
vM rats, lizards, locusts, and serpents.

litit wu are liy no means Jtistiflcd in concluding, that the
fruijality of the Arabs is a virtue of choice, or even of
tPiuate. The extreme hoat facilitates their abstinence, by
liestroyinf; that activity which cold gives to the stomach.
Tlicir bein^ habldialcd to a sparing diet .tiso ))revenls the
extension of that part, and enables them the bctlei to
sujiport abstemiousness.

* The ))rincipai shaik in every tribu defrays the cxpcnces
•f all who arrive ut, ur quit the cumi) ; liu recuivcs the

The tribes which live in the TJeinity of d^
Turks are still in more danger of attacks and
alaiYns ; for these strangers arrogating to tiieiu.
selves, in right of conquest, the property of the
whole country, treat the Arabs as rebel vussals
or as dangerous enemies. And on this principle'
they continually wage secret or open war against
them.

Each tribe is composed of one or more prjn.
cipal families, the numbers of which bear the
title of shaiks, i. e. chiefs or lords. These
families resemble the patricians of Rome, and
the nobles of modern Europe. One of thcsliaiks
has the supreme command ov^r the oiliers. i[e
is general of their little army, and enjoys the title
of Emir, signifying commander and Prince,
To these he adds particular adherents whom he
studiously attaches to him by kindness and gene-
rosity. A number of small families, who arc not
wholly independent, stand also in need of hi?
protection and support, and therefore range them-
selves under his banners. Such an union is called
kabilii, or tribe ; and these tribes aredistino uished
from each other, by the name of their respective
chiefs, or by that of the ruling family.

The government of this society is at once re-
publican, aristocratical> and even despotic, with-
out exactly attending to any one of these forms.
It is republican, as the people have a great in-
fluence in all aAairs, and every thing is transacted
by the consent of a majority. It is aristocratical,
because tlie families of the shaiks possess some
of the prerogatives which every where accom-
pany power ; and it is despotic, because the prin-
cipal shaik has an indefinite and almost absolute
authority *■

The simplicity and poverty of the lower cla:s
of the Bedouins is proportioned to that of their

chiefs.

visits of ^'':0 allies, and every person who has bii.«iniiis In
transact with him. Contiguous to liis tent is a iarjjc
pavilion, for the reception of all slrans^ers and pas.sciigiTS,
There frequent assctnbiics of the shaiks and prunipai niM
are held 'o determine on peaco and war, on cncanipmcnis
and removal.-, and on tile ditl'ercnces with me 'I'lukisli
governors, and the villages ; as well as the litigations ;i;ij
quarrels of individuals. To this crowd, which enters sac.
cessively lie must kce[) open table: it is indeed of ii^i.
portance to liim to be generous ; as on the exercise of ^ciic.
rosity depend his credit an'd his power. The Arab |ilact'! I
the liberality which feed* him before any other virtue,
They bear in mind the proverb, A Close Fist has a Xam;} i
Heart. To defray these expences, the shaik has only bi)
herds, a few spots of cuUivaled ground^ the protils of

pliiudcf,

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

273

(liiefs. All the wealth of the family is like the
following inventory. A few male and femaje
camels; a mare, her bridle, and saddle, some
goats, and poultry ; a tent, lance, a crooked
fibre, a rusty musquet, a pipe, a portable mill,
a pot for cooking, a leather bucket, a small
coftee-ioaster, a mat, some clothes, a mantle of
black woollen, and a few glass or silver rings,
which the women wear upon their legs and
irms. But what the poor man takes the
greatest pleasure in, is his raare : with her the
Hedouiii makes his excursions agaiusf hostile
tribes, or seeks plunder on the highways. The
wants of the Arabs, indeed are few, aud their
iiidiistr} is very inconsiderable : all their arts con-
jijt in weaving their clumsy tents, and in making
mats and butter. They are absolute strangers to
I all science : all their literature consists in reciting
1 (ales and histories, like the Arabian Nights En-
(ertainaients. They delight exceedingly in such
stories. The Bedouins have also their Love
Solids, which abound with sentimental and na-
I tiiraUhanicterd. When we consider how much
the condition of the Bedouins especially in the
Desert, resembles that of the siivag«:;s in America,
I it i.oems wonderful that they should not have the
I same ferocity.

It seems, at first view, lluit America, being
[rich in pasturage, lakes, and foresls, is more
ailapled to the pastoral mode of life than to any
[other. But when we consider that tliese forests,
Jby affording an easy refuge to animal*, protect
Itliem securely from the power of man : we mar
jreiHonablv conclude th:it the savage has become
a hunter instead of aslic|)berd, by the nature of
(ihccountrv. In <bis state all its habits have con-

degenerates into a habit; he becomes a cannibal,
sanguinary and atrocious ; and his mind acquires
the insensibility of his body.

The situation of the Arab is wholly different.
Amid his extensive naked plains, without water,
and without forests, he could not become a
hunter or a fisherman. Finding, however, a
light but constant and sufficient nourishment, he
has acquired the habit of frugality. Content
with milk and dates, he had not any desire fur
flesh, and he shed no blood : his hands were un-
accustomed to slaughter, and his ears were never
tortured with the cries of suffering creatures ; he
has therefore preserved a humane and feeling
heart. When the savage shepherd became ac-
quainted with the use of the horse, a considerahb
change was eflected in his mode of life. The
facility of passing rapidly over extensive plains
rendered him a wanderer. Rather a plunderer
than a warrior, the Arab possesses no sanguinary
courage: he attacksonly with a view of advantage^
and, if he meets with resistance, never risks his
life for an inconsiderable booty. To irritate him,
you must shed his blood, when you will find him
as obstinate in his vengeance, as he was cautious
in avoiding danger.

Among tlieujselves the Arabs are remarkable
for good faith, and a disinterested generosity
which would do honour to the most civilised na-
tion, if a stranger only touches the tent of the
Hodouins, from that instant his person becomes
inviolable. It is thought disgraceful in the ex-
treme to satisfy even a just vengeance at the ex-
pence of hospitality. When a Bedouin has con-
sented to eat bread and salt with his guest,
nothing can induce him to betray him. Rapa-

jtrihuted to give him a fer».city of character : the | cious as he is without his camp, he has no sooner

J|'ati''iies of the chacc have hardened his body,

land frequent and oxtrotue hiingrr has rendered

iliini voracious. The habit of taking away life,

land tearing his prey h;»s rrconcilcd hiiu to the

Light of death and sulferiiigs. Tormented by e\-

Itreine liunger, he has desired flesh ; and, finding

Itliat a fell.)\v easily dbtaincj, he did not long he.si-

llate to kill him to gratify the cravings of his ap-

Ipcfitc. After the first experiment, this cruelty

jluiidor, and the tribute he levLs on Imp high roads. The
kyk, with whom 1 resided at Oiza, in 178 J, did iiotsccm
loliveat a greater expeiice than an opulent farmer. \Vc
Imiistnot, therefore, when wc speak of the liedouiiis, affix
llotho words Prince and Lord, the idea they usually convcj.

set his foot within it, than he becomes liberal and
generous. What little he possesses, he is ever
ready to devide.

The Bedouins, from policy, preserve the ap-
pearance of MahometanisHi ; but so relaxed is
their observance of its ceremonies, and so little
fervor has their devotion, that they are generally
supposed to be infidels, who have neither law nor
prophet. They jocularly observe, that the le-

A shaik, who commands live hundred horsemen, saddle.^*
and bridtcs his own, and funiisheii him wi'.h barley audi
chopped straw. His wife doi;s not disdain to nuke the cof.
fee, knead the dough, and superintend tho drosi-ing of the
victuals, while his daughters aad kinswomen wanh the liiim.

ligion.

'•t

■:5

V '\n\

h'.'

v' , .1

!i.

274

VOLNEY's TRAVELS THROUGEI

ligion of Mahomet was not made for them, for,
say they, " How shall we make ablutions who
have no wafer ? How can we bestow alms who
are not rich ? Why should we fast in the Rada-
man, since the whole year with us is one con-
tinued fast ? and why should we make the pil-
grimage to jMeccn, if God be present every
where?" — In shoit, evei man acts and thinks as
he pleases, and the most perfect toleration is esta-
blished among them. It must be acknowledged

that there are few polished nations whose moralit>
isj in general, so much esteemed as that of (U
Bedouin Arabs; and it is remarkable (hat th.
same virtues are equally to he found in UieTurt
man hordes, and the Curds. Among these also
religion is perfectly free from exterior forms; no
man has ever seen, among the Bedouins, tlie
Turkmans, or Curtly cither priests, templcj, or
regular worship. (<!.;;.«, loi .•> ufiv.-:.

^.*< i *.M. it'i.

t*^i.r^K<f*i*.ltt '

SECTION VII.

< I hi
People of Sijria—Of the Aiisarians — The Maronites — The Druzcs'-Thc JMotonalis.

THE AUSARIANS.

THE first people ?o !)e distinguished from the
rest of the inhuhitants of Syria, among
those who employ themselves in cultivation, are
those called, in the country, by the plural name
Aus:iria, in Delisle's map styled Emsyrians. The
territory occupied by these Ausaria, is that chain
of mountains, extending from Antakia to the
Great River. These Ausarians are principally
inhabitants of the. motmtains before mentioned.
When the crusaders waged war in these countries,
they marched from Marrah towards Lebanon,
and engaged with some of these Ausarians, many
of whom they slew. William tjf Tyre *, who
mentions this fa61, confounds them with the
assassins f.

The Ausarians are divided into several tribes,
among which are mentioned the Sliamsia, or
adorers of the Sun: the Kelbia, or worshippers
of the Dog, and theK.'idmousia, who pay parti-
cular hum.'gc to the sexual characteristic in
women.

M. Niebuhr, who had the same circumstancess
related to him, could not suppose it possihle, be-
cause says ho, it seems astonishing that mankind
should so far degrade themselves : but this mode
of reasoning is contradicted by the history of all

* Lib. XX. chap. 30.

+ III the ycarof the Gre.Us, 1202, (A. D. 891) an old
tna lived at Na.iar, in tlif environs of Kunfa, whri, from
hi>! fastings, his prayers aiuMils pover'y, passed for a saint.
But a magislrate, alarined at his proeeeilini^s, sei/ed him,
and coinmiMed him to prison. In (his reverse of fortune, a
poor girl, who was shya to the gaulcr, took pity on him,

nations: which shews that the human mind is
capable of the uiost extravagant excesses, as well
as the most palpable absurdities.

Historians remark, that, uotwithstaiulintr tlie
vicinity of Antioch, Christianity penetrated very
feebly into these countries : very few proselvtej
were made there, even after the reign of Julian.
and from that period to the invasion of the Arabs
there was but little time for its estahliaiiincnt
The progress made by Christianity among tliosc
moimtaineers, could only tend to pave the way
for Mahometanism, a doctrine more suitable to
their habits and inclinations.

About one hundred and fifty years after,
Mahommed-el-Dourzi having formed a sect, the
Ausarians did not approve of its principal article,
the divinity of the Caliph Hakem : on this ac-
count they remain distinct from the Druze$,
though they agree with them in several parti-
culars. Some of tiie Ausarians believe in the
Metempsychosis; others reject the imraortalitvof
the soul. In general, ci\il and religions
ana chy is so prevalent among them, that they
adopt what opinions they think proper, follow-
ing the sect that best pleases then nd frequently
attaching themselves to none.

Their country is divided into three principal!
districts, and their tribute is paid to the pacha ofl

and garc him his liberty. She tcilc the keys of the pritonl
f om under the pillow of her master, liberated the old nun,
and afterwards returned them to (he jMace from wheiue ■•'le I
had (aken thriu. From this transaction, it was reported, I
and generally bcliavrd, (hat he had been delivered by id I
angel. He therefore found little difficulty in cstablishiiigil
acw sect called, from him, . tusaiians.

Tripoli.]

rcligiom
that they I
follow-
requcntlj I

princiitall
padia o(|

tho pri'.w I
|m oM nian,
Iwhtiue -^e |
Is ri'portw),
}cri'il by in I
|tablishlii|!i|

Tripoli.!

SYIUA AND 'KGYPT.

275

Tripoli. Their mountains are not so elevated as
(lioseof Lebanon, and arc therefore more capable
of fiiltivation. Thej aie, however, more cx-
uosed to (lie Turks, and are more thinly inhabit-
ed lliiui those of her neighbours the JMaronites
jnil ilie Druzes. k

THE MARONITES.

Between the Ausarianx to the north, and the
Pruzes to the south, we find an inconsiderable
iiroplfi known under the name of jManarna or
Mnroiiilcs. Their origin and progress have
],L.(n much discussed by ecclesiastical writers;
liiit all that is known with certainty respecting
tlicm, may be thus related.

Towards the conclusion of the sixth age of the
(luircli, while the spirit of retirement from the
vorid was novel and fervid, a hermit, named
J\I(iruun lived on the banks of the Orontes, who
liv his fasting, austerities, and solitary mode of
life, attracted the respect of the neighbouring
people. In the disputes which then arose be-
tween Rome and Constantinople, he exerted his
iiitorcst in favour of the western Christians. His
death, instead of abating the ardour of his fol-
lowers, gave fresh energy to their zeal : Reports
had been propagated that miracles had been
vToiight by his remains, inconsequence of which
iiianv persons from Kinesrin, Awasem, and other
I places, built at Hama a chapel and a tomb,
i ulicnce soon arose a convent, much celebrated in
j tliat part of Syria.

The dissentions of the two Metropolitan
I (luirchcs increased, and the whole empire entered
hvarinly into the quarrel of the priests and princes.
I About the end of the seventh century, a monk,
named John the Maronite, from his eminent
talents as a preacher, obtained the reputation of
being one of the most powerful supporters of the
cause of the Pope. Their opponents, who
supported the cause of the emperor, and were
therefore called JVIclkitcs, or Royalists, made
great progress at that time in Lebanon. To op-
jposc them the more cHectually, the Latins re-
Solved to send thither John the Maronite : he was
[accordingly presented to the agent of the Pope at
Antioch, who, after consecrating him bishop of
Diehal, sent him to preach in that part of the
world, ilohn lost no time in rallying his parti-
jcHiis, and in augmenting their number; but, op-

VoL, H. No, LXXXVn.

* C'cdrcnuv.

posed by the intrigues, and even the attacks of
the Melkites, he collected all the Latins, uiid
settled himself with them at Liobanon. This is
related by the historian of the Lower Empire in
the following words: '• In the eighth year of the
reign of Constantine Pogonatus f A. D. 670), the
Mardaites, collecting themselves together, to;^k
possession of Lebanon, which became the asv lum
of vagabonds, and all sorts of rabble. They
grew so powerful there, as to stop the progress
of the Arabs, and to compel the Calij)h Moawia
to request of the Greeks a truce for thirty years,
obliging himself to pay a tribute of fifty horses,
one hundred slaves, and ten thousand pieces of
gold »."

The name of Mardaites, used by this au-
thor, is derived from a Syriac word, signifying
rebel, and is oppo.scd to JVIclkites, or Royalists.
Before Constantino Pogonatus, the mountains
became the refuge of malcontents, or rebels,
who fled from the bigotry of the emperors and
their governors. It was probably, from a simi-
larity in their opinions, that John and his disciples
took refuge there ; and, from the ascendancy they
acquired, or already possessed, the whole nation
took the name of Maronites. John, however,
established order and military discipline among
the mountaineers, and provided them with arms
and leaders. They employed themselves in com-
bating the common enemies of the empire, and
their little state soon became masters of almost all
the mountains as far as Jerusalem. The schism
which, at this juncture, took place among the
Mahometans, facilitated their conquest. Moawia
rebelling against Ali at Damascus, Caliph Koufa,
to avoid engaging in two wars at once, made a
disadvantageous peace with the Greeks in 078.
Seven years after, Abd-el Maiek renewed it with
Justinian II, on condition that the emperor
should free him from the Maronites. To this
proposal Justinian consented, but was base
enough to get their chief assassinated by an am-
bassador. Soon after another persecution menaced
the Maronites with destruction; for the same
Justinian sent troops against tliom, who destroy-
ed the monastery of llama, and massacred five
hundred monks: after which they extended the
war into Kesraouan; but, happily, Justinian was
deposed, when on the point ol causing a general
massacre in Constantinople: and the Maronites

'...i«*M

■hi

v: M

autliorized

27(J

VOLNEY's TRAVELS THROUGH

authorized by his successor, attacked Maurice',
and slew the greater part of his army, in an en-
gagement in which he himself perished.

From this period we lose sight of them till the
invasion of the Crusaders, with whom they were
sometimes in alliance, and sometimes at variance.
During this interval of more than three centuries,
they were deprived of part of their possessions,
and reduced to their present state, paying tribute
whenever the Arabian or Turkman governors
were able to compel them. This was the case
vith the Caliph of Egypt, Ilakem-Bam-Eliaij,
who in 1014, ceded their territory to a Turk-
man, Prince of Aleppo. About the year 1215,
tiic \Iaronifcs effcL'ted a re-union with Rome.
AViliiani of Tyre, who relates this circumstance,
s;iy?, they had forty thousand men able to bear
arms. In concert with the Druzes, and their
emir, the celebrated Faker-cl-din, they made
continual encroachments on the Ottomans; but
Amarath the Third, sending against them Ibra-
him, Pacha of Cairo, that general reduced them
to obedience, in 1588, and subjected them to the
annual tribute*.

In religious matters, the Maronites are de-
pendent on Home, They acknowledge the su-
premacy of the Pope, but their clergy elect a
lifad, with the title of patriarch of Aiitioch.
Tlu'ir priests marry, bnt their wives must be
niaiilens; and they are not peiuiitted to marry a
second time. They celebrate mass in Syriac.

* Since that luiriod, the l-'.iciiiis have frpqiiciUly attempted
to iiitrcduci^ thi.i;' gariisous into the iiioiiiitaiiis of liie
JVlaronitt'b ; liiit, hcinjj; cunstaii^ly repulsed, they have been
obliged to abide by tlicir treaties. The subjection of (he
Maronites therefore only consists in the payment of a
tribute to tlic Pacha of Tripoli, of whom they hold their
country. This impost is priM('i|)aIly levied on the mulberry
trees and vineyards, which are almost ilic sole ob'-cts of
culture

The form of government is fonnded m(»rely on usages and
customs. Thus (he government preserves itself in a natural
ccjuilibriuni ; fdr, customs suiJiil^ina; the place of laws, the
Maronites are, to (his day, eiinally s(ranners to the op-
prci-sion of despolisin, and the (iisordtsrs of anarchy. 'J'lie
nation may be saiil to be divided in(o tw o classes ; (he connnon
fieupie, and the hliaiks ; the lader must be understood to
be (he mof-t einiiieiit of (ho iiihabilants, wlio, fromtheaii.
tiquity ,jf (heir families, and (he opulence of their fortunes,
are superior (o the connnon class. They are all dispersed in
tile niountrtins, in villages, hamlets, anil detached houses.
The whdie na(ion consists of ciikivators : every man
uia:in^es iiis little domain, i'ven the shaikslivc in the same
manner, but ll'.ej are di:>(inguished from the rest by a pelisse,
i. hoise, uiid ftunic additional advantageii in board and

The Gospel is read aloud in Arabic. Their
priests have no stated revenues, but subsist on the
produce of their masses, the generosity of their
hearers, and the labour of their hands. Some of
them exercise trades, others cultivate the soil
and all are industriously employed for the sun^
port of their families, and the edification of their
flock. Their poverty is rewarded by the respect
they receive, and their vanity is incessiinilv
flattered : whoever approaches them is iinxiouj
to kiss their hands which they readily present,
Each village has its chapel, and its priest; and
each chapel has its bell: a thing unheard of in
any other jiart of Turkey. The Maronites are
vain of this privilege, and to preserve it pure,
they will not permit a Mahometan to live ainnmr
them. They also assimie to themselves tlie
privilege of wearing the green turban, which
except in this territory, would cost a Christian
his lifef.

In the country of the Maronites there are
about two hundred convents for men and women,
These religions are of the order of Saint Anthonv.
The dress of the monks consists of brown coarje
woollen stuff, resembling that of the rapiuhin
friars io Europe: They never eat flesh, but in
other respects their food is the same as that of the
peasants: they fast frei^tiently, and make Inn-r
prayers at stated hours in the night, as well as
the day. The court of Rome, in afiiliatiiiirihe
Maronites, has granted them an Ilospitiuni at

lodging. Tiisy all live frugally, and have but few ciijiv.
nienis Their wants aic also I'cw, fur they are uu.icquaiiu.
ed with (lie ideas of luxury. The nation, indeed is poor,
but no one wants necessaries. Property is held as sarri^
among them as in Kurope, nor are robberies and e\(or.
tions so frequent among them as among tin- Turks. Tri.
vellers may pass with safety, either by night ord.iy; ami I
the stranger is reeived with hospitality. They have, liow.
ever, retained the Ar:ib custom of retaliation, and the mar.
est relation of a murdered person engages to aveiig,' him,
Kvcry man, whether shaik or peasant, walks armed mIiIi I
a musquet and poniards; hence they are not novices in tlie
use of arms, when required to bo employed ag.ii'ist ihe
Turks. The number of men capable of bearing ariiii,
amounts to thirty. live thousand.

+ l(aly has not a greater plenty of bishops than (liiil
little corner of Syria; and (hey s(ill re(ain the siin|ili(it^|
of the primitive ages; they are of(en seen on (he roaJs,
mounted on a mule, and followed l)y a single Sarii,^!?;!,
Their usual annual revenue does not exceed si\(v-tliia'J
poui>ds, which, ill this plentiful country, enables (hum to I
live very conif(ir(dlily. They are chosen froui the class ufl
monks, but the priests, in general, know very little inoiiil
than the catechism and the bibk.

Roincl

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

277

Rome, to which they send many of their youtJi,
I to receive a gratuitous education.

THE DRUZES.

The Druzes, of whom frequent mention has
I wn made about the end of the sixteenth century,
are an inconsiderable people, whose, mode of
i life language, and customs bear a striking re-
semblance to the Maronites. They practise
liieillier circumcision, nor prayers, nor fasting;
Ljey observe neither festivals nor prohibitions.
liiev drink wine, eat pork, and permit marriage
Lehveen brothers and sisters, though not between
fathers and children. From hence it may be
cnncliiil«J that the Druzes have no religion; one
i1a«of them itnist, however, be excepted, whose
rdio-ious customs are very singular. Those who
L„f|,o<,e it, assume the name of Okkals, which
liiieaiis spiritualists: they have various dogrucs of
liiiitiiition, the highest orders of which require
lallibacy: these wear a white turban, as a sym-
Ibol of their purity; and so vain are they of
liliis emblem, that they even suppose them-
Llves sullied by barely toucliing a profane per-
son. To eat out of their plate, or drink out of
llheirciip, occasions the immediate demolition of
Ibotli the offending articles.

They have one or two books, which they care-
Ifiiilv conceal; but chance has betrayed their
Iccrec}: these volumes contain only a mystic
|i:iri,'oii, which seems to be principally valuable
Ihuii its obscurity. Hakem Bamr-ellah is there
Imikcn of, by whom they mean (Jod, incarnated
In the person of the Caliph: it also treats of
Liilher life, and of ftiturc rewards and punish-
[pioiits, where the Okkals shall be most distiuguish-
Many degrees of perfection are mentioned,
|lo which they arrive by successive trials. In
Jolhcr respects these sectaries have abundance of
iDioleuce and superstition*.

< The rest of the Driizcs, wlio aro not thus spiritualized,
Ifc perfectly indifferent about ruiii<;ious matters. The
riirislians, who live in (lieir country, pretend that many
if lliom bi-iicTe' in the Meteuipsycho.-is ; that oliu'rs |)ay
lieir atioratious to the sun, moon, and stars. When they
Irp among the Turks, tliey atiect tiie exterior of iVluhoinct-
Ins, attend the nuistpies, and perform their ablutions and
Iraycrs: amoni; the Maronites, they aeeompany ihem to
l.'iuich, and, iniitatiuf; Iheni, m;ike n>e of holy water.
llaii) of lliiMii, a( the rt-quest of Missiouarie.'', suffer them.

liL's to be bapli/cd; uud, when importuued by the Turks,

The Druzes, as well as the Maronites, consist
of two classes; the common people, and those of
eminence and property, distinguished by the title
of Shaiks, and Emirs, or descendants of Princes.
The most considerable part are cultivators^ either
as farmers or proprietors: every man manages his
inheritance, improving his mulberry trees and
vineyards, andj in some districts, superintending
his tobacco, cotton, and grain.

The chief, called Hakcm, or governor, is a
sort of king, or general, uniting, in his own
person, the civil and military powers. His au-
thority sometimes devolves from father to souj
sometimes from one brother to another; ancl
sometimes the succession is determined rather by
force, than bv" the operation of certain laws.
Females are totally incapable of this dignity.
Among the Druzes, when the male line of any
family becomes extinct, the government devolves
to him who possesses the greatest number of
suffrages and resources. But the approbation of
the Turks must be first obtained, of whom he
becomes the vassal and tributary. The office of
governor is to watch over the affairs of slate, and
to prevent the Emirs, Shaiks, and villages from
engaging in war against each other: and, in case
of disobedience, he may employ force. Being
at the head of the civil power, he names the
Cadiz, always reserving to himself the power of
life and death, he collects the tribute, of which
he pays to the Pacha a stated sum. This tribute
varies, according to the exigences of the state.
Every thing, however, depends upon circum-
stances: if the governor be a man of ability, he
is absolute; if weak, a mere cypher. This is
occasioned tVoni there being no fixed laws; a de-
fect common to all Asia, and the radical cause of
all the disorders in the government of the Asiatic
nations f.

By the last estimates it appears^ that the num-
ber

reeciTp circnmeision, and rontlude by dying, partly as
Christians and partly as Mahometans.

+ Neither the chief, nor tlie respectire Emirs maintain
troops; they only retain persons attached to the donieslic
service of their houses, and a few black slaves. When a
natiuii declares war, every man able to bear <u-ms is callec'
upon to inarch ; he takes with him a small hag of Hoar, a
inusquet, some bullets, and soms j(iin. powder, and repairs
to the rendezvous appointed by the governor. If it be a
civil war, the surrants, 'ue farmers, and tiitiir friends, arm
for their patron, and rquir to his staiuiard.

Troops ■

\\M

l^i *'' :.<' ■ ■I'll

1. ' j 5' 1,1... ,

mm
Wr
w\m

i-U'

)> -m

' 'i

] 'i

'lis

VOLNKY's TRAVKLS TMROUGIT

•av"..

hex oi'iuen able to bear arms was foriy thoiisand.
U inav Ibcroforc be reasonably asked, Whence
aririL's Huch a portion of inhabitants, within so
small a s-paro? — No other cause is apparent, but
that rav of liberty which g;limraers in tlii.-i country. ,
l'nliK'> tlic Turks, every man enjoys, in perfect ^
securit V, his life and property. The peasant is |
not richer than in other countries, but he is free: '
" lie fears not that the Ajuja, (he Kaimniakani, !
or the Pacha should si^id their soldiers to piilag-e '
his house, carry oil' his family, or give hin> the }
bastinado," Such o]ipressions are never cxer- i
cised amonf^ these mountains*. j

The Uruzcs have all the prejudices of the '
Ijeilouius respectini;- birth; and, like them, pay ;
proportionable nvspectto the antiquity of families, i
Cut their rank does not exempt them from payings '
tribute, in proportion to their revenues. Every
man, afler paying his miri, and his rent, is
master of his property. By a particular privilege,

* Troops of tliis kind, it may reasonably be supposed, liavo
li((l.! resemblance to oiir F.iiroi)oan soldiers; tliey Iiare
neither uniforms, nor discipline, nor order. They are a
mob of peasants, with short coats, naked legs, and musqucis
in (heir hands; but dili'ering from the Turks and JMame.
Inkes, as they arc all on foot; the Shaiks and I'jnirs only
Iiaviiii{ horses, which are but ill calculated for the ruj^ged
nature of the country: war can therefore only bi' a war of
posts. The Dru7.es never venture to engage in the plain ;
•well knowing that they should be unable to stand the thock
of cavalry, having no bayonets to their musquets. Their
dexterity consists in climbing rocks, and creeping among
the bushes, and blocks of stone, from whence (hey fire
successfully; for, by the practice of hunting, and military
sports, they have acquired the habit of hitting a mark with
precision. They are accustomed to surprises by night, a;n.
busrades, and those coups ilc wain, which require to attack
sudilenlv, and come to close engagement with the enemy.
In (he can)paign of 1781, they passed three months in tlie
op;'n air, without tents, or any other covering; than a
slicep.skin. Their provisions consisted, as before, of sni.'ll
loaves baked on the ashes, che^-se, raw onions, olives,
Irnits, and a little \vine. ']"aet;)l)!e of the chiefs was nearly
as frugal. They art- totally ignor.xnt of the science of
foitilicati'in, the managomeiU of artillery, or encampments,
nor ;iny thing \vhich consiitutes the art of war.
■ •■ rile Druzos deMglu iu the practice of hospitality : wlio.
ever prcM'iits himself at their door, as a suppliant or pas.
spugcr, may depend upon being entertained with food and
lodging, in the most g<,'ncrous and uun.lTectcd manner. I
have often seen a jioor peasant bestow the last morsel of
b;-^ A he had in the house to a hungry traveller ; and \»lieii
\ \j\<: accused them of want of prudence, their answer
■> uMialiyto this c"' —" God is liberal and great, and
>i : II are brethren. As there arc no inns in this country,
an> ..lore than in the rest of Turkey; when they have once
contracted with their guest, the cngagemeat of brctul ami
f lit, nofliing can induce them to viohite it. Various in-
<. i<ir^> of this arer-.lafi'ii -, lu'liduliouourto their character.

the Drir/.cs and iMaroniies pay no fine for iji^:.
sticccssio'.i; nor does the Emir, like (ho Sultun
arro!;a(e to himself original and uiii\crs,j
pr()|;('r(y. FiUhers have, however, as in tli»
iloiiiiuj law, the privilege of preferring suth of
their children as they think proper.

Tiie Druzes seldom make alliiinccs outof(I)ei(
own i'amilies; they prefer even an indigent re-
lalion to a rich stranger. They also observe, (o
a certain degree, (he custom of the Ucbrews
which directed that a brother should marry lij-
brother's widow. In short, the Druzes Inlvea
sort of republican spirit, which gives tlicai more
energy than any other subjects of the Turkisli
government, and an indiflerence about rclij^ioi,
forming a striking conlrast with the zeal of the
jNIahometans ami Chrisiians. In other respccit
their manners and custoius are similar to tlioseoi
the other Orientals.

They may marry wives, and repudiate tlicmai

The following anecdote is extracted from an Anbin
nian\iscript. "• In the time of the Caliphs, w hen Ahdaliafc.
the, Uiediter of blood, had murdered every descendjiiit uf
Oinmiah, within his reach, one of that family, ninieii
Ibr.thim, the son of Soliuun, had the good furtuiu' to
oscap.', and reached Koufa in disguise. Not kiiowlm
any person in whom he could confide, he sal down unjer
the portico of a large house. Soon after, the master ar-
riving, followed by several servants, alighted from lih
horse, entered, and, seeing the stranger, asked liioi wlio
he was? — / um an unforlunatc man, replies Ibraliim, ii:,j
request from thee an (/"jjlu/u.—God protect thee, said th'
rich man ; enter, ami remain in peace. Ibrahim lived sctenl
mouths in this house, without being interrogated bv tis
host. Hut, a>t(iMislu'd to see him daily go out on hon,'.
b:ick, and r;'tiu'u ,it a particular hour, he one d■^y vonluroj
to eiKi'.iire (lij renstm—l hft.'c been informed, ri'plii'd tli;
rich mail, that a pcrxon named Ihruhim, the son of SuUim,
ii e.ovcciilcil ill this toicn ; he hat \tain mi/ father, and In
searrhiii<r f„r him to retaliate. — Then I tenets, said Ihratib,
that (iodhud purposclij eomhctcd me to that plarc: i adord
his di'i'ieo, and, resigning myself to death, I answon'iU
Giil has determined to iivengc thee, offended mitn:t'fj
victim is at thij feet. The rich man, in astouisliment, re.
\t\'m\—()l ttrai:^cr, I perceive that thi/ mi^forlu'ic^ hn
made then a-eari/ of life \ thou scekest to lose it, but nij
ha:i:l eniinut commit sueh a crime — / do not de he tki\
said llirahiiu ; thy fiither xcas such u one (naming liiiii)»i'
met in such a place, and the alVair hapijem-d in yiA
a manner. A violent trembling instantly seized the riii
man ; his teeth chattered, liis eyes alternately sparkled wii
fury, and overflowed with tears. In this agitation lio cim.
tiiuied a long time: at length, turning to ibraliim— Tu.

morro;e, said he, destiny shall Join thee to in>/ fi/kee, imil
God ;dll have retaliated. Uiit «> for me, ho:i- can I \:i(iklt
''u: sacred la -'s of hospitalili) .^ IVretfhed straiii(er, ji'/jn
'!/ prctenrc — There, take these htudred seqitim ; licgoii

(I'tirklj/, and kt me never belu<ldUiee more '"

pleasure

SYRIA AND EGYPT. -

279

Wiui^t but Siicli a custom is seldom practised,
P „pp^ ijy Emirs, and inca of eminence. Oc-
*iii)ie(l with thir rural labours, they experience
''o artificial wants, nor those inordinate passions
"liich result i'rom the idleness and the luxury of
(owns and cities. The veil, worn by their"'
voinen, is a preservative against the birth of
criminal desires, whi<:ii occasion many evils in

ocictv. No man is acquainted with the face of
any oilier woman than his wife, his mother, his
sister, and sister-in-law. Every one confines
hiiiisi'lf to the bosom of his own family, and
rainblt's abroad but little. The womon, not
even excepting those of the shaiks, niakc the
bread, roast the coflee, wash the linen, cook the
nrovisioiis, and perform all the other domestic
oflices. The men cultivate the lands, and form
convenient canals for watering them. In the
fveninj; they sometimes assemble in the area or
lioHse of the chief of the village. There, seated
ill a circle, with legs crossed, and blowing each
a consequential pipe; while, with their poniards
at their belts, they recapitulate their various
labours, the product of their harvests, peace or
war, t\w conduct of the Emir, or the amount of
taxes: they recount past transactions, discuss the
prcseit topics, and form conjectures on the future.
Their children, wearied with play, attend to
the curious debates, and a stranger is surprised
(0 hear then). Here it is generally mentioned
how many musquets there were in such a parti-
cular camp, and who had the best mare.

Such is their education: they are not taught to
read the Psalms, as among the Maronites, nor
(he Koran, like the Mahometans; but if their
minds are not enriched with useful information,
(hev are not debased by injurious ideas. This
advantage, however, results from it, that, their
iindorstandings being nearly on a level, the in-
iquality of conditions is hardly perceptible: we
do not discover, among the Druzes, that im-
mense distance, which in many other societies
degrades the inferior, without augntenting the
advantage of the great. All the Druzes, whether

• "Those sectaries who teach that God acts only on
principles of justice, conformable to hiimnii reason, are
lalled AiUia, or Jiisticiariiuis. God cannot, say they,
cummcnd an impracticuble worship, nor order impossible
artiitiis, nor enjoin men to perforin what is beyond their
.ibility ; but whenever ho requires obedience, will bestow
the power to obey. He removes the cause of evil, he
kllows us to reason, and imposes only what it easy, not

Vol. II. No. LXXXVII.

they are shaiks or peasants, treat each other with
respectful familiarity, equally remote from rude-
ness or servility. The grand Emir, himself, as-
sociates with the rest; appearing as a respectable
country gentleman, who does not hesitate to ad-
mit the meanest farmer to his table. In a word,
their manners are those of ancient times; and
their rustic life only points out the origin of every
nation, and that they are, at present> only in the
infancy of the social state.

THE MOTOUALIS.

In the deep valley of the country of the
Druzc?, which separates their mountains from;
those of J3amascus, we ihid another small nation,
known in Syria by the name of Motoualis. Like
the Persians, they are of the sect of Ali; while
all the Turks follow that of Omar or Moa-via.
The sectaries of Omar, who consider thems' Ives
purely orthodox, assume the title of Somnites.
The word JMotouali has the same meaning in the
dialect of Syria. The followers of Ali, dis--
pleased with this name, substitute that of Adlia,
which signifies asserters of Justice, a denomina-
tion which they have assumed in consequence of
a doctrinal point advanced by them in opposition
to the Somnite faith. A small. Arabic Treatise,
entitled theological FHAtiMKNTs, &c. has tlie
following passage*.

To this doctrine, which opposes tlie system of
the Somnites, the Motoualis add certain cere-
monies, which heighten their aversion: They
curse Omer and Moawia as rebels, and con-
sider Ali and Hosain as canonized saints. They
commence the ablutions at the elbow, instead of
the end of the finger, as practised by the Turks;
and conceive themselves defiled by the touch of a
stranger. Contrary to the general practice of
the east, they will neither eat nor drink out of a
vessel which has been used for cither of those
purposes, by a person who was not of their sect,
nor will they condescend to sit with him at the
same table.

These singular doctrines, fay separating the

what is difficult: he inalics no mun responsible for the
actions of anotherj nor jmnishes him for that in which ho
has no part ; he imputes not as a crime what himself has •
created in man; nor does he require him to avoid tvhat
destiny hus decreed. This would be injustice and tyranny, .
of which God is incapable, from the perfection of the
divine nature."

V- -^

1 1^

Motoualis

^■'.

•i ■ L

280

VOLNEY's TRAVELS THROUGH

Mofoualis from their neip:hbours have caused
them to become a distinct society. They are said
indecdj to have long existed as a nation in this
country, but they have never been mentioned by
any European writer till the present century.
La Roque, who visited their counfry about. a
hundred years ai^o, gave th<;m the name of Ame-
dians: but in later times, their >vars, robberies,
and various changes of fortune, have brought
tijem in(o consequence in Syria. Till about the
middle of this century, they only inhabited Bal-
bec, their capital, a few places in the valley, and
Anti-Lebanon, which appears to have been their
original country. After 1750, they established
themselves among the heights of Beck, and some
of them got footing in IjCbanon, where they pro-
cured lands from the INIaronites almost as far as
Bosharrai. They even became so olfensive by
-their ravages, as to induce the Emir Yousef to
attack and expel them. But, on the other side,
lliey advanced along the river, to Ihe neigliboju'-
hood of Sour. In this situation, Sliailt Dasher
took an opportunity, in 1760, <o attach them to
his party. The Pachas of Saide and Damascus
claimed tributes, which they had neglected pac-
ing, and complained of several outrages and
robberies committed on their subjects by the
Motoualis. They were desirous of chastising
them; but Dahcr interposed, became security

for the tribute, and, pronilsinsf to prevent aid
depredations, procured allies who were able to
arm ten thousand horsemen, ^oon after they
took possession of Sour, and made that village
their principal .sea-port. In 1771, they assisted
Ali Bey ainl Dah.T against the Turks.

But Emir Yousef having, in their absence
armed the Drupes ravaged their tounfry. He
was besieging the castle of Djezik, mIkmi the
Motoualis became iHlormed of the invasion.
From the accounts of the barbarities committed
by the Druzes, an advanced corps, of only five
hundred men, were so extremely enraged, that
they instantly rusbed forward against the ciiemv
resolving to perish, or be revenged. Rut the
surprize and confusion they occasioned, and the
misimderstanding that had ensued between the
two. factions of Mansour and You.sef, were so
favourable to this desperate attack, that the
whole army of twenty thousand men was com-
pletely overthrown*.

Such are the distinct tribes in Syria : the other
inhabitants, who are con.<<iderably tbe most nu-
merous, are composed of Turks, Greeks, and
Arabs. It now remains to give some account
of the divisions of the country under tlic
Turkish administration, accompanied willi gene-
ral reflections on its forces, revenues, and form
of government. • ...... - . ,

SECTION VL

Of the Distribution of Syria into VACiiAiicSy under the Tunxisit govern Msyr.

WHEN Sultan Selim had taken Syria from
the Mamelukes, he subjected tliat pro-
vince, like the rest of the empire, to the govern-
ment of Viceroys, or Pachas, invested with un-

* In the following year, fiie affairs of Dahcr, taking .a
favoiiraiile turn, the Alotonaiis began to look cool upon
him, and finally abandoni^d liiin in the eatastrophe which
deprived him of life,; but they have suffered severely for
their imprudence, under the administration of the Pacha
who succeeded him. Sjice the year 177 I Ujozzar, master of
Acre and Saide has iuuefatigably laboured to destroy them.
His persecution, in 1784, obliged them to be reconciled
with the Druzes, and to form an alliauru with the Kmir
Yousef. TJiough reduced to seven hundred armed men,
tluy achieved greater things in that campaign than fifteen
or tH'Cuty thousaud Druzes and Maronites assembled -at

* The nam* given lijj (he Turks to

limited power. To secure his authority more
eUcctually, he divided the country into five
governments or Pachalics, as it now rcmainj.
These Pachalics are denominated as follows:

Dair-el-Kaiuan. They alone took the stron;^ fortress of Mar.
Djebaa, and slew fifty or sixty ArnautS', who deftiidcilit.
liut the animosities which prevailed among (he chiefs of ihc
Druy.es, having rendered all tliiir operations abortive, llu'
Pacha has (aki-n possession of the whole valley, "iid ev?n
of the city of iJalbec itself. At this period, no more thai
five huiulred families of the Motoualis remained, who took
refuge in Anti-Lebanon, and the f'.ebanon of the Maronites;
and, as they are now driven from their native soil, it ij
supposed they will shortly be annihilated, and cvt'n their
name become cxtiuct. ,-,...

the Macedonian and Epirot svldiers.

.r.u i>-'^w

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

281

1 JkpP"> ^- '^'''P^^'^' ^- '^""'t'» '''tely removed
1. y^crc— 4'. Damascus, and 5. Palestine, the
I ratoJ" which i* sometimes at Gaza, and somc-
ics at Jerusalem. Since the time of Selim,
|,[jg limits of llic Pachttlics have frequently varied,
Ibiit <li<^i<^ general extent has coniiiuied near!)
Ithc same. I shall now proceed to giro a more
liiiiiiule detail of the most inU'resting particu-
llars of llifir present state, especially with re-
Irard to the revenues, productions, lorces, and
Itlic most remarkable plates. m: ,.-

THE PACHALIC OF ALF.PPO.

This Paclialic comprehends the whole country,
fslcndino; from the Euphrates to the Mediterra-
j,i;aii, This space consists principally of two
hiliiiiis; that of Antioch to the west, and that of
\lcp|)u to the east: the north and the sea-coast
L. occupied by lofty mountains, known to the
tiicicnts by the names of Amnnus and of Hhosus.
niiesoil of the principal p.irt of this government

fat and loamy: the lofty plants, which shoot
jp after the winter rains, seem to indicate great
fcertilitv, but its actual fruitfulness is not very
roiisideruble. The principal part of the land
lies waste; hardly any appearance of cultivation
Ippeariiig in the environs of the tovfus and

liagcs. Its chief produce is wheat, barley,
Ul cotton, of which no inconsiderable quantity
Lay be observed, especially in the flat country:
blithe mountains they rather choose to cultivate
k vine, mulberry, olive, and fig-trees. To-
[i:ic(o is produced on the sides of the hills towards
Ik sea-coast, and pistachios are cultivated in the
Icrritory of Aleppo. The pasturage hardly re-
quires any mention io be made of it, as it is
Abandoned to the wandering Hordes of the Turk-
iiciiand Curds*.

I 'Ijn most of the Pachalics, the Paclia is the Viroroy and
Imicr-eoiioral of the country ; but in that of Al.-ppo, lio
loisiiot enjoy the latter oflici'; the Porte haviiij^ bestow fil
■tuna Meltasscl, or collector, who is iuTduufable for what
Ic ri'ciivi's. The Pacha, deprived of tlils lucrative branch
fllic administration, rccoiv,>s a stated allowance of eighty
Ihoii'aiid piasters (eight thousand three hundred and thirty
Bounds.) A sum which has always been found inadequate Io
ll.Cixiiences; for besides being obliged to maintain the troops,
Ind rtpair the highways and fortresses; he is also \indcr the
lrasi.ily of making large presents to the minister to enable
lim to keep possession of his placp. lint iIk; I'orte adds to
Ik' account, the contributions he may levy on the Curd^
^ad Turkmans, aad his extortions from the vilUirt,^, and

Custom has stipulated that the comnnission of
the Pacha shall not exceed the period of three
months; but it is frequently extended to six, and
even to twelve months. His olfice is to enforce
obedience in his province, and provide for the
security of the country against enemies ; to accom-
plish this, he maintains five or six hundred horse,
and about the same number of infantry, lie has
also the command of the Janisaries, u sort of
enrolled militia.

The Janisaries, in each Pachalic, consist of a
certain number of enrolled men, who must hold
themselves in readiness to march whenever they
are required. There being certain privileges
and exemptions granted to this corps, there is a
competition to obtain admission into it. They
were subject formerly to regular exercise and
discipline, but thiit practice having been neg-
lected for the last sixty or eighty years, not the
slightest trace of their ancient good order remains.
These sham soldiers are merely a crowd of arti-
sans and peasants; as ignorant as the rest of that
class, but infinitely more ungovernable. W hen a
Pacha abuses his an thority, they arc the first ready
to erect the standard of stMlition. They deposed
Abdi Pacha from Aleppo, and obliged the Porte
to send another in his stead. The 'rurkish
government, indeed, revenges itself, by ordering
the most active mutineers to be strangled, but
the Janisaries take the earliest opportunity to
create other chiefs, and afiairs return immediately
to their usual course. The Pachas, finding their
measures thus counteracted, have had recourse
to the expedient made use of in similar cast's;
they have taken foreign soldiers into their service,
who have neither friends nor families in the
country f.

Ky such initiuitous proceedings, the greater

part

certain individuals ; nor do the Pachas come sliort of this
calculation. Alidi Pacha, who governed about thirteen
years ago, carried away with him, at the end of fifteen
mouths, upwards of four millions of livres (one hundred
and sixty lliousind pi)iii\ds) by laying under contribution
every kimi of trade. IJe. did not even ctciiso the poor
cleaners of tob.irro ])ipcs. A'ery lately another person has
been oblii^ed (o liy for similar opprcssipn.s. The former
was rewarded with the command of the army ag.ainst the
Russians ; but if the latter lias not sufliciently enriched him-
self, he will be strangled as .an extortioner. Such things arc
not very uncommon in Uic pro;;ress of affairs in Turkey.

+ Their cavalry are armed with short sabres, pistols,
mustpiets, and lances ; they u enr a kind of cap, nine or

tea.

I V? i

■Ik I'-.;.-.! '^1

m %

I'^Hii'--"^

<J82

VOLNEY's TRAVr.LS THIIOUCII

rfrr.'g". , r ,',,,,...'. ■■ . --. , - . — k

part of the Paclialics in the empire arc im-
poverished, and laid waste. Tlius it happened
with that of Aleppo: in the ancient rogisiters of
imposts, npwards of three thousand two hundred
villages were reckoned; but the traveller now
hardly sees any thing but houses in ruins, cisterns
rendered useless, and fields abandoned. Those
who cultivated them are fled into the towns,
where the population is absorbed, and where
every individual is happy to ronceal himself
amons: the crowd from the rapacious hand of
dcispotism.

The most considerable places in this Pachalic
ure, first, the city of Aleppo; it is the capital of
the province, and (he residence of the Pacha.
It is situated on the vast plain, exrending from
theOrontcs to the Euphrates, and which towards
the south, terminates in the desert. The situation
of Aleppo, besides the advantage of a fertile soil,
is enriched with a stream of fresh water, which
never becomes dry. This rivulet rises in the
mountains of Aentab, and terminates six leagues
below Aleppo, in a morass abounding with wild
boars and pelicans. The city is one of the most
agreeable in Syria, and is supposed to be the
cleanest and best built of any in Turkey. Its
uuraerous minarets and domes present an agree-
able relief to the eye, after its having been fa-
tigued by the unvaried sameness and sterility of
the plains. An artificial mountain, surrounded
by a. dry ditch, contains a ruinous fortress; from
whence the whole city may be surveyed; and,
towards the north, the snowy tops of the moun-
tain9 of Bailan are descried ; on the west, those

ten inches liigli, witliout any projecting rim. Their saddles
are made in the English manner, of a single skin stretched
upon a wooden tree. Their tattered riothes, rusty arms,
and horses of difl'crent sizes, give them the appearance of
banditti rather than soldiers. Most of the cavalry in Syria
are Turkmans, (:!iirds, or Caramanians ; throughout the
country tlicy arc formed of plunderers, who roam from
place tp place : they are the scourge of the country, which
they lay waste; and of the peasants, whom they often
pillage by open force.

The infantry are, in all respects, inferior to the cavalry.
Formerly they were procured from the inhabitants of the
country by forced enlistments ; but, within the last fifty
years, the peasants of Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco, seek
in Syria that respect which is denied them in their own
country. It is impossible for any troops to be less encum-
bered than these; for their whole accoutrements and bag>
gage are contined to a rusty firelock, a large knife, a
leathern bag, a cottoa shirt, a p<ur of drawers, a r^d cap,

which separate the Orontes from the sea; wliT
to the south and east, the eye can discern as f
as the Euphrates. In the timo of Omar, ti,
castle impeded the progrcns of the Arab's fn
several months, and was, at last, taken h\ tr^.
chery, but it cannot now resist the most im,,-
siderable assault. Its wall is in ruii)<<, and iii I
old towers are in a similar condition: it has not
four cannon fit for service. Three hundrcij and
fifty Janisaries, who should form the garri$ij„
are now busy in their shops, and the ajjUfJi
hardly find room in it to lodge his relinue
Many rising groinuls encircle it, which, iiuaijj
of a sieijc, would greatly facilitate the apprnad.
es of tlic assailants: Aleppo, therefore, rannotl
be considered as a place of importance in tiiiieofl
war; but, as a commercial city, it has a tiiU'ereiitl
appearance. It is the emporium of Armeniaamil
the Diarbckar: it sends caravans to Bngilad, an,}]
into Persia; and communicates with the Persiaiil
Gulph and India, l)y Basra; with Eirypt
Mecca, by Damascus; and with Europe bvl
Alexandretta and Latakia. The French liaveJ
consul at Aleppo; the English and (he VenetiaiHl
two; and the merchants of Leghorn and HollaiK||
one.

Aleppo is equal in extent to any city in TurkevJ
except Constantinople and Cairo, and pcrhapj
Smyrna. The number of inhabitants is estiinaledl
at two hundred thousand; ami the people inl
general are esteemed the most civilized of anvini
Turkey. The European merchants no whereen-L
joy so much liberty, or are treated withsorauch|
civility and respect*^.

■' - Neill

and sometimes a pair of slippers. Their pay is about*
shillings and ten pence per month, from which ili'v jJ
obliged to furnish themselves with arms and rloailiin;|
They are maintained at the cxpence of the I'aclia. Thii
troops are divide<l in the ancient Tartar manner, by coloHii 1
each colour is reckoned ten men, but they<st'ldom Ctfii>iJ
of more than 'ix ett'ectives; for the j4s;a/i being entriiittf
with the pay of the soldiers, maintain as few as poiisiblc, tJ
secure to themselves the a<lvantage of the dericicncv.
superior Agas connive at these abuses, and partake of ih^
spoils.

* The air of Aleppo, though dry and piercing, is fouof
salutary to those who are troubled with asthmatic com
plaints. The inhabitants, however, are subject to an r.J
demial disorder, called the ringworm or ])imple of Alt'ppol
it is, at first, an inflammatory pimple, and at length i
comes an ulcer; its usual duration is about a year : it gcnel
rally fixes on the face, and leaves a scar with which a grca
number of tho inhabitants are disfigured. It is said thai

^YRIA AND EOVtT.

SiSJ

Kextto Aleppo, Aiitiocb ctaims our nfteiilionj
1 it is called Antakiii by the Arabs. This city^
nnciently renowned for the luxury of its inlia-
bilants, i8 now a-ruiuous town, the bouses <»f
^»hi«li arc coitijiosed of mud and straw, and i<«
narrow dirty streets, exhibit every ap|>cttr-
gncc of wretchedness and misery. It is situated
, jj„ the southern bank of the Orontes, and is
Uovercd <o the south by a mountain, on the slope
of which is a wall, built by the Crusaders.

Antioch was better calculated than Aloppo for
ihe emporium of the Europeans: by clearing ihe
mouth of the Orontes, which is six leaa^ues lov,er
down, boats mii>'ht have been towed, thoiigh
(lifv could not ha\e sailed up <hat river, the cur-
rent being too rapid. Its breadth ut Antiuch
i is about forty paces. AYe no longer hear of the
Grove of Daphne, or of the voluptuous scenes
of which it was the theatre. Though the soil of
Antioch is excellent, the plain is uncultivated,
and abundoned to the Turkmans; but tl»e bills
on the side of the -Orontes abound in plantations
111 figs, olives, vines, and mulberry -trees. The
J] !• rtlonian king, Seleucus Niuator, who found'
I'fd Aii'io* h, also built a large city, at the mouth
[oi tiic Orontes, which bore his name; but not a
mc" habitation of it at present remains. Nothing
is to be seen but heaps of rubbish. In the sea,
however, may be perceived the traces of two
piors, which are indications of an anciont port,
now choakcd up.

The Gulph, towards the north-east, is remark-
able for nothing but the town of Alexandretta,
or Skandaroon, of which it bears the name.
This town, which is situated on the sea-shore, is
t iiL more than a village without walls, in which

I «tcry stranger, who reshlas thoic three months, i<t afflicted
Hilli it: experience has taught mankind th.it the best mode

I of treating it is to tpply no remedy.

.Much has been saiil of the pigeons of Aleppo, whi«h

I serre as couriers at Alcxandrotta and lia^dad. Tiicy hate
been little noticed for the last thirty or forty years, because
tbe Curd robbers were assiduously employed in destroying
them. The mauner of sending advirc by these pigeons was ;
to take pairs, which had young ones, and convey them o#
kurscback to the place from whence they wished tbem to

I return, giving them an opportunity to take a full view.

I When any important intelKgence was received, the cor>

j respondent tied a billet to the pigeon's foot, and let it
loose. The bird, impatient to serits young, flewj-apidly
avay, and arrived at AJeppo in ten vours from Alexandretta,
and in two days from Bagdad. They had no diiTiculty in

I indJDg their way back, as Aleppo may bs perceived at ao

Vot. 11. No. LXXXVIL

the tombp are more numerous than ihe bouses,
and which owes its existence chiefly to the ronti
.which it commands. This is tlie only road in
Syria, where vessels anchor on a solid bottoni;
but. in otlier rtfspects, it has niauy iiicour
venienrcs. First, it is exposed, during winter,
to avviinl, peculiar to this place" .which, rushing
from the stiowy siunmits of the luountainii, fre-
quently forces the ships to drag their ar.chors
several lea<;'uc.s. Secondly, when the snow be-
gins to cover the. mountains which environ the
gulph, tenv|)e&tuous winds arise, which somc"
times prevuut vessels from entering for two or
three months together. Thirdly, the road from
Alexandretta to Aleppo, by the plain, is infested
by Curd robbers, who conceal themselves among
the rocks*.

A few years ago; the merchants of Aleppo,
disgusted with the innumerable inconveniences (»f
Alexandretta, wished to abandon that port, and
carry the trade to Latakia. They proposed to
the Pacha of Tripoli to repair the harbour ut
their own ex pence, on his granting them an
exemption from all duties for ten years. To in-
duce him to co!Mply with this request they again
talked much of the advantage, which would,
in time, result to the whole cotmtry. "But,
what signifies to nie what may happen in time ?
replied the Pacha; why should I deprive myself
of present advantages, which arc certain, for
future boQetits I saunot hope to partake? The
European factors were therefore obliged to re-
main at Skandaroon. The only curiosity, vfith
which they can amuse strangers, consists in six
or seven marble monuments, sent from England;
on vrbicii you read — Here lies such a one, taken

immense distance. Thii, pigeon has nothing peculiar in its
form, except its nostrils, which nre rougli and swelled
iiisti'iul of bring smor»tl» and cvun.

* Another reason, still more forcible, presents itself;
the air of Alexandretta is unwholesome in the extreme. It
is said to cairy oil one third of the crews of the vessels
which remain there during the summer: it is not, indeed,
thought extraordinary, for ships to l«isi< all their men in the
course of two mouths. The .seaton for this cpiilcmic dis.
order is usually from Mi^y to the end of Soptombca: it is a,
malignant intermitting fever, accompanied with obstructions
of the liver, tvhich terminates in a dropsy. The cities of
Tripoli, Acre, and Larneca in Cyprus, are subject to the
same, though in a^tess violent degree: the cause of this
contagion h to be ascribed to the adjoining morai'ses, stag-
nant waters, and coittequent vapouis and utephitic exhala..
tlous.

AC off

i:.'u

Mm.

A--

l^^'Mti

2SV

VOLNF-rs TnAVr.LS THROUGH

u»

<l/r in the Jlowcr af his age, by tin fatal qjffeets
of ft contagious air*.

The village of Martawan, on the road from
Aloxandrcttii to Aleppo, is celebrated amuug the
Turks and Europeans, for the extraordinary
practice of the inhabitants, who lot out their,
vivos and daughters for a trifling sum. This
prostitution, much abhorred by the Arabs, is
supposed to have Arigiuated in some religious
custom, which may be sought for in the ancient
worship of the goddess Venus. The Franks
pretend that the women are pretty; but it is
probable that long absliiwnce at sea lias rendered
tliom additionally fascinating to tht)3c lately land-
ed : their cxlcrior certainly anrthunces, to an im-
l)iir(ial spectator, nothing but disguKting misery
and wrdchcdnoss.

To the north-enst of Akppo is the town of
Mambedj; anciently so oelobratod imder the
names of Bambycc, and Horiapolis. No traces
remain of the temple of that goddess, with whose
worship we are made acquainted by Lucian,
The only remarkable monument is a subterra-
neous canal. All this country was formerly full
of aqueducts: the Assyrians, Modes, and Per-
sians thought it a rellgiotis duty to convey the
water to the desert, in order to multiply, ac-
cording to the doctrine of Zoroaster, the prin-
ciples of life and of abundance: at every step
we meet with astonishing proofs of ancient pojui-
latioD. Along the road from Aleppo to llama,
we behold the ruins of ancient villages, cisterns
failed in, and the remains of fortresses and tem-
ples. A quHiitity of oval and round hillocks
were scattered at regular intervals of nearly a

league

from each other, covered with tlie ruins
citadels, and were probably sacred plaass.

dedicated to the adoration of some deity; from
tiie well-known practice of the ancients wor-
shipping " on high places."

At present, instead of the high cultivation
which inight naturally have been expected, we
meet with only waste and desolated lands: the
soil, however, is of a good quality, and the
small quantity it produces of grain, cotton, and
scsanum is very excellent; but the frontiers of
tie desert are wholly destitute of springs and

* The sigh', of these is a'Milionally dintrcsdng, fiom (lie
languid air, fivid eyes, yellow complexion, aiul dropsical
bellies 'of tl.ijse who shew lhf>m ; us it seems extremely
jprffbal/le that they canaot long escape a siiuil.ir fate. But

running water. That of the welFs is brarkisl).
and the winter rains, on which the inliabitanh
principally depend, sometimes fail. For thij
reason, nothing can be conceived more nielancholi
than these parched and dusty plains, withom
trees or verdure; or more miserable tluui the an.
pearance of the straw and earthen huts wlijc^
compose their villages; nor can more extreme
distress be imagined than that of the peasant^
exposed to the cruel oppression of the Tiirki
and the daring robberies of the Bedouin Arabs.

TIIE PACIIALIC OF TllIPOLI.

This Pachalic comprehends the country
stretching along the Mediterranean, from Li' I
takia to the Narh-el-Kelb, and is bounded
the west by that torrent, and the chain of moun- 1
tains overlooking the Orontes. The greater part
of this country is hilly; though the sea-coast,
between Tripoli an I Latakin is level. Tliej
rivulets, with which it is watered, gieatly pro.
mote its fertility; but the plain is notwitlistani
ing less cultivated than the mountains, without
even excepting Lebanon, with its numerous rociu
and pine-trees. Its principal productions are
wheat, barley, and ctHton. In Latakia, tubacro
and olives are chiefly attended to ; and in Lebanon,
and the Kcsraouan, white mulberries trees audi
vineyards. - 4,, ,

This Pachalic eontaina several tribes and re-
ligions. From Lebanon to Latakia, the nioun-l
tains are inhabited by the Ausarians; Lebanon,!
and Kcsraouan by the Maronites; and the s(a-
coast and cities, by Greeks, Latins, and the I
descendants of the Arabs.

The Pacha of Tripoli has all the privileges olH
his place: the military deparimeot, and tliel
fluanccs arc under his controui. He also t'arnvJ
the government from the Porte, on an anniiall
lease, k.^ the rent of thirty-nine thousand poumkl
He is also obliged to supply the caravau of Mec-
ca wit!) corn, the cxpences of which iire akoj
estimat.id at seven hundred and fifty purses more,!
Jle must likewise conduct this convoy into thcl
Desert, to meet the pilgrims: to indcuinify iiiinl
for these expences he receives the Miri, theiiis-f
toms, and several other emoluments; bcsidcil

they have some, rcKOihCC in the villai;* of Baileii, tlirocl
leagues from Alexanurctta, the pure air aud cxcdtel
waters of which arc found very salubrious.

liio iiuilb;'n\.(recs, of whicli

Diasfl

RVIMA AND EGYPT.

US 5

JU. 1^

munv RiiinKil <?xf oriioM and cxiittioiis. H« iiiaiii-
tilns Hvc liundrtd cavalry, not in a bett»;r style
jiuiii tliosc of Aleppo, anil a few Mograbian in-

The Piiilia of Tripoli hiis ever been dcsironst
of |)craoiially governing the country of tlie Au-
fariaiis, «nd tlu! 'inronitcs; but these people
iiiiviiij? always forcibly opposed the eiitraticc of
the Turks into their mountains, the collection of
ihetribufc was intrusted to under famiers, ap-
proved of by the inhabitants. Their oflicc is not
liniit(;d to tlio year, like that of the Pacha, but
iulispcscd of by auction, which creates u coni-
pctilioii amonp: wealthy persons.

The farm of the Ausarians is now divided
gnioiig <lin'e chiefs; that of the Maronites is con-
tracted for by the Emir Yousef, who pays iiftecn
hundred an(i sixty pounds for it. Auionj^ the
place!! in this Puchalic, we shall first mention
I Tripoli, the residence of the Pacha. It is situ-
ated on the river Kadisha, not far from its mouth,
and exactly at the foot of Mount Lebanon. It
is separated from the sea by a small triangular

ain, half a league in breadth, near a village,

I tailed La Marine, by the Franks. There is no

I harbour, but a simple road, extending from the

shore to the shoaU called, The Rabbit and

\ Pigeon Islands* . In the time of the Crusades,

this road was defended by towers, seven of which

remain, serving merely as a place of resort for

birds of prey f.

The commerce of Tripoli is in the hands of
I the French : they have a consul here, and three
I commercial houses.

The town of Latakia, founded by Seleucus

* Tripoli is a Crrcrk name signifying three cities, it
liannR been built by three colonies, from SiJon, Tyre, and

I Aniiliis who each formed settlements so near each other,
(li.it tiny were soon united into one.

I f Tliu environs of Tripoli arc laid out in orchards,
«!it're the nopnl irrows spontaneously, and the white miil.
be.fi is cultivated for the silk worm ; and the pomegranate,
the vrange, and the lemon-tree, for their boaiitifiil fruit.
}iiU though these places delight the eye, they are un-
healthy. Kpideniic fevers reign here annually from July to

[ Sptcmber, like those of Skandaroon and Cyprus.

['he romnicrce of Tripoli consists principally in different
ooa^e silks which arc used for laces. It is observed that
f.'ic) :i re daily losing their quality: this, by w«l|. informed
|H!)|)le, is supposed to be in consequenee of the decay of
till' miilb.'rn-trees, of which hardly any thing now remains

I bit Kiiiu! hollow trunks. A question then naturally oc-
•urs, Why not plant new ones ? Ao European might with

Nicator, is situated on the southern side of a
small peninsula. Its port is a sort of bason, en-
vironed by a mole, the entrance of which is ^ery
narrow: it might have contained about twenty-
five vesseh, but the Turks have suflered it to be
so far choaked up as to be hardly capable of ad-
mitting four. Ships of four hundred tons can-
not ride here; and many are stranded in the en-
trance. Still, however, Latakia has considerable
commerce, particularly in tobacco, of which
not less than twenty cargoes arc anually sent to
Diamctta. In the time of Strabo, instead of to-
bacco, the exports consisted of its celebrated
>yines, the produce of the hill sides. At that
time, Egypt was the market, by way of Alex-
andria. Neither Latakia nor Tripoli arc places
of strength ; they havie neither cannon nor sol-
diers. A single privateer would capture theni
both. Each of these places are supposed to con-^
tain four or five thousand inhabitants.

On the coast, between these towns, wc ob*-
serve several inhabited villagesj which were
formerly considerable cities: such are Djebila
Merkah, and Tartousa; but we find many places
which are only half destroyed, with remains of
ancient habitations. Among the latter, one of
the principal is the rock of Rouad, formerly a
respectable city and republic, known by tlie
name of .iradns. Mot a wall is remaining of
that multitude of houses, which, according to
Strabo, had more stories than even those of
R;);Tie. The liberty enjoyed by the inhabitants
\ .".^ ihe cause of its becoming populous, and it
subsisted by naval commerce, manufacture?, and'
arts.

propriety start such a pro|)osition : — but here tlicy never
phint; for, should they venture to build or plant, lh«
Pacha would say — "This man has got money ;" fie would
send for hitn, and demand it of him. Should he deny that
he is possessed of any, he must sutler the b.istinadb; —
Should he then confess, the drubbing is still continued to
extort a further discovery. The Tripolifans are not, how-
ever, remarkable for their patience; they are, on the con.
trary, considered as extremely mutinous. Their title of
Janisaries, and the green turban they wear, glre turbiileiiee
to their domineering spirit. About a dozen years agt), the
extortions of a P.ieha drove them to extremities ; they ex-
pelled him, and remained eight months in a state of inde-
pendence; but the I'orte sesit a n»an of deep intrigue, who,
l)y pronuses, oaths, and panloiii, gained, anil dispersed
them ; and concluded by teriniuatinc, lite lives of eicht hun-
dred in one day, Avhose heads may still be set» in a ca've
near Kadishka. — Such is the goveruiuect of tlioTurksl

?.l="

:..!

'fit':

ii 1 ..

:' I

^m U

'283

TOLNEY's TPvAVELS THROUGH

To the south of Tripoli is the country of the
Kesraouan, extending from Nahr-el-kelb to Tri-
poli. Djebail, the ancient Byblos, is the priii-
tipal town in this territory, though it docs not
contain above six thousand inhabitants. The
river Ibrahim, the ancient Adonis, two leagues
to the southward, has the only bridge to be seen
from thence to Antioch, except that of Tripoli.
It consists of a single arch, fifty feet wide, and
about thirty feet high: it is of a light architec-
ture, and seems to have been a work of the
Arabs.

The places most frequented by the European;?,
among tlie mountains, are the villages of Edeii.
and Basharrai, where the missionaries have a
•house. lu the winter, many of the inhabitants
leave their houses under the snow, and remove
to the sea-coast. On the frontiers of tlie Kesra-
ouan, a mile north of Nahr-el-kelb, is thevil-
•lage of Antoura, where the Jesuits have esta-
blished a respectable house. It is situated on the
side of the hill; the limpid waters of which re-
fresh its vineyards and mulberry trees: its distant
view of the sea, and its command over the valley,
also contribute to render it a most agreeable her-
mitage. The Jesuits endeavoured to annex it to
a convent of nuns, situated at the distance of a
quarter ''*' a league.; but the Greek Christians
having dispossessed them, they erected one oloee
to them, to which they gnve the name of the
» isitation.

THE PAGHALIC OF SAIDE OR ACRE.

To the south of Tripoli, and on the same
coast, A third Pjichalic has, till now, borne the
name of Saide, but may hereafter assume that of
Acre, to which place the Pacha bad lately trans-

» The Pacha enjoys all the privileges and cmoIumcnJs of
his oifico ; he is despotic guvcrnor, and farinur^gcnpral.
IJc annually remits to the Porte the Q\ud sum of seven linn.
dred and tifly purses; and he is ulso obligml to furni'ih
provisions for the pilgrims of Mecca. The time of his
gurrrnment iv limited to a year, but this is generally pro.
Ionised. His reveni' js arr; lite ftliri ; the farms of the tribu-
taries; th': fees from .successions aiid extortion.s ; and the
produce of the cubi'ii'.^: on e\port.<i and imports, which ar-
ticli; alone iimounteii io upwards o"" fifty thousand pounds,
vhen Djrizar farmed the hurbuurs and crocks ai 1784.
This Paehialsu, a,* is usually the case with cVj Turkish
(roTernokiJ in Asia, cultivates land on his own account, as>
Miriatcs \u partnership with merchants and manufauturerfi.
and lends money at iutcrest to husbandmiu and tra'lcrii.

* Every Pacha of three tails is sliled Visir.

ferred his residence. TIip extent of this go^>cr^
ment has considerabl;^ v.iried at different times
Before Shaik Daher it included the conntrvof
the Dru'/es, and the coast as far as Mount Car.
mel ; but, after the ruin of Daher, the govcm,
ment resumed its ancient limits. , Djezzar, ^1,^
succeeded that chief in quality of Pacha fut
the Turks, has annexed to the Paclialic (be
countries of Safad, Tabaria, and Balbec. Thjj
Pacha, perceiving the advantage of the wnrla
erected by Daher at Acre, transferred his resi.
dence to that city, which u now become the
capital of the province.

By these augm: ntations the Pachalic of Acre i
now includes all the country from the Nahr-i
kelb, to the south of Aaisuria. It derives (he j
more importance from this extent, from its unitine
the valuable advantages uf situation and sol
The plains of Acre, &c. arc justly boasted for
their fertility: Kasairia possesses a forest «|'
oaks, the only one in Syria. Safad furnisha
cottons, which, from their whiteness, are «
highly esteemed as those of Cyprus: the mouif.
tains of Sour produce as excellent tobacco a)
Latakia; and in a part of them a perfume of
•cloves is made, which is exclusively reserved lor
the use of the Sultan and his women. The ccaii-
try of the DruTie^ also abounds in wines and I
sijks; and f-'^Ti the situation of the coast, and
the numbe- of its checks, this Pachalic is become
the emporium of Damascus, and &11 the interior
parts of Syr '.a*.

TNie Porte is now on good ttrrnis with Djt7,zar, I
in consequence »f his former services; particularlrl
for his having greatly contributed to the ruin ufl
Daher f .

By sea, he has or.c frigate, two galliots, andii

.\cbecli,

The total, aris.ng from these ditferout emoluments ii oili.l
mated at between niut and ten millions of Fi 'chninncrl
Cabout four hundred thuuiiand pounds.) The Irilinit, I
when once settled, never varies; but if the Pacha hi'cgmt [
rich, methods arc employed to sqiui'ze him. lie is sunt.
times permitted to accumulate long without mdlcitatioo;!
but when he is known to have amassed great wcalLii, sogiil
expedient will not fail to be contrived to bring lo L'uiistiii'[
tiaople his coH'ers or his head. I

t He extirpated t'le family of that prince, embed tlfl
Hedouin of Saker, humbled IIm Dnizes, and almost .iniillii.l
lated the Motoualis. These successes secure! liiMliiHil
government for ten /cars. He wiis lately fimiouri'iUiikl
llio three tails, and the title of \i*ir* whicu acconijiaiiii-il
them : but the Porte begins to \!f iVaJjus of his c.<vv\ lo

*'jtif;

*iR5T',T '•-'^'*r^T=

H|',y^r

SYllTA AND IfGYPT.

«8r

xebecki wh't^ ^® ^^ lately taken from the Mai-
teie: thus he apparently tneans to put himself
his euard against the stratagems of the Divan.
Several invidious attempts have been made for his
destruction, but they have all proved abortive; the
cholic, of which two or three of his enemies
have sudd^'nly died, has cooled the zeal of those
who might otherwise engage more willingly in
to hazardous a business. Besides, he has retain-
ed several spies in his service, in the Seraglio, or
palace of the Sultan. He has just obtained the
Pacbalic of Damascus, which is acknowledged
(0 be the most important in all Syria: that of
Acre he has resigned to a Mameluke, named Se-
]iin. his bosom friend, who is so firmly attached
L bim that Djezzar may be considered as in pos-
itsion of both the governments. He is said to be
liciting that of Aleppo; and should his endea-
ours be crowned with success, he will almost
the whole of Syria, when the Porte will
robably f nd in him a rebel more dangerous
Ibtn Daher.
Among the most remarkable places in this
balic, the first that presents itself is the town
f Berytus, pronounced Bairout by the Arabs.
t is situated on a plain, which, from the foot
f Lebanon, runs out into the sea, and forms a
nngroad, receiving the river Nahr-el Salib. Pro-
ding westward towards the point, we reach
town of Bairout, which, till lately, belong-
to tiie Druzes; but was taken troni them by
i|ez2ar, wl/o made it a Turkish garrison. It
co.it'riUes the emporium of the Maronites
,nd the Druzes, where they export their cottons
md silks, the principal pi.rtof which are sent to
giro. The dialect of the inhabitants is censured
9 the most corrupt of any in the country, as it
nites the twelve faults enumerated by the Ara-
ian gramm&riaus.

lunc; and h alarmed »t nis cntorpriziiig spirit: und the
Tacha hcgiiis to be Bp,ireliensive of the duplicity of the
Diran; a mutual distrust consequently prevails, from
kli'iifc important matters may bi; expected. Tiie Pirha
jiilulains a greater number of luldicrs, di.'.I i;* a more re.
Ipcctahlc condition than any other of his rank ; and is par.
ticiilidly careful to enroll none but thosa of his own country :
fmf consist of nine hundred horsemen, and to these arc
liliicii nine thousand Mograbian infantry.

* Id summer, the air of Dairout is thought too snitry ;

* Or. Frmillitt has given verjf iafiyjacforif raa.ion.ffor
V'h siiktarjf effect of trees, ftaftkiUarlfj pinet : this subject
|n< also been tcell treated btj several Engb'sh and Frciivh

Vol.11. Xo. LXXXVlll.

The port of Bairout, like all the others, is
choaked up with sands and ruins. The town is
surrounded by a wall of soft and sandy stone,
which may be pierced by a cannon ball. Two
inconveniences attend it which will ever prevent
Bairou' from becoming a place of strength ; it
is commanded by a chain of hills to the south-
east, and is entirely destitute of water : the
women are obliged to fetch what they want from
a well at a considerable distance, and when thej
have got it, they find it very indiflTerent. By
^igS'"?' '"^ order to form reservoirs, subterra-
neous ruins have been discovered, from which it
appears that the moderr- town possesses the same
spot on which the former erections were made.
The same observations occur with respect to La-
takia, Antioch, Tripoli, Saide, and ma;.jr places
on the coast, which have been destroyed by
earthquakes, at various periods. Without the
town we find, to the west, heaps of rubbish,
and some shafts of columns, which indicate that
Bairout has formerly been much larger than it is
ui present. The surrounding plain is planted
with white mulberry trees, which, unlike those
of Tripoli, are young and prosperous; because,
among the Druzes, there is no dang'^r in renew-
ing them; the silk produced here is, therefore,
of the finest quality*.

The principal place in the country of the Dru-
zes is Dair-el-Kamar, or the house of the Moon,
which is the capital, and tbe residence of the
F^Hiirs. It is a large, dirty, ill-built town, situ-
ated on ihe back of a mountain, at the foot ot
which flows one of the branches of the ancient
river Tamrns, now tbe rivulet of Damour. It is
inhabited by Greek Cat>i-ilics and Schismatics,
Mtiionites, and Dru/es, to tlit- number of about
sixteen hundred. Tho paiac« of the prince is a
large wretched house in a vr^ ruinous state f.

the town, however, is siipposui! not to bo unhealthy,
though it vfxs formui-ly thought so. It lias ceased to be un^r
huaUliy since the Kmir Fakr-eUdIn, planted a wood of fir-r
trees which arc still standing, a league to the southward of
i!.? *^\vn. The monks of Mahr-ilcnna hare aiade this ob.
servatioii lespecting several convents; they assert, that
S!:ii:e lite heights have been planted with pines, the waters
of (he springs have been more abundaut, aud moru lalu*
brioir *■.

+ I'hc Greek Catholics, aTailing thcmsolvos of the per.

philosoplicr.i ; ainnng others, hif the Murqin< de CliastcUiix,
in his Travets to J^'orlk Amcrit\ , undtr the > (inie I'f'rginia.

4 D

Bussioa

!!';

*,l!

ill-:

lii

\\m

888

VOLNFT'g TRAVF.LS TrUTOUGTI

; In the admlnisfration of ttiis house, and the
mamurs of the rclip;ipus who occupy it, wo find
Eoiuc sinulaiities which may deserve utteiitioii.
Their outer is that of Saiat JBusil, who is to the
Orit'otais wliat Saint Benedict is to the western
(llnisliaiis. They may prouonuce, the vows at
tiic age of sijcteen; and these vows are, as every
whcrq else, vows of poverty, obeditniic, devotion,
to the order, and, chastity. The condition of the
oriental monks is iurinitely more severe than that
of the Europeans, as appears from tlic foHowing
account of their domestic life. They rise at four
in the morning, and retire to rest at nine in the
evening, during which time they have only two
meals, viz. at nine and five. They live wholly
en meagre diet, and hardly allow themselves
llesh meat on the most necessary occasions. Like
iiie other Greeks, they have three Lent^ a year,
and a multitude of fasts, during which they are
jiot to cat eggs, milk, butter, nor clicese. Al-
most (he w hole year they live on lentils and beans
vith oil, rice and butter, curds, olives, and a
■very liUle salt fish. They have a coarse little loaf
of bread, badly leaveaed, which is to last them
two days, and is fresh made only twice a week.
"With tliis f'- '1 they suppose they are less subject
to maladies than the peasants, though it is well
known that they have all issues in their arms, and
IKi.ny of them are attacked bykernias; occasioned,
it is supposed, by their immoderate use of oil.
Each of them lodges in a narrow cell, his whole
lurni\ure consisting of a mat, a matrass, and a
biai\kct. They have no occasion fo*" sheets, as
they sleep with their doaths on, which consists of
a coarse cotton shirt, striped with blue, a waist-
coat, a pair of drawers, and a surplice of coarse
brown cloth. Contrary to the custom of the
CO ... iv, they wear their hair eight inches long,

mi'Jsion ijraiifcd (hem for tliut iiiiiposi-, Iiavr foumlcd twelve
roiivciils within (hi' l;ist sovont) jcars. 'i'hc ;)riiuipal of
thcs(! in .Miir-Ilanii.l : i( is s)'ur>t( il oppohite (lie village of
.Shonair, oti a "-teop i!ecli\i!y, a( the hoKoni of which a (or.
Tent runs in wiiitvr into the Xahr-el kell». This convent
cotiitists of a dormitory, witii two rows of tell.s, !>.:n\ maiti-
tains forty monks. Ithasuit Ainliie I'rin'irtfj-press, the
CMly one rthich has sncreeded iu (lie 'riirkish eni|)irc.

• Tlio same regulations are obsiTved iii all the twelve
houses of the order. The wlioli' niiiiber of tli;"^o rer::;i<)!is
nmodnt to about one hundred ii;id lilty, wiih fife roiive.il?
of women which depend on tli.ui. The iirs', Miperiors who
established ihoin, supposed (hey had |)etf.)riiied a nuiitorioiis
net; but they now repent that it has been done; because
TuiDH arc danf^eroiis things in u Tiuki^ii country, wlio, as
they arc connected with the wealthiest merchants, get rid o.*"

and, by way oi" liood, a cylinder of felt ten ind,.
high, like (hose of (iic I'urkish cavalry, j;;,^
one of them <!i\ercises some trade, or u»i(lj.f(j)j.
somf, uselul em-pjoynient. in the house. Two^f
them manage the kiUheii, foUr Work ht (lie print.
ing-press, four are book-binders, and all f, sj,; j
the bake-house on (he days appointed for mikm?
bread. The expence of supporting foriv o-
forty-five persons, of which the convent consisii
does not exceed six hundred and tweiitv-fiyj
pounds; and from this myst be ded'icted the
amount of their hospitality to all passenijers
wiiich is a very considerable article : It must be
admitted indeed that most of the passengers Ifa^
presents of alms, which form» a part of ilu
revenue of the house; the other part arises from
the culture of the lands. 'I'hey form a consider-
able extent of ground : these lands were tieiirc]
out by (he first monks theiUBelves; but now |iif,
cnmniit the culture of them to the pe<'sii \'f,^[
allow them half the produce. Fp.mer v '•
ligious would not indulge themselves with vine'
but they have gradually relaxed from their prinn!
tive uusterity : they have even begun to allow the
use of tobacco and coffee, notwilhstaniling ttie
remoi'slrancos of the more aged Monks, who are
cautiou3 ot j;rari'ing too many iiululgenciej to
youth *.

I ^xt to IMar-IIanna, the convent of JJoiV
jVokdllcs, or Saint Saviour, i» (lie most remark-
able. It is three hours journey north-east of
Saidc. The religious there Intd collec(ed aeon-
siderahle number of prinied Arabic hooks and
maiuiscri{)ts ; but Djezzar having practised lioj
tilities in these districts about eight M'ars agi,
his soldiers pillaged the house^ and carried a
all (he books. i .y-'o'-; ' r '

Ileturiiiug- to tlie sea-coast, we first reniarlt

(heir daughters for a stipulated sum, by plaeiiif; (hrni iij
these convents; (he nierihaiUs al^o bestow on iluiii coj.r
sider:ible alms, ^ilhout requiriu'j any thing in rcluiii bjtl
(hiir p^a^ers (o Clc.'l, (ha( he would preserve (liim frnj
(he rajiaciiy of the I'achas, Hut neither their presents, mrl
(he prayers of the religious, can protect (hem fromeMuiiicnJ
i\ol lonj; aii,o, one of these merchants ven(urrd to liiiijf
a house at Damascus, which cost him upwards of livoilo.
sand p,oun(l,-;. The i'acii;». oliserving it, intimated lo iJ
owner, that he ^hoidd be hujipy to see his new house, an|
would pay a^i«t for (hat purpose, as well as (o (alii
dish (if coll'ee. with him. As it was, tlierefore, |)ruljalji(J
that (he Pacha mij:lit have been so charmed with it, :h i
(<■ h:ive (piilled it a^^ain, he thought it necessary, to aii),ii
his politeness, by iiniking him a present of seven thoiiMiiij
live liundreil puuiidg.

Saidfl

SYRIA ANR F.GYPT.

faidf, the nnvfotiby oflf»pcin^-.rtf|».g.cieiU vSidon*.
i\\U pliiP'^' onto the rcsiclctice of the Pachii, is a
iritii ill'l'ni-^t towu> aiVd full of nioilern riiiii'?
Oil the south side, iv foil js built on an (Mninciuoj
iioiii whence a vienv iiiii._y be tukcn of tbe,seaj the
gitv, and the cO«ntiy: ,a^vo^y few. cannon would
(li>>ir(\v the whole work, which is pnly a tower of
a tii)£;[e story, already half in ruins, At Ihe other
cxlieinivr Qf •^''s towji);.i*,tl>e.'cas4le, built in the
sea eighty paces from the main> land, to which
it is joined l))" «i»'ebe8 To-t|»e wcsi is a siwal,
filteen fpt't high above tile, »ea> and about ^w>o
biiiidred paces long : thCiShoal has a bason, en-
closed b.V a decayed pier. ; .this was tlie ancient
jiflit, but it is now almost choakcd up by sand.
'i!\e whole artillery (^e^ rnot exceed six cannon,
wii'uut either carriage^ or gunners : the ga,rrison
bardly ainounts to- one hundred men.

Saide is a capital trading town, the chief ctn-
poriwn of Damascus, and the interior co,untry :
inc Tronch have a consul here, ^nd five or six
commercial ^houses. Their exports are silks, and
jaw and spun cottons. The number of inhabi-
tants may be cstimt^ted at about five thousand.

Six leagues ia the south of Saide, keeping
ali>"^t!".e coast, we artive at the village of Spur;
ill which name we recognize that of, !/.V»v, which
we receive from the Latins. Tliename.of J'l/rc
recalls to the .mepiory so many great events, and
iiiggests su ma^iy- refiectiot^, tha^ some minute-
ncis will doubtless be excused iuthc. description
nf a place which was anciently' the thttatre of an
immense comuicrce.

Sour r situated on a peninsula, projecting
from li.e ^'j ire into the sea, in the form of a
iiuillr' \v.i;'<; an oval hea^. This head is a solid
rocii, .k i with brown earth, forming a plain

iof ';. ; ;h' huiidrcd paces long, by fourjuiu-
dredbr.).. ihc isthmus, joining this plaiu to
llie coidini'rttj .s of pure sea sand. The village
ul Suur iii situated at the junction of this isthmus

* 'The imme still suiii. is hi a smiill village half a league
ffum S:ii(l(>.
+ K/.iikii'i, eh. '27.

I .Miio miles to liio south of Soiir sl.iiuls the cily of

Aiic, .incioiKly known imjcr thu iiaino of Aco, and after-

■ *by thiit of I'tolomuis. After tlio expulsion of the

J''r.s, it was almost ilosortml ; but it was afjain roviveil

.' ^ Miliisfry of D.ihi'r: and lliiV works lately crectoi! by

|J)j'z..-, h,i jiiidored it a very considerable town. 'J'lie

muMjiic (if this Parha is considered a master.|)ie''e. of (^astern

[ liistc; tho cyvcjcU market is e<iual to lliosc of Aleppo, uitd

with the ancient island. The point to the north
is occupied bv a bason, which is at present
choaked up. The opening at the |)()int, is de-
fended by two towers, opposite to each other. '

Further on in the sea, to the north-west of the
iwint, is a ridf^^c of rocks rising to the surface of
th^ water. The space whicli sepurales them
from the main land in front, for'iis a kind of road,
where vessels may more safely anchor than at
Saide, but they arc not perfectly frco rr(»ai d linger,
as they are exposed to the norlh-west vine's, and
the bottom injures the cables. The village con-
tains about fifty or sixty poor families, v'licli
are barely supported by the produce of their
small quantity of land, and a trifling fishery.
Unlike the edifices in the time of Strabo, which
were three or four stories high, they now consist
of wretched huts, ready to crumble to pieces.
Formerly they were defenceless towards the land,
but the Motoualis, who obtained this place in
17GG, enclosed it with a high wall, which still
subsists. The most remarkable building is a
ruin at the south-end corner : it was a Christiaa
church, built by the crusaders, but only a ])art
of. the choir is now remaining. Two beautiful
columns, with shafts of granite, are observed
here, of a, kind unknown in Syria. Djizzar
wished to ornament his mosque at Acre with
them, but his eugincers were unable even to
nu)ve them.

The vicissitudes of time, or rather the barba-
rism, of the Greeks and the Lower Empire, and
the Mahometans, have accomplished the predic-
tion f. instead of that ancient commerce, so
active and extensive. Sour is now a miberable
village, without any other trade than the ex-
portation of a few sacks of corn, and raw cot-
ton ; nor any merchant but a single Greek factor,
who finds it diillcult to procure support for his
family |.

That part of the bay of Acre where ^he ships
_ anchor

its public fountain surpasses inelegance those of Damascus.
The Pacha derives inlinite honour from tliesu works, as he
was himself I'oth the engineer aud'llk; architect. The port
of Acre is finely situated on the coast, beiuf^ shcltiwed from
the north and north-west winds by the town itself; biit m
it has been greatly choaked up since the time of Fakr-el-din,
l)j(>//.ar has only made it a landin[;.]>la(e for boats. Tlie
fortilic.itions are unimportant : only a few rusty iron pieces
f)f cannon so bad, that some of them burst every time of
firing. Its defence on th> lanri bidu is aotliiu j more than a
garden wall, without any dilcUt ■• • .^ n^

290

VOLNEVs TRAVELS THROUGH

anchor v/'iih the g^reatest security lies to the north
of mount Carmel, below Haifa : the bottom is
good holding ground, but this harbour is open
to the north-west wind. Mount Carmel is a
flattened cone, and very rocky ; it is about two
thousand feet high. As we go towards the east,
at about six leagues distance, we see J\'asra, or
Nazareth, so celebrated in the history of Chris-
tianity: it is a small village, a third of whose in-
habitants are Mahometans ; the other two thirds
are Greek Catholics. The fathers of the Holy
Land have an Hospitium and a church here. In
Daher's time, every one was obliged to besiow a
present to every wife he married ; he seldom failed
to marry about one a week.

Two leagues to the south-east of Nasra is
Mount Tabor, from whence is behek' hp finest
prospect in all Syria : the sutnmit is U,'- 's

of a league in circumference. It had anc ly
a citadeJ, a few stones of which now only re-
main. From hence we discover, to the south, a
series of vallies and mountains, which extend to
Jerusalem ; and to the east the valley of Jordan,
and Lake Tabaria appears as if under our feet;
beyond this, the eye loses itself towards the plains
of Hauran : when, turning to the north, we take
a cursory view of the fertile plains of Galilee.

The bank of Lake Tabaria presents nothing
remarkable : the town takes its name from the
lake. It has a fountain of warm mineral waters
in the neighbourhood : for want of cleaning, it
is filled with a black mud, which is a genuine
Ethiops Mineral. Persons afflicted with rfaeu-
inatic complaints, find great relief from baths of
this mud. The town is little more than a heap
of ruins, and hardly contains a hundred families.
Stven leagues to the north of Tabaria stands the
village of Safad, the scat of Daher's power.
Under the government of this Shaik an Arabian
college was established there, in which the Mo-
touaiis doctors instructed youth in grammar, and
an allegorical interpretation of the Koran. The
Jews, who supposed the Messiah will establish
the seat of his empire at Safad, grew fond of
this place, and assembled about sixty families in

it; but the earthquake of 1759, demolished

■^ .-, J- ^ —

The Pacha, by an abuse too coininon throughout the
Turkish empire, has monopolized all the trade; no cotton
rill Ite fiold but io him ; and from him urory purchase must
be u\ade. The Kuropean merchants claimed the privileges
gianted them by the Sultan, but in vain— Djezzar i>aid, he

every thing, and Safad is now almost a desety
village.

Proceeding towards the north, we follow a
chain of lofty mountains named Dejebal-el-Shaik
among which are the sources of the Jordan, as
well as those of several rivulets which water the
plain of Damascus. Before the earthquake of
1759, the country was covered with the villages
and plantations of the Motoualis ; but that cala-
mity, and the war with the Turks, have occasion-
ed general devastation. The only place of iQ.
portance is the city of Balbec.

That city, so celebrated by the Greeks and
Latins, under the nanae of Heliopolis, or the citvof
the Sun, is situated at the foot of Anti- Lebanon
on the last rising ground where the mountain ter-
minates in the plain. As we arrive from tlie
south, we discover the city at the distance of
about a league and ft half, behind a hedge of
trees, over the tops of which appears a while
edging of domes and Minarets. After an hour's
journey we reach these trees, which produce ei-
cellent walnuts, and crossing some gardens, ve
arrive, by winding paths, at the entrance of the
city. We there perceive a ruined wall, flanked
with square towers. This waill enables us to tske
a view of those void spaces and heaps of ruins
which appear in every Turkish city ; but what
greatly attracts our attention, is a large edifice
en the left, which by its lofly walls, and rich
columns, seems to be one of those temples, which
antiquity has left for our admiration. These
ruins, which are some of the most beautiful in |
Asia, as well as the best preserved, demand i
particular description.

After having croswd^ the rubbish and liiils, I
with which it is filled, we arrive at a part which
appears to have been a square : there, in a front
towards the west, we observe a grand ruin, con-
sisted of two pavilions ornamented with pilastres,
joined at their bottom angle by a wall one hun-
dred and sixty feet in length. The front com-
mands the open country, from a sort of terrace, I
on the edge of which we distinguish the bases of
twelve columns : the principal gate is obstructed
by heaps of stones. That obstacle surmounted, {

was the sultan in his country, and continued his monopoly
These merchants arc chicUy French ; they have si\ housi'
at Acre, with a consul. An imperiul agent is a\n> iatdy |
settled there, and a resident from Um>sia.

\\t\

:' '; k\

8YRU AND EGYPT.

291

we enter an hexagonal court of one hundred and
ciehty feet diameter. This court is strewed with
broken colutnnSj mutilated capitals, entablatures^
and cornices. Around it we observe a row of
cdificesj displaying all the ornaments of the rich-
est architecture. At the end of this court, is an
outlet, through wl ch we behold a more exten-
sive range of magnificent ruins. To have a full
prospect of these, we must ascend a slope, and
we then arrive at the entrance of a large squara^
court. The eye is first attracted by tne endlir
tbii court, where six majestic columns render the
scene astonishingly grand and picturesque. A
second range of columns to the left, appear to
have been part of the peristyle of a temple. But
we cannot refuse particular attention to a sort of
»llery which contains various chambers; seven
of which may be reckoned in each of the principal
wiogo. At length we arrive at the feot of the
six colunqns, and then first conceive all the bold-
ness of their elevation, and the richness of their
workmanship. Their shafts are twenty-five feet
eight inches in circumference, and fifty-eight feet
high: the total height, including the entablature,
is from seventy-one to seventy-two feet. The
sight of this superb ruin, thus unaccompanied,
it first ytrikes us with astonishment ; but, on ex-

• The walls of the Corinthian order, now pretent nothing
bit p'idiinents of nichei, and tabernaclet, of which almost
lU the supporters are fallen to the ground. Between these
ficlifls is a range of fluted pilaiters, whose capitals support
1 brolirn entablature ; but what remains of it display's a
rich frize of foliage, resting on the heads of satyrs, horses,
kulls, &c. Over tJiis entablature was the ancient roof,
which was fifty.ieven feet wide, and one hqndred apd ten in
length. No idea can lie formed of the ornaments of this
To«r, but from ihe fragncntt lying on the ground. It
wosid perhaps be thought tedious to enter more minutely
into Ihe description of this astonishing cditice. The lovers
gf Ihe arts will find it accurately described in a work pub.
lisbed in London in 1767, under the title of Ruins of BaU
bee. This work, written by Mr. Wood, the world owes
to Ihe attention apd liberality of Mr. Dawkins, who, in
1751, visited Balliec and Palmyra.

Several changes, however, have taken place since their
iournry : for example, th«y found nine large columns
iUtiding; and, in 1784, I fiund but six. They reckoned
tweDiy.ninc at the lesser temple, but there now remain but
twenty. The others have been overthrown by the earth-
qsske in 1760.

Notliing can surpass the ^rorkmanship of these astonish-
ing columns : though they a.-c joined without any cement,
there is not room for the blade of a kn'Te between their in-
terstices ; and, after so many ages, they in general siiH
maintain their original whiteness. But the enormous stones
which compose the sloping wall are truly astooUhiDg. To

Vol. II. No. LXXXVIII.

tensive examination, we discover a series of
foundations of two hundred and sixty eight feet
!n length, andone hunJtcd and forty-six wide.
It presented to the great court a front of ten
columns, with nineteen on each side. The ground
on which it stood was an oblong square. The
esplanade this produces, fronts the open country,
towards the west by a sloping wall of about thirty
feet. The descent, as you approach the city,
becomes less steep. Such was the former state of
this edifice; but tlie southern side of the grand
temple was afterwards blocked up to build a
smaller one, the peristyle aid walls of which are
still remaining. This temple, situated some feet
lower than the other, presents a side of thirteen
columns, by eight in front, vyhich are also of the
Corinthian order: their shafts are fifteen feet
eight inches in circumference, and forty-four in
height *.

When we reflect on the extraordinary magni-
ficence of the temple of Qalbec, we are astonish-
ed at the silence of the Greek and Roman authors.
Mr. Wood, who has minutely examined all the
ancient writers, has seen no mention of it, but in a
fragment of John of Antioch, who attributes the
buildingof these superb works to Antoninus Pius.
The inscriptions which remain seem to cor-

the west, the second layer is formed of stones from twenty-
eight to tliirty.five feet long, by about nine in hei«hf.
There is still lying there a stone, hewn on three sidt^s,
which is sixty.nine feet two Inchjs long, twelve feet ten
inches broad, and thirteen feet three in thickness. By
what means could the ancients move these enormouii
masses ?— -Tills is doubtless a problem in mechanics curious
(o resolve. The inhabitants of Balbcc, indeed, have a very
commodious manner of explaining it, by supposing these
edifices to have been constructed by Genii, who obeyed the
orders of king Solomon ; adding, that the intention of snch
immense works was to conceal, in subterraneous caverns,
immense treasurer, which still remain (here.

The belief in hidden treasures has been confirmed by dU.
covcries which have been really made from time to time.
Not more than ten years ago a small colTer was found at
Hebron, containing a quantity of gold and silver medals ;
with an ancient arable book on medicine. In tl^c country
of the Druzcs, an individual also found, .lorno lime since,
ajar full of gold coin, in the form of a crescent : but as the
chiefs and governors claim allsuch discoveries, and perse,
cute those who make them, those who really find any thing
valuable endeavour carefully to conceal it. Perhaps they
secretly melt the antique coins, and even bury them again
in the same place where they found them, tjie same fears
operating upon them which caused their first concealment ;
and which also prove that the same tyranny formerly exist,
cd iu these countries.

: U

i\\

Mi'

ii'-'

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! M :il- '-

■'M\l

fl;«

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a X

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roborate

292

VOLNEY's TRAYELS THROUGfT

roborate this opinion, and account for the con-
stant use of tbe Corinthian order, as that order
was not in general use till the third age of Rome,
But we art' justified in mentioning as an ad-
ditionul proof, the bird sculptured over the gate;
for, if his crooked back, large claws, and the
caduceus he bears, give him the general appear-
ance of an eagle, the tufted feathers on his head
demonstrate that he is not .. Roman Eugle. Let
it also be observed, that the same bird' is found
in the temple of Palmyra, and is there evidently
an oriental eagle, consecrated to the Sun, the
Divinity adored in both these temples. His wor-
ship existed at Balbcc, in the most remote an-
tiquity. Mr. Wood very rationally supposies,
that the name of Balbec, which in the Syriac
signifies City of Bal, or of the Sun, originated in
this worship. \Veare ignorant of this city in re-
mote antiquity: but it may reasonably be pre-
sumed that its situation, on the road from Tyre
to Palmyra, afforded it some part of the com-
iv.crce of those opulent cities. Under the Ro-
mans, in the time of Augustus, it is mentioned
as a garrison town. One hundred and forty years,
after, Antoninus built there the present temple,
instead of the ancient one, whieh then was pro-
bably falling into ruins ; but Christianity having
gained the ascendancy under Constantine, the
modern temple was neglected, and afterwards
became a church, a wall of which at present re-
mains. It continued thus till the invasion of the
Arabs; when, being less frequented, it fell into
■rl'T'iy : wars succeeded, and it was converted into
b f.Iace of defence; and from that time, the temple
was rapidly reduced to ruin.

The state of the city is equally deplorable : the
iniquitous government of the emirs of the house
of Ilsrfouche, had considerably impaired it, and
the earthquake of 1759, coniplcted its destruc-
tion. The wars of Emir Yousef, and Djezzar
has occasioned it to be still more deserted and
ruinous; for out of five thousand inhabitants, at
which number (hey were estimated in 1751, little
more than one thousand are now remaining; and
all these are wretchedly poor, without industry

* In this vast oxduit of country, tlu- soil ami its prodiic.
li(»n»iirooxtrciiirly various ; but tin; piii'is of ll.unaii, ami
thosu on the bauks of tlieOroiites,arethi; most fertile. The
soil of the country of Damascus, and the Uppiir Bckaa, is
eravclly and pool-. On the mountains are cultivated olivo,
mulberry, and fruit (reus, aad ia suuie iilacus viucs,

or commerce, and cultivating nothing but maize
cotton, and wafer-melons. The soil of this pari
of (he country is poor, and does not improve as
we proceed to the north, or to the south-cast to-
wards Damascus.

THE PACIIALIC OF DAMASCUS.

This Pachalic comprehends nearly the whole
eastern part of Syria. It extents to the north
,^U)ID Marra to Habroun in the South-east of
ralestine. It is bounded to the west i)v the
mountairi-s of the Ausarians, those of Anti-I^ba-
non, and the upper part of the Jordan; tlica
crossing that river in the country of Bisan, it in<
eludes Nablons, Jerusalem, and Habroun, and
enters the desert to the east *.

The Pacha enjoys all the privileges of his post,
which are superior to those of any other Pachalic ;
he has not only the farm of all the customs and
imposts, but he has an absolute authority, aiidij
also conductor of the sacred caravan of Mecca
under the very respectable title of Emir Ila^j.
The Mahometans deem this office so importaDt,
and entitled to such reverence, that the person of
the Pacha who acquits himself in it with pro-
priety, becomes inviolable even by the Suhan;
it is no longer permitted to shed his blood. But
the Divan can pursue its vengeance, without de-
parting from the literal e:ltpre8si6n of the law, b;
being empowered to have the offenders pounded
in a mortar, or smothered in a sack, of which
there have been several instances.

The tribute of the Pacha to the Sultan is but
forty-five purses (two thousand three hundred
and forty-three pounds ; but he is charged with
all the expences of the HadJ, which are estimated
at three hundred and twelve thousand five hun-
dred pounds : they consist of provisions of corn^
&c, and in (he hire of camels for the escort, and
a great number of pilgrims. Besides this,
eighteen hundred purses niust be paid to the
Arab tribes, near the roadj to secure a free
passage f.

His military establishment consists of about
eight hundred Janisaries, better provided for,

+ Ijosidcs his other cniuluinentij, the Pacha islirirofall
(he I'il^rinis xvho die on the journey, whicli is nut the least
of his perquisites; for those arc altvays found to be the
richesit of tht; pilgrims. Btsidcs all (his, he may lend inuiiey,
at vvhatiutureiit ho pleases, tu merchants and farmers,

• . I . ' ■► « - 1 ind

SYRIA AND KGYPT.

29S

I nd taoii insolent than in an.y other parts of the

I *ountry. These troops are not only required by

^ V of escort for the caravan, and to restrain the

Arabs, but also to enable him to collect the miri

from his own subjects.

The Pachalic of Damascus, from its situation,

I . jjpg exposed to the incursions of the Bedouin
Arabs, than any other ; yet it is remarked to be

lllic least ravaged of any in Syria. The reason
assigned is. that instead "of frequently changing
the Pachas, the Porte usually bestows this Pa-

Ichalic for life : in the present century it was held

I I. fifty years by a father and three brothers,
Lho regularly succeeded each other. Asad, the
llastoflhem, held it fifteen years, during which
Itinie he performed many meritor-ons acts; and
Ifstabiished such a degree of discipline among the !
Lyijiers, as to prevent the peasants from being |
liojiircd by their robberies and extortions. His
Ipassion, like all those in office thronghont Tur-
Ikcy, wa* t® amass money, but he was regulated
[by a moderation unheard of in this country ; for
Ihereqnired no more interest than six per cent *.

I The city of Damascus is considered as one
jof the roost agreeable in Turkey ; but it is
laiknowledged to be deficient in point of sa-
llubrity. The inhabitants complain, and appa-
Ireiitiy with t^o much reason, of the coldness and
Ibardness of the waters of the Barrada ; and assert
Ithat the natives are frequently afflicted with ob-
Ijtructions. They ad(', that the too great use of
Ifruit, particularly of Apricots, occasions there
■inany intermittent fevers and dysenteries in sum-
Imer and autumn. It is also observed that a pale-
Less is too prevalent in the countenances of the
Jinliabitants, which rather indicates sickness, than
lejhibits the genuine colour of sanity of body.
I M. Nit'buhr, who has given us a plan of Da-
Jmascds, says it is two hundred and fifty toises,
lor somewhat less than a league and a half in cir-
liuiufereoce : he adds, that he supposes it to con-
llaia about eighty thousand inhabitants. The

I » In Syria and Rgypt, the usual interest ig from twelro
Itoliflccn ; but sometimes it is twenty or tliirry per cent,
I Iiot us now attend to the most remnrkabie places ia this
iPichalit . The first that presents itself is the city of Oamas.
|(us, the capital and n;si<leiicc of the Pachas. This city is
liiluaUil iu a very extensive plain, open to the south and
Idst, and shut iu towards the west and north by mountains,
Iwliiih very much circumscribe the view ; but a number of
Iriiulets fortunately Ho»v from these mountains, which ren.
Iilci Oaiuascus the bcbt watered and most delicious province

people of Damascus have an aversion to
Christians, and this hatred is maintained and in-
creased by their communication with Mecca.
Damascus is the rendezvous for all the p^ilgrinis
from the north of Asia, as Cairo is for those Iroin
America. Their number annually amounts to
from thirty to fifty thousand. Nothing is to bo
seen but strangers from all parts of Turkey, and
even Persia, and every place is crowded with
camels, horses, mules, and merchandize. At.
length this confused multitude set out'upon their
march, and arrive in forty days at Mecca, for
the festival of the Bairara, As the caruvan
traverses the country of many independent Arab
tribes, treaties must necessarily be made uitli
the Bedouins, to establish a free passage, and to
take them for their guides. Frequent disputes
ari.se on this subject between the Shaihs ; but the
preference is usually given to the tribe of Sar
dia, which he encamps to the south of Damascus
along the Hauran. The Pacha transmits to the
Sliaik a mace, a tent, and a pelisse, to convince
him that he takes him as his chief conductor.
From this moment the Shaik engages to furnish
him with camels at a stated price, which he hires
from his tribe and his allies : the Pacha is re-
sponsible for no damages, and all losses are on
his own account. About two thousand camels
perish yearly, which forms an advantageous ar-
ticle of commerce for the Arabs.

It must not, however, be imagined that devo-
tion is the sole motive of these expences atid
fatigues: pecuniary interest is more particularly
consulted in these expeditions. The caravan af-
fords opportunities of engrossing every liicratis'c
branch of commerce : almost every pilgrim con-
verts it into a matter of speculation. On quitting
their own country, they collect a quantity of mer-
chandize, which they dispose of upon the road ;
and, with the ready money it produces, added
to what they have brought with them, is con-
veyed to Mecca, where they ej.change it for the

f^i^ — :

of all Syria. The Ariffs speak of it with enthusiasm, and
extol the verdure of its orchards, the abund:iuce and ex.
cellenco of its fruits, and the clearness of its rivers, rills,
and fountains. N"o city contains so many canals and foun-
tains; every house has one; and all t\u<c waters arc fur-
nished by three branches of tiie same river, which, after fjr.
tilizing a number of gardens for three leagiK-s, ilnw into a
hollow of the Desert to the south-east, « hero they form a
pleasing spectacle called the Lake uf the -Meadow.

goods

U91i

VOLNEY's TRAVELS THROUGH

goods of Bengal, Cashmire, Tonquin, the dia-
monds of Golcondo, the pearls of Barhain, pep-
per, and a great quantitjr of cofTcc from the
Yaman. Sometimes, indeed, the Arabs of the
Desert pillage the stragglers, and carry off de-
tached parties of the caravan. But in general
the pilgrims arrive safe, in which case their
profits are very considerable. At least, however,
iiiey are rewarded in the veneration attached to
the title of Pilgrim; and by the pleasure of
boasting of the wonders of Caaba, and Mount
Arasat : and of magnifying the immense crowds
of pilgrims, and the number of victims oo
the day of the Bairam ; anu repeating the
dangers and fatigues they have undergone ; the
Desert without water, and the tomb of the pro-
phet at Medina ; which, however, is neither sus-
pended by a load-stone, nor the principal object
of their pilgrimage. The wonderful excite the
admiration and enthusiasm of the audience,
though, as the sincere pilgrims honestly confess,
nothing can be more wretched than this journey.
Experience has fully proved, that the greater
part of the devotees of Mecca are peculiarly in-
solent and treacherous, seeming determined to
recompense themselves for having been dupes by
becoming knaves*

The Pachalic of which I am speaking affords a
remarkable instance of its former greatness; I
mean the remains of Palmyra, a city celebrated in
the third age of Rome, for the part it took in the
differences between theParthians and the Romans.
From that time history preserved the name of this
great city ; but it was merely the name, for till near-
ly the end of the last century, when some English
merchants of Aleppo, tired of hearing the Be-
douin Arabs talk of the immense ruins to be found
in (he Desert, resolved to ascertain the truth of
these wonderful relations. This was first at-
tempted in 1678, but without success, the ad-
venturers were robbed of every thing by the
Arabs, and compelled to return without accom-
plishing their design ; but, in 1691, they ventured
a second time, and obtained i sight of the anti-
quities in question. Their narrative, published
in the Philosophical Transactions, was supposed

* In consequence of this caravan, Damascus is become
the centre of a very extensive commerce. By Aleppo the
merchants of this city correspond with Armenia, Anadolia,
the Diarbekar, and even with Persia. This commerce has
existed ia these countries from the earliest antiquity. It has

by persons to have been wholly an impositio,,.
they could not persuade themselves to beliet I
that, in a spot so remote from any habitable pljJ
such a magnificent city, as their drawings reprt!
sented, could have subsisted. But since Air
Dawkins published, in llhS, the plans and viewi I
he had taken on the spot in 1751, doubts are no I
longer entertained. It is now universally ». '
know ledged that antiquity has left nothing, either I
in Greece or Italy, to be compared with themae'
nificenceof the ruins of Palmyra. ^

Mr. Wood, in his description of the Rujg, i
of Palmyra f, says. He set out from Hassia, the
11th of March, 1751, with an escort ofi|,J
Aga's best Arab horsemen, armed with guns aai
long pikes, and travelled to Sudad, through J
barren plain, hardly affording a little bronzine
to antelopes, of which they saw a great number I
Sudad is a poor little village, inhabited by Mi-
ronite Christians ; the houses of which are built
of mud dried in the sun : After dinner they con< I
tinned their journey, and in the evening arrived
at Owareen. a Turkish village, where they lij,
Owareen exhibits as much poverty in its appev.
ance as Sudad, but, from the ruins they beheld
there, they were convinced that it had formetlj
been a more considerable place. The traTelten
observed a village near this, which had been en- 1
tirely abandoned by its inhabitantji, a circum-
stance not unfrequently happening in thesecoun-l
tries, where lands have acquired value from culti-
vation, and are frequently deserted to avoid op-
pression. They set out from Owareen the ]2lh,
and proceeded to Carietein, a village soroewhit
larger than the former. Here tbe^ judged it pro-
dent to remain oneday,as well to anbraresttothe
escortr, as to prepare their people and cattle for]
the fatigue of the remaining part of the journey.

They lefl Carietein the 13tb, making in til
about two hundred persons, with the same num-
ber of beasts of carriage, consisting of an odd I
mixture of asses, mules, and camels. On the
I4th, about noon, they arrived at the end of the
plain, where the hills appeared to meet. Be-
tween these hills, a vale, through which an aque-
duct formerly conveyed water to Palmyra, for-

flowed through difTcrcnt channels, according (o the chu|i|

of circumstances, and has every where left apparent tract) I

of the opulence it produced.

I PubUshed in folio, in London, in 176S,

nerljl

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

2<>5

-=:.-X

nierly existed: but it is now ruined. To the right
and left of this vale, several high square towers
appeared, which on a nearer approach, were dis-
covered to be sepulchres of tlie ancient Palroy-
,j[,es. They had no sooner passed these vene-

irible monuments, than the hills opening, exhibit-
ed to them, all at once, the greatest quantity of
ruins they had ever seen*; and, behind them,
towards the Euphrates, a flat waste as far as the

I JVC could reach, without any object which shew-
ed cillier life or motion. It is hardly possible to

, iniiginc any thing more striking than this view.

jgiiclia rouititude of Corinthian pillars, with so
lie wall or solid building, afforded a must ro-

1 inaiitic variety of prospect f.

But the reader is referred to the plates of

I THr, Wood, for a particular explanation of these

j various edifices, and to bo convinced of the de-
gree of perfection, to which the arts had arrived
in those remote ages. Architecture more espe-
cially, Ltvished her ornaments, and displayed

UerniagniRcence in the temple of the sun, the
tutelary deity of Palmyra. The i^quare court,
which enclosed it, was 'six hunrlrcd and seventy
nine feet each way, and a double range of
columns was continued all round the inside. In
the middle of the vacant space, the temple pre.

* Though these travellers had visited Greece and Italy.
■i The reader must represent to liimsulfthat range of erect

I coliiniiis, as occupying an extent of more than twenty-six
hiimircil yards, and concealing a mtiltitiidc of other cilifices
b.'hliKl tiicm. In this space, sometimes a palace is found,
of which nothing remains bnt the courts and unlls, some,
timcii a temple, whose peristyle is half throv. ' down; and
noiv, a portico, a gallery, or triumphal arch, iierc stand
Uroupes of columns, whose symmetry is destroyed by the
fjllurmany of thuin. If from this striking scene, we cast
our eyes upon the ground, another, almost as varied, pre.
ji'Dls itself. On all sides wc see nothing but subverted
shafts, some whole, others shattered ty pieces, ordislocated
in their joints. And, on which side soever wc look, the
earth is strewed with large stones, half buried, with broken
ciilablHturos, damaged capitals, mutilated frizes, dislignred
nlii'fs, uil'aced sculptures, violated tombs, and altars defiled
b/ (Inst.

* Amid these hallowed ruins of the magnificence of a
puiisheil pco|)le, arc ahout thirty mud. walled luits, afford.
iiig a iniiicrahle shelter to that number of peasants families,
nho exhibit every external sign of the most abject poverty.
So extrenifly wretched areihe present inhabitants of a place,
once so renowned and populous. The.SR Arabs only cuU
liratc a few olive-trees, ;;Md barely as much corn as- is- re.
qiiiictl for their subsistence. All ihi-ir riches consist in a
few go.ils and sheep whicii they feed in the Desert. Inca-
|abl(' uf defending ihcmsilvos from violence, they become

Vol. U. No. LXXXVIH. V

,rt5t

■■f.V

sents another front of forty-seven feet, by one
hundred and twenty-four in depth; around it
runs a peristyle of one hundred and forty colunint^;
and, what is very remarkable, the gate faces the
setting, and not the rising sun ];.

Palmyra was at all times a natural emporiunr
for the merchandize coming from India by the
Persian Giilph, which, from thence by way of
the Euphrates, was conveyed into Phoenicia, and
AsiaMinor.todilliise its varied luxuriesamongnu-
merons nations. Such commerce must necessarily,
in the most early ages, have caused this spot to
be inhabited, and rendered a place of importance,
though at first of no great celebrity. Two
springs of fresh water it possesses, were a power-
ful inducement in a parched .ind barren desert§.
These were doubtless the principal (uotives which
drew the attention of Solomon, and induced that
prince to carry his arms to a place so remote
from the actual limits of Judea — " He 'built
strong walls there," says Josephus ||, " to secure
himself in the possession, and named it Tadmour,
which signifies the place of Palm-trees**.

Leaving these venerable ruins, and returning
to the inhabited world, we first meet with Horns,
the Emesus of the Greeks, situated on the bank
of the Orontes : this place, though formerly a

tributary to the Bedouins, who alternately harass iind pro-
tect them.

The complexion of these Arabs is very swarthy, from the
excessive heat, but the women have beautiful features They
arc veiled, but they are not so unwilling to show their faces
as the eastern women generally are : they dye (he end of
their fingers red, their lips blue, and their eye-brows and
eyelashes black. They also wear very large gold or brass
rings in their cars and noses.

§ These waters are > a " and sulphureous, but the inhn-
bitants, who have none jut what is brackish, except these
springs, find them very good, and they arc al'tfeBst wholesome.

II An/iq. J ml. lib. 8, c. C,

*♦ IFtncc it has been inferred, that Solomon was its first
founder ; but it seems probable that it was then a place of
known importance. The palm.trccs he found there, are not
the trees of H nil- !iabifedeounfries. Prior to the days of Moses,
the Journies of Abraham and Jacob, from Mesopotami^t
into Syria, prove a communication between those countries,
which must soon h.ire made Palmyra. The cinnamon and
pearls mentioned as found there in the time of the Hebrew
legislator .""moustrato a trade with India and the Persian
gulph, Vhich must have been carried on by the Euphrates
and Palmyra.- The king of Jerusalem would not have car-
ried his attention to so distant and detached a spot, \wlhout
some powerful motive of interest; and this intci est could
be no other than that of an extensive commerce, ot' which ■
this place was the emporium.

7 . V ,ii
■i'

■ ' 1

i J -11

' i

ijl

'C/:"|

^^^1^

let

VOLNEY's THWKI.S THROUGH

siroiig and populous tity, is now but a laij;«!
ruinous (own, containing about two tlioiiiiund
inhabitants, partly Greeks, and partly Malionict-
ans. An Aga reiiidcg here, as a sub-rcntcr of
<hc Pacha ofDaniasoaH, of the whole '.•;;untry as
far as Palmyra. The Pacha hiniMelf holds this
farm as an appendage derived inunciliatcly from
the Sultan, liama and JMarra, are liuld in the
satnc manner : these three farms pay above twenty
thousand pounds, and they are sui)posed to pro-
duce about four times that sum.

Two davs journey below Iloms, is liania, a
place celebrated in Syria for its water-works.
The town is situated in a narrow valley, on the
banks of the Orontci, and contains about four
thousand inhabitants. An Arab Shaikh named
Mobanimad-cI-Korfan, is lately become so pow-
erful as to impose arbitrary contributions on the
country. He is reported to be able to bring uito
the field thirty thousand honsemen "* .

As we approach the Jordan, the country be-
comes more hilly and better watered : the valley
through which this river flows, abounds in pas-
turage, especially in the upper part of it. The
river itself is not of that importance which we are
apt to assign to it. The Arabs call it cl SJiaria.
Its breadth in few places r.xceeds sixty or
eighty feet ; but its depth is about ten or twelve.
Crossing the Jordan, we enter a hilly country,
anciently named the kingdom of Samaria, and
a town called Nablous, its capital. This town,
situated on the ruins of the Neapoli's of the
Greeks, is the residence of a Shaik, who farms
the tribute, and is accountable to the Pacha of
Damascus.

* Still continuing to descend llie Oronles, wc nrrirc at a
marshy county^', where wc meet with a j)lacc called Far-
inia, once a relcbratcd city of Syria, under the name of
Apamca. " It was there," says Strabo, " 'J'liatthcSc-
Icucida had established the sclmol and nursery of their cavaU
ry/' The soil of the neighbourhood fed thirty thousand
marcs, three hundred staliiu'is, and five hundred dcphap^s ;
instead of which the marshes <>{ Farmia now Iir4rdly aflbrd a
few bufl'alnes and shce)). 1. the veteran soldiers of Alex.
ander, who have reposed after tiicir victories, have succeeded
miserable prasants, who perpetually dread the oppressions
of the Turks and the inroads of the Arabs. Every town,
every village is built of materials furnished by ruins, and
founded on the rubbish of ancient edifices. The Pilgrims of
Mecca assure us they find, at every step, the vestiges of an-
cient habitations.

+ From the reverence generally expressed and shewn to

that celebrated city, it might long be imagined that there

could not be a more devout ]icoplc than its inhabitants ; but

they have since acqnired and well deserved the reputation

Two days journey to the south of Nablum
we arrive at a town^ which, like many olliers a|!
ready mentioned, presents a striking I'xampleVf
the vicissitude of human afl'airs. \Vhcii nebp
hold its walls levelled, its ditches filled ui), .J
all its buildings in ruins, wc can scarctly belipu I
that we view the celebrated metropolis, viliid,
once withstood the efforts of the most powcriii
empires: and, for a time, resisted I he arms j
Rome herself. In one word, wc with difiiculiv I
recognize /tr«AY//tjn. The renown of its mira
cles perpetuated in the east, invites mam I
inhabitants within its walls. Mahometans, Ciiris'.
tians, Jews, without distinction of sects, all male I
it a point to see what they denominate the no/)/,;
and hohj cUy f.

Vata is the port where the pilgrims dismibark
They arrive in November, and repair to Jcrnsa
lem, where they remain till after the fesli\al ofl
Easter. They are lodged promiscuously iu iiiJ
cells of the convents of their respective commu-
nions; for which indulgence no gratuity is de- 1
manded : but it would neither be civil nor fafe
to depart without making an offering far beyond
the usual price of apartments. Besides, there
are also masses, services, exorcisms, &c. to bel
paid for: the pilgrim must also purchase beads,!
Agnus Dci's, &c. On Palm-Sunday they purify
themselves i.i the Jordan, an expedition which
claims a contribution. One year with another^ il |
produces to the governor four thousand 8i.\ hun-
dred and eighty-seven pounds.

Particular relations must be consulted to rornl
an ideaof the tumultuous march of this fiinaticl
multitude into the plain of Jericho ; the iiidecentl

of the vilest people in Syria, w ithout cxceptinT even lho«|
of Damascus. Their uumbt • is estimated at t^ i rtctn ilion.f
sand. Jerusalem has had governors of its own, with thrllilel
of Pachas ; but it is now a dependency of Damascus, froml
which it receives a deputy CJoifcrnor.

The Moisalluin, or governor, collects duties on the h.I
portation of singular commodities from Jerusalem, sudi aJ
beads, relies, sanctuaries, crosses, p-issions, scapulaiics,if,[
of which about three iiundred diets arc sent olf nmiiiall.,
Thissort of commerce is the more .• dvantageous to tlicmani:.
facturers, as flieir goods cost them . ittle besides their labour;!
and the more lucrative for the stllurs, as the price is cn.|
hanced by superstition. These commodities eAjiorti'd lol
Turkey, Italy, Portugal, and especially to Spain, prodnca
a return of considerable sums, in t4ie form of alms, or ii
payments. To this the convents join another importanj
article of traffic, the Visits of the Pilgrims.— At al(
times the devout curiosity of visiting the Iwljj places, h\
occasioned Christians of every country to resort to jcn^
salcm,

zealJ

S\1UA AND KG VIM'.

297

I 1 with which men, women, and children
fhrow themselves naked into the river Jordan;
their return and visitation of the holy pliices .
1 (],g ceremony o( the ncxofirc, whicli (It.scciuls
^L,a hcdViii OH llic liclj/ Snlttrdmj, Inoiiglii hif
• ^„^t/. The Orientals still believe in this
iiiraclc, though the Franks acknowledge that
Ilic priests retire into the Sacristy, to pcrlbrni
,vliat is done by very natural means *.

Leaving Jernsalcm, we only find three places
J ji, tiijs part of the Pachalic w hich merit parti-
cular attention. Th^ fiist is Jiaha. thft ancient
Jericlio, six leagues to the north-east of Jerusa-
lem, Here was formerly cultivated the balm of
lAlecca. From the description of the Iladjes,
Ijiii, isa shrub similar to the pomegranate-tree,
I villi leaves resembling those of rue: it has a
pulpy nui, the kernel of which yields the resinous
I juice, called bnlin, or balsam. There is not a
I plant of it now remaining at Raha; but another
hpcfics is to be found there, called Zakkoun,
hvliich also produces a sweet oil, celebrated for
j healing wounds. This Zakkoun resembles a
Inlum-trce, and has thorns four inches long, with
I leaves like those of the olive-tree ; its fruit is a
I kind of acorn ; under the rind of which is a pulp,
land dicn a nut, the kernel of which atl'ords an oil
Iflliich the Arabs sell very dear : this is the sole
[conimerce of Raha, now a small village in a
I ruinous state f.

Thf last place demanding attention is IlaWovi,

or Hebron, seven leagues to the south of Beth-
lehem. It is situated at tlie foot of an eminence,
on which appear some wretched ruins, the mis-
shapen remains of an ancient castle. The adja-
cent country is not disagreeably varied by rocky
hillocks, groves of fir-trees, a few stunted oaks,
and plantations of vines and olive-trees. These
vineyards are not cultivated for the purpose of
making wine, the inhabitants being such zealous
Mahometans as not to sutler any Christians to
live among them: the produce is intended to be
used merely as dried raisins.

The peasants cultivate cotton, which is spun
by their women, and sold at Jerusalem and Gaza.
They also have some soap manufactories, and a
very ancient glass-house, the only one in Syria.
They also make a quantity of coloured rings,
bracelets for the wrists, legs, arms, and elbows,
and many other trinkets, which are sent to Con-
stantinople. From these manufactures, Ilabrouu
is become a place of some eminence, and is capa-
ble of arming eight or nine hundred men. Pro-
ceeding from Hebron towards the west, we ar-
rive at some eminences, which, on this side,
form the last branch of the mountains of Judea.
There the traveller, wearied with the irregular
country he has quitted, beholds the vast plains
which extend beneath his feet, to the sea that
lies before him. This is the plain which, under
the name of Palestine, terminates, on this side,
the country of Syria, and forms the last division.

SECTION VI. - . .

mPaUatine — Of the Government of the Turks in Sjjvia, wilh Remarks on the Injlucnce of Religion.

I^'PHIS district, in its present state, compre- the east, a line drawn to the south, by Ka-

Younes, and another to the north, between Kaii
saria, and the rivulet of Yafe. This whole tract

'pms district, in its present state, compre-

1 lieuds the whole country between the Medi-

hcrrancan to the west, the chain of mountains to

» Master being over, every one rct\iriis to his (^jrncotin.
jtrv, vain of being able to rival the Mahometan iftthc title
lofiiiigrini. Many of them, in order to tlistiuguish thcm-
liflrcs as such, imprint on their hands, wrists, or arms,
ICijiires of the cross, or spear, with the cyplier of .Tusus and
JMary. This painful, aid sometimes dangerous operation
lii performed with needles, and the perforations filled with
Igun. powder, or powder of antimony, and is not to be cf-
Ifaced. But all this appearance of devotion does not exempt
Ithesc pilgrims from the proverbial censure thrown upon the
liyjis; since the Christian* buy, " Hcwarc oC the pilgrims
lofJcrusalcm."

+ The next pl.ncc entitled to notice is Bail.el.lohm, or
Uothlehem, so celebrated in the history of Christianity. This
village is seated on an eminence, two leagues south-east of
Jerusalem, in a very fertile soil. Fruits, vines, olives, and
scsamum succeed here extremely well ; but cultivation is
very much wanting. They reckon about six hnndrcd men
in this village, capable of bearing arras when required. A
sort of white wine is made here, which justifies the former
celebrity of the wines of Judea, but it has a very great ten-
dency to promote intoxication. ' ' :

■ ' 'A

■W

I •

^'!

.'I :

Miii^ ! !

i I'l'l ! ' il

•• 1

tli

UDS

VOLNRY's TRAVrrs TIlROUCIf

in nearly a level plain, witliont either river or
rivulet in siinimer, tliougli \vuterc<I by soverul
torrents in winter. Notwitlistandiog the dryness
of the soil, it may be pronounced fertile; for
when the winter rains occur, every thing springs
up in abundance; and the earth retains moisture
sulHcient for the growth of grain and vegetables
during the summer.

Palestine is a district independent of every Pa-
chalic. Sometimes it has Governors of its own,
who reside at Gaza, under ilic title of Pachas:
but it is at present divided into three appanages,
or Melkcna, viz. Yafa, Loudd, and Gaza. Yafa
is the port at which the rice sent from Dami-
etta to .lerusalem, and the commodities from
the various ports to the coast of Syria are landed.
Here also the pilgrims from the INIorea and Con-
stantinople arrive.

As a sca-port. or place of strength, Yafa is
hardly to be mentioned ; but it is capable of be-
coming one of the most important on the coast,
on account of two springs of fresh water within
its walls. The port, which is formed by a pier,
and now choaked up, might be cleared out, and
rendered capable of containing twenty vessels of
three hundred tons burthen each. Ships arc
novT obliged to cast anchor out at se *, where
they are by no means safe, the bottom being a
bank of rock and coral. Before the two late
sieges, this was one of the most agreeable towns
on the coast: its environs were a continued forest
of orange and lemon trees, citrons, and palms.
The country beyond contained a number of large
olive-trees : but the Mamelukes having cut them
all down, Yafa has lost its greatest ornament and
convenience ; but fortunately they have not de-
prived them of the rivulets that water its gardens,
and nourikh the young suckers, which now begin
to shoot*.

Not half a league to the southward of Loudd,
stands Ramla, the ancient Arimathea : a town
also in a ruinous state, where hardly any thing
but rubbish meets the eye. The Aga of Gaza
resides here in a Serai, the floors and walls of

* To the cast of Yafa is tlie village of Loudd, (he ancient
J^yddii. It has the appearance of a place lately rayaged by
fire and sword. From the huts of the inhabitants, to the
palace of the Aga, it is one vast heap of rubbish and ruins.
A weekly market is, however, held there, to nhicli the
neighbouring peasants bring their spun cotton for sale.
The pfj(ur Christians, who reside here, shew, with great
veneration, the remains of the church of St. I'cter, and re.
quest (trangcrs to sit down ia a column, which they say,

which are tumbling down. On his being ajU
Why he did not repair his own apartment ?-|[,
replied, with another question — " Shoidd a mote
fortunate person obtain this place next year-.
Who will repay me the c.xpence f ?"

The only remarkable antiquity at Rnnila J
the minaret of a ruined mosque on the road in
Yafa. J)y the Arabic inscription it appear, to
have been built by Saif-el-din, Sultan of Egypt
In this plain, between Ramla and Gaza, wc bcJ
hold a number of villages, miserably conipostit
of dried mud, and which, like their inliabitanlj
exhibit every mark of extreme wretchedness and
poverty. The women have separate aparliuentj
In winter they and their cattle may be said to I
live together, the part of the dwelling apprnpri-
ated to themselves, being only raised two (^A
higher than that which accouuuodatod their bcastsj
The peasants are thus kept warm without buniiinl
wood, which is very conunendahic aiconomviml
country destitute of fuel. The fire requind fori
culinary purposes, is made of dung knoailcd iniul
cakes. In summer their lodging is more airv
but their furniture consists wholly of a sinirje
mat, and a pitcher for drinking. The ciivirniv"
of the villages are sown, at the proper seasr
with grain, and water-melons ; all the rest
professed Desert, abandoned to the i^'dninnfj
Aiahs, who feed their flocks on it. Ruiir.
towers and castles are fre(|uently observed; audi
sometimes a garrison, consisting of the liciifpnaiiil
of an Aga, and two or three Barbary soljlicrj
with only a shirt and a musquet ; but morcfreJ
quently they arc inhabited by jackalls, owId, audi
scorpions.

Four leagues from Ramlat, on the^ road (ol
Gaza, we arrive at the village of Mesmia, • wherel
a considerable tpiantity of cotton is spim. At thel
distance of a league to the east is El-Tell, thel
capital of the tribe of Wahidia, w here one of thel
Shaiks, nained Bakir, was assassinated a fewl
years ago by the Aga of Gaza, at an cntertaiu-|
ment to which lie had invited him.

As wc approach the sea, on the road to Gazal

that sain' once rested on. They even shew the pl.irc «liere|
he prjachcd, where he prayed, &c. There is nostirriiiga
step 'vithout being shewn th<j traces of some apostle, suinel
martyr, or sonio lioly virgin.

i lie maintains one hundred liorscmcn, .and nn rqiiall
nnuilier of Uarbary soldiers, who are lodgi'd in an old
Christian church, the nave of which is converted into J
slulile ; and in an .-incicut kan, which is disputed uiihilitial
by the scorpiuus.

SYRIA AND F.OYPT.

299

• V'*''"^' *'"^ ancient Jamnia. Tliis village lias
noiliiiiK parlic'la'* '"'* **" eminence and a rivniet.
'IIm! whole fotirse of this stream does not exceed
(iltaK"*'""'' a lialC, Ijcloro its water is poured
into tlio sea. Leaving Yabna, we behold variety
III' ruins, the most considerable of which are at
I'lzdoud, the ancient Azotu^, now remarkable
ijf j(j gcorpiuns. This town, so powerful under
tlie iMiilistines, displays uothini^ of its ancient inl-

and Hupplies of various kinds, with diffcrcrit
rcfrcHhuients. 'Vhcy also purchase the plunder
of the Bedouins. Immense profits were ob-
tained by the plunder of the i>;rcat caravan in
1757 f.

The desert of Tih, is that into which Moges

conducted the Jews, and kept them a long- time

to iiMliiite them in the art of war, and transform

shepherds into conquerors. This desert, which

purlanco Three leagues from Ezdoud is Majdal, j is the boundary of Syria to the south, extends it-

lelebnitcd for spinning the (inest cottons in Pa- | self in the form of a peninsula between the two

gnlphs of the Red Sea. Its breadth is generally
about thirty leagues, and its length seventy.
This great space, principally consists of barren
muimtuins, which join those of Syria, on the
north, and, like them also, consist wholly of
calcareous stone; but, as wc proceed to the
southward, they become granitous, and Sinai and
Horcb are enormous masses of that stone. On
this account the ancients gave this country the
UAme o( Arabia Pctren. The soil, in general, is
a dry gravel, producing thorny accacias, tamar-
isks, firs, and some scattered shrubs. In some
of the vallics however, it is better, as the earth
becomes cuilivable after the winter rains, and
may almost be deemed fertile. Such is the vale of
Djiraddel, in which there arc even some groves
of trees. Formerly every advantage was uiade
of this country that coulil bo obtained from it,
but it is now abandoned, and produces notliing
but wild herbs. But, with such scanty pro-
vision, this desert maintains three tribes of Be-
douins, consisting of about six thousand Arabs,
dispersed in various parts. They are called tlie
Arabs of Tor, the most frequented place in tUa
country. It has a pretty good road for shipping,

Ik'coiv.is siiililcnly iiniiiliuhii&bic; wc still continue, for a
(lily's jouriioy, iilotis thu sei. coast, Id bcliold cliltivatoil
spots and Tillages : Such as Kaii.yuuncs, a kiiul of castle,
in w' cli the Mamcliikcs kofip a Rarrisoii of twelve men.
Such also is JU-Aiish, the last place where water ran be had
fit to be dniiik, till yoii arrive at Salacliia, in .f''t;ypt. Ilc-
tiiriiin;; to (he desert by the east, we meet with strips of
cultivable land, as fii- as the road lo Mecca. They culti.
vate palm-trees and doiira, under thir i)rotcctiaii, or rather
exposed to the rai)ine, of the Arabs. These peasaots, who
u>»y be considered as half savages, are more ignorant and
wretched than the iiedouins themselves. Incapable of
leaving the soil they cultivate, they are perpetually in dread
of losing the fruit of their labours. When they have g.i.
thered in tlieir harvest, they hasten to conceal it in private
places, aud retire amuug (ho rocks bordering on the Dead
Sea.

■■ J. i .
4 G ■'! 16 i.'.lt,

Icsiine; which, however, are extremely coarse.

On the right is Axkalan, whose deserted ruins

daily recede farther from the sea, by which it

,vaj formerly washed,
(iazii is coiTiposetl of three villages, one of

„liuh called the Caslle, is situated between the
I ttvo others, on a moderate eminence. This castle,

tfliicli might have been thought strong at the
I time it was erected, is now a heap of rubbish.

Ilie Serai of the Aga, which constitutes a part
I of it, is in a ruinous state ; but it communils a

most extensive prospect. The heats, the drought,
I (lie winds, and the dews, are the same as on the

banks of the Nile; and the inhabitants have the

complexion, figure, and manners of the I'^gyp-

lians, rather than those of the Syrians *.

An advantageous branch of commerce is fur-
I nisliod to the people of Gaza, by the carataiis
a8^illgand repassing between Egypt and Syria.
[TIic provisions they are required to take for their
Jl'oiir da\s journey in the Desert produce a great
Idfrnand for tlieir flour, oils, dates, and other

necessaries. They also fit out, annually, a great
jdiravaii, which goes to meet the pilgrims of Mvx-
Ica, and conveys to Ihem the convoy of Palestine,

* The situation ef (iazalias, at all limes, rendered it a
|Mivii of ini|)ortance. The ruins of white marble, found in

iis environs, prove it to have formerly been the abode of
[luxury and opulence ; nor was it unworthy of this prcfer-

rnc>\ The soil of the surrounding country is remarkably
\yiU', and the gardens, watered by limpid streams, still

|irudiiii! pomegranates, oranges, dates, &c. in great i)er.
Ifcitior'. It has, however, partook of (he general dcstruc.
|iii:i, and Ihougli it enjoys the proud title of the capital of
.'line, it is now mertjiy a defenceless village, hardly con-
I Hilling- t\'t-o thousand inliabilants. The manufacture of cot.
Iimis i.s their principal support ; and, as they have the ex.
IdiiMvu supply of the peasants and Uedouins of the neigh.
Iliuurhuod, they employ about live hundred looms: they
[uvoalso two or three soap maiiufactoricf.

f lieyond (iaza there are but two deserts, but it roust
Idci Ihcielorc bu taken for granted tbftt tliu couotry thence

Vol. II. No. LXXXIX. : .

'I t.

^^mm.l\\

t.'

V'i-

- m^

'\ St i:

300

VOLNEY's TRAVFLS THROUGH

•MM

Biul water which may he drunk : (he Arabs also
bring iome hitlier from Siiini, which is rfnUy
jrood. Nolhing further cim be noticed hercj ex-
cept that we liero and there find a few palm-
trees, the rniiis of a wretched fort without a gar-
rison, a sn^'ill Greek convent, and some h«i(s of
poor Arabs. Respecting: tl>e subsistence of the
three tribes, it is derived from their goats, camels,
acacia gums sold in EgyMt, and their robberies
on the roads of Suez, Gaza, and Mecca.

These Arabs have not m!>ny niares, like the
other tribts ; they rrnr but very few ; but they
supply the want of them by a sort of camel,
called Hedjiiia, which nearly resembles the
common camel, but is sl-ndercr, and moves
more expeditiously. This mimal can continue
his pace thirty or forty hours successively, almost
■withonl rest, ai;d without eating or drinking ;
he is preferred by couriers, and for long ji urnies
when expedition is required : but the rider must
be accustomed to his pace, or his jolting motion
■will soon gall and disable bin:, in spite of the
cushions with which they stuff the saddle *.

But the most considerable protita of ine Be-
douins of Tor arise from the pilgrimage of the
Greeks to the convent of Mount Sinai. The
schismatics have so much faith in the relics of
Saint Catherine, which arc deposited there, that
they doubt of their salvation if they have not
visited them at least once in their lives. The
rendezvous is at C>>\ro, where the Monks of
Mount Sinai have correspondent' who treat with
the Arabs for a convoy. On their arrival at the
convert, the Greeks perform their devotions,
visit the church, kiss the relics and images,
mouxt on their knees upwards of a hundred steps
of the hill of Moses, and conclude by making an
offering.

The Pacha, as being the ima^e of t'lie Sultan,
IP the head of the police of his govermunt; under
-'hich title must be comprehende'J criminal
justice. He has the absolute power of life and

♦ Except at the time that those visit. tions are mado,
which is only once a year, this coiiTcnt is a very desert and
lavage abode, and the surrounding country Is only a pile
of rugged and naked rock. Mount Sinai, at the Toot of
Mhi< h it is seated, is a peak of granite, which sceuis to
ovcrwKcIn) it. The house has the resemblance of a prison,
'whose lofty walla have only one window, which, though
Tcry high up, aiiswcrf. the purpose of a door; to enter
which you wust get into a basket, which the Monk'i have
iu«j)cndcd at the window, aud occasiuually liuist up with

death : a power which he exercises without
formality or appeal. When he mce.s with an
offence, he orders the criminal tv^ be seized, imj
the executioner, who accompanies him, straiHet
him, or takes off his head upon the spot; udj
sometime-, indeed, he condescends to perform
this oiKce himself. The Pacha often wuiligaboyj
in disguise, i^nd woe to that man whom he det/'ctj
in the commisiion of a crime, or an error !-~Hui
as he cannot be every where, he has a depuiv
called the Wuli, who patrolcs night and da\
keeps a watchful eye on the seditious, appic-
bends robbers; and, like the Pacha, tries and
condemns without appeal. Ths criminii! ,m»-
scnts his neck ; the executioner striken ; tl-^ iieid
falls, and the body is taken sway in a leatlirrn
sack. This ofiicer has a multitude of spies, v.liu
are generally the associates of thieves, and, from
(heir information, is made acquainted with every I
thing that passes. We cannot therefore be sur-
prised that cities like Cairo, Aleppo, and Da*
mascus, should be safer than Genua, Koine, and i
Naplc; : but how deafly is this safety purchased!
and how many innocent persons are sacrificed to I
the p.rtiality and injustice of the Wali !

In the markets the Wali inspects the weigliti I
and measures, in Uhicb he exercises the utuiust
severity. For the smallest deficiency in i|ie
weight of bread, meat, or confectionary, he lit-
diets five hundred strokes of the bastinado, aiid
sometimes even death. But though examples of
this kind are common in great cities, there is no
country where false weights are so frequently
used. The dealer,- however, is generally upou
liis guard : he usually keeps a sharp look-out tot
the passing of the Wali, or inspector of tlie
market ; and, as soon as they appear on horse-
back, the deficient weights are laid aside, audi
others produced. The dealers also make an
agreement with the servants who precede these
two oiKcers ; and for a certain sum they caa in-
sure impunity f .

All I

ropes. This plar is adoptuil from the apprehension! o( I
danger from the Arabs. . [

+ TheolTioe of Wuli docs not extend to those varloiisnl).
jects of utility, whi;:h arc under the regulation of our po.
lice. No attention is paid to thecloanlinms or thcsaliibriiyl
of the cities. They are not watered, swept, or pavcii,!
either in Syria, or in Kgypt. The streets arc narron,!
winding, and inrommodious ; and travellers arc (lisgu>iel|
at the si:;ht of a multitude of hideous dogs, which hiivc Hi
any owner. They form a sort of indepcndcut bodj, sul.l

55YRIA AND KGYPT.

.'JOl

All the magistrates of the empire called Cadis,
or ;ail""es, depend on the principal chief, who

sides at Constantinople. The tille of his dig--
nity \i C(i(U-d ask, or Judg^e of the Army. This
GraiiJ Ciidis names the judges of the capital
cities, such as Aleppo, Damascus, Jerusalem,
^i-. These name other judj^es, in the places
wilhin their jurisdiction. Money is, however,
(he principal qualification. All these employ-
ments, like those of the government, are sold to
(lit, best bidder, and farmed from year to year.
Xlie tribunal whence these Cadis issue their de*
cisioiis, is called Makkama, or place of judge-
ment. Sometimes it is at their own hous; s, but
r,:ver at a place suitable to the dignity of a court
of justice. In a paltry mean aparlmcnt, the
i;idi is seated or. a mat, or a sort of cat pet, with
bii clerks and domestics on each side of him : the
door of the apartment is left open ; the parties
appear, and, without advocates or attornies,
each pleads his own cause. Squatted «>n the
mund, they state the facts, dispute, and contest
the particulars, and debate upon the merits or
demerits of the cause before 'hem. Should the
debates between the parties become too violent,
the cries of the cK rks, and the stafl'uf the Cadi,
soon restore order anJ propriety. Gravely smok-
ing his pipe, and fingering his beard, tie judge
hearkens, interrogates, and concludes by pro-
uouncing a sentence, without appeal. The par-
ties are sddom very well satisfied; but they retire
with great respect, paying a fee estimated at one
tenth of the litigated property, without murmur-
ing at the judgment, as it is infallibly dictated
b^ the infallible koran *.

Such is the state of jurisprudence among the
Turks; and they have no public code existing,
wlie:'e individuals may instruct themselves in their
Respective rights. The judgments given are

s'sling on public alms. The 'J'urkti, who arc so roady to
's'lid (he blood of man, are not so forward in killing thei-e
iop, though Ihcy avoid toucluDg thcni ns nnclcan : they
ercn declare that they ensure Ihc safety of the citizens by
nighi; but for this tj^ey are more indciitcd to the \Va:i, and
the gates with which crery strc'et is secured. It is also «aid,
that the dogs derour the carrion ; but in this they arc as-
tiltcd by " multitude of Jackalls, Vhich are numerous in
the gardens, and concealed among the ruins and tombs.

* It must be confessed that this simplicity of justice docs
not consume the property of the parties in preliminary
nr stibsoqutnt cxpeucrs, but too many abuses arc the
(ooscqueuccB of this summary dccisiou. Suiue writers who

chiefly founded on unwritten customs, or on the
unfrequently contradictory decisions of the doc-
tors. The Roman law, in many particulars, has
served as a basis for the determinations of the
Mahometan Doctors, but the great and inex-'
haustible source to which they recur, is the luost
pure book, the depositary of all knowledge, the
code of all legislation, the Koran of the Frophct.

Whoever reads the koran, cannot but confess,
that it conveys no notion of the relative duties of
mankind in society, the formation of the body
politic, or the principles of the art of governing.
The only laws we find there, consist of four or
five ordinances relative to polygamy, divorces,
slavery, and the succession of near relations. The
rest is merely a chaos of unmeaning phrases, and
cmphatical declamation on the attributes of God,
from which no valuable information can be ob-
tained; a collection of puerile tales, and ridicu-
lous fables; and on the whole so flat and unin-
teresting a composition, that no man can read it
to the end, notwithstanding the elegance of M.
Savary's translation. But should any semblance
of meaning be visible, through the absurdities of
this deliiious effusion, it is the inculcation of the
most obstinate fanaticism.

We are wearied with the repetition of the
words impious, incredulous enemies of God and
the Pruphcl\: devotion toKarcli God and the Pro-
phet. Heaven is open to whomsoever combats ia
their cause ; llouris stretch out tiieir arms to
martyrs; the imagination takes toe and the pro-
selyte exclaims, " Oh ! Mahomat ; thou art the
messenger of God ; thy word is his ; he is infal-
lible ; thou canst neither err nor deceive me : go
an, I follow thee." There is no uncertainty in
this book ; it guides without error, those who
believe without doubting, who believe iu what
they do not sec."

censure the proceedings of our legal decisions, liaTc com>
mended the administraiion of justice amonjr the Turks;
but dailj experience .sufficiently proTes, that there is no
country wherein justice is more corrupted than in Egypt,
Syria, and the r«'st of the Turkish empire. Venality is no
where morg flagrant and hare>faced. The parties may
bargain for their cause with the Cadi, as they would for
any common article of food or raiment. Corruption is
habitual and general; and how can it be expected to bj
otherwise, wlii're inKgriiy may be destructive, and in-
JM-stice Ivicralive ; where each Cadi, deciding without appeal,
ftars no rcwsiou of his scutuuce, tior punishment for hia
partiality.

* ' •-' What

i02

VOLNEY's TRAVFXS THROUGH

What is (he tendency of this, but to establish
the most absolute despotism in hiiu who com-
inundsj and the blindest devotion to him who
obeys? A.nd such was the intention of Mahomet.
He did not mean to enlighten men, but to rule
over them. It was to lead them more easily that
lie ascribed all to God. By subniit(ing ito ac-
knowledge himself his minister, he removed
every suspicion of personal interest. " There is
only one V )'/' says the Koran, " and Mahomet
is his propiiet. Pray five times a-day, turning
towards Mecca. Eat not in the day time during
the whole month of the Rnmasan. Make the
pilgrimage of the Caaba, and give alms to (he
widow and orphan." Here is (ho source from
Avhence must spring all the sciences, nnd every
branch of political and moral knowledge*.

The people of Syria are, in general Mahome-
tans or Christians ; and this difterencc of opinion
is productive of the most disagreeable etlects.
Treating each other as infidels and impious, they
are actuated by a reciprocal aversion, which
keeps alive a sort of perpetual war. And the
government, instead of interposing as njediator
in these dissensions, fermcn(s them by its par-
tiali(y. Faithful to the spirit of the Koran, it
treats (he Christians with the most persecuting
severity f.

These distinctions create much hatred and di-
risionSj and manifest themselves in every inter-
course of life. The Mahometans talk perpetually
of their religion, nnd consider themselves as the
only faiihf 111 to God. The Christians, in their
turn, affect great devotion ; and hence that
ostentation of piety which forms one of the prin-
cipal characteristics of the orientals.

Commerce, iaSvria, is still in that state ofin-

* The It'gisla tors of antii'|iiily liavcin vain pxhaiistitl their
ceiiius tu explain tin; rclatiuiis of uiaiikirul in sucioly, and
to (xiiiU out the several dulics of every clais. Alahinnet,
more, able and prcjfoiiiid, resolves tlic whole into five
phrases*, and ye( il may safely be asserted, fliat of all the
men who have prc.iiiined to give lk«s to nations, none was
iiiort; ignorant (iiiin ^laliomet : of all the ahsnrd composi.
tions that have ever been exhibited, not one can be more
truly wretched tlian (liis l)ook. Of (his, the transactions of
the last twelve Inindred years in A^a are a proof; for the
iijitorance of the people, in that qu.irterof theglobe, urigi.
nate in (lie Koran and its uiorulity.

+ All pnblic worship is prohibited to Christians, except
in the Kesraunan, where govcrnnjint has not been able to
prevent it. They arc not periiiiited to build any new
churdu^i and whuu iLc old onus are iii a ruinous state,

fancy which characterizes barbarous a£,e3, an!
uncivilised countries. Along the whole coast
there is not a harbour capable of admittinf^^y.
sel of four hundred tons. In the interior parts cf
the country, there ard neither roads nor c^naU.
nor even bridges over the greater part of th
rivers and torrents. Between town and town
there arc neither posts nor public convcyjinJ
The Tarlar Courier, who comes from Constant
tinopic to Damascus, by way of Aleppo, Is (i,,,
()nly convenience of this kind. He leads with
him a scconr' horse in hand, and has frequcntlya
companion for fear of accidents.

The communication between one (own and
another is kept up by carriers, but thev have no
tixed time of departure. No persons (ravel
alone, from the insecurity of the roads. It j,
usual to wait for several passengers who wish (o
go to the same place. It appears remarkable that
not a waggon or a cart is to be seen in ail Syria'
Perhaps (heir absence may be a((ribu(ed (o (hj
apprehensions of their being seized by thominjonj
of government, and thereby sustaining a very
considerable loss at one stroke. Every (hinp {%
conveyed on (he backs of asses, mules, or caiiiels,
all which animals are found here in great per-
l'cc(ion: the two former are very capable of
employment on the mountains, and of climbing
and sliding over (he slopes of (he craggy rucks.
'J'he camel is more used in the plains, because
he consumes les.s, and carries more : his usual
load is about seven hundred and fifty pounds:
his food is wha(ever you choose to give him:
as straw, beans, barley, bramble.^, poniidfd
dates, «&c. ^Vilh a pound of food a-day, and as
much water, he will travel for weeks together,
in going from Cairo to Suez, which is a journcv

tliey are not snfTered (u repair them wiltiout paying a viry
heavy (ine. A Christian cannot strike a Mahotneiaii -mu.
out the risk of losing his life ; but if a Mahonietiui shoulil
kill a Christian, he ran cicapc punishment for a stiptilattii
price. A Christian niuit not appear on iiorsebiirk in ilic
town, and thc) are forbid the use of the yellow sli|i|)iTs,
while shawls, and every kind of a;reen colour. Keillor
the feet, and bine for thc dresi are the colours u<si:;nril
them. The I'orto has just renewed ita ordinances to n.
establish (lie ancient form of their turbans: they niiislcoii.
sist of n, coarse blue muslin, m ith a Mn^lc while border,
AN'hen they travel, they arc frecpiently stopped to pay a
toll, from which the Mahometans are exempt: in liiw pro.
ceedings, the oath of two Christians is reckoned but as on :;
and it i.s next to an impossibility for a Christian lu g.iiii .>
suit.

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

303

Lf about foVty-six hours, iiiciudin;; the time al-
lloffcd for resting, they neither eat nor drink ; but
I these fast' "g*' °^**" repeated, exhaust the strength
Lftlie animaU. It is useless to endeavour to
Iforce them beyond their usual pace ; but by al-
Lwing them their proper rest, they will travel
Iftoro fifteen to eighteen hours a day *.

Coin is of so fixed a value, that you may
Itravel over the whole empire without expe-
Iriencing any change in its denomination or its
haliie. The most sinople of these coins is the
\p(ira, called also J\/1cdin, a Fadda, a Kuta, or
[flj/(fn«. It resembles in size an English silver
Ithree-pence, and is worth about five liards, (a
jjttle more than a halfpenny). After the para,

b(rc are a succession of pieces of five, ten, and

irentv paras. All these coins are ?i!ver, but
jfith such a mixture of copper alloy, that the
LjoK-W/'i is ** large asi a crown of six livres,
riiough its value be only foor livres five sols,
{(hreeand six-pence halfpenny, ) They have no

nage, because of the prohibition of the pro-
Lhet: but or.ly the cypher of the Sultan on one
(ide, and on the other these words : Sultan of the
IffoContiniints. The gold coins are the sequin;
tiled Dahrp, or piece of gold ; and also Zahr-
Hahnboub, ir well-beloved flower. It is worth
hree piastres, or forty paras. There is likewise

sequin, called Fondoucli, worth one hundred
nd seventy paraii. Besides these Turkish coins,
omeof the European specie has as much cur-
tncy; such ar^ the silver dollars of Germany.
Lnd the gold R^quins of Venice. The Venetian
rquins are esteemed for the fineness of their
Itandard, and from their being used in making
unmens' trinket*: the piece of gold is simply
Lcrced, for the convenience sf suspending it by

chain, also of gold, which (lows upt/u the
freast. The more sequins there are attached to
|bechain, and the greater number of these chains,
k more does the woman conceive herself orna-
ueiitud. This mode of embellishment creates
Duch emulation among the ladies. Even the
female peasants, in imitation of their superiors,
pr piastres or smaller pieces ; but Ihc women

♦ There nro no public inns, but the cities, towns, and
\ the villages, liavu a (urge lluilding callud a A'a;>, or

,.';«n./c;«i, for the use of travellers. These places of
.'roption aie built a little way out of tlm towns, uud cons'st
(ftJiir Hiii;;s rmind a square eoiirt, in which thvt beasts df

irikn are inclusfil. 'J'ho lodgings are cells, where no-

in,' is I'omul but liar'} walls, dust, and perhaps scorpions,

Vu. 11. iNo. LXXXIX.

of a certain rank disdain silver, and m\\ accept
of nothing but sequins of Venice, or large
Spanish pieces and crusadoes. The fractice of
weighing money is generalin Syria, Tjgypt, and
all Turkey. No piece, however deiaccd, is re-
fused there; the merchant draws ou'. bis scalcar
and weighs it.

The religion of Mahomet having proscribed
every sort of image and figure, there . exists
neither painting, nor sculpture, nor engraving:
nor any of those nimieroiis professious which
depend on them. The christians, indeed, pur-
chase, for the Use of their churches, some pic-
tures of the Greeks at Cotistantiiiople, who, in
point of taste, are teal Turks. Ill the second
place, many of our trades are rendeied unne-
cessary, from the small quantity of furnitur«i
required by the Orientals. The whole inventory
of a wealthy family consists in a carpet for thn
feet, in mats, cushions, mattresses, smalt cotton
cloths, copper and woodert platters for the table,
some stewing-pans, a mortar, a portable mill,
some porcelain, and some plates of copper
tinned : all our cabinet and upholstery work
are luxuries totally unknown to them ; nothing
can therefore be so simple as a Turkish removal.
Pocock is of opinion that these customs origi-
nated in the wandering life formerly led by the
ancestors of these nations. Their clothing is as
little complicated, though much more expensive.
They are unaccustomed to the hats, perukes,
hair-dressing, buttons, buckles, stocks, and all
tha 'x'rihiity with which we are surrounded.
Cottuii r vilk shirts, which have neifhi : ruffles
nor wri»(baii(is, ■ )r plaited collars ; n i enormon*
pair of brcec'.ic-*. servinc; also by way of stock-
ings ; a tiundkerc! 'd ior (h< head ; another
round the waist, with three large folds of clotli
and calico, compose the whole wiirf' obe of the
orientals. The only articl; of luxury arc gold-
smith's work, which is itnifcd to women's
trinkets, saucers for coii'tc, the ornaments of
their harness, their pipes, and the silk stuti's of
Aleppo and Damascus f .

Cairo is perhaps the only p!r'ro iu Egypt or ia
Syria

The keeper of the Kan ruriiiNlics the ,'rareHcr with a kpy
and a mat , and he pr(>vi(Us himself the rest. It ia tlicrc.
fore necessary that ho .shuiitd take with liiitia bed, his kiU
chen utensils, aiidevcK hi? provisions, for \^ fn^queiitly ba^).
pens that no bread is to be found in the vilLi^i^s.

+ ln passins^ through the streets of tin: towns, voii sec
.nothing but a uutubui' of beatiMs of cotton on tinters, re.

4 H tailcn

1' 1

!r'-^"'i iU^

Mm \

' . r

t:i

■ .\ ; -if i

<' ■ ' ^1

30*

VOI.NKY's TRAVELS THItOUOH

Syria, where t!»ere are a lew Shaiks who undur-
•tandtbe priociples of music : ilicyhavecolleclions
ofairsj wiitteu in characters^ of which the names
are all Persiao. They have no music hut vocal ;
for (hey neither know nor esteem instrumental ;
and they certainly deserve commendation for it;
for such instruments as they have, arc detestable.
They arc strangers to any other accompaniment
than the unison, and the continued base of the
Monocbord. Their performance is accompanied
>Yith sighs and gestures, which represent the
passions in ,.-« more liiely strain than we should
venture to allow. They have the greatest "merit
in the melancholy strain.

Dancing, which amons; us is held in equal
rank with music, is noi equally esteemed by the
Arabs; a man cannot practice it without dis-
lionour ; and the exercise of it is only permitted to
women. This judgment may appear severe, but
before we condemn it, let it be considered, that
in the easiern world, dancing is not an imitation
of war, as among the Greeks, nor a combination
of graceful attitudes and movements^ as with us ;
but a licentious imitatiou of the wantonness of
love. • This is the species of dance, brought from
Carthage to Rome, and which, since revived in
Spain by the Arabs, still subsists there under the
title of the Fandango. It would be difficult,
without wounding the par, accurately to describe
it: it will be suilicicnt to say, that a fen<ale,
with her arms extended, and an em passioned air,
eiiiging and accompanying her songs \vith casta-
jiets, executes, without changing her place, all
those motions of the body which passion itself
carefully conceals under the veil of night. So

faHcrs of stuffs and mercery, barbers, timirrs, blaoksmiths,
tadlcf!), sellers of liMle loaves, hard-ware, grain, dates,
and swcut.incats : but very few butchers, and those very
L. supplied. In the viria^-e.s, the inhabitauts have no arts,
but those without which they cannot subsist. Every per-
son endeavours to supply his own wantsT Kach family
manufacture! the coarse cottons with which they arc cloath-
ed : every house has a portable mill for grinding their h»r.
Icy, or tiieir Dourra : the flour from those mills is coarse,
and the little loaves inu'.ie of it, ilMeaveued, and badly
baked ; but tboy presci'vc life, which seems to be ail that is
reqitfi'ert.

■ * The Sciences are still more neglected tha" lie Arts : in
vain have sonic persons denied this assertion : in vain du
they talk of colleges, places of education, and books. These
■words lii 'Turkey convey not the same Ideas as with us.
The age of the Caliphs is pastainoni^ the Arabs, and yet to
begin among the Turks. These two nations have neither
^geometricians, astroaomcrsj inu&icians^ nor jphjsiciaus at

cxtrayagant is their licentiousneis, that nolliip
hut prostitutes presume to dance in public I
Those who excel assume the name of ./j;,,,^ 'i

proficient in the art: the most celebrated art
those of Cairo *.

The scarcity of books, and the want of il,,
means of information, are certainly the causes of
the ignorance of the orientals; lint the radical I
source is still in the governmn ;, which, sofarl
from encouraging the propagation of knowledge I
exerts every eflbrt to stifle it in the birth. Under I
the aaministration of the Turks, neither ranknorl
fortune can be obtained through the channel of]
the Arts and Sciences, or polite literature. Ifl
science therefore, which is acquired with muthj
difficulty and !:ibour, can only make us regret iij]
inutility and even expose us to danger, it isbet.]
terto be without it f.

The situ tioH of the women among the orien.!
tals, occasions a great contrast between tbeitl
manners and ours. Such is the delicacy of the]
men, that they never speak of them ; anil jt]
would be extremely indecent to make an)'ei>-]
qniries of the men respecting the women of iheifl
family. They are astonished that our women ml
with their faces uncovered, when, in their counJ
try, an uplifted veil, is the demonstration of a|
prostitute, or is a signal for a love-adventurel
They have no idea that it is possible to talk witlj
them, and touch them without emotion, or to)
be alone with them without proceedinj; In tha
last extremities. This conduct will sutilcienllfi
shew what opinion they entertain of their femaleiJ
hence v/t may instantly conclude that thevara
absolutely ignorant of love, in our sense ofm

present. Scarcely can we find one of the latter whoknoMJ
liow to bleed \vith a (loam. How, indeed shoiil'I phxi.]
cilins be so foriiied, as there arc no cstablishmeiUs of M
kind, and anatomy is repugnant to the prejudices of thcltj
religion" Astronomy might gain more admirers, but bjj
Vstroniiuy they mean only the art of discovering tliedcctcJ
of fate l)\ (lie motion of the stars. I

+ When an Kuropean arrives in Syria, or any pirtofty
eastern world, he is astonished at the exterior of ilipin!i»j
bitants : it seems as if some premeditated design luil cIdcrJ
mined to produce au infinity of .striking contrasts bct^ui
the people of Asia and those of Europe. Wilh us, toun.
cover the head is a mark of respect ; with them, a iiik(^
head is the emblem of fol'y. We salute in an inclind |)ui
ture.; they erect. They sit, and eat npon the ground; «J
upon raised iieats. Their manner of writing is also conlrarJ
to ours ; and most of ir masculine uouns arc fcmiuinf
with them*

YTord

in, or toj

ff lotha

lilicientlyl

' ftMnalei:]

they ara

ense oftba

SYRIA AND EGYPT.

A ^* f ■<■

30 •>

(ird. Lovers there are prisoners, ever watcli-
rf fo deceive their keepers, and alwa^-s anxious
to'seizc the first opportunity, because they know
•at when anotiier may happen. Shou'd they
liippen to siici'ced in an amour, they are as secret
ojiiic "Tave, knowing the fatal consequences of
a discovery : in these cases it is hardly possible to
avoid the poignard, pistol, or poison, lis de-
.triictive consequences to the womeii rcndci; them
iiiplacable in punishing ; and, to reveuge them-
jclve?, they are often more cruel than their hus-
lijiids' or their brotliers.

This severity tends to preserve " chastity and
decorum in the country; but in the great towns,
L much debauchery prevails as among us ; but
[it is raor'' concealed. Aleppo, Damascus, and
Icairo, are not, ."'. t.!;is respect, behind our pro-
Kiiicial capitals. Young girls are reserved there,
Ibccause the discovery of » love adventure would
[cost them their lives; but married women freely
[devote themselves to pleasure, to indemnify them
[for the long restraint they have endured, and be-
[eoHse they have frequently just reasons for re-
iii.ring themselves on their masters.
Tiie Turks are much censured for hastening
Jtlieir marriages so much as they do : it is notun-
Icommon to see girls of nine or ten years of age,
[married to boys of twelve or thirteen : hut it
[must be confessed that the apprehensions of iiber-
[tinism, and the severity with whicli that is punish-
[(d by the Turkish police, greatly pi-omote these
[premature unions, which is certainly one of the
[causes of their early impotence. The ignorance
[of the Turks is so extreme, that they uniformly
[endeavour to force nature, at the very time ,that
[their health is impaired by excess. This also is
[to be ascribed to the Koran, in which the amorous
[prophet has inserted a precept inculcating this
[species of duty *.

From what we can learn of the domestic life of
[those husbands who have several wives, their lot
[is not to be t^nvied, nor does it convey a very e\-
[alted idea of this part of Mahomet's legislation.
[Their house is a perpetual scene of riot, tumult,
[and contention. Nothing occui's but bickerings

* Monti'sqiiiiMi has justly assigned polyijamy as one of
|tlioraii$o» of ilopiipulation ill Turkey; but it is one of the
lliasl cousklt-raljle, as there are few bi '. thu ricli whu iiiduIgH
|(bci)selvi'6 wit!) it plurality of womuii ; the commua peoplo,

and quarrels between the diflfcrent wives, and
complaints and appeals to the husbands. The
wives, having .been legally married, complain
that their slaves are preferred to them, and
that they are persecuted from the jealousy of
their mistresses. If one wife is coiiiplimenttd
with a trinket, a token of favour, or permission
to visit the bath, all the others require the same
tokens of attention, or suppose themselves ex-
tremely slighted. To restore peace, the poly-
gamist finds it necessary to assume the tone of a
despot, and from that moment he meets with
nothing but the sentiments of slaves, the appear-
ance of fondness and real hatred. In vain does
eajh of these women protest she loves him more
than the rest ; in vain does site lly on his entering
his apartments, to present him bis pipe and his
slippers, to prepare bis dinner, and to serve
his cutfee : in vain, while he is indulgently
stretched out upon his carpet, does she as-
siduously chase; away thr flics which incommode
him; all these attentions and caresses serve
only to procure an addition to their trinkets and
movables, that, if' he should divorce them,
they may have it in their power to tempt another
hiisband, or find a resource in what becomes
their own property. Like mere courtezans, they
think only of stripping their lover before hft
quits them; and this lover, experiencing indif-
ference or disgust, teazed, by pri;tended fond-
ness, and debilitated by satiety, must be far from
enjoying an enviable situation.

The contempt entertained by the Turks for
their women, arises from this concurrence of
circumstances, and i.s evidently produced by their
own customs : for how should the women retain
that exclusive love, which renders them most
estimable, when so many share in the affections
of their husband ? llow should they have the
manners requisite to make llicm amiable, when
no care whatever has been taken of their educa-
tion ? The Greeks, who are permitted to have
but one wife at a time, enjoy domestic peace,
though perhaps they approach uo nearer to real
happiness.

anil especially those of the country, arc satisfied widi one.
Evoii iiinoiig the )iit;hcr ranks, persons arc sometimes to be
met with, who arc wise enough to imitate thdr cxaoiplC)
and u( Iviiowludgc tlutt oue wife i& quite sufficient. ,

THE END OF VOL\E\ s TRAVELS.

; n

■ ; ■ f

'! ;! *,

nK'M

«p

TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

KNIGHT AND BAttON OF THE SACRED UOMAK EMPIRE:
ILLUSTRATED WITH

NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS.

FROM '

A TOUR THROUGH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, in 1803.

,) - .-BY, ': ; ■■■'.'

; CHAPTER I. ,

Ceucral Division qf ^pain-T'Itinerarij from Bayonne to Pampduna, and from thence to Madrid,-*]

A Mine of Sal Gem at Valtlerra described.

THE dominions of Spain are generally classed
by their writers in the following order: the
kingdom of Spain, consisting of Old and New
Castile ; the kingdoms of Leon, Arragon, Na-
Tarre, Granada, Valencia, Galicia, Seville,
Cordova, M urcia, Jaen, and Majorca ; the
principalities of Asturias and Catalonia, the pro-
vinces of Estremadura, Guipuscoa, and Alava,
and the lordships of Biscay and Molina : they
are bounded by the Bay of Biscay on the north, by
the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean on the east, by
the streights of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean
on the south, and by the Atlantic Ocean on the
west: lying between 36 and 43 degrees of north
latitude; and between 8 and 22 degrees of east
longitude from Fcrrol.

The Pyrenean mountains are the highest in
Spain, extending from the ocean to the Medi-
terranean, several others 'branching out, as frooi
their root, such as Mount Idubcda, (now called
Montes de Oca) the Orbion, Moncayo, the
Puerto de Pajarcs, or pass from Castile to As-
turias, the Puerto d^ Guadarrauia, which sepa-
rates the two Castiies, that of Molina, of Cuenca,
of Confuegra, Alacaraz, Segura, Cazorla, and
the Montes Marianos, (now called Sierra Mo-
rcna;) the Puerto del Rey, which coinmaods the

communication between Castile and Andalusia,
and the Puerto del Muradal, where lies that fa-
moqs pass called the Navas de Tolosa, celebrated
for the victory obt^ine^ there in 1212, over the
king of Morocco, and other passes of less note.

Amongst the rivers, the Ebro has its source
near Fontibre, six leagues from Aguillar del
Campo, passes by Logeens. Yiana, CalahortaJ
Tudela, Saragossa, Mequinezza, and TortosaJ
and a little lower falls into the Moditerrancau at |
the AliVqiie Islands.

The Guadalquivcr has its source in thcSierril
de Segura, passes by Bea.4, Baeza, .'indujar, Cor-
dova, Loxa, and Seville, and enters the ocean at I
S:in Lucar de Barraineda, receiving in its course |
the waters of the GuadalbuUon and Gonil.

The Tagus rises in the Sierras near Albarracin,]
passes by Zurita, Aranjuez, . Toledo, Alwaraz,
Alcantara, Abrantcs, Santarem,. and Lisbon,
where it is three miles broad, and enters the ocean,
having (he tide as high as Santarem, and reccivingl
in its course the waters of the Jarama, Manza-
narcs, Guadarrama, Albcrcbe, and others.

The Guadiana rises about four leagues from I
Montrel, in the Laguna Ruydera, and after
running underground appears again near Damid
at the lakes or lacques called Ojos de Guadiam,

" the I

niLLON'S TRAVEI,S THROUGH SPAIN;

ahniii half a IPAo-iin iliiitant. The euvirons

507

'*!f:lfn

!■:,"

I '■■

'm4:ii

if:;' '>;.

,ym

! r\..][^^

j,.f .ii.,„,M,t., 1/?" \\^ ^^ MM.».t.u\ \ \\;, .,,,,,.1.. v_ ^••, ... w fi,/>'.,A;,/,.,.:,i^~*- — -— — -«v V ^~s. ^StS^
?./,■■,/,.•; T.-o^T..//..- ^ J/ ___ '^ /yu»**s^' 1 /^ii.in.irr* •">.»/.■/».>■/.■■.■ ^^ V • -

y iii't III tC< .il ^ I'MwrliUiA ■A'/'/././<^<r \

.M I K' ( I

TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

-( "

■ iyv<«iA> .

iMmm

'r9- ^/

'' ■»!,' ',: iitt»

>v .. \ 'N

,\ . -.K. T ' 4^\»

f"""»4

■t%fv\i>fi,-' •

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f'''\%

|»»»«'<HMH*JI»4»-».ii<—«illX'.l

M^-'M**^- . .n..«^)iiua«.Y^WW—W*- **''''■■

niLLON'8 THAVFLS THROUGH SPAINi

507

ifae eyes of Guidiani/' then pastes by Cala-

La Cuidad Real, Medellin, Merida, Bada-

and Ayamonte, where it falls into the ocean,

' running for some time in Alentejo, in Por-

i| and separating that kingdom from Spain,

[iriff Castro Marin of Portugal on the west,

1 Ayamonte on the east.

The Duero rises in the Sierra of Orbioa, and

■ei by Soria, Almazan, Osma, San Estevan

ICormaz, Aranda de Duero, Roa, Simancas,

■rdesiilas, Toro, Zamora, Miranda de Duero,

[meeo, and enters the ocean at Oporto, receiv-

e the rivers Eresma, Adaja, Pisuerga, Ezla,

jrueda, and others.

frhe Minho has its source in Galicia, near

igtro del Rey. It runs south west, and passes

iMfo, Orrense, and Tuy, after which it di-

Ifdei Galicia from Portugal, and falls into the

[tlantic at Caminha.

' Other smaller rivers are also worthy of notice,
ich as the Segtira, Guadalaviar, Lobregat,
fiyi, Vidaso, Tinto, Guadalate, &c.
Spain may be said to enjoy a temperate and
ealthy air, neither ao cold as the northern re-
lions, nor so burning as the scorching heats of
Ifrica, and abounds in cattle, game, fowl, corn,
^ool, silk, wax, honey, excellent wine, brandy,
lij, and sugar, all kind of fruit and pulse, aro-
Bstic herbs and plants, the finest of oaks, quar-
jies of marble, alabaster, jasper, and other pre-
[ious stones; mines of silver, lead, copper, iron,
nercury, antimony, and cobalt : in short, every
patoral advaotnge tending to the pleasure and
appiness of mankind.

The territories of Spain are said to contain
25,000 square leagues*. According to returns
aade to the Count de Aranda, in 1768, the general
population of the whole, including the Canaries
tnd Mediterranean islands, amounted to about
nine millions : in 1778, it was further calculated
be between ten and eleven millions, and sup-
Iposed to be increasing.

J Quitting Bayonne, I proceeded on my journey
Itowards Spain, and travelling through an uneven
jcountry, began to perceive a species of slaty
[itoDe which announced the vicinity of the Pyre-

* The Spanish league is 7680 vara*. 17 Spanish leagues
I malic one degree, equal to 30 Freiich leagues,
j Three Castiliaa feet make oud van of Castile, whose
I length is about 33 inches Knglish.

-f Quartz is a hard vitrifiable stone somethiog iaterme-

Vol. II. No. LXXXIX.

nees, about half a league distant. The environs
of Anoa are mountainous. The farmers manure
the ground with lime to sow maize or Indian
corn, laying on a greater quantity for wheat,
without which it yields notliing, which proves
the necessity of this method to cherish and ex-
pand the tough and cold soil in mountainous
countries. ^ti

Half a league from Anoa, a rivulet forms a
boundary between France and Spain. The
country is covered with fern, which they cut and
heap in piles, till it rots and serves for manure.
You next pass a Carthusian convent at the foot
of a high mountain, chiefly of quartz f, whose
summit is a rock of purplish sanJ, and from
thence descend to the first village in Spain called
Maya, seated in a valley where they have good
crops of maize and turnips, and whose soil,
though not calcareous, produces equally the
same kind of plants ; such as the aider, hen-
bane, nightshade, swallow wort, figwort, thorn-
apple, hawthorn, and bullace tree. After passing
the village of Elizondo, and traversii^ the vale,
I ascended a mountain of blueishlirns rock, with
fine beech towards the top, its sides lined with
many other trees, such as alder, hawthorn, and
helm. This mountain is one of the highest in
this country, upon which is an inn, called Yenta
de Belate, not far from the top of the moun-
tain.

From the mountain de Belate, it is an easy
descent into another vale well cultivated with
vines und com, which extends as far as the city
of Pampeluna, capital of the kingdom of Na-
varre. In this vale there is a wood of stately
oaks, with plenty of box, thorn-tree, wild roses,
and other common plants of cultivated countries.
You keep constantly on the borders of a rivulet,
running amongst round sand stones of a purple
colour, similar to those on the other side towards
France.

In this plain it is clearly seen how the limy
rock decays, for in an almost perpendicular fis-
sure above an hundred feet high, the earth which
at first sight, and even to the touch, appears tu
be clay, is nothing more than limy earth, mixed

diate between rock crystals and flints, or opake Titrifiablo
stones, weH known to metallurgists, mineralogists, and
miners. According to Croustedt, it is easier tu be kuown
than described.

■ )■■' li;

'mm

with

,tf.

flod

niLLON'S THAVF.LS THROUGH fiPAlN.

v^ith a smRlI portion of clay, the result of rotten
plants as I experienced with the acid I always
carry with me whenever 1 travel *.

Leaving Pampcluiia, I traversed a champaign
country for two leagues and a half (o the moun-
tain opposite, which having pusseil, a variety of
cultivation takes place. Some limy rocks are ho
barren, that nothing is to bo seen but butchers
broom, a few oaks, juniper, and lavender, for I
two IcHgues and a hiilf further, when I arrived
at the city of Tafalla ; then passing an extensive
plain ftill of aromatic plants, had live leugues to
Capnrrosof,

From Caparroso I cr* ssed a high hill where
any miner might mistake the strata of gypseous
stone, which is only one or two inches thick, fur
hpsir, but you may dig as deep as you please, and
never Hud anything but gypsum, which is very
seldom seen where there is mineral. The country
is every where barren and miserable, a perfect
desert without water, and nothing but rosemary,
lavender, and a few starved oaks. After quitting
this wretched district, a fertile plain opens to the
rve. supplied by wheels with water from the
£bro.

From Caparraso it is four leagues to the Ehro,
in a plain bordered by a chain of hills from east
to west, composed of limy earth mixed with
gypseous stone, sometimes in strata, granulated,
or in masses, white as snow. This chain extends
about two leagues, and towards the middle,
where it is the highest, stands the village of
Valticrra : about half way up, there is a mine of
f(»8sil common st^t, which being transparent and
resembling chrystal, goes by the name of sal gem,
and is seen above ground where the shaft is made
at the entrance of the mine. About twenty paces

* The same sort of earth, of a bliieish colour, is found
mar famptluna, but hirder, and so very hard in a hill
opi-osltc to the city, as to deserve the name of stone, dis-
jxiscd in strata with the same oMiqiiityas the fissure aboTC-
iiientioni;d, all which proves the deiomposition of the
locks.

+ This plain may be thrown into foiii divisions, the first
from T.ifa!lii bciiii; olive trcis, fhe si'tond vineyards, the
f hiid corn firhls, and the fourth barren, except a few olive
trci!^, and some corn liolds near (..'.iparroso, wliern n hill
iliviclcs llie pl.iin, and now and then, the rounded purjjle stone
iiie.vs it.elf again the same as in l-'rance.

+ If this were tliocase, the beds would not be undulated
in this manner, resembling those of coal at Chaniond, near
Jiyons, ill France, or those of Afphaltos, in Alsace, that
foliow tlio elevation and declivity of the hills or vallies, the

within, one observes that the salt, which ■!
white and abundant, has penetrated into the Tenl
beds of gypseous stone. This mine may beaboail
four hundred paces in length, with several laterJ
shafts, upwards of eighty pace*, H'.ipporUdbd
pillars of salt and gypsum, which the m\m\
have very judiciously left at proper distances, |,|
that it has all the appearance of a gotliic ralli(.|
dral. The suit follows the direction of thelijn
inclining a little to the north, like the strata «( I
gypsum, being comprised in a space about t„|
feet in height without variation, and srcmiitl
have corroded several beds of g> psuni inul marl I
and insinuated itself into their placCj thoughniutil
of those substances still remain. I

At the end of the principal shaft) the niinfn
have carried out a branch to the right, whereili(|
saline bed i>ppearH to have followed exactly tlie I
inclination of the hill, which in thai part is veivl
perpendicular: this stratum of salt descends tn tt:e
valley, Jind goes on to the opposite hill ; nhitU
regularity destroys the system of those who pte.!
tend that sal gem is formed by the evaporation I
occasioned by subterraneous tire "l-

The strata of saline earth arc of a dark blu*J
but those of salt are white. This mine is of a threat
elevation with respect to the sea, for you alwavi
go up hill to it from Bayonne, excepting thu<«l
casual descents which arc inseparable from roorr-|
tainous countries.

It is a continual ascent from VaUierra tol
Agreda, the first town in Castile, on the topofi
one of the highest mountains in Spain, called
Moreays, whose rocks so decompose into earth,
as to be covered with plants, deserving the atttr-
tion of a botanist, from the great variety tliciuei
aiforded to the vegetable kingdom. From Agre- 1

- • ' r ; ' T" "
bitumen often floating on the water when it meets withil.
I am of opinion that Kalt grows in the mine like minrni!,
that coal is the product of fossil wood, a.i appears froi
such remnaiitH as are found in tfie mines, and that the a;.
phaltos is produced by the w ater of some s|)rinf;. I exa.
mined attentively these strata of aalt;. comparing thcra with
the matter in which they are embedded. I observed the ruuf
to be of gypsum, with aromatic plants, then two liulKiuf
white salt, separated from the gypsum by a few threads f
saline earth, thin, three ringers breadth of pure salt, «illi
two of stone salt, and a coat of earth next anotlit-r bluthii
bed, followed by two inches of salt ; and lastly, othcrhods
alternately of earth, and chrystnline salt tothe led of the
mine, which is gypseous sioiie undulated like the rest, do. |
scunding to the valley, audruing ou the opposite hills

a/: .

DILLON'S TnAVFLS THROUGH SPAIN.

I the country li well cultivated to Hinojoss,
Lithout any *'**' *"" P'*"**' ** '^^^ «* Abmcriz,
r 1 forwards to Abmazun, on tlio banks of the
}icero: examininff this district, wliich prodticea
jfhest «nd barley, I discovered lime rock at a few
feet from the siirfiice, which for a great extent
has an outward coat of sandy soil with quartz
ind 8Bod stone totally differRnt. from the I '>ttomj
ivhich gives it the appearance of a foreign matter
irought from a distance. The phainnmnnon is
Lingular, and those who are fond of hypothcs'ep
have here an ample field to employ their itu;i-
rination,

I^aviiif]; Almnzan you ri»ie upon an cmincnre

•hitli aflords an extensive prospect, tlie country

»t a distance haviner tlie appearnncc o4*a plain,

ihee\e iiol heinu; ablr (o catch the manv ivregu-

laritii'S of ground. After some Icaguus of un-

tultivalcd land, the coiuitry improves ; thrc«

BeaeueH and a half further, I came to Parodc8, and

tro»!«ii)g u barren plain arrived at Baraonu, then

puling over the Kfeep hill of Aiienza, th0 coni-

Knes of the two Castiles, I came in five hours to

(adraqne, and four leagues further, to Flores ;

about half way, there is a place where there are

IhilU with great clefts ; one evidently sees they

■were caused by- the rains which carry away the

limy earth, and that all that country had been a

lain, for the parts that remain without gaklies,

jhdve a bottom of hard rock, and u\ proportion

(as the water makes its way through, they fbrm

bullies *.

I In passing this road, you go through a wood
lot' scarlet oak, whose leaves are covered with the

gall insect, and on coming nut of the wood, (ind
a well cultivated country with vineyards, corn-
fields, and plenty of Livendcr, thyme, lavender
cotton, and sage; then passing by the village of
Hita at the foot of a pyramidal hill, rearing its
lofty crest abuvo the others, like a great rock in
the sea, with an old Moorish castle on its summit.

Having crossed the river lienares you enter a
fertile plain with a great deal of small grained
sandy pebbles. It is remarkable that on entering
New Castile, stone of this kind is always found,
even in hills of limy earth: after passing a range
of cultivated hills I arrived at the fauious citv of
Alcaladc lienares, with an university founded
in IMl), by that great statesman Cardinal
Ximenez de Cisncrns, who also endowed it with
a good library, and printed here, at his own ex-
^wnco, the first polyglot bible, known by tlio
name of Complutcniiian. The university is u
handsome structure, Ximenez is buried in the
church with an elegant monument, by Daminicu
of Florence. The medallion of the Cardinal haa
been removed from the tomb into the library.

Alcala is only sis leagues from Madrid, and be-
longs to the Archbishop of Toledo; it gave birth
to Miguel Cervantes de Saveedra, the celebrated
author of the much admired romance of Don
Quixote. The country around is bleak, owing
to thesingular aversion which the Caiitilians ha\e
in gicneraJ to the planting of trees. Nothing
further occurred between this place and
Madrid, the environs of which will be described
on another occasion.

i^jr

OVitao Ivtir-v

5i V to JJi

-1 I

') i;.i?

CHAPTFR II.

lO/ the Merino Sheep — Misct'Ucnieovs Ohscrvatitms made at JMadrid, with some Account of the

Hoyil Cabinet of .Valurul Itistorij.

.{:,,

THE wool of Spai- forms a consL-lerable
branch of our commerce with that cou.^try.
Jh has even bctM) said that its fine quality wuj
[originally owing to a few English sheep sent into
I Spain, as u present by our Henry the Second, or
(according to others, by Edward the Fourth, in

* I saw somf! just bogiimiiig, with a likelihood of risiui;

I into hills ill the course of twenty j[car8; from whuiiru i

cunjccturc, that if some hilts give way, and crumble into

14G5; but witliout entering into fruitless investi-
gations of an event so remote, and of so little
ronsrqueiicc, I shall confine myself to speak of
'.'lose remarkable sheep known in Spain by the
nanc of (kiiiado JMcrino, " The Merino flo-ks,"
ui'd describe the const uit method of conductiiis:

pl.iiiis, olh.TS, in the course of time by th(; motion of
w>itur;i, graUiiully fonu themselves iulu mountains.

J^m^

SIO

T>;i,LON'S TRAVELS THHOUCH SPAIN.

those riimerous tribes from the northern to the
southern provinces, to which they attribute that
pecnliar tine quality of the wool, which has
rendered it so famous all over Europe.

There are two sorts of sheep in Spain, some
that have coarse wool, and iro never removed
out of the province to which they belong, aid
others, that after spending th; summer in the
northern mountains, descend in the winter tu tlie
milder provinces of Estramadura, and Andalusia,
and are distributed into districts, which go by
the name of Jderindalcs. These are the Me-
rino sheep, of which it is computed there are
between four or five millions in the kingdom*.
The word Merino, signifies a governor of a
province. The Merino mayor is always a per-
son of rank appointed by the king*. They havo a
seriarate jurisdiction over the flocks in Estrema-
diira, which is called the Mezla, and there the
king in person is Merino mayor f.

Each flock consists generally of ten thousand
sheep, with a Mayoral, or head shq)herd, who
must be an active man well versed in the nature
of pasture, as well as the diseases incident to his
flock. This person has under him fifty inferior
shepherds, and as many dogs, five of each to a
tribe. The principal shepherd has a hundred
pistoles (about ^75) and a horse every year.
The other servants have 1.50 rials for the first
clas'j (\£ 13s. 9r/. ) 100 rials for the second class,
( .€1 2.V. 6(i. ) 60 rials for the third lass ( \Ss.6d. )
and 40 rials, or nine shillings for the other at-
tendants. Each of those has an allowance of
two po jnds of bread a day, with the same quan-
tity of an inferior sort for the dogs. They are
likewise permitted to keep goats, and a few sheep,
of V hich they have the meat, and the lambs, pro-

• Tho Duke of Infaiitado's flock about
Countess tainpo •\c Alonse Ncgrctti
Paular, and llscurial convents, 30,000 each •
Convent of Guadalope . . . -

Marquis Perales . . . . -

Duke of Uejar . - . - -

^;evl•^al flocks of about 20,000 each
All the other tiocks in the kingdom together,
on an average about . . . -

Sheep.
40,000
30,000
60,000
30,000
30,000
30,000
200,000

3,800,000

4,220,000

In 1778, the wool of Infantado Mts 9285 arrobees in the

grease, and Negrctti nearly the lanic. Washed -wool,

cuarsu and line together, wcrth at aa average, eight and a

vided the wool remains, for tl eir master,
may do what they please with tu.. milk, of ^'i|]
they seldom make any advantage. In the njootk
of April and October, each shepherd has twekl
rials given hini (about 2*. l)rf.) as a perquy
previous to his journey. I

Though these flecks divide and separate the*,!
selves over several provinces of Spain, it wjIIlI
unnecessary to relate what passes in each, (lI
government being similar and uniform. l\
places where they are to be seen in the greawl
numbers are *n the Montana and Molina dc AiJ
gon in the summer, and in the proviirsce of Estr^
madura, the Montana is to the north, and tlie|
most elevated part of Spain; Estretnadiuil
abounds with aromatic plants, but the MontiKl
is entirely without them. I

The first care of the shepherd in coming ^l
the spot where they are to spend the summer, A
to give to the ewes as much salt as they willeit|
for this purpose they are provided with tweolhl
five quintals of ^alt for every thousand hei^|
which if consumed in less than five months; bg||
they eat none on their journey, or in wintctJ
The method of giving it to them is as followiil
The shepherd places fifty or sixty flat stones aboatl
five steps distant from each other; he strewinltl
upon each stone, then leads his flock slowlil
through the stonei, and every sheen eats at pin- 1
sure. This is frequently repeated, observing not I
to let them feed on those days in any spot when I
there is lime-stone. When they have eaten thel
salt, they are led to some argillaceous spoti,!
where from the rraving they have acquired tbtjl
devour every thin^ they meet with, andretural
again to the salt with redoubled ardour];. I

At the end of July each shepherd distributes I

the

half rials vellon per lb. (about 2s.) e-.clusire ofdut'O,!
which are 20 per cent, on exportation.

There is a curious discourse on the wools of Spain in the I
second rolnme of the Spaninh correspondence of Lord Sand. |
wich, Lord Sunderland, and Sir William Godulphin, in
book eititl«d, liispanin Illagtrata. London, 177 ii.

f There is a supreme council at Madrid rall.'d Cm'tjD i
de Mcula, which takes cognizance of all matters relating lo
sheep, wool, shepherds, pastures, woods, and all cunccrii
that biBlong to royal seats and parks.

X Mf' B«>wles observes, that if the district is limy or I
m.trshy, the sheep cat less salt in proportion to the lime
t^<ey find, and asking the reason of one of the shephirdi,
was told it prooceded from their jracing in corn iieldii, oa I
which ocmiiuB the illiterate shepherd tMiiJ to reliitcihel

fact

TJILLON'S TllAVF.LS THROtrGII S?ArN\

811

Die rsins amongst (lie ewes^ five or six rams being
liifficient for an hundred ewes. These aie tauten
Lt of flocl-s where they are kept apar^ and
[fter a proper time are again separated i'rom the

■vves.

The rams give a grtater quantity of wool,

iough not so fine as the ewes, for the fleeces

kf the ram vill weigh twentyrfi've pounds, and

[requires five fleeces o'f the ewes to gi\e the like

freight. The disproportion in their i^ is known

ky their tc^eth ; ^bose of the ram ttdt farHng before

Uie eighth year, 'while the ewes, from their de>

licacy of frame, or other causes, lose f hetr's after

Bve jears.

About the niddle of Septeidb^r thfe^^ are

oaric^j nvhieh is done by rubbing their loins

iritb ocre dilerte^ in water ; sortie iray tMs ea^rth

Incorporates with the grease of the wool, «^d

Ibrmsa iiiiid of vatnish, which fyrOtfects them from

|be inclemencies of the "weath^ ; others pfretetid

hat the pressure of the ocre kee|]%the wooNhOrl,

prevcnfs it from becoming Of an ordinary

guality ; otiiers again uarragine, that the ocre-acts

||d the nature of an absorbent, and tacks ii-p the

fexcess of transpiration, 'which would Iteitder the

vool ordinary «nd eoarse.

Towards the end of Septctnfcel' these Metiwo

Bocks begin their malHiAi to a ^H%rmer dim&fe;

Ijhe whole of their roUtfc has heda regulated by

lihe laws and customs, tf<iie i«i(im«'.fiorial. 11*ey

have a free passage thl^ugh pintiiircs and x'otn-

noil) belonging to village^, but as they must go

over »uch cultivated lands ias lie in their way, the

ijnhabitants are obliged to Itove them an opening

niaety paces wide, through which these flock?)

[are obliged to pass rapidly, />oing si ..nrtimcs six

lor seven leagues a day in order to reach open

|»|(0t8, less inconvenient, where they may iind

pasture, and «njoy some repose. In such

lopen plates they seldom exceed two leat,ues a

[dav, following the shepherd and grazsug as Ihcy

jtBove on. Their whole journey from the Mon-

hana, to the interior parts of Estremadura, «u»y

he about one hundreu and 6fty leagues, which

[ihev perform in about forty days.

the first care of the shepherd is to lead them

[to the aame pasture wiiere they have been the

I ■ - — ..--.•,■

fictthoii^li ignorint of thn cauac, ^Th<ch was, acRordiiii^ to
I Mr. liowlcs, '^ from (ho salt n'H limy iimttur obounds with,
I and partnkcn of by rattle, either in iickinfi the btunes, or

(-ommiinicati'd by vr^Rl&tioD to gmss ; for which reason
I thi'ir appciite is not so keen fur any ialt that U uli'crcd

Vot. II. Ko. XC.

winter before, and where the greatest part of
them were reared. The next business is to order
the folds, which are made by fixing stakes,
fastened with ropes one to the other, to prevent
their escape, and being devoured by the wolves,
for which purpose the dogs arc stationed with-
out. The shepherds build themselves huts with
stakes and boughs, for the raising of wliicii, as
well as for fuel, they are allowed to lopofl'a branch
from every tree. This law is the cause of so many
trees being rotten and hollow, in places fre-
quented by these flocks.

In April the time comes for their return to the
Montana, which the flock expresses with gres^t
eagerness, by various movements and restlessness,
for which reason the shepherds must be very
Watch f»!, test they make theiir escape, which
often happens when proper caire is not taken, and
whole flocks have sometimes strayed two or three
leagues, while the shepherd was asleep, as on
these occasions they generally take the straitest
road to the platfe which they came from.

The first of May they begin to shear, unless
the weather is unfavourable ; for the fleeces being
•piled One above the other, would ferrac .t in case
Of dampness, and rot ; to avoid which, the sheep
ate kept in covered places to shear them more
conveniently ; for this purpose they have build-
ini^that wi!l htfld twenty thousand at a time,.
•#hich is the more necessary, as the ewes are so
delineate, that if immediately after shearing they
yvt^ exposed to the chiding air of the night,
they would cettainly perish.

Between liftyand sixty thousand bags of svishetl
Wool are annually exported out of Spain. A bag
generally weighs eight arrobes, or 194 pounds
English. About twenty thousand bags of this
wool are sent annually to London and Bristol,
worth from i£30 to Sb/€ each, so that we have
one-thini of the produce, and of the best sort.
The wool of Palilar, which is the largest, thuugli
not the best, is reserved for the king of Spain's
•nHHurattories. The common and shooting
dresses of the royal family of Spain and their at-
tendants, are made of the cloth of Segovia, from
whence our English nobility, iu Flenry the Vllth's
time were supplied with fine cloth*.'

llicm :" however, we cannot ii-lmit this to be the trire ramp,
as c.hoiniid) are now well assurcil tlial lime docs not contaia
aiiv salt whatcTcr.

* Breadth of Spaoish cloth made at Srgavia l^thBroriTj
uf i>7^tli!i iiicht's LDgliih.

♦ K The

ih.'

1 ,

!;. A

.tf'J^f

312

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAW.

.\*^1

5..."

The crown of Spain receiv€8 annually^ by all
duties together on exported wool, nearly sixty mil-
liwns of reals vcllon per annum {£61b,000.) ,

The town of Madrid is now become the ca-
pital of (he monarchs of Spain, situated in the
veotcr of their dominions, and from one of the
filthiest places imaginable, is at present on a par
for cleanliness with several principal cities of
Europe, being likewise well paved and lighted,
but in respect to population, it is far inferior to
London, Paris, or Naples. Madrid is in a higfa
situatiou ; all the rivers and brooks in its ueiglw
bourbood fall into the Tagus, whose waters roll
dawn to the ocean. The Guadarama mountains,
to the north west of the town, are covered with
snow several months in the year, which added
to the piercing north winds, that reign in tlie
winter, renders it er^cessively cold, while in
summer the southern and westerly blasts are ge-
nerally attended with dampness and rain. Tra-
vellers have told us, that the air is so subtle,
that if a dead dog was thrown into the streets
over night, he would not have a bit of flesh on
his bones in the morning, but this is a fable, as
it is a known fact, that dead dogs and cats lie
in the streets continually, as well as dead mules,
close to the road side, for days together, without
any such eflect.

The principal streets of Madrid are paved
with cut flint, the others with pebbles, found in
the neighbourhood, the cut flint on account of
its sharpness is very inconvenient to foot pas-
sengers, and the flat pavement near the houses is
too narrow. The town is well supplied with
water, and there are conduits in the principal

♦ Mr. Bowles has o.'isorvcd, tliat if that cclebratpd pro-
fcfsor, Mr. Ilcncki,'!, hiul come to Madrid, he woiilil soon
liare bwii convinced of his error, in saying that flitit was
nut to be found in strata, and only in ilelachoil liimpK, or
in•mas!^c»i; for here he woiihl find all the environs replete
>vitli strata of flint; and moreover not a honse or a build-
ina;, but what has bctn constructed with lime made of
flint, which serves for (iw arms, as well as for the pave-
ment, ill some places pieces arc found of it full of a species
of agate, streaked with rcvl, blue, white, green, and black,
that take a very jjood polish, Init these colours are acci-
dental, and disappear by calcination. No acid will dissolve
It, or cause any efler\,'sccncc ; when calcined, it burns in
the water with more violence than true limc-stonc, and
mixed with the pebble or coarse- sand near Madrid, makes
an exueilent matcriul for buildiuif, though it does uut aiu
. twer so well with the fine sand of the river.

+ Nothiiif; can be more bh-ak and dismal than the general
^H«pects of the cuuntzy rouad the scat vf iti> monarch, with

streets; thaLpalled Del Barro^ •"*''« neigli^ I
hood, .of the town, is constantly drank bv tul
royal family wherever they are. The bread' I
white and good, and the Plaza Mayor, or DrM
cipal square, where the market is kept, is ». I
tremely well supplied with all manner of
visions *.

°Ii> the environs of Madrid there are about twgl
hundred villages, but few can be seen on accouiil
of the inequality of the ground, the countrj
being broken up by continual gullies, and varioixl
changes of aspect, occasioned by torrents, iA
other casual accidents, in a country little culii.!
vated, and abandoned to every vicissitude o(|
season. Near the town they chiefly sow batljt]
and here and there have some trifling vineyatdi'l
Their tillage is much the same as in Old CastilJ
that is, just io scratch up the earth, and scatieti
the seed at random, then to cover it over wjtli||
similar indiflTercnce, and wait for the cominj>(
the poor labourers from Galicia, to get inthti
harvest. The farmers pretend tliat if theywetel
to make use of a stronger plough, they
have less corn f.

The royal cabii>et of Natural History, itl
Madrid, was opened to tin- public by his mJ
jesty's orders in 1775 ; a handsome house haviDfl
been purchased, of which the flrst floor was aft-l
propriated for the Royal Academy of SaD FetJ
naiida, and the second for the purpose of rc'l
ceiving an ample collection of natural curio-l
silies, which had been collected in Paris byDoif
Pedro Davila, a native of Peru, which m
Majesty has accepted qf, and appointed liiol
director thi^reof; and was also at the chargeofl

a great want of frees, to which the Casli" > ■ liavcsu:lii|
ldi^like, from a false notion that thoy incrcr ,• the niimhiil
of birds to cat up their corn; as if this reason woiildn^tl
hold (;ood in other countries, where shade is nut su iit.l
cessary, as it is in Castile, to support the moisture uf tliil
soil ; or that it was ever an objection in Valencia, a kin;,!
doni so fertile and wooded: the Caslilians not rctlcctindr
that th(! seeds of plants, and leaves of trees, utford nurtml
for insects, and birds, anil prevent them from dt'!iiroyin|l
the grain as they do in tJaslile, for want uf other foodif
besides the advantage of screening the earth in hot woj|lut||
and preserving a due moisture after dews and rain;fot|
without their aid, the scorchint; beams of the sun {larcliupl
the earth, and renderi it iiufriiitfiil ; so that what lilM
comes up is devoured by birds, in a climate whore iuIukI
seems to have desii^nod it should be otherwise; l'orthccli.r
mate of Madrid is not in itself averse to the pru|i:i;;3iiiii|
of trees, as may be seen by the public walks, and lumlin
iinproTcm«nts and plantutkiii».

brin^ii'f

BILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

313

fin»log tliem front Patis. Everj thing is raoged
I tb" neatness and elegance, and the apartments
Ire opened twice a vreek for the public, besides
Line shewn privately to strangers of rank.

Tne collection of beasts and birds is not large.
key bavC) among other curiosities, the great
AntBea"" f''*"" Buenos Ayres, the Myrraecopha-
L Jubacta of Linnaeus, called by the Spaniards
\g^ palmer n,v/h\ch was alive at Madrid in 1776,
tnd is 10^ stuiled and preserved in this c^ «inet.

he people who brought it from Buenos Ayres,
Uy it differs from the ant-eater, which only ffeeds
kfletnm^ts and other insects; whereas this wouid
it flesh, when cut in small pieces, to the amount
[f four or five pounds. From the snout to the
Ixlremity of the tail this animal is two yards in
length, and his height is about two feet. The
kead very narrow, the nose long and sh^nder.
fhe tongue is so singular, that it looks more
Ike a worm, and extends nbove sixteen iiirhes.
lis body is covered with long hair, of a dark
brovrn, with white stripes on the shoulders; and
irben he sleeps he covers his body with his tail.

The mineral part of the cabinet, containing
brecious stones, marbles, ores, &c. is very per-

tt. Amongst other curiosities they have a mass
Lf gold 22 carats, which weighed sixteen marks.
■our ounces, four ocbavos, Spanish weiglit, found
In California, and sent by the viceroy of Mexico
Is a present worthy of his Majesty's acceptance;
^Iso several curious specimens of silver ore, from
be Guadalcanal mine in Estrcmadura, of that
ort called Rosicler.

Specimens of Mexican and Peruvian utensils,

mti, &c. in earthenware of that kind, which

llie Spaniards aW liarra, wretched both in taste

pind execution. Some productions likewise of

)laliei(e, which the Spaniards call amafh.

A curious collection of vases, basons, ewers,
cups, plates, and ornamental pieces of the finest

I Were painting and sculpture mj objects, this would'bc
hW jilare to doiirribu the inaiiy lino picturos in the royal
nalacc. and in the noblemen's houses at Madrid ; but I pass
pom over lh(! more readily, as modern traTcllurs have de.
biribed the most beactil'ul of .these pirtares. 1 sbdil Just
.obscrvi' ^ha( a late writer who s|>ent seme lime at Aludr><l,
Bpcakiiig of the ehiirch of the Visitation, called L«v.S'«/<'.»«v,
Jvhrrpthe late kinn Ferdinand an(i his queen iire interred,
ItHlMis, that at the principal altar, there is a tine cojiy uf
lit iplMfiVsTransriifii ration ; wliercus it happens to bcagood
Ijiictiirv (if the Visitation, in allusion tu thn naino of the
liliiirch, and done by Francisco de Murota Naples. It is
Itruc a most excellent cupy of Raphdei's transfiguration may

agates, amethysts, rock crystals, &c. mounted
in gold, and enamel, set with cameos, intaglios,
&c. in an elegant taste, and the most delicate
workmanship, said to have been brought from
France by Philip*.

That beautiful equestrian statue of Philip the
IVth, by Tacca of Florence, which stands in a
little flower garden of the Retiroj i» worthy of
the highest admiration. The attitude of the horse
is surprisingly bold, with both his fore feet in
the air; and wt.s imitated from a picture of Ve-
lasquez, sent to Italy ''or that purpose. When'
seen by the Florentine artists, they all agreed it
was impossible to execute it; however Tacca
with the assistance of Galileo happily applied
tht; ])rinciplcs of equilibrium, and succeeded'
beyond expectation. This unfortunate artist died'
soon after of grief from the treatment he received
from the grand duke's minister, concerning this-
statue, but his eldest son Ferdinand came to
Madrid, and fixed the parts together, which
were three in number, and placed the statue-
properly. Six hundred and fifty-six quintals of
1281b. of metal each, were employed in the cast-
ing. Its height, including the pedestal, is Sh
palmos ( 19 feet 9 inches English f ) In an in-
ventory of the effects of the Retire, it was- valued
at forty thousand pistoles (3828,000) an enor-
mous sum, and much more than it could ever
have cost. It was proposed a few years ago to
remove this statue to some more conspicuous
place, but it was said to have been objected to
by the then prime minister. Marquis de Grimaldi,
ailedging that they must not pay any attention
to the house of Austria, but he would have no
objection if the head of Pivilip eould be changed'
for that of Charles the Illrd.

Tacca also fitiislied the eqiKJ^trian statue of
Philip the Ilird, in the Casa del Cam^o, left.
imperfect by John de Bologna at his deaths and

U- ffri at' another chiircli belui^ini; to the eonyentof St.
Teresa, placed there by the founder, the J'riiice de Astil.
laiin, \'ho considered it as an original of Rapliael, niul
rallied it at ten thousand pistoles (about .f70l) ) ft is sup-
posed to li.ive been doii(> by Julio llumano, (ho abl '«,t and
fa»ouiite scholar of Raphael. The same writer speaki.i'f
of the pielures in llie palace of nueu Hetiro in the salooU',
named /)(; lox liaj'ios, calls one picl'ire " ^anta Cniz siic-
coiiriiij; CJeneva ;'" whereas it i-s the surrenilcr of (Jeiioa
to lli.it (itrieer, being placed amongst other liistoriea! pii.fes
of the limes, which are termed by him, " Scripture sub.
; jecls of the Old Teslamsnt." ^

f A Spanish palmo is eight inches anil a quirter.

vas

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'A . i

314

.DILLON'S THAVEL*! THROtJfiH gPWJ.1.

ir-m

was brought in Madrid in 1616, by Antonio
Guidi, brother-in-law to Tacca, attended by An-
drew Tacca, another brother of tlie sculptor,
who brought with him the gilt crucifix fixed on
the altar of the Pantheon at the Eiicurial. The
mention of the Retiro has naturally led me into
the agreeable gardens of that palace, and to the
ipcuagerie, where, amongother curiosities, they

have a crested falcon from >t1te Carraccas.
ourious bird, whiohvs lAout the size of aturl
raises the ftealhers on his head in the fonni^
crest, and has « hooked hi!!; the lower inani
rather straight; bie back, wings, and throat 1
black, the belly wbite, the tail distinguishedt
fou' cinereous, and paralld stripes, aifd \s^.
uescript bird not takon notice of by Liniiftw

CHAPTER m.

Description of the Palace and Gardens of Aravjucz — 37ip Boyal 'Seat and Gardens of iY. /Wi^o,

with som4i Account of the City iff Segovia.

THE Toyal 'seat of Aranjucz, seven leagues
distant from Madrid, and to which a most
noble road has been matk:, it> delightfully eitu-
ted at the con'ftux of the rivers Tagus and
Jarama; which run through the gardens, and
add new beauty to this cbarmii^ ^pot, w^herc art
and nature «eeni to go hand in hand with the
most pleasing and rurivl simplicity. On one aide,
five avenues of tftately OmiA and lofty elms con-
vey the truest ideas 'Uf magnificence, while they
afford the most reviving ^hade ; on the other, the
sudden transitions to lawrs and wilderness, the
cascades of water break i:^ tbrougli the thickets,
the tiHieful songs of numberless birds, sheltered
in these co(4 recesses, the occjMional appearance
and passage of the monarch, attended by the
grandees of hifi<kir^dom; all these e6)ects united,
and concentered in one point, fill the imagination
with pleasing ideas, ond impress <he snind of a
traveller with a tbotiaand agreeable sensoftions,
particularly in the spring, when every tiling is in
high bloom and perfection, «nd engage him to
look at Aranjuez as one of the most beautiful
places in Europe.

The whole of these gardens may be thrown
into three grand divisions, distinguished by the
names of /.a Huerta V(denciana, Los Ikieitcs,
and El Cortyo. In the Huerta Valenciana
agrictdture and gardening are carried on in the
same manner as in that fruitful province, and
they plough with horses. In the Cortijo they
use oxen, as in Andalusia; and in other places
they scratch up the ground with mules, as is still
practised in some parts of Spain. Whichever way
one looks round, a constant variety pleases the
2

eye and enra^^itnres the mind. At one mi.
(he sturdy buflalo moves before you, drawim
heavy burthen ; soon afW the slow caine)
his ponderous load ; while tlie .swift zdbra
his striped garment frisks o«er the plaini,
you approach (be farm, every olgect of com
nience is consulted, and in the dairy every di
■of neatness. TheJ)utch cow enjoys a luxi
pasture, the bvood nuwes greatly eoliven the
scape, and the stablesare filled (with the inoit
oeUent horses. Au inuoense siursfvy fornitha
wanner of trees and plants, a cedar of Libi
which about twenty years ago was only a
is now thirty feet high : 4be garden called
Isla, is particularly beatttifisl and rural. TbeJi
tree, which the Spaniards call Jirboldc Amor,
ing happily dispersed (here, has a very gosd iSt
early in the ^riii^, when oovercd v.rth %
without a single leaf; the banks tH the hit
further enlivened by elegnnt ysohts, for
ainuseMent of the royal family. The fine avni
which also serves for a public walk, called Cil
4e Ui Bri/na, has aothitig equal to it at VerMJil
The extensive flower garden on one side, rendi
the waflt extremely pleasant in an evening;
were I to mention the quantities of fluwenai
fruit, it would require many details.

At the noon-tide honr, when the freshiKM
the morning is past, the shady walks neartl
palace then become an object of singular luxurj
as well as the elegant fountains, wliose sportii
waters give such a coolness to the air. Whmi
has enjoyed the agreeable moments that pass
pleasing converse under these shady bowen, v
surely be charmed wiiu thcii admirable eii<^

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

315

The nteW'^'K'''* *"^ cuckoo are heard here the
I Uer end of April. That elegant bird, the bec-
f called by the Spaniards ab^jaruxo, the

roDS apiaster of Linnaius, which our travellers

"ll us comes no further liouth than Andalusia, is

k own not only to breed at Aranjuez and live there

!|| ilifi year round, but is also found at St. Ilde-

If ngo which is twenty leagues more to the norlh-

j,r(| The golden thrush is also seen here, as

11 J, ihe icterus of Edwards, called oropcndulo
bv ihe Spaniards, and I'auriot by the French, the
brioliis of Catesby and Liniia>U8. Amidst the
freat variety of birds in these woods, there is one
ibout llie size of a cuckow, called FitOt o a

[eaiit''""' P"n''e-
The palace being an old building with several

Idditions is more in the style of a hunting seat,

philin the lid. designed it, than of a royal

nansiou, nor is there any thing very particular

I the apartments, to take off from the enjoyment
tf go many fine objects abroad. The new wings
lothe palace are finished; in one is a pla> house,
W in the other a chapel. Part of the cieliug of
[be former was painted by Mcngs.

There are seven fine pictures of Lucca Jordano

]the apartment called FA Cubinetc Antiquo, and
(jx others in thatrfe los JMcnjordomos ; particu-
grlv one, universally admired, in which a num-

tr of beasts are represented listening to Orpheus,
Lnd seeming to be struck with the melody of iiis
■vre. In the chapel, over the great altar, there
La fine picture of the annunciation by Titian,
bresented to him by Charles the Yth, and
brought from the convent of St. Juste after the
^eath of that emperor. The Porcelain Cabinet,
»here there are several large pieces of the king's
])wn manufactory, is also an object of curiosity
lo a traveller. In a word, this charming i)lace
Is hij>;hly indebted to Charlesthc lllrd. for bring-
ing the whole, to its present slate of beauty, and
Baking the new road from Madrid, and the
koble •itune bridge over the Jarama,.

Whoever has seen the gaidt-ns of Aranjuez will
bit think it extraordinary that (he sovereign of
[ipain »lioutd have aimther agreeable seut in the
fcrlile dominions of his crown, but when a trave'-
Icr lias crosiiod the craggy and bleak mountains of
piKidiirrttuia, it will be a matter of singular sur-
pri^; to behold one of the most diear\ rocks era-
pi'llislu'il with nn ugieeuOle villa, where the
liht's (»f Mexico have been luvishod to eflfect the

Vol. 1[. No. XC.

alteration; such is the royal scat of St. Udefonso;
for in. few parts of the world, the powers of art
have been more strenuously exerted to correct the
rugged state of nature, and convert a horrid rock
into a sumptuous garden, decorated with beauti-
ful fountains, throwing up waterto a great height,
like those of Versailles; while a variety of trees,
brought from diilerent parts of the world, furnish
shady walks, in a spot unfavourable by nature to
all kinds of vegetation; sliewiufi'to what the art
of man can attain, aiul lully evincing tlie efforts
of Philip t\w Vtli, wlio at the expcnce of
ii'illions of dollars changed a barren anJ solitary
nouniain, into one of the most desirable spots in
!iis kingdom; yet not without those incoa-
veniences whicii all the power of art cannot con-
quer; for, on account of its lofty situation, the
night air, even after the hottest sunnner's day,
is so piercing, that it makes precaution necessary,
to guard against its sudden and pernicious elfccts.
In other respects nothing can be more reviving
during the summer heats, than the shade of thcxo
gardens, invigorating the languid courtier, whose
spirits are further revived by the coolness of the
groves, added to the most limpid water that
eyes can behold, in some places flying up into
the air, to an immense height, in others roiling
down in torrents, which, when catched by thft
rays of the sun, seem like so many sheets of liquid
.silver, of a most amazing brightness. As the
cold air of this place keeps every thing back, the
king finds a new spring after he has left Aran-
juez, while his subjects are dying with heat at
Madrid. The earliest fruits are but juat ripe in
August at St. Ildcfonso, carnations and rores then
adorn the parterres; September is the season for
strawberries, raspberries, currants, and barberries;
and snow lies on (he mountains till the beffiniiinir
of June. Many springs run down from (lie sum-
mit, and sides of the mountains, and are collected
into a considerable bason at the upper end of thi;
garden, to whicli they have given the name of El
jyiar, "the sea;" whence (hey are dis(ributed
to all the did'orent fotintains and water-works,
the whole gnideii being on a slope, about two
miles in circumference. Other springs with
two brooks, form the little river Eresina, uhound-
iiig in salmon trout, where (he king often di-
verts himself with fishing, under the shade of
thiikets, beautifully variegated by the pencil of
nature.

4 L The

i ' ^

! ■ ';

:.(v

.' MM

I h

i\s

I^ILLON'S TRAVET.S THROUGH SPAIN.

The dreary mountain At the top of these gar-
dens *j is a kind of rock composed of clay and
fine sand, which by degrees crumbling and mix-
ing with rotten leaves and roots, forms that light
coat of earth, which just covers the rock, and
gives nurture to the firs and other trees and
shrubs. The foot of the mountain is of granite,
and serves fgr building, sometimes for mill-stones,
though rather too soft for this purpose, standing
in need of frequent repairs. They get vegetative
earth on the north side, about a hundred paces
from the green rails of the flower garden, which
being further cherished by manure, is laid a foot
high on the rock, and by dint of cultivation and
care, they are enabled to raise flowers and fruits,
whose roots hardly touch the barren soil of the
place f .

The palace of St. Ildefonso has a noble collec-
tion of excellent pictures. In the gallery there
are many fine statues bought at Rome, out of
the collection of queen Christina of Sweden ;
amongst which the groupe of Castor and Pollux
sacrificing, and a fawn, are undoubtedly the most
beautiful. The statues in the garden are chiefly
of marble of Granada, some few of marble of
Carrara: there is nothing else remarkable except
the fine looking glasses made in the king's glass
house at St. Ildefonso, which supplies all the pa-
laces: they have hero the largest tables perhaps
in ijie world for running plate glass. The great-
est being 145 inches by 85, and its weight 405
arrobrs. The smaller is 120 inches by 75, and
■weighs 380. This curious art was first invented
by the Sieur AbraiL-im Tliovart, who proposed it
to the court of Versailles in IGfiS, and is per-
formed much like the casting of sheet lead by the

• Speaking of the gardens of St Ildefonso, Mr. Fischer
observes, that they have a number of fountains, and a stair,
('.'ise for .1 eascade ; l>iit the only pleasini; part of it is where
you got out of the sii^Ut of these, and see " wliile the dog
star rafji''', throud[h the overh.iiifiing trees, the side of ihc
moiKitsin |);itehed with snow. The fountains are situated
in centres, whilhcr tiie straight wallis tend: tlu'y are all
inferior ill s'li'' to the Lirgestat Versailles; but one of them,
a fit^dre of Fume, is said to raise water higher than any in
Europe. Fi;cher.

t .Mr Bowles informs us, Tliat when the late queen
mother lived at St. Ildefonso. tiie Infant, Don Lewis, her
son, had an aririry in the gardens, tilk-d with a great variety
of beautiful birds; one place was allotted for woodcocks,
where they lived for several years. In the middle of their
cage a channel of spring water was introt^iiced, which kept
sp a coastaut freshness of Tcrdurc ; a tlr tree stood in tlic

plumbers, by which meant- they are etiabltj t
make glasses of double the dimensions of \\1
by the Venetian method of blowing, bejj
other improvements J;.

At a small distance from the palace, at ai
called the Mata, near the powder inagajk
there is a vein of quartz, which appears abi
ground, running from south to north fur g|w
half a league, till it enters and loses itself jmi
opposite mountain. A piece of this quartj
about six pounds, being cut, seemed very curiom
being half transparent, and almost as fiiie astoi
crystal of a milk colour, forming thoiie vei
called by miners, " noble veins."

The environs of St. Ildefonso, and particulJ
the foot of the mountain, are covered with t J
inarkably foie sort of grass, to which thev (jJ
the name of cosquilla, from its eflfect of ticklii
the hand when touched. The root is abw
eight inch<!S long, cylindrical, and about the iq
of a pin, diminishing towards the point; in |
middle of this root, which is smooth, the ite
springs up, bearing small capsules at their poigi
inclosing the seed ; in many places, and partita
larly at Segovia, they make use of it at Chri
mas for ornaments in the churches, to imili
verdure; it likewise grows in abundance in t
plain of Olmcdo, and is seldom to be seenelsi
where.

It is only a few hours ride from St. IldefooK
to the city of Segovia. The naturalist will met
with many objocts of curiosity in the enviromo
this city, observing its different species of inarbltJ

f;ranite, limestone, clays, and thrf sorts of 3aiiil|
tB famous Roman aqueduct remaining so perftol
to this day, will prove the solidity of ill n]lt^|

centre, surrounded with shrubs, and they were daily sii[kl
plied with fresh clods of turf, full of worms, Hhick,!
though they hid themselves cTcr so much therein, the birjl
would instantly discover by the smell, and driving in hbl
long bill bring them immediately out, then raising his hai|
towards the sky, and extending the worm gently tliclriijtkj
of his bill, would let it hiide down softly without an) ap.1
pearaucc of deglutition ; all which was performed \vithtjii|
utmost facility, as if totally unemployed, without e»«'rmi».l
ins its aim, and Sihoiild the woodcock be kill'd at thitl
niiiiiient, these iium<<cous worms would immediately contti.!
bute towards the forming a delicious repast at the nioill
elegant tables.

+ Although the gl.iss tnannfartory of St. Ildefonso liul
produced much larger glasses than any other iu Kuro|x,|
they are nevertheless complaiacd of as being of a diadandl
black colour. Fiicher. I

I, rialij

DILLON'S TRAVELS TriROUCrf SPAIN;

517

[| more efiectuaUy than long dissertations.

geffuier's method of discovering the iuscrip-

- 00 the Maison Quarrec at Ninies, the in-

r .jgg of which is originally due to that cele-

Led antiquary, Mons. Peyresc, might likewise

to discover that, which was formerly on the

lueduct of Segovia, for the place of the inscrip-

' marks, and holes of the letters, are yet very

bible, 'i'his place is much dwindled at present

nm vvhat it was formerly. The cathedral is

handsome and h.s been lately repaired*; the
mint in this city only serves for copper : gold and
silver are coined at Madrid and Seville. The al-
cazar or castle is curious, and in a fine hold
situation f . The unfortunate Duke de Ripper-
do was confined here ; they shew you the dark
room, from whence be made his escape, and the
broken lock on the door is still in the same
situation.

!; .

>^nl-

CHAPTER IV.

,.H

^■T

^mriure from Madrid for the City of Burgos — Remarkable Objects on the Road from Burgos
Ito the Provinces of Alaba and Guipuscoa, as fur as Irum, the last Town on the Frontiers of Spain
liowards France — Environs of Reinosa— -Source of the River Ebro.

kN leaving Madrid, to go {into Old Castile,

the first grand objects which strike the eje

t naturalist, are the mountains of Guadarra-

that divide the Two Castiles : you leave the

[^oui Escurial on the left, and following the

W road, asceid these lofty mountains, whose

kpi, and particularly where the marble lion

andi, are chiefly covered with fern, which is

jonnion here, though scarce in other parts of

his country. From the highest part of the road,

jiere is an extensive prospect of Old Castile,

Irliich is more elevated than New Castile, and

brms a spacious plain not unlike a great sea.

[n easy descent leads to the Hcrmita dd Christo

VI Ccdoco, where grey and blue marble is dug

flit of the adjacent mountain, and is found al~

kost close to the road. The mountain tei minates

(t Villacastin, but the grand plain only com-

nences at Labajos, where they sow the peas

yied Garbanzos in a Tine blackish soil, but they

kre not equally tender and large every year, no

me than at Salamanca or Zamura ; for though

Ihe land is good for this sort of pulse, its success

depends much upon the weather.

A new bridge has been lately built over the

* The cathedral is a buildiiii; which would puzzle any
Ifonnoisicur in Gothic architecture extremely, being a piece
lof the sixteenth century ; it is large andloriy, ulthahish
Itovvcr and little domes, retaining in its ouilinc much of the
(lothif character, bat very plain, and unlike any particular
Jiuli'of that species of building, and perfccily dissimiliir to
|th>> Unrid manner >tliich obtained ill Kugluiid during the
Itfu'cnth century, fisc/itii;

river Almarza, whose banks are lined with poplar
and elm ; half a league further there is another
plain, without a single tree, but water is found
at two or three feet depth ; so that a very slight
plough answers the purpose, it being sufficient
to tear away the weeds, to secure a good crop of
wheat; this is generally the case i',i Castile, where
they have fine harvests without being obliged to
wait for rain to sow their corn, the vicinity of
water and strong dews being sufHcieat to fertilize
the soil, the reverse of what happens in the
southern parts, where the water is deep under
ground, the soil dry and tough, and strong
ploughs must be used ; besides waiting fur raiu
or an appearance of its falling, otherwise the
grain hardens, and is in danger of being devour-
ed by birds, insects, or rats. In tiiesc plains,
the villages are numerous, as well as the vine-
yards ; the soil is sandy, and ycl, by means of
the nc'arncss of water, produces plenty of
shumach: every house has its garden, and the
sides of the road arc chequered with the lychynis,
and oak .»< .feiusalem. Though the plain I have
just I'.entioned is of about cifijht leagues extent,
with' • I the appearance of a spring, or a brook,

+ This is the most picturesque object in the world. The
great tower has been lately cleuiiod, which rather modern,
izcs its appearance ; but the elfect of thi! whole mass of tur-
rets, chambers, and s|)ircs, as viewed from behind, beyond
the foss, is as romantic as possible. The front of the castle
is covered by rings worked in the plaistcr with which it is
covered, an utuaucut uf Mooribh origin. J-VtcAcT,

tfc«

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5-,

918

DILLON'S TftAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

the inhabilanfs drink (he waters of wells and
cisterns, without any bad consequences, or being
troubled with agues, as the water docs not stag-
nate, but has a current near the surface, and re*
gains from a higher region, what it loses by
evaporation. This accounts for their having such
fine grass and pasture in Castile, and so many
herds of cattle, with such a variety of game,
birds, and wild and domestic animals.

Near Valladolid there are groves of fir trees
tcrmimited by an extensive plain, covered with
green wormwood, oak of Jerusalem, and thyme,
of that beautiful sort called thymus Icgitimus
riispanicus. The city of Simancas* appears on
the left, about two leagues distance, as you enter
the once famous city of Valladolid, situated on
the banks of Pisuerga. This large city ex-
clusive of colleges and some churches that have
good remains of Gothic architecture, now only
exhibits the dismal remains of its former grandeur ;
and the palace where Philip the Second was born,
has nothing but bare walls, where bats and spiders
quietly inhabit the mansions of the great Emperor
Charles, and the Philips, his progeny.

Every thing is barren, with dreary aspects of
flat topped, barren sand hills, as far as Caveron,
where they have vineyards, and make a tolerable
light red wine. Leadwort is common on the side
of the road, whose leaves pounded, are said to
be good against the gangrene. The vineyards
are numerous, near the town of Duenas, which
belongs to the Duke of Medina Celi. The plain
extends to llodrigo, whoso environs produce a
little lavender, two sorts of shrubby Jerusalem

* Tlie recttrili of tlie kingdom liaviiig been found to be
ill great confusion, ami a large colitction of valuable
jiapcrs discovered at VulladoliJ, Philip 11. ordered liis
chief aieliitect, Juan de Herrera to consfruct proper apart,
ments at Simanras for their preservation, and they were
«li>^posed of in nine grand divisions, or apartinent!>s ae.
cordini;ly. In the stroiigcsl, ealled the Ciibo, were those
lelatiiig to CJranada, Iiidiis, li^ht to Naples, Navarre,
J'orl'igal, Vicariate of Siena, nionarrhy of Sicily, esta.
tlishment of the incpiisition, wills of kings, capilnlations
of peace with France, with Moorish kings, with tlie House
of AuitriA, marriages of catholic kings, grants of military
orders, and slate jiapers from the time of Ferdinand V. all
which are [jreserved ia wooden cases fixed in the wall In
the year 159^ th^ kin,;'; vibited them. All the proceedings
relating to the imprisonment and death of Don Carlos liis
son, were deposited here in Ji trunk, carefully locked.
Another aparlioent was built for accounts, and oiher oflicc
papers ; in iinolher were papers relating to royal pal.ices;
idw suits, grants, kuighls of military oiJcrs, and Indies;

sage, with a sage leaf, Hfld meadow ra^MiiJ
which are the only plants the country aftbrds, i
the territory of Campos is so bare and destitutt.
trees, that the inhabitants are obliged for fuel i
burn vinestocks, straw, dung, and the fewaron
tic shrubs they can find ; their kitchens are
stoves, and they sit round them on benches, w,j
ing to these wretched hovels the emphaticnimi
of Glorias. A solitary elm or a walnut treei.
and then appears near a church, a sure sixiitL
water is not far from the surface, and that its roJ
have partaken of it f .

On approaching the hills, th« pebbles'
had almost disappeared, sbew themselves agaii
increased both in number and bulk, and althnu?|||
from Labajos they were scarcely larger tba
oranges, ihey «r« now double that size, ani
rounded, which the others are not, covering t_
tops of the hills : it is somewhat singular, tbil
these stones, which are of a flne sandy grain.aoi
are found every where in this province,
be of the very identical sort and colour, astha
of La Mancha, Molina de Arragon, and oti
parts of Spain.

The country from hence to Burgos, prnduca
plenty of wheat, and some flax; the road
a continual though gentle ascent, with muckl
conglutinated sandstone, of which there is \
sort near Burgos, so firmly conglutinated viilJ
small pebble, that it forms a marble like M
lircccia'l, and takes a good polish, spcciinensol
which may be seen in the choir of the eathedtal
of Burgos. The environs of this ancient cit)(
are remarkably pleasant and shady, with maoi

another for records of corporations; and in another l.
inenicrials and letters of kitigs, princes, and states, cos,
fcrning riamlers since the, rebellion. Vida de Philipo Hi
Por Luis Cabricradc (Jordova, iMudrid, ItJlO. TheAmw
rican papers alone fdl the largest apartment of this //ickj,
and arc said to compose 873 large bundles. The lirospeiJ
of iucli a treasure had excited the most ardent curiosliyofl
the most elegant historian of America, but the pro-pcctc
if was all (hat he enjoyed. PrcJ'uce to Dr. kuhcrtioii
History of America. I

+ \Vhin (his happens, independent of every vicissiiujJ
of weather and climate, other trees would tlirivf in likJ
manner, and the country might be rendered sliaily aDl
pleasant, instead of being the most desolate iu Kiiropo,

+ The bnccia silicia is the plumb pn<l(ling stone. TtiJ
stone is of a very elegant appearance, when cut iiail puliiiJ
ed ; it is found in England. See l';>say towards a Sy'-U'raoT
Mineralogy, by Axel Fred. Cronstcdt; second tiliiiJi
London, 1772. Sec, CCLXXiU. v ,f

beautiful

•DILLON'S TRAVKLS THRO'JG ( SPAIN:

'J\<j

■flutiful av«?nue«: il»f hills are no longer flat-
Tned b"' ^^^^ * cheerful appearance; the
PL, Ire pure tad siiubrious j, the rivers abound
K trout; eel, wd cray-fwh. Though the air
I sharp and rather piercing, it ia esteemed very
Lnhy, «"<• Castile may justly be reckoned the
biiolry'of partridges, bares, rabbits, and lambs.
f The city of Burgos is situated on the side of
ibJii at tl>e bottom of which theriver Arlanzon
Lhes its walls, aod has three ytone bridges
Lr it. 1'h<' cathedfal is a magnificent Gothic
Lcture, and one of, the finest in Spain. The
L it welt inhabited by encieot nobility, and
fy formerly the residence of their kings. It
Le birth to that illustrious hero Fernan Gon-
Lles, Slid near the place where the bouse stood,
[triiiiuphal arch has been erected to his memory
the ex pence of the city, with the following
iscriptiuu :

rERNANDO GONSALVI CASTFXLA ASSERTORI SV*
^VATIS PII/ETTANTIS8IMO DVCI MAGNORVM

BEGVM GRnIt«»RI SVO CIVI INTVS DOMVS ARAE
i SVMPrV PVBLICO AD ILL1V8. NOMIN18 ET VRBIS

CLOBIX MEMOHIAM SEMPJITERNAM."

Tlie parish church of, Santa Gadea, (St. Aga-
in), more ancient than the cathedral, is remark-
blc tor being the place, where that renowned
bmpioii Huy biaa ,de Bibar,: also a native of

iurgos, (Miiuiuonly culled the CVd Campeador,

Ibliged king Alfonso the Sixth, before be was

Iroclaimed, to swear thr^e times publicly, that
had no concern in the murder of the late

iiugSancbo his brother, at the Hiege of Zuniora,
jrbcre ho was treacherously slain by a Spanish

laij^Iit, whose iiitnie was HelicI Alfonso, though
I is usually i:allcd Yelido Dalfos. The words

(flhis extraordinary oath were as follow : "You
ouie'tp s^year, that you had no hand in the death

^f my lord the king, that you neither kilted him,
or gave counsel tlierein."
The, king and bis nobles answered, "^iticn,"
If otherwise,! may you sud'er the same death

^8 that of my lord ; may a villain kill you, let

. ■ — rr— r--r -

* At (he Bccoiid ticnu o( tendering the oath tho king;

plunged colour, and at thu thinJ ho was greatly dis])loa«ed,

itying, '^ Rodrigo l)iat, why do you prusa me to hard^ and

nake me (wear (u.day, whe<i yuu wM ooiou to }(,m my

|iud to-morruw ;" to which that warrior replied, " Yei,

ir, if my icrtices are properly euniidutcd, for in other

Jngdomi, knights arc alio rewarded, and you must d«thc

luini', if you nean to retaib mo iu yuiir service ;"<r^hieh

Vol. II. No. XC.

him not be a gentleman, nor born at Castilp,
but come from foreign parts, nor be of the
kingdom of Leon." The kiiig and his nobles
answeredi " Amen *."

After this ceremony, Alfonso was solemnly
proclaimed king of Castile, Leon, Galicia, and
Portugal, in the presence of the infanta his sister,
and the prelates, and nobles of his kingdom.

Quitting Burgos, new objects appear worthy
of attention : in crossing an extensive plain, the
gum-bearing cistus is seen in great plenty ; it is
an ever-green, with long, narrow, leaves, gum-
my and glossy ; the flower is inodorous, and com-
posed of fine white petals, of the size of a com-
mon rose ; each petal having a little purple spot
on the tip of it. The old branches distil a
liquid matter, which the heat of the sun con-
denses into a white sugfiry substance, like a
piece of gum, of the size of one's finger, and
yields a true manna; it is. gathered and eat.
greedily by shepherds and boys. The Spaniards
were little apprised of tbe advantages to be
drawn from this plant, till of late years, when, on
the representation of the royal college of phy-
sicians at Madrid, in 1752, orders were given to
two of its members, to make a further investiga-
tion of this production; it was found that Spain
alone could procure manna sufficient to supply
all Europe, equal in goodness to that of Cala-
bria, in Naples ; for not only an incredible quan-
tity of it was gathered in the parts abovemention-
ed, where it is formed about the dog days, but
likewise in the mountains of Aslurias, Galicia,
Cuenca, Arragon, and Catalonia, though no use
had hitherto been made of it.

The descent to Monasterio leads to a valley
fertile in corn, soon after the district of Burebia
begins, which is a champaign country, and po-
pulous, with numerous gardens, well stocked
with fruit trees Near Bribiesca they manure
their land with a sort of blueish white marl ;
marl, beingp in its nature, a compound of dif-
ferent properties of argillaceous, and calcareous
earths, is of great use in agriculture : it is sonie-

Rpecch the king nerrr for^gavo, and soon .iftcr ordered him
to retire out of thf! kingdom, allowing him only nine day*
for that purpose. The Spanish chronicles are full of tho
arhicvements and feats of the CM. He died in 1099, and "
is huried in the charck of St. Pedro de Cardena, near
Burga», whorc hi)i memory hkeld ia the highest Tenera.
tion.

times

1., *i

Mil

'! i

:!,Mii-

m\w^:

^ I

^V «

•320

T)1T,L0N"9 TlfAVKLS Til HOUGH SPAIK.

times soft, at otlier iimrs hard, liko sfonc, or
sliitc, but gcneiallj crumbles by expo^Hrc to the
air.

The road to Pciirorvo traverses caltarcfons
inuuiitains, formitit^ part of thosi; called '' Los
jVIoiHcs dc Oca, ■ by which the PyrtMices are
joined to the nortbern niounluiiis uf Spiiin. The
town of Pancorvo lies in the narrowest part of a
valley closed in by these hilLs.

The boundaries of Old Ca&tilc arc ut Miranda
tic E\>to, tbrco leases beyond Pancorvo, whore
there is a bridge over the Ebro ^ : on tho other
side of ^hich, the province of \laba bpg'im^
whose inhabitants have likewise made a line
road, at their own e\ pence, to the coDfines of
Guipuscoa. The road continues almost to
Vitoria, bordering on the riter Zadorra, in
which the water lily growa" plentifully. The
hills are of small, and various co' -cd calca-
reous stone, congtutinatcd together. The first
village in the province of Guispuscoa, is Salinas,
80 called from its briny springs, which they eva-
porate with a boiling heat, and make salt. It
is remarkable, that such springs in France, and
Lorraine, are always in valleys, but in Spain are
constantly found on the tops of mountains, or in
elevated places. This just mentioned, is on a
very liigh hill, with numerous petrifactions of
bhells, in a kind of blueish marble, veined with
dpar^ which has been used in making the road.
The hill of Salinas is the highest part of Gui-
pit&coa.

From hence, it is four leagues to INIondragon,
so famous for its iron mine in this neighbour-
hood. From Mondragon it is a journey of six
leagues to. Legaspia, passing by a forge on the
banks of the river Onu. , where thev mix the
ore of two mines, viz. that of Somorrostro in
Biscay, noted for the flexibility of its metal,
with the ore of this neighbourhood, which being
more abundant and hard, takes forty hours in
roasting, and is then fused once without any
castinaf, getting at each fusion a quintal of

* This -bridge, which had been so miirh damaged, and
partof it carried away by inundations, when Mr. Swinburne
passed this way, and was obliged to ^o o^cr in a ferry, was
entirely rnpaired when I went over it in July, 1778,

i Carina is a hard: calcareous stone, of a whiiish grey,
used in, forges, where iron Ik fused, in order to absorb the
sulpbnreous acid, that mineralizes the iron,, and renders it
brittle.

X Mica, the glimmer, daze, or gift. See Cronstcdt's

iron, following (be sama method observed «y
the iron of Somorrostro.

Onatc is ii populous and affluent town;tL
cliurch, (he colonade, and statues of tlie colM
are of sMid-><t<tne, full of mica t. ' ™

(t is live hours and a half from Tj<!|rahpit|
Villafraiica, passing by Villareal, where tin
houses are of <jand-stone. Tbey prune the oij
every where in' this country, in the same nijiu
npr afi the rhulberry tre<i8 in Valencia, thatth
may throw out more branches, to make ciiarcdiH
foi the forges, and they cut them every eightc
ten years, as to Biscay. There are few sprinii
in all the»c hilln, though it so frequently riiMl
owiiig to (he tcnncily of the soil, whicli igJ
pedes the HUration of (he'wa(cr, so that theJ
are obliged to drink melted snow from i^
mnuntaini, yet without being troubled with tin
fiill-throHt, so often attributed to this cnyje
though more probably arising from obstructiogil
in (he glands for want of perxpiration. 'IVo-l
thirds of (he inhabitants of this province, pml
the days and nights in their'smoaky cabins, with.!
out chimnios, affirming, 'that the closeness
smoak are conducive to health, as they diiJ
pate iipness, and promote perspiration. Thel
inhabitiints arc certainly not only robust, but ani
even seldom troubled with rheums : they irel
moreover cheerful and sotiable, having noneo(|
that shyness observed in the meridianal province!

From Villafranca, it is three leagues to Tuloa, I
one of the three principal cities of GuipuHot,!
and from hence the road continues iit slight ofl
St. Sebastian's, and Pasage, to Iriim, (iic lutl
town in Spain. Near this place the river Bidawil
enters the ocean, dividing Spain from Fraon,'
and at a small distanv^e frbm its mouth, theislanil
of Pheasants is remarkable for having been thel
place where the Pyrenean treaty was concluddil
in 1660. f

That part of Spain called Montana de Bur-
gos," may be thrown into tw^ grand' diviiiionj,
The first takes in all that space from the highest I

- --- -r r- ~T - — r,

Mineralo(;y, sect, xciii. London, 1772. Iklica, or talk, I
is an earthy or strung substance, consisting of thin, llcxible I
shining plates; micas have a soft touch, resembling that«[|
unctuous substances. They arc not soluble by acids. Then
are incapable of eliciting sparks when struck by stcd, as I
Hints do, for which reason they are caWed Apjfti, that i), I
without tJre; nor do they form a tenacious |)astc witii|
water, as gypsum does. Mica is tfaorefoce neither a cal*

nor gypseous cardi.

.J*. ,^-\ .ii .>. part]

carcoia, siliceous, argillaceous,

TWILON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN..

321

Lgrt of tlie niountRind, to the Buy of Biscay, and

he other, the spiice extending the same ticight

owords Castile. The highest part of these

nountnins is that internicdiirte Mtuation between

baiitandcr, and Burgos, it being a continual

Lcent of fourteen leagues from Santander to

Keinosn, dracending afterwards from thence, as

kr as Burgos. The souice of the Ebro is within

\t\( a mile of Rcinosa, and runs easterly, till

t falls into the Mediterranean, while the Pisuer-

j runs into the Ducro, whose course is westerly,

End empties itself into the nrenn ; from whence

:<iav be inferred, that Reinosa divides the
iiatcrs between the two seas, and is therefore
ine of tlie niost elevated districts in Spain, as
\t\\ BD tlie coldest, its lofty mountains raising
heir heads as high as the line of congelation,
ein|r constantly covered with snow *.

Two leap:ucs to the southward of Reinosa,
jiere is another high mountain, with an her-
jiitiige at the top, where there is a great plenty
If bilberry whortic, the vaccinium of LiBnteus;
nd to the westward, therie is a' height where
[reat numbers of Roman coins have been dug

out, which indicates its having bten formerly tf
Roman colony : near this plate several large
lumps of emery are seen above ground^ fixed in
the sand'stone.

The famous river £b;o, vihich once served aa
a boundary between the Carthaginians and
Romans, has its source in a little valley nt a
small distance to the eastward of Reinosa, and
proceeds from a copioi» spring at the foot of a^
ancient tower, called rontibr6; in passing by
Reinosa, it i» increased by the waters of seve^M
other brooks, and springs; two leagues lower, id
runs by the narrow pai)s of Moutesclaros, re-
ceives difi'erent supplies in the course of iU
passage through the vallirs, is considerable !wl)«n
it comes to theconlines oC Alavi^,, anil After tra-
versing raanv open and fertile.districts, j^ass^s. by
the city of Tortosa, where there isa,bridee of
boats over it^ and then falls into the Mediiter-
raiiean at the Alfaque Islands, but on account of
its many rucks, and shoals, is not navigable
higher than Tortosa, and evep so far Qoly foe

small cratt. w. ., .. . .^ ,,

.liilnt^ ii iJtelfiMifi '«f>T6 « it

CHAPTER V.

.■•I'/JIMt; 1' P"T;;<jf 1 ■

^arriplioii of Ihe Lordship of Biscntf, ami its Products — Reflections on the Genius and Qiaractcr
pf ihc Biscm/ucrs — Dtscription of the Toxvn of Billioa, and the Manners of its Inhabitants —
JccouiU of the Iron JSlinc and Forges at Somorrostro.

:^t u»

^HE lordship of Biscay is a mountainous
country, about twelve leagues in length,
lorn east to west, and eight from north to south,
onsistiiig entirely of hills, and mountitins, of
lirious dimensions, most of which are cultivated
I the very summit, the vallics being chccquercd
well as the hills, with villages, farms, arable
knd, and pasture; the whole with such infinite
lariety and beauty, as to form a delightful Und-
jcape, with the most pleasing and romantic as-
pects the mind can conceive.

* The soil of Rcinosa produces the best of oaks iii thp
lingilum, iqiial to any in Kiiropc, and some thousands of
pm are ocrasionally felled for the service of the navy.
fbc suit i» ill general, rompu^cd of sandy rock, mixed
kill) (|iiar(i, as large as chesnut^, cenientid in the rock in
M same manner as in the warm climate of Grnnada. About
llMgiie to the north of Kvinosa there is a very high mono,
kill called Arandiilo, whose summit is at present so much
li'coinponi'd, as to form an extensive plain where there is
(fry good grass. The people of tlie country say there was

Many of these mountains consist of hills, piled
up upon each other, like that of Gorveya, which
takes five hours to ascend ; its summit ntfords a
beautiful plain, with abundance of pasture^
where the herds of Biscay, and Alaba remain
for some months. Amongst other plants, it pro-
duces the Eibes, or black currant, whose leaves
have a flavour of pepper, and are reckoned useful
in gouty complaints. Near Durango the hills
are bare, and from their steepness, very diflicult
to ascend. Sernntes, near Portugalete, is another

formerly a town here, and the quantities of loose stones still
remaining, seem to confirm the report. The nature of
this monnlain is singular, its basis being of gypseous stone,
its summit of sand-stone, and its centre Of limestone, with
large imprcs!iions bf cor:<u aninionis, and several stoliop-
shells fixed in the rock. On the road td. Reinosa, black,
marble veined witli white is seen in gredt quantifii-a, the
same may be observed at the Puerto between Aspelliai, and
Yidana, where there is a mouatain of simitar marble, from
top to bottom.

high

|)ji

y '^

i •

'■..;i

k-w\

''. mi

.Vi'i

DILLON'S TRAVELS THHOUGH SPAIN.'

higfi hill, in the form of a pyramid, and being
iteen ai a ginat d instance, i» a good land-mark for
nriarincrs, sailing into thertvcr of Bilbua: from
its shape it secmg as if it had been a volcano ;
many have erroneously taken it for the mine of
Somorrustro, but this is at a league distance.
There ur«' oilier mountains at half a league or a
league in length, with craggy peaks, whose sides
lievurtHeless aditiit of cultivatiun, and dwellings,
sUbliM th4t of tmUiro^' others are low and flat-
topped, eorerAd witi* ea#tb, having farms and
hubitatious, besides wood for charcoal, and even
meadows for pajture extending to their summit,
but hone yield products in proportion to their
surface 1 for the vegetative system rising in a per-
pendietitar Vine, au oblique superficies cannot
support ttiore trees or p4a'ntftthan a plain of equal
basiiii as on a triangle one camiot raise more per-
nendicularft than Such at fall on its immediate
basis. '

Small rivers and brooks issue from the crevices
and clefts of these mhuntains ; from Gorveya
there runs four, which uniting with that from
the great mountain of Orduua, added to other

* ir w« except the ploiighi'd ttuliis, ,ind (he bare tops of
■omc jagged mountains, all the nut are cotered with woods,
cither fur timl)er, or charcoal; some are natural, such^as
the holm, and arbntiis, olhrr& are sowed, or planted, jiar.
ticiihriy oakii^ which grow very fa^^ Where there are no
wood«, aHd a good depth ufiioil, it produist's im|>enc(rable
tliickcts of the shrub called Argoma,, as well as Cantabriun
heath, and line gorze. Higher up, where (here is less
earth, the sides of the hills, and the Tallies, have plenty of
{{rafted chesnats, 'which the Hamburgh ships carry away in
great quantities frnjii Bilbua. The apiilc tree sacma here to
be in its natural, soil, and thrivi^ admirably withou* ctiltiva.
tion ; the wh^lu cuui^try producer varirtics of this fruit,
but those of Di^ran^o arc the best. Ui-nots are common of
tVo or three sorts ; cherry trees grow as hi^h as elms, at
Gordfjtula. They kuvc excellent peaches, which they call
paviutf with this remarkable circumstance, that they are
never grafted, «r improved by any particular culture.
Those of Aranjucz are of this kinp, but have not their
flavour nor mellowness. Of pears they liaVe grceat variety,
and also those choice torts, as tho1)euerre, findantef doy«
cnne, fuid bergamoKc; besides abund^u^ce of tigs, nuts,
and currants; and though Uip (country dues not produre
raspberries naturally, it abounds with excellent strawber.
rics, as well as all manner of garden plants, and pulse iu
perfection. Their unions arc remarkably sweet; (iaiicia
furnishes them ^ith turnips for catUe, as well as for the
kitthisai their co,wi and oxen ar« smal), but stout and ro-
bust: goats they Ji*<l l*etter be withoKt, as great care must
bettaken to prevent them from des(royi;Bg the trees : ahcep
thay kx^B DQOOi a«d iudeed it wouM be a dificult matter to
binder them fr^at Contin^«}ly entangling thomselrcs amongst

torrents bursting tlurough gullies wliere (lierc:
no water in suiamer, serve to form the river oli
Bilboa : these are so tremendous in winter, when]
• swelled by heavy rains, as even tn tlirealen iL
town with destruction, if tliey unfortnnatelviM
the tide at high-water; the inhabitants are oriM
alarmed in this manner, and it is coinnioii y,^\
them to go about the streets in boats at this hchiA
of the year*. 1

Most of the mountains of Biscay, and Qgi,]
puMoa, are of an argillaceous substance ; {J\
stone decomposes very little, or resolves inij
earth, though calcateous stone is abundant, nji
in many parts they have manured for ages |m|
with Jime, yet it has caused very liide «lteri,|
tiouf.

The Biscayners give the name of repnblicitt]
their different jurisdictions in their provinm, (|||
which, except Orduna, their only city, and l
few towns, i^e composed of hamlets, and Ioih|J
houses, dispersed up and down, accordini^totlii
convenience of situation, in so close anil inter.]
sected a comitry. However their hounes hao
every advantage of distribution, consisting ofi

the thirkeli' They have six or seven sorts of gripn, i
which (hey make (he Ckacoli w ine ; all spots art< nut tqnjiiJ
favotirable; however the vinryarUs are niinunais abi)
Onliina and Bilboa, and form tlie principal nv u ji^ o'iIh
coiinliy gentleman; but ai (he prices are fivid, ami J
foreign winu can be introduced nor sold by llu' publutij
while their own vintage is selling, they are tiMnv. rjijdii
increase the quantity than meliorate its quiiliiy, so |J
it is in general ba'l; besides they make their riiiia^etgJ
early, which gives a sharpiieM to the wine, and tlcpmei}
of b()dy j and (>eing unskilful au well as can-lets, iiiixiii|(
rotten and sour grape with tlu rest, Crh.iculi i" in ^wnj
a very poor wine. Thi'ir whole vintagi^ will not !ui
for four months consumption, aM the di'fkiciiey must I
made up from the province of llioja, which otcuiauJ
saying, " That all the iron of i^sray is swallowed duni
foreign wine by the natives." Kven KnglishDirii andlia
mans, are people of great sobrrety, cumpiircd with ma^
Biscayners, yet drunken men are seldom seen in tliestrn!
l>ccanso they are accnstonicd to eat heartily in these driski
cntcrtiiinroenta; hrith men and women breakfast, ilim, i
in the evening, and snp vcry'|)lunliful,ly; auil }utcii]J
c\('ellent health. 1

X Game would be plentiful if there were not so duJ
spdrtsmen, though (hoy do not want for p;ii'li'iil;;cs
(heir quails are the best in all Spain. In marshy jilu
they are well stocked with wild ducks, wuudcuiks, i
snipes. In the plains (hey have hares, but no rabliits, i
any deer, iior roebucks, «^hich last the Spaniards call ran
as coming originally frpin Corsica; so (hey give tliunaine|
gaigo to a greyhound, h^vins J'^' '"^ ^''^''^ '^'^'''" ^*''''

■ 111"

prmciN

r)ILLON'S TRAVKLS Tlf ROUGH SPAIN

S23

fincipal story, besides the ground
I .ffirM willi «»» appciidiige of stables.

floor, for
I'fliccs, Willi an appciiUiigc ot stables, g-raiiarirs,
loullioi'iscsi courts, cellars, and gardens; besides
lorcbards, meadows, and often cornfields, con-
Itieuous to the building, with chcsnut groves,
Lifd otlicr improvements to the very foot of the
Lountaiiis. Nothing can be more pleasant to the
Itrnveller, than to see houses and gardens during
lllie vvhole course of his pmgrcss, particularly
Ifriwi Orduna to Bilboa, an extent of six leagues,
hhlch seems like one continued village. The
luppfir part of the houses were formerly of wood,
Ibut the new ones are of stone. Scarcely an empty
IliaUifc is to be seen or any fallen into ruins.

Not only Biscay, Guipuscoa, and Alaba, but
kiso the mountain of Burgo.?, are full of gentle-
nen's seats, known by the name of Sulures, or
Qisas Sului'icgas worthy of nuich veneration from
heir antiquity ; the owners of these arc distin-
ruished by the title of llUdas^os dc Casa Solar,
It ic Solar Cunocido — " Gentlemen of known
property;" the most honourable appellation in
Spain.

The head of the family is called Paricntc

]\hyor, and is greatly rcspkicted by all the colla-

tta\ branches; some of these are of such anti-

buity, as to be thought to liave dwelled there

«forc the establishtnent of Christianity, in that

kouiitry, since their ancestors were the founders

^fthe churches, hr^d the patronage of them, and

nerc known so far back as four centuries ago, to

kave, even then, been time immemorial, in re-

feiptof the tythes; others, without any patron-

kgc, are dcciiicd equally ancient; many arc so

fgr reduced as to be obliged to cultivate their

[states, with their own hands, yet will not yield

I the others, in nobility and descent, alledging

hat, though some branches have been more cii-

[iched by fortunate events, }ct they are all equally

prung from one common ancestor. Their names

Lve undoubtedly passed in a lineal succession,

prora a more ancient date than the ages of chivalry,

Jlie establishment of coat armour, or of archives,

[lid records; to which they pay little attention,

* It K ])lca«inf; to bi'liuld with wliut allalillity tlic rich dc-
kritii ttii'miji'lvc!) towariU those whu uro ii'ss so thuii thom-
flvt's, being obli|;ed to this ciiiidcsiTiisioii from the natural
lurit, and pridu of. the p<!oplr, .iddt^d to thuir ediicatiuii
1)il nutiuii5 of freedom. Uiiaccusluuu'.d to brook the leait
kurn, or tu comply with that Dubiiiiiisir'i: bcliiivioiir so U!iu;il
torn the poor lo the rich, in more rvtiiied Hiid upulunt

Vol. II. No. XCl,

as of no importance to illustrate their quality;
the possession of one of these houses, or the con-
stant tradition of being descended from a former
possessor, bt ing more than suAicient to ennoble
their blood ; many such having sinned in the annala
of Spain, by the noblest deeds, which have im-
mortalized their names more than their ancient
descent. They have settled in diH'crent parts of
the kingdom, while the head oi the family has
continued at home, in a state of simplicity,
ploughing his fields, and inspiring his children
with .sentiment? suitable to the neroical ages: the
daughters are bro:ight up in a difVercnt manner
from most other parts of the world; here the
most opulent do aot disdain tiic management of
household afl'urs, and every branch of domeaic
ceconomy, ',vith a noble simplicity, that seems to
recttl those glorious ages of which Homer has
sung. Whoever looks for innocence;, health, and
content, will find it amongst the ..itiabitants of
Biscay; and if they are not the richest, thej may
be well deemed the happiest of mankind*.

The country people wear brogues, not unlike
those of the highlands of Scotland, tied up with
great neatness, being the most useful for a slip-
pery and mountainous country. When they arc
not busy in th*e fields, they walk with a staff taller
than themselves, which serves them to vault over
gullies, and is an excellent weapon in case of
assault, with which they will baffle the most
dexterous swordsmen; they wear cloaks in the
winter, the pipe is constantly in the mouth, as
well from pleasure as from a notion that to-
bacco preserves them against tlie dampness of the
air; all this, joined to their natural a>"tivitv,
sprightliiicss, and vigour, gives them an appear-
ance seeming to border on ferocity, vvcre it not
the reverse of their manners, which are gentle
and easy, when no motive is given to choler,
which the least spark kindles into violence.

It has been observed, that the inhabitants of
mountains are strongly attached to their country,
which probably arises from the division of lands,
in which, generally speaking, all have an interest.

kingdoms; yet tho common proverb of Castile, Pobrezn no
es viU-.it, " I'ovi-rty is not a blemihh," has n(» sway horc, for
such arc tiieir uotions of Ubour .ind industry, that their
spirit mukes tlioni consider it an indignity to beg; anil
thougli the women uru generally charitable, which cannot
fail to ittiraL't, mcudicauts, yet such aiv most coininunly
straiigor^r.

4N III

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32*

DIU.ON'S TRAVF,t,S TIIUOUOIT SPAIN'

In this, tlie TJIscayners exceed all other slates,
looking witli toiidiiess ou their hills, as the most
deli{j;htfnl scenes in the worid, and their people
as tiie most respectable, descended from the abo-
rigines of Spain. This prepossession excites thcni
to the most extraordinary labonr, and to execnte
things far beyond what could be expected, in so
small and rugged a country, where they have few
branches of commerce: a greater proof of their
industry cannot be given than those fine roads
made from Bilboa to Castile, as well as in Guipus-
coa and Alaba. The pass<ige over the tremendous
mountain of Orduna, cannot be viewed without
the utmost surprize and admiration.

The manners of the Biscayners, and the ancient
Irishj are so similar on many occasions, as to en-
tourage the notion of the Irish being descended
from them. Both men and women are extremely
fond of pilgrimages, repairing from great dis-
tances to f he churches of their patrons, or tutelary
saints, singing and dancing, till they almost drop
down with fatigue. The Irish do the same at
their patrons. The Guizoncs of Biscay, and the
Jioulamkeighft of Ireland arc nearly alike: at all
these assemblies, they knock out one another's
brains, on the most trivial provocation, wiihout
malice or rancour, and without using a knife or a
dagger. In both countries the common people
are passionate, easily provoked if thei; family is
flighted, or their descent called in question.
The Chacoli of Biscay, or the Slicbcen of Ireland,
makes thera equally frantic. In Ireland the poor
cat out of OHe dfsh v>'iih their fingers, and sit in
their snioaky cabbins without chimnies, as well
us the Bisrayniers. The brogue is also the shoe
v)f Biscay; the women tic a kercher round their
heads, wear red petticoats, go barefoot, in all
which they resemble the Biscayucrs, and with
them have an equal good opinion of their ancient
descent: the poor Biscayner, though haughty,
is laborious and active, an example worthy to be
imitated by the Irish.

So many concurring circumstances support the
idea of their having been originally one people.

* Another instance in whicli the Irish seem to have closely
imitatcii the Sj>ani»ii tustoms, is iir the taking; of sniifT, of
•which ]V(r. HoweF, who was in Spain in 1620, and went
Moon !i(tcr to Ireland, gives us the folJoHiiig account, at an
early period, after (he fir.t introductiuu of snutfintoEu.
rope: " The Soaniards and Irrsh take it most in powder,
or S.Tjutcliin, and it mightily refreshes the brain, and I b".
licTC there isi as much taken this way in IreUud, as there is

It caimot be denied, but that the old Irish, ^j
ther from similitude of customs, rcli|ri(,p_ ' .'
traditional notions, or whatever else may beih
cause, have always been attached to the Spaniatd.
V ho on their side, perhaps from political yJeJ
have treated them with reciprocal affcclion
granting them many privileges and stiling thfJ
even Oritnidos in their laws, as a colony descend.
ed from Spain; yet, with all these advantaffcs
if we except those gallant soldiers who liavcdis!
tinguished themselves in the field wherever tliet
have served, few Irish have made a coh: piiuoii'.
figure in Spain, or have left great wealth 1 1 di^i,
families*.

The king of Spain has no other titi,' „yfj
these free people, than that of Lord of B.^av
as the kings of England formerly held o\ei
Ireland ; they admit of no bishops, nor of custom
houses in their provinces, they content themselvtil
with that renown which they have actpiircd fo(|
themselves and their issue, insomuch that uii
only proving to be originally belonging to tl
lordship, or descended ffom such in the imlel
line, lawfully begotten, they are entitled to clainl
public certificates, or executory letters, kuM
Cartas executorias, expressive ,of their beiwl
Ilidnlgos dc Sangre, or "Gentlemen of blood j
their nobility having been confirmed to (hem, bil
the kings of Castile and Leon, lords of Iii$cav,[
in the plenitude of their po^»'er. The most lofiJ
Castilians have constant rivals for antiquity aodl
descent in the inhabitants of Biscay, Asturiaj,!
and the mountains of I^on. Impressed y>M
these flaJtering ideas, the high-minded Hiseaviierl
leaves his native soil, and repairo to IMaiitidJ
Conscious that his blood is pur**, uiicontiiniH
natcd with mixtures of Jewish or Mohaiimudanl
race, he raises his hopes on honest induslry, audi
sobrety, fulfilling his duties with zeal, and sub
mission; he often meets with relations in atlliiciiccj
and sometimes rises to the highest employments.

The town of Bilboa, on the banks of the river I
Ybaizabal, is about two leagues from the m\
and contains about eight hur.ured houses, \vitha|

in pipes in England. One »hall commonly sec the srnin;l
maid upon the washing block, and the swain iipdii iliei
ploughshare, when they arc tired wi^h labour, take nut I
their boxes of smiitchin, and draw it into their nostrils witbl
a quill, and it will beget new 8i<irits in thcro, withafrciJ
vigour to fall to their work igurx^—EpistoU Iloclmt,
London, 1720.

urge I

Dff.I.ON'S TRAVI'T.S THROUGH RPATN.

3ii5

I we squire by the water-si d<, well shaded with
l-asaii' walks, which extent! lo the outlets, on
|V Iniiili'* t*!^^ the river, with numbers of houses
L A gardens, which forin a mo^'t pleasing- pros-
^"jjpaiticulaily sailing up the river; lor, be-

|i(jcs

the hcauliful verdure, numerous objects
„.jii<rradiiany to the eye, and the town uppear-
Liiraii amphitlieatre, enlivens the landscape,
[nd completes the scenery

The houses are solid and lofty, the streets well
Lived and level; water is conveyed into the
Lets, ai«l they may be washed at pleasure,
khicli renders Ililboa one of the neatest towns in
Europe. Coaches are not in use, by which means,
IneQuality of wc.lth is not so perceptible, exterior
hstciitation is avoided, and the poor man v tlks
Lv the side of the rich, with equal ease and coiur.it.
The air is generally damp, covers iron with
Lj destroys furniture in the upper apartments,
ivtrarls the salt out of dried fish, and multiplies
Li lu'vond measure, yet the town is remarkably
lifaltlu', and its inhabitants enjoy, to a great de-
hee, the three blessings of lift", perfect health,
Irenffth of body, and a chearful disposition, at-
ended with longevity ; in the proof of which,
IJiough the town is very populous, the hospital
J frequently empty, and in the nine months, that
Mr. Bowles resided there, only nine persons were
fcuriid, four of which wer** above ci{:;;hty. Every
Lvinen above that age may be stc:: walking up-
Ight, in chearful converse with vomIi. Burning
\\vn, ^\llic-ll the Spaniards dreuil so much and
iWtahjnlillos, are not known h.Te, and they are
tldoin tronble«l ^ith agues. That IJilboa stand-
ee on the side ot a river, in so damp a situation,
ch'clly built on piles, like the cities in
lollaud, siu'uld be so remarkably healthy, with
[very indication against it, arises from the follow-
n^ circumstances:

The adjacent mouMtains stop the clouds that
Inse from the saline vapours of the ocean, rains
[re frequent, but they are seldom w ithout a sea
freeze, or a land wind; the current of the air
fillip thus continually ventilated, never leaves
She moist vapours at rest, and prevents their
tunning those putrid combinations, which heat

These surprising ■women, thougli consfiititly exposed to
leair. have good com pluxions, with Tuely ryes, and fine
llaik hair, in wliich llicy pridu themselves (^re.itly, and
Irtiil '() iiiicorimiDn advantage. Married women wrap a
Jrhite handkBrchief round their heads, so knotted, as to fall
lotvu in tiircc plaits behind, aad over this tiie MuutciM c.\[k

gcueraliv occ;isions, on stagnated wafers; thus
tlie vicinity of the sea, the rains, and more than
all, the strong currents of air, are the physical
causes of its salubrity at Bilboa, as on the con-
trarv, the continued heat which rarities the exlia-
latious of such rivers as have a slow motion, us
well as the stagnated waters in ponds or lakes,
where there is great heat in the air, and little
wind, will be the causes of putrif^ying the va-
pours, and bring on fevers and other distemper.'}.
For this reason, the inhabitants of La Maiicha
are so subiect to agues, and use as much bark as
in Holland, because the air has little motion in
summer, notwithstanding the couiiti v is open,
and the surface is dry. In the same manner, ii
new house is dangerous to dwell in, where the
damp vapours are confined, though one may
sleep very safely in the deepest gallery of a mine,
if the air has a free circulation.

To these favourable circumstances, the Ris-
cayners, owe their good spirits, and freshness ot"
complexion, and chearful disposition. In other
countries, women are oppressed with the slight-
est fatigue; here they work as much as the
"itrongest men. unload the ships, carry burdens,
and do all the business of porters. The very
felons, confined to hard labour in the mines of
Altnadcn, do nothing in comparison with tlieso
females; they go barefooted, and are remarkably
active, carrying burthens on their heads which
require two men to lift up. The wife yields not
in strength to the husband, nor the sister to the
brother, and after a chearful glass, though heavi-
ly loaded, they move on with alacrity, returning
h(»me ill the evening without the appearanve of
lassitude often arm in arm, dancing and singing
to the tabor and pipe

Their music is defrayed at the ex pence of the
town, after the inanner of t'le ancient (rrecks.
On holydays they play under the trees in tha
gre;i«: square ; the moment they begin the con-
course is great; men, women, aud children, of
all ages, are engaged at the same time, down to
the very infants. The dances, arc active, suit-
able to their strength, but divested of iudcceut
attitudes or irestures*.

They have a liaiij^lily look, and work in ihe fields like iho
men ; tlioir lanf;ii.i,i;e is the liuyrnciisr, whieli, without
doni)t, is oriijiiial, and as ancient as the peoplint; of tiio
rountry, luiui; totally distinct, and •vithoutau) CDniieuoii
with any Spanish dialed; tliosi; who understand it, -^siirc
us il is vory soft and hariuouioutij a^ wcU as cuerpcede.

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.1-1

32S

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

A general r.oalness prevails in Bilboa. The
ghviTiblcs is a Tuscan building, in the centre of
the town, with an open court and a fountain in
the middle; nothing can be more cleanly or bet-
ter contrived, free from all bad scents, or an}-
thing disgusting, as it is copiousiy supplied with
Mater to carry away every thing offensive. The
meat is delivered so fresh and clean, as not to re-
quire being washed, as practised in other parts
of Spain, which deprives it of its substance and
flavours ; the veal is white and delicate, and the
poultry excellent: the woods afford plenty of
wild fowl, besides five sorts of birds of pas-age,
called Chimbos, which fatten soon after their ar-
rival, and ar*> greatly esteemed.

Amongst the different sorts of fish common at
Bilboa, there are two peculiar to that river,
which the inhabitants are remarkably fond of;
these are a sort of eels in winter, and the cuttle
fjah in summer; the former are snail like the
quill of a pigeon, of a pale coloui, about three
inches long, and without a back lone, and are
caught at low tides in prodigious quantities. In
a word, every thing is in plenty at Bilboa, for
besides a well supplied market, their gardens
abound in pulse, and fruit of all kinds; and a
stranger cannot but admire the hospitable dis-
poiition of the inhabitants, which soon falls oft*,
if you slight their cor iality, or attribute it to
motives of adulation or interest. Such is the
happy life of the people of Bilboa, free from the
luxurious as well as the ambitious passio.js,
which agitate the minds of their neighbours,
they pass their lives in tranquillity, governed by
wholesome laws; amongst which they are sdid,
even to have one against ingratitude, with a
punishment affixed to it.

* From the above, it results, tliat a solution, cvajiora.
<ion, alluvion, and deposition, all exist in this niii»«; its
situation is an undulated hill ; which viewed from tlie neigh,
boiirinjr mountainij, seems almost a jjlain ; its form is regular,
and may be passed round in about four or five hours. The
ore forms an uuinferruptcd stratum, v. hos.- Iliickness varies
from three feet to ten, ami is covered witharoat oJ wliilish
calcareous rock, from twe to six feet thick. Kvery one is
at liberty to dig the mine at pli-Msurc, and transport it by
land or water, witlioiil being subject to duties or any
formalities. The people being generally ignorant, and car-
r\ing away whatever comes uppermost, often take ore,
Which has its matrix of quartz, and is of a brittle kind, full
of cracks; but the iron masters, who are the purchasers,
are more versed, and know uli^tto buy, and what to reject.

f No general rule cau beg'.ven, concerning the duration,
4

The famous iron mine at Somorrostro, in f .
cay, has all the appearance of being alluvi
and originally composed by the congelation
some fluid matter, increasing by insensible i!*.
grees, and reduced into a laniellated state, imi
cessively, forming plates, or scales one over y
other, thinner than paper; as is evident iVonitliJ
many concavities and crevices, covered byilifj,!
plates; which supposing to be <he ciise, wenecil
not be surprized at what has been advanced bj
some of the workmen, who assert lliat (Iicvhavfl
often found bruken pieces of pirkaxos, niatiofhl
and other instruments, in places that hadbml
worked centuries ago, and are now replete uiij
new ore; if this is a fact, we may ftirtiicr belinJ
them, when they assert, that the mine increasei,|
though the slow progress of nature, in thisopJ
ration, does not permit us to calculate its grajj
tion, or determine the number of ages sutiiiieml
to fill up a cavity of any given size*.

It is generally allowed, that no iron in Eurowi
is so easy t) fuse, or so soft as that of Somorroj.!
tro. >Vhei' the ore is first taken out of this miixil
it has the cc lour of bull's blood, and w hen wettt^l
becomes purple; great quantities are carn(j|
away by water, to the neighbouring provincesT
where thi.\y fuse it by itself, or mix it with oteli
of their own, which generally yields a haideiN
iron. The following is their process with lb>i J'
ore whii h is fused without any mixture.

The first operation is to roast itf intheopejl
air, by piling strata alternately of orr, and
in order to divide the ore, repel the moisture,!
and diminish its weight, that it nay be mortl
easily fused, and the ferruginous parts Foarateil
from the slag: when it is sufficiently roasl((i,|
they put it in the forge, with the due proportionl

or degree of Are, for this purpose, these being variniK, icl
cording to the ditlerence of the or"S ; a few ilays, urnu
hours, is siiflicient for some ores, while others, siu:lia>ikt|
oreof Kaiiimeliburg, require that it should b'.^ continued fori
several months. Shinttcr enumerates five methods of roait.l
ing ores ; ;•/:.

First, I)y constructing a pilti of ore and fuel, piaailal.]
ternatclj in strata, ih the open air.

Secondly, Hy confining liuch u pile within ^ull«, bill
without a roof.

Thirdly, lly placing the pile undcraroof, without lawiill
walls.

Fourthly, By placing the pile in a furnace, coiisis(ini;i'f|
watN and roof.

Fifthly, I5y roasting the ore in a rcverbatory fiirn.hv, ill

which it must be cuntiiinally atirrud, with an iron rud,

■;iUi.jiUJ»i.— ...

r>II,T.OK"S TRAX^ELS TIinOUGH SI'AIM,

327

iiMiurcoal, and wlion it appears to have fused,

f biviii"' on the hearth^ a mass of four or five

lobes, tTiey lay hold of it with tongs, and place

li „„ an anvil under an immense hammer, of

lout seven hundred to a thousand pounds

rei'Iif, and there by force of blows, mm] nioViiig

It about, they square it, and reduce it. i.ito bars.

flio niiMierous sparks which fly od" from the

|j|oM« of *^^' hanmicr, are no more than (he

Liiifi "f^ '''*^ metal. The bar thus shaped, may

■ doubled or lengthened m a less forge, i^lhey

ileasc, and even beat cold as if it was silver. In

llijj manner the ore is fused in a few hours, end

llij bars formed, and sold to the blacksmiths.

L'^iinerly the iron was beat by mere strength of

im, a I'foof of which may be gatliered from the

Ljiiies of many places in Biscay, situated where

lire is neither river nor brook, and begin, or

,1(1, with the termination ola or oka, ciiher of

liich in the Bi.scay language, signifies iron

vorks, such as .Mctulwld, that is, "iron works

if iIk; mountain."

I According to appearance, a quintal of ore will

hiodiicc about thirty-five pounds of good iron,

tiid tlie residue ab(»ut thirty pounds of shig, and

(jead earth As this mine neither contains sul-

rluir, nor acids, it is not necessary to nii.x any

falcareous substance to fuse it, in order to ab-

Ub those matters, so troublesome in mines, that

Biavc (li>- misfortune io be loaded with thcn», as

Bs often the case in France. However, it would

^otbc anuKS io use a little of it, were it only to

issijtthe fusion of the ferruginous earth, accele-

Iralethe proces.s, and lessen the slag, aR well as

(the (,tia!)tity of fuel. These workmen, by con-

istaiit cxpcrienre, have acquired the proper nie-

jtliiul oTnianagi'ig the ore, as well as to know the

|(|niiiililv of coal for the forge, which is soldom

larjicr tlian that of a considerable blacksmith ; so

Itliat liltlr improvement can be made on their

Ijabours; though by several experiments, made

Jin YiVi, by the Suchdad Jiascougadu, or Biscay

hooifty, it appears that it would answer better to

foa.it the iron, in a close chamber than in the

[opon , ir. A good forge well conducted, will

'.iold to the owner above five hundred ducats a

j^car"; some indeed, hardly produce three hun-

Jdrctl. aftfr paying all charges. It is necessary

|)br IhcMi to be good u-eonomisls, with respect to

\ oL. II. No, XCT.

fuel, and to use small forges; for if they were to
have such large ones.

as are

common m mo.st
parts of Europe, with all the apparatus of ham-
mers and other implements, they wotdd soon
strip their mountains of wood, and the forges
would be at a stand for want of materials.

Besides the mine of Somorrostro, there are se-
veral others, some of which are worked, and
otliciH not. In one near Bilboa, the ore is seen
above ground. About a mile from the town,
there is a mine in a hill, of a quite diiferent na-
ture from that of Somorrostro, being loaded with
vitriol J it is an enormous mass of iron ore, that
attracts the vitriolic acid, which penetrating
through the ferruginous rock, dissolves the metal,
and e.-ihibits on the surface, small laminae of
green, blue, and white vitriol. Opposite to this
hill on the other side of the river, another similar
rock produces a quantity of vitriol solely of a
pale yellow, and though the colours green, blue,
and yellow, may exist without any vitriolic acid,
chemists are very well apprized from experience,
that the common iron dissolved in this acid,
crystallizes into grrer itriof, called copperas,
forms blue crystals, with copper, and white
crystals, or alhun, when united with argillaceous
earth, and of the same colour when it dissolves
zinc, and produces yellow, when it coagulate*
with 'he phlogiston of common sulphur, which
aV ounds so frequently in the three kingdoms of
nature. The most remarkable circumstance, is
to meet these colours in the Biscay mines, which,
neither contain copper, alum, zinc, nor sulphur;
nor is it an easy matter to account for it, without
supposing that the pure elementary water, has a
part in composing these crystals, and that it«
evaporation, either by heat, or air, alters the
consistency, and destroys the green colour of the
vitriol of the iron, taking away that proportion
of water, which constituted it, and that as soon
as it loses it, it begins to change colour, and
})ar.sing through the various tints of green, and
yellow, terminates io white, when all the water
is gone: when it is come to that state, and has
resemblance to flour, it is called svmpaihetic
powder, on account of its styptical quality, so rea-
dily staunching the blood, in hemorrhages, and
curing of woimds. Whoever chooses ti verify
this theory, need only to pour water on this pow-

4 O dcr.

^-^:imi^'

I ■■•r

flu;

■ i'A

■- -

* A Spaniisli dutaf, \^prth about I'our bliillings and ciglil prncP| Eii^liih munp/.

328

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

ier, and lie will 6nd that it crystalizes anew into
green. If it be asked, why these matters do not
unite, aud form sulphur, when there is so much
acid, and iron in these mountains, and the iron
fonUiins so much phlogiston? the answer is,
that for this event to take place, the vitriolic acid,
and the phlogiston, should be perfectly con-
centred, and dry; whereas the reverse happens in
these mountains, where they are so overwhelmed
with moisture, that the abundance of this acid,
has perhaps been the cause, of many of the mines
above Bilboa, beinaj neglecied, as of course they
would yield so brittle an iron. This then would
be the time ♦e use a calcareous substance, td cor-
rect iliis defect. It is for this reason, the S\VEdish
iron is preferred to the Spanish, as the latter is so
apt to rcdsear; that ia, to crack, between hot and
told. At a small distance from this great ferru-
ginous rock, an engineer lately cut away a con-
siderable part of the hill, to improve the public
walks, near the town of Bilboa, and as he made
a perpendicular cut of about eighty feet depth,
he discovered a vein of iron ore, lying in perfect
strata, which, at times, dipped in a direct line,
and at others, obliqucl}', bearing some similitude
"to the roots of a tree, occasionally of an inch
diameter, or the size of one's arm, with infinite
variety of ramilication, according to the more or
less resistance of the earth, to the passage of

water; there being no doubt of this mine bo;
alluvial. Here the very circumstance lias ha!'
pened, which Don Antonio de Ulloa jucliciou 1
imagined, would follow in the great Iiili f|
Potosi, were it possible to lay it open aiuUxj.f
mine its contents.

It appears therefore, that the mines of W^^, ■
ace in veins, strata, and masses. The Ilanamdr
s;* frequently seen in the hollow parts of the m;j„,'i
are remarkable for their difterent sizes and torm,! I
when broken, every grain was found to hau.iiJ
shape of a star, wliicli proves solution, depoMtiuJ
and u slow crystallization. These lieniatitcsai.i
exceedingly heavy, and if calcined give proofj
of containing two or three times more iron, tluj
the ore of Somorrostro, but of a brittle and in.!
tractable nature. Besides {hese hematites, therel
are in this mine, many caviiies of diflcreiit sizej
from two inches to two fciit, lined with a ^r^A
deal of ferruginous matter, from one to tlir«|
fingers thickueHs; this coating appears to he J
true emery, and from hence, issu(! cyliiidi'isoff
striped hematites, as large as the fcatliersut,!
pigeon, two or three intlies long, not unlikeil
hedgehog; others have various and fancifnlap.^
pearances, that would make objects of siiigulai|p|
curiosity in the collection of a mineralogist, otiil
a cabinet of natural history.

"*»■

CHAPTER VI.

Tlte Source q/ the Tagus And its Environs dcscrihei — Of the barren and 'wretched District of
' 1 : . . JBatiucao, in IL$* t'cunadura.

IN going from Molina de Ari»gon, to i\\p: vc't-
ward, you cross over mountains filled with
petrifactions, which appearance hwts for two or
three leagues. At the third league there is a salt
spring which serves th«; people of Molina. The
ascent is continual, through a wood of Hr, and
•ver mountains, till you reach the village of

* Hematites, or blood-gtcm;, is a hard mineral siilwlancp,
fed, black, or purplt;, the powder of which it always red,
sometimes of an intermediate ft^ure, and sometimes aphcri-
cal, scmispherical, pyramidal, or cellular, that is, like a
honeycomb, consisting of j)yranii(ls generally fniall, the
a|)ices of which, (ippear in a transverse ^ediDU in the ci

ecn-

— I'"*'*' .,...-.-., . ^.j --. .- — —

Ire. It coutaius a lnr(;c portion of iron; fort^ pouiidu of

Paralejos on the banks of the golden Ta^us, <»|
often sung by the poets, so fiequcntly extol!cil|
by historians.

At Pcralejos, the Tagus is oidy fifteen pacejl
wide, and one foot deep. The petrifactions aiej
(►bscrved again in the village, and the river rinisj
through a narrow channel it has made for itdtj

this metal have been extraeteil from n quintal of tliostonf,
bnt tho iron is )()t;iined with such difliculty, a.w.\ i» <.' >;)i
bad quality, that this ore is not eonnnonly smelt^i! i
great hanhicss ut' lieiiiatites, renders it tit for l)iirni-'liinf;inii|
polishing; nu>l.ils. — l)t\/iuiiiiri/ aj (Jhtmistrt/^ /;-«/(.m.,.>.i(//(||»|
tlu I'lcmh, LontloHf 1777.

ktwccal

mmmfimi

DILLON'S TRAVELS TUtlOUOH SPAIV;

t'29

etwcen t\'VO lofty mountains of marble, perpen-
Bicularly divided near a hundred feet high,
acli mountain is a solid block, without either
jfizonlal, or perpendicular fissure, if ve ex-
pt those casual crevices, ccasioiied by the
Lmous pieces which now and flien detach

nornious .

tieiuselvos, and roll down to the ba^ks of the
iver. Such as have tumbled down on (he south
l;, liave crnmblcd into good earth, and as the
ater filters through them, Ihe soil is fertile, co-

,_ wiih grass, and diflereiit sorts of plants.

he opposite mountain is bare, without moisture,

fth, plant, or moss, being a stupendous rock

ffstino" on a bed of niarble, mixed with white

'vpsiim, veined with red, and prismatical stella-

' spots. About three quarters of a league to

lie southward of Peralejos, you mee* the highest

llin those parts called Sierra Blanco; its top

capped with calcareous rock, its bodj^- of vvhite

one, not calcareous, decomposed in the same

lanner as the former, with veins of imperfect

t, of the thickness of one's finger, with soft

rainy pyrites* of the colour and odour of those

uiid in the i lays of Paris. Veins of bituminous

ood extend from a finger to a foot in thickness,

iiidcoiitaii pieces of jet, as large as one's head,

hers less, but always with vitriolic pyrites,

is[icrscd in the very substance, and interstices of

e jci. It seems clearly to be wood, as some

lieces have still the hark on, exhibiting the knots,

ibrcs, and other purtsj with little alteration, still

reserving their ligneous origin, mixed with that,

hich composes the true and solid jet. \\ hat is

more extraordinary, veins of a lead nunc

e likewise found in it, following the oblique, or

irect crevices of the wood, while other veins of

;i(! Inverse its fibres, in a perpendicular line, as

(II as horizontally, and some small lumps are

ud ill the very substance of the wood. In u

)rd, (lie four principal orders in mines, may

olnerved here iu a small compass, as it
me ia miniature, viz. perpendicular veins, cross
Hi frafa, and masses. These veins are the
bolt xtraordinary, if we consider the manner in

• l'yr';"s is a rainPral resembling (he <nic ores of metals

llie sulii^ ice of wliich it h composrd, in its colour or

istrc, ill iLs ureut weijjht, and lastly, in the parts of the

brdi ill which it is found, biaco if almust always accoinpa-

piiores. From the property of slrikini; sparks from steel,

ley liavc IiccM called I'yrites, wliicii is a fi'reck word sij;.

■i iiii; lire s(()nc; thfy were formerly used for fire-arms as

|c iiuw use Uint:«j h,ciicc it (Vis called curabiuv iitune, litill

which the nctal must have introduced itself into
the timber, for it cannot be said to have made its
M ay through the pores, when the lead was in a
fluid stale, l)ecausc pieces of wood arc found,
whose exterior parts do not shew (he least parti-
cle of lead, yet on breaking them, some portion
.of this mineral is discovered within, which could
only introduce itself there, w.'t^ the sap first
formed the wood, and make shot of the load,
that runs from it; which serves to kill harts,
partridges, and other kinds of game, with which
the country abounds. The source of the Tagus
is .ibout a league from th»" hill of Sierra Blanca,
iu the highest situation r Spain, for the waters
of this river run down to ihe ocean, and those of
♦ he Guadalaviar, whusc source is contiguous,
fall into the Med!terra*"!un. The waters called
Vegas del Togo, arc !\\ a league and a half from
hence, in i valley, Ti-i-med by a river, which h.i.^
its source in a copious spring, called Fucntc dc
la Abrega. This brook, for here it deserves no
better appellation, meanders so often, that it
must be crossed four times in the space of half a
league. Many have thought the source of the
Tagus was at Fuckte Garcia, which is five leagues
higher up, but Mr. Bowles assures us to the
contrary, adding, (hat Fnente (iarciu is a trifling
spring, which he covered with his hat, being no
more than a small quantity nf water, collected in
the trunk of a holo .v tree, ])lared thrrc to hold
what issues from a puddle of standing water,
wliich three paces further, loses itself in the ad-
jacent valley, without a drop of it reaching the
Tagus.

lialf a league from Fucnte Carcia, thnre is a,
salt spring Avhich supplies the town of Alhair-uiu,
and eighteen villages inits jiirisdictitai, with salt.
The country from hence to tlir (rue source of the
Tagus, is an elevated plain, rather uneven, with
•A good carpet of <;r.i>;s, and a ginit m;my bram-
bles, whose beriioi iiflord Un ample n-piist for tlio
black birds. It i» also well stocked with tlmt
tree called in Spain Ccdro HisiifTir'co, tlie Juniper
thurifcra of Linnaeus, a tall stout tree, with bcr-

l)y some niiir isite. Perhaps no otli.T kirul of natural body
has had •*<) many appellations. Person- curious to (.-.now the
other uaiiii'^ lens used, nuiv tliul them in H'-nekell's Pyrito-
lofjia; wo think with that c'lcbrato;! chcini'if. tliat the sub.
ject h.is bi'cii perplexed b_, '.his multiplaity of names, fui
i)i'fore his ijreat and excelli';it work, tlif motions concerning
I'yrili'i were very couf'iscd and iuaconriUe.— XJ/c/w/irtry i^
Clmmislrj/,

uicH-

lii:,,.

!i I,

sil >•
! 'I

■

■*ii

j5 '■■

I ,

;i iv'l

i1 \\

Hiftji

m ^

330

B!P

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

ries like the juniper tree of tlie large sort. The
sliow remains on the ground in these cold regions,
until June, and the countr)' is a continued chain
of hills, known by the name of Sierra, -i-eplete
vith various singularities. From Peralejos
hither, different petrifactions are found, some-
times in the rock, and at others in the earth. If
the sea deposited them there, it will be difficult
to explain how this should have happened in the
highest situation in Spain.

To return to the Tagus: this noble river passes
by tlie royal palace of Aranjuez, the city of To-
ledo, Ahnaraz, and Alcantara >:? Estramadura;
then enters Portugal, at Abrantes, and rolls its
waters with dignity into the ocean at Lisbon.
Pliiiip II, opened the navigation of the river; the
first, boat dispatched by his majesty arrived at
Aranjuez, from Lisbon, January lU, 1582, and
then returned to Toledo, to proceed down the
river again; but successive events, and an altera-
tion of dominion under Philip IV. put a final
period to these improvements.

The territory of Hatuecas, situated on the con-
fines of Castile and Estramadura, near Portugal,
has given ample scope to the fanciful conceits of
different writers, relating to its imaginary dis-
covery, and whether or not, as supposed, it was
an unknown land, inhabited by Pagans, blinded
by ignorance, without the least knowledge of the
Christian religion. This district, which we are
now going to explore, is fourteen leagues to the
southwest of Salamanca, about eight leagues east-
ward of Ciudad Rodrigo, and twelve to the north-
west of Placoncia, formingaplain, or more proper-
ly, a most diMnal and horrid gully at the foot of
that famous mountain, where stands the noted con-
vent called La Pcna dc Francia. The situation
of this place inspires every idea of gloom and
nielanciioly, closed in by jagged mountains,
where hardly u tree is to be seen, or the least ap-
pearance of vegetation: on the contrary, number-
less })recipices, occasionally choaked uj) by broken
masses of stone, detached insensibly (Voin the
rocks, form the most Irightl'ul scene the mind
can conceive. Such is the true sliitt; of Batueeas,
Lornd by nature; reruUred still more so, by ig-
norance and folly. Tlif itinerary trom Placeiuia
to Aigal tour leagues; Molu'das one; Casa de
Faloint;ro one; C.iu)!)roncio two; Vegao de Co-
xia two; Lus IMcitas one; and to the copvcnt of
liutuccus half a league.

^•een Placencia and Aigal, the hanilcj; il
and Gijo de Granadilla, appear on Ik I

Bctw<
Oliva and uijo ae uranaaiiia, appear on th,|
right, and Santibanez el Baxo, on the left njt
woods of oak and cork trees. You cross the ri? I
Ambroz, or de Caparra, and pass by the Piie«'|
del Gamo, before you reach Casar de Puloinet f
Then enter the melancholy district of (die JnrdaJ
being a-division of what is generally oallod B;i|m f
ccas; but in any part of this wretchecl comitiv ifl
you ask whereabouts is the Jurdes, some tt|!
tell jOM, a little further on, and when you ^^A
cecd, another informs you, it is at a small ^A
tance behind; nobody being willing to ackiiow.1
ledge himself an inhabitant of the unhappy couJ
try of the Jurdes.

The town of Alberca is the principal place iji
the territory of Batuecas, and not above a leap J
distant from this valley: the whole of this ({ijrij
may properly be reduced to an intersected vallfl
of about a league in length, sometimes si) fon'T
fined as just to leave room for the passa^i^ of(|,j|
river that gives name to the valley. Thij thej
was that unknown country so surpri/in^lydreai!!
ed, where it is certain no other dwelled liii( afoJ
wretched shepherds, and some miserable peas;ir,|J
in forlorn hut^, surrounded by precipices, divisiejj
of all intercourse with their neighbours, iiiawilj
romantic situation, which the most faiiciriii pen-
cil would find difhcult to delineate, or even |1k
language of Shakespeare to describe.

The other va'lcy called, "of the .Jurdcs" wliitll
mtiy be about four leagues long, and three i
breadth, yields not to the former in wletchodnci
and misery. During the whole jouriiev frojj
Alberca to H ituccas, nothing is to be seen
repetition of jagged and ill-shapen rock?, wit
their rugged peaks, like so many fiirroN ani
battlements, towering one over the other, a- I'araj
the eye can extend, tbirming dreadful gullies wlicJ
the river forces it.s way, whose wafers is ckaij
abounding with trout, and having grains of i'fi
in its sand.s, which the peasants know Mel! how tl
look after, and sell al Placencia, Ciudad, Uddrija
and Salamanca, which is a great resource totheJ
in this sorrowful vale; where, during winter, tiJ
sun's rays can hardly penetrate for above fod
hours in the day. To increase still further 4
horror, the hills are perforated with dismal cavci
one above the other, and some soexteiisiM'. \\\i
three or four hundred sheep may easily t,il
shelter tiicre. to complete thi» picture of dblrc

W \

\kl

mmm

TrtW.ON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

331

. jj julRcc to «idd, iliat this country is the resort

f numerous birds of prey, and affords shelter to

' wolves, wrild cats, and M^eazles, which

Icstroy a" *'"* ^^'^ ^"^ rabbits, with the ad-

lition of snakes, serpents, and many noxious

entiles, particuhirly one sort of serpent, which

larts at its prey with great violence, and per-

i J may be of that species called Jacula, or

liiciiln serpetta, described in the acts of the

.joldine academy, which mentions one of these

have darted from a ditch, to a considerable

lisUiicc, and fixed itself upon the arn> of a pea-

jnt. But ^^y ^^^^ ^ enlarge any further on so

tpjifvii spot, or describe so barren a country,

irhrre even <j!;rass is not to be seen ! here and there

[solitarv cistus, and nothing but furze, the only

resource of goats and some bees, who are of ser-
vice merely on account of their wax, as their
honey is neither valuable for its colour nor
flavour, having all the bitter taste of their food.
In this wretched country the Carmelite Friari
pitched upon a little plain on the banks of the
river, and built their convent in 1599, but their
house has nothing worthy of description: and
though the very sight of u distressed traveller at
their gates, should be sulFicient to engage the
benevolent minds of these holy fathers, they are
seldom in a hurry to open their doors, and none
are admitted or entitled to hospitality, but such
as are provided with letters of recommendation
and positive orders from the provinciul or general
of their order.

1 i

't w- -1

CHAPTER VII.

'Ut

)[Jic Convent of Juste, in the l^cru of Placencia, famous for the Retreat of the Emperor Charles
the I'i.f'l' — iii'nifirlcuble Objects in the Course of a Tour from Guadalcanal to the City of Seville —
Journi'u from JMerida to Malaga.

FTER quitting the city of Placencia, and
ciossii;;',' the river Xertc, you pass over the
jiill oi" Calcoiies, opposite the city, llu-n dcscciul
Into the territory of the Vega, leaving on your
k;ft the villages of Gargnom, Barrado, and Ar-
lovaMolinos; you next go through the village
If Pasiiron, five Ic tgiies from Placencia, and
rnnic to ii pleasant s tuiition called La Magda-
leiia. wIktc there is a good farm house, which
Iforiiii'ilv belonged to the Jesuits: you are now a
bgiic distance iVom .Juste, and to go there vou
Iravprsc a woody country with a few chesnut
Ircos, and pass several brooks, where they catch
hccllt'iit trout. The convent of Justr is situated
early in the centre of the Vera, on the brow of

steep hill, which protects it from the north

vim!, and with other mountains forms that

fchiiiii which is called the Puerto dc Tornavacas,

loiiiiiig with the hills of Arciiiis, Puerto del

hio, and others. Neither the convent nor

kiuiri'h have any thing remarkable, and would

pave passed on to future ages in oblivion, had it

ot been for the distinction shewn tlieni by the

pat emperor Avho ended his life in this solitary

iLuc. Over the largest altar in the church,

IiIk'v have a copy of that famous picture called

Vol. II No. XCI.

the glory of Titian, which rtood formerly here,
and was removed to the Escurial by express
command of the emperor, who ordered that the
original sho"ld be fixed in the same church with
his remains. The following inscription is seen on
the wall, in a corner of the garden, under the
arms of the emperor.

" y.\ KSTA SVNT.V CAS\ 7>ES. HIERONIMO BE JUSTE

ay, HK.riiio A acabar sl mda, f,l qve toda la.

GAsrO l;N OKrENSA DE LA VE V CONSEIIVACJOS
DE LA JISTICIA, CAUI.OS T. EMPKKADOR KEY
DE LAS ESPENAS, CHHISTIAMSIMO, INVICTISSI-
MO. MURIO A 21 DE RETIEMBRE UE 1558,"

That is, " In this holt/ house of St Jerom of
Juste, ended his dajfn, he who spent the -ichole
of them in defence of the faith, and in support
ofjusf!i\\ Charles K Emperor, Kinfi: of -Spain,
Alost Christian, invincible. He Med on tJic
2lstofSept. 1558."

These are the only traces left here of that great
emperor, who once filled the world witii tlie
glory of his deeds. The ruined decorations of
the garden and ponds seem to intimate their |uis-
tine state in happier days, and th« several plan>

4 P taaons

.'i

,; '■ : I ■!

i^i;' i

• no

%^ U -it

CILLON^S TRAVFX^ THROUGH SPAIN.

'iatioiis in (he Vera, watered by numberless
brookfl, might ooce haveexhibited a more pleasing
appearance.

A distinf tion ronst be made between the Vera
of Plnccntiu, and the Vallc de Placcntia. The
Valley extends from the city to the Puerto de
Tornavtfcas, upon a straight line from east to
north, the length of nine leagues, and so level,
Ihat tb€ whole extent lies open to your view, as
far as the Puerto, closed by high mountains,
dividing on the right the Vera from the Valle,
and on the left the hills between the valley and
the road to Banos, and finally those of Torna-
vacas, whose high tops are always covered with
Know.

The villages belonging to the valley are Aspc-
rilla, Casas del Gastanar, El Torno, Valde As-
tilla, Cabrero el Rebollar, Navaconcojo, Cabe-
zuela, Badillo, and Xerte, which gives name to
the river, as Tornavacas docs to the Puerto, but
at present every branch of cultivation is at the
lowest state, without even the appearance of an
orange or a lemon tree, if we except two or
three blighted ones at the convent of Santa Cruz
de Tabilla, where the country is a desert: and
vhat is still worse, the mountains and passes are
filled with assassins and robbers, to the great
terror of the inhabitants and travellers. The
Wra is no better, and affords the most melan-
choly aspect imaginable *.

In travelling to the eastward from Guadalcanal
you come in two hours to the town of Alanis,
which gives its name to a lead mine about half a
league from it to the south cast, which at pre-
sent IS abandoned.

Going forward from this place brings you to
Cazt'lia, whore there is a mine about half a
league from the town, at Puerto Blanco. The
v<Mn docs not appear above groun V but a few
feet from the surface there is a stratum of ex-
traneous earth, ditl'erent from the other earth
Mien hereabouts. In this mine they find virgin
silver, copper pyrites in the cjuartz, and a little
iron.

• Amongst the various exporimcnts to desfroy tho worms
ihat ruin thu chosnut trt'fs, fire was the last expedient, iii-
lomuch that tho trpes, srorched and lialf liiiriicd, now re-
fctmble the oaks itrack by the thunder of .fove, instead of
the golden a^e of the poets, and their whole agriculture is
reduce.4 to the sowing a few pl■.l^, with some miserable
icraps of a vineyard.

f S'ume yeartago an inhabitaot of Coastaatiua undertook

Two Icagueg and a half from Cazalla, (L I
is a high mountain called Fnente de la 'ri^
where the Constantina mine is to be seen 1
called from a village of that name, about tw I
leagues distant, and not derived from the eii!|
peror Constantine, who never was in Spain, ooil
was the founder of it, according to the pumi{J
errors which prevail on that subject. In fornwl
times this mine was worked with gf^at judirnictJ
as appears from the remains of their sliat'ts
galleries. The vein runs from north to soutjil
across the direction of the slate, and aj tin
miners term it, has its hat of iron, with pyrite,!
and blend of silver and lead in the spar. Lownl
down they found silver, called by the SpaniJ
miners Plata hclada, " frosted silver," andainiui
of lead in a small tessallated formf .

Two leagues west of Cazalla, there is a copj
mine, at a place called Canada de Ion C'ony'ojL
which from its appearance should be rich, tbl
vein running from north to south in a p)ritoiii|
quartz. Half a league from Cazalla there isi
mine of vitriol, a.t Castanarcs. The stone is pJ
ritous and ferruginous, with deep elHurcscenciesI
or spots of a greenish yellow, and a kind oil
white powder, which is vitriol divested ofthq
water that crystallizes it.

After crossinga mountain, two leagues in IcngtIiJ
to the westward of Cazalla, you come to £||
Real dc JMonastcrio. Half a liagiie from M
place, there is a mine of black lead proper fJ
pencils, a species of the mvUihdcno, hut not oil
the true sort of mohjbdena nii;ricia /ahrilia, lilJ
that from ('umberland, so famous abroad, tliati
in France it goes by the name ol' craj/on d'Jnj^k-
terrc; they give tlie name of lapis in Spain, tJ
those black lead pencils, a term they liko\vii<
apply ver) improperly to black chalk ii.od fori
drawings, Mliieh is a soft stone culled «?/!])f/(/i?|

The country about Monastcrio abounds \\it!i|
gof>d oak, of which there is a wood of about i
league square, with a great many cork trecjJ
from which they strip oTf the bark every fourf
years, as far as a white sap which they leave oqI

th'^ working of thiamine, sunk two shafts, and mailc m
leri"8 on tho tup of the hill, but abandoned it suuii afiorl
peifiaps for want of (ikill, or lufScient eapital to (.» oil
with tho works, though it was thought to deserve niuro atJ
tciitton, as the ore was good, and they had fuel at hand,!
witli a brook at the foot of the mountain, in a fruitful
country, with plenty of Tineyard*.

DILLON'S TRAVK!^ THROUGH SPAIN.

33S

Lt (ree A liquid humour afterwards issues out
:„ ^rbich thickens with the sun and air, and
V ffli'a D^^ ^'^^ '" about four years more *.
[ From Real de Monasterio it is a journey of
Lrce hours to Callero, about a mile from whence

here is & round insulated hiil, capped with a
bein of iialcareous stone running from north to
L)utli> where there are both white and grey
load-^ones. There is also an iron mine divested
L,f any magnetic quality. The whole country

. covered with oak and cork trees, some of
jhicb are so bulky as to be 50 feet in diameter,
but most of them, as well as the oaks, are
hollow within, from having been improperly

Leaving Cazalia and crossing several bleak
^louotains, it requires nine hours to reach Can-
tillana, on the banks of the Guadalquivir, the
Rierra Morena terminating three leagues before
[the narrow pass of Montegil. After crossing
he river atCantillana, the face of the country is
lotally changed ; the terebinthus, cintus and len-
Lcus are seen no more, uur the mountainous
hlants observed before between Almaden and
iliis place, from whence one may conclude that
lilherto the soil was much of the same nature,
For in coining from the Pyrenees to the south-
ward, these sierras a-e common, but going north-
irard to waris France, it is just the reverse, and
ho real mountains are to be seen in the interior
[arU of that kingdom, the country consisting
]y of strata of earth one over the other.
All extensive plain reaches from Cantillana to
I city of Seville, which requires five hours to
Ls over, consisting of poor land, without any
liones, but producing a great deal of dwarf
Llm, or piihuetto, which covers the ground like
I'm: the leaves being tied together serve to
Bake besotns sufllcient to supply the whole

I When the bark is taken off, it is piled up in a poiul or
■iich, and loaded with heavy stones to flatten it, and reduce
I into tables, from whence it is taken to be dried and tied
Ip i'l bundle" for exportation, being then in a proper state
|ur tli(! dilTiTent purposes for which cork is applied.

in this plain there is a great nuDkber of olivo trees,
Lhose trunks an- scarcely any thinj); better than bark, from
bad mothfid of planting these trees, they doing no
lioro than taking a stake of an olive tree, of the size of
fu't arm, slit at the bottom six inches into four parts; they
Lt a iiioae bitweeu the slits, am\ then set it about two
JonindiT ground, making a trench round it to keep in
liow.uir; the top of the stake being uncovered, the rain
lin> triitc's that way, and by degrees with tkd warm air rots
fit iiiMile.

kingdom ; two sorts of wild asparagus also grow
here with a very thin skin, one green and the
other white, which before ihey bud their leaves
have a multitude of flowers as white as snow f .

The ancient and fumous city of Seville has
been fully described by modern travellers; its
streets are paved with pebbles brought from a
great distance, for there are none hereabouts.
The old Roman walls which are of earth are
now so well cemented, that they are become as
hard as stone. In the Alcazar, a palace built
by king Peter in the fourteenth century, there
are baths which were designed for his favourite
Dona Maria de Padilla, in a retired situation
shaded with orange trees, which still continue
to give fruit I.

In the winter season storks are very numerous
in Seville, almost every tower in the city is in-
habited by them, and they return annually to
the same nests §. The cathedral of Seville is a
fine gothic building, with a curious steeple, or
tower, having a moveable figure of a woman at
top, called La Giralda, which turns round with
the wind. This steeple is reckoned one of the
greatest curiosities in Spain, and is higher than
St. Paul's in London ||. The first clock made in
the kingdom was set up there in 1400, in pre-
sence of king Henry the Hid, when the oldest
clock we have in England that is supposed to
go tolerably well, is in the palace of Hampton
Court, and of the year 1540. Nothing can be
more delightful than tlio prospect of the country
round Seville, beheld from the steeple above-
mentioned, its beautiful and fertile plains, with
its delightful gardens and orange groves, convey
every idea of fertility and pleasure, with the
addition of the river Guadalquivir, which brings
ships up to the walls of the city.

It is a journey of seven hours froni Merida to

X The Solano wind or south-cast, is very troublesome
here and all over Andalusia, turning tjio head and heatine
the blood in such amanner as to causo various excesses, an^
were not precautions taken to prevent its effects, they woul4
still be more sciisiblo in youth of both sexes,

§ Tliey destroy all the vermin on the tops of the liouses,
and pick lip a great number of snnkes, so that they are
welcome guests to the inhabitants, and looked upon witk
peculiar veneration. It is said in same parts of Spain, thai
if they «lo not appear by St. Agatl^i's Day, (the fifth of
February,) the people tling stones at the© when they corns
and drive them away.

(I This beautiful' t.iwor is .150 fuet bii;b, St. Paul's la
London, .^44. St. Mark's, at Venice, 337 feet. Salisbury
sloeplo^ 490(eeti anU St. Peter's, at Uaue, 434 feet.

Talavera

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Mtl

■*»«.

;»)«

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

Talavera * tliroiip;h a sandy plain, traversed by
tlie Guadiana, >vliicli lias a great niany islands
covered with flocks of slieep, and numerous
herds of cattle, that are often carried away as
well as the shepherds by Ihe sudden increase of
the river: the plain from Talavera to Badajoz
produces nothing but broom. At this last city
the soil changes again, and the calcareous earth,
stone, and rocks make their appearance once
more. Estremadura is the only part of Spain
where they have neither salt springs nor rock
salt, which obliges the inhabitants to procure
those articles from their neighbours. This large
and fertile province, reputed about fifty leagues
in length, and forty in breadth, so happilv si-
tuated for every branch of cwllurc, and where
the Romans seem to have taken such delight, is
now thought not to contain above a hundred
thousand inhabitants, a number coinprised in
many capital cities; but if their numbers are
small, they value themselves on the quality of
their heroes, having furnished a Cortez, a Pizarro,
and the unfortunate though great Vclasco Nunez
de Balbao.

The ancient city of Badajoz, the Pax Auc:iista
of the Romans, called JiaUaugos by .'le Moors,
and now Badajoz, is the frontier town next to
Portugal. The bridge over the Guadiana has
twenty-six arches, and was built by Philip the
Second. Numerous families of negroes and niu-
latoes are settled in this country between Badajoz
and Zafra.

Proroeding from Zafra to Sta. Marta, the
founfry improves for about five leagiu's to Zarza
del Angel; then you pass by Mouasterio to
Fuente de Cantos, where the Sierra ' ' .ena

* Diffcri'ut from Tutuvcra ile lit licyiia on ilii' Taijiis in
Nf«v Castile^ fuiDOu:! fur its iitic eurdiciivwirt- and .>ilk ma-
mifacturc : ilic.so belong-'d to tlie crown till sold in 1762, to
a nicrclKiiit of the Jiaiiic of Ulstariz, for 7,410,000 reals,
Taiuc ,^8.^,3{j'2 10s. sterling. Their annual euiisiimption is
21,0001b. of silk, 4000 mans of silver, and (iO of gold,
hating 3.JC looms, and about I4.'>8 workmen, rliictly
Spaniards. Tliev make annually .oSjOUO varrs of gold ami
silver luccj .')(i(),uOO varrs of ribbands, 5000 pairs of silk
st.itkiiigj, 3'2,OLO varrs of tafl'ety, 8'200 vans of velvets
and velvcrets, U'MO varrs of i;olU and silver stiill's, uouu
rarrs of velverets mixed vvidisilk, 10,50" varrs of damask,
•fcihbifs, kc. exclusive of i^old and silver t\\ ist biitton^i, hand.
ker« biefs, ami otlier li'ss articl. s. The greatest cncourage-
meni is ;;ivi"g to t!ic rai'in^ of mulberry trees for the silk
worm:); many plants of vvliii;h have been distributed by the
proprietor, at iiij cvii expoace, to all the Tillages round
hiitt.

begins: Sta. Olalla is the first village in iki
kingdom of Seville, it being it dismal and it,l
lancholy journey of ten hours over these drem I
hills to Castel Blanco, with the stme plants 11
at Almaden, to which may be added the wiMl
germander, Considerable efforts have bttil
made to improve the waste lands of tbii botiJ
Sierra, and give a new face to the country, roi|
which purpose foreigners have been invited ul
settle there, and great exertions have taken plaMi
for some years past. In 1767, eleven town^gil
five villages were already formed in the Sieml
Morena, as well as four towns and fifteen i\\\
lages in that part which divides the kingdom ofl
Cordova and Seville, making all togetiier 24^1
families, consisting of 10490 persons, of \vi|j(||I
S17.') were labourers, and 'i'iil? mechiuiics, eiJ
elusive of journeymen and servants. Tliev iimej
built twenty-four parish churches and ('liiinelJ
^2(K) houses, and fifteen inns, planted 2()0.(j
olive trees, above half a million of miilberrJ
trees, and as much more of various kinds of frniJ
trees, elm, vine, &o. their harvests consi^iJ
chiefly of wheat, barley, peas, antl beans, proJ
during one year with another five hundred tlioii.r
sand fanep;(is; the vines begin to prosper, aw
arc expected to become a considerable objetJ
and they have moreover established manv brmichei
of silk and woolhiU manufiicture.

After travers-iiig the Sierra Morena it is no]
small relief to enter the extensive and fertile plaia
of Seville, which leads to that capital titv, an
ihakes some amends to the traveller for the seen
of desolation he has passed. Going thioiigh
beautiful country for three days, you come tol
Anlequera, situated on a hill at a letigue (ii^taiicJ

They have remarkable proressioi-.s bore at K.ister. iviiij
go by the name of moiii/asde Tulaicra. when all tin- (oiinir»|
people assemble and form a procession with .i;arl.imls oil
ilowers, each division guided by a person carr^ini; a :<
covered with flowers at top, and making an ollerin;; ofih.'i
to the I5lessed NTrgin, according to the ciistu:;i of tJ
I'agans, who used to do the sam« tu their i^'ods; p.ilaJ
the difliciiKy of abolishing these ceremonies, sivs \U
Antonio I'onz, has engaged the clergy to convert lliii;iiii
obsequious rites to the IJIessed A'irgin, as the cIhki!! liJ
wisely done with other heathenish customs eqii.ili) iliiuull
to eradica'i', yiiijc ilc Esjicna, tom.T.Matliiil, 177!'.

Two leai^nes frOm Talavera <k la Rri/na you liinl Tult^
vera la I'/'Ja, famous for the remains of a temjili' .is ucli iS
sereral Koman inscriptions and other antiipiitirs, whki
have been described and published with cop[)er pl.iics, a|
!Madrid, in 1762, by Don Ignaciu de Ilernijsilla at til
secretary oT state's ofQcc for tiic Wciit India departuuut.

^ ffon

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROTTfJH SPaTN.

335

- jljlgh mountain, consisting of an entire
lock of flpsli- colon red marble, which must be
lo.sfd on horseback, to go to Malaga ; several
Iriiifrs which issue from it form themselves into

IriviiH. , . , . , ,

lllic hills are covered with vineyards, and as
L (Irscend into the low lands, the eye is en-
Lured with the most beautiful objects; the
biv month of January in a northern climate
Jlit-i'c a scene of delight; which continues to
|ala<'a, an ancient and celebrated city, taken

from the Moors, in i4S7, by Ferdinand anil
Isabel, after a most vitM)rous defence', and ha-
ving been 772 years in their possession. A city
not less remarkable for its opulence and exten-
sive commerce, than for the luxuriance of its
soil, yielding in great abundance the most deli-
cious fruits ; whilst its rugged mountain;, afford
those luscious grapes which give sutit reputa-
tion to the Malaga wines, known in England
by the emphatical name of Mouutnin.*'

• ' .. CHAPTER VIII. .

jucrifiifg the Country bttxceen Malaga and Cape de Gat — Excursion from the City of Granada to
ICordova aiulAnduxar, in /Andalusia — Observations madein a progress from Cadiz toCarthagcna
Y-'lkfa(^c of the Country betxceen Carthagena and Alicant.

Mlli first remarkable place eastward of Ma-
laga is Vclez Malaga. A few leagues fur-
iris the little port of Iferradurat.

IFurther on Motril is another little sea-port.

Iditl'crent parts of this coast, almost as far to

t\vesf.var(l as Gibraltar, there are above twelve

brmills, called Ingenios. In Motril only

frcarc four of them, which cost at least eighty

busand pistoles each, sugar liaving been made

^re time immemorial, as perfect, according to
opinion of good judges, as any imported

ini the West-Indies, which is not so extraor-

Lry w hen we consiiler that the first slips of the

Ic^frcvcntfrom tluiicc to the Canary Islands,

till wiicnce Nicholas tie Dvando, governor of

Ispanioia, introduce<l them, in 1506', into his

litrnnicnt, where they thrived surprisingly :
in Spain their cultivation is disregarded.

These valuable mountains Imve murcover a peculiar ud-

U°p, tliut the irouglit wliicli i^ so prejudicial to corn,
knbiites priiiciptilly to the goodiiCRs nnil flavour of the
,asihe surroundiujj; mists oH'ord every necessary re-
iiment, and are more tierviccahle than ruin, which would
ler injure the roots, l>y wn.>tliing uway thut liy;ht cout of
l»ilh which they are so sparingly provided.
letf art' produced those excellent and remarkable pota-
|pei'iiliar tu tin* district, und in so great esteem in other

lol'Spain: they are equally an American piodiictiun,
|i!;h different from th .• <oi!,,iiou potutoc, wliicli is only

Knof late years at [ Jadnd, nud not in any other part
leltiii^dom, except ("alicm, ^herethey are common, as
V'ift'n lirst brout^bl ''icre I y the Spa. ;ird«.
lbo.it three miles to tlii' wcstvard of Malaga, there ore

hiAV. No. Xtll.

With respect to sugar, it has been neglected
through political motives, and the canes have
been rooted up to make way for the vine ; even
the pine-apple, which was lirst introduced from
the Spanish scttlenunts, was unknown in the
royal gardens of their monarchs till within these
few years, that Boutelou, the kings uiuler gar-
dener raised them at Aranjuez.

From Motiil to Almcriuyou range along the
mountains, many of which are of marble to tliB
very summit, the strand is level and san<ly, with
very little earth, except near Almeria. They
m:ike salt-petre at the first boiling at Almeria,
which is sent to Granada to undergo a second
process, without the assistance of fixed alkali,
nor does the earth from whence it is collected
contain any gypsum.

About halt way towar<ls Cape de Gat there is

(gardens about a hundrei! paces from the sea, und on a level

with it, inclosed with the Indian ti» or prickly pear, and .

with the uloe, whose sharp pointed leave* serve us an ex- ■

cellent fence against cattle. Further on to the wcalwsird,

about two leagues from Maluj^u, there is a cavern where the

water forms enormous pieces sf culcarenus spar, whicli

takes a beautiful polish, und much of it has beeu.used in the

royal palace of Madrid.

t 'I'his town is not laid down on Lopez's map of Spain,

but may be seen on the French chart of the Mediterninea,

dedicated to the dukeof ClioisenI in I7G4, by .loseph Konx

ut Mareilles, hydrograplier to the king, and is an exact

copy from Michelot, w)io was pilot ut the gallies tu Lewis

the XlVth.

.... ,^

a large

W.i

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IMAGE EVALUATION
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336

DfLLON'S TR^VPLS

THROUGH SPAIN

a large plain so full of garnets that a sliip might
be loarted with tluni ; tliey are likewise to he
found in a gulley formed i»y the waves at the
foot of a hill in that neighbourhood. Ihe sea
sonittinies throws up wonns hereabouts four or
five inches long, and one broad near the belly,
with circular loins and the body <livided into
rhjglets, which emit a purple liquor flowing
from every pait when cut in pieces.

The famous mountain of Filabres is about
three leagues from Ahneria, but it takes ten
hours in going to it, the ruati is so turned by the
many hills to be passed before one reaches it*.

On the side towards th« village of Maciiael,
lying at the foot of this mountain, a great part
of the kingdom of Granada is discovered, which
is mountamous, and resembles the waves of the
sea in a storm On the other side the mountain
is cut almost perpendicularly, and from its pro-
digious elevation affords a most awful prospect
w ith the city of Gandia, which, though at a dis-
tance, if considered with a bird's-eye view, seems
only lialf a league off. The Sierra de Gador is
another immense mass of marble, of which thev
make excellent lime. It dissolves entirely with
acids, without leaving the least re.iidue of clay
or otlier matter, whereas the stone in other parts
of Spain, particularly in Valencia, has a mixture
of clay or sand.

Cape de Gat is a huge promontory consisting
of an enormous rock, of a singular nature, differ^
ent from any other appearance in Spain, eight
leagues in circuit and hve broad ; the first object
that strikes the eye is a rock two hundred feet
high, and about fifty paces from the sea, all crys-
tallized in large stoues of the size of a man's leg,
wiih four or five plates chased one within ano-
therofarincreouscolour, from eight to fourteen
inches long, with a large grain that will take a
good polish Precious stones are said to be found
in the mountain of Bujo, in a cavern with an en-
trance about fifteen paces wide and twenty feet
high, where the agitation of the waves is very

great in bad weather: Mr. Bowles went in there
ut could discover nothing of consequence On
the outside a large white patch serves as a land
mark to mariners, and from thence called Feia

* Thw amazing and stupendou* mountain is a solid block
of white iui>rt>le about a league infircuit, and twothousund
leet lii^ii, without the l*agt mixture of any otla-r utoneor
earth, tlic uurble appearing; in muny placeskwhere ueitlier

Btanca. T his is what is properly called Cam
Gat. Near the Torre de ias Guardat there i,
bed of jasper of a white ground veined wiihr{j
and further on, near the Torre de Neste, aloi
rock is seen almost covered with a stratum
white cornelian In the centre of this promoiJ
tory there are four hilh near to each « ther, call
vhe Sacristan, the Two Friers, the Captain 5,
the White Mountain, but nothing reir.drkaiilf]
to bo observed from their outward appearanci
The other side of the promontory, after pajjji
these four hills, is called El Puerto de la PIqI
where the Moorish Corsairs lie' lurking for Sp
nish vessels to intercept them, and carry flii
crews into dire captivity. There is a rockn
this Puerto, which extends towards the sea, am
called El Monte delasGuHrdos, where they 63J
amethysts, but still more abundantly inastnl
tum of quartz of very difficult access, l)eingiii|
precipice twenty feet high. The trueametliTi
resembles a pyramid reversed, while the roti
crystal has. six faces, and is larger at bottoi
than at top.

In going from Granada to Andalusia, thefini
stage is at L:).xa, ajourney often hours, thronjl
that beautiful plain called La Vega de Grmck
and then ascending a mountain, through aoJ
ther cultivated vale Loxa is a middliug tun^
pleasantly situated on a high hill of conglu^
nated stone, which forms a kind of bmhmt

Eudding-stone, in the centre of olive groui
aving plenty of fruit, notwithsti nding itse
vated, cold, and dry situation.

From Loxa to the westward, the countryij
fertile, producing wheat and barley, iiial
soil well furnished with oak. The soilottb
hills seer.vs to proceed from the deconipositionil
former rocks, many of which appear in broki
lumps, intermixed with the arable land. .^Ii|
meda is the first town in the kingdom ofSeviH
a few corn fields arc seen in the low lauds bif
in general the western boundaries of GruQadai
made up of steep rocks and craggy mountai«
Ihe Solano winds prevail much here, anddoj
great deal of mischief, destroying tlie harvetlj
if they blow early in the seasonf-
The country is extremely pleasant to Hern

till

tlie wind, rain, nor any ol' tl cm cauges which deittof I
hardcKt rockt, have ytt made the least impression,

t The country people are fond of tcbacco, and 1
they have near tliem those txcelleot wii a of MoIa,'» >

X«il

OTl^rON'S TRAVELS THUOUGH SPAIN.

037

tha white and re<l earth which U renuukably
Ttile divestffl of anv loose stone, pc hbie, or
int, so common in otner parts of tl»e l(ingdom.
tfpa, about a league from Herrera, stands in
picturesque manner, on the top of a hill sur-
lunded with olive trees. The olive of Eo'epa
small, but delicious, and gives aq oil as clear
;(| delicate as that of Valencia*.
The olives are gathered from the middle of
ictober to the middle of November. If a good
ar they sell from 20 to 524 reals the arroba
bout^« 4d. sterling) but in years of scarcity
ill rise to 36 or 40 reals. A fanega of olives
ill yield an arroba of oil. [n the South of
ranee they are not gathered till they are per-
tly ripe, and have acquired a reddish hue i«-
iining to black; if this period passes, they
Tinkle, moulder, and rot. Those that are
ten, give a bitter taste to the oil, and they
areiully separate such as are worm-eaten,
^hich would vitiate the flavour of the sound ones,
hey grind them as in Spain, then the substance
ilaid under the press; tht first juice that runs
|ut iscalled virgin oil, and is the most delicate for
he table, its goodness arising; from the freshness
kf the fruit. The second iort is obtained by
Louring boiling water on the substance remain-
Ingin the press ; but this oil is like that of Spain,
lirimonious, and subject to corruption.
[ It is live lioure journey from Hv°rrera to Ecija,
Igreeably situated, but one of the hottest towns
111 Sjjain. The horses of Ecija are reckoned the
jxst in Andalusia; and remarkable for the good-
nejs of their hoofs, owing to the dryness of the
Bround, while at Seville, and in the flat coun-
Ery un the banks of the Guadalquivir, they are
jspuugy, and liable to crack in hot weather;
but in point of shape, the beautiful horse of
Cordova is the niust perfect, thou^^h of late
Itiieir studs are greatly neglected.

Xerez,they geldoin or ever drink them, preferring distilled
lliquon, without any viaible prejudice; for the men are ro«
Ibuiit, and the woiuen have good features, with lively v'lark-
|lin)(eyei', full of expreg«iou and fire.

* Tlie Seville olive, though often u large ai a dove's «gg,
liloet not yidd near so good oil, for whicli reuson tiiey ure
■more frequently pickled. Kvan so fur back as the duys of
ICicero they wi'ra in high estimat'ou, for iu writing to his
|t'm'i)d in Andalusia, hecompliiB«.ntNhim on being intendant
lol'iio fertile u province, and rtiminds him tu send him some
iS'dville olives to Hoin«, Th«y are very qareluiiH uotwith'-
[HUiuling in making tbeir oil, Itaving the frnit u long timo
Icollectedin heaps, so that it rota^ before it is ground, part

Nothing can be more delightful than the face
of the country from Ecija to Cordova, a space
of nine leagues, yet without a single village, or
even a spring; for which reason they must have
a great deal of rain t-o have any crop : but when
they are blessed with plentiful showers their har-
vest is very great. The city of Oovdova is seated
on the banks of theGuadalquivir,abouta leaguQ
from the Sierra IMorena, and has ever been far
mous fur the magnificence and splendour of its
nobles. Even the Jews iu former times are said
to have vied with the others in pomp and parade.
Its cathedral is famous for its antiquity and
structure, with numerous pillars ot different
marble, which seems to have been taken from old
Roman structures. The country from Cordova
to Anduxar is extremely well cultivated, and
beautifully varied with corn, olive, and vines.

The city of Cadiz is built on a peninsula upou
rocks, stretching out into the sea composed of a
great variety of matter, such as marble, spar,
pebble, and shells incorporated in the saud, and
cumbined together by a glutinous substance in
the sea, which seems powerful in this place, as
may be observed by the rubbish thrown into it,
insomuch that bricks, stone, sand, shells, &:o.
after a certain time become consolidated and
form one single mass In old Spanish chroni-
cles is called Calia^ from whence our English
mariners generally call it Cales.

The Solano wind is still more troublesome
here than in Seville, and when it has blov/n for
eight or ten days, introduces such an acrimony
into the blood, and causes such a tension of the
fibres, as to have the most alarming effects on
the fair sex, with very unpleasing symptoms,
like the Sirocco iu Italy.

In the capuchin'sgarden there is a dragon tree,
supposed to be the only one in the kingdom,
though it grows naturally iti the Cape de Verde

of the oil turns into mucilage, and acq^ires a rank and disa-
greeable flavour, and as there are few wills in proportion to
the quantity oi' frnit, each person is obliged to wait for his
turn, sometimes for months, from whence in this warm cli-
mate a fennentution ensuvs, which of course occasions bad
oil. Others deceive themselves through a principle of ava-
rice, for though the olive yields morejuice from having lain
by for some time, it is ut the expence of its quality, such
thin fermented maltir hurdl^ deserving the nunio of oil, for
which reason, and from their little cure in putting it into
proper vessrls, and can iig it about the country in bUius,
chwl

the oil in gouunU is wrvtchuuly bud ut Madrid.

i>i!an(U

^^%

»i! 11

''J(

■I ■

S38

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

islands, as M'ell as at tlie island of Madeira.
Modern writers have fully described the exten-
sive commerce, affluence, and hospitality of the
citizens of Cadiz ; they are badly supplied with
water, and their flesh market is indifferent, but
the bay affords them a variety of excellent fish.

Port St. Mary is a large and handsome city,
on the north side of the bay, from whence it is
a journey of three leagues to the city of Xerez,
remarkable for its excellent wine so well known
hy the TMLme of Sherry,

Medina Sidonia is six leagues from Xerez,
then the city of Arcos, seated on a craggy rock,
at the foot of which runs the river Guadalete; a
route of ten hours through a stony country leads
to the village of Algodonalcs lying under a high
mountain pierced through from east to west.

The city of Rondaissix leagues from Algo-
donales, on a very high situation, it being a
continual ascent from Xerez, which continues
as far as Gibraltar : the country about Konda is
remarkably fertile, and supplies Cadiz with all
!kinds of fruit and vegetables, the soil is oj a
reddish colour with pebble, ^nd resists the heat
of the fire, for which reason it is much used in
furnaces for fusing iron*.

The district of Honda furnishes the fierce
T)ull, the ravenous wolf, and other noxious ani-
mals ; its rocks serve as a retreat for the eagle,
the osprey, and kite ; yet notwithstanding such
numerous enemies, its soil makes ample amends
by its unbounded fertility.

The Sierra Vermeja is a range of hills which
runs westwardiy towards Malaga, and affords a
singular curiosity; for though they run parallel,
and so close that their bases join, yet one is red
and the other is white ; snow will not remain
on the highest, while it constantly covers the
otlier. The waters of the white hill are inarliul
and vitriolic ; those of the red sulphureous, al-
kaline, and with a strong smell like tho^ie of
Cotterets in France. Near this place is tht
last village on the Carthagcna side.

• Amongst other curiosities with which the country of
Roii>la abound*, that little animal culled the (jennet is one
of the most extraordinary, and not to be found in any other
part nf £uro(«> except Turkey. It is smaller than the civet,
nus a long body, short legs, a sharp snout, and a sleniler
head; under its tail there is a long ba;;, wliich emits a per-
fume. Its fur is soft and glossy, of an ash colour ntarked
with black spots, which unite upon the buck and form
stripes which run longitudinally from the neck backward,
with «i long toil diversified with riDglets of black and white :

Near Lorca there are two ancient minej
lead and copper, ana in the Sierra towards .1,
sea near Carthagena, the village of Almazai
is famous for its fine red earth without any mj
ture of sand, and is a princi( al ingredient mi
in Spanish snuff, to give it that fine colour ai
softness to the hand, and to fix its volatility
It is sometimes called after the name of the v?
lage, but more commonly almagre, and isjii;,
wise used in the glasshouse of St. Ildefonsoih
itead of tripoli, to give the last polish toirW
as others use oolcothar of vitriol^ the caput ^i
turn, or resitlue left at the bottom of tbevfj!
after the distillation of vitriol. Near Alniazam
the remains of a silver mine are to be seeiLwhi,
in former times is reported tohaveyieldeilm
quantities of silver. A plain of six lea^m
with reddish soil, like the neighbouring''lii!
leads to Carthagena, and is so fertile in coi
in rainy seasons, that it produces sixty for out'
but this seldom happens, as the country isf,
quently scorched up, and they suffer fn
droughts; however their plentiful harvest
ba.'itla makes them ample amends, rcquiri
little water, and being in great demand inEiif
land, Ireland, and France, for making crysti
glass, hard soap, and for bleaching. Besidi
these advantages, the kingdoms of Granadaai
Murcia, yield together annually 700,00011
weight of raw silk, which is now totally con.
sumed in the manufactories of Spain. Tlii
make cables in the arsenal of Carthagena wi
hemp from the kingdom of Arragon, the use
which was introduced under the direction
admiral Don Jorge Juan, and they iniaj>i_
them to be equal in goodness to any iulport^'i
from abroadf.

In going from Carthagena to Alicant, v..
cross the rich vale of Murcia, covered with iiml.
berry trees, and pass through a delightful coui
try to Orihuela and Elche, remarkable forii
numerous groves of palm trees, the branches
which are a lucrative article of trade. Tliefet-

the fur was formerly in esteem, but of late has been cocJ
terfeited b) tinging grey rabbit skins with black spots, 2
is now out of fashion. ]

t Amongst the stone at the bottom of the harbour, J
fishermen bring up the Phoiades, which a few yi irs ijl
were not known there, the people not suspwliiij; tin
could subsist iu the centre of these rock<i, without anyvinl
ble apeitiiie to get in at; at present they are searthcii afte
as a delicate uiorsel, and arc to befouad iu mottplocesti
the Mediteiraoean cuust.

tilitlj

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

330

jy of (l,iscountry,particularly round Oriluiela,

iceeds all description, their harvests of wheat

yfiv great, and they are reckoned to have

best bread in Spain. The castle of Alicant

nds on a limy rock above a thousand feet high,

vinji shells half petrified on its summit. The

Intsof the vallies grow also on its top, the seeds

Lbich were probably dropped by birds, or

bu<'ht by the winds. The Huerta de Alicante

beautiful plantation, about one league long

1 two broad, full of vineyards, which they ace

iiietiines obliged to water ; the grape ncver-

WessaflPords excellent wine.

h'lie city of Alicant forms a crescent, on the

Lide, and is well known for the luxuriancy of

fenviions, as well as its extensive and lucrative

iiimerce.

icliain of hills are disccrnd)le at Alicant, ex-
Un" from Mnrc- . forming a semicircle of
k)lea"ues extent from the city, and close in
»h the seu about four leagues from each other,
uttingin a line vale. The western side is un-
fen, full of stone, and consists of a white calca-
bussoil, whose surface is covered with large
jells more perfectly petrified than those on the
i-shore*.

)n doubling the first point of land to the
Ltward of Alicant, the bay and harbour of St.
[ill presents itself^ with a'view of the ancient
)tle of the duke of Arcos. Here the ships
hie to an anchor and load salt from the Mata,
[reatlake from the sea-side, but without any

visible communication with it. The quantity of
salt collected here is immense, And is theproperty
of the king, costing little more than the labour
of heaping it, being in a manner produced natu-
rally. The high bank which separates the sea
from the Mata appears natural; the lake is
bounded on the land-side by mountains, and is
formed by the torrents of rain-water that rush
down in winter, which evaporating gradually by
the heat of the sun, added to the nature of the
soil, become a mass of salt, so plentiful, that
some years theexports have amounted to near one
hundred thousand ton weight, chiefly forHoUaud
and the Baltic ; considerable quantities also are
in demand for curing of fish, particularly for
Newfoundland and New England. The cost is
about eleven shillings sterling per ton, on board ;
and the king, in order to encourage the export,
permits the price always to remain the same.
The soil and air in general, on the coast of
Valencia, Muicia, and Granada, is impregnated
to a very uncommon degree with salt, and con-
siderable salt- petre works are carried on in many
parts, |iarticularly at Murciaand Lorca, collect-
ed from the earth in the fields, the very dust on
the roads and in the streets; from which, after
extracting the quantity of salt-petre, the same
dirt, thrown up in large heaps, serves again in
four or five years, for the like pur|)ose, and fur-
nishes a fresh supply. This circumstance ren-
ders the soil so peculiarly favourable for the
culture of barilla^.

i f[ii

I. :,il

;'■ '!,

"'!!■

' .i;i':

CHAPTER IX.

Obscrvaliont made in the City of Valencia and its environs — Journey from Barcelona to the

Mountains of Montnerrat.

fiV

^HE city of Valencia is happily situated
about three miles from the sea on the west
fe of the river Gtiadalaviar, with five stone

^esover it, which afford a variety of agree-
|e"outlt't8 frouj ihis pleasant city, exultmgly

* Two leagiieg lo the ftonth-wett of Alicant, there it an
Itlaled r&Uareoiis mountuiii, at the (^Hsfni foot of which
;fiiidkniall cryftnU, red, yellowi, uiid wliite, with two

lut like diaiuon<1« 08 rrgularly cut bh if done by a laiii>

p. Tiie red and yellow are h'yacitrthfi.

\ Thtrt! are eight or ten different «ort» of plants in tbn

'ot. a. No. xcii.

rising out of a forest of mulberry-trees, which
bring an immense wealth to its citizens,

I shall not enter into a detail of tl>e manifald
branches of cultivation in theenrrronsof Valen-
cia, where nature always smiles, and where ♦^Ue

plaiaa of Alicant, whose ashes serve for making; glatiB and
soap : but tht bmriHu \% the principal and beat lort : the me-
thod «f making it is well deacribed in Millar's Gardoner's
Dictionary, and is much the same as u»ed in (he North of
Gnuptaud lu burning kvlpi. An acre n»ay give about a ton.

4 11

• cry

5i ■ I' I

.''!(*■

!■►■:

i' I-

310

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIV.

veryaliis constantly embalnittl wilh the fragrant
perfume of an infinite number of fruit trees and
odoriferous herbs. The eedrats are so lars^e as
sometimes to m eiyh more than six pounds, u hen
the tree that produced them isnotabove two or
three feet in height: the grapes are the most <le-
]iciousin)a{>;inable,witli bundles sometimes four-
teen pounds weight, and every grape as lar^^e as
a nutmeg. The grapes of Valencia and Grenada
liave the preferiMice to all others in Spain. They
cannot, it is true, from their distance, be sent
fresh to tngland like those of Portugal, but they
ship oft' large quantities of raisins at .Malaga*.
Tlie raisins of /he sun, an thvy arc called, are still
more delicate, having the stalk half cut through
while the bunch remains suspended on the vine,
and partakes of the heat of the sun, as the sap
cannot penetrate after they are dried ; they are
packed up in boxes. This is the method used
in Gramatla, "which makes them more luscious
and delicate, and justly gives the preference to
the Malaga raisins.

There is a pleasant village about two leagues
from Valencia, consisting of four streets inhabit-
ed chiefly by potters, who make a pretty earthen
■ware of a copper colour with gilding, that serves
the country people both for ornament and use, it
is made of an agillaceous earth, very similar in

* They prepare them in Vuleiicia with the lixivium of
seeds whose salt augments the heat of the water in boiling.
The grape is dipped for a moment in this lixivium, when the
skin burets on every side, and the juice gushing out candies
in the air, after which the bunches are hung to dry in the
sun. The cold weather afterwards perfects this crystalliza-
tion, 80 that when they get to England, they become so
many cakes of sugar, intinitely better than when first ship-
ped oft'.

t This earthen ware is very g'ossy, and remarkably
cheap, but is far from being the best ware in Valencia ;
another manufacture has been lately set up at Aleora, hy
the count de Aranda, a grandee of Spain, which for the fine-
ness of the clay might vie with other manufactures of the
kind, were its varnish less liable to crack and scale oft'.

It goes by the name of Count Aranda's ware, and is sold
at Madrid.

§ The following sketch exhibits the value of the principal
products of Valencia.

£ Sterling.
Silk crop annually about 1, 500,0001b. of 12

ounces, which sells on the spot at a price

equal to 10». - - - - 750,000

400,0001b. weight English, or 20,000 ton of rice

for home consumption, at 15«, per ewt. - 300,000

lbs. For exportation $, d.

ISO.OOO Barilla - • at 10 6 > 75,000

80,000 Raisins -" - 7 6 - 30,000

<|uality and colour to that of Valencia, inwl,;
virgin mercury is found f.

It is an agreeable to urof five leagues f,|j
V^^Iencia to Morviedro, famous for the ivmJ
of the ancient .S</o'»;//M»< and its ItoniantlicaJ
described by dean Marti as well as bv siiil
pjiglisli travellfis as have passed that wayl m
view from the top of the hill is most beautif]
with an extensive prospect of the vale and J
of Valencia and the jNIediterranean. At afJ
leagues distance from hence to the soutJHa!
beyond a chain of liiMs, consisting of led iin,|
and lime rock, the Carthusian monks have!
convent situated in a perfect paradise, wlj
they make excellent wine. There are twocoi
per mines near this convent.

To return to the plains of Valencia, itwoul
be an endless theme to enlarge upon itsproduci]
they cultivate great quantities of luccin\iiiicli|
acceptable to horses, and makes cxceliontliJ
The Spaniards call it aifalsa. Its roots mil
little brushes for the teeth, that are ^oughtaft)
by dentist". The chirimoya, a very line I'J
from South America, thrives and bears t'ruit]
Valencia ; in a word, every production ot iiatu
may be said to prosper in this kingdom];, t
here we find corn, wine, oil, honey, fla.x, siieL
cotton, rice, silk, besides fruits, and plants, p]

Brought over
10,000 Kernels of Almonds 40 0

i;i0 0 0 - - 100^
- 4 0 0 - -mi

lo.UOO Pipes of Brandy
10,000 Wnie

Besides great quantities of wool, aniseeds, cummin!
and many other smaller articles, and a lurge quantity ofl
for home consumption. Nothing is montioiii'd intliiij
count, of cotton, which is a consider^ible urticic. hl|
now state the whole, as given us by Mr. Swiiiburne,
reduce it into Englisli money, us it makes thcaiinuall
venue mucii more considerable.

Silk crop of 1775, one million of pounds, at four
dollars per lb. (though u good deal of it sells
for three dollars) - ...

Fruit of difterent kinds - - -

Hemp at 3 dollars per arrove - - -

Rice at 10 dollars per load - - -

Cotton 450,000 arroves ...

Vintage of 1767 wine, at 5 reals per measure

- #■

Which sum of 9,911,133 dollars, at forty pence sterling
dollar, is X'1,655,85S 10«. sterling.

duel

Doiy

4,000,1

2,000,1

3uol

l,400,j

1,330,1

i-e leagues U

» ttDman tliean,

Y''}^ as Ijy sy
I tliat way. jJ

"lost beaiitifJ

"e vale and ci]

lean. At afj

" tlie south-ea,

'igofredinMl

monks bavel

priradise, wlj

icre arc two cm

ilcncia, it wouL
ponitsproducl
>t'liiccin«hiclij
L's cxceliontlj
Its roots maL
t are 3oughtaftj
a very line ik
nd bears tmit]
luctioii of natal
is kingdom^ t
»iiey, Tlax, sugi
, unci plants, prj

ight over l,i;

- 100,^

Xl,31i|

ecdg, cummin i
lurf^e quantiljofl
icntioiit'd ill tliiif
iible article. ls||
Mr. Swiiibiirnf,
Dttkcs the anmuil

8, at four

of it sells

m M

4,00«,

2,000,

300,

1,400,

1,350,

sag lire

Siil,

y,9ii,

ty pence steilinil

. DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

duel

L-jltogether near ten millions of dollars/>er
r J feu' cities enjoy a more temperate air,
lilve more beautiful environs. The Alameda,
ublic walk, is one of the most pleasing in

the city of Barcelona is generally reckoned
■ of the most agreeable places in Spain. Its
_^nt situation, its commerce, with the ac-
Stvandindustry of its iniiabitauts, contribute
Biiike it a place of splendour and affluence.
[his city the traveller will find a curious ca-
(tofnatural history belonging to a private
fcen, Ml- Salvador, an eminent r -"ithecary,
, shews bis collection to strangCio with the
iiost urbanity.

he first stage from Barcelona leads to the
»nof Martorel, at the conflux at the rivers
Land Lobregat; here you are sensibly struck
1 the tremendous appearance of thegrand and
fcmn mountain of Montserrat, impressing on
[mind the most exalted ideas, in viewing this
liderful effort of nature. You seem quite
MO it, but have still three hours, in the usual
Jthod of travelling in Spain, to approach its
lis, and as many more after to climb up to its
\m\„ There is a famous bridge over the
bregat at Martorel, witli an arch at its toot,
fiartorel is a large town, replete with indus-
lus inhabitants, all employed and constantly
Wk; the women in making black lace, and
i men in various useful itid laborious occu-
jons; a little further on, at the village of Espa-
tuara, tliereis a manufactory of cloth, which
fntains numbers of families ; the same spirit of
bur and apnlication is universal every where
Catalonia; but we now draw near to the lofty
bntain of Montserrat, the most singular per-
ls in the world for its appearance, composi-
k and productions ; us much the admiration
Ihe naturalist, as revered by the natives in
|eral, fiom the renov/n of its sanctuary, £i-
I for miracles and the extraordinary favours
Dted by our lady of Montserrat to its nume-
I votaries.

[■he whole extent of this mountain may be
at eight league* in circumference, its chief
Jerials consisting of round limestone, firmly
glutinated with a yellow calcareous earth and
jd, not unlike the Brechia or pudding-stone of
ppo, only that the grain is coarser and the
pes larger than that of the Levant, >vith a fur-

theradditionofround white quartz streaked with
red, as well as touchstone, all cemented together,
forming one perfect solid nia^s, and according to
the natural bitumen which united till thf-c toge-
ther, htis occasionally given way in tlie course of
fleeting years, various torrents of rain water have
rolled down and washed away tlic earth, the re-
sult of their decomposition, and Ikivp s;jlit the
mountain into an infinite variety of sli;i])i s und
singular appearances, forming in some |)l<icos the
most amazing clefts and frightful precipices: in
others, huge pieces of blanched and bare i ock
shoot up into sharp cones, pillars, and jagged
forms, from twenty to a hundred feet high, ex-
hibiting wonderful aspects that ■ trike the eye
with surprize, and the mind with astonishment !
its wildness increasing in proportion as you ad-
vance higher, insomuch that on reaching the
summit of this enormous pile, human reason h
lost in conjecture, but the sight is gratified with
the most splendid prospect, looking down on an
extensive kingdom beneath you as on a map, ex-
hibiting a fertile country to the south, studded
with villages and watered with rivers; the eye
strctchingout further over theMediterranean, the
landscape is rendered still morestriking from the
contrast on the north and east, bounded by the
bare and dark mountains of the Roussillon, and
the snowy tops of the Pyrenees. On these inhos-
pitable cliffs of Montserrat, amidst the constant
inclemency of jarring elements, dwells the pale
hermit with hairy gown, wrapt up in silent con-
templation. Here he hvs hewn a solitary dwell-
ing, and offers up his fervent prayers, and takes
his lonely walk, lifting up his eyes, musing

Of every star that heav'n doth shew, - .S..
And every herb that sips the dew.

But though the elements have wreaked theif
fury upon these elevated peaks, the indulgent
hand of nature has not been sparing in her gifts
to this surprising mountain, as numberless ever-
greens and deciduous plants serve to adorn tlie
various|gaps and breaks which its singular shape
admits of^ renderingit a curious repository of the
vegetative kingdom. The lower part of the
mountain has decomposed much sooner than the
upper parts and turned into soil, productive of
corn, vineyards, and olive, while the shelving
rocks facilitate a passage to the summit, and ex-
hibit to the botanist a view of above two hundred

sorts

>t.^

■■'.

i.Ml'i

^'M 'hi

S42

DILLON'S TRAVFLS THROUOH SPAIN.

lorts of trees, shrubs, and plants that shoot up
Bpontancously, gracing thi't hoary and venerable
pile. The (iircction of this great mountain is
from east to west. It is impossible to view this
amazing mountain without the utmost admira-
tion ; its name has been extended to one of the
Ikitisli islands in the West Indies, and its fame

is universal : its prodigious clefts imprejj n
mind with such wonder, that it has given
to the opinion in common with Gaetu in ItaiJ
that these tremendous rocks were suddJj
rent in this manner when our Saviour .»avtJ
the ghost on the cross, when "7'heeartl]
f/uake, and the rocks rent." St. Afatth, xxviii

CHAPTER X.

lielurn to Valencia and Castile — Mine of Sal Gcmat .Wngraifilla — Source of the River Guidt
— Mnicof Antinwnij near Sutita Cruz dc Mudda in La Alancha.

IN going from Barcelona towardsValencia you
cross a fine bridge, lately built, over the
Lobrcgat at Molino del Ilei; further on, ano-
ther bridge over a deep valley has been at-
tempted with a row of arches at an immense
e.xpence, the foundation has given way, and a
long time must pass before it is completed.
The new road was finished in 1778, as far as
Villa Franca de Panades. The country is
hilly and aft'ortJs a variety of rural prospects.
The ancient city cf Tarragona stands near the
sea, on an eminence that commands a fine
prospect over a beautiful vale. The city exhi-
uits several rentains of Roman antiquities and
inscriptions. Proceeding from Tarragona the
next town is Reus, a commercial place, which
of late years has greatly increased In build-
ings and population. Here the merchants of
Barcelona liave their factors and warehouses,
and ship off their wines and. brandies as the
ships come to an anchor in the road of Salo,
about three miles from Reus. Catalonia fur-

ii;

* The Bi.igulnr rock of Gaeta in the kiiigdom of Naples,
but an amazing <-li-l't from the top to bottom, and 'm totally
rent asunder, wh'i.'ii they tell you happened at the death of
our Saviour ; a lur^jc block of marble has follen in between,
on wliich they haVe built a little chapel, dedicated to the
Trinity, and ships pawing near aalute it; thitt place is held
in (;reat veneration, particularly in Spain; during the wars
in Italy Lm Santimma Triiiidod <U Oaeta was greatly re-
sorted to, and was a place of constant invocation. There is
It ^ood plute of this rock in the '< Remarks on sereral Partv
of Europe, by John Breval Esq. Lmuhm, IJSS,

t On viewuig tliese tombs the eiBotioiis ars only to be
felt by an Englislimou, that occur when he perceives in
an obscure corner on an humble stone, tlie name of an En-
glish peer, Philip, duke of W barton, an unhappy nablenaan ;
at the pinnacle of glorr in the dawn of Ii1!bi but ahis!
whose eveniog was (Houded with misery and scorn. After
leaving his native countr|, he meanly ciouclicil to tlie pre-

ni^shes annually thirty-fiye thousand pipf,!
brandy,M hich require a hundred and forty tlJ
sand pipes of wine to make them, besidcjyjil
near two thousand pipes of wine are also anij
ally exported; and of fruit about thirty tliiT
sand bao;s of hazle nuts every year chicflvj
England, and worth about twenty shiHid
bag on the spot. It ii a few hours excursl
across the country to the northwaru, throuj
Monblanc to the royal convent of poJ
founded by Alfonio first king of Arra"oii|
the twelfth ccntuiy, for monks of theCisterci
order ; the abbot is a temporal baron and
an extensive jurisdiction with a consider
revenue. Several of the kings and queens]
Arragon arc buried in the church witli stati
monuments, as well as some of the (lukej
Medinaceli, and Cardonat.

It is a tedious journey from Reus toTortil
on the banks of the Ebro, where there is a brij
of boats that is crossed in passing to Valen^
I shall now resunvi the itinerary in going!

tender, assumed the Insignia of the order of tlie ,.
bore arras against his country ; abandoned and (i««pN
ttll, he was kindly received in the last nionifiiu oil
wretchedness, und was interred by the hofipitulileablii
Foblet. llias ended Wharton, an exile mid uii outL
shewing how little availed the highest dignities, rartniK,!
talents, without love and virtue for his country, l|itf
is extinct, and the faint inscription on his tomb, at \m
nearly etlkced, will suon be totally obliterated, while
energetic lines of Pope, so descriptive of his clmracter,!
hand down his failings us an uxau>|>le to posterity, TM
scri^tion on his tomb in the church of Poblet ijiuJulli
and is said to be of the duke's own compoKitioii,

Hie jaeet Ex». Dom PhilipHu WarUm, Angki,
Marehio et Comet da WartoH, JVarchio Iklarhursiit cti
la^h RatAeasrem, Vicecamet de Winchester, Barn (it li
Ion Equei Sti. Georgii atia* de In Geratera, ubiit inl
£ccfesia Catholkw iRomanw Povuleti, die 3 1 il/oii, I7«

DILLON'S TRAVELS

THROUGH SPAIN.

543

,jj towards Castile; the ground continues
r gflually as far as the chahi of hills that
lie §iat kingdom from La Mancha, with a
I steep ascent at the Puerto de Bunol. The
Int still continues to Villagorda, through a
U country, broke up every where by gullies
wioned by torrents that gush from the moun-
l On the highest of them there is a quarry
^ev marble, veined with red ; the river Ca-
Iruns at its foot. At its summit there is a

Jiivcr GudJKt^^-

ly spring, where they make salt with a boil-
heat. It is a constant descent from these hills

jviiiageof Mingranilla: halfaleague from
yjllatre^there is a district of limy soil, with
hiflocks about half a league in circumfe-
e having below this bed of lime, asolid mine
jlgeiii, equal to thesupferincumb^nt stratum;
eptli is not known, for when the excavations
led three hundred feet, .it l)ecome8 very ex-
live to extract the salt ; the mines frequently
tvay> and fills with watei*, which obliges
„to abandon the sl^aft and work another near
le whole country being an enormous body of
soineliines mixed with alimy substance, and
ithers pure or reddish, mostly crystaline.
lie ground has been perceptibly carrietl a^vay
[torrents that have discovered the mine, for
iblesantl hyacinths are dispersed in the gullies
icliare now seen firmly conglutinated in the
tbrming hard rock, yet leaving no doubt
icir having fallen at some period, from the
by what may be observed on tlieir summit.
roiii hence an easy descent, for about four
n, leads into the extensive plains of La
icha, thos<; regions of fancy which Cervantes
rendered immortal. They have plentiful
s of saffron at San Clemente, and the best
grows in La Mancha. The saff^ion remains
or five years in the ground, producing an-
ly flowers ; then the roots are taken up and
isplaiited,' and the soil becomes excellent for
but twenty years must pass before any
n is cultivated again.

Mancha prod uces great quantities of laven-
cotton, said to be the same with the famous

|Profe«sor Link, speaking of the river Guadiana, says,
low beautit'ul would the banks of the Guudiana bi-, were
} but weTI cultivated ! But the destructive ravages of the
prenverted every thing into a naked coroiuon, which
\ lira not unpleasant, but at length fatigues the eye.
jidi ii situatH very near the banks of the Guudiaun,
loi.lI. No. XCll.

moxa from China, imported constantly by the
English and Dutch; while the Spaniards, if this
be the same plant, have it at home and kno\r
nothing of the matter.

The greatest part of La Mancha may be con-
sidered as one continued plain so far as the eye'
can extend without a single tree; as the villages
are large, and the churches have lofty steeples,
they make a good 6gure at a distance, but when
you draw near, their mud walls with many houses
m ruins convey quite a diflfisrent idea. The in-
habitants, for want of wood, burn thyme, south-
emMrodd, and worinwoodj and though they have
few springs they console themselves with drink-
ing good wine: when one considers their manner
of living in these silent villages, added to their
natural simplicity, they seem to have lost little
of their originalcharacter. At Socuellanos they
get water about two or tijnee feet from the sur*
face; but at Tomilloso, four ieagues further,
thfe wells are a hundred feet deep, f'roril hence
it is an hour's journey to Luegar-nuevt) on the
banks of the famous Guadiana, and only three
leagues from its source; there are many lakes
hereabouts which communicate with each other,
produced b^ spiings whose wafers form a river,
which, havmg run for some leagues, disappears
in the meadows near Alcazar de San Juan. In
summer this river is trifling, but in winter it is
necessary to go over the bridge at Villarta.
The river disappearing there, shews itself again
a few leagues off, in other lakes called i\jos de
Guadiana, "The eyes of Guadiana;" from
whence the proverbial expression of « bridge
where many herds of cattle are constantly gra-
zing. On that part called The iSrid^e, they
have sunk wells for travellers and cattle, and
always find water. When the Guadiana issues
out of the lakes, it turns several mills, is a hun-
dred feet broad, and about four in depth. It
S asses afterwards by Calatrava, Ciudad Ileal,
ledelliu, Merida, Radajoz, and Ayamonte,
where it enters the ocean, dividing Spain and
Portugal*.

Before I quit the territory of La Mancha,

whose

being an open town of modorate size, full of small misera-
ble houses like Truxillo, and, like that place, shews traces
of having once been more thriving'. The ruins here render
this place remarkable : the reiuums of u Roman aqueduct
are still seen, and of a wall descrihiHg a circle in the oiien
fields; part of both are still in good [ncstrvatioti, und they

4 S gviatlj-

i u

% »

\ ll

A^i

iti%u.

I "I })1

,.«'

I«*l

¥ ,11';: i

> > ;

"t •

I ^1 ii

DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

whose fame will never perish so long as wit and
humour remain, I must once more investigate the
bowels of the earth, and speak of a mine of anti-
mony near Santa Cruz de Mudela, at the toot of
the Xierro Moretia, which, since 177 4. has heen
successfully worked by Don AntonioSancha, an
eminent printer at Madrid, who, after having
been at a considerable expence, now gets lumps
of rcgulus of antimony of an enormous size, one
weighing a hundred and fifty arrobas, and many
of twenty or thirty, the smallest of four or five,

Jreatly enliven thit open and chearful country. At Merida
he coDtinues) wi.- patted the Guadiana over a haud«ome
stone bridKe. Over a few open pastures, at the foot of the
last granite mountain, we came to a market town called
Lobon ; which, with its ruined castle, is situated on tome
hills at a small distance from the river, and concealed amid
olive trees. The Guadiana winds along fertile but uncul-
tivated plains. Between Merida and mdajox, on the plain
irhich Iwrders on the Guadiana, is another small towA
full of small wretched houses, and called in the mope Talo-
vera la Rctl» but in the •• Guide dcs Couriers" Talavera

for which he has considerable demand- |»J
established a manufacture of reguht of
mony, and has wrought up above six hui!
arrobas, so white and chrystaiine, astoL
like silver, being superior to that of FrancJ
Hungary; it is a valuable article in diy
manufactures, particularly amon<r ptint(J
making types, and is in great requesit atl
drid, where the art of printing is now btoJ
to remarkable perfection.

del arroye, and by the iuhabitanta Talaruels, a i^i
more appropriate than either of the former, liadi? J
contiderable town, being the capital of E«tniinadun.l
a frontier fortrett towards Portugal. The ttrcHi ireA
in part straight and well paved ; but there sk f„?
houses. The Guadiana flfows close to it. Bui letm
traveller expect to find in this capital of EHtraiotdunk
inns than in any large village. In the best, nr,u |U|
vernor expressed himself, the least bad, every (hig,l
be sent out for as in the snalleat triUage, as Dothiir,
be found in the house." ^

^HE END OF DILLON'S TRAVELS THROUGH SPAIN.

TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL,

HENRY FMEBERICK JLIJ^K,

rRortiiOR AT the vnitersity or bostock, and mbmbvr. of various learmeo societiis.

SECTION I.

ktranee into Portugal — Eiras — Poriugueze Military — From Elms to Estranoz—Arrayolus —

Montemoro HMO,

1HE Portugueze frontier fortress of Elvas is

but three Spanish leagues from Badajoz,

bin before the gate of wliich it is distinctly seen

honitshilL A small brook called theCayo,

liichmay be forded in dry weather, forms the

lontier, which is in few places marked by na-

[re, bat is therefore more clearly drawn by art.

1 this side, the approach to Portugal appeaw

commooly pleasing. Instead of wide-extemled

tn sheep* walks, and far* dispersed villages, the

luntry is adorned with detached houses here

(d there, which seem to indicate a superior

tte of cultivation. Before we came to Elvas

saw the first orange-garden, lying open

bog the road, though a ^eat quantity of this

bit is grown round Badajo?. The dress of the

[ferior people is better ; and the women are

! friendly and communicative than those of

itile- They w«ar their hair, like the women

f Biscay, uncovered and only lightly bound

paribbon, orhandkerc-hief. Their politeness^

1 their easy, gay, and friendly manners pre-

iice a stranger more in favour of the Portu-

ithan of the Spaniards; nor is this judge-

Dt altered, so long as the traveller is only ac-

ainted wira the lower classes, though he

ns an opposite |i|dginent so soon as he begins

I know the higheioraers.

IWe had scarcelv 'j^Hiaed the Cayo, before the

Igular tone of the Portugueze language began

I sound in our ears. Most of the words are

nearly the same as Spanish, but the pronuncia-
tion is extremely different.

On entering the inn at Elvas, we found the
apartments and furniture simitar to tliose of both
theCastiles and of Estramadura; nay iioth were
pediaps «tilL worse. The houses are gcnrralK
better,^ and more convenient in Spain ; but hero
w« had BO occa^on - to send out for what we
wantedj or perhaps ourselves ta fetch every piece
of hread or elass of wine, as both food and drink
are suppliea in every Portugueze inn^ provided
the traveller is contented with Portugueze
fare.

Eivas is a city^ and it first acquired that ap-
pellation in the reign of Dom Manuel, although
It is said to be rebuilt by Dom Sancho II. mho
granted its foral.*. It has four parish churches,
six religious bouses^ besides a monastery of ca-
puchins without tlie gate. The town and district
contain twelve thousand inhabitants. The streets
are narnow, irregular, and so full of dirt, that it
is difficult to wade through them even in dry
weather.. The . Spanish towns, even Badajoz
itself, are in general much cleaner and neater.
The country is pleasant ;^ the hill on which the
town stands is covered with olive-trees, and in
the neighbourhood are a number of kitchen-gar-
dens and orchards of oranges. The aqueduct,
which is a very fine work, and a Portugueze
league in length, consists (in the neighbourhood
of the hill of Elvas, where it passes through a

* That ill law* «i titles of creatiop, and of the conditions under wbicb the settlers accepted the lands.

■:a

\\fn

i\:- ii;:

ualley,)

'h:,:Si ;i,H\;

lii!

846

LINK'S TRAVIit.S IN PORTUGAL.

valley,) of four rows of arches, one upon ano-
ther, of a c()nsicleral)le height.

El vas is governed by a corregedor, a provedor,
and a iuiz de fora, being the chief town of a
corregimento*. It is the first and most impor-
tant fortress in the country. The town itself
is strongly fortified, and defended by two cita-
dels situated on neighbouring hills; one cdlcd o
forte de S.Luzia; the other erected by thoCount
of Lippe Bikkeburg, and from him calle<l o forte
i!c I^ossa Senhora de grafa de Lippe In the
town of Elvas every thing, as far as could be
])erceivcd, was in goo<l order, in the spring of
I7.9H; the fort was strongly garrisoned, and new
works were carrying on. In Badajoz, on the con-
trary, all u'as em])ty and forsaken; and it was
(•\ i'.itnt that Portugal was in fear, but not Spain.
The troops at Elvas, especially the ofliccrs, had
a truly military appearance, and a Prussian
othcer who should see them on guard would
almost have taken them for colleagues in ser-
vice, whereas the Spanish troops at Badajoz he
A\'ould probably have disowned.

This improvement in the Portugueze army is
entirely the work of count de Lippe, an extra-
ordinary man, who lives in the remembrance of
every inhabitant of the country. The whole
nation held him in unbounded veneration, con-
sidered him as the creator of their arm^, and
felt more than can be conceived on this side the

* Oiigtrtaltv eveiy town and village in Purtoj(al . hod its
particular juctge, who pronounced benteuce io th« first in-
■tttnce, and was chosen by the iiihitbitantg. Theae judgtrs
are still found in some villages and mark«t^towns in r^itidte
purtH, as for instancet near Cape St. Vincent's, ke, apA
lire- nearly the same us tb« German doifschulaeiit or bailfftii.
Tbey are called jutsc« da terra, or country justices. But
fiy small (le;>;rees, as the power of the crowti ihcr6u»ed, and
these officers perhaps giving occasion to some disturburtk^e^,
judges were appointed by the crown, at tirst in the grMt
towns, and then in the aniall, aud even in great viltttfrett.
1 hcse judges were required to have studied at somo Portu-
gueze university, and were called jvhet de /vra. All civil
causes are in the first instance brought liefore ihbm, atid in
Binalt places they also have cognisancte ofcriminftl procet^eii ;
for which, in the larger towns, a juiz de crime is separately
appointed. Portugul is divided both into provinces and
districts, which lust are commonly called eomarftis, or
corregimntoa ; in the chief town of which ib a cortr^d«^,
before whom civil and criminal piocesses are brought lii the
•second instance. He has aUo the snperintendunce of the
jtiizes de fora, whom they can sUsjiertd from their office,
if the corregimento d«( nds originally iVom the crdwrt it is
(ailed eorreii-av, but if from donalarios, it is called
omidori<u Thu!> liragmi?fc is (itill v^ oavidoriik, thi dukes

Pyrenees, that he was a true knight, acconli
to the ancient sense of that phrase. "

Tlie Portugueze troops are far from bad ■
I know regimentsthat exercise and fireextremd
well, even when compared with the troops of ly
various nations I have f ^^en reviewed. It canu
however, be denied that the officers arenott,
spected as they deserve in a country which In, J
long kept its ground by its military energy, \
is true, commandants of fortresses who reside]
Lisbon and have at most seen their forts onceiJ
their lives, and generals who arc neve; wiif
their regiments, do not much contribute tot
improvement.

The uniform of the Portugueze infantrvaii
cavalry is dark blue : that of the liussais lijrU
blue; the marines green; and the sailors i
dressed like the English. Out the blue or j,
cloth breeches of many of the regiments, and tij
black Manchester breeches of tne Ofi'icers,!
an utiplfcasing appearince. Generals and niji
officers wear a suit of scarlet richly enibroiden,
with gold. The cavalry, like that of Spain, rii
stallions, and their horses are in better conditlM
They are not bad ridiers, but their utiifonnsl
beconle them. The soldiers are but pooi ly m
a private receives two vinttfitls, or forty
about two-pence strrlhtg) ; from which lUiti^
thing is deducted for clothlngt.

But enoUgh of th« Povttig(ie:te military.

of Bra)pn» he\af( the original dOnaMri^; artd ainoit|
the oovidorias dttpvwl on royitl house*, , the distia):tiM i
tween inose two kinds of corregtmentos is only attndiM
in official )tApefs, not Is the word ontiiior eveV ukjI
common lan^uttgf, bat corre^edot-, and Ih oliiciuh
torregedor oatillor. The seat of tite prbvedbr is slsol
.chieftown of the eomarvO i^ but lie is totally itide|xndt^
the Corregedor, and Tias not oiil^ the suueriiilciidtiuij
the«iWcuiion nf Wills, guardiaiishi|)8, &c. but of the nf
revenue*. in tht district. Under Miti als«^,'in ihc grMteJ
as to what regards the formtr, rs » jAit do* 9rfi«n\
\»(\^e for orphans, from whom, appeals lie to thepn
ihexe i\rc tlie nioiit ikbpoirtunt judicial officers in thtc
rtf prnvintw, urid^^ ^hotti ife a «alriitt)r of inrerior o
4iu<;li as o/enldet, vet&aion, IneiHklUM, «k4 <^'m'<'-
t This is fxtremely ipis^raWe pof, tn ijadeur a i
as Portugal, particularly at Lisbut. , Bread, s sinl
and bitd wine, afe the cbiistdni feiS'iliily feoU of tijebt i
who seldom ur never tuste toirtt^i^m^clltble^. In theji
1798 inAhy yuong. men kti^ |Ht«ld, ttlid tiiatij of then
roents increa^sfl by five bw^Mked tn«n ; they w«re torn f
the fiehls and kidnapppcl ev«ry where, aud ^be tovem
promised tewttrcis n iftk jilizcs tte forii, who sliould i
them nio>>t recruits. In consequence of thi*, whole, tio
of considerable Uiigtn were often met travillingi

riiiml

LINK'S TRAVFL8 IN PORTUGAL.

347

nil on wbicli Elvai stands is formed of a granite
(iiling 0*" '*^'** quartr, felspar, and mica,
J in loroe parts containing steatite. On the
clivitr> this granite is covered with a whitish,
,« foliated, lime stone, in which are in-
ipeMed sulphurous pyrites and fahlerz. The
.Jution here is similarto that of Spain. We
^every where the beautiful antirrhinum ame-
Wtiwm, first described in Laroark's Encyclo-
rdia; snd the ' beautiful iris alata, which we
id already seen near Badajoz.
The beautiful conntry round Elvas soon de-
j (he traveller. Most of the tdwns in Por-
Lil lie like islands in the midst of a desert sea.
Rot far from Elvas we climbed a naked, barren
ountain, where we saw a few sinele houses,
ut no villages. Farther on, toward the venda
i) do senhorjitrado, the mountains are cover-
with cist"" ladaniferus, and consist of slate,
^ith veins of quartz. This slate, which is ex-
tmely common in Portugal, is often clearly a
lodstone, and not unfrequently bears traces of
jorigiit from gr^tiitej and grains of mica and
Uipar; sometimes it approximates to clay-slate,
bd chaii{;;e8 whoHy jnto that substance. It
broM gentle ( not lofty ) hills, which often show
Ls of containing ore*.

The venda is a very small and miserable house,

I a wretched country, and, indeed, a venda may

hgeneral be expected to be surrounded by a kind

jf desert. Beyond this spot we came to a wood

If cork-trees, which is seldom seen iu the middle

Spain. Towards Estremoz, which is seven

iguesf from Elvas, tlM country becomes more

leisant, is better cultivated, and bears more

livMrees, The mountains rise again, aud a

binlnals with thuir hands bound. It was painfur to behold
icsc unfortunate ])cople, who perhaps conid live happily
lid comfortably at homt un the fruit of their labour, now
jtottglit by force to ttartc in the (ouos. At Lisbon I hare
tften been solicited in an cTcniug for charity hymen among
ft Koard at the barrar1(S of the rbgiment of Gomez Freire,
Iho had (he greatest claim to my compassion. But can
■Jinan biaino the natiyes of a country for ihuaning mill-
iry srrriro under such circumstances ?
* Tint slate mountains have always an and barren ap-
jnraiicu; and are usually, in the southern purls of Por.
Lai, corircd with cistus ladaniferus, a plant, without
jeing acquainted with which, it is impossible to form an
Utquatc idea of the appearance of these parts. It is about
Bur, and sometimes six, feet high, the leiivrs have nearly
Mform of those of the oleander, arc of a tihiiiing dark
Ireen, and not deciduous in winter; a very sweut-smclling
pint covert the young buds aud leaves, aud (Utruses, parti-

Vol. II. No. XCIII.

whiter, or even a blacker, foliaceous limestone,
which produces a very good marble, is seen in
rocks in large quantities.

Estremoz is a small fortified town, and pra^a
de armaa, which has therefore a governor, but
belongs to the corregimento of Evora. The
number of inhabitants may amount to six thousand
at the utmost. It is an ill-built place, but in the
middle has a larf^e cheerful square. There is a
castle on an eminence, and the town hus alici
some out-worlu. In other respects it has been a
considerable phice, as the number of religious
houses shews, there being five in the town, and
a sixth in the neighbourhood. There are a
hospital and a casade misericordia in almost every
considerable town in Portugal ; but generally in
such a state that they are of very little uhc. The
country, particularly on the side toward Linbon,
is very pleasant, and well i:ultivated. Three
leagues from Estremoz we came to an inn called
A venda do duque, where however no duke
could lodge. We did not perceive any cultivated
lands till within a league of Arrayolos, an open
villa with about two thousand inhabitants, a
large monastery in which reside the canons of
St. John the Evangelist, and a monastery of
Franciscans. This place is six leagues from
Estremoz, yet not a village is seen throughout
that distance, nor any but single houses. The
soil is sometimes granite in masses, sometimes
slaty granite.

From Arrayolos the road lay through Monte-
mor o novo, which is three leagues farther, over
naked mountains, and then through a cultivated
vale. After this we ascend high granite inoun-
tiiius covered first with evergreen oaks, and then

cularly in the evening, a very pleasant fragrance that sccmv
to fill the air. These plants do not form a very close bnsh ;
but stand so close together, that it is difficult to forco
through them, aud thus crump the growth of every other
plant. Hence it is Tory rare to find any beneillh them.
The flowers arc uncommonly beautiful; but scarcely liloHr
before they fall ofT. Kach of the petals is almost thro9
inches long by two broad, pure white, and some way in on
the under side have a durk purplc.rcd s])ot, resenibliug'a
drop. The whole plant is also uncom only beautiful ; btU
its uniformity, auil the lonely desert forms, render it at
length cJitrt'inely irksome. It serve- 'or nothing but fuel
anil rharcoiil; though, were this coiiii>ry populous and iu.
dustrious, tho gum perhaps might be <>:npl(>\t>d in rarious
ways.

+ The Portugneso league is va ious in difleront prnvinres,
but always exceeds the Spanish, wliidi is throe thousand
rods ur fathoiuj^.

with

lllfr'i :^m

348

LINK'S THAVRLS IN PORTUGAT..

with myrtles. The myrtle ia not here a beautiful
ihrub, fur where it covers a large tract uf
ground its growth is diininuti' >i and ugljr. It is
only beautiful by th^ side of brooks, where it
grows taller, and is extremely charming, when
covered with its beautiful white flowers. Toward
Montcmor o novo the country again becomes
more cultivated. This open place, or villa, is
gay and lively> containing above four thousand
inhabitants, four religious houses, and being
very pleasantly situated on fertile granite hills.
On this side we approached the town by a large
and beautiful meadow; to the left we saw on a
high hill an old ruined castle; and on the other
side, toward Lisbon, man^^ gardens, followed by

• ir

woods of ever-green oaks; a tree T»hicl|
stitutes the riches of the neighbourino- com,*
and atfords food to a great number of nicii.
acorns are roasted for use, and have bynonui,
an unpleasant flavour, but are only consume?!
the poor. No attention is bestowed on the cul a
vation of this tree, buttiti propagation is lef^
tirely to nature The wood is reddish, soS,
and good, but is chiefly used by cart-w'rigy
the charcoal is also much valued. j

The granite mountains Continue a leaguebeyoj
Montemor, and then lose themselves in a pO
which extends to the banks of the Tagus, L
every where covered with sand and ratcliil.

>U *•»!■/

.■*i VMtir%iUt',,»i,t; . ^'

>■■.■, ■ ii Alii ',.' I ^iii' t. .-, _. ....
:'-',n ■'. 'AClSi .T -'i ■ • 'I ':'ru''>

.; j.i.ov

A .fl«v

.:■•••.:

SECTION II.

.&r, IVIl.! 1;, t_.

,. . : ,,~ Heaths in the Provinee of Alemtijo — General licmarks on that Province.

THE province of Alemtejo derives its name
from Mem, beyond ; and T<Jo, the Tagus *.
Alemtejo according to its natural limits, may be
divided |n(o three parts, the higli or mountain-
ous, the flat or heathy, and the sara dc Arra-
hida.

We had now arrived at those great heaths
which extend as far as the river, along it upward
to Salxnterra, and -downward to the sea. To
the southward they extend as far as the Algarvian
mountains, and to the eastward to Beja and Evo-
ra. In the midst of this plain is the Serra, or
high range of mountains ending in the cabo
Espit.hel above St. Ubes. These heaths, like
that of the Lunenburg heaths, consist of innu-
merable small hills which give the whole an un-
dulating appearance. The soil in some places,
particularly near the river and the sea, is so
sandy that we sunk deep into it ; but in others,
on the contrary, it is covered with coarse gravel
and ratchil, which render it very solid. Swampy
places are very rarely found, for in general the

♦ It is to be Jaincuted that the natural frontiers of this
proTince from tiie river to the ran^c of moniitiiiiiii wliich
diridcs AlgUrvia arc not the same as the political ; fur scvc-
ral corr«'j»inuMitos on the south'sidc of the Tagus buioiij; to
the province of Kstre.nudnra.

+ I?o«Ii thcsi! trees arc very useful ; their wood is good,

and yields a threat deal of resin, for whieh rwson, In con.

'fHUeucc of an order of the minister of utarine, they liaTC

great aridity of the soil is the cause of thebarJ
renness of this extensive tract. ,

Here and there are seen woods of pines, (u^
ciallv in the neighbourhootl of Lisbon. In (In
south of Europe two Varieties of the pine H
common, the first, pinus [tinea, a very fmelrttl
the stem of which grows high, strait,
stifl*, and the branches bend upward, so as natiiJ
rally to form a thick, large, round crown. Tbi
leaves are longer than in our pt/nus fii/heitm
and its green colour is much darker. The othrl
variety is the sea-pine (*ifinus mariliina Gerardij
which never grows so high as the former, on
our German pine, has strait branches
bending upward, and therefore forms a pvrainiJ
like the fig-tree instead of a crown. Its' Icavo
are longer and greener than in our pine, and il
wants its red bark. But although it docs nof
grow so high and handsome, yet this lastproprrl
ty gives it a preference to ours, the small bliieisli<
green leaves and its, red bark giving it a dead ad
melancholy appearance f.

of late been burnt for t.tr. The fruit of the pinermtiiiJ
a pleasant ulmond-like liurnci ivhich is very coDimonlycitfl^
and u£(!il ill cookIn<;. Another ' 'e it tilso made of tlii« ircrl
uhich however being injurious to (he woods, is proliibM|
but the prohibition, as nsual, is not attrndcd to.
fishermen of Sei.xal, Costn, and Tralfuria, (car up '
routs uf the young trees to give a brown colour to (hcirieDJ

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LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

349

Pour IcAffBi^f from Mortemor o ^ovo is a small
I m^Q ciWed yeiidas novas, vt'hicli cvntains a
r n<i"ff *^*' 0^ **** prince of Brasil ; thrc* leagues
lUllier is another ver^ small vijlage, .called Os
yevoes, l»ot'' °^ which were first established

ben Philip Ij[.;caiae to Lisbon; a^dHve leagues
briber we reaphed the l>ank of t|ie ,i;iver, where.
It a niarM-town calje^ A^ea Gajle^a, it is
Lai to embark for Lis^tOAi. ' On as^ epiine^icc, a
uLue from Aldea Galtegai is a chnrjph, dedicated
to Aossa scnhora da Atalaya (our lad v of the

jjjl,,towcr),.4o which the negroes i a Lisbon
knnually make t\ pilgrimage, and a great con-
kourse of people go there to see thU bl^ck pro-

Anlonio Ilenriques de Silveira sa,y», " Alenitejo

i the least populous province of Portugal ; tor

bough tbirty-six leagues long, and nearly as
broad, it contains only four cities, one hundred

jid five towns (villas), three hundred and fifty-
tight parishes, and about tbrco hundred thousand
jababitauts *. The towps are very populous,
fomparativcly more so than the, rest of PoftugAl;
W there is a scarcity of villages, which gene-

allv coutribute most to cultivation, many of the
loliabilants of towns leading idle lives. One
Liise of the thin population of this province
kriscs from its having always been the theatre of
jilt between Spain and PortugaJ<. It also con-
aiiis a great number of fortresses, maintains ten

gimeiit# of jvJl.VnU'y* and four of cavalry,
•bich are constaiitly recruited there, and form a
fourth part of the military establishment of the
irliule country. Every town and village in the
broviuce, except these fortresses, now contain
\tvict iniiiibitants than in the beginning of the
Hit ceutiiry, and in all of them are empty houses.

" The best means of improving this province
KHuld be that the crown should establish small
tillages of about twenty houses, or grant per-
nissiuu to private perst^ns to form su^h estab|ish-
nents, granting them the manorial rights and
privileges.

" To this proposal it is objected, first, that
jlnere is a scarcity of water; hut thjs is. by no
aeans universal, and n)^ght be obviatcd.by sink-
n^ wells, as is already practised in many places
Kutbis province:, secondly,, that the sojl is.too ba(|^
|)ut wherever it will afford pasture for cattle, -
|Cflrp ,inay, be produced, at least rye and even
naize, especially on the banks or the rivers:

... :. i.j ; *. ■^*'*"''''"i» ^♦' **•*' 1**' '"**

thirdly, that the . population is too scanty; but
the province of Minho is so populous that many
of its inhabitafit^ anpual.|yjnigrate into other
provinces ; how easy tl^crf^fore w^ould it be to
employ, those men in such establishments : fourth-
ly, that the quantity of cultivation would not be
increased if these men vyere settled on lands
already cultivated ; but if these lands were divided
into snia)l,l .^ots or parcels, the soil being nei\rer
their habitations would be better manured and
cultivated, and would not be suffered to liie
Callow .two following years, being sown only,
once in three years,, as is now practised, but
would be sown during ^|ie two ycqirs, and fallow-
ed the third: fifthly, that no ope, w:ouM bft
willing to (Qmbar|( tbp capjtal r£|quisite for esta-
blishing such viOages; but so . much money is
spent in pursuits q\ luxury and distinction, that
it cannot be doubted tliat many would be willing
thus to employ some part ojf their money in pur-
chasing the title of lord of a village. To raise a
company of cavalry costs eigh^ thousand crusades,
in consideratiqn of wfiich the king grants a cap-
tain's patent (or commission), and yet when it
was known that five companies were to be raised'
in Algarvia no Ic^s than one hundred and fifty-
four candidate^ offered.

" f he lan^s in Alemtejo are far from bein^
well .cultivated. In that, province are three
kinds of soil,; fruitful black so^d fat earth is
found in the red clay of Elvas, Campomayor,.
Oliven^a, Fronteira, Estremoz, Beja, andSerpa;
a lighter earth mixed with a little sand forms the
soil round Evora and Arrayolos, where the bad
kinds of wheat, barley, and ryesucceed very well,
and cork trees and evergreen oaks also grow;
and a sandy barren soil forms the heaths of Can-
Uiriiilio, Pontc de Sur, Monte Argil, Taiuvs
and Vcndas JVbvas, a tract of country about
thir,ty leagues in circumference. They were
once full of cork-trees, but these have been sold
to the charcoal-burners, and thus the woods Lave-
been destroyed, excepting at a distance from the
rivers. These heaths serve only as pasture for
goats, and yet at a depth beneath the surface '"'es.
a solid stratum of clay, which might be brciight
up by the plough, and the soil thereby rendered
better for cqlttvation. More pines also should
be planted, and defended iiom goats, thougU
not in the neighbourhood of the roads on account
of rubbers. Furtl'.eir on are marshy tracts near
llioy amount to 339,365. .

Rtik

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350

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

I
I

!■

Rio frio, Relva, and Barroco de v^a, which
ittight he drairted. ' '* . ' "<! '

" The rivers ill AleortdO, particularly in'iriR-
ter, are very rapids ahd db tnlibh damage. Thd
banks therefore ought to be planted M'ith trees to
confine them in some irieasare within their beds.

" The south side of the Serra de Ossa is very
fertile but almost entirely uncultivated ; tlid north
side is quite haked^ but mi^ht be pllanted with
chesnuts.

" The whole province is full of vagabond
beggars who beg or steal by day, and at night
sleep in the huts of the husbandmen. At a wed-
ding or christening from ieighty to a hundred
ofteri appear, and ' through a mistaken piety
or vanity the rich p^Martts fticid thehi, while
others wno perie^vc tlie absurdity 'of these pre-
judices likewise feed the^ through fear, lest
they should set fire to their corn. Hence these
vagabonds are very coarse and rude.

" Th6 nobility h&ve too largp herds of srtiall'
cattle as sheep and ^oats, for which reason they
do not have the heaths cultiviated, but hire other
lands besides their own which are thus likewise
deprived of cultivation. Some of these, who do
not possess pasture foir above eighty sheep keep
above a thousand, the land. of their neighbours
supplying the deficiency. The law indeed en-
deavours to prevent thbe robberies by appointing
sworn Nvatcli<neh; but this only ihcfeases the
evil, as these men always have an under!standing
with the oficoders, and the poor neighbours can*
not obtain justice against criminals of rank and
power, 'the nobility generally find varices
means of evading the penalties which the poor
are obliged to pay. In the war of 1763 many of
tlie peasantry who had only two carts were
stripped uf both, whereas from the nobles, who
had many, not one was taken.

" The numerous fast days are also ve*y pre"
judicial. Permission ought to be given to work
after mass, as the bishA^s of Coimbra, Lamcgo,
Portalegre, and Oporto have done gratis'.

" Many estates belong jointly to several pr6-
prietoii:', one of whom called the Senhorio or
J'unsciro has a right io make all the cofitracts,
atid to let the estate when and how he pleases,
iihd the other propficjtors (qiiinheli'os) only re-
ceive their shuie. Whether fixed 6'r contin^gent.
Meanwhile they are bound to ipay a fourth
part of all necessary expences in proportion to
their shares, but not to any diibursementky the

object of which is to improve the estate. Til
regulation is eyidentl;jr prejudicial. It is an oil!
custoini to dispense with some part of thetai I
in bad yebrs ; but with this regulation it iJ^
not take place, as the copartners are wiliioffj I
participate itt thelpi-ofits, but hot in the h<^*

Many parts of Aleihtejo are ijl adapted u
growing corn, as fdr itastartce the heaths bIomI
the banks tif the Tltgtis^ the soil of which 1$ d
deep fine sarid. 'These heaths are so well adapy
for bees, that Portugal might supply forei!3
countries with wax and honey ; but this braiKH
of husbandry is neglected, because the
destroy the grapes. -

There are also hills covered with dsto* IbatiMl
incapable of cultivation, there being too litdJ
mould in the soil, which consists of a very coan
sand. Here too bees mipht perhaps be advanti
geous, as might the cultivation of the kermet.!
oak, were the population more numerous, boA
on account of thd^ cochineal and of the sweetai
of its (Vtiit. On the other hand a quantity ^.^
land whic^ is covered with cistus in the corregiJ
mento of Ourique, betw^n Mertola and Serpa^
and in Othef places, cl^Hy shows that Mrithgood
cultivation the soil will produce corn. Buttvtl
circumstances operate against it: the first,
long as numerous hionasteries oppress and dniJ
the country with continual contributions, no iaii
provements can be expected. This ever^ Portu-j
gueze well knows, and even confesses in convn-l
sation, though no one dares to print it. Jm
other impednnent arisei from the b'-dness of jbel
roads, a great partof Alemtejo round the Camptl
de Ouri({ue being wholly destitute uf carriage-l
roads; which, were they exist,' are extremtin
wretched. The small districts round thcBfjil
and toward the Serra de Monchique, where tbtl
traveller to his grettt astonishment suddenly mcel
with high-roads, are so small bs scarcely to de-l
serve mentioning. Theprihce of Brasii, wIki|
he met the king of Spaihat Elvas, yiatiently bon
the jolting of this wretched high-road into Spain,!
instead of having a road made for his royill
father-in-law. , ' '*■" *^

Throughout Portugal travellers are iinrnmH
monly safe from ' robbery, excepting (hat a part
of Alemtnd; particularly , on the frcntiers o)l
Spain, and especially fhp liigli'road into thai
country, had acquired a bad character in tliia
respect. The danger however is by no means sjI
great as in many parts of Spain.

sec;tiom

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

351

SECTION m. ' ^ -
Lisbon, Description of that City, and the Country round about it.

iHG view of Lisbon, if the traveller pass the

river either from the river Aldea Gallega,

louta; or Casilhas, is uncommonly fine; nor

I know any lAre^ town that forms so majestic

appearance. The vast expanse of water, a

L in many parts more than nine English miles

J, the great number of ships, the wide-ex-

ded city adorning an amphitheatre of hills

Cit lie contiguous to the river, together with a

[owd of cliurches, cultivated heights covered

lith country-houses, monasteries, churches,

irdens, and olive-trees, are certainly an cxtra-

ijinary assemblage of uncommon beauties. At

great distance, where the limits of the town can

jircclv be distinguished, the whole bank of the

ker seeming as it were one city, the msijcstic.

Lied, rocky mountains of Cintra form the

Ick ground of the landscape, after the lofty

irra de Arrabida among the heaths on the south

Hcof tlie river have already surprised the spec-

Eor. But as he approaches he at length more

ktiiictlv perceives the town which covers the

pis to the top, the beautiful Pra^a do Com-

fcrcio, or Mcrchant's-square, the new streets,

tarseoal, and the corn-market. He perceives

river narrowing towards its mouth, and

Luring its waters into the sea between the hills,

liirli here also rise on the south bank, though

ewhere flat, while large ships rover its sur-

^. He admires ^these hills, which, on the

Irlli side, are adorned by the villages of lielem,

|uda, and its brilliant churches, together with

) royal menagerie ; and on the sou In side by a

irket-town called AIniada, whose church

kndson the summit of the first hill.

'According to the last observations Lisbon is

iiiiitcd ill .'i8». 42'. 58". 5'*. .lortli latitude, and

11". 211'. \h". west longitude from Paris.

pic Portuguese compute the length of the city

I two leagues; and indeed the distance from

Iclom to the eastern extremity appeared to me a

III German mile ( four miles and a half English. )

his distance renders it necessary to add that

(ory cumptitation of latitude and longitude is

Jii'ii from the Pra^a do Connncrcio in the middle

liinbou. The breadth of the town is very

lrii)ii$, often but small, and sometimes (jiiite

hoi. II. No. XCIII.

but

inconsiderable, not exceeding one street,
never much more than half a league.

The population is here, as throughout Por>
tugal, very difhcult to ascertain. Only the
number of houses is accurately known, and the
number of inhabitants must be thereby calculated ;
for that of communicants is very uncertain, as
many frauds are practised in this respect. If en-
quiry be made in the small towns of the correge-
dores, they give a round and generally exagge-
rated* number, -in order to magnify the conse-
quence of the place where they live. According
to the last decennial census in the year 1790 the
forty parishes of Lisbon contained .*J8, 102 fire-
places or hearths; which includes the suburbs
of Junqueira and Alcantara, but not the vil-
lages of Bclem and Campo-grande ; though they
also, particularly the first, are connected with
the f.own, being in the ternio of Lisbon. If we
reckon Belcm, a market-town which completely
joins Junqueira, the population nay be estimated
with confidence at above 300,000, exclusive of
the military.

Lisbon is quite open on all sides, having
neither walls nor gates, nor even any fortifications,
except a small castle in the middle of the town,
and a number of batteries or small forts on the
river, The ground is very hilly, and, according
to the Portugiieze writers, the city stands, like
ancient Rome, on seven hills; I shall consider it
as standing on three

The first bill, or rather mountain, begins at
the bridge of Alcantara, forming the proper
western limit of the town, and extends to the
rua de San Bcnto, or St. Benedict's street. This
hill is unquestionably the highest, being much
celebrated for its salubrious air for which
reason one of the streets bears the i^panish name
of Buenos Ayres, instead of the Portngueze*
words Bona .4rcH. At the \vcst«'rit extremity it
is btit little cultivated, but farther to the east-
ward up to its «urnmit. t'orinliii^ also to the east-
ward a plain, uu which stands the new niona.stery.
In ntany parts it is so steep that it is a labour to
walk the streets, and even the lower street, which
runs rlong the river, rises and falls ronsiderahlv.
During the heavy rains the water rushes down the

4 U streets

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352

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAt

streets with such violence that they are often im-
passable, and at the bottom of the calzada de
estrella some gallcgos, i. e. porters, post them-
selves at these times, and convey the passengers
for a trifle. This inconvenience, however, is at-
tended with the advantage of washing away the
filth, and cleansing the town. Immediately
after the earthquake this hill was more built
upon, as the shocks were much less severe there.
Foreigners also prefer these situations, both on
Ihis account and for the salubrity of the air.
Hence many handsome houses are interspersed in
various parts. The streets are irregularly built,
ill paved, often narrow, and not unfrequently
full of new but small and wretched houses. On
this hill the queen has built a church and convent
(dedicated to the heart of Jesus), to which she
is much attached. It is generally called o con-
xcnto novo, or the new convent. The church is
handsome, its excellent and beautifully white
limestone giving it a very cheerful appearance,
though the architecture is bad, and overloaded
with ornament. Not far from this convent, on
the other side of a square is the protestant
hurying-place, in which are many monuments,
particularly that of Fielding, who died here.
This cemetery is planted with cypresses and
judas-trees, a combination much used for such
situations in the south of Europe, and originally
an oriental custom. Not far from thence, leaving
the houses behind us, v-3 came to a pleasant
plain, called Campo de Ourique, separated from
the neighbouring hills by deep vallies, which is
used as a promenad<: by the lower and middling
classes. '

The second hill is only a continuation of the
first, from which it is separated by a valley of
no great depth. It extends from the rua de
San Bcnto, to the valley in which arc <he three
new streets built by Ponibal. Excepting a few
of the principal streets, the rest are crooked,
narrow, and wholly destitute of regularity; the
small streets leading io the bank of the river
are horridly dirty, the filth being heaped together,
so that the passenger must be well acquainted
with the narrow paths that run among these
heaps, to be able to walk the streets. At the
foot of the eastern side of this hill the earthquake
did great damage, in consequence? of wh'ch
many handsome new built houses adorn it, and
here, as in many ther places, traces of that
convulsion appear in ruined churches and monas-

teries. On this eastern declivity is the one
house and the residence of Quintella, the Ir'a
dealer in diamonds and richest merchant i
Lisbon. Above the public promenade bcvoi
the Pra9a de Rocio this hill rises to a coi
siderable height, and is very steep tow
the next valley. The view from this emini
is uncommonly fine. In the valley beneafi
appears the best part of the town; to
left are olive-gardens interspersed with countr
houses, monasteries, and churches; opposite
the high steep hill*bn which the castle stai
and to the left the Tagus covered with ships.

This hill is succeeded by an even valley of eg,
siderable length and breadth, which forms tl
broadest part of the town. This valley was
tally destroyed by the earthquake of ITaj; aft
which it was entirely rebuilt. On the bankoi
the river the valley begins with the large a
handsome square called Praga do Commackl
formerly the terrace or parade of the ro)i
palace, which is six hundred and ten feetbvfivi
hundred and fifty. The quay and the groiipsol
people where the ships and boats are laiulingaD
taking in their cargoes, are objects that far exa
the quays of London and Paris. The east sidi
formed by a large building with an arcade endi
toward the water, in a pavillion which is used
an exchange. The ends of the three strcei
which terminate in this square are unfiiiis))i
nor does there appear any probability of tliei
being completed, as they have been long no
lected. The three principal streets which wm
rebuilt since the earthquake lead from thissquai
to that of Rocio. They are straight and bioai
provided with ciuiseways; and not built as sipii
rate houses, several of them forming iarjj
buildings, which make a very handsome apptari
ance; but the upper stories seem pruportiuiiabli
too small, the windows too narrow, the panes
glass too diminutive, and the balcnnirs are
impediment to a beautiful form. In the niiddli
street, n/a Augtista, livethegold and silver-smithi
and in the two others the artisans of Other iiirtal!
who, as is usual in the south of Europe, worl
on the ground floor close to the door, and (lu'n
fore make a most intolerable noise. The line llii
divides east and west Lisbon, which is an cccid
siastical distinction, (the former belonging
the bishopric of Lisbon, and the latter to tli
patriarchate,) passes through this part ol
town. The Praca de Rocio is large, uiid like tin

I'rsu

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.'

553

Iproi

ca d" Commercio unpaved in the middle; but
' uch more incumbered with filth and puddles.
' jj (i,e great palace of the inquisition. To
* east of the Pra9a de Rocio is a large
" [jet-place, called a Figueira, to the west-
j of the Pra9a do Coramercio is the fish-
irket and near it another square^ called a
Wnfl ^ova, which is much more frequented as

menade than the Pra9a do Commercio.
The third hill begins with an eminence, on
hich is the castle of Lisbon, called o Casiello
Mouros, from which it continues, with
i^e interruptions of plains, to the eastern ex-
mity of the town. The castle is a sninll fort,
could only serve to defend the town against
sudden attack. This part of the town also
insists of narrow, irregular, ill-paved streets,
itbaneat house here and there. It appears
m the style of building that this is the oldest
it of Lisbon; the houses beici^ narrow, but
ijirh, containing many stories, and bearing
thic ornaments. The interior disposition of
le apartments is as bad as in Spain, and the
itrance no less shocking.

Following the river to the eastward of Lisbon
lall houses continue almost all the way, and
village succeeds to another. To the west
dm so nearly joins Lisbon that it is dilRcuIt
discover the separation, and the suburb of
jUcantara is only divided by a bridge over a
nail brook which here falls into the Tagus.
fbis suburb is only separated by an artificial
oundary from that of Junqueira, as is the latter
om the town of Belem. A foreigner, however,
oing to Belem, would not suppose he had quit-
Lisbon. It is a considerable market-town
jrhere many persons of property and tradespeople
)f the higher classes have houses. Formerly the
loyal family resided there, but the castle being
Wnt the "^moved to Quelus. In Belem is a
Donastery of Hieronymites instituted by Dom
laiiucl, the architecture of which is very
jtriking:, for instead of endeavouring to preserve
lymmetry the greatest pains have been taken to
Ivoid every external appearance of regularity,
p pillar being made intentionally d liferent from
nother. The adjoining church, however, is in a
othic but grand style, and affords no unpleasant
upression. There are besides in Belem two
ie\Y-built neat and handsome churches. Near to
fue, that of Nossa Scnhora de Ajuda, is the

botanic garden and museum, and farther on a
royal garden, with a menagerie at the entrance
and several aviaries. It is opened for a trifling
fee to persons of condition as a promenade; but
in itself, like the menagerie, is very insigniticant.
Beyond Belem is a park of considerable size be-
longing to the prince, the trees and bushes af
which are olive-trees and broom. The chace on
the north of the river is confined to the prince,
but that on the south is free for tbe public.

The Tagus washes the foundations of the-
houses tliroughout Lisbon. Toward the eastern
part it is about two leagues broad, or, if the
breadth be taken to the end of the reach, three
leagues. Its bank consists of heaths, and to the
west, nearly opposite to the Pra^a do Commercio,^
it grows narrower, and as far as its mouth is only
about a league broad : the opposite bank, at the
same time, rises, forming steep precipices toward
the stream. The river is often covered with
ships, and large men of war may lie opposite the
town, the views in many parts of which are un-
commonly fine; the market-town called Alinada,
with its church on the summit of the hill, and
the English hospital at the foot of it, give life
and interest to the picture.

The side of Lisbon toward the country ron^
sists entirely of hills, from which are seen only
the highest edifices of the town, and the traveller
suddenly arrives in the city before he is aware of
it. The greater part of the country round
Lisbon, particularly on the east and north sides-
io a considerable distance from the town, are
covered with large gardens surrounded with higlv
walls, between which it is insutferably tedious tOr
travel, sometimes for leagues, without seeing any
other object, and in continual danger of mistaking
the road. These gardens are often of considerable-
extent and laid out nither for use than pleasure,
generally containing plantations of orange and
olive-trees, and sometimes even corn fields and
vineyards. A pretty large garden-house is at-
tached to them, and families are accustomed to
spend a part of the summer there. One of the-
best gardens of the new French taste round
Lisbon is that of the Marquis de Abrantes, in a
market-town called Bemfica. The giirdens
round Lisbon please strangers on account of the
plants they produce,* those \vhic!i with us are
reared with great pains in puis ami houses, grow
here wild and high.

Beyond

354

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

Beyond tlie western part uf Lisbon the country
is not so well cultivated^ and there are naked
and rocky hills. But where these are not too
stony they are luxuriantly fertile, and render the
flora of the capital the richest throughout the
country*.

The soil round Lisbon consists of lime-stone
and basalt; the former lying at top, and being
here and there very white, close, and excellent
for building, bnt breaking too coarse for the
statuary. A singular species of lime-stone,
which only forms a mass uf petrification, appears
at a depth in both banks of the river, lying be-
neath the other strata. The basalt begins at the
bank not far from the sea, and then proceeds
through Quel US toward Bellas; meanwhile a
branch of the basalt mountain extends beyond
the city by the aqueduct, and unites with
the forem'entioned chain toward Bellas. From
thence the basalt country extends as far as Ca-
beca de Montachique. It properly forms only
one mass of basalt, which is here and there
covered with lime-stone. It is particularly
strikiag that basalt is only found in those two
parts of Portugal, Lisbon and Cape St. Vincent,
where the earthquake of 17.5.5 was most violent;
and this circumstance is thought to confirm the
opinion that basalt covering great strata of coal
furnishes materials for subterraneous fires, and
thus gives rise to earthquakes and volcanoes;
but it must not be forgotten that Belem, which
partly stands on a basalt hill, suffered less from
that earthquake than some parts of the town
evidently founded upon lime-stone. Portugal
however is rich in warm springs, which are
doubtless the effect of subterraneous fires. Such
springs arc found even in Lisbon, though the
warmth is very slight; also, at Cascaes a few
miles from Lisbon.

Close to the north side of the town, is that

* The liills form the nu-adows of I.isbon. Meadows
sii'li as the iiiliat>ilaiils of nortlioni climaU-s may suppose,
.111(1 tiivind with gr.iss, are rarely seen here, thick ver.
dure being iincoinmoii in the low and hot countries of the
south of Kiirope. The blades of ijrass vtaiid single
.ind sciree, but on the other hand the soil is covered with
various kinds of trefoil and siniiiar plants, liut our roin.
uxMi cloxT is heri! very rare.

+ Near the town it passes over a deep valley, and the
works are planned «ith great niagnirieenee. It rests on
neveral bold arehes, the largest of which is 2.30 feet 10
iudics French high, and 107 feet 8 inches broad. The

bold and grand work of art, the aqueduct calu I
08 arfos, by which water is brought from seva!!!
springs situated at a distance of three leae I
and near the village of Bellas, being in^!^]
parts conducted under ground f. I

The water enters the town at a place caiy]
da Amoreita, where it divides into several oil?!
aqueducts, and supplies the fountains, which at' 1
often very ornamental, though in a bad taste I
Here the Gallegos draw water in small barrels I
and cry it about the streets. The water isveril
good, cont<^ining a portion of oxygenated calca.l
reous earth, its sources being in limestune billil
The Portugueze being inhabitants of u warmf
climate, cannot be blamed for loving good water I
In summer, it is sold by the glass throughoujl
Spain and Portugal, in the public squares anjl
promenades; and among both these nations ail
excellent method is used, to keep water and othtr]
liquors cool in summer. Earthen vessels ai«|
made of clay containing lime and iron, soastol
be very porous, but without glazing. Thejef
vessels which are called uucaros or rt/carr«:«|
suffer the moisture to pervade their substance jo]
the form of a fine dew, which is continuallTi
evaporating, and thus producing cold. At firi
they give the water an unpleasant earthy tastcj
which however it soon loses by use.

The trees that grow here on the north side of]
Lisbon, are chiefly olive and orange-trct^s; bul
other fruit trees are more scarce, and even alniondJ
trees are not numerous. Cypresses, judas-treesJ
elms, and poplars, appear here and there, of
oaks, beeches, and linden-trees, there are none]
and willows are extremely rare. The orange]
tree is most striking, although near Lisbon m
does not grow very high. It requires niticlt
water, which is supplied to plantations byclian^
nels, which are filled by water-wheels. ThJ
earth is heaped up at their roots, and the wated

view is singular when the spectator stands beneath it, and in
pointed arc!... seem changed into a majestic Yaiilt tlMirJ
cchos every sound. The whole length of the ii(|iicilii(tid
9400 feet. In the middle is a covered ar( li.d wiy, oi
seven or eight feet, where the water Hows on rarli >iilJ
through a tunnel of stone. Without this arched vtiivaiiJ
on each side is a path, where two persons can cdiifi'nii'iitlJ
walk abreast with a parapet, over which they m.iy louki
down to its base. 'JNie small towers perhaps iii;fiiil)ihJ
general ert'ect, but could not be tlispeuscd with, foriljijl
serve as ventilators.

' coiidiicteJ

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

355

iyclcd between these heaps. They are pro-
aMted by seed and afterwards grafted*.
Besidesllje orange groves, strangers are par-
L igfiy struck with the liedges of American
lloes an*! Indian figs in the southern parts of
I aia and Portugal; both of which are easily
Uanted, forming hedges impenetrable to cattle.

but easily destroyed by men, though difficult to
confine within bounds. They will grow also oi|
extremely bad sandy soil. In July and August,
when the aloes are in bloom, these high stem^
covered with flowers form a very beautiful ob-
ject, whereas in Germany, a single aloe in bloom
is publickly advertised in the newspapers f.

Climate of Lisbon — Provisions there

SECTION IV.

lit'. ■ , ( „ , . .

Police, and Description of the Portugueze.

■ *■''

iHE climate of Lisbon is very salutary and
pleasant to those who are accustomed to it.
lie winter, as to vegetation, is the end of July,

> mouth of August, and the beginning of Sep-

Dber; at which time every thing is parched up,
ut a green blade of grass to be seen, and the
plitge of the evergreens is shrivelled up and has
loelttDcholy appearance. The heat continues
icessantly with the sky almost always serene,
lough it is much relieved by sea-breezes. In

anier the north wind prevails in Portugal, but
! direction being changed by the mountains of
tintra it becomes a north-west, which con-
jderably cools the air. In September the
|(eniiie;s arc frequently cold, though at noon the
ris proportionably too hot. The greatest heat
jlways accompanies the east wind ; and in the
Lnmer of 1798 Fahrenheit's thermometer rose

101'' (32"* of Reaumur). A heat equal to
fiopfFidircnheit is not uncommon in Portugal; '

from comparative observations it appears,
kat the climate is hqtter there than in Rio

* In December and .lanuary, the orapgm begin (a turn
and at the end of January, and in February, before
Ijfvarc ripe and sweet they arc gathcreil fur esportatlon.
lotrard the end of March, and in April, they are very

d, but delicate persons will not eat thoui till llic be-
Inning of May ; at which time they begin tu be perfcully
Irwtand well flavoured. They comiuuo throughout Jiiiio
July till Auf^ust, and at length become tiCArce and
hrr-ripe. At the end of April and in .May appear the
jjoisoms, the fra|i;raiico of which extcndii far and wide ; the
RUtily of goldrn fruit amid the dark branchts, and re.
rail Mill more by the white blossoms, which at the same
■oic adurii thciu conlintially, excite new adiiiirafion,
fcoiigh the same object dally recurs. Ow tree frequently

»n l,r>0(> orangei, and examples ari3 not wanting, of
pirir brarini; 2,n(X), and .sometimes, thuush rarely, 2.M)0.
fkw from iiuniiar arc particularly ^owl, and b^uiu

Vol. II. No. XCIU.

Janeiro in Brasil, though the heat does not con-
tinue near so long. Prom Midsmnmer-day to
the middle of September rain is extremely uut
common, and even in the beginning of that
month very scanty: tlie drought often co:itinues
mnch longer. Immediately after the first rains
follow the autumnal ilowers, the meadow safiVon,
the autumnal snow drop, the swcot-snielling
ranuvciilus ImUatns, and many others. These
appear in the higher lands round Cintra, where
the rams are earlier than in the lower parts
round Lisbon. Immediately after the autumnal
flowers come the spring plants, owing to which
the interval betweiMi spring and autunm is scarce-
ly perceptible In October the young grass
springs up and the new leaves shoot out, render-
ing it the pleasantest month of the year. In
November and December fall heavy rains with
frequent storms. Days of perpetual silent raiii
arc very rare; for in general it comes down in
torrents. The brooks round Lisbon, which it
was a little while before easy to step over, and

kniffhtj) of Malta have assured me that these, and the
oranges from Coudeixa near Coimbra, are by no means in-
ferior tb those of Malta. 1' have also found thoso u/
Vidigneira in Alcmtejo uncommonly delicate. At I/isbon
they are not cheap, but in the. provinces cxcellitnt oraii<;i'<<
may be bought for about half a farthiri!; stciiiui; each.
Oranges arc sold wholesale., on the tfeei, and there ar*
people who nnders(and how to a|»i)rpciate the number they
bear. They are then gathered, oarefnily packed in chests,
and shipped. Tin- greater ]iart are sent to Knglanil,.or
conveyed in Knglish vessels to other i»arts, but sonic of
the rich merchants who have long dealt in tlieiu, assured us
that the)- do not yieJd airy great profit, and often leave a
los«. ()thcr acid Pruits, as for instance lemons, are scarce
at Lisbon, but n^orc abundant in the ciililer regions of
Portugal.

+ VVti may iuld, tiiat this is the case in I^ug^limJ likewue,

■ • » ' 4X ' whicli

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t.^ u

■1i

»'fi

u;'f

;iHr

^■%

;Ml

556

LINK'S TRAVF.LS IN POTlTtTGAl,

J
^

^^ilch wholly disappear in summer, now rush
like torrents down the hills*.

In January rold f'car weather often pre-
vails, but bcfomes milder in Fel)riiarv,
vhit'h is generally a very pleasant month.
Snow is su extrenjely rare, that, fourteen years
ag'o, fome happening to fall, the common peo-
ple were S(» alarmed' tlnit they run into the
cluirchc?, and thought that the end of the world
•was coming. In Fehriiary the sun becomes
strong, and thus causes a great many severe
catarrhs, called by the Portugueze constipa(joJs.
The equimix is followed by heavy rains accom-
panied with storms, as if all nature were falling
in ruins. From this lime till June is the most
changeable season of the year. The weather is
sometimes rainy and cool, sometimes dry and
hot, till the accustomed heat and drought that
follow midsummer day complete the circle.
Storms scarcely ever happen in the middle of
summer; they are confined to winter or the
equinoxes, but are then violent, and the light-
ning is sometimes destructive.

The genial temperature of the air is very
favourable to agriculture, and it depends entirely
on the quantity of rain whether the year be fruit-
ful or the contrary. Wheat is commonly sown
in the neighbourhood of Lisbon, but rye is
scarce and only grown for cattle ; barley is also
sown, but I never saw any oats. The usual
variety of wheat is that with long-pointed caliccs,
named by Haller triticum siculum, which re-
quires the best soil. The harvest is in May, and
the corn is threshed as with its; but in some parts
is trod out by horses or oxen, for which purpose
a floor is made in the fields. Manure is not
commonly used, or at most putrified plants
are laid on. Rye is often in ear in February
and March, but is cut down before it is ripe
generally for fodder.

The Portugueze live principally on meat and
fish, but are not fond of vegetables. In Lisbon
the bread is generally bad. It is usually iftade of
wheat-flciir, sometimes of maize, but never of
rye. Water-mills are not used ; but wind-mills
are numerous, and, being furnished with trian-
gular sails, form a singular appearance on the
bills round Lisbon. Potatoes are not at all culti-
vated, but imported from England and Ireland.

* This swelling of the streams renders trareliing extreme
,71 di%ult at that season, and would, without doubt, re.

However, Spanish potatoes, which are far
nutritive, are grown here and there. In jvijj j.
young green i»eas and beans are catea, but i
these warm climates arc not so well flavoured l
with us, having always a dryness and insipidjd
A small kind of beans, brocoli, and caulillu^vJ
are very common, also lettuces and succory; bJ
other species of cole are more scarce, and brow]
cole is not to be found. The chick-pea, w|ij(J
constitutes the chief food of the lower classes jl
that country, and is certainly preferable to drit,
peas, is hut little cultivated near Lisbon, Tin
common people eat lupins in great quantitin
These arc sown in fallows, and the pulse al
soaked in running water to destroy their biUal
ness before they are dressed. On days of m
cession, bull-fights, and- similar occasions, ||J
arc sold in the market-place, boiled, but cold]
to the common people, who cat them out of the J
pockets. They have a mealy insipid taste, bu|
are very cheap. Rice is also, both in Spain am
Portugal, a very common species of food, an
much liked by all classes. It is imported iij
great quantities from Brasil, and sold at arcs
sonahlc price, but is not much cultivated i^
Portugal.

Butcher's meat is very good; but calves w
not allowed to be slaughtered in order to (treserrij
the cattle, so that veal is very rare. Itinavl
easily imagined, however, that this law
tributes as little to its object as other similar r^
strictions, and therefore is not obeyed. Tbel
oxen arc, throughout the peninsula, of a siul
and beauty seldom seen cjsewliere. Pork is also!
very good ; and the Portugueze hams are mucbl
esteemed. The swine of this peninsula areufil
particular kind, being short-boned, broad-bad-j
ed, and having thin black hair, which forms noj
bristles on the back. The mutton is the wor»t|
kind of meat. Game is rare, except rabbits and!
red partridges, which are extremely common, but!
not so tender as ours. It is remarkable thatial
Portugal no fresh butter is made excepting intl
few private houses in the country, Irish audi
Dutch butter being commonly used. Dutchl
cheese is also most common and cheapest; andl
milk is no where found but in great cities, a\
cepting goat's milk upon some of the mountains.!

Fish constitute the principal nourishment ofl

tard the operatiou of war as much ui wiuter as the
in sammer.

tile

LINK'S TllAVKl-S IN POflTUGAL^

357

kflfflon P'"*P'® ^^^ ^''® •'clitacics of the rich.

Elh coiis'""'' pjrcat quantities of badilaUo, of

Ihiclitlic Eiigfli»l» exporl thitJicr to the value of

Imillioii and a quarter of dollars. Thero arc

Lensc wal'filit'uses of this fish, wliich on fastr

ivssiippl.v tlifi tables of the rich and poor. In

Jjiisoniiciice of the war between England and

Inain, ercat quantities wore sent over-land to

|alcoiiiili"V; l*"* the stoik-fish simply, cured,

Ihicli in Ocrinany is the most conuiion, is not so

uilin Portugal. Another lish, which is taken

i immense quantities on the coast of Portugal,

llie Stirdinlia, or pilchard ( Sardinia dupcO'

trtltus, Linn,*), which is the food and comfort

[f the poor. It is often also given as food to

vine, Rread, .wine, and sardiuhas, ioiija .the

linncr of the common soldiers, labourers, and

Lilar classes; and 1 have often seen beggars

lib their children's bread with asardinha to give

I a taste. Were this fishery properly carried on,

light supply the place of bacalaho, and would

Ln supply Portugal with fish-oil. The other

ndsof fisii eaten here are the sole, the turbof,

eshad, the conger, the mackareb and the sword-

feli, some of which are very good.

Among the spices used for culinary purposes I

hail only mention cassia from Brasil, which sup-

Llie.< the place of cinnamon, and the pichurim-

ohiK, which is used instead of nutmegs; the

iste is pleasant, somewhat resembling that of

iennel, but very ditTereut from nutmegs.

The first object that must strike every foreign-

r on entering Lisbon, is the badnco of the

olice; the filth of the streets lies- every where in

leaps, which, in the narrow streets where tlie

liii ibea not wash it away, require great skill in

nlkipg, to avoid sinking into them. In one of

lie most frequented streets on the river leading

) the Ribera nova, there is only a narrow path

yioding near the houses; and the reader may

tbrm an idea of the number of people who daily

jise it, the gall^oa with their very heavy bur-

Ihens, which a passenger cannot avoid; while ihc

larti pass as near to the houses as possible, that

Ihe horses may not go in the deepest part of the

Dud; and thus all the dirt and filth is blindly

kpLtshed upon the passengers, in the worst man-

er conceivable. As to the night, the city was

Ibrnierly lighted, but now this practice has

teased; and, as the window-shutters are shut

* In this name I have followed Briiiuiichc and Vandclli,
Ithough I do not believe tlic sardine uf the south to be the

curly, there is no light to diminish the darkness
of these dirty, narrow, ill-paved streets. A host
of dogs without masters, and living on the pub-
lic, wander about like hungry wolves; and, still
worse than these, an army of banditti. Our
friends often expressed their astonishment at our
venturing into Portugal in these times of war;
but I assured them it was by no means so bold
an undertaking, as to go at midnight from Be-
Icm to Maravilhas, at the eastern extremity of
the town.

The government is said annually to appropriate
a considerable suip to cleansing the streets; but
how this money is disposed of is best known to
the intendaiit of the police of Lisbon and of the
wh'>|e kingdom, Dom Diego Ignacio dc Pina
Manique.

The amusements of the carnival arc always'
governed by the rullng^ taste of every nation.
Of what then should they consist at Lisbon?'
Both high and low delight in throwing all kinda
of dirt and filth on the passengers, who in con-
formity to custom, and to avoid q,uarrels, must
bear it patiently.

The high walls of the quintas in the town, the
vacant and deserted grounds, invite to robbery,
and murder, which are still farther favoured by
the badness of the police. Tliese crimes are al-
ways perpetrated with knivei, though all pointed'-
knives are prohibited.

Murders mostly arise from- revenge or jea-
louiiy; robbers ;e generally contented with
threats. The spring is the most daneerous time«.
and I have known every night marked with' some
murder. The boldness of the assassins is asto-
nishing. On a fast-day, in a procession iti«
honour of St. Rochus, a man. was murdered in.
open day in the throng, at five o'clock in the
afternoon. In the summer of the same year a-
man was robbed at noon, between the walls near
the prince of Waldeck's, who was witness to the
trani>action. The cobbers were even so bold a»
to attack coachesv But the criminals almost
always escaped, the compassion of the Portu-
gueze being such that every one assists hina.
in his (light. Tfney exclaim Coutadinho! or,
alas, poor man ! and every thing is done to assist
him. The punishment of deatn is entirely, done
away, and the culprit is sent to the Indies or
Angola; a punishment which by no means gives.

same as the sprat of the north. This is ovidcnfj from those;
which arc daily esposed fur sale in England.

the

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4 ■'!

358

UNK'S TRAVFX8 IN PORTUGAL.

the improssion of death, though the cliroutea of
both aii^ so unwholesome that destruction is cer-
tain.

A great part of these robbers are negroes, of
whom there is a greater number hvse perhaps
than in any other city of Europe, not excepting
London. Manyof them get their bread as trades-
people, not unfrequenlly become good and re-
spectable citizens, and instances occur of (heir
arriving at a high dcj^ree of 8ki^l as artisans. A
larger portion are beggars, thieves, jHTOcurcrs,
and procuresses. Every negro- who has served
his master seven, years in Europe is free, and
then not unfrequently becomes a beggar uidess
he has had a very good master. Great numbers
of (hem ar6 cfupioyed as sailors, and I do notice
any reason why they arc not also cnlis(ed aa
soldiefs.

There is n great number of vagabonds in Lis-
bon, for all idle people from the provinces come
in bodies to the metropolis, and arc permitted
to live in the open town wi(hont impediment.
Hence arise the immense number of beggars,
who partly rove about, and partly remain in
fixed places, crying out continually, and pro-
mising to mention this or that person to Nesta
Scnhora in their prayers. A physician might here
meet with an uncommon number of remarkable
< ntd^cMi^ disorders ; I have often observed a true
l>.>pr«sy, and endeavoured by observa(i<)ns of this-
'kind to render myself insensible to the disgust
they inspire. . These be^ars receive a great deal
in charity, tij(ixiugh a mistaken sense- of piety,
prevalent irtCNttholic countries. TheyaUo often
prac(ii!C aritfices (o obtain charity. I remember
ail t>ld man who fell down before ns through
liuiiger, as he afterwards said, and (hu« imme-
dia(tly obtained from my youthful companion a
considerable piece' of goli; while 1, somewhat
f.oUler, remarked his thea(rical performance,
vvi(hhetd my charity, examined' into the afTair,
and found my suspicions grounded. Another
class of begging is that for souls in purgatory.
I'lic religious fraternities, to whom it properly
belongs to collect these alms, and to have masses
))erforined in a certain church for that purpose,
farm out this employment to certain people, who
post (tiemselves in the neighbonrho«)d of (his
cimrch to beg: for whic'h they generally pay
right milrecs anni.ully, and by this contract fre-
Cj»ienlly gain one bundled milrces a year. Every
thing is done in Portugal pelur amor dc Dcos c

pelas almas, (i.e. for the love of God and of il
souls ) . The monasteries send their fruit, usiuiill
grapes, to be sold in the streets, as it wctc vl
auction, in order to perform masses ford
money. They are cried about the strecu
uvas pclas almas (grapes for the souls); j.,
when the price is asked, the answer is ^encrtu]
considerable. In the Caizuda de Esirdla wj
beggar, who always cried snuff for (he bodIj
Snuff is a great article of necessity for all ranki
for both sexes, for every old man, and ia sboi
for the whole nation. Nor isitdiiKcuUtoobti
the partiality of any of the Common class ofpt
pie, if the traveller but oA'er him a pinch
good snuft'. I saw a beggar-woman put loq
snuff to the nose of her child who was still L
arms. On a botanical excursion near Lisbonj
met a well dressed lady, who asked iiic for
pinch of snuff', as she had lost her box; J
when 1 told her that I never used one. she 2
plied, with an expression of the most violei
grief, estou desesperada ( 1 am quite in ilenpaiil

The porters, watur-carriers, and most of i
servants, come ftMii the Spanish province
Gallicia, and are called Gallegos. These ugefuj
men leave their poor native country, migrating
partly into the other provinces of Spain, pirtfl
into Portugal, to earn money by the gevera
labour, and, in many provinces of Portugal, ai
sist in the harvest. They a r*' extremely laUiriou
and, though avaricious, honest. This cbaracto]
however, is not entirely unspotted. Sometim
they settle in Portugal, and open small tipplii|
and eating houses, or ffrocers' shops, but gent
rally return home ivito the money tlirv ban
gained. . .

The dress of the common people is a vesti.
various colours, a» blue, blaok» dark brown, j^J
over which they wear a mantle with iiaiigii^
sleeves, like the Spaniards, but a three- coriietei
hat, and not a brown cap, vrbicli is < pccului; to
the Gallegos. Young ladies ajso wear a siiniy
mantle, as do both men and women of cunsidcH
able rank, only that they wear them of varioid
colours, and often figured. Deueath this niamlil
a fashionable dress is often ronccailed, similailJ
(bat of London or Paris. Great coats and ruiiiidl
ha(s are quite unusual among the nativinJ
Women of the lower classes weaJr a handkcrciiiell
wound round their head, so (hat a corn<.-r hmm
down behind ; some wear the Spanish iir(, biitl
never the Spanish veil. Auiong the rich, vthol

LINK'S TRAVFLS IN PORTUGAL.

359

I iher respt^cts pursue European fathtons, we
.and tlierc saw one with her hair tied flat he-
i ^vith ii ribband. The female peasants
J Lisbon come to town in a red jacket and a
U pointed velvet cap.

IThey «''" ^°^^ i^^f^ of the nation by Lis-
in run tlie risk of committing frequent errors;
AjgcitY is a rendezvous for all the vagabonds
ftbe whole kingdom, and a great part of the fo-
[fliers of the lower ranks are also the scum of
lur nations. I know that these last are some-
L(,rery docile, and easily fall into the custom
fhiring themselves as banditti; for I know cer»
Ly of serious proposals of this kind being
ide. But I must confess that, notwithstanding
Dumbers of bad people among the lower
and the unworthy manner iu which fo-
ers often act toward the inhabitants, exam-
, gre not wanting of a true and disinterested
Mpitality among the common people. Round
^bon and in tlie villages, however, the true
...ngueze character not unfrequently again ap-
iri, to which I bear testimony of full appro-

tion.

Both the higher and lower classes are fond of
profusion of compliments, which flow in a tor-
it from every mouth. A common peasant
tin^ another takes off" his hat quite low down.
Ids him a long while by the hand, enquires
Rer his health and that of bis family, and does
fail to add, I am at your commands, and
Igur humble servant. This is not a remark
ien from a single instance, for I have heard it
kireniely often from ass-drivers and others of
linilar classes. The rich are said to conceal a
Ijic heart beneath a profusion of polite expres-
|ons. I have nothing to say in defence of the
liglier classes; they are as inferior to the
jpaniards as the common people excel them.
The male sex are not handsome; and a tall
ban is rarely seen, the generality being short,
ht, and square-made. Their features are also
ieldom regular, turned-up noses and projecting

lips being so common as to suggest an idea of a
mixture with negroes. The difference between
the Spaniards and the Portugueze is extremely
striking, the latter being fat, the former meagre,
the noses of the latter turned up, those of tiic
former arched downward, so that they only
agree in their yellow complexions and black eyes.
Of the fair sex, the author of the .ATcw Picture
of Lisbon, who was a Frenchman, and his Ger-
man editor at Leipzig, Tilesius, differ; the
former praising, and the latter censuring them.
In fadt, they have the same defects as the other
sex, being of too low a stature and inclined to
corpulency ; but their countenances are expressive,
and their manners animated and friendly; which,
with very fine eyes, long and uncommonly strong
hair, very white teeth, full breasts, and extreme-
ly beautiful feet, form, in my opinion, a charm>
ing assemblage, and compensate other irrsgula-
rities. Although in Lisbon, as in every other
great city, there is no scarcity of courtesans,
and though, as their doors stand open, every one
may enter, yet they are far less importunate than
in London, or the Palais Royal at Paris. But
to return to ladies of condition. The softer
graces which adorn the beauties of the north are
rarely seen in Portugal ; and perhaps they night
as ill become the fire of Portugueze eyes as a
burning climate can give them birth. Great
beauties, however, may be seen in Lisbon, par-
ticularly when the slender nerthern shape and the
white fine skin of those climates are united with
the advantages of the south, producing as it were
the most beautiful work of nature.

From this charming subject I am obliged to
pass to the uncleanliness of the Portugueze.
On leaving England and entering France every
species of uncleanliness becomes greater and
greater in proportion as we travel southward..
The apartments grow constantly more dirty, the
privies are more horrible, or totally disappear,
and a host of vermin of all kinds swarm round
the traveller in his sleep.

SECTION V.

The Amnsements of Lisbon-~-Fublic Institutions at that City,

^HE society of Lisbon is dull and melancholy,
especially when compared with that of
arge Spanish cities. The inhabitants neither
Vol. 11. No. XCIV.

walk nor ride. In all respects there is very little
luxury, nor are there any fine equipages; and
the coaches, which every rich person keeps, are

4V made

!'j V

I ;'

;ii ii

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1 1

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■v,:^'

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irri

:i v;

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3(J0

LINK'S TRAVFXS IN PORTUGAL

made on the ugly Spanioh model, and drawn by
mules. The desire of keeping many servants,
that species of luxury so destructive to every
country, here also prevails. They are, however,
poorly clad and ill fed, having rice almost every
day. The rich keep >vithin the circle of .their
own families, and the tranquillity of their courts
is scarcely ever disturbed. They spend a part of
the year in their quintas (gardens;) and in Au-
gust and September go to Cintra, Where they see
more of each other. It is a trait of. their
character, that at places, where the richesfc part
of the town assemble together, they dance to one
violin. In general the Portugueze are not fond
of dancing, which is seldom seen among the
common people, except in the market-pluces
sometimes a folia, or Spanish seguedilla, is
danced, and by travellers mistaken for the fan-
dango. For foreigners and the principal Portu-
gueze, as for instance the ministers, a public
asHcmbly-rooni is built, where is a dance every
Thursday. But this is rather an amusement for
the foreigners, who form here a separate class of
society ; the lower orders assemble in cotl'ee-
houscs, ('/cj/V.sj of which there are several in every
street, and often a considerable number. They
are small, dirty, and ill-contrived, and aflbrd
wretched coffee,' bad punch, and other refresh-
ments. The chocolate is bad throughout Por-
tugal, and mixed with a disgusting fat. In
short, it is infinitely inferior to that of Spain.
There is only one tolerable cotfee-house, which
is visited by people of condition, and where at
that time every thing that could be desired might ,
be had, and of excellent quality. The lower
classes resort to the numerous wine houses
(tavei'nas), where a red wine is sold, which
round Lisbon is very bad. I have both here and
in Spain observed that the inhabitants do not ac-
custom themselves to drinking wine, but arc in-
toxicated by a quantity which a German or an
Englishman, after a short residence in this coun-
try, would scarcely feel. ...

One of the principal amusements of the rich
is the Italian opera, which is not supported by
the court, but by private individuals. It was at
that time in all respects excellent, and the singers
have rendered every other opera to me insipid.
The best of these performers was added to it at
the time, when the French occupied Rome and
turned out the Castrati from the great opera.
The house is large and baudsomc, the disposition

of ita parts excellent, and the attention ofiM
manager, that every one should be in his pr
place, very exemplary. Sometimes also j),'
gueze operettas are performed, gciieriilly iJ"^
as afterpieces, in which the Portugue/claii.rn ]
has a pleasing etl'oct in the Italiuu inoiiilj
Zamparini.

Besides the opera-house called hviro dcrj
los, there is u Portugue/e play-house ,.j{i
teatro do salitrc, situated in a narrow lilllcstra
behind the public promoiiude: it h iuucIi l
than the opera-house, very narrow, aiul is u
little visited by persons of condition. UndJ
such circumstances little can be expcrtcd. Hd
no womeh perfcrm, their parts bcinp; (iHodi
men who can scarcely conceal their biMirds,
players are frequently artisans. A sliocmaU
who had been at work all day perfornird aiiKiw
other comical old chn meters, and wa» not til
worst of the actors. The piecea rcpicsmlcd ail
generally translations from the ItiAlian, IcssfJ
quently from other languages, aiul ><till mo]
rarely original. But I have never iiiv«(<lf scono
heard announced even on this stiigo, The Portu
gueze merry-andrew who is culled /o/doJ
All tlie tragedies and serious plays are hudorilJ
performed, nor can any thing be more wrctilj
than the principal lovers. The after- pieces al
wretched farces.

Near this theatre is the place used fur
fights. It is moderately large, qiMdrangulu
and surrounded with wooden biilustradei an!
benches. On one side are boxes (or person* oJ
rank, and one for the corregedor, wholmstlij
superintendence of it; the rest of the scats arq
divided into two parts, the shady, and (heiiunnil
side, ilui former of which is the dearest; aui
consists of wretched wooden benches risinj^ina
an>phitlieatre above each other. In Miiiineti
there were bull-ftghts almost every Sunday ;fro!ii|
twelve to fifteen beasts being killed in an uftrr-f
noon. During the winter this very cruel amuse-l
ment entirely ceases. They stab tlu; b(a<t|
with pikes, and hang oblong pieces of wouj
with sharp iron hooks on his body, and fiC(|iiint-[
ly in such numbers, that the blood rusher, rrtinl
him like a torrent. There is nothing line iiitliiil
exhibition, but the rushing forth of the eiiiagcdj
beast, or the pauses he sometimes ntnke.s in tliel
middle of the square, where he tears np tliel
earth and roars aloud as in defiance.

Now that I am speaking of amusements, I'

. ».r ■■; i Dlllitl

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

961

j„ot forget tUe religion of the country, whicli

imidioot this peninsula constitutcii an impor-

L 1 part of these. For in fiict people go (o

L^bccaiis*' they have no other walk: they love

r (crcnionie!) of religion as a paHtiine, and

llmv processions as they would go to an opera.

(H'Vi book of travels in Portugal we (ind ac-

Ly,,!, of amours, to which the mass has given

Ljjjon, and as usual this is also exaggerated.

Is vouiiff women scarcely ever go out hut to

lasi, it is natural to suppose that love would

L iieirlcct this single opportunity, and it is

Lallv natural that the female heart should be

Etailicd to those places, where it tirst experienced

Lpli-aqiig emotions of passion, and of devo-

L). h) the country the object of an evening

talk H frequently an image of the virgin, where

lie kneel down to pray, then rise up. and

L'liand joke as before. In general the Por-

Lueze very strictly observe the exl«!rnal signs of

L|j|rion, even perhaps more than the Spaniards;

|,(j iKtiin cut meat on a fa>rt day, but those who

Irenmsiilerably enlightened*.

The inclination of the Portuguezc merely to
Ibserve (he ceremonies of religion is evidently (he
Liseof this diminution of fanaticism, and also
If several good customs that prevail. Whoever
Lsanv money bu>8 a permibsion to work on fast-
lavs, m consequence of which the fields and
ijiieyards round Lisbon are full of labourers on
Joine rather important fasts. In regard to pub-
lic business, Sunday is observed much more strict-
Iv ill London than in Lisbon. This inclination,
liiilpfd, of the people is attended with much
rrtitcr disadvantages: for, hence they continue
l^va^s ignorant, and arc the dupes of an equally
biorant priesthood.
Lisbon is by no means destitute of literary in-

* I was onco much amused at hcarin<r a quost'ion
Lll.itod, whctlicr it was a greater sin to i-ul meat on a
■j>l.ilay, ur to violate the sixdi commuiulincnt ; wlien
Ihe ^I'liiTitl .-inswLT was, that t ho latter was a tiille, eoiii-
liarcil to the former. Nottvithstaiulirig this, neither the
ptitiii nor the common people are so fanatical as in Spain.
Df lliisi cniiicl rotate many individual traits, but 1 will con.
Ii'iit myself with a few. I was present at a procession at
St. I'bcs, where two captains of .ships, a Dane and an
polish man, ^^uli'ered the host to pass them, without taking
lol) their hats. Of this no one took notice, except a For.
Jtiigiii'zc sailor, who asked who were those |)eoplu with
Ihcir hats oil. The answer was sao Ingkzcs Jideputas,
Itbry arc Eiiglisli suns uf b— — s), and nothing more was

stitutions. The first and most important is>
doubtless, the academy of sciences, founded by
(he present queen iinincdiatcly after the beginning
of her reign, that she might contribute something
to the advancement of literature, which Pombal
had not. The president is the duke of Lafocs,
of the royal house of Hragan/u, generalissimo of
the forces, and one of the first personages in (he
country. The duke has travelled abroad, is a
favourer of learned men, and, although he has
many peculiarities, is by no means unenlightened
or destitute of talents. The secretary is Doui
Jose Correa da Serra, now in London, where \
had the pleasure of becoming acquainted willi
him, and found him to be a man whoso science,
talents, and enlightened mind, do honour to his
country. With (hese qualities it was natural he
should have quarrels with the iiiquisitioti, in coii-
setinence uf which he thought it prudent to live
abroad. He continues, however, (o ctijoy hi»
olTu-e, and his 8ubs(i(utc is Dom Pnincisco de
IJorja Gar^ao Stockier, who also had stmic trou-
ble (Ml account of his eulogiinn on D'Alembert,
which was (ou free and well written I'tM' this cotui-
try. The academy have already done much for
(he advancement of science, and have published
six volumes of JMemorias da Littcratura Portu-
i^ucza, consisting in great measure of papers ou
(he hi$(ory and laws of Portugal. Then follow
(hr»;e parts of JMcmorids evouomicun, atuong
which are many excellent papers, and two parts
of pri/.e memoirs, the first on the metliod of
cultivating and maiuiring land, ami the second
on the vine. For some years past these publica-
tions have been interrupted. In 1797, appeared
the first volume of their larger treatises, in
(|uarto, very handsomely printed, in which are
several papers that deserve attention. Added to

said. When the Prince of W'aldeck was buriml, I heard
one of the common people say, " he was a heretic, but u
very good man." Upon this 1 mixed with the crowd, and
heard nothing but praises of the worthy prince, who was
even carried to the heretic cemetery. I heard also, that hu
had refused on his death-bed the accnslomcd solicitatinns t»
become a cathalick, and found, to my great astonishment,
his conduct generally approvetl, '' because every one should
live and die in his religion." The Portuguezc consider
every foreigner as a heretic, yet ar(( p(dit<', and ready to
serve thcni, and even express surprise when they meet with
a foreigner who is a catholick. This trait shews how muc!»
of their anticnt bigotry this nation have lost, owing probabl/
to their comrource with the Euglish.

•• - • •' . ' • tlicse^

I 'i

1 V

C' k'

m^M

,1: •:

'62

LINICS TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

these, the at" ad iray have in their printing-office
several work" for publication, of which I ^all
name the Flora Cocliinchiivmsis by Loureiro*.

Ill Jct.niiary, 1799, was instituted a geogra-
phical academy, particularly relative to Portu-
<^-al, <he members of which have already com-
pleted a new map of that counfry now ready for
publication. All the maps of Portugal are ex-
(rnnely detective. *•

Tlie college of the nobles, in a very handsome
and extjnsivc building, founded in i7Gl; the
(icadeinia real das guardas marinhas, founded in
1782, the academia real da marinha in 1779,
and the academia real da fort{ficacao in 1790,
have also their protestors, call.'d lades', but all
these institutions arc in a weak and lir.jt'orinc:
state. Besides these there are, at Lisbon, pro-
fessors paid by the government for the instruction
of youth. There is in fact no want of means,
the defect is in the choice of them, the requisite
taste for knowledge not having yet been found,
and no one knowing how to impart it.

There are public libraries in Lisbon, which,
thovrgh far from ranking in the first class, are by
no means so bad as some travellers would describe
who had merely taken a cursory view of them.
But it is very unjust to complain, because we
happen to be too much alarmed at the voluminous
Acta Sanctorum, to take (he trouble of asking
for any other book. The principal of these
libraries, which is in the large building in the
Pra9a do Commercio, contains many works of
importance, and even some papers on natural
history. I am better acquainted, however, with
the library in the bencdictine monastery of Nossa
Senhora de Jesus, as I lived nearer to it. Here
is a very complete collection of Portugueze and
modern Spanish literature; nor is there any want
of French works, as; for instance, a complele
set of the Enct/clopedie par Ordre des JMali^rcs.
Next to French literature that of Italy is most
abundant, still n.ore, though it might not be
expected, than the English, which the Portu-
gueze seldom learn, though they are always
reading French. In short, both these libraries
may be compared with many of the public
libraries in considerable towns in Germany. A
third library, that of the monastery of San Vin-

* All books treating of scientific subjects are printed at
the expense of the queen, the number of readers being too
•mall for any bookseller or printer to gain by them. Hence

cente de fora, is indeed not open to the piiblidJ
but it is suificient to be once introduced to
always admitted. It contains a very come
collection of even the smallest Portuo^ufal
works, °

There are many booksellers' shops in [,is^
tlie masters uf which, however, have no foreimi
business. 1 shall only name the widow Brrtranll
and s(m, near the church of Nossa Scnbora (IhI
Martyrpa acima do Xiado. New Portiiguf,
works are easily procured there, and at tiiej
prices marked in the printed catalogue. EaJ
book has a price prefixed, and ii;c booksellerii
contented with a moderate profit.

The royal museum at Ajuda deserves also (J
be seen. It will not, indeed, bear a coinpurijonl
with that of Pari«, or even that of Madrid; it|
is small, not a single class is well stocked, andij
contains fewer specimens from Brasil than mlM
be expected. There are, however, some ciiriouil
specimens; and, among others, one very singulafl
of copper ore, found in a valley two ieajuejl
from Cachocira, and fourteen from Haliia, iJ
weight, according to Vandelli, is two thousaull
six hundeed and sixteen pounds, its greatestl
length being three feet two incfies, its greatest!
breadth two feet and half an inch, and its^reat-f
est thickness two feet four inches. Tlie uppetj
surface is uneven, being here and there cu\cr(jl
with malachite and iron ochre, and on onesidcitiil
foolishly polished, and bears an ii'scriplionT
Hence mineralogists will perceive how singulatl
this specimen is of its kind.

Besides the royal museiun, that of tl)eMar-|
quis of Angeja contuins some specimens worthl
seeing, especially some diamonds from Biajill
embedded in argillaceous iron-stone, as noaradl
could judge. There is another museum Id ttiel
monastery of S. N. de Jesus, chiefly coiiMstinjI
of shells, but containing many specimcm ofj
value.

The royal hospital of San Jose is a very goojl
institution, and the sick are well attended. Ill
the beginning of 1797 there were, according til
the Court-calendar, one thousand and eightj-r
eight patients; during that year, fourteen thou*!
sand, eight hundred and eighteen persons werel
brought in, of whom thirteen thousand, twol

literature is in its infancy, little being written, and litentjl
fame nnkuown ; nor can any thing serve literary men bit I
family or other conuexioiis. I

hundred I

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

3<53

fo «>o P.lb„c|

'•■"(liiccd fo 1

!a Senh

!w Port

"fa dosi

and at (1,1

f*'«g"e- Eackl
bookseller i

eservcs also t,|
f a <;«'np„ri,„„[
"f aiadrid; iti
stocked, and ill
»sil than miglitl
r, some ciiriuuil
'evi>rysing,||J
-^^ two league,!
>ni Kahia. I(,f
' two (housamil
S' jfs greatcitj
'es, its greatpstj
, and ifspreat-C
'■ 'file iippefj
there ancM
onoiu'sideitiJ
»n ii'.scri|)(ioD,l
! how siiigulajj

it of <Iie Mar. I
ecitnons worihj
» from Biasill
le, us near as I
luseum ill (jiej
tidy e»)t)sistiiij;|
speciiuem of I

is a verygooii|
attended, la I
according to I
i and eightj.f
burtecn t!iou>|
I persuus were I
lousand, twol

ten, and liten^l
literary men ball

hundrrdi

Ured wd thirty-five were dismissed cured,
»i,niniand five hundred and seventy-nine died,
1 one thousand and ninety-one remained. Be-
tlic account of it in the calendar, which
(not always be trusted, ithas in its favour com-
fn ri'poi'*> even that of foreigners, who gene-
jjvcoiiiplai" of every thing in Portugal. There
[' besides, ati English and a Danish hospital
Liirted by individuals of those i.ations.
[Every physician must have studied at Coimbra,
ilnrocurctl a licence from the protoracdicus of
kboiito practise physick in Portugal; but it is
[requisite to take a doctor's degree, which
Lv seldom do. In Lisbon itself, as usual, they
eless strict than in other towns, and foreign

physicians are suffered to do as they please.
Edmund More, an English physician, was at
that time in the highest repute. It must not,
however, -i supposed that all the Purtugueze
physicians are altogether ignorant, for here and
there is a clever man, and the university of Co-
imbra is not entirely barbarous. Many also pur-
sun tlieir studies at Paris, and, of late, even at
Edinburgh. Almost in e\t'ry street is a small
apothecary's shop; but these are under no re-
gulations, and frequently very bad. IMuny of
thctn, however, aOer trials I have made of them,
(lid not deserve the censures which some travellers
have, without examination, bestowed on them.

SECTION VL

J'illagcs round Lisbon — Q.uelus, the Royal Rcddcncc — The Mountains of Cintra.

\S the south side of the river, notwithstand-
ing the sandiness of the country, and the
iiiial succession of heaths and pine-forests,
■ village follows another, being generally situ-
lon creeks of the river, and supported by the
afic carried on by that medium with Lisbon.
lound these places is a great quantify of garden-
it, and very good vines are grown here and
|cre, which, with attentive cultivation bn the
[ndv plains of this warm country, succeed
Ifv well. It is to be lamented, there is no ac-
Utn these places but by water, and that during
icfbh several swamps appear, which, particularly
hunimcr, corrupt the ai''. Barroco de Alva is
known for its insahibiious air, nor is Coiuia
any means a healthy place. On the last creek
ilie eastward, is a markel-town called Aldea
lillega, of whici: 1 have already spoken, and on a
not far from thence a market town called
lliiiila, through which lies the road to S't. Ubes, a
Dusiuerable place, though not so closely built as
iii'fornier Farther along the batik of the river it-
k!f are the heaiiliful market -tow OS of Al bos vedros,
tavradio, celebrated f(»r its good wine, and
Jarreiro. Here begins a second creek, \\liich
ilcnds to the market-town of Couna, through
liich is the road to A'/eytao. Near this pla'-e
|iii(ksilv(?r has been found in the sand, Mhich
; alternates with strata of clay containing
pnie iron, for which reason trenches are cut,
nd it is intended to make some further attempts
If this kind.
Vol, II, No. XCIV.

Then follows the last creek, with the market-
town of Seixal, which is the least of all, and
through it lies the road to Cezimbra, a town
which supplies Lisbon with a great quantity of
fish. In the angle where the stream grows
narrow, is the mark,et-town of Casilhas, the
usual lan^'ing place in going up the river from
Lisbon, as the landingis alwaysgoodthere without
waiting for the flood. The inarket-townof Mon-
tella, and thesmall town otAlmada, are only a quar-
ter of a league from Casilhas. Thus in a space
of five leagues, or about four German miles, are
no less than ten considerable, well-built, and
populous market-towns, without reckoning the
numerous villages and hamlets; from which an
idea may be formed of the lively scene the banks
of this river afl'ord.

Below Almada on the bank of the river, is a
large English hospital for .^iailors, particuhirlv for
the fleet, and a considerable inaga/ine of wine.
From hence the bank continues high and hilly,
the towns and villages lying in the hollows be-
tween the hills. A tower strengthened bv a few
cannon and soldiers, called tone icUiu or old
tower, answers to the opposite tower of liclem.
A village called Porto Brandao, the landing-
place in crossing the river from Belem, lies in
another hollow; but the houses contiiii;e for a
league inland to Caparica, where good wine is
also produced. Close to the mouth of the river
is the great fishing village of Trafleria, and
round the point gf the village uf Acosta consiating

4z ;f

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iim

WiiSiiki

.«<»f»n..,j«w!«ic;wB»»i«a

364

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

;

<^f only small houses, ivhich have the appearance
of wooden sheds, and are dispersed alone the
beach. The inhabitants are a bold half-wild race
of fishermen, who venture far out to sea, and
are considered at Lisbon as the refuse of the na-
tion. From the point, a sand-bank, which is
covered at flood, runs out into the sea as far as a
large fortified tover, which with the opposite
fortification covers the entrance into the harbour.
It is properly called the fort of San Lourcn90, but
generally the torre de Bugio, serving as a place
to keep prisoners, till they arc scut to the Indies
or Angola.

To Aldea Gallega, M outa, Coiina, Casilhas,
and Porto Rrandao, daily patket-boats take pas-
sengers for a trifle. In windy weather, this con-
veyance is very dangerous, as the stream is very
rapid, and the boat-men uncommonly careless ;
so ihut misfortunes frequently happen. The
tnH'H uAiik of the river extends much farther iiiiu
rhe sea before it forms the cape, or cabo de
llocca*.

Fort San Juliao, and fort San Antonio, arc
the only two of any importance round Lisbon.
These are sufficient to prevent a fleet from enter-
ing, but, if once entered, it would have all
Lisbon at its mercy, and might with perfect
case level it with the ground f.

Between Oeyras and the villageof Carcavelos,
the sweet wine is produced which in England is
called Lisbon, and in the country itself wine of
Carcavclos. The vineyards are enclosed in gar-
dens, on a gentle declivity toward the sea, and
the uuist is generally scut to Lisbon, where it is
made into wine.

Two leagues beyond Belem among high hills,

• The following are the princip;!! pl.iccs along this liank ;
below IJci-m is a square tower callrd Torre du Bcli'm, for.
tificd with rannon, which no vessel must pass till it has been
TisitiMl. Near this tower are several liattcries, as niso along
the bank from hence to fort San Juliao. This small irregular
fort, commonly railed San CJiao. is built on a rocky point,
and extremely well covers the entrance of the harbour : the
passage into which is ditlinilt, being very narrow, and a
bink of stones called OS cachopos, lying obliqnely before
the entrance; but if the f.)rts and batteries are not very
strong, nature has done much for the protection of (he
harbour. A qnartor of a league front it, inland, is thf
mnall town of Oej ras, auti, two leai^ues farther down, the
small town of C'ascaes, rather a onsiderable and not ill-
built place, standing on a strip of land under which ships
niav lie. Near this town is the small fort "f San Antonio ;
bat from hence a considerable way to the northward, is a
high broken rock without any landing-place ; the bank to
the southward is skirted with considerable sand-banks.

i it is therefore soinuwliat bingular^ that both thcs

in an enclosed solitary vale, is the royal resjil J
of Quelus. Neither the castle, nor tlic adin j
quinta are worthy of remark, but the ro'jl
planted with magnolias, geraniums fron,
cape, and similar plants, which here sue
well. There are a few small houses round!'
castle, which, however, do not form a ,j||
Here the court resides in the greatest tranquil)^
excepting on a few fixed days, which arcdawl
gala: but the queen at this time, in coiiscquJ
of the melancholy state of her mind, no lo,,
appeared. The prince regent was luit brou,
up for the throne, of which he first came toil
expectation on the death of his elder i)iotlie,l
prince who was much beloved and \mi\h
and who died of the sinali-pox.

Jlalf a league from Quelus is a market-toJ
called Bella.s, with a pleasant quinta belongiJ
to the Conde de Pombeiro and a very good id
Beyond this place, toward Cinira, aresomeii
neral spring?, near which is a house for the i
ception of invalids. A (|uinta serves asapr]
nienade, but very little use is made of it. "n
whole coimtry roimd is basalt or linie-stoi]
sand-stone also appears, and from these
springs arise, which, from the opportuiiitiej]
had of trying them, appeared vitriolatcd, ifit|
out having much oxygen. These springs i
enclosed that they may not be used tu proem
abortion, as has sometimes happened. On til
opposite side of Bellas, at about a lea<riie di]
tance, amid lime-stone hills, the water tor tj
great aqueduct of Lisbon is collected from J
rious sources within the same building. TliJ
hills are very dreary and barren.

To the north west of Lisbon tises a high ruJ

and the towns of Oeyras and Cascaes, should bo j;arri-o'(
by Knglish troo))s, or such at least as are in the Hn^lJ
pay. In general all the emigrant and I'^ni;li4h regiment! i|
collected in and about Lisbon ; the regiment uf Dillon witk
at Cascaes, ati hlnglish rejjinieii' '' infantry at Ortn
English dragoons at IK'lem and C'^ras, aSwics
in the Knglish |Hiy and the royal emigres at IWlei
and the regiment of Montemar and Oastres at Liiibol
after the departure of gi'iieral Stuart with nianyiroo^
for the expedition against Minorca. Many political mn|
in I7!>7and 1708 may be evplained by these ciriumsiaiiw
for hence appears the reason why I'ortiigal could not mil
an advantageous peace with France*, Lisbon and lis hi/
Ikiuc being in fact in the hands of the Knglish, It appi
singular that the Fortngueze government should ihiKsnfi
its hands to be bound; yet it must be allowed that «i|
great address they boun i the hands of the French diiriJ
that critical period. i^>rtainly, however, to leave Port!
gal, that most important country to I'.ngland, in peace i
the greatest uf the follies the Frcoch at that time comuitiif

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

5(75

Lf inountatin full of peaks, forming the back-

nd of a charming landscape. These are the

^ "untains of Cintra, which lie North-east and

th-west, ending: in the Cabo de Uocca.

ItI e (iistaiicfi from Lisbon to the market-town of

If lira is f'""" leagues. The country on this side

If Lisbon is far from pleasant, the road lying

r Jj arid stony hills of lime-stone or sand-stone

lierangeof mountains itself consists of granite

I niposcd of clear white quartz, a somewhat

UdU felspar, and black mica, against which

j a white or foliaceous lime-stone, or a

Woper stiiik-stone. The south side toward Lis-

Ln is arid, naked, parched up, consists of bare

lie?i)ed-up rocks, and affords a wild, desert,

Idrtlrv prospect. But every thing is changed

Llieii we pass round the mountain to the north

Lc of this range, and enter Cintra. Here the

Liole declivity is to a certain height covered with

Icountry-houses and charming nuintas, forming a

lihady wood of the finest trees, such as oaks of

Iwrious kinds, pines, lemons, and other fruit-

ijees. Every where streams issue from the rocks,

land form cool mossy spots. Toward the sura-

Lt of the mountain naked rocks are wildly heap-

jed together. On one of the high points, floating

lis it were in the air, is seen a monastery, and on

laiiotlicr the ruins of a moorish castle. Where

jlbequintas cease begins a thick hut low coppice

lof strawberry tree, privets, buckthorn, and tlic

jrare sweet willow, which, with other vegetable

linliabilants of the island of Madeira, have strayed

Ihithor. A line prospect of the well-cultivated

hallev of Colares, of the great monastery of Ma-

Ifra. and of the sea, complete the beauties of the

ISCfi'it".

The houses at Cintra lie dispersed in a pictu-

Ircsque manner over the declivity of the mountain.

\\\m also is a royal castle, formerly the residence

(of several kings. Cintra is the summer residence

lof the rich inhabitants of Lisbon, but especially

(of the foreign merrhants, and of the Portugueze

ttho are connected with foreign houses. Here

[also are seen a great part of the ministry, and

(other diplomatic persons of high rank. The

months of Aiiu;ust and September, when every

lliini^ is parched up round Lisbon, arc passed

here i)n mountains that abound in water, verdure,

land shade. It would not be believed that art has

done anything to rend(!r this abode agreeable,

[nor has it, except in forming shady quintas.

The country houses arc very indifferent when
compared with their inhabitants, being generally
small and inconvenient for pers("^.s of rank. The
promenades alone are formed by nature. Cintra
is the abode of love; for in the midst of summer
the coolness of the nights is charming, and the
dispersion of the houses, the rocks, gardens, and
woods, afford innumerable opportunities ut
amorous solitude. Cintra is less celebrated in
Portugueze poetry than might be expected; but
foreigners love i*. very much, and have laid out
the best spots. Camocns speaks of this moun-
tain with a miserable conceit: " Cintra," says he,
" where the concealed naiads fly from the sweet
bonds to the cool fountains, where love, howevofi
softly binds them in his net, and lights up flaming
fire-brands even in the water."

To the west of Cintra, at the foot of this range
of mountains, is a market-town called Colares,
celebrated for its orchards, che^nut woods, and
wine. A great part of the fruit that is consumed
in Lisbon comes from hence. Apples are parti-
cularly abundant and good, and the best table-
wine is produced there. Parties of pleasure are
frequently made from Cintra to this place. Upon
this lofty mountain, to the westward, is a small
monastery of capuchin'-, built between rocks, and
called Cork monastery, the rocks being cased
with cork. The loneliuer,? of the scene, the naked
and dreary range of mountains, from which the
spectat»)r has an extensive view of the sea, and
this poor little monastery, sometimes entice fo-
reigners away from Cintra; and hence it has un-
deservedly acquired its reputation. Its elevation
and vicinity to the sea cause a great accumulation
of clouds and moisture, to remedy which the
coating of cork upon the walls is very useful. In
winter anow is not unfrequent here, though it
never lies. Toward Cabo de Rocca the moun-
tains become lower and lower, ending in a flat,
desert, naked, lonely ridge, which forms the
cape. Near the extremity is a light-house, and
not far from it a small chapel. On this naked
plain the storms rage with great violence, the sea
bursts with vehemence against the rocks, and iu
very deep in their vicinity. From hence are seen
the mountains of Mafra; and opposite is the cor-
responding cape, Cabo de Espichel. Farther to
the northward is another chain of mountains,
parallel to those of Cintra, with which it unites
by high and detached mountains, the Ctibe^a de

Montachiquc

^1! 8", '■;

1,: ■

y ■ .-:

■If'!

366

LINK'S TRAVEI.S IN PORTUGAL

Montachique and others. From the sea these
mountains appear like a lofty amphitheatre.
This chain of mountains consists of thick and

foliaceous lime-stone. On the part whicli
toward the sea is the castle of Mafra with itsim
mense monastery.

.1 !

SECTION VII.

Journey to St. Ubes, ^ilcacer do Sal, Gvandola — Description of the Scrra da Arralnda — St, [j , I
— Journey into the J^'orthcm Provinces — From Lisbon to Citldas dc Rainlia. '

IN April, 1798, we crossed the river to Couna,
which is generally considered a« a distance of
three leagues, and thence proceeded to the small
town of Azeytao. The road lies chiefly across
sandy heaths and pine-woods, the soil hciug
better cultivated only round the town. There
are many cork and olive-trees, and at length
vineyards and Helds. The town consists of small
houses, has a manufactory of cottons, a dyehousc,
five hundred and tifty-two houses, and two thou-
sand three hundred and forty-two inhabitants, or
less than five to a house.

I cannot forbear here to introduce a remark on
the population of Portugal. According to the
last lists, the present minister of police found
the number of houses in Portugal to be seven
hundred and forty-four thousand nine hundred
and eighty. In Lisbon and Oporto alone can we
reckon five or more inhabitants to each house, in'
the maritime towns generally about five, but in
the inl.uid towns certainly not so many. The
small houses of these country towns are occupied
only by one family, frequently consisting only of
a man, his wife, and one child; nor are the
common people very prolific, not having the
means of supporting many children. Of this
Azeytau is an example. It is a manuiacturing
place, which also carries on a considerable trade
in wine and oil, being situated between the two
harbours of Lisbon and St. I.^bes; vet the popu-
lation is very small, not being snliieient for the
harvest, for a hundred and eighteen labonrers
come annually from Aveiro in the province of
Ceira, to assist them.

Close to Aldea dos Mouros rise pleasant hills
covered with a grove of laurel and laurustitms,
upon which are also the remains of a ruined castle.
Here the Serra da Arrabida appears in front to
the southward rather as a high, steep, and naked
range of mountains. The valley between these

hills and the mountains is a heath of tlio \)^,[[(\
kind, entirely covered with beaiififul (;il| ,jj,;j
and other rare plants. The Serra dii ArrabidJ
rises to the eastward, at Palmella, vervraniilyl
out of the sandy plain, takes a due vvpstcrlvdi.l
rection, forming the Cabo Espiehel, aiul cniisisJ
ofa grey dose limestone which breaks iiishivfrj
The part beyond Aldea dos Mouros is the liioli
est. On the north side the mountains are sleesl
and not covered with rocks, but, like niostliinc.!
stone mountains, with small loose stones, wMM
render the ascent extremely diflicult; nor is any!
fine and luxurious vegetation seen, excepting ijij
the hollows where the brooks take llieir ris.f
The south side rises strait out of the sea, is en-|
tirely covered with <oppice, and has likewise i
the hollows pleasant groves. Mere is the nionji-l
tery of Arrabida, from which the range ofmoiin-l
tains and the province take the name of tliosj
Franciscans. This high mountain, rovoredwiihl
trees and thickets, rising immediately out of tliel
sea, forms a singular and novel view ; iiiul tlicl
prospect from the highest point is niagniliceiitl
and surprising.

The lime-slone from this part is very marWvJ
and was employed in l)uil(ling the nionajjlcrvdi
Mafaa. The north side of the mountain fiirni4<)(
pasture for goats and sheep, but was lornKnlval
chace, as tht^ south side is now. These llodonf
sheep are considered as the cause of the want of|
cultivation.

At the eastern extremity this range of moun-l
tains rises suddenly with the round and alni(i<
conical mounf.iin on which is the con^idcraMcl
inoniJstery of Palmella, of the military or(lor(f|
Santiago, with a village, and is seen at an ex-
traordinary distance, on this, for the most part,!
naked mountain. The prospect from thiseiniiiciuej
is very extraordinary and singular in its kind. Atl
the foot of it lies St. Ubcs with its harbour aiiil|

c.\trciiic!}-

XINICS TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL;

36' V

L fflely-well cultivate* plain; directly in front
jjh, naked, stony ridge of mountains; to

riffht'is Lisbon, with its river, harbour, and
Jl rich high bank ; and, if the spectator turns
t A he discovers the black desert waste of
lJf\o. Such a range of mountains, wi<li two
Uerable harbours, a desert, and very fertile

(3 of country, form a most striking contrast.
riiis range of mountains extends from hence
I ftrtiier to llic westward, between St. llbcs
jAzeytao: then between Aldoa do? Mauros
Klieiipa onward. To the soiitluvard of the
t.iiicutioned place, along the north side of (he
Lntiiii, lies the line estate of Callieriz, the
iDfr of which, Dom Alexandre dc Sousii, c«)n-
jjiiles much to the iaiprovement of rural

gtili farther to the westward, but on the south
[ of the mountains, in a hollow surrounded
liteep rocky naked summits, and close to the
I is the small town of Cezimbra. The har-
ijrii small and ill-protected, and close behind
[town, on a mountain, is an old castle, which
^ciifarand wide. This part is uncommonly
led and barren. The town is supported by
fishery, and sends a great quantity of fish to

Ibon.

riic higher summits of the mountains here
Lstof limestone, then follow strata of rounded
itU, or large-grained sand and slate-clay, in
[ich appear coali pyrites, and native sulphur.
This range of mountains ends in the Cabo de
I, which with the Cabo de Rocca forms
'. mouth of the Tagus. The height of the
[iDor cape is much more considerable than that
jllie latter; but it is only on the south side,
kkcn off quite abruptly. On the west side the
[livity indeed is very steep, but may be ascend-
andi is covered with bushes and rocks. On
i farthest point, besides the light house, is a
jiH ttiiirch, with a miraculous picture of the
fill, This cllurch, dedicated to Nossa Sen-
Ira d(> Cabo, forms the centre of a building,
liii which long wings extend on each side,
liistiiig of two stories, and containing a great
111) small aparflneuta, furnished with wooden
Vrs and tables, but without windows, for the
(of (he devout, who come hither as pi'grims.
Itlie beginning of May, every year, thefe is a
ptt'wioii.ol them from Belem to rorto Brandao,
thciice through the dessert heaths aud pinc-
.01, 11. No. XCIV.

♦ III Portiigucze Sctiival. The

woods ; and sometimes the prince of Ilrasil takes
part in these pilgrimages, passing his time in
hunting. This cape indeed is the plea.santest in
Portugal, the country round is well cultivated,
single houses being every where interspersed, the
hills cheerful and gay, aud the naked summit
adorned with the above mentioned building.

Here also the u|)per stratum is entirely lime-
stone, and beneath is a stratum of saud-stone, in
which, especially on the declivity toward tlie
sea, we found abnmlance'of charcoal. Under
this is linu'-stone with substances appearing like
petritications, as also happens at Porto Brandao
and even on the north side of the Tagus round
Lisbon.

St. llhcs* is situated at (he extremity of the
Serra da Arrabida, on the south side, where the
country is very pleasant through the variety it
exhibits To the westward the mouth of the
Sado is 30 wide, that it appears a considerable
bay formed by a strip of land on the opposite
side, which, with this high range of mountains,
also constitute the narrow entrance of the har-
bour. As far as the eye can see, a high steep
declivity, covered with thickets and woody
hollows, extends along the sea. To the north-
east, toward the charming mountain of Palmella,
is a fertile spot watered by brooks and adorned
with quintas, plantations of orange-trees, and
vineyards. BlacK heaths and pine-woods to the
southward and eastward increase by contrast the
charms of this rich prospect.

A fort, called San Philipe, covers the harbour,
and a tower fortified with cannon, called Torre
de Outao, together with a light-house, are situated
in the hollow of the mountains, besides which
several bastions are raised here and there. The
entrance is also difficult, and the channel very
narrow, so that the fortifications may fully
answer their purpose. The town is small, con-
sisting of narrow dirty streets and small houses;
but the strand is broad and neat, being adorned
with superior houses occupied by the rich inha-
bitants, who mostly reside in this part, and pro-
vided with a good pavement along the water's
edge. The walls of the old town and its gates
still remain. St. Ubes iy *he seat of :i corre<>-edr
and contains five churches and nine religious
houses; a large number in proportion to not
much above two t'lousand housee.

The trade of St. Ubes consists in wine, which
5 A i,

ancient name was Cofobrlca. T.

if
I >

T 1

^ iAi

4 I

I. '1

} -

• r t ^

'I A

368

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL

'Ik

Bi'-

,r,t^

\r-

k-^

'M-

.*'"

§^-

.\iaatli

%-,:■'.

(wlk

w<-

Ba.*.

111
ill

4'}

is here very good, and various kinds of it are ex-
ported. Good muscadcl is here also produced.
Oranges are likewise exported ; but the best trade
of St. Ubcs is in salt, which is taken principally
by Danish and Swedish ships. Tile salt-pans lie
in great numbers along the Sado and its branches,
being called in Portugueze marinhas. They are
dug square, about three feet deep, and salt-
water is introduced on one side from the sea, at
flood, through canals which extend in inntimc-
rable branches, and are shut when the pans are
full*.

The fishery of St. Ubes was formerly much
celebrated, but has since greatly fallen off. In
former times the towns of Sinos, St. Ubcs, and
Alcacer were much connected in the fishing
trade f.

Opposite St. Ubes, on the narrow strip of
land that forms the entrance of the harbour, are
the remains of an ancient city called Troya. Many
walls are still seen, and a number of square
pavements, formed of small angular stones bound
together with cement, being probably either the
sites of houses or the courts belonging to them.
Similar ornamental paved courts arc found in the
remains of old moorish buildings^.

We ascended the Sado to Alcacer do Sal ( or

• The water is often previously collected in large re-
servoirs, called governos, from which it is .afterwards
distributed into the marinhas, where, being evaporated,
the salt is collected in the month of June, and kept cither
in wooden shcdii or in heaps, which arc piotected against
the rain by riiiihcs. Of this salt a considerable quantity
seemed to be in store. It is large>grained, becomes but
little moist in the air, and excels in purity the marine salt
collected in other provinces of the south of Europe, or in
other parts of Portugal. Thus a quantity of salt is pre.
))arcd on the banks of the Tagus above Lisbon, round
Av'ciro, \;c. The salt.tradc to Brasii is farmed by the
/Government to a merchant.

+ la 1796, the following ships entered and sailed from
the port of St. Ubeii, viz. scvcniy.onc Americans in, seven-
ty.two out; four from iiremcn in, three out; a hundred
and forty-five Danish in, a hundred and forty.sevcn out ;
one Spanish inwards; ten Hamburgers in, six out; forty-
six English in, forty.livc out; eight Lulicck in, seven out;
eight Oldenburg in, six out; thirterii I'ortngueze in, nine-
teen out; sixty-eight Prussian in aiul out; four from
Paponburg in, three out; two R<i;i;iisan in and out; a hun-
dred and seventy-sevLU Swedes iu, and a hundred and seven-
ty-three out.

ta 17&7, thi" '" "owing ships entered fiisbon : one hun-
dred *nd fift^ ,,t\\r .Anu'ritan and one man of war
in, one hundrtd and sixt^-oiie out; ten from Bremen
in, eli'ven out; two hundred and eighteen Danish in, two
iiundiid and tweuly-niiie out; one French iu and out;

Salt-castle) the banks ef the ri'vcr beinpi
salt-pans, and cultivated to some distance k i, J
which the desert heaths begin. Tfje j^j "''
village of Alcacer consists of about six hu !j
and fifty houses, but mostly' small. It ho
ajui/, defora, and belongs to the CorajJ]
St. Ubes. Travellers generally pass through'tl
place to Beja and Algaryia, as they cangof!j
j St. Ubes to Alcacer, a distance of eight L»

by water. Much corn also from upper Aleinll
j is shipped here for St. Ubes and Lisbon. vJ
! this town are the remains of a castle much s
^ of in Portugueze history. The country j-
excepting a few hills of sand -breccia.

From hence to Grandola, we hail three IcafJ
of desert Handy heaths and pine-woodsj and vJ
little cultivated land. This town (or vi||j1
said to contain eight hundred honsos, buttlia
excepting two, are small and bail, and tliisplj,
compared with Alcacer, is very dead. SoiTic«y
and oranges however are produced in the npj
bourhood. Beyond the town, the Serra dcGnj
dola proceeds in two ranges, one behiud i
other, from east to west, forming the last mod
tains as far as the frontiers of Algarvia.
Serra is not high, but extremely arid, andcl
sists of a fine-grained argillaceous sand-stoi

nine Genoese in, thirteen out; forty-three Ilambiirgenl
and out; three Spanish in, four out; one Impeiialin^
out; five hundred and thirty. three iCnglish in, four |
dred and sixty-six out; two hunilred auil twintu
English men of war in, two hundred and t\veiit)-llveo|
nine from Lubeek in, ten out; nine froni Morocco In, j
out; four Neapolitan in, three out; six from OidenbiirJ
eight out: two from 1 apcuhtirg in and out ; two Ihuk
and sixty eight Portugue/e in, three hundred and nincoi
sixty-one Portugiieze uion of war iu, sevcnty.niiicoi
eighty Prussians in, eiglity-six out; twenty.too RasiJ
in, twenty-thii'C out ; one huiulred and thirly.livcSitcM
in, one hundred and foriy-eight out; ninetoeu VciirtMi
and twenty-four out. I'rom XXxt^eilata the trade (if St, L'|
may be compared with that of liisbon ; aud thiisitappi
that the former is not iiiconsi(L'iMblc'; hut the luinlhrl
Portuguezu nieri'autiii' houses in Lisbon exceed^ twoliij
dred, and that of forci^'UTS i'xee;;ds one hi. Ircdaiidi
while there are only fifteon in St. Ubes.

+ Tradition says that this place was huriotl in
through the impiety of its inhabitants, and that milyatiJ
church, called Hermita, reuiaiutil. It is ccrtaiiilii piolij
that the place was deserted on account of the s.iiul,
that tlie inhaliitaiits went over and built St. Uhi-s on t!ie(
posile side, f.inia, in his map, lays do\vn a place ral
Vaiula in this si)ot, aud places Troya on the other sid; J
Creek that does not exist; in which he it folloueJl
Lop!'/ aud othei' muUern maps. Fur this Van(lan|
quired in vain.

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

2C9

r ill, sevcnty.niiieo

hicli ofic" breaks slaty. On the second range,
r, infrequently are found copper pyrites and
Pji^^pper ore, whence this range of mountains
f*:jllgjl in the maps Serra de minas de cobre,
but by the inhabitants Serra de Grandola*.
From Grandola we followed the sea-coast for
nme distance over very tedious heaths covered
r ji|, j(.(.p gand to Comports, a place consisting
ooly of a church, a large but bad inn, and a few
mall l'"^- t'f"™ *''"' place we returned to St.
rbcs. having travelled over a most dreary coun-
try from which we derived no other benefit
Illiaii a few fine plants, and some corrections for
the map of Portugal.

We left Lisbon in May 1798 to explore the

northern provinces of Portugal, and directed our

course to Tones vedraa, and the baths of Caldas.

The countr}' beyond the eastern part of Lis-

Ibon I biivc already described; but Cainpo

mde, a suburb of Lisbon, Lumiar, and Car-

Inide also deserve mention. We only saw hills

Ivitli short interruptions, and covered with olive-

hrees, on the pliiin ground orangf-gardens, along

ihc brooks meadows full of oaks and poplars,

and here and tlwre corn-fields. The oranges of

Lumiar are lii§',h in esteem. Equally charm-

jjp~ jgttie valley of Loures: where the hills rise

slill higher, the A'alley itself becomes wider, and

one village succeeds to another. The traveller

mavffo through IJemfica, Cnmpo grande, Car-

nid'c, and Lumiar for several miles constantly

between houses, without perceiving he has

quitted Lisbon.

' Beyond Loures the level of the country rises
considerably, and ve ascended the high chain of
mountains, which extends to Mafra, consisting
of basalt covered with lime-stone; but on the
Iheiglits, and on tite north side, a compact fine-
trained sand-stonu appeared. The first shelf is
Iformed by a mountain called de Muntuchique ;
jafter which the level is lower, as far as a village
(called a Pova. The road, though paved, was
every where, and had doubtless not been
[mended for a century; the towns and villages
are uncommonly small and wretched. Round
Pova arc many fruit-trees; a proof of a high and

♦ At the time when we found thesr ,ount.iins us laid

I down, we had been seeking in vain fot a lake placed in the

I maps lu'twceii Alcacer and Graiidolii, under the name of

I bigo Alva, of which no one throughout the country could

glTc us Uic least intelligence. Equally in. vuiu we sought in

cool situation. Beyond that village the moun-
tains again rise, and become bare and dreary,
with a quinta only here and there. On these
mountains is the villatrc of Enxara, with a fine
estate of the Conde Kedondo. Toward Torres
vedras the mountains again ceaiic, and we travelled
between cheerful hills; but the little cultivation
that appears shows the distance from Lisbon.
The hills consist of a coarse-grained sand-stone,
here and there is basalt, and sometimes strata of
rounded flints.

Torres vedras is a small town, seven leagues
from Li.sbon, surrounding a hill on which arc
the ruins of an ancient castle. It contains some-
what above six hundred houses, four parish
churches, and three religious houses without the.
town. These give it an appearance of greatnesii,
which we afterwards found it did not posf^ss.
In ancient times it was a celebrated fortification,
and is still the chief town of a Corregimento.
The country round is pleasant and well culti-
vated, being full of gardens and vineyards, and
watered by the small river Sizandro. On one
side sand-mountains and pine-woods soon again
begin, while on the other are only gay lime-
stone hills covered with coppice. At the foot of
these rises a luke-warm spring containing some
carbonic acid gas. Coal is also found here in a
stratum of clay.

From Torres vedras to the neighbourhood of
Obidos, a distance of five leagues, we pa.ssed
through an ill-cultivated desert country, exhibit-
ing, first pine- woods, then heaths, and only a
couple of wretched insignificant villages. The
mountains every where consist of sand-stone and
ratchll. Round Obidos the prospect in pleasanter
and more varied, being full of short hills formed
of a close yellowish lime-stone, frequently rough
and rocky, covered with cheerful coppice and
surrounded by brooks. Obidos itself is a smalt
insignificant town built round a hill, on which
are the ruins of an ancient fortification celebrated
in history, and the walls of which are still kept
in very good order. Within it, amid ruins and
rocks, are some houses inhabited by pcrsuDs be-
longing to the police, t

ii;is country for the Mantes mules of Lopez, which not an
inhauitant knew, and the placed of which is occupied by a
sandy heath. Such errors regarding countries at no great
distance from a capital, and in layjng down a pla«e of trade
so well known as St. L'bes, are very vtriking.
• - A league

■y •:

11,

V-{ \

,v n ■'

.! \m^

^f:

I ^! i:

t; J I'l

' ,i

I I

!-n:

|:^

''5

;■■, 1

('■\

■■:■} 1

III

r -1

III
III

370

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

' A league from Obidos is the small town of
CaUlns, much frequented for its sulphureous
watrrs. The town is small, being built in an ir-
regular quadrangular form; but is continually
increasing. The houses are small, gcneruUy con-
sisting merely of a ground-floor, and only a few
have windows. The flooring is very bad almost
throughout, and those who would have olhcr
furniture, Ihau bad wooden tables and chairs,
must bring them. As to beds, table cloths, and
other conveuieuces, they arc wholly wanting; in

"/ »!'/ i'.li J

.Uittf >

" fll

short every article of furniture must be provij
The company who com* to bathe always li.
private houses. Such are the accornmodalf"!
prepared for the rich merchants and piii,ci!°I
nobility of Lisbon, who visit Caldas twic
year; namely in May and September. Ther*!!!
pass the hot season at Cintra, and travel fr' I
thence to Culdus; for which reason the comDa*!
are frequently. more .brilliant in autuimi ti,gj •J
spring*. 1 , '*'

• ft" j •■• ir-* :* :;f<m <t i«-/riL ii:tiinirri) *>.,,■.•» ,1

SECT^ION viir.'

f U hi> 'li-r ,••,>!> II .i(iiiji,»< vjifll h;ji. • """,.•"' ,;(.. i

From Caldas to Coimbra, through Alcoha^n and Butnlha — Coimhra

the Backwardness of Portugucze Literature,

The Univcrsiti/~Causci ,

WE set oif from Caldas for San Martinho, a
small market-town two< leagues from
Caldas, over low bills, and through a sandy
country, and pine-woods. Close to tlie sea, risie
hills consisting of sand-stone and lime-stone with
a small quantity of gypsum. Between these is
the narrow entrance into the harbour, which is
pretty large, almost completely a- round basin,
which has a very Hue appearance; but only small
ships can enter, and wc counted but three two-
masted vessels. Most of the inhabitants are sup-
ported by the fishery, anif curry on a coasting
trade. • '"

To the eastward of San Martinho, a chain of
sand-stoae hills runs parallel to the sea. The
summits and western declivities are naked, but
the eastern sides are covered with frequent and

* In the middle of thU ;)Uco over the warm sprii^, is a
apaciuus and handsome batliing boust-, fourulud iit tlic reign
of tlio late king, and clo.su to it a hospital for poor patients.
Besides (he sprinj; ii.sed for drinkiiiir, three others suppfy
four baths; that for the inuu W thirty-six feet long by nine
broad, and two feet ci;^ht inches deop. The soil is covered
with a white clay andVa-^hed sand. The company undress
behind a curtain, put on halhiii^ cloaths, and .sit upon the
ground in the bath, so that the water reaches their neck.
There are frequently twelve patients in the bath at the same
dine, and though the water is coustaiiitly (lowing it U ui)-
pha.'^ant to he obliged to batlii; in company, especially to
thecc who come last, to whoin the water arrires after Wi|!ih>
in^ the rest. It is also uophasaut that strangers are a4-
niitteJ, Nothing howevtr is paid for bathing, OKcept a
iiiiall preRent to the atteiid.iiit.s. I'iie poor are not snti'ured
to bathe till about noon, when the other company are kodv.
The reiit of tlic baths, even those appropriated to the ladies,

considerable pine-woods. The country ahobe*!
comes more uiountairmus. At the northern ei.|
tromity, concealed in a valley, so that it canoulil
be seen on a very near approach, is the rich Ber-I
nardine monastery of Alcoba<ja, together wiilnJ
market-town. The chusch is large and built iJ
the gothic taste, which, is called the new nor.|
manno-gothic. A number of curiosities (butofl
no great importance) were there shown us,
was unly struck wiih some urticlea made of thel
tirst gold from IJiasil, ami an excellent blacj
sculptured marbU) from .i\)rto 4e M:vi. U
monastery is a large simple well-built pile, m
the apartments have the air rather of a imlutj
than of a monastery. The once celebrated vH
chives were taken away by th« Spaniards, wli
they conquered Portugal,' uud carried totbeEiJ
rr ir "i7TrT>.i->- I

arc rej{Mlatutl in a similar manner, except that the watpriil
the balh for men is the hottest and of the strongest (lualiirf
bcinp from S'J-" to O.'i" of Faronheit, (from ?0* to'iT'^
Reanmur). The watec from .ilt the springs joins uiidttq
a mill near (he bathing house.

On ei(teriuK fh»a lioa^e the company come to a lurijcllooij
which scrres for a promenade :ifter bathing, and isgi'iieralljl
full of pe:)ple rnnninit to and fro with great violi-nro, HmI
also is an apoihecaryS shop, aiitl in the back.^^Tuunil thel
spring used for drinking, the warnith of which h l/l'ull
Fareiihpit. ,■< i

The country roui)4 Is wclj cultivated, but sandy mil
of {liucwoods. The place ili|elf is situated on the Mc^ttrgl
brow of liilU fcrymuchiiatteuvd, condiitinx or»softbro%ii.r
ish saod-stono containi.ig Iron, and pcob»bTy cotc'iik cotll
from the cvmbvstiiQA p( wUc^ ti^ Itcitl of tiiQ \vaiur iiii;|
ariio. ,. ., „_. ... ^.,,i,

.lri»ft-,t^<i;.<.f ,ic;.^i

curiill

LINK'S TRAVF.LSIN PORTUGAL

S7I

rit", 1 'ji

'■ ■!

'Ill I !

I irlal. The library is far from bad. We also

Uw here a magnificent copy of the English

r lotion of Cainoens's LiisiaJ, which was pre-

ILnted by lady Bute to this f»ni\ otUoi- :».i;iui;oi.a

f "^riouf parts of Spain and Portugal, as a tokon

t' reineujbrance. In short this library did not at
*ll ,.jgemblc most German monastic libraries, and a
,,v and excellent apartment is now preparing
Ifor its reception.

Alf<'ba9a is a very considerable market town

yilla, and carries on various manufactories,
i,e ol(l<^l of which is in the monastery, where
pombttl established it, probably in order to turn
(lie monastery to some account. Cambrics and
iflther fine linen manufactures are made here, but
Le woollen manufactory is more important, as
ilso one for spinning wool, belonging to Messrs.
Guillot, natives of France. That part of it
-hicli can be done by machinery is so performed,
Uli as carding, spinning, &c. and the ingenious
tonstruction of these various machines excites
Liierul admiration. This manufactory enjoys
J good sale, although woollens arc also made
tn Lisbon, and a spinning manufactory is esta-
Jislied at Tauiar. The Guillots are a respectable
bouse, both here and at Lisbon.

The common people have a great talent for
jne delicate works ; and imitate with the great-
^ accuracy. We saw here extremely fine thread,
Epuii at Santarem, which M. Guillot showed us

iextriiordinary in its kind.

Alcoba(;a is surrounded by mountains. To the
^nth-west, and to the nortnward, sand-stone
Difluntains press close round it. To the west-
fird rises a high naked range of mouiitains,
which fur a considerable distance runs parallel
with the coast, being connected, though by de-

jched ridges, with Monte Junto to the south-

|nst, and Lousao to the nortb-east. A part of

bis range is called Porto de Moz, and aftbrds

Iwcellent marble. The country however round

* Here, in 1386, John I. gained a groat victory over
the Spaniards, by whicli lie maintiiined himself on the
IhroDv. lie was a natural son of Duin Pedro his prcdc.
Wur; for Dom Fernando the la^t kiug having only left a
pughtur who married the king of Castile, tliis was sullicient
round for a jealous king of that country to make war
billi Portup*!. It was this battlu, that, together with that
pfCampo deOuriquc, established the independence of Por-
iDgil. CamoenB, in the fourth Canto of the Lusiad, mi.
Ltcly describes this battle in beautiful and truly picturesque
|aDi;uage. Nuno Alvarez Fcrcira distiiiguibhcd himself in

Vol. II. No. XCV.

Alcoha9a is cheerful, containing much coppice
and meadows, and being also far cooler than the

flat lands to the southward.

rruiii Aic<iuH9a lo uatainn, a distance of three
leagues, we approached the chain of mountains
to the eastward, where they beeome higher, more
crowded together, and in many parts covered
with pines. We now came to a market-town
called Aljubarota, on the long flat summit of a
mountain. It is a pretty large place, but consists
entirely of very small houses*'.

Toward Leiria, the hills are still lower, con-
sisting of sand-stone, and bearing olive-trees.
At the foot of them, on a plain between the small
rivers called Lix and L^na, and two leagues
from Bataiha, is the city of Leiria with its
suburbs. The number of houses does not amount
to much more than one thousand; but there are
some neat ones, and many persons of easy fortune
reside there. It is a very old city, was fwinerly
much celebrated, and though it has considerably
diminished since 1417, it still continues the capital
of a corregimcnto and the seat of a corregedor
and bishop. It consists of two parishes, and
contains four religious houses. On a hill is a
once much-celebrated castle, and the city has
been tlie residence of some of the kings,
especially of the wise Dom Diniz, whose palace
still exists. The surrounding country is pleasant,
the valley fertile and well cultivated, and oltl
venerable pine woods adorn the hills.

Barren heal lis, covered wilh rutchil, and here
and there with pine-woods, continue as far as
Pombal. During these five leagues we did not
see a single village, and only a few detached
houses; but were much surprised at finding in
some parts a good road, which is a striking and
novel sight that always reminds the traveller of
the name of Pombal. The market-town of
Pombal, contains some neat houses, and is situ-
ated on the bank of a river in a well-cultivated

it, having previously engaged the great men of his country
to support their new king. In memory i)f this victory, his
majesty founded the monastery and church da Bttalhoy
but at some distance from the field of battle, that it might
enjoy a convenient situation and plenty of water. The
mountains near this monastery arc indeed lower, but it is
so much concealed bctwe^Mi hills that we did not perceive it
till we approached very near. The singularly-built and
open transjiaVent tower strikes the eye, and pleases by its
nttble pruportiuus.

^/.I

iJits

1 f I' 1

and

37 2

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

l^l

niid very clu'flrrul country. A c-npuchin church
with a very ccltbriitcd miraculous picture of the
virgin, (he ruins of an old cafitle on a hill> and

t\tl; IlitlttlC l>r tll>. ri41II>>ilo ..••.r^pii. of X>omb«l^

vhich i.i a neat hut not a striking cdilice) are the
principal objects that deserve notice. Here the
inurquis of Punibul ended his days, as it were in
banishment.

Siuiilur hills to those from Leiria to Pombalj
continue from thence to Condcixa, though not
so entirely barren, and better cultivated. \Ve
also came to a market-lown called Atouguia, a
plirc of some consideration, but consisting of
small houses. At length we approached the
high naked mountains to the eastward, which
extend hither, and consist of a whitish-grey
lime-stone. In some parts is found red iron-ore,
which might be very well smelted into iron. On
this road we quitted the province of Estremadura
and entered that of Beira.

Condeixa, which is live leagues from Pombal, is
situated near that chain of mountains in a very
pleasant and cultivated country. The place it-
self is larger than Pombal, gay and lively, and
many persons of rank reside there. The oranges
of Condeixa are celebrated for their excellence
and cheapness, and it is called a fruit-basket; a
pleasing nanje for a pleasant place. The young
Avomen here appeared extremely beautiful and
freer than they generally are in small Portugueze
towns, the cause of which maybe the vicinity of
the students of Coimbra. Here also the ancient
Colibria or Colimbria, from which Coimbra
took its name, is said to have stood.

A fertile hilly country watered by brooks, well
peopled and cultivated, continues as far as Co-
imbra, which is but two leagues from Condeixa.

Coimbra, like almost all great cities in Portu-
gal, is built on the declivity of a hill, which in
this instance is considerably steep; only a small
part of the town being situated on the plain.
The Mondego in its wide bed winds along in
front close to the hill, and over it is a long stone
bridge. The traveller does not perceive the
town till he descends into the valley; but then it
forms a fine and surprising view, in the midst of
a charming country, which it adorns with innu-
merable monasteries and churcbe*, along the de-
clivity of the mountain. But he hai no sooner
entered Coimbra than all his expectations are re-
versed: fur .the streets are extremely narrow.

crooked, and full of angles, ill-paved, verydifi.j
and frequently so steep that it is difficult i
climb them. There is a single broad street od
«i««p|.iinr ViM» *v(>n that is not inhabited bv ill
rich, because it is deemed unhealthy m siimm 1
The Mondego swells in winter, overHiws'J
banks, and in summer leaves marshes, which
in all hot countries, produce unwhohsu,!
vapours. There is not a single open place iink
whole town, nor any promenade, bit such
nature offers. The great quinta of the AugHsiin.
is alone used as sucTi, and those who wish tn ■
Indian laurels from Goa {laiirus indicn) intCiJ
greatest perfection, should visit this spot. ){.J
this is not all. In no large town throuffhou
Portugal are the inns so bad, strangers beiii»|
lodged in wretched apartments with miserablel
beds and food, the dressing of which reqiiiresHiJ
appetite of a herboriser to overcome. Hence peJ
haps it is, that hU travellers hurry through thJ
place, observe it but cursorily, and give Httlcorn
information relative to its very celebrated uiilver.!
sity.

The farther northward the traveller proceed,!
the better disposed and more industrious are M
common people, and robberies and thefts irt|
here very uncommon. Neither sex however iJ
beautiful; and the female far from pleasin?!
compared with their neighbours of Condeiui
The lower classes of women wear on their head!!
a long black cloth.

Co-nihra is a very old city, and had siifferedl
many sieges, previous to the time when Countl
Henrique/, tcok possession of Portugal. Thel
towers and walls still remain; but in other re<|
spects^the place is quite open. Since the jeatl
14-19, Coimbra has declined. It is however the]
see of a bishop, who is always count of Arganil,
not only in name but in reality; also of a corre-
gedor, a provedor, and a juiz de fora. It con- i
sists of something more than three thousand
houses, being divided into eight parishes, andj
has no less than eight monasteries and eightei
endowments.

The most important object at Coimbra, is tliel
university founded at Lisbon by Dom Diniz in I
1291, but transferred hither after a period of!
sixteen years. It was afterward again removed
to Lisbon; but in 1537, John III again trans-
ferred it to Coimbra, where it has remained.
Under Pombai its regulations were considerably I

altered,

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

37.1

llcrcd, and certainly much to its advantage.
Pi it reeulution^ urc not all, and will not supply
ll'ie wiint of an animatinf]^ spirit ; for where that
IkiN, the sciencfH cannot flourish. They require
libera! funds, encouragement, and a just estima-
(iiaof their important uses; means whereby an
iiii'erior constitution will produce more efrect,
L,,„ (lie best n:', Illations in the world. But as
liie .<tate of tlii» university is little known, I shall
heic speak of it more at large.
[ I'liu university is under the government of a
[rector (reytor) nominated by the king, but not
from among the member? of the academy. He is
hrencrally a priest, and from this office is pro-
moted to be a bishop; being only appointed for
Uhrce years, but after the expiration of that
period, almost always continued till another pro-
Diotiuii. The chancollor of the university is the
principal supcrintendant in matters of learning.
He confers the degrees at all promotions, and
I presides at the examinations of students. This
' place belongs to the prior and chief of the Au-
I gujitinc canons regular at Coimbra.

Various public institutions now occupy the
buildings of the ancient college of the Jesuits,
which Pombal gave to the university. It is situ-
ated like all the otiicr university-buildings in the
jhest part of the town. The museum is (ncon-
liiderable, containing but few remarkable speci-
mens, which Vundclli, when he superintended
(his institution entirely arranged, even the mine-
rals, according to the Linncan system. But the
I collection of philosophical instruments is good
and considerable, including many entirely new,
especially from England. Those made in Por-
tugal are chitl ly of very tine brasil-wood, adorned
with gilding, and so arranged, that this collec-
tioa is one of the most brilliant of its kind. In
mechanics it is very rich, but extremely poor in
electrical apparatus. The chemical laboratory
is also very good, capacious and lights and, be-

sides the objects generally found in ituch esta-
blishments, there is a pneumatic apparatus, and
a collection of chemical preparations according
to the new nomenclature. This building also
contains a collection of chirurgical instruments.

The public library fills a small church, the in-
terior of which is very little altered ; but it is not
easy to judge of a library without studying the
catalogue. The number of volumes is consider-
able; and from the description of the professor
of botany, Brotero, it seems not to be deficient
even in new works. Accordingly it is much
visited and used by the students.

The observatory is well built in an excellent
situation in the upper part of the town, and is
very convenient and neatly arranged. It only
wants instruments.

The botanic garden is not very large, and the
green-house is small ; but through the industry
of its supcrintendant, the professor of botany
Dom Feliz de Avellar Broterc^ is excellently re-
gulated. This garden is without comparison
more interesting than the royal botanic garden at
Lisbon. Beside every plant is a stick bearing its
name, as in the garden of Paris, and at first
sight the spectator might almost imagine he is
viewing its counterpart. Besides many exotic^,
there is a considerable collection of plants indi-
genous in Portugal, on which this excellent
supcrintendant has made a number of very im-
portant botanical remarks, and no botanist can
visit it without instruction.

In short the various institutions of the univer-
sity of Coimbra are far from bad. It far excels
the Spanish universities, not excepting that of
Salamanca, if I may judge from what I have
heard, both in Spain and Portugal, from the
best judges. There are indeed very many univer-
sities in Germany, which in this respect are far
inferior to this their Portugueze sister, whom
they despise.

SECTION IX.

Tlie Country round- Coinibra — Agricultural Economic— Aveiro — Oporto.

T(lE country round Coimbra is uncommonly
beautiful, and, though mountainous, ex-
tremely well cultivated. The mountains are

covered with small pine-woods and even German
oaks, the valties watered by brooks, and full of
gardens, quintas, neat summer-bouses, and even

monasteries.

ll !"''^

•\:

liifh' j, if

ft'

■S I'f

AY*

LINK'S TRAVFLS IN PORTUfiAT,.

inotiasifirici, and adorned with olive-treeH, orang;c-
iwcii, and tlic bcaiiiitul Portiigiifzc cvpress in
abiiiuiiin(-i\ The Mondc{j;o wiiuU bci'ore the
city; and on both sideg of it is a narrow and
verv tViiitful vale, wliich this rapid Mtream in-
undates in winter. In the distance on one side
arc seen the high mountains of Lousau; and on
(he other the hi^h mountain of Kussaco, whose
solitary summit is adorned with a celebrated
inonaslerv of Carmelites, and its quinta with
Iii2;h shady cv presses. Those to whom the
>isocnt is not tuu laborious, will here find the
ruhest variety. Opposite to Coimbra, on the
bank of the river, ih the Q.uinta dun laf:;n' mas, or
garden of tears, with a fountain of the same
name, which rises at the foot of a hill shaded by
line Portnpjueze cypresses*.

The mountains round Coimbra consist partly
'of a coarse-grained sand-stone, 'Alternated with a
grey lime-stone. At a distance began high slate-
•inoiintains, and here also a yellowish grey ar-
gillaceous slate changes to a sand-slate, and this
to a mica-slate, which ends in a granite. The
flora of this part is uncommonly beautiful. On
(he K late-mountains grow the plants of Entre-
Douro-c-Minho. In the pine-woods and sand-
mountains are found the plants of the Portugueze
heaths, and on the lime-stone mountains an
abundance of orchidcs, and of the plants of the
Serra da Arrabida. When we came to the oak-
woods, we fancied ourselves in the smaller forests
of Germany.

The land is well cultivated; better than else-
where, except in Minho. Much oil in particular
is produced here. The olive-tree, indeed, is
very common all over Portugal, from the north-
ern frontier mountains of the serra de Gerez to
Algarvia, but most abounds in these midland
parts, where the traveller may sometimes pursue.

♦ Tmdition says that Dona Inez de Castro lived (hero, and
was there mi.Nlered. This lady, who was a Castiliaii "

.11 by
IV.

birth, Dom Pedro sun and heir apparent to Alphonso
iorcd, and is said tu have secretly married, at Braganza.
He gave her this spot for her residence, frequently visitrd
her, and she bore him three -sons and a daughter. The
passion of the prince at length transpired ; and his enraged
father, instigated by his courtiers, came sudddculy, while
the prince was bunting, from Montemor o velho, not far
from Coimbra, where he happened tostop, and caused her to be
murdered. When Dom Pc^lro came to the throne, he gave
orders to disinter the object of his passion, and with hit
own hands piacad the crown on her remains. He was

his way during whole dnya without rocii|i>, i
other tree. ThiM'C are several varieties nf it%!
in general the Portuguc/e oil is heiUr (liami I
of Spain, though the olives are siniillcr. Ti I
olive-tree is planted by sets (titnrlio.'s), or jt I
grafted on llie wild olive ('araiiihuiciro !, y%<\
is by no means searce in many parts cl" Portup.]
The latter method alVordi a more (Inriiblc stem
The sets are cut olf from old trees in autuinn i
f''om which time they arc kept in moist ftarth'l
and arc act from the begintiing «f •Isniiurytothfl
end of April, according to the sidiHlion oI'ilI
soil. In the first years they are hoed, to dcslrovl
weeds, and the land is sowed with corn; buttlilj
method of cultivation is not common except inl
Algurvia. While the trees are young Hie ^juppf.
fluous branches are cut off; but the olivc-irfc|
bears very late, tut till its fifteenth year. Hcncfl
appears how injurious war is to this branch ofl
agriculture, and how horrid the revenge recordiii I
in sacred history of cutting down the eiiomv'il
olive-trees. The olives are ripe in Diveinberl
and January, at which time men climb thctreeil
and beat them with long poles, while the ojiveil
are received in extended cloths, or gathered iin I
from the ground. It would certainty be bctttrl
were the olives plucked by the liaiid as in thJ
south of France. Some press them immediateljl
on their being brought home in baskets; otheril
shoot them down in heaps, throwing salt between I
them, and suRering them to ferment in ordertol
produce more oil, of which however the qualitfl
is inferior. The prt^sses are worked by oxen;!
but the want of cleanliness, both in these inacliinesl
and throughout the whole process, coiitributeil
much to render the quality of the oil much worse)
than it might be. In this country, where oil isl
used ntntcad of butter with all kinds of food, andl
fat n burnt in large quantities in lainp<!,

Tory OTcrc toward those vvliu had stimulaN'd his father til
commit this murder, and even runtinucd this SLitrliyl
throughout his reign; from which circumstance he viJ
railed o justiceiro, signifying, not the just which is jiijfc,!
but the severe. This appellation was particularly iiked by I
tlie priesthood, who were unfavourable to him. Iiiiz and)
Dom Pedro showed great taste in the choice of this
spot, where Coimbra with the charming country around I
displays itself to the eye. In the romantic valley of ihej
Mondego, the quinta of tears forms a spot, over which I
fancy seems to hover in all her sportiveness, snd if poetry I
has ever sent forth a few sparks of radiance in Portugal, it I
has becu the offspring of this charming vale.

soap I

LINK'S TUAVriLS IN PORTtinAr.

375

prepared from it, betides other uses, tlint
JV i> «" object of great consumption, and is
cd ffoi* fco''"^'"* '"t" *'•* other provinces.
r'portuj?«»'2e pickle only the ripe brown olive;
t at p"<"^ **'''•" *'"' '"""S® Spanish unripe olives
■"neare ocen, as they are every where preferred.
IL wood of the olive-tree might be very useful,
F. -yellow, close-grained, and beautiful; but
1 only employed as fuel, the woods from Brasil
'i„g superseded all other kinds of limber.
[The olive-tree is subject to two diseases, the
I (.giicd a ^(ffn, arises in dump situations,
(tivelling lip both leaves and fruit ; the other,
L||gj /VnvJi>f»M (or rust), is very prevalent in
Ce midland and southern part of Portugal. In
L disorder the leaves shrivel, are covered be-
L||, \vith a black clammy substance, and a
Lt number of insects belonging to the family
coccus, but not yet established as a separate
lecies. Hence the tree sickens, and bears smaller
(lit and in less quantity. Complaints are every
(here made of this disorder, which employs the
intion of the learned and of economists as much
I the dry-rot or the caterpillars, railed nonncn-
occupy the German naturalists and
Lrnters. Hitherto no other remedy has been
licovered than cutting off the infected branches,
llijch is too severe a mode of cure ; for probably
Ls insect, like all such animals, has its period,
Ld would at length cease of itself. In the eco-
nmical treatises of the academy, vol. I. p. 8,
Vandelli has given his opinion, tliat the insect is a
tens, and advises, besides cutting off the branch,
jsprinkle the tree with salt-water. In vol. III.
),')'(, another method is propoK>d on this sub-
tct by Antonio Suarcs Barbosa, who lirst gives
lie natural history of the insect, and then pro-
Ms to show that tiie black clammy substance
lixsnot arise from the insect, but from an over-
Powofsap (clni-iiomniiiaj.
Round Coimbra arc grown various kinds ot
ulicat, white, red, and summer-wheat (trigo tre-
na), but the lattice only when the Mondego, as
kftcn happens, rots the seed in the ground It
sown from November to March, at three
feilFerrnt times. When it grows in fields amid
tlivc-trees, the ground is turned in winter, ifn(»t
in May, and it is ploughed only once in October
ifter the first rains. The plough used here has
Iwo wheels, a share, a mould-board, and a
Icoulter, which may be raised and lowered.
Vol, H. No. XCV.

Barley is also sown; but no oAts, and little rye.
In general, Coimbra is obliged to import wheat
and barley from other provinces. Rice is grown
in the marshes along the Mond<>go, but not in
any considerable quantity.

Maize or Indian-corn is very commonly culti-
vated here, and throughout Ueira, where it is
produced in larger quantities than in the south-
ern provinces, in which the soil is too dry, and
too light. The land is ploughed fourteen days
before sowing time, which continues from April
to the end of May. When the young plants
have four or five leaves, the ground, is hoed, the
superfluous plants destroyed, and immediately
afterwards the earth is heaped up round those
that remain. In the fields it is harrowed four-
teen days after, by which the leaves are torn off,
and the young plants frequently quite covered
with earth, whicli makes thti.i thrive better.
The maize when ripe is cut, and great numbers
live on the bread made of it, called hroa, which
is of a fine yellow colour, but heavy and sweetish^
The maize bread in the south of France is fur
lighter, but much dryer. Maize also affords
good fodder for cattle, and is grown round
Coimbra in such abundance that great quantities
are exported to other provinces. It is called
milho, and according to the Portugueze writers
was first imported from Guinea. Millet
(fanicum miUaccnm) is called niHho miudo, and
itr^Iian pannicle (panicum Italicum) milho pairifo.

The oranges produced here are excellent, and
are exported to foreign countries, even froui the
small harbour of Figueira at the mouth of the
Mondego. The wine is moderate, yet is sent
into other provinces. Garden-fruits are pro-
duced in greut abundance, and of a very good
quality, especially common beans, and another
kind of beans, chWcd feijao frmjdinlio (monk's
beans), which are met with in great quantities
all over the kingdom. These beans much re-
semble the common beans, but are smaller, and
do not taste quite so good; yet the cultivation
of them is said to be very productive. Some
ilax is al»io grown round Coimbra.

Notwithstanding this good cultivation, the
conmion people are very poor, the cause of
which strikes the eye of the traveller, even bcfere
he approaches the town, in the number of mona.s-
leries and churches it contains. The 1;nvn itself
is supported by the university, its trade being
5 C inconsiderable;^

P!i'

If;

•i i

. 'fl

^»^

'■.liaiwsssiijpwTBo-t"

5^e

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAT.

inconsiderable. The Mondego is a bad river;
for in winter it inundates the coiintrv, and in
Slimmer creeps slowly along its bed. This is a
gTcat obstacle to navigation, and though many
proposals have been made to render the river
navigable, they have never been adopted, and at
its mouth is so dangerous a bar, that only small
vessels can enter. Along the whole coast from
.Buarcos to Figueira are numerous traces of coal
in the same manner as at Cabo Espichel; but at
that time they were pot worked. In the town
and surrounding country are manufactured a
little linen, and in the latter thin woollens. In
<he lower town are some manufactories where a
bad kind of pottery is made, and others of red
earthenware, the clay for which is brought from
a place called Aicarrazas. This red ware is
made both glazed and unglazed. Pitchers of a
red clay without glazing and very porous are
used in all parts of Portugal for cooling water
in summer; the transudation and evaporation of
which constantly produce cold.

The cheerful hills of Coimbra accompanied us
only a league, when the country grew flat, and
wc travelled over low land with ratchil and sand,
covered with heath and pine-woods. Near to
Aveiro, which is nine leagues from Coimbra, the
soil is Letter cultivated, but we only meet with
two small villages, Sendas novas and lialhaza.

Tlie city of Aveiro is situated in a flat and
very marshy country, at the mouth of the Vouga.
It is the capital of a corregimento, has a corre-
gedor and provedor, contains about one thousand
four hundred houses divided into four parishes^
and six monasteries. The old walis still remain,
but the town extends beyond them; the houses
are generally small, and there are very few r>ch
people. The river Vouga flows through tiie
town where it is still very narrow, but is adorned
with a handsome quay. Near the town it divides
in two branches, one to the left and southw:>rd
running to the sea, the other northward to Ovnr.
Its trade is inconsiderable, only small boats
coming to the iown ; nor indeed could any but
filial' ships pass the bar, which is continually
nhifti ig. Tk»e fishery alone is worthy of notice;
for Aveiro chiefly supplicj the province of Btiira
with 8 irdinhas Large troops of r.u'.es are con-
tinual y seen carrying them into the higher pnrts
of the province. Much salt is also here produced,
tbough not 80 good as at St. Ubcs and Juisbou.

No town in Portugal is surrounded b^Jso,,!
tensive plains, and so large marshes of fja
water. Hence the town is very unhealtU
which is immediately perceived in the hagJ
pale countenances of its inhabitants. Affn *
very common there, and, as in all warm counl.
tries, more dangerous than in cold. Putrid did
orders ate also not unfrequent.

We went from hence by water to Ovar. TlJ
arm of the Vouga, which is propcrl}- a lake i
pretty narrow for three leagues, then boioiliel
much broader during a league, forming a ij
lake, and at length ends in a narrow channel]
league long, which ceases "lose to Ovar.
water is nearly freab, though wc were often onl)
separated from the sea by downs. Watcr-conf
veyance in small boats on a shallow stream
where in many parts vessels are pushed on li
poles, through a flat marshy country, is vfrf
unpleasant. Ovar is a considerable town or villi
containing one thousand three hundred liou!(
many of them large and handsome. Wc
with a very well cultivated country, audaiac
thod of husbandry, similar to that we afterward
saw in Minho. Ilore we lirst met with nicadoiil
formed by art, and remarked the English tfj
grass(lolium percnne) which is sown here, an!
in the*e warm climates is an annual, wlieieaso
the con{.u..y the shrubs of southern diaiatisaij
annual 1 in the north. Of this the drought iMlij
cause by drying up the roots in sunuiier.

Not i'lr from Ovar, and near a village callei
Sobral, began mountains of argillaceous slilJ
which soon gives way to a mica-slate, and ioj
troduces a high range extending with sta
crowded moui:fains along the south sideoftlil
Douro as far as Lamego and beyond. It is seel
in the distance even at Aveiro, but sinks as itapj
proaches the sea. I.<(^re begins the province «
Entre-Douro-t -Minho, called in th^ countrjfoj
shortness Minho, a very i^mall part beinf^slfuatt/
on the other side of th'' Douro. Here the bill
bingers of a better cultivittion appear: uotwillJ
standing the barrenness of the mountains, tn
vallies are cultivated with maize, cole, and ilai^
the hills are covered with pine-woods, t
vine climbs up the hedges and round the tn
The villages, which at lirst arc brd, gradu»llj
improve and become more nun ■" jus, and tbf
traveller suddenly Hnds himself surrounded 1)1
detached houses; till he arrives^ without pen

ci'ivini

T.TNK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

377

w'ving ifi in a considerable place called Villa-
ova do Porto, where he descends a steep street
I the bank of the Douro, and beholds on the
pnosite declivity the city of Oporto.
Excepting Lisbon, Oporto is the largest city
1 Portugal; the chief town of a corregimento,
juitheseatof a corregedor, a provedor, and a
L|j(gfy governor, being a place of arms; it is
hjo tlie sec of a bishop who chiefly resides at
llczanfrio. 'I'he population is about three hun-
Ired thousand, as the corregedor himself assured
L Oporto has four suburbs, seven parishes,
twelve religious houses. On one side the
leraainsof the walls and gates still exist; other-
wise the town is quite open and has no fortitica-
Ln It is also the seat of the high tribunal for
.northern provinces.

The quay on the river is built without tlie
nstart; on one side is a street, the other side is
fcallfd and raised, though merely for the pur-
ose of rtaking ship's cables fast. From the
Iriud rises a broad well-paved street with cause-
lays on the sides, leading to an equally hand-
Ue oblique street. The rest of the streets along
lie declivity of the hill ?.re narrow, crooked and
irtv; but upon the hill we again found many
ine broad straight streets, w ith a great many new
ind handsome houses. We seemed almost to
ive quitted Portugal, and to be suddenly trans-
uded to England; so regular, so light, and
leatatc all the buildin.«;s. Gem. rally speaking,
jlporto is without doubt the cleanest town in
Portuga' The steep declivity of the hill on
Jrhich die city is built, readers walking and
tding on horseback or in carriages more laborious
han in Lisbon. On the cast side of the town are
liouses built again-st so steep a part of the declivity
Ivertlie stream, that they can only be entered Ly
epscut out of tlic rock. This inconvenience is
hdeed compensated, at least to a stranger, by the
lomar.tic Mtuation th^y enjoy, and the prospect
V the opposite biuik with its towns, villages,
DODisteries, and pine-woods.
At Oporto the manners of society arc taken
jrom the English, who are here luotc numerous
od considerable^ in proportion to the other ricli

I* In 1706 the following ships rntcrod and .oailctl out oi*
lis port: ten Americans In and six out; from Bremen two
kind out; fifty-one Danish in, fifty. two out; two Spanish
handout; thirty.gix Ilamburghetic in, thirty.four out;
■i;hty.Gight English ia, ninvty.nino out j four from Lu*

inhabitants, than at Lisbon. They have a kin4
of casino in a handsome building, which is ex-
tremely well regulated, and very much con-
tributes to bring foreigners together. Among the
English merchants are several who possess both
knovv!"'lge and the love of science.

A short time ago a considerable play-house
was built at a large expense, but the architect
has unfortunately so contrived it, that the au-
dience in the bo.xes cannot hear. In oth.^r re-
spects it highly merits approbation. Here Por-
tugueze plays are performed by tolerably good
actors. Thus it is not impossible that Oporto
may soon have a better theatre than Lisbon.
Another uncommonly extensive building, the
royal hospital, was at this time in the same ni-
linished state as when Murphy saw it.

The trade of Oporto, which ii well known to
be chiefly in wine, has sufl'ered much in conse-
quence of the war, The vicinity of Vigo in
G;dicia, where the French privateers take re-
fuge, have kept this place in great aw(!, and the
harbour of Oporto is very ill-udapted to be a
station for ships of war, on account of the
diiHcuIty of its entrance. Hence French priva-
teers have almost always been hovering within
sight of it; and this circumstance has ruined
many houses in Oport(,, which can be said of
very few at Lisbon. In front of the town the
river is very deep ; two-masted vessels can come
to the town itself, those witli three masts within
>i quarter of a league, and the great Brasil ships
alone unloaded their cargoes in the road^.

The mountains suddeiMy cea.se toward the
coast, and the land is lower at the mouth of the
river; but here and tbore rocks rise out of the
saiid, rendering the entrance into the harbour
extremely narrow uud vay dangerous. The sea
also is very boisterous on ihesz coasts during the
rainy season, and the river ver} rapid. The
sand which the streams brings with it is retained
b}' the rocks, and thus more and more chokes
the passage; so that, unless great and powerful
means are employed, the harbour will at length
Lc rendered totally useless. Endeavours, how-
ever, are made to keep the stream in one place^

beck in and out; thirty.fivc Portugiieze in, forty.two out ;
twenty. seven Prussian in, twcntv-six out; one from Pa-
penbnrgh in auu out; thirty. two Swedish in, and twtnty-
nino out. From which it appears that the Knglish trade tu
Oporto far cicc Js that of ail >ther natiou .

n 10

, ■ 'I

* :

;m.

U'i^\

* I n' III mil— iiBiiwinii

378

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

80 as to wasli the sand away ; and something has
already been etFected by labour. On the whole,
however, little has been done, and much more
can iid must be performed, if this important
harbour is to be preserved. It is a fearful sight
to behold a ship, whesi the wind is at all strong,
winding its way through this narrow part. A
small fort called San Joao de Fez, near which is
a small market-town, covers the entrance; besides
this, on the coast to the northward is a bastion
on the beach; opposite to which on the south
side is also a very small fort, called Santa Cate-
rina, with a few other batteries.

Immediately opposite to Oporto, on the south
bank of Douro, is the appearance of a town not
much smaller tlian Oporto itself. To the west-
ward, along the declivity of a hill, are a number
of detached houses forming the market-town of
Gnya, a place remarkable both for its situation
and name. Mere in former times a place called
Calc, of which the ancients speak, is said to have
stood; but Oporto being afterwards built, as
heing more convenient for ships, by the greater
depth of the water along that bank, it was called
Partus Cale, or the harbour of Cale, whence was
derived Fnrtucal, and at length Portugal. Thus
from thib place the whole kingdom afterwards
received its name according to this highly pro-
bable etymology, of which Resende is the au-
thor. Portus Cale was at length called o Porto
(the harbour), which name the town of Oporto
afterwards received. Advancing to the east-
ward, we came to a considerable and populous
town or villa, called Villsnova do Porto, inha-

bited by the lower classes of people, whereas lul
rich more generally live in Oporto itself, O
tween Villanova and Gaya, on a stniill nl I
along the bank of the river, are the iinnie! ■
magazines where wine is kspt till exported
monastery on a high, and, toward tlu rivel
very steep hill, completes the circle of ty
bustling view to the eastward. We were toll
that the number of inhabitants at Gaya and VilJ
lanova, including the detached houses reckonJ
as part of both places, was about twenty thoJ
sand.

The climate of Oporto is in winter damn an
fog&.y '" consequence of its mountainous an,
woody situation; whence also the air is coolei
than elsewhere, though it seldom freezes, OJ
the contrary in summer ihe heat is great botliii
this narrow valley and the town, which is situalci
on a southern declivity. Here, as also aljn?t
lower coasts of Portugal, regular vnds i '
in summer, viz. in the mornii;jj thtj -i
which toward noon veers to the soutii,i.:ir(3, flm
then to the west; which confers n;any advantaw
on navigation. The soil though well cultivatj^
is not productive; but oranges are broii?
from Braga and Barcelos, wine from the llnrjfl
DoTiro, and, in short, all those produdioiL
which bear the name of this town are notfrorj
; and it though thence exported. The garden
round Oporto are beautiful and pleasant, anl
the plants of the Cape and of New Hollanl
grow in the open air, with gooseberries, ciirranli
and other fruit,^ of tiic colder countries uf Euroix
which are not seen round Lisbon.

SECTION X.

Journei/ to Braga — Province of Entre-Douro-e-Minho.

CLOSE to Villanova do fameli^ao six leagues
from Oporto, behold one of the beautiful
Minho-vallies in which that place k situated.
Here small fields of maize, and even of rye and
barley, but more rarely of wheat, are surronnded
by high German oaks, chesnuts, and poplars,
artificially watered by brooks, evory tree sup-
porting a vine which spreads over its crown, and
not unfrequently reaches the summit of the higli
oaks; while a cool refreshing shade every where

abounds, adorning a cultivated populous coui
try, and every valley resembles a fairy-land ii
closed between rocky desert mountains.

Minho is the most populous of all the pn
vinces of Portugal. Within a space of eigliti
leagues in length and eleven in breadth, it
tains three cities, twenty-five villas, nine
dred thousand inhabitants, and two hundred ai
twenty-three thousand four hundred and ninrt;
five houses. The whole province is a collectii

I'di

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

I f oranite-niountains, the s. .=1 in the vnllies being
f , If. fertile, and the eminences bare

fertile, anrt tne eminences uare granite-

but on the other hand extremely well

and therefore well cultivated. The

oiif
iiiul>

''dustry of t'''^ inhabitants is every where appa-
|'"if they dig with great labour for water, so
[J! J J stranger would suppose the ground to he
Ifull of shafts of mines, and they divide the water
illicv fi'' ' with great care among the fields and
Ijiieadows. Maize is chiefly cultivated, being
lliocd twice a year, first when four or five inches
lliiffli, »"** afterwards when the ears are set.
IThe vine yields a very bad wine resembling
Ivincgar, the grapes that arc sliaded by the tops
lof the trees not having sufficient sun.
■ Except some rich monasteries, very few large
Liftesare met with in this province; but hence
\{\it peasants thrive t'.e better, which ought to
Iconvince every Portugueze, that under such an
lorder of things alone an adequate population is
cticable. Yet the increase of this industrious
lind clicarfnl people is too great for their unfruit-
Iful soil, and a great number annually emigrate,
Ijome with an intention of finally settling else-
Iwhere, and others to acquire property and re-
|(i.rn. These men help the farmers of other pro-
jvimcs in their harvest and other branches of
jhiisbawdry, travelling about in considerable num-
{bfr« under the command of a captain, ond living
jiii lints. In (his manner the inhabitants even of
||he northern part of Bcira round Aveiro, &c.
leinisirate

On quitting the valley of Villanova, we again

IcrMsed arid mountains covered with heath before

Iwecmne ♦<> the valley of Braga. Here we saw to

jdif : i ;, ' -ird the high rang-e of mountains that

(ill. ■ :'l ifcal from Galicia, called the Serra

(' I ' w'h its high pointed summits. The

jritvoi k if 1. i« situated in abroad 0|)en vale, as

Itlic Minhi!-v; lies generally are, and like them

cultivated and shaded by trees. Here arc many

[corktrees, ami close to the town orangf-gardens.

The small rivers (' vado and Destc scarcely de-

|«ervc the name, being mere brooks. Braga, the

* Among the nlijoct!* of cnrio^it) hero \% the largo old

I ^utliir.biiilt cathedral with its an(i(|iiities and treasures ;

:' 'I the chtirch and monustety of St. Frtictuoso, containing

; raciiloiis pictflrP of the Tirgin, and rith in treasures and

ii , stand on n hill without the town, so situatetl as to

1 .ru a y'in' oujixl, as seen fron» a broad handsome street.

Thj oiigiii of Braga n lost in remote antiquity ; the Romans

I ctlled it Augusta Bracharorum, and Runian coins arc often

Vol. II. No. XCV.

chief town of the province, is under the arch-
bishop of that place, who enjoys a revenue of
above a hundred thousand crusades; and appbintii
judges and two tribunals, the one spiritual, the
other temporal; so that this is the only city
where the king does not appoint a corregedor,
O' a juez de fora. Braga contains about thir-
teen thousand inhabitants, five parishes, and seven
monasteries. Several of the streets are brond,
light, and open, but luost of the houses ace small,
as in all inland towns in Portugal''^.

A league from Braga we came (o a .small vil-
lage called Ponte do Porto, ou account of a
stouc bridge there, over (he Cavado. This
valley is extremely pleasant and charming: the
distance appears like a thick wood of high trees,
though these trees surround fields and gardens,
The houses, which are dispersed and entbotsc led
in thick shade, are concealed from the sight;
but the number of well-dressed persons, and
even of young ladies, we frequently met, an-
nounced their vicinity. We passed over granite-
mountains to the Bernhardine monastery of
Bouro, at a distance of two leagues. It stands
in a hollow at the foot of the mountains, is very
rich, the buildings are extensive, and by no
means ill-arranged. On a mountain net far
from Bouro, is a church with a miraculous
figure of the virgin, to which many pilgrimage!^
are made. It is called Nossa Senhora de Abba-
dia ( Bouro being an abbey), not Nossa Senhora
da Badia, as it stands in the maps. According
to our barometrical investigations Bouro is situa-
ted five hur.drcu feet above the level of the aea,
which is but a small height.

Beyond Bouro we ascended the spurs or fore-
runncr-mouutains of Gerez. As soon as we had,
with great labour, climbed its rough sides, the
road became uncommonly pleasant, leading
along the declivity of high and rocky mountains,
under a continual shade of oaks and chesnuts,
witli streams every where rushing down or spread-
ing in artificial canals to water the meadows.
On one side we had a deep valley, the steep de-
found in the neighbourhood. Braga was a more ron^ldor-
able place in the fifteenth century than now. It lias a iiaf.
manufactory which supplies a great pari of Portugal with
hats for the common people; nor are the iiats bad, though
they do not equal the Knglish. 'Chore is also a manufactory
of linives which is inconsiderable. The wiinieii are every
where seen knitting, newing, or mukiiij; linoii, and signs
of industry and activity ^very where apptar.

' 5 1) clivity

ii. '1

,l! ,1^

''!■ 1

i&i

.i^Mi J. m

380

T.INK'S TflAVFLS IN PORTUGAf-.

clivity of vvliicli is converted with great industry
into tcrrnres, and extremely well cultivuted.

From the declivity of this 'niountuin we de-
scended to a large village, called Villur dc \eiga;
and then followed the valley, which continues
rising more and more. A roaring stream, called
Rio das Caldas, pours down ovcir rocks into the
middle of the valley; the mountains become
higher and steeper, and, after climbing them for
a ieague, suddenly appears behind an eminence
a small place in the same valley, consisting of
forty houses, and celebrated for its warm baths,
for which reason it is called Caldas de Gerez.

This valley is extremely narrow. To the east-
ward the houses lean against the mountain, a
stream waters them to the west and also the foot
of another mountain; to the northward the
valley risfts rapidly up the heights '.".d an emi-
nence to the southward before it dt ( ' com-
pletely incloses this dell. The moui are
very high, steep, and rocky, being chielly desti-
tute of wood; and trees are found exclusively on
the banks of the river.

For some years past this spot has been more
celebrated for its baths than formerly, and new
houses are continually built; so that there will
soon be no more room in this confined valley.
The company come from the small towns of
Minho, and many of the English from Oporto,
As the surrounding country is very bleak, the in-
habitant go in winter to Villar de Veiga, and
return in Alay. The houses are of stone, but ill-
built, having but one story, small inconvenient
apartments, mostly without glass windows, and
floors that can be seen through. The furniture
consi'>(s of a rough wooden table and coarse
chairs; every thing else, even to the smallest
trifle, the company must bring. Nor must they
expect either inhabitants or attendants; for in
general an empty house is opened to the stranger,
who is only put in po.sses^ion of bare walls and
of the tables .and chairs above described. The
place only affords young beef, or rather meat
betwixt veal and beef, rice, oranges, sour wine
of the country, sometimes Douro-wine which is
better, and still more rarely fish. Sugar, spices,
coffee, and every other necessary, must be pro-
cured from Villar de Veiga, which is a league
distant, and even there nut much is found. Even

* III Uie map of Lupvz it is laid down at a dibtancc from tb^

the apothecary lives at that place, and no wale I
ing- place-physician is to be here expected.

The warm waters of this place rise (o the eat

ward from a wall of granite rock at the foot of I

high mountain. There are four springs, eachl

bearing a dilferent name
continues from June till August.

The bath

, .".'gscajoa
An this narrow
valley the air is often very hot, though froivitimel
to time it is considerably cooled by the mists ofl
the mountains. I

The Serra of Gerez, generally speaking, ex.l
tends from east to west, but sends out nnn?l
branches to the southward. The Viilley w|ierij|
Caldas lies also pursues the same-direclion, x\%\yA
continually toward the north, but only toacer-l
tain degree, after which it again somewhat siiiliil
toward the frontiers of Galicia, which are onlvl
three leagues from Caldas. It contiiiuallvbc-l
comes narrower, more rocky, and more wj^odv
till at Icngdi the traveller enters a thick shmjeolj
fine lof'fy oaks, while brooks nuniiiur arouiid,!
high abrupt walls of rock a|)pear, the niouHtaiul
becomes wilder, and at length assumes an ap-
pearance of sublimity. Near the Spanish fron-j
tiers, the river Ilomem intersects the valleyj
obliquely and passes into another. Here urctlie]
ruins of a Roman bridge, with many remains ofl
pillars here and there Ix-'.onging to a Roman wav,
A narrow and diflieult foot-path now Itads by]
this singular spot into a foreign kingdom.

In a pass called Portela de Homent*, wherel
the ridges of the mountains leave a coiisidmblel
opening, arc the Spani»>h frontiers. The view ufl
Galicia is far less beautiful than that of Minlio;]
the mountains arc still high, the vallies \viiler
and more open, but not so well cultivated; tliel
traveller however scarcely yet perceives, he liai]
entered another country, as he still hears the Por-I
tugueze language, and beholds Portugueze iiiaii-|
ners and customs.

The highest of the mountains of Gerez is to|
the eastward of Caldas toward the town of Muii-
talegre. We climbed a very steep ascent up thisl
mountain, which, however, was very casv, n|
(he path winds round the blocks of granite, andl
thus is free from danger even to those who easilvl
become giddy, excepting in one short spmr.f
But should the traveller lose tlie beaten path, I
which is very possible, be will either come to|

frontiers of Galicia, instead of which it forms the buundary. I

inipasisabiu

LINK'S TRAVEI.S IN PORTUGAL.

381

llinrizon
Ifhc farther

I mnassablc thickets or extremely dangerous i)re-

' • • fs III the valley of Caldas the road rises

•^'P .j" Porfcla de lloniem, by a convenient path

I''Jji„„.tothe heights, and a fine light oak-wood

I ccorapanics it three-fourths of the way up the

r J The prospect to the westward is ex-

nisive, command ; a great part of Minho and

I ksea\viih the downs that skirt it; but the view

■ not distinct, as the eye cannot penetrate into

the beautiful hnt narrow vallies, resting only on

ilie barren h.;ights. Toward the rest of the

the view is bounded by mountains.

we advanced to the eastward,

|Ap"„ore rough and wild wc found this range, and

l^enictwith vallies consisting alm.»st entirely of

iflked impassable rocks. A sharp mountaiu-

Ijidgeliere divides Spain from Portugal.

Wolves are here so numerous as to render this
Lgt'of mountains dangerous; but the most re-
arbble animal is the Caucasan-goat, (copra
irfliriHS Pall.) whicli is extremely rare on other
iuropcan mountains. >Ve saw several skins of
lliem; and at length a tlirce-year old he-goat
Ihat bad been shot, was brought to Caldas,
,.horc the count of Hoflmannsegg bought its
iin, which was stuffed, and is preserved in his
ollection*.

A considerable quantity of cattle are fed
long these mountains, the young bullocks
iiij; brought there in spring, and remaining
ill autumn. The neat-herds relieve one another
from lime to time. Draught-oxen arc brought
lotlif low pastures, when not employed in work,
tat least every Sunday. The vallies, especially

> Tliis animal is larger, stronger, and more muscular
Ikn tlie tamo goat, \)iirlicularly in the shoiililcrs and (Mrts
ftnr the heol. Tlie forehead U higher, the horns rise
Itnighlcr up and bend backwards, and the tail is not so
Ton'; the hair is shorter and thirker, being a iitixture of
liev ami brown, and very similar to that of a st.ijj. A
Ilad cross runs along the back and over the shotilders.
Ik' male as in t.imt-goats is furnished with a beard, and
jlic fimalc has no horns. Wc earefnily took the measnre
Iftiis animal, which in other respects fully coincides with
lie description of the writer on capra a'gagrns. It is no
Itlicrr fuiind in Portugal, >xcept on the mountains of
Xira, nor have 1 ever lear.jt that it is found iu Spain.
Ivholhcr il be a degenerate and wild variety of the tanic-
|oit, or the wild parent stock of the latter, cannot with
KTiainty be discovered, but It is evidently dill'erent from it.
Ikliut uf these byputhvses appears tr luc most probable.

:> '

that of Caldas, are highly cultivated, and where
it is practicable a little land has been gained
from the inouiitains, s-^ that between the rocks,
in almost inaccessible phices, fields of maize are
frequently seen. The land on tlic declivities is
often formed into terraces, and carefully watered,
so as to constitute artificial niea'losvs.

The mountains on the west side of Caldas are
also very steon, but not so high. The path that
leads directly from Caldas over the mountain to
the village of Covide is very rugged. After
passing the mountain toward this viilagr, appear
ruins probably of an old mountain-fort, which
however the inhabitants assert to be the ruins of
an old city, called Chalcedonia ; but that is not
probable.

Taking the road across this plain from Covidei
to the frontiers of Galicia, we came to a large
village called Villarinha do furno, close beyond
which rises a range of rocky mountains, called
Serra Amarella, which form the frontiers. Villa-
rinha has many opulent inhabitants. Here wa
found much hoi:ey, which aboinids on these
mountains, as do milk and fresh butter, which are
great rarities in Portugal. Oh that my weak
voice could sufficiently praise the worthy people
of the cottage, or house, where we lodged:
their gratitude and good nature were beyoncl ex-
pression great. These are the people, whom
many proud and ignorant travellers, and espe-
cially the English, have "^tigi^atized and re-
proached ! The common people iu and about
Caldas are richer than iu many other parts of Por-
tugal, and uncommonly gay and animated f,

It is found not uncomn^oniy from hence to Montatogrc, ii
hunted in great numbers by the inhabitants, aiul its tlcsh is
so much esteemed, that llie hunter who uiliiiigly sold us
the skin would nut part \\itli liie caic.iss. The skins arc
here frequently used as covers for mules, and the horns are
put up as ornaments in houses.

+ At niijht the guitar was fvery where, though the
performances are monotonous and rude. I here saw bome
dances accompanied by soujjs wiiich I found in no other
part of the |)cninsula, and which reprcenled a kind of
drama; as for instance, a conversation between a father
and his sun, who, in a mimetie dance, cout^isses he is ia
love, for which he is reproved by his father, M^hoso for-
giveness he at last obtains: or it consisted alternately of
singing and mimetic dancing, till the procession had mean-.
while moved through the village. The audience show,
their approbation by clapping their hands.

••!■'

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SECTI0I4

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382

LINK'S TRAVF.T.'? IN POT^TUGAL.

SECTIOM XI.

,1.

Journey to Amarante — ScYra cfc JMarao — Peza de rc^ua — Remarks on the national Dresi-^

The Cvlttire of the I'me. ^^

'ROM this range of mountains we returned to
X examine the second chief range of mountains
in Portugal, Serra f^e Marao. We travelled
directly southward through Villar de Yciga,
where we paw uncommonly fine Minlio-vallies
along the river called Rio Caldo, and then
through the village of Padrieros, Nossa senhora
do Porto, a village containing a neat church
and a miraculous picture of the virgin; to Fofe,
a very large village, wi<h many new-built and
considerable houses, six leagues from Caldas.
The vallies in this country are somewhat wider,
and always excellently cultivated and well peo-
pled. The ancient town of Guimaraens, which
is not far distant, and the surrounding country,
carry on some traffic in driwl fruit, especially
pUiins, which however are small and bad.
Round Lixc the vallies become opener, but far-
ther on the mountains are more naked and arid.
This town which is weP-pcoplcd increases, and
new houses are built; but the inhabilantR are ill-
spoken of. After passing Caldas the inns are
good but (lear. Before we came to Amiirantc,
we had a view of this chain of mountains wlii<'h
run north-east and south-south-west, bo* appear
far less pointed andgrotesqueatadistaiice than the
mountains of Gercz. Hence the traveller al-
ready conceives it must consist of another species
of stone than granite, which hitherto continues
without ceasing.

Amarante is a considerable town or villa, four
long leagues* from Fofe, situated on the Ta-
mega, which divides it from the suburb, and
o\er which is a handsome stone bridge. This
town belongs to the Corregiraento of Guimaraens,
but has only one juiz de fora. The town and
suburb are said to contain above four thousand
inhabitants. There are many neat houses, many
noble families reside there, and the inhabitants
praise the kind and friendly manners that prevail
in the society of this place. The country is un-
commonly pleasant.

* The leagues of Minho arc iniich lunger than in the
other provinces, especially butwcun Caldas and Fofe, where

Beyond Amarante we^ imniftdiatclv fHcendedl
the spurs of the Serra de Marao, < lie summits ««
which arc barren, but the vallies bciiutii'^llv^^lf
tivatcd and enriched with shade. Here all jik
still granite. Beyond the village of OvcUia, wj
ascended the lofty Serra de Marao itself, ai^l
foun'l the road steep, but not incoiimiodiouj [
The mountains arc naked and destitute of tretjl
or bushes, being only covered with an nrid iiiea-L
gre turf, without projecting rocks or the brookil
and clefts of Gercz, but on the contrary niorel
rounded; in short these are quite a dili'ercnt kinll
of mountains from those, being also much ig.!
•ferior in natural beauties: the species ot'stoneof
which it is composed is also ditferciit. liovonll
Ovclha, slatv granite is still seen, but is sooiT
followed by black argilliiceous slate, wliicli i
coarsely slated and niiiiglel with niica. On [\A
siunmit it forms bare rocks, and loses its slal
fracture, so that it might be taken for Iran,]
We there discovered in it a remarkable am
hitherto unknown fossil which we called niaranii
The j)rospect from the summit is extensive, bul
not reuiiirkable. We saw a part of the adjaceol
province <>f Traz-os-montes, with it^- cr.nsidoral
high, but naked and arid chains of inouiiiai
In height the Serra de Marao is not inferior
that of Gerez, but probably exceeds it. Tlii
snow frequently lies on the summit during
month.

We descended the south of the mountain,
came to a large village called Cainpcan, on
small moimtain-plain which lies coiisidcrabli
high. This village with its woods and fieli
forms a charming island amid these naked moui
tains. The soil is moist, for at a certain
water springs in every part, the plain btii
almost entirely surrounded with considerabll
criiinences. The small woods consist of chesnul
oak, and birch. W^e could almost imagine outj
selves in the woods of Germany. The cold ii
winter is very severe, snow falls, and even tl

they may be reckoned fully equal to Uenran miles.

summerl

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL,

38:

jf. lights are for a lonjf time very bleak.
tm Aiiw^"*^ to Canipean is reckoned a
iMceof only three leagues; but these leagues

erv lo"S* F'"0'" '^^^ last-mentioned place
ijjtofffor Pe^o dallegua. At flrst we met
h fine chesnut hanging woods along the de-
itiesof the mountains; but afterwards about
ajjue from Campean, at a small town called
taMa'tlia, began hills covered with vines,
continued two leagues without interruption,
far as Pezo, so that we almost imagined '
lelves in the rich and hilly wine-country of

Jercy.

to (la Reg u a which is a market to\M» (con-

L) celebrated as a dcp6t for port-wine, and

tlf producing some of the best (juality, is situ-

kl oil the southern declivity of a hill close to the

Lro, which here forces its way between steep

Isconsistingof thin strata of argillaceous slate

|xd with mica. We beheld vine-covered hills,

iaras oureyes could reach, sometimes adorned

[liiieat houses. The bed of the river is stony

J the stream in summer is navigable only for

all boats, though in winter ships of consider-

jk size can ascenxl it. The wine-trade renders

Is place very lively, though it is but small,

ktaiuing only one thousand and' forty inha-

Lits, and three hundred and fifteen houses.

friiis town belongs to a tract of land on the

nksof the Douro called Upper Douro (o alto

))uro) connnencinj' to the eastward at Villa

J or more pro|)erly San Joao de Pesqueira,

Itemling to the spot where the small river

lixeira falls into the Douro, and conipreliend-

ja tract of somewhat above four geographical

pi'm length, by three in breadth*.

JTlie situation of Pezo is very favourable to

;viiie. The steep hills slope to the si)uth-

kid, and consist of a blackisli slate, which by

'In 1781 the population amounted to forty-four tliou-
id six iuimlri'd and sixty, tliere beini; twelve thousand
jit hiiiulrttd and ninety-tive houses and seventy-eight
plies, This is the triict of lund that proJ jces port-wine,
!i:iiuual produce of which is reckoned ut ninety thousand
cs.

' Here we had on op|)ortiiuity to ohtervu the effects of
theat oil huiunn society. At noon (tliis wits ut the close
[July, 179H,) every thi«}> appeared still and dend; at
(rtiie hiboni'ini^ classes bcij^an to appear; and after sun-
hlic principal inhabitants were seen iibroad. The nij^ht
Muri'iipied by a constant tumult; the women lightly
lt»eii but in their balconies to take the air, while their

Vol. II. No. XCVI. ;

its great heat contributes not a little to the
general warmth of these parts, the valley is very
narrow, the lofty Marao defends it fiom the
north wind, nor can the sea-breezes reach it. In
short this spot is very favourable to warmth
in summerf, as the neighbourhood of the snow-
covered Marao is said to cause severe winters.
The badness of the water renders this place un-
pleasant, and in the neighbourhood along the
banks of the Douro are marshes caused by the
inundations of the river in winter, which give
rise to the agues that here prevail.

The culture of the vine is one of the most im-
portant means of support to the people of Por-
tugal; for not only the wine from the banks of
Upper Douro, that of Carcavelos near Lisbon,
and that of St. Ubes are exported to foreign
countries: but the other wines produced arc
either consumed in the country or shipped to the
colonies. Portugal has by no means a propor-
tionate variety to those of Spain, to which the
wines of this country are also inferior in quality.
In the commonest wine-houses in Spain are fre-
quently found good and sometimes excellent
wine; whereas in Portugal it is generally very
batl. The Spanish wine has naturally a great
deal of fire, a quality which is only communi-
cated to that of Portugal by means of brandy.

The Portuguezc are moderate wine-drinkers,
and even at good tables are contented with bad,
or at least very moderate wine; and if any thing
more is brought it is port. Carcavelos is set on
tai)le together with ^ladeira, and as the latter
m;iy be had in Portugal of excellent quality, it
often supersedes the use of the former. The
wine of St Ubes is still more rarely drank.

Here, as every where else, hills and mountains
are preferred for the culture of the vine, and at
Pezo they are so steep that the earth is supported

beauty was enhunced by the darkness. The guitar wa»
heard throughout the nit^ht accompsnied by the elegiac,
uniforiD, popular soiij^s of the I'ovtu^ueze, whicli continued
till sun-rise. When these are heard ut such n di-^tancc hi
not to distinguish the words, it is certainly far tVoin pieasanl
to listen to their music. The lirst stanza indeed often sur-
prises by its soft plaintive sinijile melody ; but the hetirer in
vain desires variety ; for the same notes are constantly re-
peated, and if the pipe of a beautifnl woman ex«;ites ^oine
feelin;j:, t'lfi si.TCuming voices of flu> men totally overpower
ami destroy it ; which is the nioi*- iiu)ileHsiii,^, as the \tomeii
are seldom hvtu'd, and the men coii»t.aitly,

IJ ■■!'

I«'-

! .'

im i

!•:

\, > 'iMf

38-1

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUOAL.

im>'

If i

' f

by little walls so ;i3 to convert tiic sides of the
hills into terraces (geios). But the vine is also
fVer|iiently cultivated on plains, where, if the
soil is sandy they succeed very well. Shady val-
lics and plains or stitfer soil produce even here
l)iit moderate wine, and should never be so cm-
ployed. The vine is commonly short, growing
up poles, those in Minho alone excepted, where,
as I have already said, they are planted beside-
trees, round the branches of wliich they twine.
This rentiers the country charming, but pro-
duces wretched wine. In the quintas they h)rm
covered walks, but even there they do not yield
sucli good wine as the shorter vines, however
pleasant and beautiful these walks may appear.
In the province of Tras-os-montes alone are the
vines planted at *i distance from each other, with
corn sown between tliem ; and on the south bank
oftheTagus, at Lisbon, garden-vegetables are
grown in the vine yards. It is also extremely
common at the first establishment of a vineyard,
to sow the land the first year with corn.

The number of varieties of the vine is as great
in Portugal as in other countries, and their names
are of Portngueze origin; but these names are
various for .ne same variety in different parts of
the country, while the same name is used in
various places for different varieties. At Pezo,
the best red wine is produced from a small red
late grape, growing on a vine whose leaves are
deeply indented and very rough, A great num-
ber of varieties arc mingled together, as for in-
stance at Camego, where sixty-seven varieties
grow together; a method which certainly pos-
sesses some advantages, but also great disad-
vantages. The distance at which the vines are
planted is very various.

One of the most important steps is to prune
the vine. The high vines in Minho which pro-
duce the white wines, are only cut every other
year and sometimes seldomer; whereas the others
are cut every year; in cold situa»^ions in autumn,
and in the warm in January and February. The
manner of doing this is various, and depends
much on theskillof the gardener. A short time
before and after they are in bloom, or if they
bear too many grapes, the superfluous branches
are lop|)cd oft". In some parts the leaves are also
taken off' to expose the gia|)es to the sun.

In Upper Douro, the branches are carefully
bound lip to one or more stakes, which is done

just before and aftrfr thabuds come out' o'k
wise thfc braV.chbs are ortly twined rounji
stem, and fastened or tied to it.

Another very necessary annual lahouriji
ing, partly to loosen the earth, and partly to]
stroy weeds. This is done in spring hi^w^^A
leaves come out, at which time the lalmm-efsJ
seen in crowds in the vineyards, and repeaj
short time before the blossoms appear. D^j
the first three years a furrrtw is dug round i
vine in autumn, a short time before the tallofil
leaf. This is done in order to cut therootsj.
alford sufficient moisture; for Mhitli reason]
cold moist places, the furrows are tilled iiJ
diately, but in warmer situations much 1%|

In ilpper Douro and other mountainous pji
the vines are ni;inure<l as soon as they aietinl
twelve years old. Combustible materiiils, 5/
as old faggot- wood, dry plants, Ike. toiveti
with argillaceous earth, are spread, after whil
the whole heap is fired from below, andtlici^j
used as manure.

The vines are propagated by mean"* of cuttiJ
from the roots or by layers, which consists]
laying a branch in a furrow, leaving out oJ
two eyes. The young vines that arise Worn tli|
are used for planting new vineyai<U. \]\\[\
method is generally used only for supplyi
vacant places, new vineyards being |)liintt(U|
slips without roots, which, when cut olF,
covered half with earth, and half with
branches. These are planted from vintags-ii^
to the end of .lanuary. ;" *'•''

The vintage in Upper Doiiroconuneiiceswli
the grapes begin to shrivel. In these partsitl
dilhcult and expensive to convey the ijrapfsj
the press, the whole district consist ing of sta
hills and narrow vallies. This process is |ieifoiiiJ
by treading, and a great number of men arellJ
employed at vintage-^ime, but thcpopiilalDiij
Upper Douro being insufticient, a great nninlj
of Gallegos come to assist them. To cacln
are reckoned from eight to twenty pijjes.
j)ropcr port-wine is left seventy-two hoursstaa
ing on the hulls, it intended for exportatimi.lj
only four-and-twenty if for home c()ii.suin|)ti(|
In only six districts is white wine prodiicJ
which, however, is inferior to the former, biitj
some other parts of Douro, which i)ri>perly|
duce no port wine, good white wine is niailcJ

When the must is put into casks the strnn«|
.1 t J** Air '■■ iininl

LINK'S TRAVELS

IN PORTUGAL.

385

|, is added, forming even in wine of the
t iinlity a twelftli part. There is no proper
It.line tree from it, nor is this addition by
!*iP3„s an adulteration of the M'ine-mcrcliant,
" ' ' -* Those who dislike this
wine of the coun-
, "I'lig for hoine consumption, which is often
t excellent, and might prohahly by a delicate
bte be preferred to all that is exported. It
ktaiiis at least a much sniialler quantity of
liiilv. f'l'^ ^"•'*^^ "^' ^^^*^ Knglish, and tlieir
Idiicss tor ilrin king to excess, isevixlcntly the

lineal"^ ""

L originally added. Thos

|ii(li«rtasteniust drink the 1

llnillhcre dwcrilie the port-wiiie triitle from a pnprr
jj yol.of the Meinoiius Econoniicas. It priiuipiilly
\i the pro^TM* of •'"' monopoly of the compai>y of
rDoiiroi uikI in more than one point ubounils with in-
a,.r InCormnlion. I simll ntitlier Bive an extract nor ii
itioiiof tins tieatise, but shall only avuil myself of the

, it contain"-

81 the. Upper Donro was nv yet but littli,' cnltivuted,

I very poor. At that time the English us 'veil a» other

[opwn nations loved iweet winei>, to whic'. but ftw parts

lisdistrict ure adapted. Lisbon then exported it iiicon-

ijbleqiiaiitilien, nor did the exportation of port-wine

MSI' immediately uftpr the troiity 'i' Methuen in 1703.

[man the taste for red-wine bfjfan constantly to increase,

I iiij. Ciiglish who now settled in the ecMintry in great

Lbersemou raged the cultivation of the vine in order to

.•wine cheapi'r;. which succeeded so well, that from

j)tol735. n pipe of the best wine was sold for only ten

twis. At this even the member:* of tlio f'^n^lish factory

(discontented, and fearing so chtMp a price might injure

irirackhcid a meetini;; but a shrewd laerchunt, named

lift, nrevented imy increiise of price, and persuaded

m rather to direct tlieir attention to a Hpuaish merchant,

Woioiin'o Piuicorvo, and put him down. Pancorvo being

{cliemiii;; mim, determined to open a direct trade with

[er northern ports, and therefore offered a iiigher price;

lijs money failing, he could ni.i go through with his

Ulation, and became a bankrupt. The English then

llterated the wine terribly, mixing it with the t-uur wines

Beim aiid Minho, coloured it, and in short at length de-

lyed its reputation.

il'iC, the com|Miny of tJpper Douro was established

iiorder of the cabinet, which still continues in force,

lluis produced much good to the country, though its re-

Jttiniis mid conduct ure fiiultv. It consists of a provedor

thief iiiitpertor, twelve deputies, six counsrilors, and a

ittury. These nominate a kind of tribunal, consisting of

eiiibargttilor juiz eotiservador, a discmbargador Jiscal,

illieir biibordinute attendants, a notary, a nieirinhox, a

birflf, ftllores, adininistradores, &<;. an intricate and

|i|>le\ constitution, Mrhich annually co^ts a hundred tliou-

icrusid'es. This company depends immediately on the

^',111)1 is not under thejurisdiction of any otiier triiiunul ;

I which reason tiiey ventured on many arl/itrnry acts,

ky were resolved to keep up the reputation of the wine,

Jtliiitthe price should be fixeil. Their I'mkIs at first

kbtul of one million two hundicd thousiiu.l crusades.

cause of adding so great a quantity of very
strong brandy: out now almost all l'ortugiie/.e
wines have at least some brandy added before
they ferment. It is said to be impossible to
preserve the wine without this addition; which
may indeed be true, as there arc no wine cellars
in Portugal, the wine being kept in warehouses
above ground, where it is left to ferment.

The wines grown here arc as soou as possible
sent to Oporto, where they remain in the maga-
zine three years before tiiey are exported*.

SECTION

sta

which, hwvever, were not destined merely for the purcliaso
of wine, but to make luuns to the pcas.ints at tinee per ceiit.
These however have very seldom taken plucc, evasions
having also been used to avoid thenu

The comptiny have not indeed a conipittc ni(iMO|ioly of
the wine of Upper Douro. The member, iirc bound to take
wine from each grower nt a fixtd price. Hut if th<' grower
prefers selling and transnortiiig hit wine el-cuhcH' into the
country lie may. This however must be done tlirn(i^;h the
intervention of the company, who receive six per cent. It
is evident these regulatinns necessarily give them a very con-
siderable monopoly ; but the restraint went still farther: n
list was made of the produce of each viueyard for the last
preceding five years, and no one was permitted to sell a
larger (|nantity, either to the company or to any oii« clce.
Tlius all increase of this species of agriculture is entirely
stopped, and what is still worse, the company employ va-
rious evasions not to take all the wine grown, nor at the
prices tixed.

The district of Upper Douro was divided into such parts
as were to produce factory or export wine, and wine for
home consumption. The tlivisiou itself is not propeily
made; for there are districts which bear bad export wine,
and others, where a wine is produced, which I'ar excels
most of the wines destined for exportation. The port wine
for home coiisum()tion, wliicli we drai.k in good houses,
was so excellent, that i ■ '. ''ist thought this was the name ol'
the best port wine, and . i^ much astonished when 1 learnt
the contrary, and tasted the common bad home consuniptioii
wine. Every possible precaution is now taken to prevent
the adulteration of the export-wines with the other Hriie!«.
It was at first prohibited to sind out of their <listricts the
grapes for the expost-wine, under penalty, which di8ahlc<l
the poor farmers, who cotild not now carry tiieir grapes to
the press, from selling any factory-nine, lint even tins
did not prevent frauds of this kind, whicii wer* oi'ien con-
trived with great art,

n'lie care the com|mny bestowed en the goodness of tjie
wine, went too far. In 15.57 mannriiig with ilung wits
prohibited, because it tended to produce a huge (|uunlity,
but of bad quiility. Orders were also given to cut down
every elder tree within five leagues rounil Cpper Douro, to
prevent colouring the wine with their berries. In 177 I this
order was exteiideil to the provinces of Hcira, Tra.s-os-
luontes, and Minho; but no utteutioti hms paid, to the
plivtolacca dec.iiidria, (I'okewecd or Anicriciiii night slnub),
which is gi'osvn in lurvjc (luantities in Bci.a for colonri.ig

wine.

•, r.

r-.

,!•■

tl!

:,S-:.^fl

386

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

-t;"

SECTION XII.

I^i.U .

I !

Jounicif to Estrdla — Description of that Range of Mountains — Retttrnjrom the Serra dthi j

to Lisbon — rortugneze Justice,

^|"^HE summer was already far advanced, the
X heat which was very great threatened soon
to make the fields naked and (h-y, and we were
ohUged to hasten toward the Serra ile Estrclla,
tlie highest range of mountains in Portugal. We
therefore crossed the Rouro by a ferry at Pezo
llegna, and on the other side immediately
climbed the heights of the mountain. We con-
tinued rising as far as Lamego, an old city on
the small river Balsaniao. This is a considerable
place containingabout five thousand in'.abitants,
and appears quite opulent, It cor''ji.3 of two pa-
rishes, has four monasteries, and is the seat of a
bishop and a corrcgedor. Limego is celebrated
in history for the constitution which bears its
name anti forms the basis of the monarciiy. It is
asserted that the Lacobriga of Strabo Mas situ-
ated near it. The land lies very high, and near
the town is barren, but considerable eminences
surround it. This adds to the charms of the
^leclivitv of the mountain toward the Douro,

ttiije, as 1 niysfir liavp often seen. At leiigtli in 1773 orders
were givpn to root up every vine that boru wliite grapes und
replace tliein nitli red, because the former ;j;ive mure, but
worse wine. This measure was altogether prejudicial; for
the difference lietween the pricL!) of ^uod and bad wine beiii^
very trifling, little attentioD was paid to the choice of the
cnttin;^s, those which gave a greater ({uaiitity bein<{ preferred
to the better varieties. The wine-growers also suffered by
it considei'ubly, h new- planted stock not bearing; its propor-
tion of fruit till live years old. The company itself falsify
the wine, since they export as much factory-wine as they
receive, though it loses a ninth part of its quantity in the
warehouses, where it is kept.

The company have the monopoly of all the factory-w ine ex-
ported to foreign f)arts, but is almost ••ntirely sent to Eng-
land. In 17S0, he wise plan was first put in force, of
frei'^hting ships loav'ed with port-winedirectly to Petersbnrjj.
This has been repeated from time to time, but the number
is still inM>;nificant. Portugal might (X'rtuinly find a con-
biderable marki-t for hir wines in all the northern states, and
men would soon drink larger quantities of that excellent
wine, which so far excels t''e common sour French wine,
vievf it iif>t spoiled by that quantity of brandy, which none
but the I'liglish can like. Perhaps, however it was this
brandied Tottugueze wine wiiich first corrupted the taste of
the English, who were almost entirely confined to tliis kind
of wine. Six per cent for comrnissiun and hliipping, and
iiti:en per cent profit :ire atloncd th'.b company.

which is one of the finest vine-mountainj,
produces excellent wine, of which theinh]
tants of the town make their principal bever
In some parts the road is excellent, andpUa
with trees. Theslate of the Douro ceaseson)
heights round the town ; after this all is oJ\
which is not without metallic veins, andoni
eminences near the town brings with it plumbai

In these parts we met with the elm-leal
sumach-tree, both wild and cultivated, ot'wlil
probably the former had run wild. Itjscul
vated here and there in Traz-os-montes,andesi
cially in Upper Douro. Its cultivation requj
but little care, and it is very easily increj
Its young rough branches are used fortannl
fine leather, and near nine hundred tliousj
pounds weight are annually exported fj
Oporto to England and the northern ports,

Ueyond Lamego to the southward, we climJ
still farther up this high range of mountal
which here accompanies the Douro, but sti

The company have farther possessed, from thiirj
erection, the monopoly of wine in the town ol' Opotioil
and ihe country three leagues round it, wr.ieli (iijtancel
extended in 176O to four leagues, in order as was j(ivni|
to prevent all adulteration of wine. This at tirst nj
a tumult, which wag suppressed by force, iiiid tlie t
lea.lers of which were severely punished. The imjiI
still possess the village, and everv tavern beais tlienl
Companliia do alti Douro.

At length, in 177-.', the company acquired tlii'|mrt
of ex<'lnsively furnishing with wine the tiiveriis iiitlitj
tricts of I'ezo da lle^ua, I'enaguiao, Mezao-frio,15ar(|ih
Teixeiras, Tourues, and Sabroso de Folhadella, lilii
under a pretext of prf!venting adulteration; whereul
evident, that the real object was to increase the jjnvilJ
of the company.

Such is the hibtory rf an institution in which iIim
of the founder Pombul very clearly prevails. lli>t\ei|
to beni-fit the country ai t every where apniireiit, biiti
wherethe measures lie adopted were precipituteamldttpl
Absolute governments gener'-Uy run from one fxireiJ
the other. Some expedient was nccess.iry to ini|jrmJ
wine-trade of Portugal, or at least partly to wrei.t ill
the hands of foreigners, which the erection of the wal
of Upper Douro has undoubtedly done; butwii!iiitl
fore necessary to exceed ihe proper bouuds of cofrcioul
so despotic u hand?

' . f J

|v j;iTiit

|m)M; and tilt

i'oi.. II. :

LINK'S TRAVELS LV PORTUGAL.

387

branches to the soutluN'ard. As it has no
'« (Ici'P vallie*, aufl the declivities are not
rVcP' '^ '""" °* slight ohscivation might
l' „»*tl'ielici!iht of the mountain at much less

l||I)lllCl">= '"- p 111- 1

In the truth. Ihe soil is naked, being only

Icred with grass or short healli, and somewhat

T|.y, 111 the vailies we also found oaks and

Liii'it-tret's, though not in great quantities

Ljjp^iticularly cultivated licre, which is a

r of'ji ijioiintainous bad soil and a cold cli-

Ite' it bad already been iiarvcstctl in the begin-

L of August. The villages between I^amego

llCrastor M'hieh is four miles farther, are ex-

luely miserable, and the jjcasants apiuur very

Cnisto is a large nunnery, with a small

•et-town, wiiich lies somewhat lower.

From Crasto to Viseu the country becomes

iistaiitly lower and more cheerful. Near

asto «e |)asscd the Vouga, w hich tlows from

kcto San Pedro de Sul (where are somecelc-

itcii ami niuch-fre(|uented warm batjis) and

fleiiijtli forms the harbour of Aveiro. We

isc(l"tljrough chesnut woods and over inoun-

liiscovered with high heath to a large village

pled Calde, where the country is better culti-

|eil ami the peasants appear opulent.

.lie inouiiiains now grew <iuite flat, and at

Lh Ibriiitd a plain, on which is the city of

kill; but though every thing here Jippeared

w\, we perceived we were on a consider;U)le

li'lit, compared with the coast and level (»f the

' To the south-east the Serni ;le Kstrella ap-

trcd very distinctly, ^'iseu is nine leagues

iiii Lauiego, being a considerable place, and

jitaiiiiitg nine hundred houses, tiiree ])ari^hes,

11 three religious houses ; but consists of nar-

i dirty streets, and mostly bad houses. It is

■mold city, and historians are very uncertain

lilsniigin :' but a city stood here in the time of

Iciciit Ucme, ss ap|)eais by some remains of

liiiananti(iuity, especially two old towers. At

fsciit it is the see of a bishop and corregechu- ;

:itis])rincipally celebrated on account of the

IV <,'r('iit Portuguezc fair, which is here au-

jilly held *. Tiie plains round \'iseu areadorn-

JTliis lair which is int'iitiotied iu no l)ook ol" ^eofsraphy
■iiliitinil woik, is cert nil I ly ot" iin|ii>i-tiuict:, siiifc ]iro-
JlWJolVstiitfs at coi)hiilei'iil)le (listuiices, tVfiiutMilv very
llroni iliemiilille ol' roitiigul, litre provicte thtniiselveR
liobjtfcts of luxiir). Miiiiy jewels ure aUo htTe bo(i>j;ht
Isold; mid the meri;liiii)ts tVniu the uiidtUo of the country,

Ml., II. No. XCVi.

ed with small chesntit and oak-woods, hut also
present many heaths. The soil is granite sand.

Not far from Viseu begin the forc-ninners
of the Serra de Kstrclla. We passed over low
mountains and through pine-woods to Men-
gualde, a large village two league?; from \'iseu.
The higher we ascendefl, tlie more lively, more
cultivated and pleasanter the country appr-ared.
Tl)e village of Mengualde surprize<l us by the
number of new-built neat houses, of which we
soon percci(^ed the cause: for we came exiictly
at the time, of an annual fair which is very con-
siderable, and at which a great traffic, particu-
larly in cattle, is carried on. The roads are full
of passengers, by which this otherwise populous
country was rendered still more gay and lively.
Tijis cheerful appearance of the country conti-
mieil as far as Coutances, another village; after
which we climbed rough nu)untains, down which
flows the Mondego, till at length, at the village
of Penhan^os, two leagues from Mengualde, we
descended to the fine plain which skirts the
mountains on this side. ;

This plain is one of the pleasantesl spots iii
Portugal. It is properly a witle flat valley, in-
closed on one side by the forerun uers of Estrella,
and on the other by that range itself, which on
this side a|)puars a high, but gently declining
and nuked mountain; its forerunners losi; thcni-
selves in hills. The plain is extremely well culti-
vated, containing fields of maize and rye, vine-
yards, and small woods of pine ami chesnut-
trees. A number of villages also surround it,
which, like alt the villages after passing Men-
gualde, were adorned with very ncdt houses and
orchards. The fruit of this Serra is also the best
and most cclebratctl in tlie kingdom. We were
«mch striu'k with the beauty of llii.-> country, of
which we had never read, iiiul had heard but
littic. On the first plain of this serra, a league
from Peuhaufos, is a \ery sinull town (or villa)
called Cca, wli,'re many person"* of easy tbrtiiiie
reside, us is the case iu ur.uiy small places in poi--
tugal. At the extremity of this place, near the
declivity toward the plain, oi. an open and bcau-

uho arc luiiier to Viicu vhaii to tiny '•ca-,!i'rf, take liuir
int'ii'lmiiiiiZ'! frniii thence. As ui: wcie ti;,v(iliin^ i\cdr
Tlioiiiari at a < •iiisidrrttbh) ilistanc- tVoui V i.'.f'U, we iii't
uitli iii'.iiiy loailud curl^ u;oiii'4 to tlu;> t'.nr, but us MiKHi as it
js VM'.v \ iiifU is •Jjjaiu u >i'rj d^ad jr i.i;.

5 r

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'::^si.«i?— »-,•

i":

»t»«S«*tlBW9«»F"^*SIW

S^fl

MVK'S TRAVELS

IN' PORTUr.AT

i 'I*-.

tifiil spot, i< the fine house, or ViUluT castk', of
i)(.in I.iiisHcnianlo Pinto dc Mcnrloca, thcMm-
(Idus of wliii'li coinmaiul ;i i'lnv and extensive
|)n)>|)(ct. litre tiie spcetator Iool<s down on the
iliainiin«i;|)hiin that surrounds Cca, an<l beyond
tlie fortiiinners of the Serra discovers the plain
of \'isi'ii, whicli city he distinctly sees, as also the
mountain-chain of Val «le Uesteiros, which rise
in front, while to the left l)e perceives thcSerru
<le Ihissaco, and the f-ountry of C"oifid)ra.

From Cea, we innncdiatel'y climbed up to the
first plain of the Serra de Ivstrella. Tliese moun-
tains are covered with pines tcward their base,
but soon become very l)are, and nothinsf U seen
but a short grass then entirely parched up.
>Vheii wt had passed tliis fiist plain, wc came to
a valley, in which is tlie village of Sabugneiro,
undoubtedly the best place to stop at in order to
examine the range of mountains. TIk; inhabi-
tants of I'.strella arc not in this country reputed
polite; which in comparison with ihe rest of
the nation is perhaps true. A mountain stream,
the Rio de Alva, flows near the village through
a valley, which in many parts is extremely
deep antl rocky. A part of the mountain around
lias a gentle declivity, which is covered with
grass.

The Serra de Estrella, which is the Mens Her-
niinius of the ancients, is indisputably the most
extensive and highest range of mountains in Por-
tugal; for in winter it is covered with snow fre-
quently during fiijur months and longer, and rises
from a mountain plain wliicb itselt is consider-
ably high; it lies north-east and south-west.
The northern part is lower, the mountains rising
there gently and being less rocky, for which rea-
son it is called Serra A/ansa, the gentle moun-
tains; but the .southern parts which is the high-
est, and in many parts very steep and rocky, is
called Serra Brava, the wild mountains. Here
all is granite without exception. Altliough
many large and small rivers take their rise in
these mountains, as for instance tlie Mondcgo,
the Vouga, the Zczere, yet it does not give rise
to those innumerable brooks, which, render the
mountains of tlierez so charming. There arj
many populous small towns on this range of
mountains, of which the principal areCovilhab
and Momteigas, lielow much rye and fruit are
grown, but the upper part of the mountain con-
sists of pasture, especially for sheep, which range

about like those of S|)aiM, dcsccudinp ii,c,
teniber to the plains of Aleniteio, and \^\
hither in .May. 'I'licir wool which is ex
and next to that of Spain, the best In KuroD,,!
exported to Kngland in large ciuantitifs. i|,'J
\ illages round the Serra de KstrclLi an „J
lent .sheep-cheese is made, which i.s sent alUi
the country; but is every wIumo vriv scard
The royal family annually send some as a rarl
to the court of Spain, and it greatly cxcclst
sheep-cheese of Aleintejo. At Covilh;,!) „
woollen njanufactories in a thriving state J
the Portugueze cloth is b.id, tinck, 'and ImJ
for which reason the rich constantly wcartW
from Kngland.

To go from Sabugneiro to the highest shihb

of the mountain, we first assccndedadeclivitvnl
very steep, where the roail is easy, and wind'sb
twecn cisti, he. hs, and rocks. WciiowariivJ
at the ridge of tlic mountain, where the uuill
wood changed to a fine grass, andwepursJ
with great ease our road, which rose slowly)
the southward together with the inouiKjjl
High masses of rock soon began to am
among which wc suddenly perceivr he y
lake, called T.agoa Uedonda, or tlu i |a|J

These lakes, so near the summi'
charms to the mountains. The Lago. lid
is the smallest of them, but its coDM^.'.cttlv lom
form, the high rocks that surround it at asmi
distance, and the clear transparency of its wai
render it extremely pleasant. Still puisuiuir
ridge of the mountains, which is very plcasai
We sometimes discovered a groupof t rces adunii
with r ireand be.uitifid hangirig plants,S()iiiel
a lai i^e plain or soft declivity covered witlisliei
sometimes the juniper-tree, and sometimes Ik';
tiful flowers springing up from the soft gicei
ward. The broad ridgf of the mountain i
suddenly grew narrow, on the east side appeii
a deep and steep valley, to which a path lcd,di
gerous to those who are subject to be giddy.ai
near it a .stupendous mass of rocks broken on
sides, and only connected with the ridge of
mountain, by a narrow tongue ol land. Tl
highly striking and uncommonly tine massl
received the significant name of Canthurm,
the pitcher; because water streams do«iicv
where between the rocks.

At length the ridge of the mountain Ws
tlic Jiighcst summit, called MalhaOdet'm:

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

389

l,i,tcfrntlvarclie<l plain of so great cxtcMit,
;,|,f„nfcta"toi- (Iocs not at all observe tlic
.„ckv siden that surround tlie mountain
.^j,|,fie excepting to tiie north-east. Here
L,„i the remains of a pyramid erected hy
L()ura|ihcrs sent round the country hy the
Ifrnnieiit to eonstrnct a nup of I'ortuijal.
'jiili.il,itaiits of Lstrella had destroyed it ini-
Ljfjv after its erection, and the first anxiouo
L,irvi)f every one we met on the mountain
L'jisk wliat was its ()l)ject. 'J'i>c prospect
, this eminence is nneonunonly extensive, in-
Uiiiff almost the whole province of Ikira and
Liadiira, and to the east are distinctly seen
Spani^li mountains called Sierra flcCiata, not
li-iornt-rliaps in height to that of I'strella.
_ njiijr from the summit, and leavini^ the
[tharus^to the right and to the east, we passe<l
,roii<»li rocks to the beautiful LagoaKscHra
[ark lake, whicii is so enclosed between iiigli
Irnck'*, that we could not pass round it.
(lake is deep and col<l,and the water receives
trk sliiule from the reflection of the rocks
Joftliesky. From this lake wc passed, by
(extrtinely dirticidt road, over fractured
|scM)t' rocks heaped upon each other to the
or great lake, called Lagoa Longa*, or
iipiida. It is, however, the least beautiful
Vli very long, occupying the middle of a
lev of considerable length. It is of unequal
Idtli, often very narrow, and has marshy
|li<, Hence it is the least striking, especially
lis situated in -rather a broad valley The
[itotrlu; south-west declivity of this range
|imiiitaiiis is very rough, wild, anti composed
tij;li heaped -up r(x-k.s, M'hicli render it dilK-
Iti) ascend; nor does it begin to be easier
jiess rocky till farther on toward Sabugueiro
jtheiiortliern part of the scrra.
JMiinate the ekvatiou of this mountain at
Itosix thousand feet above the level of the
and even that perhaps exceeds the fact.
Jtlie mountains of Spain and Portugal de-
le tiie eye extremely through their broken
;and wild appearance, which give them an
Ine charaeter.

Ilie Scrra de Estrella is a branch of the high
teof mountains that divide the two C'astiles,
[torais the CJuadarrama, tho Sierra del Pico,

and the Sierra deCiata. This chain ofrnnniUains
itself sends out branches toCoimbra ami i.ousio,
which then indeed only run oH' in great nioiin
tain-plains as far as Cal)o de llocca. It lies in
, the<lirecti()n of most of the ranges of mountains
of this peninsula, from N li to S \V.

From Sabugueiro we descended to a inaikct-
town, called San Itamao, at the foot of the Scrra
de J'-strella, and a league both from Ce.i and
Sabugueiro. At first we foun<l eorn-lields, then
young plantations of oaks, and near San KoniuM
a well cutivated soil, and which are very r:ue iu
Portugal, potatoe-fields : iu ujany parts water
had been dug for with great labour. lUit when
we left the mountain, appeared a dry and litll;-
cultivated hilly country covered with heaths. .\
long league from San llomao is a small village,
called C'arago^a, in which is an inn Here the
scrra presents its highest, wildest, steepest side,
and its majestic appearance seem.<, to pl;u v it in
the class of Alpine mountains.

A fine road continues to Pontc de Mnreella,
wliich is said to forih a part of the great Spanish
road thro gh Coimbra and Ahneida. This
road, hoNuver, obliged us to make a great cir-
cuit toward the west, as far as the neighbour-
hood of Coimbra, to get to Th')mar.

Me passed arid hills of granite-sand, mean-
while the villages were large, aud the soil round
them well cultivated ; to the left stretched out
the continuations of tlie Serra tic Estrella, and at
first the Scrra de( iocs which is considerably high.

From Caragoca to a large village called Galli-
/es is a distance of two leagues, thence to Vend;i
<lo \'allo, a miserable inn, two leagues, to the
xillage of Moite one league, to the village of
Sovcreira Formosa one league, and a leaguo
more to Ponte <le. Murcella, at which place we
were but four leagues from Coimbra.

At V'enda do Vallo the granite ceases, chang-
ing to a sandstone slate, containing veins of
(juartz and iron-ore. Not far from hence, at
Arganil, the bishop of Coimbra has caused
plumbago to be dug for.

The inns on this road arc in part good. Al
Pontc de Murcella, a village consisting of only a
^'e\v houses on the Kio de Alva, is an excellent
inn. As soon as we had passed tlie Alva over a
large bridge, we crossed the range of mountains^

iti

■im

So tlie iniiabitHDts cull it tlioiijjii this word is not I'oitiijjiieze, in which language co»iprlila bijjnitics '""g.

that

viwswwi!*<(wi;w->«asBat»wiiPWliWi«|PM)i>*

S90

7,IXK'S TRAVl'XS IN POJITUGAL,

t'lat trocs from the Sena dc Estrella to Coimbra.
called Sena de Acor, or hawk-mountain, which
is nKulfratc'Iy iri«ij!i, antl consists ot' sand-slonc.
The valley hctweoii this first and second cliain
that !'ollo\vs is very wcil cidtivaitd, and contijns
many villai>;es, as I'overes, I'onto-volha, and one
])articiilarly large called I'oz de Arouce. Here
(iuinea-corniscidtivUed. Avid sai'd-nionn tains
again close this plca'^ant tract ot" co;inl.y to the
southward. Hcyou'' the village of C'oTvo, the
mountains appi .>ach and crowd together from all
sides, and close before (lie inarkct-townof Espin-
lial consicierahlerunestone mouutains arise. To
the right lhehi!;h i.ousao appears insight, form-
ing the iiighcst range < f limestone mountains in
i'oitiigal. These nunintains supply Lisbon xsith
ice, which is there preserved in ice-houses. We
now again entered the province of Kstrcmaduva.

I'rom Ponte dc Murcella to Kspinhal is a
iiistancc of six leagues. As far as Venda dos
r^Ioinhos the road runs .aiving a valley between
liigh uiountaiiis, and at Venda da Maria, two
leagues from Kspinhal, the valiies ipen, thehiiis
become lower, and are alternated with limestone
and sandstone. We passed rhrough a market-
town cail.'d Cahafos, four leagues from l:'.spin-
lial, aufl lour lear^aes from Thomar, in a plea-
sant country.

This town is situated on a plain which is
almost every "here entlo.sed by hills on the
river Nabab.

Here the iiilU again consist partly of sand-
scone and partly of lime-stoir:. 'ihe plain is al-
most entirely covered with olive trees, wl.ich
give it at a distance a monotonous appearafue,
though on a nearer approach it is much enliven-
ed Ijy the gardens on the banks of the rivef. On
the whohs however, the count; y is very arid
Thomar was formerly more "onsiderahle, but
now consists of two jiarishes, contains four nio-
iiastericf,, and the number of iidiabitants is said
to be irom four to live thonsan«l. It is the seat
of a corregcdor. The street- are tolerably regu-
lar, well paved, and have a gay and cheerful ap-

• Til'- onirr of ChriKt wii» •■f,tal)li».hprf in laio l>y Pom
f )l ii/ .1' ' ; •.iit'aui»pressioii<)fllif order <>t kiiii^'litsteiiiphirti,
wlioiv e-.liiK'i tliey rtfC'fivt.il. It |lo^•.t■ssL'S no Itus than
fwri-M-oiif tcrfiis ami villu;{ta unil four liunilred itiid (ifty-
f .;i: (;'umiu;ii)iUjries, 'I'he kiiii; mid tin: queen iirt< constant
trr^i rl-miik e. *, iin ofiitv to wliiv.li u revcnur ul' forty tlioiisuiid
i:it.a.ii-c».is u'.lti."«d.

pearanee, but most of the houses are small
the hills is a rentarkable edifice, the chief
nastery of the order of Christ. Here we i
many vestiges of a high anticpiity extend!
beyr. id the time of )Jom Manoel. In t|
lice several tribunals are heUI, and the nrfU
is always the 'tead of tlie order of Christ anl
member of the council of state*.

The road to Santarem leads at first ovcrani
cultivated sand hill ; we then cametoaiitxtrej
ly well-cultivated and extensive plain sj,,!
with olive trees, which accompanied the TjJ
for a considerable dislaiice, and atfoLlcj!, 5
sped, which, after having long seen .lotliiiir'k
hills and monutains, was uncommonly pltaJ
The soil of this plain is rery fertile, eoiiiisdiig
a fat mould mixed with sami, and tluicL
light; hence it is hoed with hoes whidiiuJ
moveable mould-board and no point, but an J
«ulge two inches broad. On this plain isa,
ket-town, called Golegam, which appearoilvi
{lourishing, and where we observed a nuniy
new-built houses. Very hiw hills, soniewlutl
■^errupt the plain at Ponte de Almonilu, lintl
soon began again still more beautiful tliani
fore. Here it is almost entirely eovcroiU]
vineyards enclosed «ithin.tall iUaek |)o|)l;irs,a
we already discwvered, at a considerable (iistaD,
Santarem situated on a mountain betwctiioli]
trees and summer-house-*. The winu >iiol
here is sent to Lisbon in great (piaiititic\ ]

The city of Santarem, which is eif;;lit iea»|
from Tlnunar, is divided into the ii|)|Kraj
lower town, the former being siinatcil m
mountain, the latter on the bjiiks ot' the Tiiri]
Most of the rich^ the corregetlor, tlic jmiJ
reside in the former, the low town bciiisriccl
oned unwholsome, and accordingly coihiiih
small houses. The upper tt)wn still jirofii
here and tiiere sttme remains of walls, m\
an old citadel. The population aniouiib
about eight thousand |.

The 'I'agus was here so shallow, that wccoii
without inconvenience wade throngl. it in iial

t Of its former ijmitiii'ss and Urilliaiicy, itsdiviiiiiiii^
thii'teen pnnsliL'A, iiiiil itMuntaintn^ ioin'tcL'iircli^iiiihlM
•<rt; proofs, and it ib wtll-knowii that siuix' 1417 it |
diinini^'llcd. It tlieii In'UI tin; .Tth plm-e uii lliern<ll
of tliu C(M(t*o, uiany Ubscuiblii'tt of wlii<:li liuvi; bnull
till re.

L(x

LINK'S rilAVCLS IN POUTUGAL.

391

tj k;t in winter the contrary prevails ; and,
''eat number of sand-banks interrupt its
l"f it does nmcli niischiet". Hence tlierc is
fJ^Jiirjition on it, and the tide extends only up
alidade, wliich is a lea<>-ue fartlicr do(\'n,
i,vlifres?oo(ls going lo and fro fVoni L'sijon
lusiiallv loiided iind unloaded. All the hills
J^.onsistot'ratchil, ot'cpiartz, sandstone, &c.
ic;iiiii<itl'"t here relate an incident which hap-
icii lo lis because it <^i\es an idea of the ad-
bistration of justice in Portugal. At Thomar
i loiiiit (if IJoirnianp.^cgg wished to embark
llJsbdU. I" tbi:< plan I found no attractions,
Tipioposcil to accompany a youn<>' Spaniard,
5 (i,i,iit"«. secretary, and the servants, l)y land.
„jvveiiiet with a ditliculty ; for we had
l, ,)iie|)ass|)ort, in wliich the count and niyself
LiiK'ntioiu'd, together with his suite*. \S'e
Iretore went to the corregedor's, but he being
leiitliad entrusted hib businessto another per-
y iiho made no objection, saying the count
LlitiiKieted with the |)ortaria, to which he ad-
la dttliuation why the conn' travelled alone
llwitlidiit attendants, giving us at the same
If ;i passport, in w'lich le stated that he had
llitit.'d tlieportaria, ..f •..liieh he briefly added
) cDiitciits. With this passport we wc ut to
[itarcin, wliere two ollicers of justice, (c.vcWra-
) iiiiiiit'diattly a])pearcd, a class of men who
loujiiioiit the country bear a very bad charac-
laiul demanded our pass|)oi'ts,. 'I'liey refused
Virtlaiatiun of the corregcdor of Thomar, as
jivfovtigner ought to haveapass I'lom t.'icin-
Idaiitor a secretary (>f state. IJolh these luen
jut to uiul fro, spoke secretly together, then
jiii back to us, and, in short, I ■)l)M'r\i'(l they
liihJsome money, Mhieh howivcr I icucd to
li'tlit'Ui, lest I should thereby render myself
Jptrtcd. At length they examined ourpock-
;ind unfoi'tunately tbuiid in mine a pointed
litr, wliieli l)cing prohibiu'd in I'oilugal, ihey
ii.iiciied nie with imprisonnu ut. All this,
'ivn, u;is not serioiii; they sutfered u.i t'>c:'.'.
■rMi|;|)ei' in peace, and did not nunc till ten
locktofelcli us to tliejuiz de fiua. '1 hisgen-
ii, luivinga bilge ccuipuny with him, Mii"-

fered us to wait a long time in his mti chamber'
whither he at length came, merely heard the es-
crivabs, who saicl. " Here are foreigners who
have no regular passport," and laconically re-
plied, " To prison." 1 recpiested him to read our
papers, hut he replied, " JNIy orders are given — to
prison." Thither the young Si)aniard and myself
were taken amidst the sport of the esciivaos, but
no one troubled himself about our servants and
baggage. At lirsl we were put into a deceuc
room: but the escrivaiis spoke a few woids
softly to the jailer, who then obliged us to go
down some sle|)s into another clumber, i lijs
was a shocking place; u horrid stench attacke>i
us, for the privy was situated there, and I soon
perceived with iuirior, that we were in tlie same
room with criminals. I'Lven now when I reileet:
on this wretched moment, I can seaieely restrain
my feelings; and it particularly vexed met*! be
told, that it was contrary to good manueis to
wear my hat. At lengtli I sent to the jailer to
know if we could have another room by paying
for it. This was all that w;'.s wanted ; and we
were now shown into a good room, our servants
were permitted to attend us, and the jailer allow-
ed us togo into his apartment. I wasalso permit-
ted to send messengers to Thomar and Lisbun.
At first people seemed diiposed lo let us re-
] main in prison. Among the prisoneis were a
I nimdier of Spanish merihints, who had remain-
j ed there several weeks fri)in the .'^ame cause as
I ourselves, and had only been one. examined
I since their first imiirisoument. A poor Italian,
■ who was ill, chielly attracted my pity. He had
i been l)roui>ht here; because his passport tlid not
1 agree uitli lie last orders, his i\ioiuy was spent,
i the pool mail was toigolteii, and saw no means
' of hheratiou. A sou of a e'ili/en ol' .Saiilaieiii
s.iid to us, with a dejected countenance. '• \'ou
i are lortiiiiate, lor you know the cause of \()ur
I impri.sonineiil, uliieii I (h) not nf mine; ami I
j .shall, pel I a|)s, be sent fur a soldier."
I Me;i,. while we soon proeured our liherh'. I
; asked ihe young S|)ani.ird to thaw up a petition
I in Spauisli, as I llionght he would express him-
• self b. tier in thai, language: I tlieii trin^laleil it

III lliu iiiii'iii, ^ii^lll^l t)y a si'iTi'tniV nl' nl;itr, to all iiia-
liali's liiiii olllii'i!., toaidnsiti nil lliiii^> nlalivf to Diit
lir>iiii(l ri-i arcliis into iialiual Itiitnrv, »>liifli »;is jiaiti-
liiiy>|ii'iiiiitl. Siirli u |)i)ituriu is ill lliat tuiiiitr\ iiiin It

IVoL. II. No. XCVl.

«( !•(■ iKIIIIIll ill ia>f 111 IK fil to

i'iiiiM'\aiir<',
•j" Noluiie*.

5 (i

jiioMilo lor uur IoiI^mi-^ mat

1 11 Uj

•}i

I'-'i

iy4\

^■1 ''^ '

302

I INK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUOAL,

into Portiiauezc, and asked a notar}', who was
one of tlie prisoners, to instruct nie in the prn|)er
form. With this wc applied to the jniz de fora,
uiio referred us to the corregcdor, and tiie latter
demanded information of the two cserivaos who
Jku! taken ns prisoners. The jailer now came to
ns, saving" that the two eserivaos were very poor,
that an unfavourable report from thenv would at
If'ast \ igthen the affair, and, nniking the worst
of the pointed knife, advised n»e to give iheni
money. We therefore purchased a favourable
report with a couple of crusades, upon which
the corregedor liberated us; so that we remained
only about eighteen hours ';; prison. '

We hatl already met an incident which may
also afford some insight into the administration
of justice in this country. We arrived one
morning at Cezimbra, where a notary a[)peared
as usual, read the portaria, and took leave of us
very politely Toward evening the count and
myself on our return from a walk tu CaHieriz,
liad separated a little way from the town, the
better to examine the country, as we could not
here loose our way ; but the count had scarcely
entered the town when some officers of justice
met him,and demanded his passport. He assuvetl
them he had it at the inn, whither they nnght
conduct him and see it; but all he could say
availed nothing, and he was taken to prison ;
where indeed he was placed in a decent apart-
ment, but exposed totlie curiosity ol a multitude
of spectators. Here he was examined even to his
shirt, and two pistols being found in his girdle,
he was declared a very suspicious person, though
the portaria permitted him to carry all kinds of
arms; nor till he was thrown into prison was a
message dispatched to me to send the portaria.
I did so, not dnubtisig the count wo>ild imme-
tliately return; but with the utmost astonishment
I heard the answer of the alcaUle, that the juiz
dc fora being absent he could not decide upon
this affair, l-'ortunately we had spoken will) the
juiz dc fora, who was a good kind of man, at
Calheriz, whitlter a servant was sent in the night
with the portaria. Meanwhile I was informed,
that if the sei vairt did not return next morning,
I must also go to prison. lie returned at three

* These examples shew hof> iiiueli precaution iaDeceaury
to i<rotect M truveilvr from rortu^;ii«>u jubtiie; and tliut the
ulctiUc!) and esvrivuos an: u cluss of men among whom are

o'clock.and brought positive orders imnicdiitJ
to liberate the count; but the olilicers nfC.A
would not suffer him to go withniu pajin'!!!
their fees, which the count gave them, dcciJ
he despised these men too much to troiihlei,;
self any further about them, 'I he alcalde w™
also huvc kept the pistols, till the eoiuit (icda,!
that he would immediately send a nicsien^ffl

Lisbon withanaccountof the whok'transaeiinJ
The road from Santa rem to Lisbon m^A
first between the river and hills which latttrl
soon ascends; these are very sauily, aiul, hcij
covered with heath and pine-woods, t'„f^l
striking contrast to the charming banks nfi
river. On these hills is Cortaelui, two
leagues from Santarem, a very large villao^
market-town, with many new and ncatliouJ
situated, notwithstandingthe badness of thesl
in a well cultivateil country. The sandy lieaj
hills ternnnate toward Azambnja, a smalli
containing from seven to eight hundral Iiou^
on a fine and well cultivated plain on the
of the river. Two leagues farther, still puisul
the river-bank, we came to a niarkct-tcjwnc/
Castanheiro, where is a good inn Ihi 'utsI
nothing but corn-fields, olive-tree^ aiul<j;,iiiy
Only half a league farther is \'iu fiaiua tl
taining about eight hundred houses aiwi sii
ated on the river, where it forn.s u c >i '1111781
landing |)lace, Haifa league beyoinl \'i ilnij
is Alhandra, containing four or i\\c i ;;i|il
hooses. Here we left the river for a wiiik,
ascended cultivateil hills covered vi;l< m:
trees, to Alveroa, consisting of about !',iir.,n
• bed houses situated two K'a<>ues tV->iii L
From hrnce we followed the river to Povos,!
small market-town containing two biMilr
houses At the parts where the rivci- over
its banks much salt is made. At t!;.' vill;i;;(;|
Srtccarem we passed a small river that t'allsi
the Tagu» on a bridge of boats, fioiii tl
place we were accompanied by a coiitinualsi
cession of walls of (|uintas with luniscs iiitJ
snersed to Lisbon, where the traveller may pj
tiirongh several str.pets without knowiiis;!
in the capital. I do not know a city wlios«^
cinity is announced at so great a distance.

'' many rogues. They are indeed genrrally coiii|.liUMilj
and the Jiiizes and the corre^cdors mt; every wlieieaaa
of icreut pnrtiuUty to pentoxa uf rank.

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

:'».93

SECTION xiir.

to Algrote — Road through the Province of Alemtejo — Serra de Monchique — Cape St.
*" Vincent's — Lagos — Villanova —Louie — Preparation of Thread from Jibes.

lloia,

IVtlie bcs?iniii''g of September 1798 we retuni-
ijfionirheabove extensive excursion through
Lioitlirenpiovincesto Lisbon, where we con-
Ll till the beginning of rebrnaiy _ 1791)-

.ikn set forward ugai»i, crossing the river to
huta from which place, to Agua <le Monra,
fextremely wretched village, we passed over
Liniial heaths, and during the whole distance,
licli is five leagues, only saw one s'nsrle house.
L,|e Moiira is situated on a brook, which
liiever supplies the nieatis of some cultivation.
countiy now becomes more hilly, as far as

jia [WO leagues from t!us place, and we saw
huiiiberof coVk-trees ; mDre indeed than I re-
fmber to ha' e seen in any other part of Por-

Li.

palma is a considerabie estate of the Conde de
l)i(l()s, who resides there some months in the
^r. The hoi.se is indifferent, nearly resembling

(l\iellinssf>'' the possessors of estates in Meck-
fciiiir"'. The ctindc has another building near
Duse, in which are rooms and beds for tra-
ilers of decent appearance, whont he receives
rone night, the inns being at a great distance
Jill this place. The possessions of the conde are

iluctive,o;id must be extensive, as they enable
"proprietor to keep large lierds of cattle on the
btlis. Hound the conde's residence are some
tsaiits' houses, but rural economy seems in a
ly backward slate lure, for neither the rse of
jug nor plants for fo«!(lcr are known.
[I'rom Palnia wc passe<l over sand-hills covered

1 lii-ath and cork-trees to Val dc lleis, a large
It very old and ruinous gothic-l)uilt house of

coikIc de Val Hcis, with a small village.
le valley was cultivated like that of Palma.

[The buUle of Ouriqu*' wuh tlie cotnn\encement of the
Ku>;uml' ninnai'chy. Purtut^ul, us fur hs it had then

touqiit'red from the IVloorb, hud beoii foiilerrcd on
jidc lleiiii(|U(>, in «'oi)Bet|iieiice of his iiiurriH^t; with
fM, dtiugliter of the king of (.'ustik'. ili^i ^un Doio
Wu Heiiriqiitz (or the bon of llinrirjiit'), cariied en
hiii'ct'Siiivrly ugainft hia inotlitr, the Ciislili)in», and t!)o

ii, mu), on the 'Jdth of Jnly 1 139> here auined n vic-
f villi two thouKuiid men uver five Mooriw kini^s, wiko

From hence the road passes over licath-hills to
the river of Porta de Lama, the banks of which
are likewise cultivated. Then follow hills of
granite-breccia, with traces of sand slate, inftead
of mere sand. Beyond these hills follows another
valley watered by the Xarama, which here unite*
with the Sadao, and forms the navigable river
Sado. In this valley is the village of Porto del
Key, near wliich is a very bad inn, where all
travellers are ufually obliged to sleep in one
room. We travelled constantly through wastes
covered with heath and cisti ; only on high and
dry situations appear the wiltl olive-tree, the
termes-oak (({uercus coccifera), and the cistus
Monspeliensis, which last begins in this place to
be very common. Through the valleys, almolt
all of which lie east and west, a river generally
flows, the banks of which are cultivated. All
these rivers take their rise in Upper Alemtejo
and fall into the Sado. In. winter they swell
astonishingly; we still saw the traces of tiieir
ravages, and of their fertilization, and found it
difficult to pass some of them, as we met with
very i\\v bridges. They frequently render tra-
vclli; 111 these parts wholly impracticable in
wintc: vfcsscjana is a market-town, vhiih still
has its old walls like some places in Spain, espe-
cially in old C .-I lie. The level of tlje country
here rises, and is coveretl with c in fields, which
continue to Pomoyas, a niarktt-iown a league
fiuther. IL-re wc came to the cdebnitcd field
of battle called Carnpo de Ourltiuc*, a hilly and
ill-cultivated country.

Leaving the town of (Omuiue to our left, we
enteretl on a road that leads to (iarvao, a village
situated in a very pleasant valley The mouu-

aecording to liistory were at the of un army of two

hundred thousand men. He now rciu ued the title of kiii^,
which he hud tisHuined liefore the buttli, iind culled hiinxelf
I>oin AH'oiiso the dtd. lie wits prodhMued kii)<r on the
field of buttle ; but the real diunity uiid i.'onstitution were
not settled til! about six years alter iit l.am>^i;o, xyIkto an as-
sembly of pvelates, nobility, and romnioiis was culled by
the kin^ for that purpufe, and the independence cf Purtn-
gul on Spain conlirmcd.

tuinii

Bill ;f,/,)l

;»■

:^]

. ^ii-

' i

i\ V

»-m««'^.«»*iM^wa^»»

S9i

riNKS TUAVELS [N PORTIGAL,

taini rlsoficm thonce to Aniortlras and San I\Iar-
tiiilii), two small villaiics, (thougli laid dov.n in
the maps as one,) on the declivity of ii iati)c.r
high chain ot'mnnntains, lyiit-;' K. and 'tV , iicfbrc
>>('ii;! df Monciiiiuic. Mf also saw joiuul Mar-,
tinho some vtiy vcll-cultivatcd spots, and own
fields .-aiwn ^ith t!a\. On the summit ot'tlitse
mountains, \vc belitld 'iu- whok- range or" ISeira
(le Moneh'u|iit' betorc ii-. in its direction from E.
to ^\'. h', ing-cons'derably hiu,'!), hut nof --o i\>|I of
peaks .'.s the r.KUintains ol" (.'intra and (ierez.
The indenti'd ri('.ge of thc:ie n.ounlaie.s di^ ides
Algarviii iVom .ilemrejo.

A large hut: dl-ci.illiv..U'(l valley follows the
mountains of Sa;' M-..'tinho. At length \\c eonr
tinned onr way hetv/een low hills, after which
Ave elinibcd tliespi.rs of the Serra <!e Monclii<|ue,
'I'his range consists ofmonntuins'Uiicklverowdei!
toge'iher with short interruptions, forn.ed of
.slate and sanJ-slone. The road wiiuls along
over these mountains, and is far from !>ad, 'J he
nearer we came to the highest part of the Scrra
(le Monchique, which is called Scrra de Toi.i,
llie deeper and narrower are the valleys; so that
we saw nothing but an interminable depart wilh-
outhouses, men, ortracesof cultivation. Leaving
the summit of the mountain to the right; after
travelling four long leagues through this desert,
•wc arrived at the charming town of Monchicjiic.
Monchique is a consideral)lc villa situated partly
on thcdecli\ ity of the mountain, where 't is dii-
persed in ajjieturesquc manner. Uy only ^ascend-
ing a little above the tow n the spectator may he-
hold tlie whole coafit of Algarvia witli its bays
and rivers lying before him like a map. On the
summit of the Serra de Toiu, lie will see not
only th.o whole of Algarvia, hut alfo a great
part of Alemtejo.

Uoun<l Monchi<pie every thing is granite, as
also on the Serra de I'oia which entirely consisi^
of it. (-Ml the north su\c oidy does the slate rist
to a considerable lieiglit. '1 he Scrra de I'oia is
un(|uesti()nably the highest range of mountains
on ihis side the Tagus, exceeding that of the
v.iotuilaiiis of C'iiUra, and being peihajjs but
"ttle !(.\'.cr or even a little highci than the Serra
I .Marao. J he next moiiiuains on this side the

vs;-,, in [ioi.it of height, are those ot" .Nh i tola.

!:e waiiii lir.ths of Monchicjuc are situated a

"^ e to the s^uithwaril of the tow n, the road to

' . .n King ovir a moantaiii, wliieh however

may be av6ided by going round it. Tliev
the south declivity of this mountain. '[\J^
four stone bathing-rooms, each prepared tl^'
or at most two persons ; the water is Itt ;" .
out at pleasure by cocks. Tiicy are (luiteVI
l)eing without windows, and the patient dts'
into them down several steps. The watf/i
that of CJerez, lias neitltei taste nor smell
iloes the heat exceed 24" ot Ueaunuir, \i|ii|.i]
very inconsiderable. The springs take their'
f. una greyish granite, of whiehUie wholemoi
tain consists. The season for hathinnisi,,., ■

At length we descended from t lice "d^
moimrains, wltich now opened and tinl,|."
ijroad \alle3"s. JU'ing desirous of seciiiif('|
St. Vine lit wequilte<l the road to L;i<4n.,'t,.i-
th.it to the light, and proceeding to ilievj
of IJeni Safrim. The plain had luac iiuiti.
.Algarvi.m appearance, and was covered vj;'
number of |)laut9 very rarely or ne'er toun'd'
other parts of Portugal. JJetweeii the sL,
mountains we liad kit on our right, ami J
limestone mountains on our lett, >ve uj,,
through the villages of lk*m Safrim, liii(b,a|
l{a|)osfira, to \'illa do lliipo, eight lea^iiieitM
Moiiehicpic, as the neareit place to the d',,-

'Ihe villages here have a siiiguhirappe;!!;
They arc large, stragglingly huilt'on cmiiu'iici
and the churches, which are small .uid ne.ii,
situated at a distance from them, butiiii
\'illa do Ijispo.

Hero we saw basalt in single mountain^ >i
rounded as at Lisbon by liir.estone mnuiitain
but the basalt was hiaekei, more eoinpaet ai
sonorous, than round Jjsbon. l5asaltiMii
stone in this pyrenean peninsula,- I knov,
other traces in Spain except the speeinn'ii in
innseum at Madrid, which was said to IkMuu
.in Catalonia. 'J'he on!}' parts of Portui^.il «ii
it is found aie tho.-e round Lisbon andCipt
\'\\\i i lit.

Of Algarvia I must here, for the sake of nTf,
cr pci.sjdeiiity, gi\e a very brief ar.d (u.^nv
count. This narrow tract of iand is siiia.aii
tVom Alcmt()o iiy a biwkeii chain ut' iihuih;;!
consisting ot .>aiulstone an(lanargillacei'ib>Ial
gjinile (Jiily appeals on tlic S(ria ilc I'oi
'i'hcse sandstone mountains iirc and aad lv.iii
They begin here beyond Villa do ifrspo t,i(i«
the sea-shore on n.wTiilis, and coiiliuuc ast'jr
the Chiadiaua. litre follows a chain nt'

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

395

^' 't; Tlievare
"^^'"- TlVrc
M>'-epare,|fo,.
«t"islcti„„

'I'liewartTjij
U' nor smell

■'""""•. Miiitjil
i?s take thnr

f '.'*-• ^^'X'le 1110,1

,"11 tlice desi
=";<' t'liiliij,

'154' to lllC V,;

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^"ovtrid Hi;;,

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"■(■■(-'ii tlic >;,,

'iglif, and
't'tt, ,n; j,i>,

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^I't IfaiiiitM'n
- to the C,

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lit (Ml I'liiiiu'iiq

l^lil .111(1 lliMl,
111. Slicilh

iiioaiitaiib, J
tone iiK!iiiitaiJ
ic coiiijwit al
Hasalt i^atl
•1 .' 1 kimw

' !>|U'cill;L'liii!t

iiiid to in' t'oiii

I'ortiigM wii^

on ;iii(l C:i|ifl|

'm' sakeot';f|f|
iiiid cuiiuiyj
li<l is .S(ii;i,;it|

III oi' ludi'.mal
i;illatci'ii.>laa
.S( n.i ill' I'oi
.nd and Iv.ircj
u i5is[)o (.aisel
ill I ill lie ast'jrl
chuiii <it' it

""•"• JillHAtol

1 pstone mountains, on the whole somewhat
but rather steep, and only separated from

These are also

lo«'.

e 'former by narrow vallies.

fultivated, heuig covered with a quantity of

sluiies, thickets of kermes-oak, and some

Cape St. Vincent forms their

■ - ■ This

I loose

Inlher pla"" - , ,r. .

Lnfflmenccment, and they end at Tavira

mountain is at length succeeded by that narrow

(rJD of cultivated land extending to the sea, on

,Iiichinostof the towns and villages of Algarvia

I are situated.

Toward Cape St. Vincent the hills constantly
Irtow flatter, and that promontory itself is a
desert plain, consisting of a grey iimestone, so
naked and rough near the point, that it is difficult
lo travel over I* In other parts it is merely
coTered with sand. Toward the sea the rock is
every where fractured, and about fifty to eighty
feet high, being of equal height with Cabo de
iRocVa, which it in general somewhat resembles.
Attlie utmost extremity in this desert cortutry is
a monastery of Capuchins. Ships can approach
'veryiiear the rock, and the monks assured us
(thai sometimes in fine weather they speak with
them. On another point of the rock, separated
bva creek from the extreme end, is the small fort
Lj-Sagrcs, within which nothing is seen but the
{commandant's dwelling, the soldiers' barracks,
hnd the works, which the commandant seenried
unwilling to shew us, and even forbid our seeing.
Without the fort are only a couple of houses.
When the great earthquake of 1755 destroyed
Lisbon, the sea here also swelled, and pouring
[frora acrcek over the laud laid the country waste.
At Sagres a great quantity of fish and muscles
I are taken, and small lishing-smacks lie at anchor
under the rock in the creek. Near Sagres grows
in great quantities the esparto-grass (A7i/)rt tc-
Inciashua), a very useful vegetable, of which in
Spain, especially in La Mancha, cords are made,
land of which considerable quantities are sent
from thence into Portugal for the same purpose.
To leave the Cape we were obliged to return a
I long portion of our former way through Ra-
i poscira and Budes, after which wc turned to the
I right to Lagos; here wc traversed the stony un-
cultivated limestone mountains, and afterwards
at Lagos descended that linely-oultivated de-
'clivity toward the sea. It was entirely covered
I with corn-fields, in which were a number of fig-
I trees in regular ranks, only here and there iu-
VoL. II. No. XCVII.

terspersed with olive and almond-trees. The figs
serve for the ordinary support of the people,
whose breakfast consists of bread, figs, and wine;
their dinner concludes with figs, and their supper
is the same as their breakfast, as we had already
an opportunity to observe at Villa do Bispo.

The city of Lagos, five small leagues from
Cape St. Vincent, is properly the chief town of
Algarvia, though no longer the residence of the
governor of that province. It is situated on a
declivity close to the sea, on the west side of a
large bay ; but it is only of a moderate size, con-
taining about eight hundred and fifty housc-t,
three monasteries, and two parishes. It is sur-
rounded by high old walls, which have only
fallen in one place; and without the town is a
small suburb. Many parts of this town have
continued vacant since the earthquake of 1755,
^hen it suffered much. Laf?^os lias a corregedor,
a governador, or commandant, and a garrison.
The castle of Penhao commands the bay, which,
when the wind is north or west, allords excellent
anchorage even for a ',argc fleet, though less fa-
vourable with an east wind, and not at all when
it is south. Here lord St. Vincent cast anchor
after he had gained his great victory over th«
Spaniards. A small part of the buy forms a har-
bour, which however only small vessels can enter.
Another arm of the sea extends inland, but is
only navigable for small boats, and over it is a
stone bridge. The sea-coast is here flat and
sandy, and continues so along the south coast of
Portugal throughout the whole of Algarvia,
whereas the whole western coast is always more
or less rocky.

In the neighbourhood of Lagos, Cape St. Vin-
cent, and other parts of this coast, a quantity of
tunny-fish is taken and salted in May and June;
but it is not so commonly eaten fresh, on account
of its fat.

From Lagos to Villanova de Pertimao is a
distance of two leagues, the road being circuit-
ous in consequence of the creeks and small rivers,
which at Hood are full of water, lleie we
crossed the range of uncultivated lime-stone
mountains. Toward Villanova the country be-
comes flat, i.* very well cultivated, and shaded
with high olive and fig-trees, which hero as ,i*
Lago.s, grow in corn-iields. The t()\\n ciuisi V
of about five hundred, mostly small, ,>o' \
houses, is surrounded by a high wall, be; )nd

i» H vvhxh

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596

LINK'S TRAVELS

TN PORTUGAL.

■ I Ill WBaaasaasa

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wliicli is a tmall suburb, and is garrisoned by
two toiiipanies, The river of Villanova (lows
close to the wails, is here considerably broad
(•iipxt to the (Jiiadiaim, which is the largest in
Alj>arvia) and discharges itself halfa l(!ag-ue from
thence between high downs into the sea. Two
considerable forts, St. John on the east side and
St. Catherine »)n the west, cover the entrance.
AVe only saw one ship in the harbour, of which
the bar is dana:erous and the sand-banks shifting.
This harbour can theicforc be but of little im-
portancc.

\Vc passed the river in a boat, and pursued
our way to Lagoa across a flat, pleasant, and
rxtremeiy-well cultivated country. Lagoa is a
market-town situated on a small lake, from which
it derives its name, two leagues from Villanova.
The soil is here soniew hat sandy, autl we saw
pine-woods. Some wiiters erroneously place
here the ancient Lacobriga.

From hence to Louie, a distance of six league
the road varies in the manner it usually difet ■' I
Algarvia. At one time we crossed flat and weiL
cultivated tracts, where h»rg* high ohve-tree
spreading fig-trees, and the charn>iii{^ f.,fjjj''i
tree*, in the corn-fields, afford a pleasant shade*
and at another time we climbed rough stony
limestone mountains, without any tmtes of ciilti.
vation.

Louie contains about one thousand six Im-,
drcd houses, and is sitiuitcd in a broad vallevsur.
r Minded by mountains of the limestone tiijii,
which here attain to a considerable height, Tli«
Cabe<ja da Camara south-weat of Louie, Jsoim
of the highest. The town is surrouiuled wid,
high walls, garrisoned by two companies, mid
the commandant (governador) it»a major, lie,;
are three monasteries and a couvcitt for
ladies of family, u » ■ , .? •;.! -^

pool

' -• : •> SECTION XIV. ■• ■ :.■:-.■'- .^- .->- .

Faro — Cvlfivniion of the Fig Tree — Tavira — PcmnrUs on Mgnrvia — Villa Real — Account oj im
Fishiri) there — Uituru from Algarvia through Alemtejo bjj Merlola, Serpa, and Evom,

TT'ROiM Ijoule to Faro is a distance of only
i. t\v{» leagues. At first the road passes
through A j.'liMsaiit vallev alonr? a brook between
limestone nioniitains, wliere large and beautiful
carob-trers grow in the fields. Toward Faro
the country becomes flat and sandy, being cover-
ed With lieadis ,n\(\ cisti ; but in the neighb(rur-
bood of the l(»wii the numerous gardens enliven
the country, which is otherwise unfruitful.

The citv of l'';u'() is situated on a plain, being
a league frmn the sea, and on the bank of the
rivrr Jy.t t^uartcira. The town is quite open,
being built with considerable regularity, and
tolerably broad streets; but chiefly consists of
umall houses. It is the see of a bishop, a go-
vernor, a brigadier, and a corregedor, contains

* Tlir JiicJi ami IjiMiilifiil carob-frec grows in gront num-
bers (ow jrd (>oiili', '\s a creat oriianu'nt to tliis province, of
wliicli it is .1 native, atui ue found many bushes of it on the
Larrcn iimcstoiie hills. I roiisider tlii.sai, the most beuutifni
of i'!uro|)<'an trees; it alliiiu:, to a considerable hei<>;lit, al-
ways ftirm.s a large wide shady vertex, and ils beauriful
feathered cvirgrceu foliage, with small rouiidisli leaves,

two parishes, three n>onasterie«, and one lliou-
sand two hiuulrcd houses. There is a haiidsii;ii{ |
s(]uare, with some considerable building?., situ.
aled on tie narrow river, and on tine side isal
puiall citadel. Large ships cannot come up tol
the town, these being obliged to unload in lli(|
road or lower down the iiver, N-^hich after raaiiyl
windings formstthc narrow entraiice of the har-
bour, a leagtie and a half belov, the town to the I
south-east, where it is covered by the fort of Sail
Louren^o de Olhao on the east side of theri\fl,|
Another narrow arm of the river, orrHtlieiof
the sea, forms an island, on which is the siiiidy
cape of Santa Maria. The country toward iliej
sea is marshy, and ()vergrown with marine plant!
on the opposite side it is fiat and sandy, and at a I

f^ives it a charming apiicarancc The many pods that him
down from it have to us Germans a singular ellect It it
al.so a useful tree; the wood is hard and icd, (he ripefruill
is very commonly used as fodder for ciiltle, and especially I
as mast for owinc, though inferior to (hat of^Xheevcr-grct'ii.
oak. it is also eaten liy lucu, but chiclly for amuscinciii,
aud to e.\cite an appctkoi

distance!

LINK'S TRiWKLS IN PORTUGAL.

397

I. jj„£j appear (Tie mountains of San Miguel,
Lliich are rather high and sleep, but well culti-
Ijled toward the base. ;-^ .:-'4

Faro still retains the greater part of the trade*
' f Al'rarvia, and *s long as lord St. Vincent
blockaded Cadi/, much tratfic was carried on
leiween li»is place and the fleet.

The road tVoin Faro to Tavira, which is four
IciiifURS i'ailhcr, continues always near the sea,
Lfjs micommonl) pleasant: only a few small

o(s near Faro are windy, and a few limestone
jls iiutuKivated. Elsewhere, especially in the
lu'hbourliood of Tavira, the whole soil is ex-
Miiiclywell cultivated, and adorned between
Jiecoin-iields alternately with olive, carob, and
ilmoiid trees.

Taviiii is a neat city contaiinng one thousand
joiir liumlrod houses, fourniouHsteries, some neat
M ciL'an streets and coiiBiderable bouses, of
iliicli the principal is the governor's palace
31(1 walls divide the city from the suburhs; the
for Sequa, over which is a handsome stone
Ljjre, flows through the middle of it, and
mall vessels come up as far as the In idge. The
urroiiiiding country is one of the |)lo!i»anlest in
Portugal; hills of the chain of lime-stone inoun-
ainsttowd close round the town, which they
Bcloscas it were with a wood of high shady
^ees, in whose bosom it seems to repose.

The road ascended the river, un<l was very

lleasant, winding auiid these charming hills.

ndii) the upj*cr part of the valley bordeitd by

[<hicket of oleander and Spanish reed. The tide

Duies II league above Tavira. The mouth of

ke river is a league to the south-east of Tavira.

be entrance of the harbour is narrow, shallow,

nd unsafe, owing to shifting sand-banks, and

lie quanti*v of shipping is much less considerable

pin that of Faro. This entrance is defended by

<niall fort Between Ta\ira and the sea are

laiiv salt-marshes. The tisherv, particularly

lat of Sardines and Tunny, is constderable, the

Inner of which we had an opportunity of seeing.

Tavira i« the chief town of the smalt kingdom

' Algarvia, where the governor of that province

sides together with a provedor. The place of

I* The most important (irodiicc exported from hcticc con.
Its of figs, which tlio touutry pcojilc hriug (o town to the
jjri'houscs of tlic morcliants who d<ul in that article. They
tthort: thrown down in a h<>'f. 'i,i a hiiiUlinc; prepared for
lat purpose, whi-re a syrup tlows from them, wliich is
bed with advantage for waking brandy. They arc then

governor of Algarvia is one of the highest in
Portugal. All the t»thcr governors of the pro-
^h^ce are under biin; and as most towns have
garrisons, and arc or should be fortified towns,
the government is military. This small kingdom
(Algarvia) according to the last enumeration of
the governor, the Conde de Val de Reis, in
1780, contained ninety-three thousand four hun-
dred and seventy-two inhabitants, of which six
thousand five hundred and twenty-one were
husbandmen, and Ave thousand tive hundred and
seventy- five labourers. It lies close to the sea,
and is well-cultivated; but this cultivation gene-
rally extends scarcely two leagues inland,
after which fidlow desert hills. Here are
more wells than in other parts, probably the re-
mains of M(M)rish industry; that people having
continued longer in this than in the other pro-
vinces. Oil is produced in great quantities,
being considered as the best in Portugal, and ox-
ported. The wine of this province is white,
contrary to the general custom of the country,
but is gord, aiul s;iipplies a part of Alemlejo.
Fills cons' I'te the principal produce of Algar\ia,
but ainiondb :'.re giovvn in considerable quantities,
especially round Tavira, and are exported. The
connnoLVpeoi>le li\e principally on tinb, and arc
verv po()r. The iidiabitants oi' Algarvia are less
refined and le^s polite than the rest uf the Por-
tngne/.e, but their shrewdness and sharpne-is of
wit are celebrated throughout the country. They
are also ecnsidered as the bcttt mariners in Por-
tugal; heme great minibers of them emigrate,
and most of the boat-men at Lisbon are fionj, this
province. The imis are uncouunonly bad, the
whole house even at Tavira consisting of a small
quadrangular room u{)on the ground, without
windows or floors, with a stable in the neighbour-
hood.

From Tavira we went to Villa Real, a towa
built by Pouibal, four snudl leagues from thence.
In the neiglibonrhood of Tavira the country
continues verv pleasant, but round Villa Real is
sandy and naked. This town is situated at the
nmuih of the Gnadiana, which is here a broad
and line stream. It is built with perfect re-

spread to dry in tiie sun, in an open situation, where they
ate left a few days, in proportiiin (o file heat of thc-
wrather ; after wliieh tliey are pressed into small baskets
made of the leaves of the fan-palm, cacli containing twenty,
eight pounds aud tent off.

gularity.

1 ! i

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t, ;!

•: ir ■! ■ . ■ i!

il -I n

398

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

] '

gnlarity, tbe streets in which are the handsomest
houses heing on the bank of the river, and the
smaller houses at a greater distanre. All the
houses arc perfectly alike and well planned, and
behind each is a square court with a back-door
exactly similar to that in front. In each street,
except those loading to the river, the houses are
built alternately four with the front, and four
V ith the back-door to the street. The pavement
is extremely good, and in the middle of the town
is a handsome square, in which the town-house
stands. In short, nothing is wanting but inha-
bitants; for a deadly .stillness reigns throughout
the streets, a human ligure is rarely seen looking
out of the handsome houses, and without a com-
pany of soldiers the place would be qiiite empty.
The greatest poverty every where appears. The
country rourid the town is extremely sandy, the
Boil often consisting entirely of quick-sand ; the
downs are planted with fig-trees. This place is
supplied with everything, even its daily bread,
from Ayamonte, which thus generously nourishes
a town intended to effect its destruction; for
such ws the view of its founder.

On the opposite side majcstitally rises, proudly
looking down on the hither side of the river, the
elevated Spanish bank, and on its declivity the
large Spanish town of Ayamonte with a number
of handsome towers. A greater neatness and
cleanliness instantly distinguish the towns of
Spain from those of Portugal. Ayamonte was
once the seat of great Moorish kings. In former
times the tournaments of Ayamonte were much
celebrated, and in Spanish poetry and romances
the high sounding name and example of the
Guadiana often occur. Not far from thence and
nearer the sea is a well-built and neat market-
town, called Figuerita, peopled by Catalonians
whom Pombal drove away, and now flourishing
by the emigrations of the Portugueze. It wjis
easy to go over to Ayamonte with a passport
from the juizde fora at Villa-Real, the Spaniards
at this time generally not being strict, which if
they had been, the inhabitants of this place must
have starved. Hy this channel much contraband
trade was carried on with Portugal, especially in
silk and fine cotton manufactures.

The situation of Villa-Ilcal and the fishery on
this coast arc interesting subjects. A league
from Villa-Real is Monte Gordo, now consisting
only of a few huts, from which, however, the

whole coast and the fishery take tlieir m i
Previous to the year 171 1, the fishery was.l
known in this part of the country. An j
bitant of Castromarim, named Antonio Go"
first fished here for sardines iu 1711 and 1*1^
he was followed by some Catalonians, whofij
built a few huts, and were joined by deo-rees Ij
other Catalonians and Andalnsians. These
gan to use better nets, and brought tlio fisi,
Ayamonte, where they were salted. At first iki
fishermen paid no duty at Castromarim, bul
afterwards ihoy came to an agreement with tin
farmers of the customs, to whom the increase.
the fishery was very beneficial, accordine
which they only paid about five or six per W
whereas in other parts of the kingdom the refjula
tax amounted to thirty per cent. The fisheJ
now increased very much, and in 1750 tbJ
were twelve large fishing-smacks belonging J
Castromarim, and fifty to Ayamonte, San LuJ
and the Catalonians; and in 1774, the niinibi
of the whole amounted to a hundred, fifleent
which belonged to Castromarim. The streets ol
huts extended a league from the mouth of tin
Guadiana to the old town of Caccia, and IhouA
many of the fishermen only remained here diiriBi
the season, viz. from the z4th of August totlj
25th of December, yet many others had settle!
there. It is true, the Spaniards enjoyed the cliii]
advantage of this trade, but many" Portiiguo
still derived the" support from it; and, althoud,
th''s object might require the attention oftlil
government, it did not follow that the wholj
fishery should be destroyed, rather than conca
a small advantage to their neighbours.

Pombal took up this business hastily, and will
des|)otic force, so that within five nu>ikth$ Villi
Real de san Antonio was built by his ordeti
every thing that concerned the fishery and thf
fish trade transferred thither, and the htitsi
Monte Gordo burnt. Many of the soldiers i
the troops at Tavira, who were present atthj
'.xpedition, assured lis they were exposed to tbf
greatest danger from the rage of these fisherraeii
The foreigners were driven away, and lost togi
ther with tlicir huts all their little propert)!
This measure was exactly in character with tW
maxims of Pombal.

To all the inlmbitants of Villa Real ten
centof the duty on the fish caught was dbatel
for some years, viz. from thirty to twenty

cent

LINK'S TRAVELS IN PORTUGAL.

$99

I /wliich hovrcTer properly only amounted to
'tneen five or six per cent) ; on salted sardines
Ithine w«« in general paid, and nothing on ex-

tation; l»ut on *l'e importation- of foreign

''"icii'n sardines a heavy tax was laid. To pre-

/ . foiitraband trade, and enforce the payment

f (he duties, the minister employed much sevc-

' V and no mariner or fisherman was permitted

fliiit Algarvia without a passport from the

C^hief inspector of the c:istoms of the southern

Bfovinces or his delegate. - To procure plenty of

Jitlie minister ordered salt-pans to be dug at

Castromarim, and the salt to be sold for nine

hundred rces per bushel. Eight companies were

,vv formed, each of which were to have six

.tat fishing smacks with other snwll-craf't.

fbese companies were obliged to sell a thousand

jirdines for three hundred roes, if no other pur-

Ithaser offered ; for though Pombal was an enemy

monopolies, he constantly gave theui birth.

_Ju8t of the members of these companies engaged

■Dthenr to flatter the minister, were ignorant of

Hhc business, did not usually reside at Villa Real,

Ld were obliged to rely on their agents. A

jtompetition soon arose between these companies,

iho employed the same means t.; ruin one ano>

jier, and the heavy duty imposed by Spain on fo-

(iirnsalt fish completed their destruction.

When Pombal fell, the losses, which the

nembers of these companies hud sull'ered, ceased.

\a 1777, from forty-eight lishing smacks the

Iniimbcr had diminished to ten; but from this

niinc (0 1782, the fishery again somewhat in-

Icreased, in consequence of the duty in Spain

eiog taken oflf. It again immediately sunk on

Ithe duties ill Spain being raised; but as on fish

not salted no duty was now levied in Spain, they

[were all brought to-i^^iguerita, where they were

ahed. In 178.% no less than eight hundred

IPortuguezo Hshermen emigrated thither, and in

J|790, of three thousand fishermen at Ayamonte

liDd Sail Lucar de Darramcda, two thousand iive

Ibuiidred were Portuguexe.

From Villa Real to Castromarim it is usual to
Uo bj water up the Guadiana and a branch of
Itliat river on which it is situated ; for by land it
lis necessary to make a great circuit of two leagues
[round another arm of the Guadiana, whereas this
Ipaisage is performed in a quarter of an hour.
iThebank of the Guadiana on the Portugueze
liidc is marshy, and some salt is made. Castro-
Imarim is a market-town lurrounding a hill^ ou
Vol. II. No. XCVII.

which is an old ruinous cf.stle n ( now fortified,
Near Castromj;rim immediately rise mountains
of the chain that divides Algarvia from Alemtejo^
growing higher as they approach the north.

Here and there we saw cultivated spots, and
passed through 8on<e villages before we entered
Alemtejo. These mountains are the fore-runners
of the Serra de Caldeirao, but the range of
mountains which pro.ierly bears this name liei
between Faro and Our i que.

We now entered Alemtejo and came to the
village of Espiritu Santo, seven leagues from Cas-
tromarim. Two leagues from thence Mertola is
situated on the peak of a steep mountain, by the
foot of which the broad and fine stream of the
Guadiana flows through a deep valley. The
prospect is extremely wild and dreary, every
where consisting of naked steep mountains^
among. which the' river flows, and a small town
enclosed within high walls, with neither field uor
gardens, except a single quinta near the town on
another mountain. From the bank of the Gua-
diana the approach to the town is by a very steep
ascent. A brook falls to the southward of it into
the Guadiana, and though so narrow that a man
might jump over it, must be passed in a ferry. The
Guadiana often swells very much, the mountains
are covered with its sand to a considerable height*
and even up to the town itself. On removing to
a small distance from the valley of the Guadiana,
we found here and there well-cultivated and even
fruitful spots, which produce excellent wheat.
Mertola has a governor who holds the rank of
major, a juiz de fora, about three thousand in^
habitants, and belongs to the corregimento of
Ourique. An excellent road leads from hence to
Beja, but is not entirely finished. The road
from Lisbon into Algarvia passes through Beja
to Mertola, where travellers embark on the Gua->
diana for Castromarim, which renders Mertola a
lively place, the road by land being inconvenient.

We crossed the Guadiana to go to Serpa, a
town seven leagues from Mertola on the opposite
side of the river. A more extensive desert does
not perhaps exist in Portugal ; at first we only
saw a couple of houses and some fields, then
another house half way, but every where else till
within a league of Serpa only hills and mountains ;
nor did we meet any man in this desert. At a dis-
tance to the eastward we saw many chains of
mountains which join the Sierra Morena.

To the left of the road is the Salto de Lobo,
""5 1 where

I VII

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IF:

400

LfNK'S TRAVKLS IN POllTUGAt.

wlicrc the Guadiana forces its way between
narrow roiks. 'J'his name, wliich aignifies the
wolf's-leajy, reinin«U'd us of the horsc-lcup in the
Hart/ niuiintain.s in Germany^ but the Bude \i an
inconsi(l(!ra!)li! brook compared to the Guadiana.

About a league before wo arrived at Scrpn, the
])rospc(t ("hiini:;r(!. The cistus gave place to pas-
tiui'^ and Hue woods of ever-green oaks, and
close to Serpa are fruitful corn fields. Ijierpa is
•in open cheerful place, much more populous
tlinii MertoKi, contains four thousand inhabitants,
and sliows considerable signs of thriving.

"We again passed the Guadiana a league from
Scrpa, where it winds among mountains which
are lower and more gentle than round Mertola.
At Serpa w« came to the great granite plain,
which extends from thence beyond Beja and
Evora as far as Montemor o novo, forming thebest
and most fruitful part of Alemtejo. The city of
Beja is situated on a gentle hill in a fertile country
rich in corn. It is a very old place surrounded
with walls and gates, is the see of a bishop, a
eorregedor, and a governor.

Vidigueira, which is five long leagues from
Serpa, is a small market-town, in an extremely
charming country. On one side is the fertile
plain, on the other immediately beyond and close
to the town rise mountains, the valleys of which
are adorned with quintas and orange-gardens,
and a large gothic church on *0e fore-ground im-
proves the gaiety of the scene. Every thing has
a tranquil cheerful appearance, and the traveller
is richly compensated for the deserts of A^enltejo.
Here are about two thousand inhabitailts.

Ileyond the mountains the high fertile granite-
plain continues, and to the left appears the Serra
(le Viana, consisting of low mountains in which
■were formerly silver mines. To the right is the
Serra de Ossa, a fertile and, on one side, well-
cultivated range of mountains, with a rich mo-
nastery of Paulists. Between this Serra and
Evora we sarr Evorf\monte on a high hill. \Ve
perceived Evora at a great distance, as it is situ-
ated on an eminence. The nearer we approach-
ed this tovrii, the worse was the cultivation.

Evora is the chief town of Alemtejo, and the
see of an archbishop, a eorregedor, a provedor,
ajuiz, &c. It is indeed surrounded by walls,
which however are fallen down in many parts,

but in other respects it is quite open. CoimUl
Oporto, iind Evora. are the only towns Ihrongh
out Portugal, where the passports of lravel|.
are not demanded immediately on their arrival'
while there no attention is paid to them. Ti,'
town consists of narrow crooked streets full J
angles, with high gothic buildings ami ii imn,!,^,]
of old gothic churches, by which it u iiiueh dj J
tinguished from most other towns in this \^\S
dom, where the houses are indeed small an-
low. Tl)*'! monastery of Franciscans partituUtlJ
deserves notice. The cathedral church is situjiej]
in the highest part of the town, and has twenty.
five prebends, each with an income oi livo ihoii.
sand crusades. Adjacent to it is the arclibislioi)',
house, and not far from that the shambles, ai
old Roman building, .vhose well-preserved co
rinthiau columns are now connected byiip|a,(pf^
wall. On the north side the aqueduct cntcrMhi
town, and is commonly called the aqueduct ofj
Sertorius, having been begun by him, though i|
is well known to have been built by John HI, .

Evora was once an university, and still enjoyr
that privilege, but, since the time of Pouibilj
has fallen to decay. It was formerly a verjceleJ
brated place. Evora is an old town, but hai
much dwindled since the fifteenth century,
now contains at most twelve thousand inhahitantij
of which the enormous proportion of twenty
three religious houses may be the cause. ltsaii«
cient name was Ebora in the time of the Ilomaiii.
Julius Ca;sar constituted it u municipium
named it Liberalilas Julia. The IVioors cnn*j
quered'it from the Goths in the year 71;), bntiol
1 106 it was taken from them by Gerald suruatned^
the Intrepid (Geraldo Sempavor. ) Thin mio
got into the town in the day-time, and in the
evening went upon the wall where he cut oil the
heads of two centinels, then descended to the
gate, and let in some troops statiimed near it.

On the north side of Evora the hills rise, be
round the town adorned with gardens, and on
their summits with ever-green oaks. The road
from hence to Montemor o Novo, which is five
leagues distant, passes over granite-hills partly
covered with corn-fields and partly with fiat
woods of ever-green oaks and pastures, which
give great variety to the prospect. From Mon-
temor we returned to Lisbon.

<:fr>»uf/" ci" J?

fiiiii^

THE END OF LINK'S TKAVELS IN PORTUGALi ! '^

,,,..,.,w.^ TRAVELS .., r;:

THROUGH : . ' /

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

; 1 v,t

.. : 'n«i • ■■

FREBERIC LEOPOJLn €OUJ¥T STOILBERG,

- : SECTION I. / :

hurnni to Diisseldorf — Description of the Picture Galleri/ at Diisscldorf — Fiotils on the Rhine
d(.\cfHh'd — y'alh'.i/ of Elbe rf tide and its Frottpcritj/'— Cavern of Leuchtenhurg — JMonks of Ln
'I'ra^pc—Pcmpclfort. .-, .. i ,

WE set sail, with a favourable wind, on the
Elbe, and, ill one hour, from Altona we
learhed Ilanrburgh. Of Wcstplialiaand Lower
Lsony there is not mucli to remark jMauy
jlhanks arc due to the rcgeucy of Ilauovcr, for
Ihe culture bestowed upon these deserts. In the
Lrls under this governincut we saw the half
karren waste covered with beautiful (ields of rye,
kood potatoe grounds, nay even wheat, peas,
hnd barley ; where the indolence of the inhabitants
would scarcely have produced rye and buck
wheat.

Near Bomte, where the Osnabrug domains
jegin, the prospect brightens. Between the
lowns of Bointe and Osnabrug, we saw the ma-
otic oak, which has continued to be the subject
Ifutonisiinient for centuries.

Ou the 6th of July, 1T9I, wc remained at
Osnabrug, and the next day proceededf to Miin-
Iter; where we remained two days and a half,
irhich we spent chiefly in the company of the
Priacess Gallitzio and the Baron of Fursten-
wrg*.

We left Miinster early on the J 0th, and the
lollowing morning arrived at Miihlheim on the
Ruhr. Here, for the first time, during a journey
pf two and forty miles, we had a truly beautiful
jirospect. On each side of the valley, through

* Germany acknowledges (he merit of this great states*
Rani He secured the rights of the peasantry, inspired the
noiiks with industry and patriotism, gave order to the war
bipartmcDt, awakened a general thirst for knowledge, and

which the meandering Ruhr pursues its course, we
saw the b(»ld projecting rocks, clothed with ha>:g-
ing woods: beyond them the mountains rose,
covered with forests, and interspersed with plains
of different elevations, all bedecked with rich
and variegated fertility. We arrived at Pempel-
fort at two in the afternoon.

The famous picture gallery at Diisseldorf de-
serves particular notice; but as I am not a con-
noisseur, I cannot admire a picture that speaks
to the eye only, and not to the heart. The most
inimitable deceptions, whether of painting or
poetry, if they place no living image before me,
to me are equally uninteresting.

The Diogenes, seeking an Ironest man in the
thronged market-place with a lantern at noon-
day, displays great invention. Rubens has given
to the face of the philosopher the expression of
bitter, but half-concealed irony. The crowd,
different in sex and age, cannot conceive his
meaning, and laugh at his folly. The malicious
painter has introduced his own wife; yet certainly
he did not mean seriously to characterize her as
a fool. What various marks of folly has he
communicated to the multitude! IIow perfectly
docs the philosopher appear the only man among
them ! The very spirit of Diogenes seems to have
inspired the painter. He had certainly retircil

with unwearied perseverance laboured to gratify the noblo
craving. It was he that promoted the pure and benevolent
love of science through the schools and seminarits, from the
highest to (he lowest degree.

withiai

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-'"H'll»ii ■'■■■■ ■-'■»>a»>W(»w,^iw«!aa»«ii«i»f

402

STOLBERG'S TRAVFLS THROUGH

^< itliiii himself, and, deep in contemplation, had
^tudied each countenance, before hif< magic pen-
cil could 8o truly delineate this ample heriUige
of full grown folly. His action is neccsHnrilj
confmed to the moment; yet he artfully leads the
fancy through many successive generations. Oh
Rubens, hadst thou been present when Diderot,
sfunding to view the picture, imagined himself
the hero, and exclaimed to his guide. Vest
Diderot en Ilollande! i. c. // /« Diderot in Hol-
land! thou wouldst have immortalized the self-
sullicient mien of thv. man on thy canvas!
Diogenes would not have put out his lantern in
his presence, but probably would have assumed
an air of more keen and bitter satire.

Had Rubens read Milton's Paradise f^ost, the
painter would have soared beyond himself on the
wings of the poet, would have added dignity to
his Fallen Angels, and would more cmphalicully
have imparted to them their inherent malignity.
The victorious angel, in pursuit of Satan as he
descends, bearing the flaming sword, and in-
vested with the power of the Almighty, is not
unworthy the Michael of Milton. This picture
will ever remain the work of a great genius.
Sir Joshua Reyi>olds tore himself from it with
regret, and exclaimed, " Other pictures are ex-
cellently painted : here alone colours are made to
speak."

The most famous picture in this great collec-
tion is the St. John in -the Wilderness: by some
ascribed to Raphael ; by others to Andrea Sarpi.
The noble figure of the youth, above censure,
or rather inimitably beautiful and dignified, ir-
resistibly attracts and fixes the attention; and,
when at last you have left it, you are again and
again brought back*.

The Assumption of the Virgin, by Gutdo, is
one of the greatest ornaments of the gallery.
Devotion, rapture, divine benignity, inspire and
dignify the matron; and, in all their !ii*tre,
seem to bear her to her native heaven, which
opens for her reception.

I did not see the Holy Family of Raphael; it
-was not in the gallery, but was sent to be en-
graved.

* Tlic history of Ihis painting is singular. One of the
keepers of the gallery was retouching a damaged Landscape,
in water colours, which was not without merit. That
wliich he had supposed to be mere canvas he discovered to
be coated with oU-colours. Curiosity induced him to pro-

iiie.l

atlil

Rubens had certniulv read Dante with all I
tiojr. The noble and inventive genius ot tTl
poet inspired him, when he painted his D J J
Judgement. Yet he is unequal (o Dante" J
picturing both the good and evil spiiilg. 'fil'l
rage of the one, and the rapture of tlieoth I
are more exquisitely described by the Florcnii"
The figure of the Judge of the worlj i* bene;
criticism. The figure of the saint in ihg fj,j
ground is noble: but how many thanks arcdni
to the painter, for the chearful counttniaiice lie
has bestowed on the rising negro? The idea ,if|
.skeletons half clothed with flesh, luul slnufglinJ
into existence, is worthy of Dante or of iViJitJ'
They are well contrasted with the already risen •
and appear like the sappy buds of the n>liii|
spring, swelling into life.

Not only the falling deception of the burninei
lamps, and the glimmering matches on t||7
ground, but the animated characters of the Wik
and Foolish Virgins, by Schalken, rank thiil
picture among the best in the gallery. f

The Adoration of the Shepherds, by RnbemJ
is very fine. On one side, in the clouds, d
angel is seen, with his hands folded on his breaitii
an angel such as Raphael might have painted.

The Mary of Medicis, by Rubens, drew on
attention. In these noble, ardent, gentle, poetici|
traits, the physiognomist would discover tk
rank which « Mary de Medicis would hold ij
society.

Christ afilOng the Doctors in the Temple, bJ
Vander Werf, appears to me as worthy of tin
subject as a picture can be. Youth, beautrj
benignity, grace, and wisdom, beam in the j^
like boy. Sages, such as you might imagisi
Gamaliel and Nicodemus to have been are listdi^
ing to his discourse.

No collection contains so many of the \ro[|
of Rubens as this: but I am told his best pro'
ductiofls are to be found in the towns of Brabant]
The gallery is poor in pictures by the Italiii
masters; and not to be compared withthoseo^
Dresdon. It is likewise deficient in Landscap

The Diisseldorf academy is furnished witll
many excellent casts, from antique statues. 11

ceed; and a most beautiful body began to be visiblot Ilil
saw the hand of a master, washed away the water colonn^
and restored in full perfection the great work, that had*
long remained buried in darkncci.

Cl-RMANY, SWiTZRWr.AND, ITALY, AND SiriLY.

405

li|.(wiie rich in engravings: and, were it not,
nuinfrou* drawings, by Raphael, which it
f, give it a value which few collections

ytqual.

ji timber float having been announced, we went

Piijwldorf to see it; for which purpose we

U a boat, and rowed up the Rhine. The

was seen from ufar, and
a swimming village;

fcyv

■gyoftlie oars

jfrttly discovered

h is the appearance of the wooden huts that

built on the flout. Four »)f these lloufs go

v Mininicr from Andernach to llolland.

j, ii about a thousand feet long, and a hun-

ind thirty wide. The number of floiitnieu
four hundred and fifty. The rapidity of the
HI, and the bulk and unwieldiness of tlie float
tih' navigation dangerous. The passage, if

will be from six to seven days; but, if the
erbelow, and the wind violent and adverse,
lay be as many weeks. Several anchors* are
(d, and the float lies at anchor every night.

strong motion of the float drags them at

but this motion slackens, and the float at

remaiiK^ stationary. The worth of the wood

Ivliich the float is composed is estimated at five

idrcd thousand florins. The toll it pays is

\i Diiiiseldorf it amounts to a hundred

iixioc. pistoles: at Kaiserswerth, eighty

oles; anJ the Prussian tolls are still more

>re, The daily maintenance of the fluatmen

timated at upward of a hundred rix dollars.

p»v of eaeh man, for the whole voyage, is

Iv live rix dollars. Having arrived at their

e of destination, they form themselves into

icj, of seven each, club their pay, and then

it for the whole, and the losers are obliged to

their way home. The good cheer of the

itmen during the voyage delights and well re-

I them for their labour. We saw fat oxen

the float, and were informed that one yt?t

^htered daily. The cabin of l''*z master is as

ioui as that of the captain of .m eighty gun

The wood of the float is chiefly for the

of flooring and carpenters.

e next went to Elberfelde, which town lies

smull valley on the Wupper, which empties

ilf into the Riiine. The peculiar quality of

naters of the Wupper maintains four popu-

towns; the principal trade of which is

hing. The valley is about two leagues

and the high hilla on each aide are covered

oL.II. No.XCVII.

•■-

with the beech and the ash, and skirled with
corn fields, meadows, pasture!), and gardens, iu
various and rich fertility. The four towns
which the Wupper waters arc Rittcrshuusen,
W'jpperrehle, Gemurk (or IJarini'ii). n»d El-
berfelde. Rarmeu is a colony of Klherfrldc; of
which it is the rival, both in iiiduMry and pros-
p<!rity. The whole uppearaiice of this valley
delights the eye, and makes a deep and lusting
imjii "sHioii upon the heart. Its various liiiil(lin!:;><,
its swarn)ing inhabitants, \U nieauderine; atrcatn,
now deep and silent, now rapid and sliallow, its
bold projecting rocks, hollow beneath, and
loaded above with thick woods (hat shade the
horizon, the honest, prosperous, and h.tppy ap-
pearance of its people, some dwelling in neat
towns, others in scattered houses that ornament
the vicinity; these objects, individually and col-
lectively, give unspeakable pleasure. Here in-
deed abundance every where reigns.

On our return from Elbcrfelde we went to
Metmau, a town four leagues from Pempelfort.
Passing through corn fields that had been reaped,
we entered a beech wood, and suddenly beheld
an uncommonly v ild mass of rocks that fixed
our attention. Proceeding through a wide
opening, we went into a cavern, into which
light had two entrances, that were unperceived
by us. We suddenly came to a deep precipice,
with high rocks in our front; and they, like the
cavity in which we stood, were loaded with trees,
their sides were adorned with shrubs and ivy>
and at their feet flowed the rapid Diissel. This
cavern is called the Leuchtenburg. We returned
through a narrow passage, which brought us to
a projecting clifi; where, that we migiit t!>e bet-
ter look into the abyss beneath, wp laid ourselves
down, and each held the other in turn. This
clifl* is called Rabenstcin ( or Ravenstone. ) From
this we passed into a small £rotto, called the
Engels Kammer, or Angel's Chamber, and saw
a black gulf on the other side, which people
have named the Teufels Kaiumcr, or Devil's
Chamber.

Half a le.)gue from this there is a monastery
of the relig'ous order of La Trappe; of which
there was only one in Germany, one in France,
and one in Italy founded. The monks of this
order renounce the use of speech; the prelate
only, undei certain restrictions, is allowed to in-
fringe this rule. We saw the prelate, but he

shewed

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40*

STOLllERG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

shewed no inclination to admit us into the monas-
tery. Government has appointed a spiritual
commissioo to reform the rules of this monastery;
but a veil of secrecy guards their proceedings.
Pempelfort is separated by a spacious electoral
garden from Dijsseldorf. Here tlie hou^e of
our friend Jacobi is roomy and w U contrived;
built for the convenience of a sage, who wishes

neither to be incommoded by want if spat.
incumbered by magnificence. He n^^ i,ij
his garden in the English manner, but
degree of taste peculiar to himself. Trees "J
single, others in clusters, ornament the 1
lawn; through which the Diissel meanders
forms a cascade. '

SECTION II.

Duchi/ of Berg — Miihlheim— Cologne — Picture of the Crucifixion of St. Peter, hi/ RuicnJ
Bheii, mngen — Ems — JVassau — Schxvalhach — Wisbadcn — Mentz — Frankfort, and the JckJ
Darmstadt — TJie Bergstrasse — Heidelberg — Bruch sal — Karlsruh. 1

WE had only a short half day's journey from
Pempelfort to Cologrie, our road lying
through a fruitful and well cultivated valley.
The duchy of Berg appears to me to owe its
prosperity to the constitution it enjoys under the
government of the elector ( now king ) of Bavaria,
and to the industry of its inhabitants, more than
even to the goodness of its soii; whi'jh, from
excellent cultivation is so productive. That
land must be light which one horse r^n plough.
The horses and cattle in ~ this country are large
and well fed.

At Miihlheim we crossed the Rhine, and soon
arrived at Cologne. This ancient city is built in
the old style, with high houses and narrow
streets. The gothic cathedral is beautiful, and
wou!d have been one of the largest in Europe,
had ih'; immense work, which was interrupted
before finished, been completed. Its grandeur
is still 'Otisiderable; and the unfmished part gives
a picturesque appearance of gothic ruins.

In St. Peter's Church we saw a noble picture
of St. Peter on the Cross, by Rubens, which the
painter presented to his native city. It is said
that this apostle, from humility, wished to be
crucified with his head downwards; and this
furnished the great painter with an opportunity
of displaying his genius in what may bt called
the terribly beautiful. The blood, hurried to-
ward the head, distends the veins; and, as the
body is not outstretched, it is bent and fore-
Bhurtened : in the execution of which Rubens has
displayed his whole iiowcr. The mouth of the
siili'crer opens in such agony, and with so much

truth, that it has a wonderful appearance i
reality. Various executioners are eninluvd
around him ; one of whom, with a friciii|.|
ferocity, is driving a nail through bis foot, \i\\
a Roman soldier holds him fast, with a pljj
diligence. The soldier's countenance would b
speak our favour, were it not for the calm mai
ner in which he attends to his horrible off
None but a Roman soldier could hiive hardew
his countenance to surh an iron serenity.

From Cologne to Bonn the road is deiighifol
but after we hud passed the latter, nature i
sumed her highest charms. We now plaigi
saw the seven hills, the summits of wliich, nnti
other side of Diisseldorf, had gradnali\ H'en
to approach. The fertile plains tl
which we passed sbound with vineyards ait
orchards, 'igain our road broui>;ht ih to i
high banks o\' the Rhine, beyond wliich ««
still more lofty heights, terminating in therocll
summits of the seven hills. On some of i
heights are seen the ruins of old caslh-^: In oil
parts the daring hand of nature projects tluMwii
hanging fearful cliff, (hat seems to bra\e ili|
shock of time. The lust of the scvt n liiiU, wli
is called Drarhenstein (Dragonstone), ap|icu
to he the largest.

Between Rheinmagen and Andernarli wci
!>eld the miijestic course of the Rhine. Bcforl
us lay the ancient town of Andertiach, yviih i|
gothic wi;il and towers. As we determined I
lay all night at Andernach we approuchdl
shore, took a boat, and were r<^wed between liij
lulls that were clothed with banging viiieyaiil(

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Half

GERMANY, SWITZF.riLAND, ITALY, AND STCfTX

4C5

1-, j^ white insects in swarms fluttering in tlic
I eninir air, and in swarms saw them end their
r J lives in the stream. "VVe passed Neuwied,
Ik iling between rows of tall poplar; and the wind
Pji,„ against us, we traversed the river, from
I liorc to si'^'^e. <•" we can'ft to Andernath.

Half 'I It'i'iiJ"*-' t"rom Coblcnlz we passed the
I aliice of Schonbornlnst, where the fugitive
ILlluTs of the king- of France then resided.
Irnblfiiitz is at present full of Fiencli oniijjrants ;
j..|.,],pv crowd the streets in parties, and hurrv to
I ij jyo, some in carriages, some on horseback,
I nil some on foot; so that their numbers seem
lfi)(lii-ss. The cross of St. Louis is at every button

'lie small town of Ems, famous for its minora!
Iviatcrs lies i" » deep narrow vale, that is watered
Lvtiic Lahn, in the road between Coblentz anil
iWau. Along this river, and between the
jiiiountains, lies the road to Nassau, which is
Isituiitt'd in a fertile valley and surrounded by
jriicks. On one of flie hills stand the ancient
Iruiiisof the castle of Nassau, from whence that
Ifainous house derived its title.

Schwa! bach and Wisbiid«n, both celebrated
Ifor their mineral waters, are seated among these
liiiouiilaii s, which arc inters|)ersed with fruitful
Inlains. There is a beautiful prospect about a
jliaitucfiomWisbaden, from which a long c<uirse
(ofihc Rhine, the entire city of Mentz, and tlie
Ipleasant islands that surround it, are seen.
|Mciit'/)< two full leagues from Wisbaden.

Wenitered the ancient and beautiful city of
JMentz (vcr a wide bridge of boats. Though .so
(iDiich fK^arer its source, the Rhine is more .sjja-
jcimis icre than at Diisscldorf The palace
[callcil La Favorite, with its vast garden, stands
|onlli( shore where once the old Carthusian mo-
Inastei , stood ; as well as two nunneries, which
jha\e !t(tMi ilemolished. The revenues of these
Ifouiidations are paid to the university. The
lolfctor purchased the deserted monastery from
[ibe university, which possesses abiUit four mil-
lions of florins. At Mentz we became acquaint-
Icd with Count Von Studion, a youuj» canon of
Iprcat talents. All the parts roinid Mentz, which
jaboiiud in corn, fruit, and wine, probably are
limii'i' iiuUbfed for these productions to the in-
Idrntiy of the inhabitants than to the goodness of
Itlipsoil, which is light and sandy.
The jiarts round Frankfort appear to be in the

same predicament. Thcj' nrc embellished and
fructified by the Main, to the benelic«nt waters
of which they arc wholly indebted. A part of
Frankfort is well built, espr. iiilly the principal
street, which is called the Zeile. The Jews,
who are numerous, are coofmed to live in one
street, which is very long, narrow, and irregular.
Their houses are separated, in back and front,
from the rest of the citizens by a bii.'.li ^vall, built
far above the first floor. Every evening, about
ten or eleven o'clock, both ends of this street are
shut up, and no Jew, without partiiiilar per-
missio.i, is ynflered to quit this prison, iluiing
*!>e time of divine service an»(uig the Chnsdiiis.

The road between Frankfctrt and Dannsfadt
is very sandy. At Darmstadi we \isited the cele-
brated English garden! and on the Hiii of Au-
gust passed the Bergstrasse, (a noble chain of
mountains) that extends from T)armsf.i(U to Hei-
delberg, which is one of the most pleasant and
remarkable roads in Germany. It is seven miles
long, and grew more beautifni as we approached
Heidelberg. To our left lay the lofly uninter-
rupted chain of mountains. Opposite to these
the Melibokus rears its head, on the top of
which the late landgrave built a white watcli
tower. We had seen this tower some miles be-
fore we came to Mentz. It may be seen from
Pirm.icenz on the frontiers of Lorrain. The
ruins of old castles, built in the feudal ages, are
seen on the other mountains. The wine in these
parts is called Bergstrassler ( Franconian. ) It is
cooling, and resembles the small kind of Rhenish,
or the wine of Saxony.

Heidelberg lies behind a hill, round which we
travelled, an.! had a view of the Neckar, with
the town Liilt on its banks. Heidelberg is situ-
ated in a snail valley, and |)art of it is built on
the declivity of a hill, with the old castle much
above it, though far from the top. The old
counts Palatine and electors, cut in stone after
the ancient German manner, are placed in deep
niches between the windows. A deep moat,
planted with trees, surrounds the castle; but a
large part of one of the vast round towers is
fallen, and lies in ruins on the side of the moat.

VVe continued our journey on the following
morning through Brucluul and Durlach, and
arrived at Karlsruh in the afternoon. Bruchsal
is u well built town, where the bi«liup of Spi.es
resides in a beautiful palace, and where <here is

a salt

{;=;|M|f|||i:

4oe

STOLBERC'S TRAVELS THROUGH

a salt work. About a league fcom Durlach a
■mall brook, rushing from the top of a hill,
divides the circle of the Rhine from the circle of
Swabia.

Karlsruh is regularly built. The towu con-
tains about a third part of a large circle; the

centre of which is the palace. The streets
equal distances, and terminate in the lichM **
walks that lead to the garden, and the .J?'
forming, with these wall;s, the half of ^^^^ ,'
and having the appearance of a spider's web ''

SECTION III.

Reach Pforzheim — Stutgard, and Description of its .4cadcimf — Eaulingm — Gissliti^cn~lim
Biderach — Ravenshurg — Teinang — Lindau, and its Bridge — Lake of Constance- -[llnfffj.ny^"
Lakes of Constance, Zell, and Ueherlingcn — Abbey of Reichcnaii^ and Relics there — Jo/j,. /y,
and Jerome of Prague — Cittj of Constance.

'lii

FROM Karlsruh the road led us back to
Durlach, and afterwards, through delight-
ful meadows, to Pforzheim. The people Mere
busy about their second h<ay harvest. In these
fruitful parts, the grass is mowed three times
each season. Pforzheim lies on the Ens, in a
very pleasant valley. In the territory of Baden
the fertility of the earth and the industry of the
inhabitants seem to vie wii.'.. each other.

Wiirtemberg does not appear to be so fruitful,
though equally well cultivated; neither arc the
roads there so charming as in Baden. .

The military academy at Stutgard, was invest-
ed with the privileges of an university by the em-
peror Joseph II. In the upper class the sciences
that appertain to the former faculties are taught.
The number of tutors is oae hundred and forty-
three: instruction is amply communicated; and
very few seminaries are equal to this, eithei; in
scholastic or military science. Day scholars
included, the number of students is about
five hundred; of which nearly three hundred
board in the house. They are well main-
tained, well fed, and well clothed. Their
uniform is blue with black trimmings. They
are daily obliged to bathe in the garden in
summer: and in winter in a capacious house
bath. Each scholar has a small plat of ground
to himself The collection in natural history is
a good one; and, if the students desire it, they
have able masters to instruct them not only in the

* Ulm is a fortified city in the ciirlc of Suabia, and the
principal town in the circle, where th>' archives are du.
poitited. Thcro is a good coIIpi;u lit this city ; and in the
Mtbedral there arc sixty-three copper vr^seis lull of water,

sciences but in the arts: several good painlerjl
and engravers have been educated here. I

The roads of Wiirtemberg on the way to rim
are excellent. The districts beside the Ncckar
are as fertile as they are delightful. The sniali
town of Esslingen lies on this river; wlnclil
waters a beautiful valley that abounds in pasture*
fruit trees, and fruitful fields. ''I

Among the hills llohcnstaufen rises incircularl
beauty, which may remind the (lermaii patrintnfl
its noble antiquity. This was tluMradIc of uiirl
kings and emperors, from the Swabian line: i|
line equally renowned in history for its goniuJ
its courage, and its misfortunes. I

From the valley near Gishlingen the road cun.
stantly ascends as far as Ulm. Tlow much Iiighctl
must the source of the Danube be than f'^it ofl
the Rhine! When a few leagues from UimtJiej
Glaciers of Switzerland may be perceived; in-
deed they may frequently be seen to the distance
of forty leagues, The count acquaints iis thatbel
-saw the Glaciers from the sao'c parts, and like«is<j
from the tower of the cathedral. This calliedralj
as well for its size as for the height of its ^'oihic
towers, is one of the largest in Germany. From I
these towers the course of the Danube may be I
traced io a great distance. This river, tlioiighl
so far from the ocean, has a character for gK*
ness, whit ii shews it to be the first river in Eu-
rope*.

From Ulm, proceeding along the Danube,

readjr for the ciflnguishing of fire. There are four huD.|
dred and one atcpi to the top of the steeple. It it uneotl
the largest and best places in Germany ; and the town hointl
it a liaadKome edifice. The trade of the inhabitants ii pm-l

«il»ily|

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

407

III iunctton with the lUer takes place. Right

II fore the town of Biderach a lovely valley
K* vf s attention; and at some leagues distant
1^'* Ujivensbwrg the high tops of the mountains
IhfSvvitzorland appear.

I Lfaving the vineyard heights, that surround
I . valley which lies to the right of Ravensburg,
Id (lie other side of the lake of Constance the

III lis of Bregenz are seen, beyond which lay the
I uch hii^her summits of the distant Glaciers.
Iproccfiiing through Tetnang, and, travelling
IdiroHali forests and meadows, the prospect be-
|fom« n"^'^'' extensive. Here the lake of Con-
hfance may he seen, as it were, approaching
jjlieniouiitains of Bregenz, and likewise those of
iTvfdl Appt-'izel, and Claris, crowned with
ledriiiil snow. No person can form any idea of
jdiebpa'ity of the prospect, wh.. has not seen the
llargc lakes of Switzerland^ with their surrounding
jmoiinlains, Approaching the charming lake, at
llcnfftli appears the long beautiful bridge, which
lis three hundred and fifty paces over, and which
liinitestlie well built town of Lindau with Terra

I Firma.

I Comtanee is the largest lake in Germany, and

lindubitably one of the most beautiful in Europe.

JMorsburg, which is situated beside the lake ten

lysves from Lindau, is the seat of the bishop of

ICoiistaiiee.

From Morsburg it is a pleasant passage over
Jelake to Constance; but, as the wind was un-
jfavoiirable (says ('ount Stolberg, ) we were three
Ivfry pleasant hours on our passage. The lake is
hboiit seventeen leagues long, and from three to
|five broad; and the clear green transparency of
|i(s waters, with the changeaole aspect of its
JBliores, give a combination of charms to its
Iprdspects which are seldom seen. The mild,
Ifertile, and gently rising shores of Swahia are
ladoriifd with three imperial towns, Lindau,
JBuchhorn, and Ueberlingen, beside the little

J cipall)' in linen, fiist'iHiis, hardware, and wool. This town
ii thirl). six miles W. of AiiRsburg, forty.si'»cn S. Is. of
ptiii!;aiil, sixty. Ihrpc N. of Munich, and two hundred and
jcvonty.five W. of Vienna.

» The Tyrol is a hundred and fifty miles Ions;, and a
[hiindicd and twenty broad. It prodnccs as niiirh corn and
HJnc as the inhabitants hare occasion for. ilerp arc rich
iiiiiies of |2old, silrer, and capper, and it contains twenty.
ci^ht cities and large towns, two bishoprics, forty.ei^lit
confcnts, twelve hundred and thirty ohnrcfaes, three hun.
ilrcil anil fifty. live custles, aitd one hundred and twenty thou.
Umd inbaliitunis, who never change the fa^biun of ihoir

Vol. U. No. XCVIIL

town of Morsburg, with various villages, ham-
lets, abbeys, and monasteries.

The Tyrol mountains lie in a circle to the
south east, in the form of a half moon; scarcely
leaving room, on a small slip of land, for the
little town of Bregenz: on both sides of which
their feet advance into the lake, and their sum-
mits rise to the clouds*.

The populous shores of Switzerland are steeper
and grander than those of Swabia. Behind them
tower three successive rows of mountains, op-
posite to each other, as if in order of battle; and,
by their various directions, divide the cantons of
Switzerland and the county of Tyrol from each
other. The artillery of heaven ■ reposes, with
aweful threats, upon their cloudy summits.
Betw(»en them lies the Rheinthal, (/. e. Rhine
valley,) through which the most beautiful river
in Germany takes its course, and pours its waters
into thelalvr; whence, more voluminous, they
again pursue their way. The Alpstein, a rocky
mountain of the canton of Appenzcl, rises in all
its terrors, here and there covered with snow,
and often emerging from among the vagrant
clouds, but seldom entirely visible. More distant,
and still more lofty, more daring, and more steep,
are the mountains of the canton of Claris. If,
while the Alpstcindelights, yet terrifies the iraagi-
gination, a person would here repose, superior
promontories again attract his attention; and
these do but conceal the still higher Glaciers,
which cannot be seen from the lakef .

The uorth-west side of the lake of Constance
is divided into two parts by a broad slip of land.
They are called the lakes of Zell and of
Ueberlitigen, after the little town of Ratalfazell
(or Zi>li) and Ueberlingen; though they are
part of the principal lake, except that the lake
of Zoll communicates only with the lake of Con-
stance by the ce-rse of the Rhii>e. Each of
these small lak s is adorned with an island.

garments, and' a very iiidiistrioiis set of people, hut ex-
treiueiy ohstin.Ke. If is boun<led on the north oy Bavaria;
on the east by Carinthia and the archbishopric of Saltzl)iirg ;
on the south by part of the territory of Veniiv?, and Trcn-
tino ; and on the west by Switzerland and the country of thu
(irtsnns

+ (yonnt Stolhcrs was so enraptured with the lake of
Constance, that he was inclined to prefer it to all the lakes
of Switzerland; for, sixteen yeju-s before, he travelled on
foot over the thirteen cantons, the country of the Orisons,
Sec. and vitiited all the principal lakes of thi$^ noble country
to the number of four anil twenty.

T) L lake

'1 J. , . I

I'i .*;

V 1 '^

. '' !l

■f ;>,

i ''*:

■'Wi

hi!

r,''' fj 'jl

■ 'k : ,

iO%

STOLBERG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

The Switzerland shore, ia o\i\y half a quarter qf
a league from Thor; anil two leagnes on the
lake of Zcll, i^ the small island called Reichenau.
Here is a rith benedictine abbey, under the
government of the bishop of Constance'. This
place is of great antiquity, and boasts of the
relics it possesses ; among which is an emerald,
an ell long, about half as broad> and twenty-
nine pounds weight! The monks say it was a
present from Charlemagne. Whether this pre-
tended emerald be a piece of green glass, of
vitrification, or of spar, savs the count* I leave
the naturalist to determine; the [)reciou8 jewel was
valued by the monk at three millions, yet he did
not forget to detail the poyerty of the monastery.

Opposite to the island is Arenenherg, on the
Switzerland side, in the district of Ihurgau;
which belongs to the eight old cantons. This hill
is not higlij but pleasant from its beech woods,
its rivulet and charming prospect.

The council house here has, among other
curiosities, the arm chair in which the emperor
Sigismund and Pope Martin Y. of the family of
Co|onna sat. Here the peopl^ shew the place
where in 1415, John Hqss^ and two years after-
ward, his friend Jerome of Prague, who was at

I coiirj,,!
are tli.

first more timid, but who heeanM no let
geous, were bvirot. Here iq a house „,t ,.^
effigies of. John Hum, carved in stoue, withik*!
date of the year 1415. Perhaps he lived in tpl
house, when the emperor granted bitu a n \
pert to conduct him safely to Cqnstancc.

Constance, or Kostnitz, is one of the oldeil
cities in Gertna,ny. It was a free imperial city I
was in alliance with the d^kes of Austria, wal
often obliged to take part with the confederate
and was again brought back to it» formej
alliances under the emperor Maximilian. John)
Huss and Jerome of Prague were burned here I
althoych a hundred years aflterwards, it waj one
of the first to declare in favour of the doctrines of |
Luther. It b^s, however, lost part of its former!
grandeur*.

The island of Meinau, which is a full lea<ruj
from this place, lies between the lake of ConJ
stance Proper andllie lake of Ueberlingcn. l[\A
six hundred paces from the shore, and scemstorise
like a little liill out of the water. This small
island contains all that man could wish; and the]
desire of living here, apart from the world : _
its turmoils, might be excited in a verj lively I
degree.

SECTION IV.

SchqffTiausen — The Full of the Rhine — Eglissau — Zurich; ita Governtuent, Rank, and Miliiarul
Force — Papulation — Orphan Home-r-Cathedral — Arsenal — Societies and Customs of Ziirkh.

ABOUT a league from Schaflfhausen the
Rhine passes through a valley among
woody shores, after having refreshed itself in the
lake of Constance. The top of a hill, in the
forest over this stream, divides the German em-*
pire (there no longer German ) from Switzerland
half a league from Schaft'hausen. No longer
German !

The Rhine near SchafThauscn is very beautiful,
and flows over beds of rocks. In former times
there certainly were warehouses here, fpr mer-
chandize brought down the stream, from B.un-

* Constance is an exceedingly old pluce; ItiftsnppMcd
to hare been the Vitodurum or Gaunodunim of the an>.
cicnts. It was taken by Attila, and afterwards posMised
}>y the old French kings; and in tlieir records it is called
Vill* legia JDugoberti regis. It is at f resent a w«U*buiii

den, Lindau, Constance, and other parts. The I
goo(|a were unloaded here, because of its vicinity
to the fall of the Rhine. From these the town I
took ita name. In the Switzerland, Swabian,
and Auftrian dialect! the word Schafien sigalGcs
ta buy and sell.

- Tl^e.fa)! of the Rhine is an object so grand
and magnificent, that no description can do it
justice. Here the broad stream, among bold
cli0s, overgrown with trees, collects its waters
in a prodigious mass; which, thopgh disturbed,
here and. there rises in circles of translucent

place, is popnloui, and hu a coasiderablo trade. Its for.
tifications are strong, and its public buildings Tcry miigoi.
ficent. Hero is likewiac an uniTenily, which was translated
from Friburg in 1677. It is thirty.fire miles N. L of
Ziirlcbi and ctstjr.two from Ubi.
.;• I 1 ,1 . . ■iitj .,1, L. -.• I grf:nr

^ ^egg coi,r^,|
ousfi are tli/

I «uu a pass.1
:ancc. I

."f ♦'!« oldest!

«ni|)erial city I
Austria, wajl
confederates I

o »«» formwl

nilian. Joh^l

burned here,!
Is. it was one 1
je doctrines of I
t of its former!

J a full leagm I
lake of Con-
rlingcn. ItijI
id seems to rise
■ This small 1
wish; and the
the world and
a very lively

and Militarn
of Ziirkh.

r parts. The I
of its vicinity |
hese the (own I
ind, Swabian,
laflTea sigaifici

ject 80 grand
on can do it
among bold
cts its waters
igh disturbed,
f transluceat

trade. Its for.
iiigs very nuigoi.
!h was translated
! miles N. li of

grr.nr

'It/!;:

. r):

fe^

■i-'ii

w:.-iK

■»

f{-ifi.

'U'S

iw>

Is,

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

40D

l«r/>cn' nnJ' ^^'^^ thumlcrlng din and raging ini-
I .tiiosity, diviJing itself into three unequal
V^taracts, dashes headlong against the rock bc-
tliiii daringly resists (he ungover«"«blc liiry
j'|,t; torrent! Daring and dignified, yet not
liiiMiscd ; as the deep cavities in its bed, and

"nerrorated sides, too plainly shew. On the
jVi'st of these high shores, to the right of the

ilerfull, ii»tbclcrritor\ of Schatt'bausen, stands

(liifttd mill. Opposite to this, in the district
CflliLfiiiiton of Zurich, on a very high rock, is
Lt lie castle of Lauscn A stranger is first
V , beside the thread mill, where he is suddenly

iirnri/ed, s»>d hi» astonishment pleasingly yet
Icrriblv excited. He is then led, by a small
liiidiiiir P*^'' round the foot of the hill, to a cir-
Lar IwsDii of the stream; and, being there
[liiicd opposite to the waterfall, he learns that
\( cataract, at which he has been amazed, is
JbriiieJ only by the shores and a rock that projects
Lt of the stream, which constitutes about a
Ifili part of the waterfall. Here he perceives

|,e whole stream compressed between its rocky

kres and three insulated clifts. He is then
Llicn into a small boat, passes the cataract on
lie (lancing waves, and is landed on the side of
fcuticli. Here, below the castle of Lausen, is a

allolding built over the waterfall. He is
[bliiird to wait a short time till a small door is
[peiied, the key of which is kept in the castle,
Liding inamediately over the stream, and listcn-
L lu its thunder. He then looks down upon
k terrific gulph. The imagination, over-
lowcred, is dreadfully persuaded that it shall be
[iirried into the deep. No possible idea can be
brnicd of the force of the water, or of the re-
tslless violence with which it rushes. The poet

enz standing here, struck his thigh, and ex-
llairaed, " Uier ist eine WasscrhdUc ! i. e. " Here

a water hell." After a fall thus rapid t'.ie
liatcr is projected back to a great height, forming
I cloud, white and dense as the smoke of a forge"
iliitli conceals all beyond it. Every bush on
lie rocky shores is dripping: when the sun
ims (he colours of the rainbow play in the
ji^otli and the rising vapours.

The town of Schaffliausen was first admitted

Hto the league of the confederates in 1501 ; bc-

liorc which it was an imperial town, whose

Wghershad ever been bold. and ardent in the

• SchaJhausca tf twcuty-two miles N. by

cause of frccilom. Its constitulioi in a mixture
of aristocracy and domocrary *.

Eglissau is a municipal town of the canton of
Ziirich, and is aituutcd in a small valley on both
sides of the Rhino, \>hi(h, winding among nar-
row rocks, pursues its rapid course in a right
line, rolling its waves among leafx hills, till it
again takes a curve, and agiiin concealed by the
rocks is lost to the eye. The little (()\vn of
Eglissau is uncommonly pleasant; itt> houses de-
note the acti\e benevolence of freedom. The
whole taxation of the citizens, an inconsiderable
rent excepted, consists in the tythcs of tlit'ir com
and wine. These tythi.-s efl'ectually amount to a
tenth of the pr(»duce, and are collected in kind,
for the maintenince of the clergy, and the muni-
cipal oflicers. They originated in the church
tythes, which were abolished at the reformation,
when the magistracy took upon itself the support
of the schools and clergy. The same beneficent
marks of prosperity which distinguish the town
are visible in the country. The people, well
fed, well clothed, laborious and cheerful, live in
roomy, clean, and airy houses. Their fields
have the appearance of gardens; by which they
are the more strikingly contrasted with the wild
beauties of surrounding nature.

Zurich is a charming place, situated at the side
of a lake. Soni*^ public roads were made several
years ago for the advantage as well as for the
convenience of the inhabitants. Ziirich is
wealthy by the wisdom of its (economy. It ex-
pends great sums for the benefit of the country.
Its buildings and public institutions are becoming
the dignity of a free town. Patriotic simplicity
ornauK-nts the regulated welfare of the happy
burgher. In theory, the government of the
town is that which the ancients called aristocratic,
but which the moderns continually confound
with democracy. The burghers have equal
rights, and the olllcers of administration are
chosen by their fellow citizens from among such
as are supposed to be most capable. The govern-
ment of the canton is an oligarchy, which the
moderns unjustly call aristocracy, for tho coun-
try people are excluded from all share in tbi; ad-
ministration. The mur.icipality consists of thir-
teen companies, one only of which is noblo.
Twelve men are chosen from each company, and
constitute the great council; these again choose

E. of Zurich, and tliirty.nine £. of Basil.

the

'1^ in.<r- i

' \ fi

'•lilil

■f i ■'

i.t,

ilO

STOLDERG'S TRAVELS THIlOUCir

Iho liUln council, which is composed of fifty
men, who arc added to and complete the great
council. The small council is most respected,
and may be considered as a more select body.
To the half of the small council the administra-
tion of utlairs is committed, and in six months
(he other half comes into ot!icc; so that in half a
vcar the first burgomaster yields to the second.
1'he election is annual ; but the custom is to re-
elect the same nicnTibcrs. The commission of
8omc crime only can exclude a member of the
great council; but each member of the great
council has a right, when any one of the little
council has been guilty of a misdemeanor, to
propose another. The proposition having been
made, the votes are collected, and he who has a
majority is chosen. Such is thecontidenre which
these people place in their council, and on which
the calm of (he city depends; for, as they trust
all the admiiiiittration to the li((le council, it was
wise to subject the powerful members thus an-
nually to the superintendance of the great.
Alliances, war, and peace, depend upon (he
collective voice of the citi/.cns; but they cannot
assemble without first having been summoned by
the burgomasler. People that are truly free do
not feel the necessity of interfering upon all oc-
casions. They know (hat the mind of the me-
chanic is deficient in the knowledge necessary for
the administration of public affairs. This dis-
cretion, confirmed by the happy experience of
undisturbed felicity, originates in the custom
which continues (he members of the great coun-
cil in office for life ; though, for form's sake,
(bey are annually chosen. This annual choice is
no more than a solemn ratification. Actions for
d<!bt are determined by the municipal court.
The ecclesiastical court consists of laymen and
divines. Every other kind of suit, between
burgher and burgher, comes before the little
council ; with an appeal, however, lying to the
great. In dignity Zurich is the first canton,
though Berne is much more powerful. To
Zurich, as to the canton that has the right of
convoking, all foreign affairs must come. It
annually issues mandates to assemble the deputies
from (he o(her cantons at Fraucnfeld, which is
the chief town of the bailiwick of Thurgau.
They meet in the middle of July, aod continue
to sit six weeks. The burgomaster of Ziirich has
the precedence, and opens the assembly. This
venerable assembly, decide oo all the important

afTairs of the thirteen confederated canto
Here all internal differences arc assiduously JL
peased. Here all the complaints against landa'l
mans (high bailiffs) or governors are heard i
determined. Foreigners likewise have a right i
appeal to this assembly; yet it is verydilci
and almost impossible, for a foreigner (o bfconi
a burgher of any canton. At ZOrich the y
year of every century a foreigner is ,,,1^5
burgher; but his descendants cannot he of ili
council till the C(*n(ury following.

The church tythes, which consist of the (en||J
of the annual produce of the harvcH ami tU
vintage, constitute the only tax which is jeyj
on the farmer. The state collects (bene (vM
and maintains the clergy. It likewise nricnaJ
sists those communities that erect chiirchnj
though communities are expected to ereit anJ
maintain them at their own expence. Ten thnJ
sand florins were lately paid to a conimuiiitij
from the treasury of the republic.

The obligation which the country people in
under, to sell their wrought manufactures tntiM
burghers of Ziirich, is more oppressive thanil
inconsiderable tax. This restraint affrcta iIn
wholesale more than the retail trader; for tbi
latter could only furnish the shops at home, bol
the others might supply foreign dealers.

The state possesses certain domains, (lie hm\
ing of which encreases its revenue. The biirghei
are obliged to pay five per cent, for all gooi
manufactured in the town: an easy tax, whity
generally falls upon strangers who trade wjiy
the place. The trifling revenues arc more Ihii
suQicient in a country where the public uffinrj
receive no salaries; where no soldiers are niiiiH
tained; and where, notwithstanding, forty (hon-l
sand men, trained and armed, can, in twenlyJ
four hours, be brought into the field ; whiihiJ
about a fifth part of the army of the \\ hole con-l
federacy.

The youth are trained to arms. All tie inikil
arc exercised every Siniday in the afternoon, andl
no one dare marry till he can produce accontrol
menis and arms that have been proved. 'riii»(|
who serve in foreign countries are so many fv-j
pcrienced warriors for Switzerland. In the de-l
mocratic cantons, beside the pay of the soldier,!
each father of a family receives a crown ayorl
from France: this is not paid in the aristocratic
cantons.

Some years ago, the assembly of the ctuitnnnfl

Si'liwcitzl

\^'

cfumaKv, fiWiT;?P.Ri.ANn, r:'»,Y, and sicii.y.

411

I. j(g ,'n i menfMsing inftnner, wiKlied to raiHO
navwilli Francfi; which being nsnumstratid
Liist by*''^ high biiiliir, ho was jjcciiscd of
^'fliption und hoavily fined. The caiiJoii sent
Uteniiigly <» '*** ciJizeiis to rctiirii from
Licf, fti'tl I'ran*'** J""*')' holdi»g «<^"lf ""
.,«r 1)0""<1 ''V '** '"'"■mer engagomcals, the
(nnltiof fills canton f)und themselves glad to
theii' youtli'to France again on less advanta-

llntlie aristocratic as well as in the detnorratic
ntoiH ot'll5wi*«<''"'''"d, far from an army of mer-
mries, the)' have no standing army; and where,
in the democratic cantons, each citi/cn is
ncd, there the rights of the people arc suf-
Ljentiv secured against the innovations of
Lveriiinpiit;.

[The territories of ZUrich extend, on both sides
fihe lake of that name, about fonr leagnes and
iilf. House after house, village after village,
Ltiniiiilly meet the eye. The population of the
Arcs of the lake, not including ZiHricb, is esti-
jiledat twentjf-two thousand.
\Ki w\\ here, on the lake, as in the interior
jrt of the country, the culture of their fields,
krdens, and vineyards is attended to with ex-
liordiiiary caro, though most of the inhubitautA
undlhc lake are manufacturer^. The beauty of
icir ihtirches, their ufat and roomy houses,
<rood condition of their «-iittle, and, above
jl, their own cliecrfuland friendly couiktenances,
liolc tlieir happiness. Some uf them live by
lliiiig, wiiicli, as well M hunting,' is free
jroiighoiit Switzerland; but those who reside
(ir the liiko depend most oil their tra«le with

ccptcd, being OHtimiitcd at between four and five
thousand souls to the geographical square mile.

The Orphan Mouse is a large and noble
building. It standii in the finest quiirtcr of the
town, open on all sides, and on high ground
near the Limmf.i. The chihiren live in roonijr
and lofty ciutinbcrs, and consist both of orphans
and the children of poor old pcr.^ons sf !1 living.
The number is not fixed, but varies accDrdiiig to
circumatanct,^: none but the children of buigliers
are accepted. Thoy are instructed in the christian
religion, reading, wriii.'yg, arithmetic, drawing,
geography, and the history of their own country.
Health blooms on their cheeks, gord humour
and R:itisfaction beani in their eyes Indeed, so
much care is taken jf their health, that, though
they admit childrjn of a year old, and though
life at this period is so prceaiious, onlv two
children have died in four ye;irs. The - 3sent
number of the children is ninety-two; and the
numbers of the boys and girls are nearly equal.

The cathedral of Ziirieh was buiU h\ Charle-
magne; whose edigy, well cut in stone, is placed
over the door.

The people of Zurich have an old cu.stom,
which they have probably derived from the wis-
dom of their ancestors. If married people, in
spite of remonstrance, persist in a desire to se-
parate, they are confined for some weeks in a
chamber of the council house, in which there is
nothing but a small bet!, a stool, and a table.
Their food is served cm one dish, with one plate,
one knife, one f(>:K, and oie spoon. Change of
place, privation, and the sociality that arise;

from the necessity of mutnally aiding each other,

lidi iuul with, their neighbours in the cantod | have frequently, before the time of probati(>a

S<li\icit7,; which supplies the canton of ; has expired, so reconciled them to each other,

,rich with corn that is purchased in Swabia. that they have renounced all thoughts of parting,

ec^raiii of Zurich is insufticient for its own | and have lived peaceably together till death.

Iniumption: its population, the mountains ex-

\ ^

■«

V<i:

'J ui'-

■J.

'. 1-'.,

1-riil

SECTION V.

,» '4.

ban and Covntry of Ziig — Account of Lucemc-^Anecdotcs of IVilllam Tett— Remarkable In-
[tfW/i/ions — Town and Lake of Sempach — Canton of Berne — Thun — Valletf of Hash — .\umerous
'Waterfalls — Herdsmen of the Alps — yalleijofGrindelwald. .. .

EAVING Ziirieh, with the lake on the left, joins the Jiitly. On this hill drivers usually stop
and the forest of Siehl and the Jiitlyherg on . to give their horses breath. On the top of it is a
right, a steep road leads to the AlbiSj which place called the high watch, which i»one of the
IVoL.II. No.XCVlII. '1 5M heights

♦f'!|

'..x.-m-wxitsmmi'

4ie

STOLBERG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

beights from wliich Bre signals are given: a
practice common in Switzerland, on any extraor-
dinary occasion; by which the confederates, are
tvarned. No sooner is one lire seen fhan the
next is lijghted; and in a few hours all the watch
heights in Switzerland are in a blaze: so that,
Avithin four and twenty hours, all the levies of
the confederates are under arms. From the top
of the Albis the descent is sudden and steep, and
forms, M'ith the opposite hill, which is covered
with pine trees, a beautiful but narrow valley;
From this place may be seen, though at the dis-
tance of five or six leagues*, the Rigi, the first
hill of the nearest Alpsf, or the Alps proper,
lying near Kiismacht in the canton of Scliweitz.

The town of Zug gives name to the seventh
and least of the cunti>ns. It is distinguished
from the other democratic cantons by having a
town; for the inhabitants of the others, from
their love of r<*eedom, and after the manner of
the ancient Germans, do not choose to live in
towns surrounded by walls. The people of
Schwcitz, Uri, Unterwald, Glaris, and Appen-
zel, have no towns.

The administration of public affairs, in the
canton of Zug, is partial. There is a general
assembly of the town; and likewise the individual

feneral assembly of the three villages, Baar,
Igeri, and Mentzing. In these four gei^eral as-
semblies, which are democratic, all foreign
affairs, of war, peace, &nd alliance, are deter-
mined. Those resolutions in which the villages
are agreed are Utiewise binding to the town;
but should the assemblies divide, two and two,
tLe opinion in uivour of which the town declares
prc^iils.

The Ammann, who is not here, as in the other
small cantons, called Landammann, ia chosen in
the town; not by the assembly, but by forty
counsellors. To this council the town sends
thirteen deputies, and each of the three villages
nine. It n a standing rule, that the Amman
must be a native of the town, or of one of the
villages. If of the town, he holds his office three
years; if frotu a village, only two years. The
councri of forty likewise appoint the high bailiffs,
who govern those viiiagei that have ;io share in

* It must be obterTetl, thut Count Stolbcrg makes nie of
tlie (serman moc'e of measurement. A German mile is
from cix to eight Englisii miles.

f lb the ancMSt and graeraUy rwcWed phr4seelogy of
2 . .

the public administration of affairs. Ti,
jects of the state, except some small taxes Vt
high bailiff, pay only the church tythcg "

The people of Zug are held to be ihe mojt ,«
less of Switzerland. Their genera! assembr
are often tempestuous, though seldom sta
with the blood of their citizens. Tbe tow'"'
built under a mountain, and on the north"
side of a lake; both bearing, the samena
The lake is four leagues long, and one brol
Its situation, between the Alps and oilier I
mountains, is inexpressibly beautiful. The\
of the canton of Zug is very acid, while ihJ"
Zurich is both mild and powerful. '

The canton of lAicerne is uncommonly prj
ductivc. The fertility of the soil, the mil/J
of the climate, the gentle breezes from the hilh
and the frequent morning mists, maintain tbel
ver.dure a great length of time. Every wbeJ
are beheld fruitful valleys, clothed with Unm*
herbage, and various flowers.

The people of Zug and Lucerne are very hau
some, both in face and form. Fieedoui an
openness of manners characterize this mibluau
beautiful people; who, among their mountaiu
friendly, dignified, and unaffected, exeniiieilii
virtue, which the Romans and Greeks siippoji,
was only to be found in cities, and which tlie
called urbanity, but which the moderns, haviu
apishly imitated, have frc n courts callt
courtesy. The unenslaved shepherds are fteei
their advances, because they cannot siispecL
where there is nothing to fear. They approv]
with a grace; for, as they want for iiuthJ
they ask for nothing. They love, and are beloiej
by strangers.

No town in Switzerland is so charmingly silii
ated as Lucerne. Lovely hills, minphd win
groves of pine and other trees, overlook ih
town and the neighbouring shore of the lakeo
the four Walstadte. The Reuss pours its watfL
into the lake with its accustomed impctuusitJ
It is navigable, and, by means of the Aar^ niainl
tains a trade between Baden aiiii Switzerland;
passing to the Rhine; and might open a morl
valuable intercourse wi'.h Holland. From il
situation, which is much more convcniftit tbaj

Europe, thoto mountains wliich are eternaflj cuTond (ii
snow are called tiie Alps; but not so in the dialed. J
Switzerland, where every hMI has that appillatioa, onikj
tops of which even ilocks aod httrdi majr fevd.

maH taxes toij

'»«fai assembL
i seldom gtaj^
• ..'^'le town
" "'e north-ca
-the same nam
and one broi
*"d other hj.
*•.»■"'• The«|
'fli while ibat (

ncommonly p,
>''. the imldn,
!s from the hil,
ti nuiataiii thei
'• Every wbei
^ with hixiiriji

iiearevcrvhai

e lliis iKibleaM

Iheir niouiitiui]

Pd, exercise till

Greeks siippoj

and which [L

moderns, havii^

courts ralle

herds are free i

cannot siisp

The)- a|)pro„

nt for nothit

, aiiuarebelo,J

charmingly s,._
I, ininplcd «iJ
8, overlook tH
re of (he lake J
9 pours its vim
led impcluusitj
f the Aar, maiii
Switzerland;
ht open a m,
and. From ..
convenif !>t M

rnaHj coiercd u
) in Ihu diilcclL
tppcllalioQ, ODikj
' feed.

- Mm >'

■ «'

,i )

:*;

4 t

iV V'''>fi^t

'^'

ii:

! ■■ i»i fil

.MB?*:

/ I

ilii.'

:^i': 4

I'f

1:1

l,tofZu"cb
redeniedGcr

[erne m'g'"
jffitzcrlaiio ; I

JDS, Lucerne
The town <
[ocks called th
,e canton ot
.long the !ak
joint of wh'c
(hich fell '"t
..stance from t
ratch tower.
Altorf is the
(krc the ge
iiindav in M-i
jto ten confe
,f their burg
These sixty c(
jralic cantonS;
, trto years
j^b of wliicl
Jo he one in
iitt'ialter, 1
jd r peals l
jar aiw^ peace
I the deoiocr
The people
lembcrs of _
jurtsofjiisli'
Km to the ge
titizen is addc
sscmbl) takes
igs.

Each yoiitl
hip at fourte
Jiabove three
kmoiiiit of m
Iralle) of Lini
is inhiibi
Ihrfe other
knd Billen?.,
inlerwald-
ttigano, and

'•nsust, ho
^rc |i..iitical, no

f Oi) the i)U(
IITilliam Tell ; tl
Imhor of i' fi
lonoiir to '.lOd,

nt Wiltian uf

GF.RMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITAT.Y, AND SfHIY.

413

.* Zurich, and from those advantages Avhicli
I denied Geneva by its jealous neighbours, Lu-
mifflit be the first commercial town of
T'lzcriaiid; but, like most of the catholic can-
w LiifC"'^ '* deficient in industf)
The town of Schweitz lies between its *wo
I u called the Hakon: it is the chief place of
I canton of the same name. Some leagues
J (he lake the land forms a cape, at the
f j ( of which there was a prodigious rock,
thicli fell into the lake, and where, at some
I'iince from the land, it now stands erect like a

i,atcli tower.

Utorf is the chief place of the canton of Uri,
jiffc the general assembly meet on the first
iiiiidav in May. The canton of Uri is divided
Into ten confederacies; from each of which six
If their burghers are chosen, as counsellors.
fliese sixty counsellors, as in the other demo-
Iralic cantons, enjoy their office fof life. Once
In two years two Landammannc are elected;

I, Qf which has his year of administration.

fo he one in office is added a deputy, called a

Itilt'ialter, The gc-neral assembly enacts, alters,

igd i°peals laWR, forms alliances, and makes

fit Mil peace. This constitution is common to

J the decnocratic cantonii.

The people of Uri have two colleges*, the

kiembersi of which are counsellors; and two

nurts of justice, civil and criminal. An appeal

lies to the general council; but, in this case, a

litizen is added to each counsellor. The general

isjcmbl^ takes no cognizance of legal proceed-

Each youth of Uri enjoys the right of citizeu-
lip at fourteen. The number of armed citizens
above three thousand; but this is not the whole
ount of men able to bear arms. The fruitful
lalle^ of Linivcr, which lies beyond the Gothard,
ind is inhabited by Italians, is subject to Uri.
brre other Italian districts, Riviera, PoUenz,
nd Bt'llen?., are subject to Uri, Schweitz, and
Interwald as likewise are Meyntbal, Mendris,
iigano, and Locarno, to the eleven other can-

'' TKust, howcTer, be obserrcd, that theie institutions
^rc {I ijtical, not academical.

^ Oil the place where this chapel ftandj furmerly lived

William Tell ; the true saviour of his country, the honoured

kothor of i' freedom. In thankfulnesf to him, and in

lonoiir tn ' <o(t, this chapii was bull'. \t is dcdicattd to

at Wiltian of Riicbli, «ad Saiut t'cbastaa.

tons. Appenzel only has no part in these dis-
tricts.

The democratic burghers, who are all country
people, pay scarcely any taxes: the same may be
said of the inhabitants of the small cantons, and
of the country of the Grisons and Valais.

The people of the valley of Liniver, near the
Gothard, from which the Reuss rv '^ down a
precipice under the Devil's Bridge, are so far
dependant on Uri, that the inhabitHnts have an
appeal from their own court to the canton. Yet
they have their small general assemblies, though
all that relates to foreign affairs must be subject
to revisal at Uri.

Biirgli i!> half a league froiu Altorf in the
valley of Schacher. Here livel William Tell;
hut gratitude and reverence c'-anged his cottage
into a chapel, where mass h soleinidy said, and
from which the 'jeople go m procession. Like
(he two other chipels of Tell, it is adorned with
images, from holy writ and the history of Swit-
zerland. Under each invigc is a verse. The
following lines are over the entrance:

Allhicr, auf dcm plalz dioser Kaprll,
Hat Tormals gewohtit der VVilhelm Tell;
Der trcuc retter dos Taterlands ;
Der theurc wrheber des freieii stands!
Dijme ziim. dank, Ciott ab<T ztir ehr,
>Vard diese Kapellc gcseltet tier:
Und sclbc dem schuiz bef jhlen an
Saiict Wilhulm Kttchli, und Soba^itian -f .

On each side likewise are the following:

Sind wir gerccht, einig, und gnf,
So steht die Freihcit sichcr gnug ^.

Dankbar gedcnket an jenc zeit
Da ihr seid worden gcfrcite Icut^.

In the chapel, over the altar, the dial plate of a
clock is painted, with a hand, which is signifi-
cant of concord, pointing to the hour one; under
which are these lines.

Die freihnit wird sein von lz,ngcr daur
Wcnn allzcit Eins zeigt dicse uhr ||.

The constitution of Lucerne, relatively to the
town^ is more an aristocracy, or rather aa

I Let ut be just, nnitcd, and virtuous, &>id onr frcedota
will 1)0 secure.

^ Thankfully, and for ever, remember the day that
made you free.

[| Frut'dom will endar« so loii£ a> it shall \ic on9 o'clock
by this dial.

I 'if

olig- irct j,

I' .

STOLBEUG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

>, I

oligarchy, ihan thiit of Zurich, where each
biirgluM' hiu; an oqiial .share in the government.
The great council in Lucerne consists of a hun-
dred persons. From these tliirty-six men, who
must be patricians, are cho.'sen for the little
council. There is an appeal from the little
council to Ihc collective council, The members
of both councils hold (heir places for life; and it
may be sai.I, from the practice of (illing up va-
cancies, (hilt, in the little council, these places
are in a certain manner hereditary. The chief
magi.s(ra(es are the two Schultheisse> o»" mayors,
one of whom always sits at the helm of the state.
They are chosen for life, and one presides this
year, another (he next. War, peace, alliance,
and new taxes, cannot be incurred without the
consent of the assembled citizens.

The peasants are very happy : they pay nothing
but tythes in kind, and half a florin annually
from every head of a family to the high baililK
The country people enjoy a free trade, and, in
♦his respect, are not, like those of Ziirich, de-
pendent on the town.

This is (he mo!«l powerful of (he ca(holic can-
ton'^, and can bring twen(y (liousand armed men
into the liild. The revenue t)f the state docs not
con«i»t of above sevenfy-l'our thoii^aiHl florins;
of w Inch there is an annual surplus, which is ein-
plove'J for tlu' li'iMicral good.

On t!io shore ot ihr hike of Senipach stands (he
old to\^n of that naiue; u here, in J.'i8(), the
Uiiu>ii>i batllf. of Si'oipacli w;is won, l)y three
hiiiidred conlVderatcs, against Leopold duke of
Austria, and (he flower of his army. Arnold
von ^^ ink( hiied, of LnlcrwaUl, lieu- broke (he
phalanx of the Austrian army; op[)osing himself
to (heir spears, and, by .seizing as many a.s he
lonld grasp, made an opening for his troops:
thus willingly ch-voting himself to death, that he
might secure the victory to his fellow warriors.

henipacb, (hough dependent on Lucerne, en-
jo\s privilege so great that it may well value it-
self on its fnetlou). Iw ancient times it belonged
to the counts of Lcn/burg, (hen to t!M)se of Ky-
burg, and afterwards to the counts of Ilabsburg.

In l.Jt'i.'J it allied itself with Zurich, Berne,
Basle, Soleure, and St. trail. After the battle
of Sempach it appertained to Lucerne. It has
its own uj agist rates-', an cvtensive jurisdiction,
and considerable privileges. From three of its
citi/tiis, chosen hy (he (own itsidf, the council
itkelf electa its Schui(h(iiss.

The lake of Sempach is two leaguos U
and half a league broad; where there is a ."^
siderable fishery, the revenue of wliid^"*
collected by one of the council of Lucerne fnriiJ
state. "i

The canton of Berne is limited by the cant '
of Lucerne and Soleure. A good soil, \m\^J!i
well directed, and freedom enjoyed, under 3
government wise, mild, and limited by fiJ
laws, rai-'2 the people of Berne toadegreeol
visible prosperity'. An acre of meadow land
frequently sold for a thcfusand rix dollars

The houses of the country people of Berne i
remarkably roomy and neat; and thev them]
selves are well clothed, well fed, cheerful, anj
strong. Their cattle are large, in good conl
dition, and sleek. The men are weil t'ormeJ
indeed the beauty of both sexes is remarkable, 1
The town of Thun is built at the end of (J
lake of Thui», at the mouth of the Aar: itssituJ
ation is charming. The lake of Thuii isabiiui
five leagues long and one broad: in muiiv plan
the depth of its w.iter is a hundred and tweiitil
filhoins. On the left shore are thrcfl cascadd
springing from rocks; viz. the Stanipfbaiii,
Junglraunbrunnen, and the Bealusljach. Tin
last flows out of a cavern on the IJcatusbcra
The Rreitklavenberg on the right, and the Ilatl
I derbcrg on l!ie left, limit the lake, ati'ordinJ
i only a passage (o the Aar, which, a lea;,;;uo fioJ
i this place. Hows out of the lake of BrieiiJ
coursing through both the lakes. Tlio Grcal
Eiger, the Little iMger, and the Jungtraii rid
covered with everlasting snow, and higher stij
the Schreckenhorn, whose rocky anmmit ttppeari
continually covered, during (he summer, witlj
two shining snow balls. This summit is alwavi
inaccessible, and, in the fame of its heip;lit; cuaJ
tends with Mont Blanc in Savoy. The shotci
of the lake are covered wi(li numerous \illagf!
On the right side the southern moun(aiiH ruej
over (he little village of LK'issingen; find, lor I
space of six weeks in winter, conceal it fronitli^
sun.

The lake of Brienz is three leagues long,
not ([uitc ko broad as (he lake of Tluni. VrrJ
dan( mountains surround it on ail sides, someol
which gendy rise, till at a certain height llicj
become steep; some set their bold rocky feet if
the green waves, while the summits of others eiJ
lubit immense cliil'v. llcre.taru many line waloti
fallsj the luoat bcautiuil of which is the (iiw|

b:iiii

mwF

CI' R MANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

415.

li It passes from a clifl" ill! he rock atiiiirig
r?^' nnrl nftcr twelve dillereiit desteiits, rushes

LlhcIi'I"?- ' r 1 • 1

riiiienz is a large \illage, the houses of which.
If (lieffciieral manner of the uplands in the

laiiloii

of IJerne, arc bnilt wrth the trunks of

stripi''-*! of their buck and laid onu above

B otlier, and rooftd with shingl.'s. Thrsc roofs

almost flat, iind others of tiunn, like the cabins

"tlio Alps; stones are laid to prevent the wind

iinfiirryiiig them away. The vilhigo church

liiiiltoii a small separate rock.

11 is tlirco JcagiiCH from Brienz to the valley of

»5|j- which is sometimes called Ohc>' Hasli,

Itnper Hash,) though there is no Untcr Hasli,

iLnwer Hasli,) in existence. Here are several

Lterf'alls. In this valley stands the village of

llevriiigen, shut in by high rocks, and secluded,

f it were, from the whole world. There are

Ivc oiitlpfs or roads between these rocks : one

Lliii"" t" Hrienz, another over the mountain

Stiiiiina,' to Lucerne, a third over the Engelberg

)l'iilmvald, a fourth over tlie Grinselberg to

k'alais, and the fifth over the Schedeck to

kfindplwald. According to tradition the iuha-

lilaiits of the valley of Hasli, which is about

Lfii leagues in leugth, came originally from

ittcden. Ill 1^^^ the inhabitants shook oil" the

lokeof John baron of Weisscnburg, and, with

Igmiit of great privileges, submitted to the can-

|f,ii(if n;'riie. They appoint their own council,

lit' miiuibfrs of which ai ; called Gerichtasse;

Inil from one of three burg ers, chosen by them-

ilvts, the government of iV'rne appoints their

Lndaminann; who exorcises the power of a high

\iM, and remains in ollice six years, but is

iliijcd to give an iiccoiMit of his administration

mc'A vcar to the higli baililf of Interhiken.

lUpvrinffVn is the chief place of the valley. Hero

Ire 'ceii several water- falls, r/i. the Alpbadi, the

liirflmch, the iVluhlenl)atli, and the Rcithcu-

laHi*.
A- the traveller approaches the upper region
I'the moimtain the pines begin to be few. i'hc

Hmrmous rocks extend to the \\ (!ltorhorn, at the

• The Ri'ichenbacli IS Olio of (lie most boiiitifnl \viitor-
kllsiii Swit/.erlaiul A lofty tiirrcnt (iimblfs tliroiu;li (Ik;
Jiicky clilfs ill bro;iJ sluH'ts, iiiwl with a tlumdiTiiiir din,
fliiii! the green inountaiii, far and widu, is covered witU

foot of which stands the Rosenlauer glacier.
The last height is very diiricnlt to climb; and the
road downward to the Grindelwald is steep and
not without danger; thrre being sometimes pre-
cipices, sometimes falling beds of tlat slate, and
at others short slippery grass.

The lowest glacier stands half a league from
the parsonage house, but the dilficulty of ascend-
ing it is great, it being through a defile almost
impassable, from clifts, flints, and snow. llcrtJ
" Jacobi," says Coimt Stolberg, " discovered a
spacious hall of ice, which I entered with him;
but the clergyman" (of the place, who accom-
panied the count as his guide) " eritieat(!d us to
leave it, and persisted in departing fr<nn a place
where, two days before, there had ijcen none of
the ice which we beheld." The peojjle of the
Alps are all of them persuaded, that the glaciers
continue seven years to increase, and seven years
to diminish. The pastor, who has lived here
these eiglit years, has observed it continually de-
crease. The rock which stands at the foot of
this glacier is called the Fischerhorn. The
white Lutschina rises out of the glacier, and tliQ
black Lutsch ina from a higher glacier at Scli;ido(k.
Their waters mingle in the valley of GriiKichva'il.

From this place it is four leaguirs in de.icont to
the valley of Grindelwald, and beside (lie
Ltitschina into ^!ie valley of Lutschina, from
which the road leads to the still dtjoper vale of
Lauterbrimn. The verdant valley through
which the Lutschina runs i.s narrow and very
populous. ?

The Staubbash, near the village of Liutcr-
brunn, is a waterfall, which rushes down a wild
rocky declivity, nino hundred feot high, which
is overgrown with brushwood. Htire the full
stream rolls tempestuously. As it falls the pillar
of water disperses into a fine rain, which does
not descend perpendicularly, but yields a little to
the wind. It then meets with a projcttiiig
scaflTold of rock, and a part runs down its side in
single streams, while another part dashes below
in clouds, and covers the green turf wi'li its
spray.

i(f ^ipray. It will (akf a traveller iio.irly .in hour to reach
a bridal! wliicli is llironn over the roiky ^iilpli. Here,
from above, lie beholds tlio Jlcisoiibacli rush, aud sues it
foam bdow.

I '..I

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'L ii. ;

:,^i'' ■; ii'l

Vol. II. No, XCVIII.

b N

SECTION

4ia

STOT.BFRG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

IfSH

!iS3»

^ SECTION VI.

Historical Sketches of Berne — Government and Constitution of Berne — General Proupcritu 0/ oJ
Canton — Arsenal — Hospitals — Orphan-House — Cathedral — 4ir — Granaries.

BERNE was founded in the year 1191, by
Berthold V. duke of Zahringen. The dukes
of Zahringen were statthalters of the German eoi-
pirCj in a part of Swabia and Switzerland. The
character of the times impelled the little nobles
and free burghers to seek a secure refuge against
the enterprizes of the great nobles and their rest-
less fief holders. This town was particularly
esteemed a place of safety and of rendezvous for
the small nobility. It was built on a spot which
nature had fortified; the Aar flowing on three of
its sides. Berthold gave the town new laws and
privileges, which were confirmed by the emperor
in 1218; so that it was, even then, a free im-
perial town. At the death of Berthold it retained
its own government, being neglected by the un-
stable power of the empire.

The territory of Berne was divided into four
parishes. The nobles ruled the little state, and
with their wealth and blood frequently defended
its possessions, freedom, and security. The
burghers gradually became warlike: their short
wars did not hinder them from cultivating their
land and collecting its produce, though they
vere exercised in arms, and thus rendered
kabitually courageous. The youth of Berne fre-
quently, and perhaps too easily, provoked to
the field, inflamed by their increaning love of
war, took castle after castle. Enemy after
enemy was attacked, and the laws of war annexed
the conquered districts to the state. Sn*-^11 com-
munities .sought the protection of Berne; which
itrengthcned itself as much by its prudence as by
its fortune in war; making alliances with inferior
states against the mighty fief holders, who, in
the middle ages, were the common foe of growing
cities.

Soleurc was always the true friend of Berne.
Freiburg, although its sister, was always its
rival, and frequently it? declared enemy. It
allied itself against B«-rne with tlit* jealous counts
of K^biirg, Giii>cro8, Arberg, Nidau, and
Ncufchatel. The allies, between twenty and
thirty Ihousani strung, tucuutped before the
2

little town of Laupen, which, with itsdistriiJ
Berne had purchased, and had first erected
baiiiwic. Rudolphus of Erlach, who had servpi
the counts of Nidau, hut had deserted tlicmt
fight for his country, was the leader of the Iini3
army of Berne; which, with the aid sent U
Schweitz, Uri, Unterwalden, and other alliesi
amounted only to five thousand men. Ty
proud counts and their arrogant cavaliers despise]
the feeble foe; but the prodigious spears, wieiy
by the nervous arms of the small army, unhorm
tlic mailed knights The allies agiiinst Berui
left three thousand dead on the field, A \\t%
victory gained over Freiburg, by which it wai
in imminent danger, increased the courage ol
Berne.

Lucerne and Zurich had entered iolo
alliance with the three first cantons, and tin
allies having taken Glaris and Zug by force
arms, communicated to their inhabitants the fu|
rights of liberty; when, in 13.53, Berne was ri
ceived into the confederacy, where it thenassumi
the second rank, which it has ever since num.
tained.

While the confederates were acquiring m
fame against Austria, at Sempach and Naifeli
the people of Berne attacked the counts
Kyburg, who sided with Austria, inTlimm
Burgdorf; both of which places were '.rded
them at the peace. They likewise ronqiieti
the counties of Nidau and Buren. By varioi
means, partly by the bestowing the ripjhts ol
citizenship, and |)artly by the conquest offeudi
knights and barons, tliey possessed theniselveiol
the upland valleys of the Alps. These iiewcoi
quests greatly increased the power of Berne.

When Frederic duke of Austria fell under thi
bann of the empire for supporting Pope Johi
XXIII. against Martin IV. the people of Bcmj
instigated by the emperor Sigisunind, attacki
Aargau. and obliged Zosingen, Aaruu, Bruj
and Lensburg, with their appendages to m\
render; and these now form one of the most li
tile districts in their possessioa. They aud tlifi

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GERltlAWr, SWrrZCRLATJD, ITALV, AND SICILY.

417

I iiiH likewise conquered the country of Baden:
I nd Skisiu""^' glt^<l to weaken his enemy, for a
I ID of o)oney, confirmed them in the poMesuon
Iflheseierritorie.^ .

The canton of Berne, b^' a seriea of lucceMea

I j purchases, at different times greatly increased

I their territories and power. It must, however,

be admitted, that the canton of Berne, in ancient

\t», took advantage of the counts their neigh-

Ibours; and, in modern, of the people of Savoy;

I to increase their territories: but for many years

lit has been animated by a different spirit. It is

Innw honoured by all the powers of Europe, and

[beloved by all the cantons; and it will be difficult

Ito furnish an example, from the history of man-

ikiod, where more moderation and love of justice

JbaTe been seen, than they have shewn to their

lillies of every description.'

I With respect to the government of Berne, the

Igiost ancient chronides of the republic shew that,

Ijg former times, the whole municipality was oc-

jcuioDally assembled; but such an assembly does

Inot prove any stated or active power. In simple

liges men were ^t so lightly fearful of subtle

[(ODclusions. An original paper, lo early as

||294, mentiens the two hundred. The council

■of two hundred formerly actually consisted of

fibat round number; but it was gradually in-

ised, till it was sometimes above three huo-

|dr«d. A law therefore was made, which limited

I the number to two hundred and ninety-nine.

[No candidates were to 'je elected till there were

leighty vacancies; but fa ere too corruption crept

[in. Young men who aspired to this honour

[found old counsellors, who had no longer any

n of enjoying the office of high bailiff,

■whom they secretly pensioned to resign their

I placet, in order to make the eighty vacancies,

[that they might be elected. Hence the law now

[ii, that the vacancies of living counsellors must

ioot be numbered: there must be eighty couo-'

lellors dead before there can b& any new election.

■ Each candidate must ht> twenty-nine years of

jige, dating eight days after baptism. Hence, in

I families who hope their descendants may be coun-

jiellors, they have the males christened imme-

Idiately after birth. Elections generally happen

lenceia nine or ten years; and any young man

l«bo b at this tio>e a minor, if it be but for a

[fev days, must wait till the neit election.

£vcry hurghftc of Becne ha» the right of being

elected to the highest dignities { but few have
the hope; for the little council, which consists
of twenty-seven members, and the sixteen, who
are annually chosen from the great council, pro-
pose the members of this grent council ; so that
they coDti:^ually circulate among the powerful
families. In the collective great council, of
which the small council is a committee, all power
centres, but in different bodies. The executiva
power is entrusted to the little council, the legis-
lative to the great. The little council assemble|
every day, Sunday excepted : it first examine*
every matter, which is afterwards laid before th^
great council. All current affairs are in its dis-
posal; as likewise are most of the church bene-
fices, and the inferior of the lay employments»
It pronounces sentence in crimtiial causes* ex-
cept over the burghers of Berne.

The members of the little council are elected
in a very complex manner. On the death of
any one member, the remaining twenty-six asr
semble : twenty^six small balls are put in a box>
three of which are gold. The members each
draw a ball. Those who draw the three goldeo
balls nominate three electors from their own
body. Seven other electors are chosen by th^
great council. These ten electors nominate %
number of candidates, not more than ten, nor
less than six. The collective council then giva
their votes. Those who have most votes in their
favour draw four balls, two of which are gold>
and two are silver: one of those who navf
drawn the golden balls is elected, by the plurality
of TOtes of the collective council.

The little council consists of two advoyers, two
treasurers, two bannerets, seven counsellors, and
two secret counsellors. The two advoyers pre-
side in the collective council and in the little
council. They are elected by the collective
council. They hold their office for life; thougb
the collective council has the right to remove
them. The reigning advoyer has the seal of th«
republic lying before him: he never gives hia
vote till it is demanded ; nor has be any vote, till*
tho numbers being equal, it becomes necessary for
him to decide. The two treasurers and the four
bannerets constitute a college, or committee, of
finance. The bannerets are only a year in office ;
the treasurers may be continued for six years.
Each banneret is likewise a high bailiff.

The ba'''wics are divided int» four claasei*

accordiqg

H 1

'I II

'Hit 1., I't.

418

"STOLBERG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

according to (licir Importance and revenues, and
are frequently very lucrative. No man can be
high bailiff of the first class above once, twice of
the second class, and three times of the third and
fourth, and the latter must be at intervals. The
high bailiff continues in office six years, and
each annually lays his accounts before the com-
mittee of finance. Their power is very great.
To them is the police, the execution of the or-
ders of the council, the disposal of the public
fioney, and the corn granary, the appeals from
the small courts, and the power of pronouncing
sentence, when complainants bring their causes
before them, entrusted.

The revenues of the state are not large ; yet
sufficient for a republic, the rulers of which have
most of them no salary, and tlie rest very little,
and.which maintains no standing army. These
revenues consist in some domains, the tythes, a
certain small ground rent, the sixth part of the
allodial fines of the fiefs in the Pays de Vaud,
the tenths of those inheritances in this same
country which do not descend to the next heir,
certain trifling tolls, and the monopoly of salt.
Of this monopoly no one complains; for it is
sold cheaper by the government than it could be
afforded by the trader.

The people are regularly trained to arms, and
annually mustered. They are divided into
twenty-one regiments of foot, each two thousand
strong, and four companies of jairf^vs, or light
horse, and eighteen of dragoons. JJeside these
the persons who hold estates that confer titles of
nobility raise several companies of horse. No
soldier, whether of horse or foot, dare marry till
he has first provided himself with uniform, arms,
and accoutrements. This is the dress of the
bridegroom. The dragoon must provide him-
self with a horse; but this is no great difficulty,
since, as a farmer, he must keep many horses.
. The arsenal is well stored : it contains above a
thousand cannon, many mortars, muskets for
sixty thousand men, and sufficient arms for the
cavalry. There are f luce conipaniesof cannoneers,
and one of bombardiers for the artillery. The
arsenal is likewise irmnrkable, to a traveller, for
its ancient Swiss and llurgundian armour. The
prodigious two handed swords and long spears
are dreadfully cumbrous. The banners of Jlur-
.» gundv, and the ropes with which the Swiss were
to have. been bound, are preserved and exhibited

in a truly republicati spirit. I'here is also tli
wooden image of William Tell in the act o*f
shooting the apple from the head of his gJ
The building, however, is a bad one, and doe
not correspond to the greatness of its deBlinatio *
The hospitals are both of them beautiful: on \
is called the Insel, (or Island,) because of ii!
detached situation. The sick of all nations are
here carefully nursed and dressed ia room
apartments ; from which there is a full prospect I
of the great chain of distant glaciers. EqualU
remarkable is the other great hoipital, which
much rather resembles the palace of a prince !
than the abode of the poor: yet not the least
convenience is sacrificed to magnificence. The
front gives the impression of greatness, whicU
idea is much increased by the motto, " Chuisto
IN pvupEainus:" i. e. "To Christ in the Poor,'
The court is a verdant lawn, planted with trees I
and numerous flowers, and a fountain is in the J
centre. Fifty persons, some of them poor, others 1
sick, are here suppoi ted: beside which others]
are lodged and maintained at a small cxpence.
There is likewise in this hospital a separate part)
for poor travellers: in the evening they are m,
plied with bread, wine, and a bed; in tbj
morning they receive a breakfast, which A
usually bread and wine, and a small supply o(|
money.

In what is called the Orphan House, which jjl
not intended for orphans only, but for otherl
children of the burghers, (otty boys, for tbjj
small annual sum of thirty rix ;dollars, are fed,}
clothed, and instructed in the christian rcligionj
reading, writing,, arithmetic, German, French,!
Latin, Greek, history, geography, mathematics,!
singing, and drawing.

The Cathedral is one of the finest and largest!
I have seen, says Count Stolberg. Before it is a]
spacious walk of trees on a bold and elevated]
terrace, which commands ' a prospect of tLj|
whole lown, of the windings of the Aar,
especially of the great chain of glaciers. The I
money for building this cathedral, like as for
building St. Peter's tit Rome, was colirctedj
through all Europe: for which purpose the]
po]pe granted his indulgences. .

The Granaries are well built, and are an Of"
nament to the to vn; and the use to which thel
government puts them is deserving of-praiie:|
^orn is collected here ia great quantities, not, as I

' ' ill

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

4*3

I i0 oblige the baker to purchase there,

' ( nre'veiit the price being excessive. Berne
»"«' furnished neighbouring stales with corn,
ij uie few V<jars since it generously assisted
Ua to its own loss.

The airof Bcnie is so heahhy that, the register
for centuries proves, that one man in three attain^
the age of seventy. This sanity of the air is
ascribed to its high situation, tho neij^hbpurhood
of the glaciers, and tbe curvings of the rapid ^av.

SECTION VII.'

lifofBider — Peter's Island — Vallangin, and J\'ei^fchatel — Chaux de Fond- — Grandson — Yvcrdon
*'' — Meillerie — Vevny — Lmisimrie, its Government atid Public Buildings.

■^HE \ake of Bieler is thus called after the
town and republic of Biel, which is situated
fthf east shore: it is four leagues long, and one
lad and is surrounded by the canton of Berne,
eprincipalityof Neufchatel, and the bishopric
fBule. fhis lake has its peculiar beauties.
monK hi!' *^* gently rise from the shore,
jmeadows, pasture land, cornfields, vineyards,
Jwjods, intermingled with unceasing variety.
luincrous siniall towns, villages, and hamlets,
love tlie population of thia distinguished coun-

I'fn Die middle of tlie lake the Peter's Island
les; its verdant shores crowned with trees, and
I the west declining with hanging vineyards.
[Iiij island belongs to the rich hospital in Berne:
,1 purveyor of the hospital inhabits the house,
mdei ihcshorcjin which Jeun Jacques Rousseau,
bra short time, resided. In his chamber every
brner and plank was scribbled over by ♦ravellers,
i all languages.

The county of Vallangin and the principality
IfNcufcliatel, united, are ten leagues in length,
nd five, in their greatest breadth. They are sup-
oicd to contain forty thousand inhabitants. In
|?07 their race of princes became extinct, and
lie inhabitants chose Frederic 1. zing of Prussia,
or their prince, as heir to the house of Chalons,
Ifttr having stipulated for their reciprocal rights.
the representative of the king swore to leave their
Ights, liberties, and customs, written and un-
written, unmolested; and the representatives of
he country, in return, took the oath of allegi-
Ince.
This little country has great diflference of
tiiinate; the south part, toward the lake, enjoys
\ery uiild air, and wine, with every kind of
^rain, and fruit, are produced here; but the sea-
VoL. II. No. XCIX.

sons of the north, on the contrary, including a
part of Mount Jura, are rude, and the lauds
with difficulty produce oats and barley.

The Chaux de Fond is a valley about two
leagues long, is divided into eleven parts, and,
exclusive of tbe villages, is every where scattered
over with houses. Here, under the wing of
freedom, inhabit industry, order, art, and pros-
perity. Here the inhabitants are maintained by
their raanut*actures and the excellence of their
pastures. The number of these iuliiibitanls is
about three thousand, four h-aiKlrcd of whom
are watch-niakcis. Each part ui' ihc watch is
made by its particular woikinan; vshich iiureiscB
the accuracy of the work and tlu; de.xterity ofdu^
artist, and lowers 11)0 price i»r the waleh. ' From
ten to sixteen thousand wjfttiies .iXkI many clocks
are annually made here. Sixteen huiuired w.unen
are supposed to be employed in (he lace manu-
factory.

The town and bailiwic of Grandson belong in
common to Berne and Freihiirg. In i,47Gthe
town was taken by Charles (he B Id, dtike of
Burgundy, who, contrary to his pledged laith,
hanged a part of the gnnison and druuned (he
rest; but soon afterward he was defoaft-d by the
Swiss, at the same place, and lost his eainp, his
baggage, and his artillery. This bat do \\a. (he
harbinger of the victory of Murien, by whieh he
was humbled; and of the battle of Naiiey, where
the restless warrior lost his life.

Yverdon is among the oldest towns in Switzer-
land. It is one of the four towns of the Pays de
Vaud which arc called Les qtiair:' ''oitiics i'illes,
I. e. The four good Towns: these ar« Moudon,
Vverdon, Morges, and Nyon. They have con-
siderable municipal rights, with a little and a
grout council, consisting of thirty-six persons,

5 0 ,..:. the

■■m

■| :«

I m

i|-'

■u

I<1

!li

■A'm

420

STOT.BRRG'S TRAVET.S THROUGH

the presi Jeiit of whom is a banneret. There is
an old castle in Yverdon, with four towersj
which was built in the twelfth century by Con-
rad, duke of Zahringen. In this town there is a
society that collects voluntary alms fur all the
poor, to prevent begging, and keep the country
free from the dirt, disorder, and immorality of
mendicants. The town is built at the south end
of the lake of Ncufchatcl, in a charming situ-
ation.

Meilleric in Savoy, famed for its rocks, is a
little village, pressed as it were between the
wt'tors of the lake and the rising mountain.
The rocks, which arc a part of the mountain,
are porpendii niar to the lake, and leave but a
small space between the cliff luul the edge of the
lake. The inhabitants of Mcillerie have neither
corn fields nor vineyards. Before and over their
houses are numerous tall poles, loaded with
grapes as excellent as those of the Pays de Vaud ;
but they are nut in sufficient quantities for the
making of wine, and are therefore eaten. Few
of the inhabitants are wealthy enough to keep a
cow: they chiefly live on the produce of their
walnut trees, the oil of which is ex|»resscd from
the nut; and on their chesnuts which they bar-
ter for corn. Their principal food is chesnuts,
fi.sh, and potatoes.

Vevay is an old town. In the itinerary of the
Emperor Antonine it is mentioned by the name
of Viviscum; and the Germans still call it Vivis.
It is the next town in rank, of the Pays de Vaud,
to Lausanne, and is even more pleasant than the
latter, by its situation and the mildness of its
climate. Like the other towns of the Pays de
Vaud, it has a great and a little council, with
many privileges. It contains one church, which

is very handsome ; the square toweri of vj
may be seen at a great distance. The to
well built, and inhabited by wealthy citr
About the distance of a cannon shot to the '"
another little town is built, called La To*^
Peyl, which appears to make but one vitll'v

vay

Lausanne is the largest town of the Pa,.,
Vaud, and is built on a rising height, a'sl J
half league from the lake of (u-ncva 'n
houses are handsome, but the ground upon whl
they are built is so unequal that three horsey j
generally obli^,'cd to be harnessed abreast to dr]
a coaeh up tlieir steep streets. In the times i
the Romans it was called Lausonitmi orLausanii
but it is supposed to have been built iowcri
that time, and nearer to the lake. Lausanne e
joyed great privileges while under the jiirisdic'il
of its bishops, but they have much been evtendj
under the government of Berne. LaiisaJ
elects its own burgomaster, five hannoret^^ iM
little council, the council of sixty, and tli; ore^
council of two hundred. The town holds i|
own upper and lower courts of justice. fJ
government of Berne has reserved nothing fotj
self, except the rights of sovereignty, ofanniiJ
soldiers, coining money, and that best of tim
the right of forgiving. The cathedral is veil
beautiful, though built in the gothic stvlj
Facing the church there is a walk planted «i|
trees, from which there is a beautiful pruspw
toward the lake. The hospital is lar^c am
magnilicent. In this country the benevolence o
the inhabitants is greater than the necessities i
the poor. This tine building is almost tctuDd
less.

^'f.

SECTION VIIl. ,

Geneva, and brief History thereof — Government, and State of Manners — Population and Extent,]

THE city of Geneva, with its small territory,
lies between the confines of Switzerland,
Savoy, and France, and is built on the beautiful
lake wh.ich tahes its name. The Rhone flows
through the city, where it forms an isl^^nd which
is covered with houses.
Geneva was converted to Christianity in the

third or fourth century; hut was afterwards mnrJ
than once shaken and overrun by the iiortliefl
invaders. Son>c of (he kings of Burgundy ciini
it for their residence: it next fell under tin
jurisdiction of the kings of France. Cliarlej
magne granted the town considerable privilege
It afterwards became a part of the kingdom o

AdcsJ

l>ut one V. itli y[

S- '>>"''*, a'J

round upoiMvlii]
atthreehorsojj

t'ti abreast to (In
.In the times,

"'"i-LausJ

;e» built ioHcfj
'*'• Lausanne J
ierthejurisdieJ
"•••' boon evteoj]
P*^'-'|e- LaiisaJ
ive bauiioroli, (f
''ty, and til, gj
ic town holds j

of justice. tJ
'cd nothing for J
fiign'y, ofaniiij
^•at best of riglij

catliedral is veil
the gothic stvi
*'alk planted v'i
•eautiful prosjJ
ital is lari^c agj
be bcncvolpiiceii
Uie necessities h
is almost tciUDl

tiun and Exim.\

i afterwards moi

by tiic nortlierf

Burgundy cliii

: fell under llii

France. Cliarlel

;rable privilege)

the kingdom 0

A[lcs

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.' !»•■

'■'^'^f^miimmfitmm

boioted '<

hroduced

GEUMANY/ SWITZERLAND, ITAT.V, AND SKII.Y.

4iII

le, and after that of Burgundy. The Bur-

dian race having become extinct, Geneva

M incorporated, by Conrad II. with the Ger-

Tn empire, in 1033. Its bishops gradually

|P g more potent, and accumulated their

liras which its ambitious counts disputed with

' The people at length acknovrledged the

shops as their sovereigns; but the people pos-

Ised considerable privileges. They annually

L-jeB«vndic, and a treasurer; and these ap-

Linfcd a' council. The people were consulted

the imposing of taxes and in forming alliances.

Neither the bishop nor the magistrate could un-

jpftake any thing of importance unless they were

usenibled; and each, at coming into offices,

nade a solemn oath before the syndic, by which

'promised to leave the privileges of the city

[nlimiDishcd. About the middle of the fifteenth

ttntiiry the number of the council, under which

Ihe presidency of the syndics held the administra-

lion of public affairs, was fixed at five and twen"

|( and a superior council of fifty waa instituted,

\hich, in certain cases, was to be associated

irith the former. This was the origin of the

,tat council of two hundred. In 1536 Berne

l^d Freiburg renewed their alliance ^ which had

.tn interrupted ) with Geneva; and from this

Kfiod it may be truly estimated to have become

ifree state. In 1.535 the council of two hun-

ired admitted and countenanced the doctrines of

lie reformers, and Freiburg renounced its al-

tancc. The following year Calvin came to Ge-

leva. This man, whose thoughts were as ardent

itbey were profound, communicated order both

) church and state. By his advice, in i 5i)9,

k academy was founded ; a seminary which has

Produced great men in every science. After

mt and violent contentions for many years,

tieneva was acknowledged as a free and inde-

«Rdent republic by the king of Sardinia, in

|T54, and the boundaries of Geneva and Savoy

Jrere accurately deterniiued. The state now paid

Iff the remainder of its debts, and it appeared to

lave attained that chief uf blessings, peace at

lome and with all the world. The fire, hnw-

jrer, though smothered was niit extinguished.

partial enjoyment of the blest>in8:s that result

\om freedom occasioned, as usual, Jissatisfac-

lon, in a city in which there was an equality of

ghts, but a great inequality of wealth. In

762 the democrat* excited new commotiona, in

consequence of the docii^iun of the council, on
two of the works of J«an Jacques Roussoan,
viz. his " Emiliiis" and his "Social Contract."
These works were both forbidden, the former
from religious^ the latter from political motives.
The council knew that Rousseau had fled from
Paris to'Genoa by reason of the trouble he wasi
likely to receive on account of these writings.
From Geneva he went to the moimtuins of
Neufchatel, and held a correspondence with hvs
friends in Geneva; who presented a remonstrance
against the decision. They demanded that the
alfair should bcexauiined b}' the council general;
that is, by the assembled citizens. The council,
on the contrary, maintained that their demand
was unconstitutional. The partisans of Rousseau
were called Remonstrants; the friends of the
council, the Negatives. M. Trouchin defended
the Negatives m " Lettres ecrites de la Cam-
pagne;" which was answered by Rousseau in his
" Lettres ecrites de la Montague;" by which the

J arty of the Remonstrants was still more inflamed,
n 1765 the citizens rejected all the counsellors
who were named as candidates for the election of
new syndics, and the election did not take place.
The magistrates demanded aid of their three
allies, France, Berne, and Zurich. These
powers sent plenipotentiaries, and twenty-four
commissioners were choseii*' from among the
citizens. They decided in favour of the council ;
which so provoked the citizens, that, in a general
council, they rejected the decision of the media-
tors. The court of France sent troops on the
confines of Geneva, and prohibited all trade
with the Remonstrants. The ambassadors from
the interfering states published a proclamation for
the restoration of order, under the title of Pro-
nounce. To this the citizens paid little attention,
held the menaces of the foreign plenipotentiaries
in contempt, defied their magistrates, and obliged
the government so to compromise -these disputes
as to give the power into the hands of the popular
party. This compromise was effected on the
1 1th of March, 1168. Some years afterwards
open wai broke out between the Remonstrants
and the Negatives ; the Remonstrants twice flew
to arms, and in the spring of 1783 several of the
members of both councils who were suspected by
them were imprisoned; and, aided by the natives,
they seized on the gates and the ram parts. Whike
in this state of commotion, France, Sardinia, and

Berne,

mi'
mi

\'':-i

til '-#,«. ■

mm m :

I'il

STOLBERG'S THAVFXS THROUGH

sat.

Benin, «cnt their troopi into the city, and a new
ttinciliatory plan was devised, which was ac-
cepted by the little council, the rroat council,
and the council cjencral, on the 4th of Novem-
ber, that year, which promised per|aaiiciicy, by
the guarantee of the interfering^ ■owors. in
178'J fresh disturbances broke oui; tic govern-
ment called in the regiment from its^arracks,
btil the burghers found means to avoid the
siddiers, and still continued their tumults: the
nrgiment, after it had been t\ven(.y-six hours un-
der armn in the middle of winter, abandoned its
posts; und the burgherK having now beto'me
masters, a new convention was made, by which
the people regained the right of electiitn, and
obtained the establishment of a city militia
The trae constitution was thus once more
restored, and the burghors would have remained
tranquil had not thuir imaginations been dis-
turbed by the French revolution. Some of the
burghers ardently desired that Geneva might be-
come incorporated with France. The inhabi-
tants were excited to arms, and were joined by
the inhabitants of the country of Gex, which be-
longs to France. The insurgents had almost
gained possession of the city, but were however
prevented. * '» ""commodation once more took
place, by thv .rmation and extension of the

privileges of tli uople.

The govcrnnient of (ieneva, being now firmly
.•settled to the mutual satisfaction of all parties,
exercises its functions \\ith ji««tice and im-
partiality, for the benetit of the republic: and
their civil code is laconic, unambiguous, and
eimple; and where this code is insulficient the
Roman code is consulted. This little state,
which probably contains more knowledge and
wealth than comparatively any other in Europe,-
is less troubled with lawsuits than any other.

At present they only enumerate five aJvocii,
who really practise, and seven attorneys. \v^
ever would have a perfect idea of ths justice J
ministered in this city must read the excell d
work entitled, " Etat civil de Geneve, par F '
^ois Andre Navillc, Citoyen dc Geneve." '"\

The manners of the people here are llkcvfJ
comparatively pure. The young men arc we]
informed: the education of the women is no I
carefully attended to ; and they are as ceiebra'ai
f(»r their real merit as for their f'harn»ii)!;mjiin»J
At Geneva it is almost become proverbial t)8al
" Happy the children who have a woman to if
struct thera."

There is an excellent law of the republic wliid
deserves notice. If a son does not pay ^1
father's debts, which the law cannot oblige hi]
to do, he is excluded from the enjoyment o
every public olfice. The same prohibition ea
tends to all who have not paid their own deblil

The corn chamber is an useful institution. U
duty is to take care that a certain quantity of corl
shall be always in the granary; audthestateU
the exclusive privilege of selling corn to tU
bakers: it sometimes gains; but it ismuchofteDd
a considerable loser. This regulation is necesjarl
in a city whoso small territory is insulficient fj
its own coiisuniption; and those who imagj™
that this privilege ever dc,u;en('rate8 into aiiionoi
poly, in Geneva, are neilher aeqiiainted will
the people nor tlirir govcnnneut. 1

The number of tlie people, according to t|J
accounts delivered jn, anno HOO, was twentfl
six thousand one hundred and forty within th
walls, and nine thousand without; amouiitingii
all to thirty-five thousand one hundred andforti
souls. The whole territory of the republic com
sistg of three square leagues and seven hundra
ells, aliowiog twenty leagues to a degree.

'-. ""- -''■'''- "■••■■ SECTION IX. -

Savotf and SnvoiKU'ds — Chnmberri/ — Hannibal — Lanehurg — Passage over Mount Cenia — St. A%
brosio — RivoU— Plains of Lombardy — Assassinations — Turin, . its Origin, Situation, Plat
Streets, Palaces, Buildings, Arsenal, and Sluices-^La Superba — Alessandria.

ABOUT a quarter of a league from Geneva
the duchy of Savoy begins. The country
is fruitful, and surrounded by mountains at some

distance; yet the valley soon becomes narroi
and appearances change. The Savoyards. >vhoij
Count Stolberg saw at a fair in a valley at Frang
2 wen

GFRMANV, fiWITZF-RLANn, ITAf.Y, AND SK'ILV.

4'2i

I poof but joyous, afml did not belie their
arader; lo"0 nilrtli, yet not riototis, rang
I y-j, the valley, and bri^tened in th«ir faces.
«ver» «"<l sellers appeared with their wares,
J teemed Ratisfied with their bargains, and
[jiheiich other. The homed cattle, which this
ijr V83 for tbe purpose of vending, ar* a large
• breed, though not so fine as those of Swit-
jrisnd. The goats are extremely beautiJ'ul, the
nine very large, sleek, and all of them black.
; Clismberry, the chief town oPtJie duchy, con-
im about thirteen thousand inhabitants. Nut-
Jithstanding that many of the nobility winter
Lethe town is ill built; but its rruilful neigh-
Lfliood, and the orchards which shade the
Ulevs, muke it very pleasant. The industry
ijlh which the fields of Savoy are cultivated is
[onderfully contrasted with the uncleanliness of
jeirinns.

[The little town of Lanehurg stands at the foot

Mount Cenis, in a wild situation, built with

laterials dug from the rock, and roofed Vvith

^tc; which, that the Tvind might not carry

m, is overlaid with stones. Ip ascending the

lomit, tlic road is steep and veVy uneven, IWing

III of large stones. The descent" from Mount

km is one uninterrupted zig-zag. Steep as

Leiiiountain is on the side of Savoy, it is still

Inch steeper and much higher oil that of

fiedniont. The Semar, a rivulet which takes its

in the lake on the mountain, dashes down

nong tlic rocks, and forms an uncommonly

tiitiful cascade, ft then rushes throtigh a high

kllcv, and separates 'Savoy frojn Piedmont. At

m it falls into the^ Dora, which is mingled

ith the Po Jit Tntln. Here the charms of

jiroy take a kind of solemn farewell of the

aveiler; being sepfirated from Piedmont by

bcks of a strange appearance, and thundering

ktaracts. The road, for some leagues, is over

htcep and stony path, full of short turnings,

Bving high rocks on one side, and on the other

iccp precipices.

At Susa the valley becomes narrow, and forms
te celebrated pass of that name; which is
jreiigthened by the fortress of Brunette, com-
laiiding two vallies, and standing opposite to
le fortress of Brian9on, on the coniines of
IrADce.

1 Between the little towns of St. Ambrosio and
livoli the v«lIieB widen, and many ruius of.au-
Vol. II. No.XCIX.

cient castles are seen atnong the mountanis. The
parts around arc fertile and pleasant, Rivoli is
overlooked by a royal castle, built on a hill.

Turin is only two leagues distant from Rivoli. <
The road is in a straight lino, uncommonly spa*
eious, with u ditoh on each side, that is planted
with a' row of large citns.

The extensive plains of Lomhardy, the fer-
tility of which have been famous for these thoji-
sand years, begin on this side; Rivoli. It was t«
these plains that Hannibal pointed, as a recom-
pense to his army, for the labours of their
march, and as the seat of fMtur« victorv, for
which the hero was the guarantee. They extend
over Piedmont, Milan, Mai>t\]a, and the Vene-
tian territory, as far as tlie Adriatic. The lands
are excellent, and mulberry trees are frequently
planted among the corn. At some distance high
hills arc seen, which are clothed with vineyards
and fruit trees.

The Piedmontese ere justly accused of a pro-
pensity to drunkenness, and of being scandalously
rapacious, which induces them to commit mur-
der in cold blood. It is strange, that, in so ac-
tive a government as that of Sardinia, no decisive
regulations should have taken place, sufKoient to
redress this evil. How Conspicuous does this
make the character of nations ! Among the inha-
bitants of Savov, under the same government,
the traveller is in perfect security ; while on the
plains of Piedmont, and in the very neighbour-
hood of the metropolis, a man may be murdered
at an inn, or on the high road.

Turin is one of the most beautiful and most
ancient cities of Europe. From history we learn
that Tanrasia was the chief city of the Ligurians,
and the Brst which Hannibal look after his passage
over the Alps, Some centuries afterward, under
the reigns of the Ctesars, the Romans sent «i
colony to this place; and gave it the name of
Augusta Taurinorum. The situation of Turiu
is uncommonly beautiful, and, as most travellers
have remarked, very much resembles that of
Dresden. Immediately facing the gate, whi<^
takes its name from the Po, there is a bridge
over the river, that neither corresponds with the
beauty of the vity ilor the>dignity of the stream.
The Po Street,' which leiids to this gate, is hand-
somely built. Th,e plan pf Turin is a noble one.
Tbc streets are in r)gbt lines, and thegajtesAi^d
the houaes are built .ia a good style »nd tastr;

TiP though

I 4

tr I

l::' i&

•j f :! i

I !

!tl.

■;■■» i

j :m

42i

STOLBF.RG'8 TRAVELS THROUGH

"»:i

though the street*, in proportion to the height I them, thny being destructive md easy of ear

of tliv houses, the Po Street and the New Street and ure therefore well adapted for the ba i

excrpted, are not sufiicieotl)' spacious. In the **— —••■•'■ *' — ' *--- '"'

Po street there are handsome and h^ftv arcades

are

on both sides of the way. The outside of the
castle is not very promising : but the apartments
are very magnificent. In the picture gallery are
several tine pa^ntiugs.

Between the castle and the principal church
the chapel of the holy handkerchief is built;
which relic the city believes itself to possess. The
chapel is entirely of black marble. The capitals
of the pillars, and the large silver candlesticks,
by which alone the building is lighted, arc gilded,
l^he entrance inspires holjr solenmitv. The sup-
posed genuine handkerchief, which is consider-

' ably large, is only publicly exhibited at the be-
ginning of a new reign, at the marriage of the
prince royal, or when any person of great rank
arrives at Turin and makes the request. Here is
a ihalire of extraordinary value, set with jewels,
eaid to be the richest in Italy : it is made in a good
taste.

The celebrated palace of the duke of Savoy,
the fa9ade of which is built with pillars of the
Corinthian order, stands near the castle, than
which it is a much finer building. Next to this
the palace of the prince of Carignan is the hand-
somest.

, The arsenal, which is still to be enlarged, is a
fine and uncommonly capacious building, in-
cluding five courts. The halls are supported by
heavy pillars, similar to those of gothic churches.
Hound each of these pillars a thousand musquets
are ranged in an ornamental manner. Pyramids
are erected between them, on which horse pistols
are piled with great elegance. In the midst of

. these halls is one of a large size and circular
form, the walls and pillars of which are orna-
mented with trophies of ancient armour, ranged
in military pomp. The arsenal contains arms for
^a hundred and twenty thousand men. The
. cvliodrical ramrod for artillery is not yet in use:
t^e ramrods here are all of iron. In an adjoining
chamber are a considerable number of small
light arms, which from being very wide at the
muzzio are called tromboni, as resembling a
trumpet. Tlie king has forbidden the use of

* Tho chaich was built in 1706, in consequence of a
vow to the holy virgin, made by Victor Amadeus II. when
the French was besieging Turin, to induco her to assist him

for which reason they have been all bouei,. j
They are capable of being loaded eiihcr j
balls or with -»-»-"«— -«•-* - •■ *"

or witii cartridge shot, with whiii,
scattering, they make dreadful havoc. Ti,.'
a cannon founderv, and likewise a chcmicar
burator^, annexed to the arsenal.

On the banks of the river, near the city, jhu
beautiful royal castle of Valentin, w|,ifi, ,3
king granted to his chamberlain in chici; as|
summer residence. The garden annexed to it I
applied to botanical studies.

Sluices are carried through the streets
cleanse them, by means of a canal, which rccciJ
its waters from the Dora. These sluices flo]
through drains into the Po, in consequence i
wliich ihe city is always clean. There ure nid
large squares here, among which that of!
Charles is the most spacious and beautiful;
buildings are handsome, and it has extemiil
arcades on each side.

Two short leagues from Turin is the heigiitJ
which the diurch called La Supcrba is buiL
and is one of the most beautiful places of Iti)i
This height overlooks the plains of all Piedmoi^
as far as the utmost limits of the Alps aiidAp
nines*.

There is a lar^ building annexed to the cbun
which is inhabited by twelve cinonN, who i
provided for as a part of the establishment.
whole has a striking appearance of grandeun
magnificence. The church is in the formofl
Grecian cross, that is, a cross the length
breadth of which are equal. It is omamentt
with a cupola, on the sides of which two :
towers are built. The royal sepulchral vault I
under the ehurch; in which the coffins aregru
and richly ornamented. A singular custoinl
here established, that the king who died lastiil
be buried in one particular grave, outofwhij
his predecessor is to be removed. The can
have an excellent library, which is particulii
rich in the writings of the fathers, and is v^
provided with classics and the works of modi
authors. Ttom the top of the cupola is
one of the sublimest spectacles in nature: t|
plains of Piedmont, the meanders of the Po, i

to raise the siege. This help was sent him in the pcnin|
the great Eugene, who led the imperial forces, andinll
of the prioce of Anhalt, who commanded the Prussia!.

vhol

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

425

AIp«,

L |j,l,iningcirc> of the snow-covered

U ilUr these a rang 3 of the Apennines.

f? Veneria is tUe principal country palace of

ii kiniTi >"^'' si^uB^^** about two leagues and

U|lf from Turin. The royal family always re-

un here fifty days in the spring of the year.

church is beautiful: the palace contains

some apartments, and the garden is very

"f but entirely laid out in the French taste.

'urin is very populous: the streets are full of

'nie, thougn the court, the greatest part of

iiobility, and many students and professional

to the number of three thousand, are ab-

sent. In winter the number of inhabitants is
estimated at nearly one hundred thousand.

Alessandria is a toler ible town in the Piedmont
district of Milan, which in 1703 was ceded at the
treaty of Turin by Austria to Savoy. It was built
toward the end of the twelfth century by the
citizens of Milan, Cremona, and Plucenza, as a
place of refuge against the emperor Frederic I.
The town Alessandria in 1178 was named after
Pope Alexander III. The town has a consider-
able trade, particular in cotton, silk, and th»
merchandize of the cast.

SECTION X.

viftorical Sketches of Genoa — Struggletifor Freedom— Ji « Contentions — Territories — Manufactured
\^?of\dation — Palaces — Hospital — Pavia, its City and Unirersitij — Citt/ of Milan, Cathedral,

-Hospital-
I Population and Institutions of Bologna — Particulars cuucerning the People and City of Bologna.

l^m&rMiVjn Library — Lodi — Placenza — Parma — heggio and Modena — The Bucket — Bdlogna-—

MlC cii.V of Genoa is of very high antiquity,
sod of very doubtful origin. The Italians

I it Genova. It was early allied to the Ro-
ins, and, in the second Punic war, was de-
Iroyed by Mago, the brother of Hannibal. An
jcient inscription proves that it afterwards be-
Licea Roman municipal city. When the Ostru-
loths overran the Roman empire this city fell
ider their jurisdiction, but was again recovered
fBelisarius, It was afterward laid waste by

• Saracens and Lombards. Charlemagne was

• last who took it; and he restored it to it» an-
itnt freedom. His son Pepin gave it to Adhe-

a Frenchman, with the title of Count; but

'Genoese shook of the yoke in the eleventh

otury, and appointed consuls. Even in these

iineg the city was surrounded with walls, and

vided into six parts, with a tribune over each

bvision. Quarrels soon took place among the

ptizens, who chose a foreigner to be their po-

sta, or chief magistrate; but, weary of this

key appointed a governor, and afterward elected

J Doge from the nobility and the citizens. They

[ere induced, however, by new disturbances, to

ut themselves under the power of Charles VI.

If France. In 1409 they broke the chains with

Ihich they had fettered themselves, put the

freocb garrison to death, and subjected them-

selves to the marquis of Montferrat. In four
years afterward they recovered their liberties,
and once more elected a doge: but they soon be-
came tributary to the duke of Milan; and ugain^
in 14.36 regained their freedom. In 14.58 they
once more subjected theniselves to the French;
and in three years the people asserted their forrnec
rights, and re-instituted the doge. They once
more offered theniselves to Lewis XI. who re-
plied that, if Genoa were his he would consiga
it to the devil. After this the city was torn by
intestine divisions, by the factions of the Guelphs
and Ghibelins, and by the contests between the
families of 'Adorno and Fregoso. The emperor
of Germany, the kings of France, and the dukes
of Milan governed it in turns; and it was on the
brink of destruction when the naval hero, An-
drea Doria, one of the greatest men Italy ever
produced, snatched it from the arms of France,
and once more restored it to its freedom. It was^
in his own choice to have been the monarch of
his country; but he nobly declined the sovereign
rule. In 1684 it was bombarded by the French>
and obtained peace only on the most humiliating
conditic ns.

It Wis our intention to have followed Count
Stolberg in his excellent account of the con-
stitution of Genoa; but as that republic no

Longer

,: ' 'S'

'£* vJt'l

i.'i

425

STOI.BEnC'S TnAVELS TMHOUCH

longer exists, it being united with ih6 French
empire, as nicntioned in the note, we forbear to
touch upon if, since it has undergone such alter-
ations as to the wis''otn of Napoleon seemed
meet*.

The territories of Genoa contain iiincty Ger-
man square miles, alh)\ving fifteen miles to a de-
gree; and its population is estimated at four hun-
dred thousand souls. The country is mountain-
ous and sterile, the people laborious and hardy.
Their grain is insudiciciit for their own con-
sumption; but this is amply compensated by
their vineyards and their orchards of excellent
fruits. The silk manufactory is so extensive that
the raw silk produced in their own territory is an
insufficient supply: they are therefore obliged to
purchase more from the Two Sicilies and Pied-
mont. The oil produced at the presses of St.
Remo is acknowledged to be the best in Europe.
From the multitude and beauty of its palaces
the city deserves, and has obtained the epithet of
I.a Superhn, or the magnificent. The streets,
which are kept clean with remarkable care, are
many of them uncommonly narrow; and as the
town is exceedingly populous, the throng is very
inconvenient. The houses are from five to six
stories high, and some of them even seven and
eight. The palaces are forty-four in number,
hmst of which are built in a noble style. Its
situation, on the shore of the Mediterranean, is
certainly one of the grandest and nu)st beautiful
in the world. The number of its inhabitahtsis
supposed to be eighty thousand.

The red palace of Brignole is a fine building,
well furnished with excellent paintings; among
which Christ driving the Money Changers and
and Sellers of Doves out of the Temple, and
Christ with the Tribute Money, are beautiful

♦ Under pretrnce that the Genoese were incapable of
protecting (hcmselvos from the dcprHatiuiis of the Uiirbary
powers, a treaty was concluded Oclober 'iOth, 1804, be-
tween the republic of Genoa and Salicetti, the French
ii'.'nister, upon the part and in the name of his government.
By this treaty Napoleon acquired possession of all the naval
means and resources of the republic. The arrangements,
however, made by the treaty were of a temporary nature;
for sereral circumstances seem to point out thatNapoleon
had determined to annex Genoa to the French empire.
The particular gcoi;raphical situation of the Genoese terri.
tories seems to have been a primary motiTe to this measure.
That republic, extending along the gulph to which it has
given name, was interposed between Piedmont and the Mc>
Siterranean ; aud as this' latter country had bcoa united to

and expressive. The pa1a«e of the doge {« m
but not to be compared with the palaces of
private persons. The pillars are daubed""'
with paint, and the marble is concealed T
whole building appears rather to nre(eni
grandeur than to possess it. FrontiiiP; the 3
case in the court are marble busts of Andre
John Andrea Doria, which are ill executed

The great hospital has been built bv ih
grandees of Genoa. Its marble pillars, its j, i
some staircase and avenue, and the. t^rputnc
the whole excite admiration. The sick of »■ J
nation and of every faith are here admitted m
the number of them in winter frequently ainou I
to sixteen hundred. The hospital is oinameinJ
with about seventy statues of persons wbohaJ
made donations; and the kind of rank wi|i(|
these statues maintain among each othrr is J
markable. Those who have bestowed tit'tv iboJ
sand livrcs of Genoa have each a marble busU
those of a hundred thousand have a whole lenrtj
statue; and those who have given a greater sj
are seated.

From (fcnoa the Count took the road to Pavi*
which was culled Ticnnum by the Roman
When it was the seat of the Lombard kings, it)
probable that, in proportion to the time!), it J
a more considerable city than it is at prrsenl
The number of its inhabitants is computed i
about thirty thousand. Pavia is noted fnr in
university, which was founded by Charlema?
The divines of this university are famous forthfi
rectitude, their zeal, and their talents.
number of students amounts to about twelve hiigl
dred. There are six different colleges, in wind
students are instructed gratis. The collegians iti
distinguished by the colour of their robe
an embroidered ornament, which they wearupol

France, the incorporation of Genoa became nccessarji)
oomplututho arrangement. As a niarli of pulley, it hi
buaii suggested, but with what truth we prett'iid not I
vouch, it was determined, that the proposal shun I J ori|;inil|
with the senate and the people of Genoa, and that NapnkM
should luem to accede to tlie general withes and entratii
of the rcpnblic. Accordingly the senate, after due delilit
ration, resolved that an address should be presented to .\'|J
poleon, praying that he would allow the republic uf Genoil
to bo permanently united to the French empire. TotM
address ho listened with attention and with i'avi)ur;<it
afterwards addrcsiod t' e doge and the deputies in a <|iocckJ
ill which he enlarged upon the iraportanco aud the neiMJli
of this union to the republic of Genoa. The auiicxalioutf
Genoa to France took place in the spring of 1805.

tbi

tlieright shoulder. The revenu*
irannuallvtwenty-fouMhousan(
I nd it possesses a very hne b
iTheair, which is not healthy th
IJ particularly unhealthy in Pa

The whole country between j
.,, one cDtire flat. Milan is a i
Lhifh was founded by the Gauls
Idred ycar» before the birth of Ch
Ichief place of the Insubri; am
Ipolvbius, was of a considerable t
lof Trajan it was numbt^red ainoi
Ititiesoftlie Romans, and in it t
|,t that time, flourished. Milan
lof many of the emperors after th
lenipire. About the middle of i
litffas laid waste by Attila. It w
L by Belisarius. It again fell i
Ihe barbarians in 53i). After C
Uriven the Lombards out of M
Ifovered its prosperity, under
iThe inhabitants rebelled agair
iFrederic I. and insulted the en
JKron an ass. and, placing her
mrd the tail, leading her tin
Frederic marched against them v
city was obliged to capitulate,

nperor took an indignant and

rthe insults that had been c
irifc. The inhabitants, with t

lehind their backs, were obligee

jr, with their teeth, from und(
js, and the city was laid in r
Ihe city was rebuilt, and soon rec
importance. The city is suppc
liindred and forty thousand
9190 (he people of Austrian M
liniounted to one million three
hoiiaand.

The cadiedral was built by G
^isconti : it is exceedingly larg
Peter's at Rome, and St. Paul

iteemed 'he largest in Europe,
k'ou enter is very grand, and tl
like many others, disfigured by
jTbe treasury of the church i:
kglue: the silver, gold, pearl

* The emperor totally demolished th<
[billy excepted; he gtiTe orders that it

' Vol. II. N'o'l^'kclX. '

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

4dt

I,., j-ht shoulder. The revenue of the iinivergity
I • nniiallv twenty-fouT thousand Dutch ducats;
I id it possesses a very fine botanical grardcn.
iTheair, whirh is not healthy throughout Milan,
[•particularly unhealthy in Pavia, especially in

The whole country between Pavia and Milan
one entire flat. Milan is a very ancient city,
["lijfh was founded by the Gauls about four hun-
llred yea" before the birth of Christ. It was the
|hiefW« of the Insubri; and, in the time of
Ipolvbius, was of a considerable size. In the age
Lf i'rajaii it was numbered among the municipal
Ititiesol'tlie Romans, and in it the sciences, even
III that time, flourished. Milan became the seat
[of many of the emperors after the division of the
[empire. About the middle of the fifth century
[itffaa laid waste by Attila. It was again recover-
ledbvBelisaiius. It again fell into the hands of
Lg barbarians in 539. After Charlemagne had
Idtiven the Lombards out of Milan, the city re-
leovered its prosperity, under the archbishops.
[ihe inhabitants rebelled against the emperor
■Frederic I. and insulted the empress, by tying
heron an ass. and, placing her with her face to-
mrd the tail, leading her through the city.
JFrederic marched against them with an army, the
[jtywas obliged to capitulate, and the enraged
inperor took an indignant and terrible revenge
irthe insults that had been committed on his
irife. The inhabitants, with their hands tied
lehind their backs, were obliged each to take a
f, with their teeth, from under the tail of an
j8, and the city was laid in ruins*. In 1171
Ihe city was rebuilt, and soon recovered its former
Importance. The city is supposed to contain a
liindred and forty thousand inhabitants. In
9790 the people of Austrian Milan and Mantua
liniounted to one million three hundred and ten
Iboiisand.
The cathedral was built by Giovanni Galeazzo
^isconti: it is exceedingly large; and, after St.
Peter's at Rome, and St. Paul's at London, is
iiteemed 'he largest in Europe. The aspect as
bu enter is very grand, and the church is not,
like many others, disfigured by falac ornaments.
[The treasury of the church ia of inestimable
walue: the silver, gold, pearls, and < precious

* The emperor totally demolished the city, three churclicR
bly excepted; he AtiTe orders that it should be burnt to

Vol. II. N*© !kci3i. '

stones which it contains, are supposed to render it
the richest in Italy, that of Loretto e\cepted.

The library of St. Ambrosio was founded by
Charles Fredeiric Borromeo, archbishop of
Milan, and nephew to the great Carlo Borromeo.
The number of books is very great. Here are
above fourteen thousand manuscripts, and about
forty thousa-id volumes of authors in print.
The manuscripts, which constitute the richest
part, are kept in an apartment by themselves;
and among them is a Latin version of Joseph us, .
which is said to be thirteen hundred years old.
The books are kept in a spacious gallery, which
has windows only on the top at both sides, and
which is yet very liglit. By this method much
room is gained. The library is open four hours
every day, for the use of the public. It is like-
wise decorated with many noble pictures. In a
hall of the library plaister casts are kept of the
principal statues of the ancients.

The seminary, the Helvetian college, the large
hospital, the archiepiscopal palace, and the duke's
palace are worthy the attention of travellers.

Lodi is not the ancient Laus Pompeia, which
ovred its foundation to the Gauls, and to whicln
the father of Poinpey led a Roman colony, for
that town was destroyed by the people of Milan
in the twelfth century. When Frederic Bar-
barossa had razed Milan to the ground he built
the present Lodi on the Adda, with a fortress
upon a height, which in itself is srarcely visible,
though the most commaiiding in these level
plains. The town is well built. Buscliiiig tells
us that, in IT73, it contained above sixteen th<»u-
sand inhabitants. It is situatc^d about half a
mile from the ancient town, which is now called
Lodi Vecchia. It is at Lodi and in the neigh-
bouring country, which is called after it, that
the celebrated cheese is made, wi ich has un-
justly obtaiiied the name of Parmesan. The
country between Milan and Lodi is every where
one continued level. The horned cattle are
generally of a dark red colour; the sheep are
large, entirely white, and with hanging ears;
the swine arc all black.

The town of Placentia (now Placoiiza) was
founded and a colony sent to it, in the your bi^9
of the Roman ana, under the consulship of P.

the ground, likowiso that it should be plotighcd up, aod
the laud be sowed with salt. . ,

.5Q

Cornelius

!(.. I

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I ' • 'i .'3

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■♦''

428

STOLITERG'S TRAVEt.S THTIOUGH

Cornelius Scipio and Tiberius Semproilius Longus.
It was burnt during the second Punic war by
the Carthaginians, and rebuilt by the Romatis.
In the tioae of Cicero it was a municipal city.
Placenza, as a city, is not so beautiful as its
situation would promise, when viewed from the
Milan side of the Po : it rather appears in a
state of decay.

The country of the duchies of Parma and
Placenza is not quite so flat as that of Milan.
The fertile lands appeared to be well cultivated.
The roads, howevsr, are never safe by night.
The city of Parma is very ancient: it was fouiuled
by the Etrurians, and was afterwards in the
possession of the Gauls. A Roman colony was
tent to this place a hundred and eighty-four
years before the birth of Christ. Parma was the
native place of Cassius, the brother-in-law and
friend of the great Marcus Brutus, and the first
who joined him in the conspiracy. This city
contains about forty thousand inhabitants.

Reggio was founded by the Romans in the
year of Rome 565. The father of Marcus
Brutus was murdered here, because of the hatred
^ornc him by the father of Pompey. The town
is not well built, but contains about seventeen
thousand inhabitants. It is the chief place of the
duchy of Reggio which is united t& the duchy of
Modena. The whole country between Parma
and Modena is well cultivated. The fields are
separated from each other by rows of large trees,
round each of which a vine plant clings.

Modena is a handsome city. The chief streets
are spacious and iu a right line. The houses are
beautiful, and so flat roofed that the ruofs can-
not be perceived from the streets. Lofty arcades
projecting from the houses give the town a noble
appearance, and afford the foot passenger a dry
as well as a shady walk. The population of the
city is about twenty thousand, and of the two
duchies of Modena and Re^iu »aken together
three hundred thousand. In the cathedral the
bucket is kept which the people of Modena took
from the people of Bologna, and carried with
them as a proof of their victory.

Not far from the city of Modena there was
formerly a ferry over the Panaro; at present
there is a magnificent bridge. The Panaro se-
parates the territories of Modena from those of
Bologna. From Modena to Bologna both sides
of thjB road are planted with large mulberry trees.

Trail
building,]

The fields are Separated from each other inriai
lines by elm trees. The land is fruitful- aS
immediately round Bologna, we met witli'nuni
well cultivated kitchen gardens. In tlijg mjiJ
climate the vegetables of summer and of autunm
are seen iu great plenty ripening at the sa»a
time. The city of Bologna is pleasantly situay
on the river Rene. It is a very ancient place
In the times of the original Etrurian iuliabitanW
its name was Felsina, and it was the chief pl^f
of the Etrurian confederacy. Theodosiu *
younger founded the university that ig 1,^^^
Bologna coins its own money, on which the
word Libertas is impressed. The city ofl
Bologna is supposed to contain seventy thousand
inhabitants; and, nexttoRnm«>, is the principal
of the states' of the church. <

The grand institution for the encoiiragemcnti
of the sciences and the fine arts, which
founded in li?3, is an enornu
which contains above forty apartments, withj
many halls under them, and a provision for the
support of the arts and sciences, rich beyond al"
that I have ever seen, says the Count, 'fhi
cabinet of natural history is not only amply prJ
vided with the wealth of nature, in every division!
of her three kingdoms, but the specimens are
peculiarly fine, especially the fossils.

The library contains above a hundred am
twenty thousand volumes, not including the nu-
merous and valuable manuscripts, which 611 ai
entire apartment. Besides which those apart'
ments that are dedicated to study are furnishedl
with a library for each cience. The hall of^
anatomy is large, and well supplied witii al
parts of the human body, which arc admirabljl
imitated in wax. The large and valtiable coH
lection of philosophical instruments wliirh b^j
longed to the late lord Cowper was purchased
1790 by some private citizens of Bologna, ai4|
presented to the institution.

Next to Rome there is no city in the world m|
rich in excellent paintings as Bologna. Here we
find noble specimens of all the great artists ol
Europei and the master pieces of those painten
who formed themselves in this school. Of aboul
two hundred and fifly churches, there are few]
which do not contain some of the works of tbesej
great artists, and many are full of them.

There are two small square towers in the citjJ
M^hich are named after |)ie opMemeo at whose
' ' •■"■^ ^ ■•" expend

GKRMy

^nee they were biiilt, Asine
Kght of the first is thi
^JIx kri, and that o
Biriseodi a hundred and thu

Idsso obliquely that the top
perpendicular. Tlie peo]
iJo this a wonderful effort
Jioiiffh probably it is nothing m
Lweofthe sinking of the gr(

mncc; Us Picture Gallert
Senevoknt Societies— Pisn;
its Cathedral and Library—
^fSunta Maria Maggiore—

1 ^f Modern Fome—Descripti

1HE city of Florence, wh

its freedom was one of the

-jirope, does not now contain n

|iur thousand inhabitants. Its

ibeautifiil; and its four large

ind appearance; but it is n

jeets are narrow and crooked.

iliery contains pictures of tht

lut they are not their best pei

Wter provided with ancient st

jins the finest productions of

lall abounds with statufs of m

nperors and empresses, the f

.Hedicis, an Apollo, the R

irrestlers, and the dancing f:

lead of Alexander dying is oft

[The museum of the Gram

ample and* remarkable collcct!<

kiiijtdoms of nature. The an

nons, in wax, are executed w

pf deception. Here are a vast

lens of birds, which are equa

fld in all their natural attitud

Jmirably rich in insects and

nineralogical collection is e)

The new palace of the gran

Palazzo Pitti, from its former

in appearance without, and n

|It is most remarkable for iti

|)ictures.

The church of 8t. Lawrenc

GFRWANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

4'29

nenee they were built, Asinelli and Garisendi
ffijjight of the first is three

and that of

hundred and
the town of

lentv-*"^ fe*^i

Biriseudi a hundred and thirty. The latter

iindsso obliquely that the top is nine feet from

perpendicular. Tlie people of Bologna
jjeii) this a wonderful effort of architecture,

ii;h probably it is nothing more than a conse-

iffi of the sinking of the ground*

llioiig .
Iiueoceofthe

Here, as in many parts of Italy, the men wear
cloaks; and the women, as in Moflena, have
them of black sattin. At a distance from several
of the gates arcades are biiiif, as walks. Tiie
young gentlemen exhibit themselves frequently
in this city as so manv Phaetons, in their high
carriages; in which they drive standing, and
have servants behind.

SECTION XI.

!omcc; Us Picture Gallertf, Statues, Museum, Palaces, Paintings, Churches, Library, and

benevolent Societies—- Pisa; its mild Air, Tower, Cathedral, Houses, and Exchange — Sienna,'

its Cathedral and Library — Rome — Thermo; of Dioclesian — Fontana del Aqua Fetice — Church

of Santa Maria Maggiore — Triumphal Arches of Constantine and Titus — Manners of the People

\ ^f Modern Pome — Description of St. Peter's Church.

^HE city of Florence, which in the time of

its freedom was one of the most populous in

urope, does not now contain more than seventy-

\m thousand inhabitants. Its site on the Arno

ibeautifiii; and its four large brfdges give it a

ind appearance; but it is not well built: the

Ireets are narrow and crooked. The Florentine

illery contains pictures of the greatest masters,

but they are not their best performances. It is

letter provided with ancient statues ; for it con-

u'ns the finest productions of antiquity. The

^illabouiKls with statui's of many of the ancient

nperors and empresses, the famous Venus de

ifedicis, an Apollo, the Roman slave, the

irrestlers, and the dancing fauns. A colossal

ktad ot Alexander dying is of the highest beauty.

The nuiseiim of the Grand Duke is a very

kmple and* remarkable collection from the three

|iiij>:doins of nature. The anatomical prepara-

liflns, in wax, are executed with great powers

\tf deception. Here are a vast number of speci-

ens of birds, which are equally well preserved,

tad in all their natural attitudes. It is likewise

dmirably rich in inserts and shells; and their

nineralogical collection is exceedingly ample.

The new palace of the grand duke, called the

Palazzo Pitti, from its former possessor, is noble

in appearance without, and magnificent within.

|It is most remarkable for its tine collection of

pictures.

The church of St. Lawrence is famous for be-

ing the burying place of the family of the Me-
dici. There is a fine library belonging to this
church, the books of which are all chained to the
tables, but may ]}e reached with convenience.
The number of books does not appear to be con-
siderable, but it con'.ains some choice manu-
scripts.

Here is a noble institution, which does honour
to Florence, and which originated in the age of
liberty. A community, which is called La
Societa della Misericordia, which consists of all
ranks of people, make it their duty to afford aid
to the poor and helpless of the city. After en-
quiring into the diseases of the sick, they either
take thizui to an excellent hospital or into their
own houses. Any person, meeting with an ex-
traordinary misfortune, may depend upon re-
ceiving succour from this community. When
the society assemble, or when any sudden acci-
dent calls a number of them together, they ap-
pear in masks: partly from prudence, to conceal
themselves, and partly not to put the poorep
membersof the society tr the blush, bv the differ-
ence of dress in the more wealthy. Thev afford
their aid, when necessary, unasked. When a
distressed person meets with any accident, though
he have never belonged to the society, he is made
welcome. Similar societies, which are called
coi\fraternita, are common in the to>vns of Italy.

Pisa is well deserving of notice, and is remark-
able for the fine air it enjoys. The toad is plea-

B&Dt»

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430

STOLBERG'S TRAVFLS THROUGH

Bant, and sonietlmes leads by the bunks of the
Arno. The land is cultivated with extreme rare,
und planted with nuincroiis olive and mulberry
trees. Pisa must have been built some centuries
before the destruction of Trov. It became one
of the principal cities of the Etrurians. On the
decline of the Roman empire, it obtained its
freedom; which contributed, with its situation
on the Arno, to raise it to abigh degree of power
and rule. The people of Pisa took the islands of
Sardinia and Corsica from the Saracens, the town
of Palermo in Sicily, and likewise of Carthago.
It greatly aided the crusaders, and theins«'lve8
raised the siege of Alexandria in Egypt. After-
wards its liberties received a most deadly wound
in the war it waged with Genoa. In this war
Pisa lost twelve thousand men, forty-nine gallies,
its haveiij Porto Pisano, and the navigation of
the Arno. From this time the commerce of Pisa
greatly declined. After the last struggle to re-
cover its liberty, Pisa declined so fast, that from
a hundred and fifty thousand, its inhabitants were
reduced to about Hfteen thousand.

The famous tower of Pisa, which is swayed
fifteen feet from its centre, has a noble appear-
ance: it is the belfry of the cathedral. In this
church is the famous Campo Santo, which con-
sists of a spacious corridore within a court, the
figu e of which is an oblong square.

The houses of the city are ancient; the streets,
however, are wide; and, on one quay, there are
some noble palaces. The exchange consists of
very handsome nigh arcades, built with stone,
which on festival days are illuminated.

Sienna lies high among (be Apennines, between
hills that are planted with olive trees. This town
is indebted for its cool summers to the height of
its situation; but its winters are often severe; at
least they are thought so by the Italians. Its cir-
cumference is computed to be a German mile, yet
the number of its inhabitants is only seventeen
thousand. It formerly contained a hundred thou-
sand people. The cathedral is an excellent
gothic building, of white and red marble. The
front is perfectly gothic, and covered with nume-
rous carved images. The pavement within the
church is of great beauty: it represents stories
from holy writ, in mosaic work; and ia covered
with boards, which are rem(«ved when strangers
come to visit the church. Here is what is called
(he library; but ia which the onl; books now

iiniiiia; fol

remaining are about Hiirty large folio yohniH
church music, which have belonged tether tl
dral more than three hundred years. Xh
decorated with finely illuminately figures nJ^
by a monk. ' *

The entrance into the city of Rome is thrn
La Porta del Popola, and is very grand 'fhJ
gale is likewise is called Porta Flan
here the Flamiiiian wav began.

The ThermsB of Dioclesian are in Ihisctl
The wood Therma; ma^ be easily misnnderstoLf
it iiiav he supposed to mean nothing more (i. ]
warm baths; but the baths were nrorKii,. J
more than accessory. 1 he chiet purpose of wU
was called the Thermse was to form a njaco fw
the exercise both of body and mind. Tlit nlai
and its execution exceed all expression. Hereid
one row of buildings, all in harmony vvitheacH
other, there were four half circular halls; wiy
were intended, two for philosophers, one
poets, and another for orators. A Greek and!
Latin Libsary, a building for boys to play,]
ball in, the warm baths, three spacious on
places, one for wrestlers, one for tlu: canting i
the discus, the third for throwing the lance, a
a large bath for swimmers. At the two com
were two round temples. One of these templa
which constituted but a small part of the wJioM
is now become the church of the Bernardin
The whole wall is ancient. The place whid
was destined fo.r the wrestlers is now becomei
Carthusian church, built in the form of aGrei
cross. The large bath for swimmers is dried u
and is now the garden of the Carthusians. Th
Bernardiiie cloister, many large granaries of i
Pope, and a great laundry, take up the r^
mainder of the place which was fornieclj
apart for these buildings.

Near these Thermas is the beautiful Foiitaiu
del Aqua Felice; so called after Sixliis tb
Fifth, whose proper name was Felix.
pope restored tlie ancient aqueducts, and \\ib-i
wise the fountain of Aqua Julia, that waserecU|
by Agrippa.

The church of Santa Maria Maggiore m
built in the middle of the fourth century, inmi
the pontificate of Pope Liberius, on the ruiiuolj
the temple of Juiio Lucina. Within it was enJ
tirely of the form of the ancient basilica, otl
court of justice; a form which was cliosenbjl
the Christians for two rcaions : first, because off

theif^

GERMANY. SWlTgERLAKP, tTALY, AND STCILV.

4dl

fheiV dislike to the Pagan temples; and, secondly,

Lcause the forna of the basilic best corresponded

ith the church service, and the liturgy of those

' Mot far from the Colosseum are the ruins of a
(einple> which was dedicated to Phoebus and
Diana.' It rested on two semi rotunda, the back
parts of which touch each other.

The triumphal arch of Constantine is in good
preservation; and, for the most part, it is em-
yt'iihei with statues and bassi relievi of ancient
times. Over the triumphal arch there is the
jvure of the hero, as a conqueror, in bronze,
in a chariot with four horses.

The triumphal arch of Titus is much cele-
brated. Here are seen the river Jordan, one of
{he seven-branched candlesticks of the temple,
tnd stable with the shew-bread, carried in tri-
umph. In the hollow of the arch above is the
ipotbeosis of Titus. The Jews to 4his day do
got pass through the arch, but on one side.

On the right of the triumphal arch of Tiius
ire the ruins of the Temple of Peace, which ap-
pears to be the largest of those that were erected
by the Romans.
The education of the daughters of the nobility
J modern Rome is wretched. Indeed, from tlie
ediu ation of the women, domestic virtues,
with them the domestic happiness of the
ranks, are injured; and the poison of
m vices sheds itself among their inferiors;
passions, without this concomitant, are
iolent to excess. It is dreadful to hear, that,
Rome, the population of which is estimated
a hundred and sixty-eight thousand persons,
icre are annually about live hundred people
lurdered I do not believe, says Count Stolberg,
lat, in all Germany, lifty men perish by murder
itbin the same period. The people of Rome
annot he j ustly accused of robbery. A stranger
DO where safer, but is more frequently plunder-
in most of the great cities of Europe. The
Oman stabs his enemy, but does not rob.
Dger is his stimulus; and this anger frequently
lins;er« (or months, and sometiioea for years, till
finda an opportunity for revenge. The pas-
ioat of the people of Rome are frequently
[oused, by playing at mora, though the law

i • Thii tiotsount was written by Count Stolbei^ on the
(dof Jiiiumry, 1709 ; and these matters still continue tho

Vol. II. No. C.

severely prohibits this game; and, if they are
disappointed at the uioment of their revenge,
they wait for a future occasion. Jealousy is
another common cause of murder : it being with
them an imaginary duty to revenge the seducer
of their wife, their daughter, or their sister, on
the seducer. The catholic religion, ill un-
derstood, encourages the practice: the people
being persuaded, that, by the performance of
trifling ceremonies, and inflicting of penance,
they can wash away the guilt of blood.

All the assiduity of the present Pope**^ is not
suflicient to reform the police; the faults of
which originate in the constitution of Rome.
Many churches afford a sanctuary to the pursued
culprit. Foreign ambassadors likewise yield
protection; which extends not only to their
palaces, but to whole quarters of the city, into
which the officers of justice dare not pursue
offenders. The ambassadors, it is true, are
obliged to maintain a guard; but who is igno-
rant of the mischief arisii^ from complicated
jurisdiction? Many cardinals seek to derive
honour by affording protection to pursued cri-
minals. Could we find all these abuses collected
in any other great city, many men would be
murdered, though not so many as in Rome ; but
robbery would be dreadfully increased, vi^hich is
here unknown.

A sense of the ancient grandeur of Rome is
not yet quite lost to the people. When the
Queen of Naples was last here, and at the theatre,
she was received with great applause. Self-for-
bearance induced her to make signs to the people
to cease their loud clapping, a|id their shouts of
welcunte. The people took this very ill; and,
the next day, a person of my acquaintance, says
the Count, heard one orange woman say to
another, " Did you hear how the foreign queen
despised our people last night? ^e must surely
have forgotten tliat man^ queens, before now>
have been brought in chams to Rome."

To enter into a particular description of the
various antiquities, remains of amphitheatres, &c,
within the city of Rome, would naturally lead
us into a detail of ancient history, which our
limits w uld not admit; we shall therefwe eoa-
clude our account of this celebrated city with a

aante. What effect tke govemmant of tbe asw king of
Italy may bave vpoa these practices we preanme not to lay.

5 R description

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43i^

STOLBERG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

description of St. Peter's church, which we are
the rather inclined to, hecaiise Qf its mag-
nificence, and bccaiHe the Cpiint scenw to
have passi'd it over, almost in silence, from other
authentic documents.

The far-famed ciuircU of St. Poter is sitnatinl
on the west side of the river in>Trrt><(iv<'re, and is
greati}' admired, both for its dimensions ami its
architecture. That the read«!r may liave a good
idea of the building, we need only to mention,
that St. Paul's Cathedral at London is built after
the same model. The length of the outside of
St. Peter's, including the portico, is seven hun-
dred and twenty-two Eiigli.sh feet. The length
within, not taking the portico, or the thickness
of the walls, is five hundred and ninety-four feet.
The breadth of ii from the north side of the cross
to the south side, or from the north to the south
door, on the outside, ^s four hundred and ninety
feet. The breadth, from the north to U>e south
door within is four hundred and thirty-eight feet.
The breadth of the body of the church is eighty-
six feel eight inches. The height of the body of
the church is an hundred ami forty-four feet.
The outward circumference of the dome or
cupola is six hundred and twenty feet. The
circumference of the dome within is four hun-
dred aud forty-nine feet ten inches. The breadth
of the front of the church is four hundred feet.
The height from the pavement to tlic top cf the
cross which is over the ball is four hundred and
thirty two feet. The circumference of the ball
is twenty- four feet si;£ inches. The height of
the statues which are on the cornice of the front
is eighteen feet. The body of the church, as
well as the cupola, is sustained by large square
pillars, jike those in St. Paul's, but have the ad-
vantage of being incrustated or overlaid with
jnarblc, as well as the walls, which is however
so tarnished by the smoke of the lamps and
candles that the plain stone in St. Paul's looks
full as well. .The great altar is directly under
. the cupola, being a kind of pavilion supported
by four wreathed brazen pillars, adorned with
foliages, and strewed wilh bees, which are the
arms pf Pope Urban VIII. Over every column
of the altar is an angel, brass gilt, seventeen tieet
high, with the figures of children playing and
walking on the cornice, the height of the whole
being ninety feet; and about the altar are an

hundred silver lamps perpetuaUy burning, Tr
inside of the cupola is ornamented with ^^
work, representing Paradise, the Eterniij Pat|''°
and many other figures; and in the corners bei'"'
are the four Evangelists of the same kind ""J
work, admirably well executed. On the ins j
of the four square pillars which Bnpport ji,!
ciipola are erected gigantic statues of St, Veron'
00, St. Helena, St. Longinus, and St. Andrew"
and under the pedestal of each statue is an aU 'l
with a beautiful picture of each saint. Thri
statues and pictures are placed here in renrdtt
certain relics which arc kept in the vestries be
longing to these altars or chapels, as thcyai^l
called; as, first, the handkerchief, which, aj; J
cording to tradition^ St. Veronica lont our^
Saviour as he was carrying his cross to IVIoup
Calvary, and still retains the print of his face*
2. A piece of the real cross of Christ. 3. 'rh»l
top of the lance wherewith Longinus pierced oi>
Saviour's side, sent as a present by Bujazet, cnv,
peror of the Tui'ks, to Pope Innocent VlJl]
And, 4. The Head of St. Andrew. Under thj
high altar there i»a stair case which leads (otJiJ
chapel where, it is said, part of St. Peter's bodJ
is kept, and to the other holy places in thd
vaults of this church. An old wo. den cbairi
supposed to be St. Peter's, enclosed in brass, anil
supported by four doctors of the Roman churcy
whose Colossean statues are of brass gilt, is Do(i
one oi the least ornaments of St. Peter's; th/
chair, with all its furniture, having cost sever
thousand five hundred and fifty Roman crown^
The riches and beauty of the chapels and altan
round the walls of this church can never be ei>l
pressed : the gilding, carving, embossed workj
statues of brass of marble, are all disposed bv sol
wise and happy a contrivance, that the aliunJ
dance does not cause the least confusion. Amonfl
other admirable pieces, the Dead Christ, offl
alabaster, by Michael Angelo, is said to be ai
stupendous work ; the two wreathed pillars off
alabaster brought from Jerusalem by Helen, tbtl
mother of Constantine, and erected at a sidiT
>.Uar, are much admired; tlie altar-piece re>|
presenting St. Michael, in mosaic work, sbewil
such a vivacity of colours and exact proportion
of all the parts and lineaments of the body,
it passes for a wonder of its kind ; the Martyrdom
of St. Sebastian, the Visitation of the BIcsm

* Que of these hatji^korchicff is kept at Jurio : which is the right one we shall not attempt to determine.

Virgi*

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITAr.Y, AND STriLY.

43S

f .ffiir, the Crucifixion of St. Peter, the fall of
Jlon Mfta"*' and a thousand other historical
I >cs are exq-uisite performances. There are
rL a great nmnhfcr of tombs of popes, cardinals,
I'd othor persons of distinrtion; paiticularly
1*1 g of the emperor Otho II. Charlotte, queen
1 ficriisalein ; and of Adrian IV. the only English

["one. I'h® ^"^"^^ ^^ ^^' ^^*^'' serves for an altar
11' 'jy mass on. The tombs of Urban VIII.
In ,1 [[[. Alexander III. the countess Matilda,
Iwhocave her estate to the church, are works of
L finished beauty and magnificence: nor does the
llomb of Christina, queen of Sweden, who volun-
Larily iibiindoned the glories of a crown for a re-
lligious retirement, fall short of the rest. The
lii«i(lc of St. Peter's is adorned with above a hun-
Lf^d columns of the finest, and for the most
Ejrt, antique marble, with some of brass. Here
lire also an inBnite number of excellent paintings,
Ihe master-pieces of the most celebrated pencils;
■ith several other curiosities of art and nature,
Hbichcan never be too much admired or applaud-
ed for their magniticence. The sacristy of this
Iburch, and that of the Pope's, contain also a
ut variety of sacred utensils in gold and silver
jiriched with precious stones, as crosses, shrines,
litlices, pontifical tiara's, mitres, priestly habits,
4nd ornaments that are inestimable. If we look
Lpon the building only, exclusive of its rich
naterials and furniture, the church of St. Paul
I London, is very little inferior to that of St.
peter. Some think St. Paul's is to be preferred
it, since the latter is not encumbered with
lapelson the sides, as that of St. Peter's is,
irhich greatly obscure the prospect of the

building. That <fpacious court in the front of
St. Peter's indeed, surrounded by a piazza of
two hundred and eighty-six fine marble columns^
adorned with a prodigious number of statues^
gives it some advantage over that of St. Paul's.
Here are two fine fountains playing in the middle
of the area, which are no small addition to the
beauty of it: from whence is an ascent to a lofty
portico before the church by twenty-four steps,
and from this porch the church is entered by five
doors, one of which, called the Porta Sancta, is
opened only in the Jubilee year. The porch in
the front is eighty-five feet nigh, and supported
by pillars three fathoms in circumference, the
vaulted roof gilded and beautified with stucco
work, and on the architrave is the following in-
scription: " In honorem principis Apostolorum
Paul us Quintus Burghesius Rnmanus, Summus
Pontifex Anno 1612." Over the porch are the
statues of our Saviour and the tvrelve apostles,
and in a balcony here the popes are crowned, in
the view of all the people. The two principal
doors of the church are above forty feet high
and covered with brass, on which are represented
our Saviour, the Virgin Mary, the crucifixion
of St. Peter, the decollation of St. Paul, the
coronation of the emperor Sigisraund by Eur
genius IV. and tlie re-union of the Greek and
Roman churches. The building of this church
was began by Pope Julius II. from a plan laid
down by the famous architect Bramantc Lazari,
and continued by Michael Angelo, under the
pontificate of Paul III. nor was it finished till
the time of Pope Paul V. so that it was an hun^
dred years in completing.

'4;

!■'•' M,

:|iM, :::/:[ IP

. . i. ft

; Hi

ii^r^

.l-^f i

SECTION XII

fomdcgli ScTiiavt—^queducts — Fountains — JMuseum of the Capitol— Pyramid of Cestius — Visit
to La Riccia — Mbano — The Church of Lateran — The Obelisks of Rome — The Pantheon, its An'
tiquitks, Grandeur, and Beauties-— Pillars — The Muscmn Pium Clementinum — The Palazzo

I Borghese.

■'1.1

BOUT half a league from Porta Mawgiore,

(formerly called Prenestina, also Labicana,)

I the east side of the city, there is an ancient

JDund half fallen building; which appears to hav«

en erected about the second or third century

[fter the birth of Christ, and to have been called

but for what reason does not appear) Torre

degli Schiavi; t*. e. the Tower of Slaves. This
structure is a sepulchre. The cupula is very fliit,
and covered with grass and brambles. Some re-
mains of a wall denote an enclosed place, that
formerly stood facing the sepulchre. Perhaps
combats of glftdiators were given here in honour
of the persons ivhom they interred.

Nothing

it \

.■\ .\--iV

illi

*3<l

STOLBKRO'S TRAVELS THROUGH

Nolliing attracts the notice of the traveller
more forcibly than the long roiv of erand aque-
ducts, ^hich formerly <were extended far beyond
Tibur, the present Tivoli, to this place, and by
^hich \;'uter was brought to the city. The
beautiful ari \de8 of the lofty xvaW, over which
the waier ran, rise high in the air. The work
was begun by Claudius and finished by Nero. Six
aqueducts met together at the Porta Prenestina:
of them was subterranean, and proceeded

one

from the river Anio, now the Teverooc. The
greatness of the work of the aqueducts, of which
there were several, was very astonishing, because
the Romans, probably to prevent the too quick
course of the water, did not build them in a con-
tinued right line, but frequently with large
windings. Time, and still more effectually per-
haps the barbarians that have successively taken
and ruiaed Rome, has rendered these aqueducts
Vseless, except the three which still remain, and
which three continue to supply several of the
fountains that adorn the city, and afford its inha-
bitants water.

In the large place called Navooa, which oc-
cupies the space where the Circus of Alexander
Severiis formerly stood, there are three fountains.
That in the middle is large. On a rock, which
is perforated on four sides, the emblems of the
four principal ri\ ^rs of the world are lying: the

god of the Danube as a giant; the Nile, with
is head covered, in allusion to the unknown
sources of the stream; the Ganges; and the Rio
dc la Plata. Vast streams pour from their urns
into the lar^ bason, 'and supply the pipes of
other fountains.

The Fontana de Paolo gushes through three

* The history of wiucli is u follow: In tha time of the
«Gcond Punic War, the Romans were terrified, by a passage
in thr Sybilline books, which said that their foreign enemiei
could not be driven back, nor overcome, till the Idean
Mother, that is Cybde, the mother of the gods, should be
brought from Pessiaus to Rom£. The senate sent to Atta.
Ins, king of Pergamus, hoping to obtain the goddess
tbrousk his means. The amltassjidors, on their journey,
consulted the oracle of Delphi, which foretold them a fa.
▼ourable reception from AtfaUus ; bat advised then, when
thoy should have brought the godpieM to Rome, to plaoe
her in the house of the best man jn the city. Attalui re-,
ceived the amb<usadors in a friendly manner, coaducted
them to Pessinus in Phrygia, (Liv. nix. 10, 11.) and pre.
•ented them with a koly stone, which the inhaUtaats ciUled
the Mother of the Gods. Valerius, one of their train,
was sent bjr the afnbaNadors with the iBteUlgei^s ti^t the

wide outlets, near the (hurch of Pietro in M I
torio, on the hill Janiculus. This fountain"*!
the most copious in Rome. . It is provided wlikl
water by the aqueduct v»hich Augustus builij
By command of Pope Paul V. it was reiiaiJl
and embellished.

The Museum of the Capitol contains one ofl
the richest and Bnest collections of antiques th tl
have been formed. The palace, in which t|! 1
master-pieces of art are contained, is one of th I
three buildings of which the modern Capitoll
consists. There is a gallery round the court I
which is walled without, and within is support!!
ed by pillars, and in which there are many reJ
niaricable antiques. To enter into a descriptioJ
of the immense quantity of antiques wliich ard
here preserved in six large apartments and a looi
gallery, would far exceed our limits. We sliall
however, describe only the more remarkablel
There is a gallery round the court, which ijl
walled without, and supported by pillars within, j/
which there are many remarkable antiques. Hen
are two large Egyptian statues of the godde
Isis, which merit attention on accouut of thei
great antiquity. Here is also an ancient KoiniJ
altar, in whiob Claudia is represented in ba
relievo, drawing the ship containing the Cvbeli
with her girdle*. Claudia is represented onthj
altar in the act of drawing the ship in which I
statue of Cybele is seated. On one side of tht
altar is a Phrygian bonnet, and on the other ^
shepherd's crook, and a crotalum. The shejy
herd's crook is indubitably a symbol of At}$, i1m|
shepher<l^ beloved by the goddess.

. "The pyramid of Cestius, who lived in Ibi
time of ' Augustus, may give us an idea, iij

goddess was coming ; and requesting them to seek theli
man of the city to receive her. The senate were not s lii
embarrassed by the message of Valerius. How were tbq
to discover the best man in the city ? This would hare I
a victory, said Livy, which they would each indiiiduil
have prized beyond all the honours and dignities that tl
senate or the people could bestow. Publius Sclpio Km
» kbisman of the first Scipio Afrioaaas, was adjud!;e<i tab
the best of the Romans. He was still a youth when he oi
commissioned to go, with the principal women of the citi
to Ostia, at the month of the i^ifber, and receive the goi
dels. The ship haviag struck op tha sands, from Miki^
it could not be relesMied, Claiid|ist as p idifferent hiktori
relates, took her girdle, tied it to a rope which was fista
to the shipt and drew the vessel to the land. By thii nlii
elfi she vindiMted hor ehastity, vkkli had before, ma
tolivy, be^^i^hte4.

miniatuit

f n'8 fountain i|l

" provided wHh|

Augmtui built I

■ »t I'as repaitedl

I eontaiflsoneofl
of antique, (h J

». >n which thel
«i. w one of ihj

modern CapitoJ
ound the court,!
rithin is support J
pre are mauvrel
into a descriptiuj
tiqucs which ai
tments and a lou^
'"•«*»• Weshaltl
uore remarkable,

court, which i
)r pillars within, iJ
e antiques. Hei
» of the godda
accouut of tbei
iR ancient Romi
iresented inbasid
ftining the Cvbtld
spresented on ll
ihip in which L,

one side of thi
id on the other i
um. The ih^
nbolof At)$,tliJ

ho lived in ,_
us an idea, iij

hem to seek the I
late wcreaotaliiu,
us. How were tliq
'his would hare bei
Id each individual,
md dignities (liattl
ibliui Scipio Nasia

wof adjudged toh
r youth when lit i
I women of the r
Dd receive the |

Mnds, from <*
H different hitU.
i which was fasta
and. By thii i '
id before, accoi

intniatuN

i\l

H \ f!

I I

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Si; I

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1 »^

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ill

ii.f if ^ s

r U U

f H Wi

» 'Iv

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irliicli.
l.'V •'•'I'l
f iiff 111

,1(1 «'"•!

lirly i"i|

(lie iiiii^l
1 three r

aslieciil

pcrjoii [

liurial vii

UlltL'CIl

iflie surq

■cnilis '

CI Fi^IANY, fiWlTZERl.WT), ITALY, AND SK'ILY.

455

ClIllW

iliuei of lliP ^voiiilcrfiil L^ypliaii pynuiii(I»;
!'|'!|, wiilioiit doubt, an; (he most ancirnt, as
i.Kcrtainly arc tlie most duruble, nionumotits
'.' i,^l,jt(.c(iire. This of Cestiiis is a huiulied

I jjxty pnlms or spans liigii, a liiiiulr<>(l and
liriviii breadth at bottom, and is covered \>itli

r<a' sloiii's of wliilc marble. We learn, from
I fjiijcriplioii, that the building was completed
nlhrfoliundred atid thirty days. The passage

l,(,cii cut in modern times. Tt is small, and

i)( Hon must go with his body bent to reach the

urial vault; w hieh is twenty-six palms in length,

jffliti'cri in breadth, and nineteen in height.

Che surcophagiis has been removed. On the

'id walU ure traces of Arabesc painting; and

ibovc, oil cacU of the four sides, a hovering

niiis with garlands of tlowers. These genii arc

jjood preservation, and the drawing of them

la'e. Tiie only entrance rnto this burial place

from alidve, as in the Egyptian pyramids. A

,,)iii> was removed at a tolerable height up. the

ivraniid, to give entrance; and the dead were

iroiii;lit down into their cells through oblique

lark |);iss;igos. One side of the pyramid is con-

tlod bv » part of (he Aurelian city wall, which

irroiiniis it, and (he whole building can only

st'tMi at a distance from the city. Facing this

vrainid tlicre is an open place, which is the

lurial ffidtiiul of the Protestants.

II a iiltic excursion irom Home to La Riccia,
llheaiiripiit Aricia,) which is about three Ger-
:iii iniics from Rome, the Count informs us
at tli(! Ciimpagna di Roma is very naked,
siitiite of trees, and ill cultivated ; and in

[!i!(li little is to be met with except the monu-

hits of the ancients. The eye long continues to

|il!(i\\ the aqtit'duct which was carried-froui there

)Tivi)li, but which, in various places, is fallen to

liin<. Many of the sepulchres of the ancients are

I iIm; road, and have more or less fallen to decay.

[Iiov particularly point nut the direction of the

cit'iit Appiun way; on each side of which,

Lording to the custom of the ancients, who

[(ctod these monuments on the road side, many

If now standing*.

I* Thiii cuetom gives us tliu true mraning of so many an.
fit iiibciiptioiis, whicli begin witli tlio words " Sisto
miltim, liatoi:" it was rational to address the passenger
] the hii,-lt road : but it is absurd, or at lc>i«t thoughtless,
bii;iiiiiiM:ri|)tions of modern mniiimirufs, erected in byo
ia», Willi ihc words, "Stop, Pas,«enger."

IVoL. a. No, c. ' •' ' "

Albaim is a small insignificant (own, yot is
much visited and inhabited in auiuiun and (lie
beg-inning of Kpritig, by (he principal Romans,
who have villas here. Ilifrli old walls, which
appoarto surround a kind of court, are supposed
to be the remains of the barracks iu wliicli the
Roman soldiers lived. Poinpey and Cloilitn liad
coimtry hou.ses here; as at'terwards li mI Tiberius,
Caligula, and Douiitiaii. INIany great ruins of
the villa of the latter are at present to be ne.vn in
the Villa Rarbarini. They extend as far as
Castell Grandolfo, and to the banks of the Alban
lake, on which Domitian UKcd to represent his
Nauinuchiaf . Ruins of an amphitheatre, and
vast terraces supported by Arcades are the prin-
cipal objects. The district of Albano was so
called from the aneient town of Alba, which
was much older than Rome, and which the
Romans destroyed about six hundred years be-
fore the building of Albano.

La Riccia is one of the oldest towns in Italy.
About eleven hundred years before Christ its in-
habitants were driven out by the Pelasgi and
CBnolrii united. Near La Riccia there is an an-
cient monument, which some have supposed to
be the sepulchre of the Horatii and Curiatii.

The gate which leads out of (he city of R.omo
to the ancient suburb was built by Dolabella, the
son-in-law of Cicero, in the year that he was
Consul. Not far 'iom this place is (he church
of Lateran, the oldest church in Rome, and
probably the most ancient in Christendom. This
building was founded by Constant! ne; and was
originally built in the style of St. Paul's church
at Rome.

i'^acing the Lateran stands the largest and most
ancient obelisk. It was brought to Rome by
Gernanicus, and is supposed to be of the time
of the ancient Egyptian king Rhamses;);, who was
a powerful conqueror.

Another obelisk, which .stands in front of the
council house, on the Monte Citurio, is said to
be of the age of Sesostris|| .

To the son of Sesostris, Pheron, who is said
to be Pharaohj ihe oppressor of the Israelites,

+ Naval rngagomcnts.

X Perhaps that Rhara«os who reigned in Egypt 1808
years before Christ.

II Sesostris reigned in Egypt 1722 years before Christ. ■

5 8

■whom

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h< '■: y

I 1 :,l ;

I \

i ■:

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.:'.'■

i'H '

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■ it'-

iM'

'MMI

■A

435

STOLRERG'S TUAVFLS THROUGH

■whom the power of God by the arm of Moses
desiroycd, th^' obelisk is ascribed, which stands
before the church of St. Peter. It is the only
one whicli contains no hieroglyphics*.

The obelisk which was on the Piazzo del
Popolo is ascribed, by Pliny, to a much later
king, Semneserteus ; in whose time Pythagoras
\isited Egypt, Pythagoras was contemporary
of Cyrus and Solon f.

Beside these four principal obelisks, there are
seven others that ornament diB'orent places of
Rome.

The Pantheon is the only monument that has
withstood the ravages of time, or rather of the
barbarians, who so often desolated Rome. It
was built by Agrippa after the Latlli" of Actium,
arid consecrafetl to Jupiter the Avenger, whose
statue was placed in the prituxipal niche over the
entrance. In the other six niches were statues
of other gods. The architrave rests on sixteen
large columns ofgiallo antico, or yellow African
marble, the chapiters of which were of the
bronze of Syracuse. The cupola is perfectly
hemispherical. The light falls entirely from
above, through a circular aperture, which is
twelve ells in diameter, and has a clear and plea-
sant efll'ect. In the wall between the niches there
were tabernacles, with frontispieces supported
by small columns of giallo antico ; which, as
well as the niches themselves, now serve for
altars. The brazen gates, which formerly were
embellished with bassi reMevi, notwithstanding
that they have been robbed of their ornaments,
are beautiful in their "grandeur. The whole
a"chitrave, with its posts and entablature, are of
the noblest architecture. The c«>lumns of the
portico bear deep traces of conflagrations; to

which calamity Rome was so frequenfly 8ul,if,i|
The emperor Phocas granted the Pantlie,,
Pope Boniface IV, by whom it was consctr ,1
as a church. By degrees it was embel|,L
with statues and pictures. The church is j
called the Rotunda, and is dedicated to tlie iriJ
Virgin and all the martyrs. \

There are several columns erected at Rom I

monuments of the fame of different nerso r^
The pillar of Trajan was erected on the F(!ri!|
which bore his name. Trajan's statue was J
moved by Sixtus V. from the top of this niliil
and that of St. Pcfer placed in its stead, ' tJ
pillar of AntoKine was erected, by the senate
the emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, 'k
same pope likewise removed the statue of ;\u
cus Aurelius Antunine from the top of this i
and put in its place the statue of St. Paul.

The Museum Pium Clementinum is ccrtainll
beyond all comparison the most beatitiful c»|y
tioy of antiques now in existence. At lir,i
only occupied some apartments on that siJeo
the Vatican which, from its extensive prosned
has been called the Belvedere. Clement XIV
enlarged the place, because he improved the rid
collection. The present pope has built
new galleries and two charming rotundas ii
ditioo, and adorned it with numerous ni .
pieces. In this museum is likewise a gallery i
paintings.

The Palazzo Borghese is one of the hm
and most magnificent palaces of Rome. It^ij
tains two galleries; one of whicli belongs lot
prince Borghese, and the other to liiii unci
prince Aidobrandina. In the first, which isi
spacious, are many beautiful pictures ; us tl
are likewise in thait of the prince AldobraiidiaiJ

V SECTION V.

Juurnetj to J^liplcs — G'acla — Xaplcs — The Laznroni — The Hill and Grotto of Posiliiu) — Tun

Vivgil — Pozzuoti — Palace of Capo di Monte — Church of St. Januarius — Solfuturu — ilMirii

— Description of an Eruption — Discover)) of Herculaneum—Lake of ,/ignano, ami La Cr 'fij

Cane — Monicktmc — .Milcto — Oppido, and dreadful Effects of the Earthquake in 178.'}— .S /lij

Calabria — Begnara — Sci/Ua — jilcssina in Sicili/ — Palermo — The Sirocco — Girgenti — Sijruc"M.\

n|~^HE road towards Na; .cs leads through
X pleasant districts. The road is good, the

• This was Amenophis 111. of I'rofine history, win
roigncdin Kgvpt i')9(i } tsars bcfjrc C'lutsf.

canal broad and clear, and different la'eralcan|j
drain a part of the Pontine Mar^h. Thcdrii

+ About 560 years 'icfo.c Chritt

. .-.If

squenflv whim
ti»e Pantheon t
was consecrate!
wa» eiiibellislij
■ ^■liurch is nod
ated to the Ho]

reeled at Ron,e|
lifferent personj
ed on the FornJ
J statue was lej
•pof this jiill

its stead. T|)J
by the senate,
Antoninus. Tb
c statue of },\^
top of this iiilJ
f St. Paul,
inum is tertainll

beautiful collej
iiice. At fir<i
s on that sidej
steusivc prospeci
Clement XIV
mprovcil thericl
I bus built 1
f rotundas in a
numerous nmlj
ewise a gallerj i

ne of the largej
f Rome. Itioi
icli belongs tulJ
her to his unci
irst, which is\
pictures; as tbei
ZG Aldobraiiiiioij

^osiliiH) — Tmli
Ifutura — I'lMirll
and La G)' .'(id
in 178.'}— i'iilfj

'rent la'eralcani
Mi\\, Thcdtai

IPIIIPWUI ,11 n

A I I.

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GF.RMANTY, SWITZFHLAND, ITALY, AND SICirT.

437

fjliis marsh has bccu begun by the present

, Pius VI. and those verdant fields arc con-

niiattd with delight which, for ages, had

V,", .gviTcd with stagnant wafer. Parts that are

leinost Iiiimid are either converted to pasture

, nliiited with trees. The Apennines rise on

[h left, and on the right is a prospect of the

Much, however, remains to be done be-

ifretliis road from Rome .to Naples will be

Liable at all seasons of the year;, and which

iii^t be parsed if a carriage be used. The air

l^lij, piiit is verv dangerous in July, August,

I 1 i;,.|)t('ml)('r. Farther on the country is ex-

Liiilvdeli^litful and amazingly fertile. Pears

Lc Iccii ;iutlicrcd on the !:i4th of December,

,i|vriit as. a present to the pope. Thus do pro-

HiidiM' IiarvL'st and the flowery spring shake

Lids d'H'ctlicr, in a country, such as the much-

liiiil I'eiiclon sang of his abbey in the south of

FraiiCC; ^ ■

Oii li' cii'I serein nous (loiinp <• "

I," I'liiili-ms, ii\n<^i I'Autoinnc;
S.11IS f.iii' place u l'H}ver.

Wl'cre Sprinif smxoeils to Autumn, each serene;

Anil i'V Winter diios not intervene.

The fortress of Oaeta, ( formerly called Cajeta, )

\i lii(r|i, iiiid built on a circular rock on a pro-

[jniitorv on the sea shore. There is a small

tliiDiis, by which this promontory is connected

iiitlithp winding coast, on which the long and

hjrrow suburbs of Gacta are built, that contain

limit rmirtccn thousiind inhabitants. In the

Llri'i'i titorc are only three thousand; its works

Lflicwetl in the ro( ks, and rise very high above

llicsia. Here is a plupnomenon so remarkable

lss(l(!i)in "to bo ('quailed. A rock of an incre-

iblt' lifitiht seems to be burst open from top to

liiillom: the two sides are full three cDs distant;

liidinthc centre, where the opening is much

the greatest, there is a large stone, which forms
a natural bridge, and connects the two rocks.
This stone lies on the outward side, next the

, ' Pious tradition rt-latos tlirtt the rock was llius cloven
|tt!u'il>atti (if our Saviour. A chapel has been built upon
Ljtoni'; to which the people go through a passigc lh.it
In bill hownin the rock, and which is fifty .iseren paces

llli'i:.;'il.

t ') lure is one amona; them wiiose intlucncc is so great

Lililu'v call'him Capo tic gli liaz.iroui, «. e the chief of

' I..i/iioni. He ROL'S barefoot, and in raj;s, like the

,,1. ill is the orator for tlie whole body when they iiave

liiv ihin^' to ili'Piand of the goTernuicnt. lie then generally

Ipillis ' I the Kletto del I'opolo, /. c. the representative of

Iqii'Dpli': a kirJ of tribune, so far as such an olTicc can

liiiiuuii uuliiuited monarchy like tliat of Maples, ile

sea

The city of Neapolis, or Naples, is of high
antiquity, and Greek origin. It was called
Neapolis, or New City, to distinguish it from its
sister Pahepolis, or old City; but since the time
of Augustus they have formed but one city.
Naples is very large, and extremely populous:
it contains above four hundred thousand, or
probably as many as five hundred thousand, in-
habitants; yet so excellent is the soil, that the
necessaries of life are in great plenty and very
cheap. The common people of Naples, and in-
deed of all Italv, are very moderate in eating and
drinking; and would rather suffer all the incon-
veniences of life than remove them by their
labour. Abstemious in a high degree, the
clothing they need is trifling, the fuel none, and
they can even live without a habitation. The
class of people called Lazaroni, some of whom
are n)et with even in Rome, are here computed
at forty thousand. Many of these live in the
open air, and at night, or in bad weather, take
shelter under gateways, porticos, the caves of
houses, or under the rocks. They cannot easily
be persuaded to work whilst they have the
smallest coin in their pockets. They never think
of making provision for to-morrow. ^V ith care
they are unacquainted. Should any one otl'tjr
nioney to a Lazaroni, when lie is not pressed by
necessity, he raises the back of his hand to his
chin, and tosses his head upwards, bei^iig too
idle to speak, in token of refusal; but, if any
thing delights him, if he be invited to partake of
any pleasure, no man is more talkative, more
alert, more full of antics than himselff.

The streets of Naples arc uncommonly crowd '
cii ;

likewise appeals to llie tiiii^ '" person. To disregard any
ronionsliatice of this people, or not to comply, without
stali^^f the t,nounds of refusal, would be danneioiis. Tliey
regard their kiiiK, aud in case of necessity, it is asserted,
he uiigJit depend upon their assistance. rre\i us to the
kiiisr's niaUini; a journey to (lermany, in 17f)l, Nicola
Sahhato, the chief of the ]<a/aroni, made him a speech.
lie l..itnented that the king should bo so ng absent fioiu
his people; yet rejoiced in a journcj iliat should alibrd
pleasure to a prince who took so much satisf.iction in the
good of his subjects. *' \Vc are," said he, " thirty thou-
sand trong; and in your absence we will preserve tiie
peace of the country. Vou certainly have nothing to fear

from

r-ii

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'i:*i;.

I ■ !■;:

'I' :<3

'li'kJ

438

STOLBERG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

ed ; yet (he crowd is much less inconvenient here
than in many other cities. The coachmen too
arc less insolent than such g'cntlcaien usually are:
vlicn mounted on their throne they look down
^vith contempt on the multitude beneath. The
number of coaches, however, is so great, that
the loot passenger mast be continually on his
guard: yet the coachea arc much less dangerous
than the little one horse cabriolos; which are
driven through the city by the young gentlemen,
V'ho imagine that the foot passenget^s should
vanish before Uiem, as easily, and as instantly,
as the yielding air before the breath of their
snorting horses. In general, the city is well
built; and the houses are mostly flat roofed.
The royal palace is capacious, and has a noble
appearance. The situation of the city is inex-
pressibly beautiful. Mount Vesuvius rises to
the left, and Portici lies at its feet. On the
right of the city the hill Posilipo extends itself
far into the sea. The fortress of Castell del
Novo is built on an island, which is connected
with the city by a bridge.

Through the hill Posilipo a largo cavern to-
ward the sea has been made, which serves the
city as a gate. When this cavern was made no
man knows; but it is one of the most wonderful
and greatest of the works of man. It is a grotto
cut through a volcanic rock, nine hundred and
sixty paces long, nine broad, and of a consider-
able height. Strabo, who lived in the time of
Augustus, has mentioned it. The cavern was
widened by Alphonso I. king of Naples; and
after him by Charles V. The people ascribe it
to Virgil, who lived seven years at Niiples: his

from any man ; but, sliuulJ any one have the insolence to
spread inlliiininatui'y opinions, we ^iil tear him int > as
many pieei'S as we arc men, and each of iis will have a
morsel of him to smoke in our pipes." Dnrinc; the absence
of tlie kin^ this Nicola Sabbato visitiii the princes and
princesses, that, as he said, he might give the people an
account of their welfare. He likewise visited the prime
minister, Mr. Acton; and, on one occasion, came to him
out of breath, demanding to speak to him. " I have just
seen a man," said he, " in the dress of a pilgrim, in tho
great square, who is distributhig French hand bills: the
meaning of which neither I nor any of us yet understand ;
and he is kissing a stone w hich he brought from tho ruins of
the'' 'le. Ife will certainty excite an insurrection. Wc
woii.a have thrown him into the sea, but I wished first to
know your opinion; though I think wc ought to have thrown
him into the sea." The minister had much difficulty to
persuade him that a preliminary enquiry was necessary. Ho
coutinually rcturaed to the necessity of throwing the man

sepulchre is shewn over the entrance
Posilipo grotto. Some of the comm ui i.coni
suppose him to have been a saint, others a
cromancer*. The road throtigh this o^ro'tH
leads to Pozzuoli, the Puteoli of the anciaits
neighbouring place. To the north-west 1
immediately facing the city stands the six sily
fortress called Castello di Sant' Elmo, whidi j
entirely hewn out of a rock. What is called i
Tomb of Virgil is upon the Posilipo, beside t
entrance of the cavern. Although so nearl
great city it stands in a solitary plate, anint
trees and rocks, from which there is u nro^ ieJ
toward the sea: a situation worthy thii deliL
sensibility of the great poet.

Pozzuoli was founded by the former inJiaJ
tants of the island of Samos, five hundred ■!
twenty-one years before the birth of Clitii
The Romans called it Puteoli, from the iMini
rous wells that are found in its vicinity. ;'„ J
in Latin, and Pozzo in Italian, sigiiify n ^J
Large pillars were erected on the haven, (n rcil
the force of the waves; several of which slillrj
main. The hill called Monte Burhari) has bn
unfruitful since the time of the great earlliquilj
which desolated Pozzuoli in the vcar l.j.SB.

The royal palace of Capo di Monta is hiiilto
a height, very near to the city of Najiles, aiid(
the north side. The architect did nut (li>ctn«
that the foundation on which it stood was holjii
till after it was finished; and this fouiulaiiJ
which was rectified after it was built, c(^t inoi]
than the grand building itself. It was iniin^
as the residence of the king, and it isi visited m
for the sake of the gallery, which contains maul

into the sea; and when (he iiiiiii.ster told him he \voiil(U?g
soldiers to put the man in prison, he rt'iiliid, "Tliini.
occasion for soldiers; I will undertake ili.il liibim^J
The man was accordingly taken to pris6n by liie l.uir,
The contents of the hand-bill were declared sediiiuiij, 1
insurgent was one of those emissaries that wci't^ sunt, -j
tho Count, by the too providei "^ care of tho IVi'iicli ckii
over Europe, to enlighten, improve, and make tlii' |"
happy. lie had disguised himself like a pilgrim, ami
subject to the gallows, according to the cominun i'i<;lii
nations; but the government only thought proper to banij
him to tlie island of Maritima, one of the Orudis, uiii!i|
west (tide of Sicily. •

* When Robert of Anjou, king of Noples, onro passe
through this cavern with Petrarch, he asked him whdtitrl
were really true that Virgil had effected this miruiiel
magic? To which the poet answered, <' I have nuvrrcii
that Virgil was a magician ; and the traces timt I m i
those of the pickaxe, uat of the JDevil,"

picturesl

g itself. It was iiiii'ii,.,
king, and it is* visited (ml
ery, which contains uiaii

iiiinisfor tcld him hcwoiiHls!
risoii, he ii'|)li(.ii, " 'I'li.ni-
rt'ill uiulorlakc rli.il Iiumih\
.ken to pris6n by liif \MM::i

I were declared seditious. T;
emissaries that wcii! sciit, .;
del ' care of the rreiich c
improve, and malt c tiiu iicujil

liimgeir like a pilgrim, and »|
rding to the coinuiua ri^liis
t only thought proper to bani^
tna, one of the O^ades, out
«

1, king of Naples, oiiro pasi
trareh, he asked him whrikrl

II had effected this niiruilel
answered, *' I have nnvrtcij
; and the traces that I sic a]

the Devil."

picture!!

vev the entrance of th
e of the comm,„i,con
been a samt, otliRrsani
ad through tliis ffroti
Puteohof theancii,
lo the north-west, a
5 city stands the six'sjd

di Sanf Ehiio, wlii,),
rock. What is called t
n the Posilipo, beside t
n. Although so near

a solitary plate, anioi;
which there is a |)r()S|)e'(
lation worthy the Mi^
poet. I

ed by the former inliaj
Samos, five hundred a J
>ro the birth of Clirij
Puteoli, from the imiiui
nd in its vicinity, i',, ;,
in Italiiin, signify r, ^i,!
ted on the haven, to rcii

several of whidi .still t(
1 Monte liarhari) has bi
le of the great e;irlhqm
oli in the vcar li").'J8. i
Capo di Monta is built o
the city of Najilcs, and J
architect did nut divcovJ

which it stood \vii8 hollo^H .^

led; and this fouiidalii^B ' it

""it was built, ctist moi^" ''■ '

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GKHMANY, SWlT/r.m.AND, ITALY, AND SlfllV.

43y

Liciurc; t)W*' were those only preserved which
T jpgiiy bcuiitifiil, the very numerous collec-
i fpii'sistini? of fifteen hundred^ would be re-
f .(!(| to one hundred. In one apartment there
r „i,nicrous vases, which are culled Etruscan,
L should be called Greeks for they were found
Loiiib!) that were in the south of Italy and in
|(ilv: those of Sicily are frequently the most
kcaulitul- '^^^ collection of ancient ji;eins, both
linicos and intaglios, is considerrible. This
lollection is very rich in ancient coins, of brass,
jiver, and gold. ' . , , ^^ ,

Willi respect to its churches Naples can bear
■ocmiipetition with most of the great cities of

jilv. Those of this city are neither of noble
Ljijlecline, nor are they rich in paintings. The
krimipiil church is dedicated to St. Januarius,
[ml may more properly be called magnificent
iiaii liraiKil'iil. The treasury is well stored with
fhiircli cilerts and relics. Here, in a glass bottle,
jri'd mass is preserved that is affirmed to be the
llood of the saint. People assert, that this mass
rice a year, the bottle being handled by the arch-
jishop, becomes fluid, by the aid of a miracle.
Ptriiaps it ii so composed as to become fluid by
Piciiiitural warmth of the hand.

Sulliitara is the name of a plain that lies to the
ia$t of the city, is tolerably elevated, and sur-

mlod by hills that connect with each other.

\\\m is no doubt but there was formerly a vol-

mio here. The ground is still entirely volcanic :

lliot smoke ascends out of numerous cavities,

jbatarcto be found both on the plain and the

[irrdiMiding hills. The places where tht^se

apuiirs risu are in part sulphureous, in part

liuund in alum, and in part with vitriol ; which

lirec materials appear to be engendered where

lie smoke ascends, The sulphur predominates,

■ml fills the whole place with its powerful

biich. The ground is so hollow that a large

lone, let fall through a hole not more than a

pot deep, occasions a sound that rumbles along

proiigh a considerable space. The ancients

allied this place the Forum of Vulcan.

Mount Vesuvius lies about seven English

hilcs east of Naples; and as Count Stolberg saw

I at the time of an eruption we shall describe it in

liij own words. Tolerably high up the moun-

lin, says he, yet a full league and a half from

pe summit of the pyramid which is properly

piled Vesuvius, there is a hermit^ who lives on

Vol. II. No. C.

a hill, by its side, which is culled Siimma, This
Sonima is a great ruin of nature, and of the an-
cient Vesuvius. It has crumbled away to half of
its height, and evidently discovers itself to have
been a volcano. In like manner the present Ve-
suvius rose, above seventeen hundred years ago.
Like Montu Nuovo, which was suddenly thrown
up in the year L'j.'JS by an earth qiiiike, it has the
form of a sugar loaf, with a broad base, the
top of which is cutoff, and is hollow to a great
depth, like the crater of a volcano. The hermit
warned us of approaching danger; but I did not
so much fear the stones that were thrown up as
the difllculty of the ascent. However I saw it
was very necessary for us to take care how we
approached too near to these dangerous sliowers.
The stones were cast with such violence out of the
hollow mountain, that the velocity of their fall
was not to be compared to the velocity of their
ascent. The ascent up Mount Vesuvius is ex-
tremely difficult: sometimes from the cutting
dross of the lava on which you tread, and at
others, because, when you mean to ascend, you
sink deep into the ashes. The guides lessened
the inconvenience; for they bound linen rdund
their bodies, by which we held fast, -"nd wefe
aided by their strength: still, however, the dif-
ficulty was great. The places you pass are
terrifying. The whole ground is uneven, and
strewed over with stones, prodigious pieces of
scoria, or deep pits of ashes; which have all
been thrown from the mountain: the projecting
parts of which frequently conceal the smoky
summit from those who are ascending; and you'
are repeatedly inclined to despair of arriving at
your journey's end, while at every step when
you mean to g" forward, you sink back and
imagine you shall be swallowed up in the ashes.
You are often obliged to staud still with wcii-
riness, or to sit down on the cutting dross; and
the sense of weariness is encreased by the sur-
rounding aspect of desolation. The emissions
from the flaming mountain were so violent tliat it
it was impossible, at that time, to reach the sum-
mit. \Vc ascended the mountain to a huge crag
of rock, which, in one of its ancient eruptions,
had been projected out of the crater. It is at the
distance of one-third of the whole ascent from
the summit; and thus far was the space to which
this rock had been whirled. Here we beheld
and heard the mountain incessantly in labour.

5T Whenever

f. i

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^ I

W'/'M

■<'Vf

♦I }

440

STOI.BfvRG.S TRAVEI-a THHOIC.H

r-'T>en

WhencTcr Iho nimhlin;;; din becaiuu loiuler, a
thuntlcriiig,' shiiwrr of slmio^ conliuuiill)' followed.
I carviiot coiiiparR this siiblcrranvaii uproar to
any tliin"^ bnUer than to the noise of cannon at
SP:i; and it was as (\\\kk in succession us tlic dis-
charge of nrli'lorv in such a coujb.it. Tiic rock
on wlilch we sat shook very sensibly ot each dis-
churfio of the mountain. The successive showers
of ashes increased in blackness, and were always
acconipanied with stones. These, when they
It'll to the j^round, rolled down over the dross,
villi a noise resembling hail against a glass win-
dow. At intervals, when the din of the moun-
tain and the showering of the stones had ceased,
we heard a fearful gurgling, as of boiling
water, A yellow smoke, instead of the black
shower, occasiujially rose from the throat of the
nu)unlaio, and wc ^aw the reflection of the sub-
terranean tlaines (reiiilde among the rising pillars
of Mi\(il»e; htiont;; gusis of which were likewise
inipi lied out of the many little mouths round the
rrater. Thus we sut upon the trembling rock,
wliieh is il!>elf a prodigious mnnnuu>nt of the i
power of the fire-emilting mountain, and en- j
joyed one of the granilest spectacles of nature. ;
The sinoke became vellow at the approach of ,
night, and, on our return to Portici*, we saw
it rise of a (lame colour. The heM that pro- j
cecdcd from an aperture, which burst forth in
the month of August 17U0 was insuO'erable, and
though when we were there it was a year and a
half since this eruption liappened, the hot sur-
face would not permit us tu touch it with our
hands.

The pleasant lake of Agnano lies not far from
Solfatara, and something nearer than that to
Naples. It is chiefly surrounded by high shores.

* At Portici, sajs the Count, we took torches, and
visited the theatre of The aiicitiit Iloracfea, m, us the
Romans called it, llorculaneiini. This Greek tovin was en.
tirrly huricd and destroyed by ashes and lava, d(,ring the
great iTiiplion of Vesuvius, in the year 7fl after the birth
of Christ, and in the Hrst year of the rcif;n of Titus. A
jiirt of the seati of the aucient theatre were brouglit up, in
)71.'J, by a fiirmcr, who was sinkini; a well. Kmaniicl,
jirinre of F^Ibeuf, of the house of Lorraine, who was
building in Portici, purchased the rii;ht of the farmer of
dijrgiiij; farther, and a statue of Hercules was presently dis-
covered, and afterwards one of (,'leopatra, with otiiers. At
lenulii they came to a circular temple, which contained four
and twenty alab;i.sfcr pillars, and as many statues, whicli
were all sent to Vienna by the prince I'.ugeneof Savoy. In
1736 Don C^arlos, king of :\apl«Sj uudcrtook to build a

Near n part of the shore, ut the foot of „ i)i|
there is a cavern, which was called by {\\,> \
cienls the cavern of Charon. It is beder k
at present by the name ofLa Orel ta del Cane"''
theCavern of iJogs; because itisarounuoiutiV
to put a dog into the cavern, in order to coiuu J
strangers of the mephitic tjualitics of the „'■ I
The dt)g presently loses his senses, and must di J
were he not dragged out, and, lo rtir over lii,!]
dipped in the wtUer of the lake. It is iin|>()s,|[,J
to lire a pistol in the grotto, for the air prpvej
the powder in the pan from taking (ii(. 'il
hot sul|)bur baths of the lake appear stron'fcrtlurt
the vapour of the cavern. These baths arecalleJ
Stufc, or stoves, di San Germano. TlieJ jj
much esteemed for their clfects, and emit a hoi
vipour, the smoke t)f which is so One that arti]
fici'il means must be taken to render il visible.

Monteleone was founded by the Crocks ol
Locri, by whom it was calletl Hippo, or Hippo]
nium. The town is situated on a gentle dJ
clivity of the sea shore, on which AgatliotU
once built a pier. The surrounding tounlrvi
shady, .fertile, and hilly. This town was alinoi
destroyed by the earthquake of I'lH'.i, ami iti|
now chiefly composed of shops built of wood]
and houses built of wood, brick, and mortar]
These kind of barracks, as they are called bvili
Italians, are frequently more expensive ihaJ
stone houses, because wood is scarce and ston
abinidant.

Mileto, a small town was likewise destrovcdbJ
the earthquake of 17H3, and at |)rescnt consist!
of a few houses built in the same maimer as tliojt
of Monteleone.

The present Oppido is builtonakiudofbroal
terrace of the woody Apennines, three Italiad

palace in Portici, and purchased the house and land uf i.
prince of KIbeuf, and the ancient town was disruvoruhl
the depth of eighty feet. The bed of the river was fjmi
which ran through the town, as likewise were tlio tcinplJ
of Jupiter, with liis statue of gold, the theatre, anilinj
largo equestrian statues of the two Ualbi, fatlier a.nlitui
llcrculancum and Pompeii were both buried under tJ
ashes thrown from the volcano in the above eruption; 39I
the flaming ln>a took its course through botli thusetannJ
The people dare not leave the cavities dug to come at Hi J
culancum empty, because Portici and the village of itesiiiJ
are built immediately over the buried place. After takisl
out many remarkable articles, of household furnitjrc]
arms, coins, and manuscripts rolled up, the opening m
agaiu encloned.

milci

GFiniANY, SWITZF-ril.

— ,-.

\NT>, ITALY, AXn SlC'ir.V,

441

jp,'from <hc t'ormrr Oppido, whicli, on Hip

5lh of February, \1H'.i, was iMitircly destrovcd

hv the earthquake, or rather enj^iilplicd, bv

liiit may he called a whirlpool of the opeiiint?

jl, for it was the rentrc of this terrible ca-

hiiiitv. Oppido that was, wlii<li Cltivcriiis

iiiDPOSc*! to be tho ancient ]VJaiiicrtnnJ, and

ll'lian authors the ancient Mctaiiriim, is now

ch;iii?cd into a heap of stones. The former town

i||,|]„(.J three thousand inhabitants; the presonl

biirr.u'l'!' onlv live hundred. About twelve hiin-

! jffd ncri-lied on the desolatinj^ day. Some wore

biiriipd alive, overtaken by the flames that spread

I (lir,)ii"-Ii the tiiniblinjif houses. The monks of a

L|,m,;Klory became tlie prey of those flumes, A

hvoiiiaii. who now (17*.)!^) lives in Messina, re-

hiimiL'd eleven (lays under the ruins of her own

|i(,ii,e. Her child was with her; and they both

Ifid on ehesinits, which the mother, not im-

Lfinidentiiilly, hud put in her pocket. She gave

lllie cliilfl her own excremental water to drink;

Ibut ;i? she hud no supply of li(|(iid for herself,

levcn this wretched aid noon failed, and the child

hied on the fifth day. So remarkable were the

Itierts of this earthquake on the human organs,

llhat, in the two following years, the women

jcitlipr did not conceive, were prematurely de-

Ilivcred, or brought forth Head children; and of

Ithoso tiuit were born alive many immediately ex-

Ipired.

When the first account of this dre^c'lnl event
irciiched Naples the king was desirou.s of visiting
Jibe di'tracted province; but being prevented, he
liciit the people money. The queen deprived
Jicrsclfof her jewels; and people of all ranks
(were at first contributors. The sanguine Nea-
Doliliuis are easily moved; but their emotion

iiicklv dies away. Some communities that had
liiiti'ercd by the earthquake generously refused the
£S8iilaiice offered them, that it migVt be given to
ptliers whose sufferings were more severe. The

jhole province bestowed its blessings on Don
l-'raiicesco dc la Vega, the superintendant of the
Imiseuin at Portici, whom the king sent with
nonrv and full powers into Calabria. He
bnssesscd the art of doing much with a little;
knd his conduct, as wise as it was humane, in-
Ipired the tcrrilicd inhabitants with new tou-
pire. The loss of the pioviiicc of Calabria by
lealh, including those that were swallo\\'Ted up,
buried under the ruiiiSj or killed by disease, has

been estimated at thirlj-two thousand souN.
No town suflered so much, according to its
population, as Oppido.

The province of Calabria, one of the most
favfuired in I'jiirope, and with which, Sicily and
the shores of the bay of Naples excepted, no
other perhaps can be compared; this province,
where heaven, earth, and sea united smile, was
already almost (lepopuluted before the dcvastntion
occasioned by the earthquake. Its low inhabi-
tants were extremely poor. The whole system of
the country is strikingly bad. The countryman
is obliged to pay the king heavy taxes for th(; oil
of his press, and the raw silk which his worms
produce: though he has already paid his land-
lord for the ground on which the olive and the
mulberry tree grew. The merchant cannot
allord to give him much for his oil, because he is
obliged to pay a tax which is equally heavy and
unjust, for leave to export it. The argument
that the foreign merchant pays this tax is absurd.
Is it not evident that the foreigner will pay the
cultivator the less the more he is obliged to pay
the king? Heavy taxes are likewise paid for
wrought silk, and for silk stuft's. Beside, it is
surely evil sutlieient that the natives ishould be
under the necessity of yielding thp carrying trade
to foreigners, from the want of protection against
the Barbary corsairs. If the peasant be the
vassal of a llarone, he is subject to tolls at the
mill and at the oil press: beside which he is
compelled to pay a tax in kind for the produce of
the soil. To this we must add, that the roads,
unrepaired, daily become worse; and whole
communities are hemmed in and cut off from
intercourse with town or country. The small
circulation of money is still farther limited by
the sudden abolition of monasteries. Thus do
the inhabitants suffer dearth in paradise. Thus
depopulation increases; in a country where
marriages are uncommonly fi-uitful, but where
the dread of increasing wretchedness deters the
people from entering into that estate. And truly
it requires a paradise, such us Calabria, to invite
any inhabitants where such numerous afflictions
oppress a people who are habitually cheerful;
where the ox-driver notwithstanding plays on bin
bagpipe, and where i.ie jocund youth, with
songs, and springs, and bounds, leads his herd
of goats among the mouurains.

Baguara is a small to^Yu, whose charming

situatiou

. t

ilii :

n.'m

» .

412

STOLBERG'S TRAVELS 1 HROUGII

signal ion is iiicrrased by the liij^li wulerfalls (hut
emhollish i( on eacli sitjc. The present town is
built of biirracks, above whieh arc the riiiiis of
the former (own, auioni;; (lie rocks; which, in
17S.'>, was nearly destroyed by (!ie earthquake.

Farther alonp^ (he coast is Sciylio, or Scylla.
The rock iinniortali/ed by llonier, on wl>ich the
antic of the prince of Soylhi is built, o;ave (he
town its name. It lies in part immediately on the
shore; but the greater part is above, anions; the
locks. The streets are narrow, and nine dill'erent
rows of trees arc sccri standing ininicdiately one
above the other. Over the highest of these
fttniit rows, in somewhat of an obiiijue. direction,
arc six or seven olher rows. In the earthquake
of llSli some churches were thrown down, and
others were damaged. The houses were most of
them spared; yet this little town suHered a great
loss ot inhabitants, and, Oppido excepted, the
greatest. Terrified by the shocks, njost of the
»nhabitants Hed to the sea shore. The prince of
Scylla also left his higii castle, and hoped, not
improbably, to find greater safety on the strand;
but suddenly a whole mountain on the south
shore was torn up, and cast into the sea. The
waves, by this prodigious force, being driven
from tlie land, returned with redoubled violence,
and tarried away with them fourteen hundred
and fifty men. Some sought to escape in the
boats that weie on the strand: but both boat^

sand souls. It is aflTirmcd that in the sevenlecnii
century it contained a hundred (honsiuid ji' '
bitants. It was half destroyed by (he eiirllKn,. j*
in 1783; but it has in great part been n-buili"
and the streets are now more spacious ami i,,,,,/
some. Tlie haven of Messina, which (.'liiiil'
VI. made a free port, is certainly oiieof ihc u,,..
in Europe. The jieoplc of (his place (rude
largely in the products of tlu'; isliur.l, \\lii(li j,, ^^
bountifully gifted by nature. The priiuipai ;ir.
tides are corn, oil, wine, silk, (raw mj
wrought,) fruits, and pot ash. The pu^nt
population of Messina is estimated to bo llurtv-siv
thousand. The ;. ir is very healthy, ami, iom.
pared with the rest of Sicily, is coo!.

Palermo is built on a cape thai (niids tin,
westward mountains with (he promontory of
Pelegrino. The founders of the ancient town
arc not to be traced. Panornins, the former
name of Palermo, signifies in (he CJrcck aiTciit
haven; and, as (he haven of (his place is larr,.
and excellent, there can be little doiihl but thai
it was thus named by the Greeks. This citvii
regularly built, and is divided into i\mt nearly
equal parts by two principal streets, which crosi
each other, that arc equal in their breadth, and
that would be beautiful if, the houi^cs were belter
built. Each window has its balcony with an
Iron railing, for the inhabitants to eiijov (he cool
of (he evening. In long streets, which at tlie

and men were borne away, and neither body nor farther end appear narrow, you seem as if

plank were afterwards seen. It was thus that the
prince of Scylla perished.

The situaiion of Messina is universally and
justly celebrated for its beauty. It is built facing
H»« bay, and is covered by mountains; the inten-
mingling heights and depths of " hich atlbrd
traces that appear to denote great convulsions.
The bay extending to the right, from o. S. W. to
N. N. E. is in the shape of a sickle, and the
cape curves in such a manner as ahnost to enclose
the haven. On the point of this caie there is a
high Hght-housc, Messina is a very ancient
town. In 1741 it was dreadfully visited by the
plr.^ue, which was soon followed by a destructive
kind jf small pox. At this time the population
was reduced from abouJ seventy to twenty thou-

* Wc must here remark, that a* the tinio of Count Stol-
berg's \vritiuf<: this account, in 17S%, it was actually tlic
neat of tke viceroy j but the iiubsequont progress of the

were shut up in an iron cage. It contains abow
a hundred thousand inhabitan(s. Pak'<ii<" d
the seat of the viceroy*, of the archbishop, wlio
is primate of the kingdom and chief of tlie
Brii.'cio Ecclcsiastico, or spiritual court, aiidofj
the Giudice delta Monarchia; which is (he title
of a principal ecclesiastic, who is the vice legate
of the Pope, and is nominated by the king-.

Tie Sirocco is felt in U;. town of Italy so in-
tensely as here. These hut gucts from (he sandj
deserts of Africa, in passing the sea, lose niiicli
of (heir power, before they reach the sontliem
shores of Sicily; but they collect new streiiii,lli
in crossing 'Aid island. About mid-day a cooliii!;
sea brecite springs up; for which reason (lie
morning in Pulcriuu is hotter than the iiuoc

French arms, when tho roy ' 'imily fled from Napks, 'lif)'|
(lok up thnir residence in this town, and it is nu» lliJ

capital of the king of Sicily.

Tjiel

CKRMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND RICILY,

lif,i(s Mt arc increased by the hill Pdcj^i jno,
'f|,5t„.,.s the burning vapours of the sirocco

Palermo is not only the largest city in Sicily,

,■ „„pof (liii largest and most beautiful cities

Europe: and although Messina has at a!'

esconlentlcd for the rank of principal city,

ti this is ('ic capital of the kingdom.

iGireenti, the ancient Agrigentum, h;»s been

Ljrverv famous in history. Its haven lies four

Liaii w''"^* *^^"'" *'''*' *^'*-^' '*"*^ contains the
r (granaries of Sicily. Granaries were built
[(he shores of the island as early as the times of
.Saracens. Near the haven of the Girgenti
• corn is kept in suliierranean magazines, cut
Lthe rock, of an astonishing size. This is an ex-
felcntmelliod of preserving the corn fresh, for
aiiv years, in this hot country. The road is
jrricd along the haven, between the sea and a
U shore, the rocks of which are dazzlingly
(tjte. When Agrigentum had attained the
Immil of its greatness, it contained, according
Ipiodorus, twenty thousand citizen". ; and, in-
fill' (hose who were not citizens two hundred
lousaiul souls. No where are there so many
find remains of Greek antiquity to be seen as in

jjrgeiiti.

fSiraeiise, in the time of its prosper-ty, was a

Ldrrd and eighty stadia in circumferciice; that

two and twenty Itnliaii miles and a half.

Jiiat Syracuse was, lo'.jg after it lost its freedom,

iy be learnt from Cicero, who says, iu one of

loralimis against Verrcs, "that Syracuse is "he

tatest and nic.4 beautiful of all the Greek

lies you have often been told ; and you have

«a tuld the truth. Its strong situation on

trvside, by land and sea, is lordly to view.

havens sire enclosed by the city itself; by

bichtlicv are overlooked. Frosr. 'lifl'ereiit cu-

knceii tlicvjoin their streams in one common

llld. 'Miat part of Syracuse which is called

ii«!r.iid, in coiiseqiience of the junction of the

fcters, is separated by a small arm of the sea

Jin) the city; to which it is agaiii "nitcd by a

tdge. Ho great is the si/e of Syracuse, tn<ii. it
Usiiul to say it consists of four cities. One of

Ifnoisthe island; which, girded by two iiiiveus,

pids itself at the mouth of each; and in tins
biid is the biiildini»- which was the citadel of

|i;rii, iuid which now serves as the residence of
lloiiian prietors. It contains several temples;

[Vol. J I. No. CI. . . ;, ^ .;• ; ■ .•

of which the two grandest arc the temple of
Diana and the temple of Minerva. On thq ex-
treme side of the island tliere is a sweet spring,
that is called Arethusa, of an incredible size,
and well stored with fish. It would be wholly
overflowed by the sea, did not a ston;; dam guard
it against the waves. Another of the towns of
Syracuse is called Arcradina; in which is a great
forum, beautiful coloiiades, a handsome pryta*
iu:um, a spacious senate house, and a noble tem-
ple of the Olympian Jupiter. The remaining
part of the town consists of a large street, that is
intersected by many others, which contain the
houses of th^ citizens. The third town is called
Tyche; because an ancient temple of Fortuna
was here built. It had an cxtensi e gymnasium,
and many sacred buildings, im\ was an exceed-
ingly populous part of Syracuse. The fourth
town, which was built the last, is called Nea-
polis, and in the highest part contains a great
tlioatre, two excellent temples, one dedicated to
Cere.s, the other to Libera, and the large grand
stati:*^ of Apollo, surnamed Teininites." A fifth
town, named Epipola', is mentioned by other
writers bctli Greek and Roman, as part of
Syracuse, which was not inhabited by citizens,
but was garrisoned, in time of war, with soldiers
for its defence. Amico estimates the number
of the former iidiabitants of Syracuse at a million;
and Ilicdesel at twelve hundred thousand souls.
I do not kno.w the authorities, says Count Stol-
berg, for these estimates of two modern writers ;
bill they do not appear to be exaggerated. It
ought not to be forgotten, that there were four
slaves to one f'ce man. The numbei of free men
in ancient Syracus'i might surely consist of three
hundred thousand; audacity, which was tour
common German miles in circumference, might
certainly alford room for a million of people;
especially as four-fifths of the m inber consisted
of slaves, who were thronged together in a very
narrow compass.

One side of the cathedral rests on twelve or
thirteen Doric pillars, which it is supposed be-
longed to the portico of the temple of Minerva.
At present only one half of them appear; the
other half having been walled in, when this tem-
ple was changed into a church. The temple
must have been about as large as that in Egesta.
I'acing the cat''edrftl are ''le statues of tiie apostles
Fcicr and Pa .1. The ollowing inscription is

uiidcr

I It.,'! ■■

I- ^ PI

b u

! 1 IS,

1 ■ ■ ■ ' . ' HE Si^

liiiii {!|

jll9.th.iM

' jC^B ^^D

444

STOLBl'llG'S TRAVELS THROUGH

under that of Peter: " Apostolorum Principi,
Fundatori suo, Ecclesia Syracusana p." that is,
" The congregation of Syracuse cfectcd tliis
statue to the chief of the apostles, their founder."
The Syracusans aiHnn that their first hishop was
sent tiiom by Peter. The apostle Paul in his
journey to Home was overtaken by a storm,
shipv\ recked at Malta, and remained three days
at Syracuse. In t!ic inscription upon his statue
there seems to be much dignity: " ApostoVo
Gentium, Hospiti suo, Ecclesia Syracusana p."
that is, " The conp^regation of Syracuse erected
this statue to the Apostle of the Gentiles, their
guest "

There is a library in the seminary, which is
always increasing; but it is the only one in
Syracuse. The seminary likewise contains a col-
lection of ancient coins. When we entered this
building, says Cou.nt Stolberg, the heat was not
extreme; but when we returned, in three quarters

of an hour, we felt the wind meeting us a* 1 J
if it came from an oven; we being ihen J
open air and unprotected by shade. Some" f J
were immediately seized with a pain in the h"
which continued so long as this wind prev 'iJ
We wenj advised, when we came home, toh
up the windows, leaving only sufficient lijrhtj
see to read, and to sprinkle the apariine.^fs ]
water. By these means the air of the house!
came supportable. Men %verc discovered Iv
dead on ihe ground. So true it is, that the ss
degree of heat, in Italy iind Sicily, is by no meJ
so dangerous as when it visits a country y/U
the air is not equally pure. The hot wirid raa
with such excess only once in ,'hrce or {1
years ;» and seldom then during a wrote day
blows from the west, is loaded wvtn {ijg
vapours of Africa, and is therefore similar ioj
eflects, upon this eastera coait, to those of i
sirocco upon the coun^.r roii ' Palermo.

\\\

iji

SECTION vm.

Catania, its ancient andnwdem State — Chatiqes produced by Zava — Its Population, an. Unlver^
— Mount ^fJtna — Loretto — Ancona — Penaro — Cuiolica — jRimini— San Marino — Bvlo^na.—n
dua — i^eiiice — Pi wince of Stirin — f'7-'?;«fl.

CATANIA, which in ancient times was called
Catana, was one of the first old Greek
colonies. It was founded by the same p<;ople
from Chalcis who, but a short tiihe before, in
the first year of the thirteenth Olympiad, «even
hundred and twenty-six years before Christ, had
niade a settlement at Leontium. Charondas, the
famous lawgiver and a scholar of Pythagoras,
vvas a native of Catana. The university of Ca-
tania may justly boast of being one of the most
ancient seats of the sciences. Catania is built at
the foot of Mount MUva. Great remains of an-
tiquity still exist in this town. Several of the
warm baths are still in good preservation, and
many others are concealed under the foundations
of the cathedral A subterranean octa^^onal hall
appears to be still iininju:cd; and riqueducts
that supplied the water are partly still in ex-
istence and work mills. The gymnasiuna stood
near the therma;, and must have been very large;
for though a great part of it was overwhelmed
by lava from Mount JEtna in 1669, there still
exists, oa each side, a spacious street that be-

longed to it with many arcades. Near the m
nasium are the large ruins of the theatre; v^hej
not many of the seats of the spectators are i
served; but, as from a part of the half cirdej
circumference may be determined, and lu til
place where the stage began is still to b v
is easy to form an estimate of the br*"^ ' :iP
whole from its visible length. The p >•
some of them in good preservation, u. ■-.
the stair rases of the three diflfcrent stories,
many of the vomitoria. The late prince Biscaj
removed the rubbish under which it lay, at I
own ex pence.

This town has several times been visjtcdl
earthquakes and the rivers of fire that are poun
out by MtnsL. In the spring of the third pt(
the Sofii Olympiad, four hundred and twenljl
four years before Christ, the fit lava m
from the mountain, and laid dcso! '*>:. uietcrritoi
of Catania. In 1669 it sutTered n.-tv; ably'>(
the terrible eruption of the mountain. Theliil
flowed in a broad and deep stream toward
towtt. Instead of melting away the walls,!

GERMANY, RWITZT:I?LAND, ITALY, AND SICfLY.

4i5

I expcc<«d* it was stopped by them, rose

I liove tl>'^"'' "'"^ vocrdowrd them. Two re-
[able phoBiiomeiia were produced by this

II (1)6 traces of whieli will continue till Ihey
Irereniovecl by some earthquake, or some new

(joii. On the west of the town blcod the
ll'iicient Benedictine monasterv, which now con-
j.jly(f,jOiily a small part of the form*, r building.
iToward tlie walls of this monaster}' a hif»h stream
If |jya flowed, surrounded it on several sides,
I (]feniiined, without touching it, immediately
lleforctlie wall. The aspect of the indurated
jiass is *'<*'■}' reinarkable. Another stream of
; overflowed that arm of the river Giudicollo
th was called Canale de! Duca; and, as the
■atcr was much valued, the inhabitants made a
UfM open' '1^ through the condensed lava, from
li iifsiied a copious stream, and the clear
■aleruoNv continues to run from the vaulted lava
siirings from a grotto of rock. The earth-
Uake of 1669 was a dreadful one; and, ac-
L(jji]|r to Amico, fourteen thousand of the in-
Jjbi!s»i'» of thi.^ place were destroyed, at the
Bine time that the field? were desolated by the
(ireaming fires of iEtna. Both these terrors
gain visih'd it in \irJ3, when the town by an
sriliquakc was nearly reduced to a pile of ruins.
Catania, however, rose out i^f its rubbish with
^vjiinor beauties. The broad streets are now
d in a right line direction, and handbomely
kuili. As It enjoys both .i considerable trade,
Ind is situated in a very fertile country, its inha-
lliants feel the bles^<ings of prosperity; and in
1*83, when a great part of Messina was thrown
iown b\ tlie earthquake, Catania at its own ex-
«ence assisted to rebuild that city. In popula-
tion it is the second place in Sicily, and the nuni-
: of its inhabitants is continually increasing.
, present population amounts to about forty-
no thousand souls. The university of Catania
I tiie principal, and in a certain sense the only
ine in ' island ; for the students, in physic and
|\v, who have entered themselves at Palermo,
tlicy wish for employment, must complete
(ir education at Catania.
The form which the grand mouth or throat of
Edm has assumed is that of a tunnel, except
bat the circle is not regular. Its contracting
1)v$s is soon lost to the sight. In various places
|iin clouds of smoke ascend out of small cavities,
I from so many chimnies; Yrhile the mouth itself

tcmpe,stuously emit its whirlwinds of black and
white clouds in a spiral column. To go rounol
the eraser, or to remain a moment facing the
wind, is utterly impossible. The circumference
of the mouth or crater is estimated at from three
to four thousand paces. Within, as far as the
eye can discover, it is coated with sulphur. On
the north, separated from the ancient crater by a
thin wall, or crust of sulphur, there is a new
mouth, which was opened by a falling-in of the
summit in May, I7(*^. >Ve threw stones into
this crater, sa^s the Count, which rolled like
distant thunder, till they at last fell, with a loud
din, into the water below. After throwing the
stone, I counted eight and forty pulsations before
I heard the dashing of the water. This ex-
periment seems t'» strengthen the opinion that the
nutuths of the volcano are open to, and com-
municate with, the sea.

A short German mile from Lorctlo is the
handsome little town of Uecanati, which is built
on a hill, and in which the bishop of Loretto
resides six months in the year.

Loretto, a town containing eight thousand in-
habit-mts, owes its origin to the Santa Casa, or
Holy House; which, as pious iradition relates,
was the same in which the angel Gabriel appear-
ed to the Virgin, and in which, after the return
of Ms^y and Joseph from Egypt, Christ con-
tinued to live till he entered on his heavenly
mission. We are told by the legend mat. in
1291, the anglais carried this house from
Nazareth to Sclavonia, and in 1294 they
took it from Sclavonia, brought it over the
Adriatic, and set it down at Loretto. It now
stands in the principal church, encased in mar-
ble; on which histories from Holy Writ, by the
greatest artists, are masterly cut in alto relievo.
In this Santa Casa the supposed miraculous image
of the Virgin, a porringer out of which Christ
used to eat when he was a child, and a gown of
his mother's are exhibited. This Holy House
and the miraculous image bring pilgrims from
the whole Catholic world, to pay their homage
at Loretto; many of whom go round the Holy
House on their knees; so that the knees of the
pilgrims have made deep hollows in the stone
pavement of the church. There are some beau-
tiful pictures in a sacristy belonging' to the
church. The famous treasure of Loretto is pre-
served in a great hall, and contains uumberless

costly

U ':[ y.

:';,•■ 1

■M

t ■ ■ j
•I

\ : i

; i'l

M i

' 'il

i '■ .i.*i

' r'J]

,| : '111

III

44f)'

STOLBERG'S TRAVKLS THROUGH

■ i

It!

cosfly works and presents from private persons,
kings, and states. In (lie dispensary of Loretto,
which appertains to the Santa Casa, there are
three hundred and thirty vases of Faenza shewn.
All the poor of Loretto are provided with medicines
gratis from this dispensary. The annual revenue
of the Santa Casa is estimated at seventy thou-
band s^Midi, and its annual expenditure at not less
than forty thousand; from which the bishops,
canons, and governor of the town are paid.
Loretto is half a German mile from the Adriatic,
and is protected by fortresses against pirates: in-
deed the shallowness of the«hore will not admit
the approach of large ships.

The hilly coi'otry between Loretto and Ancona
is fertile and pleasant. This town is built on the
hills San Ciriaco and INi r (r-iasco, and in the
valley that lies between '. Ancona was a"

settlement of the fugitive .a <.cusans, who, in
the time of the elder Dionysius, detesting the
tyrant, made a descent at this place. They called
the town A neon, from its angular situation: this
•word in Greek signifying an elbow. The town
is handsomely built, and, as it is a free port, the
inhabitants enjoy a respectable and visible pros-
perity. Biiscliing states its population at twenty-
two thousand souls; of whom he estimates the
Jews at five thousand. According to an ancient
degrading law, the Jews are to wear a red rag,
or lappet, hanging from the hat; but it is not
enforced ; and as, like ths Portugueze Jews,
they wear no beard, they are only distiiiguished
from the Christians b^y their national physiog-
nomy; which still continues to characterize them,
although they have been scattered nearly eighteen
hundred years over the different nations of the
earth. They only suffer their beards to grow for
eighty days when they are under any deep
affliction. All religions arc here tolerated. Its
trade is increasing, and docs injury to Venice.
The exchange has a respectable appearance.
The road from Ancona leads through a pleasant
country on the shores of the Adriatic, and passes
through several towns.

Pesaro, the ancient Pisaurum, is situated in
the duchy of Urbino. In the year of Rome
5()8, one hundred and eighty-four years before
Christ, the Romans sent a colony to this place.
The river on which it was built was formerly
railed Pisaurus, now La Foglia. The town
stands on the shore, but its port will only, admit

small craft; therefore its trade is not cotisP I
ble. It, however, contains about ten tho
five hundred inhabitants.

i»»sanil|

The province of Romagna begins at Catnji
which is the first post after Pesaro. This nl J
was 90 called from the Catholic Bishops uk
met here, at the time that the council was U
in Rimini, A. I). 3li9, because ^heywcredij
satisfied with that assembly; in which it had
first appeared as if the Arians would have niainJ
tained their superiority. As this council waJ
called by the emperor Constans, who fiuoiirel
the Arians, four hundred bishops came to it rron
the west; who, contrary to the liopes of tin f^j
peror, declared in favour of the council ofNjfJ

Rimini was formerly called Ariniiniiin; andiii
founding is ascribed to the Unibri, a people oh
uncertain origin. The Sonones were once iJ
possessioD of it; but they were expelled hvllid
northern Umbri two hundred and cighty-niiu
years before Christ.

On the road between Catolica and Rimmj
stands the little town of San Marino, situatn
upon a high mountain. This sninll free std
would be more celebrated than great niifioni]
were virtue and innocence, rather thuji the splen,
dour of vi'c', the admiration of men. Likettiil
little Swiss republic of Gersau, its whole p^j
sessions consist of a single mountain. The iln
meter of its territory is a German mile.
builder, who came from Dalmatia in the bej
ginning of the sixth century, continued to laboui
thirty years at the rebuilding of Rimini; afld^
which he retired, and lived as a hermit on tlil
mountain. But, greatly as he desired repose, tlJ
fame of his sanctity attracted young people
him, and a princess gave him the mountain
a present, on which he here founded a lidlj
free state. As the residence of its citizens \vj|
founded on a rock, so did he lay the basis of I
artless dignified code on the Evangelists. Tbj
constitution of the republic is very simple: eati
house sends a deputy to the great assenibl) nftbi
citizens: the executive power resides in thecoiii|
cil of sixty, one half of which is chosen from I
nobles: a majority of two-thirds is reciiiircdbel
fore a conuiusive vote can pass: every tw
months the council choose two eapitaiii, vhuaij
in miniature what the consuls were at Rome: in
judge and the physician must be both strangcn
who are elected once in three years. The inop

>3 not considerj
i^ut ten thoiisanj

:'gin8af Catolicjl
^["0 This placj
ic Rishops, „hJ
council was licl|

0 Uiey were disl

1 which it had 2
^•ould have niaiJ
this council waJ
js, who fuvoiirej
)9 came to it frot
hopes of th(f|]J

! roiincil ofNjcf,

krimiiuun;andiL
obri, a people oi
les were once id
! expelled hvtliJ
and ciglit/-nin

)lica and Rimm
Marino, situatu
( small free
III great nationj
cr (haji the spb
f men. Likel
I, its whole po
intain. The dia,
erman mile.
matia in the bel
mtinued to laboit
of Rimini; afltj
I a hermit on tin
lesircd repose, llij
young people
the mountain
founded a litllj
its citizens n
y the hasis of I
ijvangclisls. Tb
lery simple: eatl
at assenibl) of th
sides in thecuiiq
s chosen froinlh
js is required bd
pass: every [v
eapitaiii, vhoi
ere at Ronie:
)c both .strangen
;ars. The pt'oiilj

sm^

M-i

r .

>1i1

/);»!l

CF.UMANV, KVVITZIKI.ANI), IPALY, AND SILllY.

^Vi

fc,a Marino are so attentive to tlie ediiciitidn
ftlitir cliildriMJ lliat tlicy liold llu; ollire of
IhDoliiiastcr in great rrspcct. Tliey liaxe only

»n,i(le war. In the tit'teeulh ceiifiii
,„„k part ^vilh pope PiUs H. ap:a,n.t hiiri
Mahiusla, lord of llimiiu. llie poj.e

lev still cnjo V,

Jie'siiiipl'^"''y of their manners.

iTlic

„rlii)oliiiastcr m g

nude war. In the titteeulh ceiifiiry tliey

Sit!:ismiind

iMihiU'sla, I'"" "• *»"•"■"• '■"- i'"i"- 'Jiitde

llien) a prf-sot of four fortresses, but thev re-

L J j„ enlarge their territoiles. In 17 it) some

L'icoiitents invited pop^ Clement XII. to take

I ossessioo of the town, and be sent the cardinal

Albcronito make enquiries whether the majority

ihc people were inclined to renounce their

tpi,(l„ii), Alberoni'truly informed him that only

lurtof ll"'"' 1'"" '*")' s*'*"'" inclination, and iho

fciiiio was just enough to leave thein in the nu-

Liurbed enjoyment of thei"- liberties, which

Celebrated for their etjuity and

they do.spi.se

de;for they do not honour wealth, but chiefly

L|,«ijt on the produce of their lands; which,

lllifliiirli ilio mountain is frequently covered with

Ly tiir three months, still produce generous

fine .111(1 excellent fruits. •

lulls near Bologna arc covered with

rv houses, gardens, and small groves,

liiliii'iM' them a charming appearance. It is

niiirkablc that the Appeiinines, from Spoleto

id lolipno, divide Italy int(» t^o distinct

iiiitrios; I'ppor and Lower. Refore you come

l.ordto the country is flat. The plains begin

Riiiiiiii, iii-.;! extend through all Lombardy,

the loot of the towering Alps. As the country

laIl;H'^ so do the physiognomies and eutiro

ni> of tlie, people change; though the differ-

6! are not verv distinct till you come to the

irniansidf of IJologna; and indeed, till you

ive at that city, you always see a link of

asiiiti; woody hills on the left. In like manner

cattle begin to diH'er, both in kind and colour,

ni the cattle of the southern provinces. They

no longer of so light a grey, but some of

m are red, and m«)st of them of a mixed

our. The swine, whiih through all lower

middle Italy aro blackf, are in these provinces

The men have less animation ; and, as the

islrciuns of life are here less glowing, they

re Ircqiiently indulge themselves in the use of

lie. IJctwccn Bologna and Ferrara there arc

liills, iniu'h less mountains. Strengthened

lied by the fat soil, both man and beast here

|;in toiiiiNo less of the tire of the soutbj and

loi. II. No. CI

somewhat more of northern phlegm, or of north-
ern thought.

Padua, which the Italians pronounce Padova,
was foruierly called Patavrum, and is one of the
most ancient towns of Italy. Viiirij ascribes its
origin to the Trojan hero, Antt'iior; who, uc-
cordi')g to tradition, came to Italy after the de-
struction of Troy. Padua was formerly moro
populous than it is at present, but it now con-
tains about forty thousand souls. This town
boasts of being the nursing mother and tutoress
of the proud Venice, to which young city it sent
magistrates and judges, at the time when, laying
its foundations on the little islands where it
stands, it ottered a secure retreat to the numerous
Italians who lied from the desolating Attila. lu
the doi.stcr of the church of St. Augustin many
protestants are buried, and monuments are erect-
ed to their memory even in the portico. The
university of Padua was founded by Frederic II.
in l'^'2'i, and became so famous that students
were sent thither from all parts of Europe. The
great Galileo here taught geometry; and th-
number of students in former times consisted of
eighteen thousand, but there are not now above
six hundred.

At the distance of five Italian miles from
Venice you come to the open sea, where that
magnificent city seems to swim and rise out of the
wateis. The prospect is unique in its kind.
The appearance of the city, when passing through
the canals, is still more singular. The houses
stand upon piles, over which the waves flow.
Some rows of houses are separated by a quay
from the canals, or rather from the small arms of
the sea, which form the islands. Others stand
immediately in the water, which washci the stone
steps up which you ascend from the canals to tlie
houses. These houses have back doors into
narrow streets ; by which, aided by bridges, all
parts of the city are made accessible to foot
passengers. The canals are covered with gon-
gole, each of which is rowed by a man. These
gondole must all be black; and in the middle
they have eadi a small canopy, which must not
be covered with any other stufl' but black cloth :
Hence they have a gloomy appearance. Being
long and small, they skim lightly along in .so
rapid a manner that, though cautiously managed,
at first they terrify strangers. The palace of the
doge, or duke, is called II Palazzo di San Marco,

; 1

> /-t: i

B''!^

rll

■ f i

.;? <

jj ..

1 ':\i

r^ :

448

ST'"»T.BF.RG'S TRAVELS THHOUG!!

.... ....^ — - — ^-- ^ -- — ^—

in vk'hich are halls fur various ^>ur|)osp3. f,nh of
vhich is einbclliahcd with |)iiintin<'-< of the
Venetian school. The church of St. Mark is
built in the place of that name; the fantastic
architecture of which has imparted i^onit Jilng of
a character of greatness to it. Facing the church
in this place are five large arcades, over the
center one of which four gilded horses are ulaced,
which the Venetians, in the beginning of the
thirteenth century, under the command of their
great doge Dandulo, with the aid of the French,
brought from Constanlinopio, flftcr taking that
city, and placed them in Venice. They had
bron sent from Rome to Constantinople by Con-
tantine the Great, and had ornamenled the
triumphal arches first of Nero, and then of
Trajan. The place of St. Mark, which properly
consists of two places. La Piazza and La Piazzetta,
or the Place and the Little Plac<s though the
smallest is very spacious, .adds greatly to the
beauty of the city, and is justly esteemed one of
the first, if not the very first, and most beautiful
of the kind in Europe. Founded on seventy-
two islands, the ditferent quarters of Venice are
Cv/unected with each other by .learly five hundred
bridges, under which the goudole* can pass.

About twenfv miles south of Venice the re-
public has nearly completed an undertaking
which is scarcely inferior to the greatest works of
ancient Rome. A high wall, or pier, of large
stones is built on a smaM cape; the purpose of
which is, to protect the shallow waters that
.surround the seventy-two islands on which the
city is built, and many others that are seen scat-
tered around, against the wild waves of the
Adriatic. To resist these the wall it constructed
upon two distinct terraces of marble; each of
which is nine paces broad. The smallest of
these terraces, which consists of four steps, is
opi)osed to the inner waters, which are called
La Laguna The joints of the stone, after the
manner of the ancient Roman buildings, are
filled with a mixture of lime and puzzolana.
The latter material is brought from Mount
Vesuvius. On the wall is the following in-
i>cription: " Ut sacra a;stuaria, Urbiset Libertatis
f^edes, perpetuum conserventur, colosseas moles

* II may appear eomewliaf strange that the dialect of tlic
gondoliers (|)eopl«f that row fhe^^'Hidrile) should l)ediiri;reiit
IriMn that of the V'onelians, b'lt it i- a fact: even. Tasso's

ex solido niarinore contra mare posuoro Ci'mtn
Aquaruni. — Anno saliitis MDCCLl— Ah . i
coudita iAICCCXXX." That is, ''The C?.
servators of the Waters have erected Ibis colossi
rampart of solid marble, to oppose the sea and f
ever preserve the sacred shallows, the seat of th
('itv and of Freedom. ^ — In the year of rcdriuniin
MDCCLL— From the founding of n,,' '
MCCCXX.X." Count Stolberg^ moasured 7
length of this stone pier, as far as it is completed
and coiMited three tliousaml six himdred ant
twenty paces, or .steps. The population o|
"Venice is estimated at a hundred and sixty lliou
sand souls, and the number of people in its wholi
territories at two millions and a half.

The duchy of Stiria is well cultivated; (hoi
habitants of which, though they rather rcspinbJi
the people of Geruiaoy than of Caniiola, arp\
very distinctly divided into Vandals and Ger|
mans, the numbers of the latter heiiiij dt ili(
most considerable. The towns and \i||a<jfs j
Stiria are well built, and the peasant* have bet]
ter habitations than the Vandals of Carniiil
The farther a person goes into Stiria the mm
pleasant the country becomes. A con^iderabi
mountain, called Senunering, separates t!ii
province from Austria Proper; the (irst aspei
of which, from the mountain, is delia;htl;il
the charms of wild nature. Soon afterward t
country becomes flat, is well tilled, and I
towns have a good appearance,

Vienna is the capital of the Austrian domiiiim
Here strangers are welcomed with amenity, ai
with an air that shews the heart and the lip;ai
not at variance. If a stranger be introdiiad
certain families he is neither obliged to yawn wii
the tedious glutton, nor administer to llicavari)
of a rapacious card party. Mis host, on
contrary, endeavours to sound his atfL-clioi
heighten his pleasures, and receive him wi|
that unallected hospitality which renders hi? <i
agreeable. In the hall of the imperial lihnirv
this city is the entire collection of bool.s made
the great Eugene; the hero who, beside pi
scssing the talents of the warrior and lhe^tatl
man, had acquired great and various kno\«lt'J
The cabinet of natural historv, in iniiieruis

.Tenisalem Ut'livpred has been traiislalinl into ihiiliTiH
fereiU dialects of Italy.

petrificaliM

aloil into ihiiliTiii

iiii

111

■ ■!', "

'Pi'

■' ! : ^

P 1

1 f''

i'ii f

■ p - , ;

I : ii, i ' 'i

■4i- .

; ''; 1 1

* , ; I ' ' i

i.M*j- ujLm.^.

iJliffii

GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, AND SICILY.

4i9

.trifications;

jg said to be inferior to none in

vise

fflpe. Some institutions in Vienna have like-

' been partly founded and partly improved

|Ufmpcr<"" Joseph I '• The sick arc better

iLndci '" *''® hospitals; and regularity, in-

,(fv, health, and cheerfulness animate the

Children ^^ *''^ orphan hou^e. The Narren-

Lrin (hI'Ot*'' Tower) or Mad house is a re-

\.,\^i\)]e institution, large, circular, and five

itoreshigh. The mad people arc not allowed

l,P (rented with cruelty: they have good beds,

y those who rage are not to be f'cu}. The

Orphan House, which is a largeand w{ '' •cgiilated

luilding, contains three hundred an i fortv-six

fliildrcii. The bo^sand girls have two di.tinct

iirdcns, and are not allowed to be together, cx-

Ap( at church. The imperial picture gallery is

jear the city, in the Belvedere Palace, which

fjs inhabited by the great Eugene. This

tilery is particularly rich in paintings of the

JleiDish and Dutch schools. In the gallery of

Ijie prince of Lichtenstein, which is allirmed to

jeoneof the richest collections possessed by any

Cjvate man in Europe, are some excellent paint-

In. The circumference of that which is

Jroperly the fortified city of Vienna is not large,

y only contains about sixty thousand souls;

L the suburbs arc therefore the more ample,

U, according to the estimate made in 1792,

fecit} and suburbs together contain two hun-

llred and fifty thousand inhabitants. In the city

«lf are numerous and beautiful palaces, but

Ihe streets are not spacious, and are in part

[rooked. The country round Vienna is very

Ucasanl, but the city in the w inter is frequently

kiiited bv dreadful storms.

APPENDIX

STOLBERG'S TRAVELS,

F.XTRICTED FROM A

JOURNEY IN MORAVIA AND BOIIE.MIA,

J KAN DE BRIE, tHade in 1804.

MORA.VIA is a province of Germany, which
derives the name of Muheru, as it is called by
[the Geroiaus, and of Morawa, as it is called by

the natives, from the river of that name whicli
rises in the mountains of Glatz in Bohemia, and,
passing through the middle of Moravia, falls
into the Danube at Presburg. Moravia has
ni)hcnjia on the North and West, Poland on the
North East, Hungary on the East, and Austria
on the South, from which it is separated by the
Danube. Its length is about a htnidred and
twenty miles, and its breadth a hundred mile».
A great part of this country is overrun with
woods and mountains, where the air is very cold,
but much more wholesome than in the low
grounds, which has many lakes and bogs. The
mountains are generally barren, but the more
champaign parts of the country are tolerably
fertile, yielding corn, with plenty of hemp and
flax, good saftVon, and pasture. Nor is it alto-
gether destitute of wine, red and white, fruit»
and vegetables. It abounds in horses, black
cattle, sheep, and goats. The language of the
inhabitants is a dialect of the Sclavonic, differing
but little from that of Bohemia; but the nobility
and citizens speak the German and the French.
Moravia was anciently inhabited by the Quadi,
who were driven out by the Sclavi. Its kings,
who were once powerful and independent, after-
wards became dependent on, and tributary to,
the German emperors and kings. In 908 the
Moravian kingdom was parcelled out among
the Germans, Poles, and Hungarians. In ISOti
that part of it properly called Moravia was de-
clared a niarquisate by the German king Henry
IV. and united with Bohemia, to whose dukes
and kings it has ever since been subject. Tl>e
stiites of the country consist of the clergy, lords,
knigh'is, and burgesses; and the diets, when
summoned by the regency are held at Brunn. It
is divided into six circles, each of which has it»
captain, and it contributes about one-third of
what is exacted from Bohemia. The bishop of
Olmutz is at the head of the ecclesiastics of tbi«
country; and the supreme ecclesiastical juris*
diction, under the bishop, is vested in a con-
sistory. The commerce of this country is incon-
siderable: of that which tliey enjoy, Brunn has
the principal part. At Iglau and Trebitz are
nuinufactures of cloth, paper, and gunpowder.
The inhabitants io general are open-hearted, not
easy to be provoked or pacified, obedient to
their masters, and true to their promises; but
credulous of old prophecies, and much addicted

' to

I,'

.!,.

t ■■!

I -^

r ^

t i4

I.: h

1, ■' ■

■ ;

r '

,' 1,.; I,;

■ fell

r ■''!*« ;l

4.S0

;'rOURNl<;V IN MonwiA ANn nOlHMIA,

(o drinking. The boors, iiit'ecd, upon the river
llunuli, are suid to lie a lliievish, iinpolislied,
brutiil race. The sciences now begin to lift up
(heir lieads a little among the Moravians, the
iniiverKity of Ohuiilz having been gre:ili_y
improved.

Vienna is on the Sonlh side of the river Da-
nube, and opposite to it on tln( North side is
IHntzersdorf. From Vienna to Misehaii in Mo-
ravia is f;;rt_y-five miles; from Miseliau to
Adsterlitz the distance is seventeen miles, and
from Aiistcrbtz. on the same road, to Olniiit/ is
thirty miles, so that from A ienna to Olmutz the
distance is eip:htv-t\vo miles. This lader town
is the ciijntal of Moravia. The toun, thougii
small is very neat, strong, and populous. * It
stands on the river Morawa, over v^hiih is a
large bridge; and bv its navigation the inha-
bitants carry on a good trade with its southern
neighbours, particularly Hungary and Austria.
The public buildings are very handsome. Its
university has been mentioned above. It is the
see of a bishop, and St. ('yril, who liviwl about
the year 8S0 was its bishop. Here is an abbey
.so advantageously situatc-d for the defence of the
town that it is fortified and garrisoned. In 1741
tlie king of Prussia took it with its whole garrison.
In July 17.58 he besieged it again; end when on
the eve of taking it he was obliged to raise the
siege, to go and meet the Russian army, which
was ad\ancing against him,

Rrinn, or Brunn, is ten miles West of Auster-
litz, thirty S. W. of Olmutz, and sixty N. of
Yieuna. Altliough this town be situated in
Moravia, forty-five miles from the borders of
Bohemia, yet it is a dependency of Bohemia,
which has occasioned some geographers to mis-
take it for a part of the latter kingdom. It
stands near the confluence of the Schwartz and
the Zwittau, is a pretty large well built town,
'but is not very populous. The inhabitants carry
on a great deal of trade. It has four gates, a
cathedral, and several other churches, several
"convents, an episcopal paiaee, provincial house,
"and .ithcr public struetiircs. The di^;ts of Mo^-
ravia are held in the provincial house. It is de-
fended by a castle built on Spielberg Hill, which
is encompassed by a doubls wall and two ditches.
In 1645 this place held out bravely against the
Swedes.
• Znaiin is thirty-five miles S. W. of Brunn,

and fortv N. by W. of Vienna, li ,» , . J
place, and has a Inntlsome castle, w lii,.|, • "|(
old, and in which tjicre are said to be "J
numb, r of Pa^an aiiliijuities. lis sitnatj,*';"'
the river Taye. which falls into (i,(, ;yj ^ "
about twentv- live miles above Iho place 11?'^
(hat river lalls into (he iJanube. "

TIk; huge, strong, and well built town of H,
isthirty-scvcii nules N. W . oi ZnuJui, spv(.|,t\'!|' ,
miles W. by S. of Olmutz, and sex^nly-ioJi. J
of V ienna. It lies on a river of the siime nainJ
and i.s siiufilcd on thcconlines of lloliuiuiii, intiJ
ro.id to Hungary, and is therefore miidi U
quented. In the Hussite war this place ()|),i,im|
ly adhered to the side of the Pope, butwasil*
lirst town of Moravia subject to Holieiniinvi,,,!]
received the Augsburg confession of laitli, |]
161rJ it surrendered to the Swedes, who, to rriida
the town tiie more tenable, burnt down its Im
suburbs, and deVendcd it a whole year ajjiijnsi!
the emperor's forces, and even repulsed then,
At other times it was alternately taken aiiij «
taken in the wars between Bohemia and GciniainJ
Its principal trade is in beer and coarse woollJ
cloth. 1

Teltsich is ten miles S -xlau ; it is a prettJ

little town, is Wi 11 buil., ... populous, ft j
near the frontiers of Holi.'mia, and is seated}!
the source of the rivei- faye, which passes b3
Znaim,

■ lu;

BOHEMIA is, it must be confessed, one ol
the best countries in the Austrian dominions audi
next to Hungary, it yields a greater revenue to|
the crow n. It is boiuided by Saxonv and hmM
on the N. by Sih'sia on the N. K. and 11. bvl
Moravia on the E. and S. E. bv Austria on tbi)
8. and by Bavaria on the VV. It is about a liuiJ
dred and seventy miles from N. to S. and about!
two hundred and twenty miles from E. to W.

In Bohemia are many mines which eontainl
gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, lead, snipliiij
and nitre. In some of its rivers (the |)riiu'ipal
of which are, the Elbe, the Muldaw, the Cj-
burz, the Egra, and the Sazawa, ) is found gold!
sand. Here are several salt pits; but the iuh?>|
bitants arc chiefly supplied with that article froml
Misnia, It was formerly a part of the lIvrraniaDl
Forest, which, though now replaced with a tutl
many towns and villages, yet has still fofestiaiii||

wuudil

JOURNEY IN MORAVIA AND BOHEMIA.

451

''!<<'wii„fi,i J

f'e 8an.e i,aJ
•{"lit'iiiia, iinj
•-•''ore iiiiiil, |J

<•!"•. butwasiij

on of lailh, |]

nt down its largJ
'e .year apmi^

•■«l"»ls«l then.
!-').>' taken una m

liaaiulGcrinanl
tl coarse wooll J

f»u ; if. is a preiJ

|)0|H||ous. It

iind is seated a|
wijiili passes I

onfessed, one 08
1 doniiiiioiij, aih,,,
ealor revenue
xoiiv and Im^
^' K. and [•:, |)v|
V Austria on tbJ
t is nbodt aliuiJ
• to a. and about!
oil) E. to W.

which contain!

lead, siilpliiirj
I (the |)riiu'ipi|[
iildaw, the Cj-
, ) is found gold!
; but the iiiliii.
that article fromj
f thcllvrcaniaol
iced with atutl
still lofestianll

Jtwell stocked with deer, wild beasts, and

.1 In general the soil is ^lod, and the land

itbie though barren and sandy in some parts.

I not* only yields corn, birt plenty of saftVon,

Vjl, latter, however, is not so good in quality

ithat which is produced in some other parts of

Europe. The gardens and orchards yield

ikundatitly more than is snHicicnt for the con-

Mfflplion of the inhabitants; they therefore ex-

jgfl t considerable part. Vim-yards are not

Uh cultivated here, because the wine will not

. They have beer, both brown and white,

mh is l>'S'''y valued, and great quantities of

Jire exported.

fhc inhabitants of Bohemia are a mixture of
tlavonians, (those living in villaejes being
Haves,) and of Germans. The inhabitants of
Lfown ttre not fond of arms, arts, or trade;
jut rather prefer an indolent life. They arc in
reneral large bodied and well set, subtle, conra-
us, and true to their word: but the com-
mon sort, arc rather thievish, both in the country
J even in the towns after sun-set. Their
Uirjnal lanp;M!t^ is the Sclavonian, which \\ s
oktd upon to be so copious and sweet, tliat
jcir lawgivers ordered its true orthography and
[roiiiincialion to be inviolably preserved ; but
L$t people of fashion, through their 1nter-
Mfjc wi'h the court of Vienna, speak High
jjutth, which the common people have now in-
jfrmixcd with their own language. A few of
e Hussites still subsist in Kohcinia, but they
;eep themselves very close, and the government
tins to take no notice of them. The Jews have
open toleration; but the most predominant
jeligion is that of the church of Rome.
the protectant religion had very early footing
this country. They agreed principally with
[.ulher in doctrine and discipline; but the
Ijreadful persecutions which they suffered,
lirough the instigation of several popes, occa-
loned the Bohemian war in KilS, when the
Irotestants chose Frederic V. elector palatine,
pr their king; but he being defeated at the
altle of Prague in 1620, they were shockingly
«rsecuted and at length banished in 1639; since
[bich time their worship was not tolerated in
pemia till 1782, when the emperor Joseph
tanted a general toleration to all persuasions.
Jince l()39 the Bohemians have been governed
lery despotically by the house gf Austria. The.y
Vol. n. No. CI.

have still only the shadow of liberty among them,
their states meeting every year at Wag^c, vvhen
they seldom refuxt the whole of the emperor'
demands ; for they dread his resentment if they
were to make the least dcioiir.

The annual revenue of Bohemia to the house
of Austria amounts to nearly a million of pounds
sterling. The wealth and grandeur of the no-
bility, with the extreme poverty and uluvery of
the peasants can hardly b<; imagined. The gene-
rality of the nobility and gentrydespisc prefer-
ments out of their own country; yet they travel
into Franco or Italy, but not without express
leave from the emperor, under the penalty of
forfeiting their estates. When they come of age
they are obliged to take the oath of tidelity tQ
the king.

Many of the Bohemians have a talent for
music, esperially the hunter's horn; and t!iere is
no village where the mass is not sung in concert.
The aflairs of Bohemia are directed by a chan-
cellor, who has a vice-chancellor under him,
with several assessors and counsellors.

Prague, the capital of Bohemia, is 160 miles
N. \V. of Vienna. 130 W. by N. of Olmutz,
and 80 S. by E. of Dresden. This town is situ-
ated in a pleasant and fruitful country, amidst
gardens and fine fields, surrounded with palaces
and pleasure houses, on the river Muldaw, which
passing through it divides it into two parts.
Prague is one of the largest cities in Europe, being
about fifteen miles in circuit, and next to London>
Paris, and Constantinople, is said to be the most
populous. It consists of three towns, the Old,
the New, and the Little Town. It has a hun-
dred churches, besides nine Jewish synagogues,
and a famous university, which stands in the old
town, and was founded in 1358, by the emperor
Charles IV. It is the only one in Bohemia, and
has generally about one thousand four hundred
students. Here are several monasteries and col-
leges, of which there is a very magnificent one
which belons:ed to the Jesuits before their ex-

pulsion.

near

the bridge, from the belfry of

whose church there is the best prospect of the
city. On a rising ground, called Ratschin Mill,
is a magnificent palace of the emperor; and here
is the cathedral of St. Viet. The city is the see
of an archbishop. Here are Bohemian crystals,
which bear a fine polish, and are set in oar-
pendants^ rings, &c. but they are priucip-ally

lif I'

^ m

' . i m

?!^:«;|,l

.'i Y

used

*5'J

JOURNEY IN MORAVIA AND BOHEMIA,

used for lustres and drinking glasses, which are
vended all over Europe.

Koningratz is 68 miles E. of Prague, and is u
large town on the river Elbe., near its coniluence
with the Orlitz. It has its name from boing tuc
appendage of the queen», and their place of re-
sidence when widows. It is the principal town
of a circle ot the same nan.'e ; ; nd is the sec of a
bishop, who is suffragan to the archbishop of
Prague,

Gl&tz is thirty-eight miles N. E. of Koning-
ratz, on the confines of Silesia; it is seated on
the river Mira, which runs into the Oder. Here
is a castle on i rock which is almost inaccessible;
it surrendered, however, to the king of Prussia
in 1742, and the city, together with the county
of tiie same name, was ceded to that monarch at
the treaty of Breslau. Its trade is in silver ore,
iron, timber, coals, venison, cattle, butter, and
cheese. The groat church of Glatz was fonnorly
a pagan temple. The towji ii;;: good suburbs,
and a good town ho'.:oe, ''ut the j;!:ice sull'ered
much in the civil wars of Rohemia.
' E'>Ta is \Qi) milrs VV. of Prague, on tiiC con-
fines of Bohemia, and on a river of the sane
name, wliich falls into tlio Elbe near Lcntmiritz.
It is the capital of a circle of the same name, and
has a double wall towards the river, and in other

parts a triple one, with a strong caM.le ij
March 1742 the P'rench took the ^av.i; bytJ
September 1743 they surrendered it to iif
Austrians. In the neighbourhoo'l are minei
silver and copper, with a purgativ; spa, fam 1
for curing distempers of the e^'es, ears, oroth!!
parti* of tlie head. Here the channel of the rivd
is broad and deep, bearing large ves»>ls
abounding with fish.

Tabor is 45 miles S. of Prague, and III
N. W. of Vienna. The town is not larpe hi
it is a strong place. It was fortified by ocnerj
Zisca, vho was at the head o'i the Hussites wh
had their head quarters .it t'.iis place. It js^jt-,
on a hill, and ha« a double waM, toweri, an
bastions.

Budweis is 30 miles S. of Tabor, and 95 N, d
by W. of Vienna. It is seated on the Muldw
At this place the Austrians defeated the FrcncI
and Bavarians in 1741; but in 1744 it wasiakd
by the Prussians. |

Continiung the same road to the southwanj
at the distance of twenty-five miles is RoseiiberJ
which is likewise built on the banks of tb
Muldavv. It is a place of some strength, tlioiid
not very formidable; and the town is not \m
It might, however, be converted into a placet
importance, with but little trouble or cxpciice.

General Descriptic

?t.i --■'.I'

THE L\Y) OF STOLUERG S TRAVELS IN GERMANY.

. ,.tr*'t:l

'. ■,.-■'■ •■■ •/*'. •' ■'.■ ; .

j!::l >>•;'♦ *)'

<■>!-.

■:^r>

|ui:tui, but -.iiit very s
OHg: ihc biiiiks ot^ the
iSt-mliii, in Sclavonia
^Igrade, iu Scrvia, ) fc

\ '.^,

TRAVELS

IN " '/-''■■

UPPER AND LOWER HUNGARY,

TRANSYLVANIA, SCLAVONIA, CROATIA, AND MORLACHIA.

JEn^JV riCTOIKE -DUTEJVS,
EMil^EER. in 180G.

' r

■^1"."

SECTION I.

'«..»■

General Description of Hu/ngarif — Account of Presburg, Altenburg, Raab, and other '^.r

principal Towns.

^HE greater pa' t of the kingdom of Hungary

was anciently called Punnonias. It received

tnaaeof H'ingary from the Huns^ a Scythian

tTariat .;:tion, who subdued it in the fourth

mdirv. This country, inclulinff Transylvania,

s between 16 and 27 degrees of East longitude,

y 44 degrees 40 minutes and 49 degrees 20

\m\ti of North latitude. It is bounded on

le North by the mountains of Ciupack, (gene-

]j|y called the Carpathian Mount<>ins, ) which

Ipanite it from Poland ; by Croatia, Sclavonia,

Friim which it is separated by the river Drave)

nvia, and Walachia on the South; by Mo-

Ivia, Austria, and Stiria on the West; and on

ie East hy Turkey in Europe. It is divided

llu Upper and Lower Hungary, the former

ling that part which lies towards the east,

Itvond the river Theiss; the latter that which

stowirds the West of that river. Hungary

Kliidinir Transylvania is four hundred ant'

Jfly miles long, and three hundred and Oity

load.

jTlie northern parts of the kingdom are moun-
jinmis and barren, but heiilthy; the southern
krts, on the contrary, are lo; el, and exceedingly
luill'ul, bu'. •■iui very salubrious. The country
m^ die banks ol* the Danube, from Presburg
Scmlin, in Sclavonia, (which is oppo>«ite to
tigrade, iuServia, ) for upv^ards of three hun-

* It is said to be about one<iiith of

dred miles, is one continued plain, and no soil
can be more fertile; but the air, by reason of the
many swamps and mora.sses, is not so wholesome
as on the higher and drier grounds. In the ex-
tensive country of Hungary there are mines of
gold and silver, copper, iron, lead, quicksilver,
cinnabar, antimony, yellow orpiment, sulphur,
vitriol, niarcasite, salt, native and factitious,
salt-pctre, magnets, a»b<;stos or stone flax, mar-
ble of several colourii, alabaster, and some pre-
cious stones. Corn fs in such plenty, that it is
sold exceedingly cheap*. Their grapes are
large and luscious; and some of their wines are
preferred to any in Europe. The people have
vast numbers of (battle and horses, the latter
mostly mouse-coloured, with butTaloes, deer,
wild fowl, game, (which is so numerous, that
no person is restrained from himting, ) and fish,
(which is likewise so plentiful, that they fre-
quently feed their hogs with it,) and many spe-
cies of wild beasts, particularly chamois goats
and bears. Of vegetables, besides vines, antj
the common sorts, here are tobacco, saffron,
bo'-k wheat, millet, melons, and cliesnuts. Here
also arc excellent warm batiis, and springs of
various kinds and qualities. The cliief moun-
tains arc those of Crapack, the sides of which
are mostly covered with wood, and ''leir sum-
mits with snow. The chief rivers are the

Dauube«
the price that articlo beam in Eug'amt.

i'&v

!f m

'■Am

*> ■ Iv ■■ '■

4-5 t

DUTEN'S TRAVELS IN HUNGARY,

Danube, the Dravc, the Theiss, tjie Waag, the
(iran, the Temes, and the Raab, which are all
well stocked with fish. There are several lakes
in this country, the principal of which are, the
Ncusidlcr, (or Lake Pelso, ) the Lake Balaton,
( or Flatten, ) and the Palitsher See, near Zegedin.

The inhabitants are a mixture of the descend-
ants of the ancient Huns, Sclavonians, Cumani^
Germans, Walachians, Greeks, Jews, Turks,
and a wandering people called Zigduns, said to
be of uncertain origin, but probably the same as
those called Gipsies. The Hungarians are said
to be of a sanguine choleric temper, and some-
what fierce, cruel, proud, and revengeful.
They have been always reckoned good soldiers,
being much more inclined to arms, martial ex-
ercises, and hunting, than to arts, learning,
trade, or agriculture. The nobility affect great
pomp and magnificence, and are much addicted
to feasting and carousing. The men in general
are strong and well proportioned. They shave
Ihcir beardii, but leave whiskers on the upper
lip, wearing fur caps on their heads, a close
bodied coat girt with a sush, with a short cloak
or mantle over all, so contrived as to be buckled
under the arm, and leave the right hand at
liberty. Their horse soldiers are called hussars,
and their foot heyduks. The former wear a
broad sword or scymetar, and carry a hatchet or
battle axe. Their horses .ire fleet, but not so
large as the German horses, and therefore they
stand up in their short stirrups when they strike.
Roth horse and foot are excellent militia, very
good at a pursuit, or ravaging and plundering
a country, but are not equal to regular troops in
a pitched battle. The women, when they go
abroad, wear short cloaks and i veil.

There are five languages spoken in this coun-
try, viz. the Hungarian, which, like the people,
is of Scythian origin, and has little or no alBnity
with any European tongue; the German, the
Scliivonian, the Walachian, and the Latin. The
last is spoken, not only by the better sort of
people, but also by the plebeians, though very
corruptly. The people called Zigduns have
also a particular jargon. Christianity was
planted in Hungary in the ninth and tenth
centuries. In tue sixteenth the Reformation
made a great progress in it; but at present,
tlinuu;li tne Roman Catholics hardly make a
fuurth part of the inhabitants, their religion is

predominant, the Protestants cnjoylna; onlv « I J
ration. Besides several sects of Protestants 1 J
are also great numbers of the Greek church'"!!
Jews; these last pay double taxes of all ki^ij
Here are likewise a great many Turks, narl" J
larly in the parts which border upon Turk |
and in some of the large towns, where arcsevcr!|
mosques. Besides collegrs and convents tl>
are several universities belonging to the nartii
of the church of Rome; and the Lulhcraiisam
Calvinists have their gymuasi^iuns and schoojj
but they are under certain restrictions. 1

As to the trade of this country, it is almost wholJ
in the hands of the Greeks and Jews,. The eil
ports consist chiefly of wine, horses, cattle, nietaU
minerals, saffron, wool, and leather. Hunearj

in particular furnishes Austria and
bouring countries west of it, with

the

iicigb

exporter

tj ^„i,..w.^. ..^a- w. .., „.... large drori
of cattle, as well as a variety of wines, ofwhid
those of Tokay are reckoned the best. Tl
principal manufactures are those uf cnppei
.brass, iron, and other hard wares. Grei
quantities of brass and iron arc
wrought and unwrought.

Hungary at first, like most other countrki
was divided into many little principalities ai
states, which were at length united under (
head, who had the title of duke. The last
these dukes was Geysa, who becoming
proselyte to Christianity, was bapfi/ed; afli
which he resigned the government to his
Stephen, who took the title of king, in theyi
1000. But as the throne w.':<« tilled Ityclcriioi
though generally out of the ;'iime family,
disposal of the crown was disputed between tl
Turkish and German emperors for nearly t»i
hundred years; and after the year 1527, win
Ferdinand, archduke of Austria, was advaiio
to the throne, the Austrians found means toil
fliicnce the elections in such a manner, u
keep the crown in their family till lOH?', wl
it was settled hereditarily on their heir.^ mali
and now, in consequence of an act made bvtl
diet at Presburg, in 172J, in case of the t'ailui
of l^eirs male it is to descend to females.

The states of tlie kingdom consist of the p
lates, the barons, the gentry, and the royal fr
towns. To the first class belong two arr.hbisho™
about a dozen bishops, and nearly as manyal
hots and provohts. To the second, the stsdl
holder or palatinate, who represent!; the kii

^ court Judge,
yi», Croatia, a

Lees «'« ^^^ *^°'
leause tliey beloi
^jtadtholder of
tr, the cup be*
ijld, the master o
|,i„,'tlie captain
J (he grand mn

pedtlicg'ca*''*'

,nsor counts an

-long the gentrj

Lors, and othef

Ltbe fourth ohw

Lhidi are not su

iBiBcdiately of th<

Ijldof the archh

^ privileg;cs as

Urnion people I

i(Ke lands vbey 1

, the crown, th

,tryi

The ordmary re
amouat to ai: I
im the mines, d
works, conti
jrtiliiatioii* and
[ii on the frontieri
•eit'expetiee to
'isily bring intq
leo, rq^ulars an
rved, th«y are
If there are fift
IV, and the sevi
irniih the remain
Presburg is th
■feuded by a
iated on a hill,
lorn is kept. T
ides here, and h
in[i;iiig to his pi
lusive of the
llcasant well bi
lany Italian mer
lurg lias suffer
ilainities, of wli
If the city's fiv(
ir sallies in cas
illuwing inscrip
liptutn divisui
liiigdom divided
Vol, II. No.

UPPER AND tOWER HUNGARY, «cc;

♦55

court Judg®' *''® ^^^ *"^ viceroy of Mor-
jj Croatia^ and Sclavonia, ( for tlicse pro-
' ,,g now considered as^a part of Hungary,
use tliey beloneto the emperor of Austria; )
.stadtholder of Transylvania; the ^reat trea-
L .r the cup bearer, the steward of the house-
Id the master of the horsL', the lord chaiubiT-
I the captaiti of the yeomen of the guards,
the grand iriarshal of the courts, M'ho are
1 the great barons, together with the inferior
or counts and barons. -To the third clasa
one the gentry> some of whom have noble
lors, and others only tho privileges oi' nobles,
(be fourth class beloncf tlw? royal freo towns,
jiich are not subject' to the counts, but liold
iiBcdiately of tile king. The gentry alsit, who
ill! of the archbishops, a;;.! bisliopp, tiavc the
iepriviic^;cs as tho iiuitgtarian nobility. The
lUDion peop'le' are vassal^ to tht! lords, on
(Kse lands ihey live, whether th(<se lands belong
the crown, the clergy, the nobility, or the

itry.' ' ■ ■ ; . ■

flic ordinary revenue of this kingdom is said

amount to ai: least a million sterling, airising

n the mines, duties on cattle, royal dentesnes,

t works, contribution^ and customs. The

tifiiatioiis and garrisons, cdnstantly'inuintain-'

Jon the frontiers on the side of Turkey, are a

-eit'expetice to the govierninent. Hungary can

isily bring intp the field a hundred thousand

leo, rqB;ulars and militia; (but, as before ob-

ved, they are not e«|ual to a veteran af ' ; )

r (here are fitly thousand generally in tl

y, and the several gesfanchasts, ' or country,

iniish the remainder when wanted.

Presburg is the capital of Hungary, and it

feuded by a strong castle with four towers

lated on a hill, where (he crown of the king^

lomiskept. The airchbishop of Strigonia re-

idp8 here, and has very handsome gardens be-

nging to his palace. Though the town, ex-

usive of the suburbs, is but small, it is a

ilcasant well built city. It is populous, and

lany Italian merchants have houses here. Pres-

lurg has sufl'ered much by fires, and other

lainities, of which sad ruins are still to be seen.

f the city's five gates, two are small posterns,

r sallies in case of a siege. Over one is the

lluwing inscription is gold, " Omnc regnum in

ipsum divisiira desolabitur;" i. e. "Every

fi|!;doin divided against itself shall be destroyed."

Vol, H. No. CH.

it was intended as a lesson to the Hungarians^ to
keep united, lest by their intevnal squabbles mis"
chief might accrue to' the r.tate. -Presburg has
ditchesy dn one side dry/ on the oth^r marshy,
but neither deep nor broAd <^nough for the defence
of thef'town.. The ascent df the citadel is by one
hundred and fifteen steps. In its middle is a deep
well dug in the rock, into which the waters
from the Danube penetrate. Upon the hills on
the North and West sides of the citadel are ex-
cellent vines. At this place the palatine of
Hungary resides; he is the king's lieutenant, and
has great authority. The Danube is very wide
and rapid opposite the town: in summer ii is
crossed over a bridge of boat*; but on the apr
proach of winter, this bridge is. withdrawn, and
they muko usfi of ai flying bridge, composed of
two largo boats,! joined together, which is made
to ruvi-along by a rope. extended across the river,
and makes a' very sale bridge. Presburg is 3%
miles Ev by S-'Of Vienna, and 72 miles S. E. of
2naim.

Altenburg is 16 miles S. of Presburg; it is
a fine town,, and is the capital of the province
drWiesciburg: it is situated on an island, and
hk» a strong castle, standing on a small arm of
the Danube and on the Leitha, and has besides a
d#e.p and broad ditch surrounding it lilled with
water. Jn these parts is no other road out of
Hungary into Austria, but clo.se by the castle;
so that it hii . l)oen xel-koned the best frontier town
on the wetit side of Hungary,

Raab is '25 miles S. E. of Altenburg, and
is the capital of the c'lnly of the same
nan'- It is a royul iie< tuun snd strong for-
'.ess. both by nature and art, an the river Raab,
where ■ unites wii ■ the f>anube and Kabnilz>
by tho waters of vliith it is surrounded, forming
also the island of Sclaitt It is flefended by seven
large bastions. ;iiid iuur (avulicr^ and mounts^
which overloc thorn, has two bridges over the
branches of tin- river, and some antique arms in
Iw country round it is chara-
only coi lajuled by a neighbouring
hill, that may I)' ipped and easily blown up.
In an open in at a little distance is a watch
tower, from which the approach of an enemy
may be seen a great way.

Odenburg, which is the principal town of (he
county of tlie same name, is about .50 miles
W. of Raab, and Sii 8. VV. of Ptesburg. Thii

5 Z royal

its

puign, and

magazine.

456

OUTF.N'S TRAVKLS IN

ToytA free (own in likewise called Sopron, and is
said to be one of the best in Hungrary. Its in-
habitants make excellent wine.

Biida, or (as it is called by the inbalnitants)
Ofen, 115 miles E. by S. of Vienna, 82
S. E. of Presburg, and 190 N. by W. of
IJcIgriide, is on the west bank of the
Daiuibc. This town is also called New Buda,
or Ofcn; the remains of Alt O fen are in the
plain extending from the suburbs of Buda, be-
tween the mountains of Pilis and the Da-ubc.
Alt Ofjn is at present but a mean place, about
which are vait heaps of ruins, where remains of
Romi:n antiquities arc still found. New Buda
is a , royal free city, well fortified, and has a
castle which many suppose to be nearly impreg-
nable. The houses are tolerably handsome,
being most of ibem built with square stones.
The lower city, or Jews' town, extends, like
suburbs, from the upper city to the Danube.
The upper takes up all the declivity of a moun-
tain, and is fortified with good walls, which
have towers at certain distances. The castle,
which is at, the extremity of the hill, and com-
mands the greatest part of it, is surrounded with
a very deep ditch, and defended by an old
fashioned tower, with the addition of new forti-
lications. Theie is also a suburb, enclosed with
hedges, after the Hungarian manner. The most
sumptuous structures now are tlic caravanserais,
the mosques, bridges, and baths. These last
are supposed to be the finest in Europe, for the
magnificence of their building and for plenty of
water. Some of the springs arc used for bathing
and drinking; and others are so hot that they
cannot be used without an admixture of cold
water. The Danube here is about three-quarters
of a mile wide, and there is a bridge of boats
between this city and Pest, consisting of sixty-
three large pontoons, Tlie adjacent country is
fruitful and pleasant, producing rich wines.

* Tli'i city vVi-vs Mic icsultmcc of thi- kiiies of Hungary
till »!.e Turks look il in l6'iC. Ffrdiiiaiul, arciiduke of
Austria, recovered it tlicncxt year; but iti I.S'iO the Turks
liecame maffers of it again In 1681 tlw; Christians taid
fiege to it, but they were obliged to raise it soon afttir,
though they had nil nriny of eighty ihouKand men. Two
years after tlic Turks lost it again, it being taken by assault
in the sight of a numerous army. The booty that the
Christians found in it was almost incredible, bceanso the
ri<^ inhabitants had lodged their treasure in this city ns a
place of safety. However, part of these riches were lost

though ID some places they have » juini,,,,
flavour, from the impregnation of tiie wall*

As Buda is on the western side of ti,.'
nube, so is Pest on the eastern, like U
and Southwark in England, which n^„
parated by the Thames, i. Pest is the caniuufl
county of the same name, is situated Jnaii'
plain, and is H-J niilos S. E. of Presbiirff.

From Raab to Stuhlweissenburg ig 33 ■.
in a S. E. direction, which town i* Tj
SO miles S. VV. of Buda. It is a royawj
town, and is the capital of a county of the sa
name. It stands in a morass formed by the r "d
Sarwitz, but is not formidable upon that accouJ
It had formerly good works, but these have lom
since been demolished. From the town j^o th 1
very broad dams, between which are churcha
houses, gardens, and meadows, so that the
parts, like suburbs, are more populous thaniN
town itself It was some years ago in afloHfjj
ing condition; but having several times Hm
subject to the horrors of war, it is now inal]
dining state. }

B^)a is a well inhabited town ot the cotinlJ
of Bats, 8b- miles S. of Buda, imd 22 niiles 8,
Hajosb. Its situation is on the Daiiuhe, inj
very fruitful country, on the eastern side of J
river. .

From Baja to Apathy is ttbotit 40 aiil«s ,
a southern direction, through a pleasant countrJ
It is a very large village belonging to the territo3
of the Jazyges or Philistes. The district in i
neighbourhood is remarkably fertile, ami ml
duces an amazing quantity of corn and pasturl
Although it only bears the appellation of a J
lage, yet it is larger and niord populous thai
many towns which are the capitals of countitL
It is about two miles E. of the I>dnubc, and l]
miles N. E. of Eszeg; the name of whicj
latter place is generally spelt Esseck, but it
erroneous.

in the (ire occasioned by the assault. This lost siege cosiilj
Christians a great deal of blood, because thLfc neic llioj
in the camp who carried on a secret rorrespondi'tui' »ii|
the Till ks. Whei* the spra<^kirr ?aw the crtj on lirii, aJ
fwmd he could ivot rclictc it, he beat Ris head against li
ground through anger. In I6»7 this city h.id like to liiij
fallen into the hands of the Turks again, by iro;i(hci»]
Aflir »his the Chri8ti.ins augmented the forlificiiliipm ofiJ
town, hich so pleased the pope that he egiitrilnitiiH
hundred thonsand crowns toward the exiieiiivs, fori

looked upon Buda its the key of Ctiriitondom.

Carlowiti

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UPPER AND LOWr.R IIUNGAKV, dc.

457

f.Tr-Tr-T

I (>.MyfHt, or as it is called by the Hungarians,

L ,,,« is about 45 railes S. E. of Apathy, and

Kmc distance N. W. of Belgrade. This

Tjjg strong military town of the district of

Lken in Lower Hungary, six miles N. E. of

Merfardein, on the ifrestern bank of a small

Lr which empties itself into the Danube, at

fg^^bere several islands are formed by the

LwinKS ^f ^^^ river. This town is rendered

inious in history for the peace concluded here

j16!)9> between the Turks and the Impsrialists;

Ljj jj likewise noted for its red wine, vvhich is

fid to be the best in Hungary.

fAtsix miles S. W. of Neusaz is Petervurdcin,

in the ^southern bank of the Danube, bat in

U'wia, of which country it is a frontier town.

ihasoti«:n changed its master, being sometimes

kbiect to the Turks and sometimes to the Im-

ifialiits; for ii, was frequently taken and re-

^g by those powers when at war with each

ler. It was dismantled by the Imperialists,

I burnt by the Turks, re-fortified by the em-

Ror, and made one of the strongest frontier

LwDS against Turkey in 1691. In 171G prince

Wne obtained a signal victory oyer the Turks

its Dciglibourhood. It is at present subject to

e emperor of Austria, and is a place of great

jfengtb.

[Comorra or Coraorn is a royal free town of
lOwer Hungary, the capital of (he county of
kt name, (which district is inhabited by
lungitriaiis, Germans, and Bohemian slavcts,
litbsoiuc few Rascians, ) at the eastern extremity
I the ialiind of Schutt. It is distant from
[tiburg about 46 miles S. E. and about 40
lib N. W. of Buda. In this town i« the court
\m of the country, a college, and an academy.
I(ar it is an amazingly strong fortress, which is
prrounded on the west by a deep ditch full of
^ter, on the south and north by the rivers
Wmbe and Waag, whose streams unite
tre. The Turks often attacked this place, but
King to its great strength were never able to
le it. It was destroyed by an earthquake in
t()3, but has been since rebuilt.
[At 10 miles N. of Comorra is NewhauSel,
bich is the principal town of a district of the
name. It is J8 miles E. of Prcsburg, and
)an important fortress, which gave the Turks
great deal of trouble : tlicy, however, took it
1663; but the duke of Lorraine retook it iu

1683. Its situation is a charming one, and the
country around it fertile and pleasant.

From Comorra to Gran is 24 miles
along the banks of the Danube, The fertile
county of Gran lies to the east of the county of
Raab, and is extremely productive of all the
necessaries o. life. The town of Gran is a royal
free place, and is situated on the south bank of
the Danube, opposite to Barkan, where that
river receives the Gran, which latter river has its
rise in the Carpathian mountains, which separate
Hungary from Poland. It is buiitt in a very
fruitful country, which produces great quantities
of excellent wine, and was once the metropolis of.
the kingdom. It is exceedingly well furtitied,
and divided into the Upper and the Lower towns;
the latter of which has great command of the
Danube. Here is the see of an archbishop,
valued before the loss of Newhausel, above-men-
tioned, itt three hundred and forty thousand
florins per annum; but now it is not reckoned
worth more than one hundred thousand. The
castle, the archbishop's palace, and Saint Stephen's
cathedral, a.-e the principal among its many
noble structures. Here are two large towers, one
towards Thonesburg, and the other facing the
river, which are joined by a wall fortified with
divers redoubts, and a ditch nunked with hewn
stone, besides a pallisadoed terrace, and four
great points like ravelincs; and there is also a
strong fort built on St. Thomas's hill. This
town has often changed its master, as ha\e many
others in this country. In t.~)96the Imperialists
took it from the Turks. In the siege of it at that
time, Sir Thomas Arundel of Wardour castle,
for his signal valour in storming the watch
tower, and pulling down the Turkish banner, &c.
was created a count of the empire by the emperor
Rudolph, and afterwards king James I. made
him a baron of England; which honours are still
enjoyed by his posterity. The Turks, however,
retook it, and kept possession of it till 1683,
when, after the defeat of their army before
Vienna by John Sobieski, king of Poland, the
Imperialists recovered and defended it againit
the Turks, who again attacke'J it in 1685, but
were entirely defeated by the dtkes of Lorrain«
and Bavaria; since which time the house of
Austria have remained in possessDo of it.

Schemnitz, or Scemniz, is 50 mii'?s N. of Gran,
66 miles N. of Buda, and 72 u'lcs N. E. of

Prcsburg*

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458

DUTEN'S TRAVELS IN

JKZ3=

Prcsburg. It is otie of the largest mine towns in
Hungary^ and as it is built on a rocky hillj its
streets are consequently rendered very uneven.
Here are three Lutheran churches, and the town
is defended by as many castles, one of which be-
ing built in a very lofty situation, serves the
purpose of an excellent watch tower. Here are
gome of the finest medicinal baths in this part of
the world, but the air of the place is not very
healthy. The neighbourhood of Scheranitz has
been long famous for six rich mines of silver,
one of which is in some places very cold, and in
others so extremely hot, that <he miners are un-
der the necessity of working naked. Most of the
ore contains a portion of gold; and in these
mines are likewise found crystals, amethysts, and
Titriol naturally crystal ized. Not fltf from the
town is a rock, where is found a red substance
which is called cinnabar of silver, of which the
inhabitants make an exceedingly fine vermillioni
In th^'se mines upwards of two hundred men ar6
kept constantly at work.

At the distance of J 8 miles from Sthfemnitz,
in a northerly direction, is the royal free
town of Kremnitz, which is the principal
among the mountain towns. Its situation is vety
low, having high mountains all about it. The
town itself is but small, and its suburbs arc by
far the most considerable part, in which are uine
streets. At this town is a mint, where all the
gold and silver found in the mines is coined into
money, to the amount of about a hundred thou-
sand ducats yearly. During the internal com-
motions of this country the town of Kremnitz
was a considerable suficrer. It was totally de-
stroyed by fire in the year 1777, but has since
b'.nm rebuilt.

From Buda a good road leads through Gyon*
gyosh to Eriau, or Egcr, (forit is situated on
the river Eger, which empties itself into the
'Jheiss, ) at the distance of 65 miles, in the
gespanchaft or county of Borsod. It is sur-
rounded with old walls and bulwarks; and in its
neighbourhood is a strong castle on an eminence.
The town of ErIau was once in a very flourishing
condition, but has been greatly reduced by the
frequent sieges and attacks to which it hab been
subject. It is an episcopal see. and the bishop,
who usually resides here, has a considerable
revenue. The Jesuits had here an academy and
a college, which are' now converted to other

purposes than the promulgation of their to
In" the neighbourhood of ErIau an eKoelJentk
of red wine is prodqced, which is much drl
in this part of Hungary; and not far fron,!3
town is a warm bath which is much resorted (
This place made a very brave defence against ffl
Turks in 1552; but in 1596 it was coinpelieij
surrender. In 1606 the Imperialists rifled
town, and committed great outrages in it- U
notwithstanding their efforts they were not' .hi
to make themselves masters of the castle.

At the distance of 30 milts from ErIau is \u
strong town of Mishkotz on the river Shaid
and 25 miles farther is Kascau, which Is U
lightfully situated on the river Heriiath, and]
the capital of the county of Abaujvar, KascJ
is a very strong place, it being enclosed withl
triple wall, and a good ditch, besides being ftl
tified with fonrtidable bastions and a
citadel. Here are two gates, which are open
alternately, and one ofthomostconsiderablean.
nalk in the kingdom. Here are spdkeu ti
German, the Hungarian, the Polisjh, the Sell
vonian, and the Turkish languagt^s. As most J
the Gei'mans in Kascau are Lutherans, andlB
Hungarians Calvinists, the great church isallflj
nately supplied with a minister of each persiiasioj
A rivulet from a neighbouring mountain entej.
the town, and divides it into two branches, thl
run the length of it, with thirty-four bridi
over them. The town house is a mostbeauliri
structure, and the parish church is an admirabi
piece of architecture! The governor commaiii
all the troops in the neighbourhood; biitwitb|
six miles of the town, the nobilit)^ &c. of
country u-sed, in times of war, to pay nomagel
the Turks. In 1537 there were two kings
Hungary chosen, by different parties, and
tweer.' them they made great havoc in this i^i
the neighbouring piaces. The Tijrks laid sift
to Kascau in 1592, but their attciuipts to take]
were in vain: and in 1604 the Imperialists I
sieged it; but they met with no better succd
than the Turks; iif, however, submitted to llj
Imperialists in 1606. In 1621 it was rosig
by treaty to Bethlcm (iabor, prime of TraJ
sylvania, who had besieged ar»d taken it,
166S it was taken by prince Kagotski; antii
1<)82 it was possessed by t^)urit Tckcli. AftJ
which it belonged now to the Turks nowfoll{
mal-conteDfs, now to the emperor; tillutlengl

!?■

IJPPER AND LOWEtl HUNGARY, .^c.

" >

45^

, latter prevailed, and it still belongs to the
'" .gf of Austria. Thus the inhabitants of
Jf' „ have been frequently compelled to sub-
r. II the horrors of war, which certainly
lied to reduce it froin its ancient splendor and
f jUjcnce, but still it is a consylerable pluVc,
Kl if the country should /crnaio at peace will,
fthout doubt, recover a part at least of its
Irmcr greatness.

Ti,i;()niilc9 N. by E. of Kascau is the strong
L nival free town of Eperies, on the river
|.,., SO miles from the conihies of Poland.
!■ Il'jg ,..,j)iial of the gespanchaU or county of
i,(ij This town is surrounded with ditches,
Ivall. a"'' towers. It is the seat of the highest
Lrtiii the circle of the Hither Theiss, and is the
Itflfiui academy and college Here was formerly
|(i)lle!>iii!U illustre, belonging to the Lutherans,
It it is now laid aside. This place has long
L, (jiiioiis for ils fair and for its salt mines,
Lljiiilariv one of the laffer, out of which pieces
[pure salt are said to have been dug of ten
Lsaiid pounds weight. It is of several colours.
Je wafer of the mines, when boiled, produces
lilt which is given to the cattle. Eperies was
Vofthe four towns yielded to Hethlem Gabor,
L'c of Transylvania, but the Imperialists rc-
ivered it again in 1710.

ITraversiiig the road to the N. W. from
Lrits. at the distance of '28 miles is
Ltscliau, which is the capital of the cornty of
[m, (vulgarly called Zips,) in Upper Ilun-
Irv. It is within 'iO miles of the confines
J Poland. Being seated at the top of a hill,
Icominaiids a beautiful and extensive prospect.
lefowii is handsome, large, and well ibrtilied;
lis principally inhabited by Germans, who pro-
Is Liitheranism, and who likewise speak the
jungarian language. At this place is annually
lid a very c<Hisiderable fair, which induces .
lople from the neighbouring coiuitry to resort
lit, as well for the purposes of tratlie as of
BiisL'ment. Lcutschau is looked upon as a
lace of great importance, it being reckoned the
jtoiid royal free town of Upper Hungary. It
Is, however, like most of the strong towns in
liii2;ary, been subject to the calamities of war.
KiSi tlie mal-contents took possession of it,
(liiil()8.")tlie Imperialists wrested it from them.
If the year follov/uig the mal-contents recovered
iBjrain.

Ila the neighbourhood of Lcutschau, at the
Vol. IL No. ClI.

distance only of four miles in a S. W. direction,
in the strong town of Iglo, in the same county,
which has generally shared the fate of that town;
for whocvti' was master of the former soon got
possession of the latter.

Setting out from Buda in Lower Hungary,
and passing through the large towns of Halasz,
Therbsiopel, and Czernabara, you arrive at
Temeswaer, which is 160 miles from Buda(
in a S, E. direction, and TO from Belgrade
in a N. by E. direction. This is a considerable,
important, and very strong town. It is the
capital of a coimty of the same name, and haa
long been considered as the capital of Upper
Hungary. Indeed when the Turks were in pos-
session of this part of Hungary, it was reckoned
the capital of Sclavonia in European Turkey.
Temeswaer formerly passed for impregnable;
hut it was taken by prince Eugene in a dry season,
by throwing several thousand bombs into it in
17 1(). As it is seated in a morass, (to drain
which, and for the purpose of navigation,
a canal of about 100 miles in length Iia^
■»een ^.lade, ) it is rendered inaccessible to an
•rmy, except in a dry season, when they are in
want of rain. By the peace of Passarowitz in
1718 it was left in possession of the house of
Austria, to whom it at present belongs.

At 9.") miles N. of Temeswaer, and 120 E.
of Buda, is Gros Wardein, (Great Waradin. )
It is the capital of the county of Bihar, is an
episcopal town, and a place of great strength.
It is seated on the river Sebes Kerez, This town
was taken by the Turks in 1660, but the Im-
perialists wrested it from them in 1692, and have
kefft possession of it ever since.

The road from Gros Wardein, in a N. W.
direction, leads to Debrelzein, which is SO
miles from that place, and 107 miles E. of
Buda. Dobretzein is a royal iVee town in the
Farther Circle of the Theiss, in Upper Hungary.
It is seated on a fine plain, and is both large and
populous; yet it is but indiftcrenfly built, and
has neither wails nor towers. The breeding of
cattle in these parts is considerable For twelve
miles and upwards there is neither hill nor wood,
being a continued heath, consequently the inha-
bitants are in great want of timber. This town
has been three times burnt down by accident. In
1681' it was taken by the Turks, but the Imperial-
ists retook it the same year.

Proceeding still fan her on the road is Tokay,
0 A which

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460

DUTKNVS TRAVELS IN

which is hy 40 miles N. by W. of Dcbretzicn,
and 100 N. E. of Ktida. This is a very strong
town and citadel of Upper Hungary, and is situ-
ated on an island formed by the confluence of the
Theiss and the Bodrog. The town itself is incon-
siderable; but it has been long noted for its ex-
cellent vino, called Tokay, which is highly
esteemed all over Europe, and sells at a high
price. There is only one vineyard <hat produces
it, insomuch that it is scarce even at Vienna itself;
and as it is so scanty, we need not be surprised at
the deception of the merchants, who impose upon
their customers a different wine, to which they
give the same appellation. It is also famous for

a medicinal earth found in its neiglibour]
and at some distance from it are some e\,.lii'
salt works. It has been frequently taken a i
taken by the Turks and the Imperialisitg '
Zcgedin, the capital of the gespancliaft
Czongrad, is .55 miles N. W. of Temeswaer •
70 N. E. of Eszeg. It is situated onlhe^v
side of the Theiss, but is in Upper Huq™
and is opposite the mouth of the Marosdi Jh'
that river falls into the Theiss. This (o'j
which is defended by a castle, has uiiJcrgoJ
several sieges, with various success. Tlie I
periulists took it from the Turks in 1680.

y ; SECTION 11.

Ccncral Description of Transtjlvania — Its strong HolcU and principal Towns described — Jcconntl

of the Pdsses.

TRANSYLVANIA is a province annexed to
Hungary, and is bounded on the North
and West by Upper Hungary, on the Past and
North-East by Moldavia and part of VVallachia,
and on the South by VVallachia. From East to'
West it is 170 miles long, and from North to
South 150 miles. This country is surrounded
on all sides by high mountains, and the air is
generally healthy and temperate. The soil pro-
duces corn, wine, and fruits in great plenty. It
abounds with woods and forests, particularly on
the sides of its high hills, in which arc mines of
gold, silver, lead, copper, quicksilver, and
alum. It is inhabited by several sorts of persons,
principally descendants of the anciejitSiculi, Sax-
ons, an4 Hrngarians. They are at present of
different religions, which are all tolerated, as
Papists, Lutherans, Calvinists, Socinians, Pho-
tenians, AriaQs, and Mohammedans. The ad-
ministration of affairs is conducted by twelve
persons, /zi. three Roman Catholics, three Lu-
therans, three Calvinists, and threj Socinians.
Transylvania is a very important province, and
must ever turn to the advantage of its possessor'
whenever a war shall happen between the emperor
and the Turks, by reason of the considerable
supplies either of them might draw from it: and
as it is a frontier province the king of Hungary will
always find it his interest to keep possession of it.
This country was formerly a part of Hungary,

till it was rent fr«mi the body of that liindoJ
by Solimau the Magnificent, and erected into]
separate principality, who appointed the tribiij
it should p-.iy at the Porte. Prince Cliarhj
Lorraine easily perreived, (hat wliichsoever
the two monarchs was master of it, would wiiN
out difficulty keep the sovereignty of lliiii<;arl
possessed himself of it by open force, for lii
brother-in-law. He was very sensible that
su, ,)lies drawn from this province, its advaiital
geous situation, its nearr 'ss to VVallaihia iiiJ
Moldavia, and • its sf r()ng cities, were of m
greatest importance. And these considcraiioii
prevailed with him to prefer the con<]tu.sl uii
before the reduction of all the rc< of liiiii|;,irv|
Tlve emperor easily made himself in;islor o( in
and this conquest had great consequences; i'ol
from that time, 1711, the emperor lias ahitil
been absolute sovereign of it. The iiiihlit J
commanded by the governor, whose c(nniiii.«iiil
is the more important, as Trapsylvaiiia is rcckoid
the bulwark of Christendom.

Transylvania takes its name from its beiit
seated by vast mountains and forests, wliirfl
divide it from Hungary, being a part of tJ
ancient Dacia. The Hungarians cull it Krilelij
the Germans Sicbenbergen. and the Diitdj
Sevenbergen, the two latter signify the mA
thing, viz. the seven cities, from that part ofiw
country which is inhabited by the Saxons,

watfl

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UPPER AND LOWEft llUNG.^aY, Ac

461

Uefin sonic i—v^a » .v^.,.w»u« „..„..v,.,,-....^
wuse it pas3C9 tlirough minerals of several
I (*• but where it is not impregnated by them,

m"' . 1 _- ,1 I ...1.^l»<..,r.,» „<! tUai

I Iff in some places is reckoned unwholesome,

le it

reckoned as good and as wliolcsome as that
flihcr countries. ^ ^ ^

We have before said that Transylvania is m-
biicd by three sorts of people, viz. 1. The
*u!i who pretend to be the most ancient, and
'^ jijpposed to be a race of the ancient Scythians,
"ibi.' descendants of the Huns. They are divided
to seven cantons. 2. The Saxons, who are
ou^ht to be descendants of the Daci, (the
!jijv was conquered from them by Trajan,
'°e Roman emperor,) for they still call them-
Ives Decen, or rather Detschen, ( which word
■fjtly resembles what is called Dutch, ) and
losscss tlie province denominated the Seven

j&«Z— JccoMBfMJjiiaihia

were enabled to hold out seven years after the
desMh of LcH'is king of Hungary.

.5altzburg, eight miles N. of Hermanstadt, is
a Vv"^ry neat iown, and is principally famous on
account of its extremely rich salt mines, which
yield un amazing revenue to the crown.

Miclelsburg, seated on a hill about a German
leagues. W. of Hermanstadt, is a small, but well
built towi . It has a very strong fortress built on
the top of the hill, which nature, assisted by art,
has rendered so secure, that it may be considered
as almost impregnable.

Helten, about the same distance from Her-
manstadt on the S. E. is )> neat town, and is
noted for a strong castle built for its defence.
The inhabitants of this town carry on consider-
able manufactures of silk and cloth, and trade
owns. 3- 1 he Hungarians, who inhabit that | largely in fruit, of which this part of the coun-
iftof tlie country which lies on the frontiers of j try aflibrds great abundance and variety

Tbe part of Transylvania inhabited by the
,„ns is divided into five counties, viz. Atland,
jiidvnrdenwald, Burdland, Velnland, and Nos-

lerlaiid.

Till' principal place in the county of Atland is
nnaiisladt, which is 30 miles S. E. of
eissembcrfr, »»d l^^O miles E. of Temeswaer.
rniuiistadt is the capital of Transylvania, and

formerly the residence of its prince. It was
lied Horinaiisladt from its founder Herman, a
, and Cibinium from the river Cibin or

n, on which it is seated. It is the see of a
Imp, who is suflragan to the archbishop of
locza ill Hungary. About it are many tish
indsand other pools of water, which render

access dittifult, and by. that means, as also

strong walls, and several bastions, it is able

make a good defenco against an enemy. The

lusts are well built and generally slated, and

well supplied with water from several
inffs; even the river is conveyed through the

ts ill canals made for that purpose. The
irtsofjiistiee lor the Saxons are held in it, and
chief trade of tie inhabitants consists in cloth

meal. It received an Imperial garrison in

i'. Hermanstadt is a granary for the whole
icipality, and by keeping the corn under
for many years without damage, they

[Thus it appears, that all the iiaiues by which this
1 M designated have nu resemblance io sound to each

Agnabet, or Agnctlihi, is about ten miles
N. E. of Hermanstadt, on the river llaibach.
This is a considerable town, and by some is
reckoned one of the principal places of Tran-
sylvania; but it does not appear to merit .so high u
character.

The county of Landvordenwald lies west from
Hermanstadt; the only place of note in this
county is Millenbach, otherwise called Sebeste,
or Zazebes, which is its capital, and was the first
built by the Saxons in the county. It lies in a
very hollow valley, tolerably secured on the west
side by morasses, but open on the other. This
place is aboutIG miles \V. <^rom Hermanstadt.

The county of Burkland lies E. from Herman-
stadt towards the frontiers of Moldavia. Of this
county Cronstadt is the capital, which is o3
miles E. of Hermanstadt. This place is called
by the Greeks Slephanopolis, by the Italians
Corona, but by the natives Brassa*. It is sup-
posed to be the Pretoria Augusta of Ptolemy.
Cronstadt is surrounded by walls, towers, and
ditches, and therefore a place of strength. It
has, however, been frequently pillaged, and has
greatly sulVered from earthquakes. This town
carries on a cousiderablc trade, is the see of a :
bishop; has a good college, and is the seatoruii
university, which possesses the best library in the
country. Not far from Cronstadt is the foreai ot"

other. Ilehcc arises the greatest difficulty of recouiilinj;
tbe accounts of diffiereut historians aud gcngruphers.

Zeidcinvftld.

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4f?2

DUTEN'S TRAVELS IN

Zciilcnwald, which is about ten miles in length,
but |)ui't of it is 8o marshy, that the people arc
ubli^'ed to travel over it on pinnka.

JViergenbnrg is l'2 miles N. W. from Cron-
studt; but although it be not a place of much
iniportanco, yet the inhabitants carry on a pretty
gootl trade with the neighbouring towns and vil-
lager. It is situated on the river vVhita or Olt.

Kogaras is 'M miles W' . bv N. of Cioiistadt.
It is ii small, but well inhabited town, and is
likewise situated on the liver Alnta. It is de-
feiulfd bv an exceedingly strong lort, which the
Turks vainly attempted to nnike themselves
misters of in the year KiiJl. The inhabitants of
tins town carry on u very good trade with their
ijci^hboius

The county of Velnland lies N. W. of Ilcr-
inanstadt, of whitli Segeswacr, or Schcpsburg,
or Sclx'sburg, is the capital. It is 40 miles N.
of lloiinansladt, and is seated at the coiillu\ of
the ri\ers Ivdkcl and (iiorgcn. It stands on llnr
side; of a hill, so that the bouses appear one
above another, like an amphitheatre. It is
divided into the upjier and the lower town: the
former, being seated on a hill, is well fortified;
but the latter is more populous, on account of
the conveniency of water for their manufactures,
ospeciallv the dressing of doth. On the neigh-
bouring hills th ic arc excellent vineyards, and
upon one of them is a college.

Mcgies or Megisward, is 15 miles S. W. of
Segeswaer, on the river Kokel. It is situated in
a j)lain full of rich vineyards, by reason of which
the country about is called Wineland. The
church belonging to this town is built on a
neighbouring hill, in the nature of a castle, and
therefore it is made use of'for the defence of the
town.

The county of Noswerland lies N. W. from
Ilf rmanstadt ; the oidy remarkable place in which
is Nasenstadt, which is called by the Germans
Bestris. This place is about 48 miles N. W.
from Hernianstadt, on the river IJistris, in a
spacious plain. The town is very neat, though
it is not very large, and is encompassed with
hills be ^ring vines. At the distance of about four
miles from this place arc the gold mines of
lledua, and some gold is frequently found in the
samis of the neighbouring rivulets.

That part of Transylvania which is inhabited
by the Ilungariaus is divided into six counties.

which are those of Weissamburg or Albj i i
Huniad, Thorda, Doboka, ClauseiiburL/ *.
Zatrnar. '"' *'«"

Weissemburg, (as the Germans cull jm
Alba Julia, (as the Latins ciill it, from 'j„r1
Augusta, mother to Marcus Aureliiis Auto,,;
Pius,) or Giula Frierwar, (as it is <iillu| hy!
Hungarians,) is about 2S miles N. hy \y
Ilernumstadt. This town is also ciiiCd (■ I'i
burg. It is seated on the river LiMiiimv 'll
forn»erly the capital of the kings of |)a,.i;,'
afterwards of sonu; of the princes of TruiiM' i
nia, having a magnilircnt palace, wliid, j,,,'
gone to decay. The mighty ruins slirw it |":
once very large and spacious. It stimis o,, ||,J
«ide of a. hill, with a delighttul plain [,(;(„|.p i
It is the s(\ of a bishop, and is the oiut ot ai
university.

t'lausenburg or Colosvar, the rapilal of il,J
c()iu)ty ot the same name, is 40 iiii|i>s \
^Veissemburg, and (>7 N. W. vi' l!(iiiiaiuiaij
This town, which is large and populous, listm
ed on the little river Samos, and is (Id'cmlid iJ
a castle, good walls, and strong hnlwurks. 1
is a place of considerabh* trade, and is perils
the most wealthy of any in Transylvaiiin. ()L
the Portina gate is still to be seen an iiiseriiii
to the honour of the emperor Trajan. ThebtiiJ
called this town Claudiopolis. The 8i)ciiiiai«
Lulherans, and ('alvinists have each their placesa
worship here, and \\ere in piKssL'ssionofilicQil
dral till ItiO'J, «hen it was taken from tlumail
given tothe Jesuits, whose collegeandeluirclnjiel
in their great zeal had denu^lished. The (owiiisij
habited by Saxons and Hungarians, wlioaie prd
miscuously permitted to bear olHees. Itistli
more frequented, as being «me of the plat cs wlieij
the states of Transylvania meet, and where lU
prince holds the provincial courts of justiie. TliJ
Turks besieged it in vain 1(501, but took it jj
l(i03, and it was retaken the same year by ill
Imperialists. Prince AbalH besieged it in [m
with a large body of Turks; when the govcrnoij
though so ill provided with cannon arid aminj
nition, that he was obliged to melt the bells '
longing to the churches, held out till relief
rived, and the Turks were obliged to raised
siege.

Neustadt, or Nagybania, the eapilul of I
county of Zatmar, on tht; northern border
Transylvania, is 6j miles N. by W. of Claused

bud

IJPPrri ATS'D T.OWKrt nUNGARY, &c.

4(T3

U U * **'^" ''^ importance, it being scat-
jiillie riv<!r Zar/ad, and liuvini; a gold mine
uiI„cigI>»'«'"rhood . . , r 1 I •

■q,, p,„vintc ot Trans} Ivania »h dclendod lit
, ,„p;jjiiro by naturr; for tlicru arc soveu
*"" „,|,icli lead into it from dillercnt partH,
*\ j|,gg<, are so lituated as that they may be

■|v (|«i'e»ded against an enemy. The first, on
"'•jgof (luiiKary, is where the river Kreiitsch

Kcrez runs into it, with so many windings,

' . it must be crossed thirty times. The second,

uLre the river Marosh falls into Hnngary, near

liua called the Iron Gate, about GO miles W,

by N. of Hermaiistadt. The fliirf!, where llie

Teraea

!sh rnns into Hungary, about a milu N. of
Marga. The fourth, is at the Red Tower on
thu river Aliita, about si\ miles S. of Jloi^eiilhiir,
and Hi miles S. E. of llennanstadt. The fiOli,
called Rotza Pass, is 2r> milen li. b} 8. of Cron-
stadt, on the frontier of Walliichia, in a placo
called Turk-licld. The sixth is tailed Dorgo
Pass, and is one mile E. from lllut/a, and ten
miles E. by N. from the small town of Itorgo,
And the seventh is called Boduer Pass, und is
near the N. E. corner of the country, about
seven miles N. of Krctshunest. > '

- .,■ '.'.l V

SECTION III.

ho'lption of Sclnvonia and its prlnefpnl

^HE country of Solavonia formerly comprer
hemled all the territories which lie between

.Adriatic Sea and the luixinc or Klack Sea; its

juage then extending over all the eastern
[(ts of Europe;- where it is still very much used.
lete countries were conquered by the Sclavi,
iTarUr or Scythian nation, in the reign of the
tineror Justinian. At present it is confined be>

leu the rivers Drave and Danube on the N.
J E. and the Save on the S. so that it in bound-
iby Lower Hungary on the N. Upper Hungary

the E. Bosnia and Scrvia on the S. and

atia on the W. It is about 150 miles long
lom E. to W. atid bh miles, broad (where
videsl) from N. to S. but its mean breadth is
«ut SJ miles. Sclavonia is a fine, level, and
tiiilful country, producing corn, cattle, and
isture; but being a southern frontier against
urkey, it has been consequently exposed to the
iragcgboth of the Christian and the Ottoman
l)op8j BO that it has not been lo productive to

government as x might have been expected.

be country is well watered by several streams

] rivulets which fall into the Drave, the Da-

^be, and the Save. The air is fine and tem-

irate, and the people robust and warlike.

boso who inhabit the eastern parts are called

isciana. With regard to their religion, tbd

ilavonians are partly of the Romish, and partly

Jlhc Greek church, but (be former is at present

(Vol. H. No. CII.

Tfluns — Of Cronffa and Morlachhx, and Particulars
lb their principal Vlaccs.

the established religion; and conse«jiieiitly, since
the country came- luuler the dominion of the
hoii.se of Austria it jireatly predominates over the
other, which was the established religion while
it was under the jurisdiction of the Turks.
Sclavonia does not produce above ten thousand
pounds sterling to the emperor per annum. In
1746 it was united, by a fresh act, or decree,
by Maria Theresa, with the kingdom of Hun-
gary. At present it is subdivided into the banats
of Sirmi, Verowitz, Walpo, and Posseg; and
the gcneralates of Gradiscani, Brodcn, and Pc-
trovarra.

The Ranat of Posseg is .52 miles long, and 26
miles broad: Pos^ga, or Poshcga, is its capital,
and is indeed the metropolis of Sclavonia. It is
190 miles S. by E. from Presburg, and 210
miles S. by E. from Vienna. It stands on the
river Otawa, in a very fruitful country. Its
fortifications are good; and it contains above a
thousand houses, and has a considerable trade.
The Turks took it in 1544, and kept possession
of it till 1687, when being besieged, they sur-
rendered it to the Imperialists, who have been
masters of it ever since.

Csernak, in the banat of Walpo, is 28 miles
N.. of Poshega. It is but a small place, yet its
inhabitants carry on a moderate trade, by means
of the Walpo, on the south bank of which it ia
situated. The Walpo falls into the Dr^vc.

6 n The

■'! I

" (]

iaf;;

Wi^v

'l.lHl

.\'

4(T^

DUTFN'S TRAVFLS IN

TIic bnimt of Vcrowitz is hd iuilc!« long, und
.'}() ;iiil»'8 broiid. Eszcg, (or Esseck, or Ossek, as
il isgoiifiully called,) is 45 luiics E. by N. olPos-
licgii, and is situated ou the soulli bunk of tbo
riser Diave, about ton miles before that river
f.ilN into the Uaniibe. This is a large town,
mid is strongly fortified. The most remarkable
tliiiig here is a large wooden brid/;e over the
Drave and the neighbouring morasses; it is a mile
ill icMigtb, and thirty yards broad. It originally
consisted of thick planks of oak supported by
nine or l.n lai.-c trees in a row between each
arrii. It was raised in 1566 by the Turkish
emperor Soliinan, wiio had twenty thousand
rncn at work upon it. In 1664 count Serini
burnt the bridge, but the Turks soon rebuilt it.
Ill 1()85 the Hungarians burnt a part of it, and
tlic following year they entirely destroyed it by
fire. The town has been often taken, and after
the battle of Mohatz the Imperialists drove the
Turks completely out of it. Here are large
caravanserais or inns, for the accommodation of
armies, or travellers, which are continually
passing <his way: the houses are of timber, and
the streets are flanked with trees. On account of
its garrison and a Sclavonian regiment <»f horse
lying in its neighbourhood, it is reckoned one of
the military towns.

The baiiat of Sirmi, in its greatest length, ia
about 70 miles, but its mean breadili is about
20 miles. Seinlin, or Zeralin, which may be
considered as a place of the greatest importance
in this part of Sclavonia, (though it is properly
in the gcneralate of Petrovarra, ) is situated on
the west side of the rivers Danube and Save, at
the point where those rivers form a conjunction,
and at the eastern extremity of the province of
Sclavonia, is directly opposite to Belgrade in
European Turkey, which is seated on the S. E.
angle of those rivers on the opposite sJiore. Semlin
is 85 miles S. E. of E»zc^,, and 116 E. of Poi-
hega. It is a place of a considerable trade.

The generalates of Gradiscani, Brodea, and
Petrovarra, extend the whole length of Sclavonia,
on the south side, and form an excellent barrier
against the Turks. The principal town of these

feneralates is Brodo, which is situated 20 miles
. E. of Poshega, on the N. bank uf the river
Save, and is a place of sotue strei^tb. The in*
habitants, which may be considered a» rather
numerous^ carry od a tolerable trade; but that

which renders this place famous in hisforv i
battle which wai» gained here by iLc y^l "i
16S8 over the Imperial army. i

Croatia was formerly known by the name
Liburiiia, and was once a flourishing hw^i,^
of much larger extent than it ix ut |ireu>iil. (v
atia, properly so called, is that part wliif), U
Lower Hungary on the N. Sclavonia on (i,g
Bosnia on the S. E. Dalmatia on the S. MqJ
lacliia on the S. W. (which, however, igireQ
rally considered as part of Croatia, and ig calL
Maritime Croatia, because it borders on M
Adriatic Sea,) and Sliria and Carniolaon the^VI
Including Morlaehia, it is about 140 uiilei, jond
and 65 miles broad. The Hungarians call iby
country Horwnth Orszag, and tic GertnaiJ
Crabattvn. , The inhabitants arc descendants froj
theStlavi, and were formerly called Kruuti, I'roi
which the Greeks formed Crobati. Croatia ]
fruitful in corn, wine, oil, and all other
cessaries of life; but being a frontier provioci
like ScluVoniii, it labours under simiiRr into
venieoccs. The inhabitants are of goods(i>(iin
valiant, hardy, good soldiers, the liorsemci br
cially, M'ho arc so famous, that thev re cnttrj
tained' in several of the courts o( (if .anri
their horse guards. Their infantry ure uik
Uskokes, and are reoaarkably agile in ruoniq
up the mountains.

Morlaehia, or Maritime Croatia, is separate!
from Croatia Proper by a chain of inoiiiilaini
The inhabitants are said to be of VV ahtchian eil
traction, as i» indicated' by their naiiie; iMorlaJ
chia being a contraction of Mauru-Walathi^
that is. Black Walachia. But this is denied bf
the Abbe Eortis, who published a vulume ol
travels in Dilmatia, (of which country MorliJ
chia forms a part. ) He informs us, that tlij
origin of Morlaehia is involved in the durkw
of barbarous ages, together with that of mmi
other nations, resembling tbem so much in r4
toros and language, that thoy may he taken t'oJ
one people, dispersed in the vast tracks tVom I
Adriatic Sea to the Frozen Ocean. The em'm\
tions of the various tribes of the Sclavi, whoj
under the names of Scythians, Geti, (rotlis
Huns, Sdavini, Groats, Ayari, and Vaiidali
invaded the Roman empire, and particularly!
lllyriao proviocea during the decline of thateiuJ

pirtl

must have strangely p
y„;ics of the nations whici
LMi perliiips removed thitli
If as at uioie remote pcri«)d
L|,i,lcr "I" <•'« Ardin'i, Ai
tfiaii ppopi" ai>ci*'<»ll.y 8C
L probably could not rec^

[iif|)eiirfai"'fi «)» the Romans

L an union with foreign

LuclvM ill dialect and i

Uing to Abhe Fortis, it s*

Ljccturc, that many famil

Learvbythe irruption at

Miz Khan and his succcs

L (lejertcd vallies between

Liialia. This conjecture

Liriiied by the traces of tli

lliich are still to be found in

IfjIledZara. With regai

rilif name, the abbe obsen

[tchi generally call themsc

mage, Vlassi; a national

itige is found in the recorc

. thirteenth century. T

twerful men, or men of aut

jdiiiation of Moro-Vlassi

jtchi, a» they are now ca

^int nut the original of the

kders on the Adriatic Sea ;

\tw different from the othe

. coasts, in dialect, dress

rtonis, that they seem cleai

t original, or at least the

Itlled ut such distant period

laithey have had time to a

their national characte

Lrkiibic diversity among t

Ives in several districts, pro

I difl'crent countries from

[ith rt'Sijard to the character

Einrormed that ♦'"•y are mi

■ritiiue noighbov rs. The

Vnasts of Daliuaiia tell m

their avarice and cruelty

per of an ancient date; u

Joed in later times, they (

Iribed to the corruption ol

p to the bad disposition ot

I; and though thievish t

long them, the abbe inform

ly travel securely through 1

I is faithfully escorted and

lJPt>F,R AND t.rtwr.n TltJVGAUV, itc.

*ff5

u must liavo strangely pfrplexed tlie grw-

I ics of *''" niUions wliicli iiihiil)i»(!(l if, hikI

•h nerliiM'* removed (hither in tlit> sanio muii-

asat III"'*' remote periods of time. The re-

iJ,>r of <li« Ardia'i, Auturiati, and other

rial! pP'^pl" niicieiitly settled in !)ilinali;i,

jji, probably could not reeoiieile (.eiii^ilvrs to

dfliciirfaiH'C on the Romans, might nevertheless

an union with foreign invaders not nnhke

,i„j(.lve» ill dialect and nuumera; u;id, iie-

rr to Abbe Fortis, it seems no ill-tomided

iiijcclure, that nianv families, driven out of

ijiearv by the irruption xif the IVIofrnJs under

tngnii Kban and his successors, iniglit people

If deserted vallies between the monnlains of

bliiialiit. T''''^ conjecture is also somewhat

jnliriiied by the traces of the Cahnnc Tartars,

liith are 'HH <•> be found in a part of that coiin-

icjlled Zara. With regard to the etymology

(tilt name, the abbe observes, that the Mor-

ibi generally call themselves, fn their own

iiagc, Vlassi; a national term, of which no

ige is found in the records of Daimatia till

thirteenth century. The word signifies

iwerful men, or men of authority; and the de-

ination of Moro-Vlassi, corruptly Mor-

;chi, a« they are now called, may perhaps

lint nut the original of the nation. Murlachia

dersfluthe Adriatic Sea; hut the Morlaerhi

40 different from the other inhabitants of the

cuastg, in dialect, dress, dispositions, and

oms, that they seem clearly to be of a diflier-

origiiial, or at least the colonics must have

led at such distant periods from each other,

Ithey have had time to alter in a great mea-

thcir national character. There is also a

iiarkiible diversity amonsrthe Morlacchi thcr.s-

vcs in several districts, probably on account of

different countries from whence they came.

itii rt'i:;iird to the character of these people, wc

informed that ''"'y are much itijured by their

ritiine neighhoi rs. The inhabit ints of the

<nH»(8of I)almaiia tell many frighi.'-il stories

llieir avarice and cruelty: but these h:'^. all

ler of an ancient date; or, if any liavr; hap-

led in later times, they ought rather to bs

ribed to the corruption of a few individuals,

ntotbe bad disposiition of the nation in gene-

; and though thievish tricks are frequent

long them, the abbe informs us, that a stran^ "^r

ly travel securely through their country, wheu

is faithfully escorted and hospitably treated.

The greatest danger is from the Ifeydnks, or
IVinditti, of whom thitre are great numbers
niiiong the woods and caves of these dreadful
initinitains on the conhnr^. There, says the
aliiio, a o'lin oujjlit to get himself escorted by a
c(»uple of these "honest fellows;" for they are
not capable 6f betraying him, ullliDiigh they be-
long to a banditti; their situation being more
apt to raise eompassi(m than diilideiice. They
lead their lives among the wolves, wandering
from one preeipiee to another, exposid to the
severity of the seasiins, and frequently l.inguidi
in want of the necessaries of life, in the mo.it
hideous and solitary caverns. Yet they very
seldom disturb the tranquillity of others, and
prove alwaVs iaithful guides to travellers; the
chief objects of (heir rapine being sluiep and
oven, to supply themselves with fof)d and shoes.
Sometimes it happens, that, in their extreni(7
necessity, the Heydulcs go in parties to the
shepherds' cottages, and rudely demand some-
thing to eat, which they do not fail to take im-
mediately by force if the least hesitation be made.
It is seldom indeed that they meet with a refusal,
or with resistance, as their resolution and fury
are well known to be equal to the savage lite
which they lead. Four Heyduks are not afraid
to assault a caravan of fifteen or twenty Turks,
and generally plunder it and put them to flight.
The greatest part of the Meyduks look upon it as
meritorious to shed (he blood of the Turks; to
which cruelty they are easily led by their natural
ferocity, inflamed by a nusfaken ze.il for religion,
and the discourses of their fanatic priests. As to
the Morlacchi themselves, they are represented
as open and sincere to sm-h ,i deg^rc'e, that they
would betaken for simpletons 'n uuv other coun-
try; and by means of this quality thcv liiive been
so often duped by the Italiiius, that the faith of
an Italian, and Mie faith ef a dog, are syuominous
among the Mo»laeehi. They an- very hospitable
to strangers, and their hospitalify is equally con-
spicuous among the rich and (he poor.

Carlstadt is (he capital of Croatia; it is situ-
ated on the river Kiitpa, in the banat of Severin,
ISO miles S. by W. of Preshuig, and ISO miles
S. of Vienna. It is a strong (own, and is the
usual residence of the governors of the province.
It received its name from (he archduke Charles,
who caused it to be for'ifial in 1579. The inha-
bitants carry on a pretty good trade.

Agram is a strong town on the river Save, TJ

aiiles

' f

I 1

ii '■

x) fh'\

'li;J

'I -

o/'IT'-WaSR J^lJIIUMUptAIP

A-66

DUTEN'S TRAVELS IN HUNGARY, &c.

miles N. W. of Carlstadt. This iown is a very
great tlioroughfure, by means of which the in*
habitants enjoy an extensive tradu uitii many
towns and villages in its neighbourhood. This
place is also called Zagrab,

From Agraui the road kids through Beloratz,
Trikraly, Grany, and Ostritz, to VVarasdin,
which is the capital of a district of the same
name. This town stands on the northern
frontier of Croatia, on the southern bank of the
Drave. It is 37 miles N. by E. of Agram, and
62 miles N. E. of Carlstadtj and is a remarkably
strong place: it commands a great trade by rea-
son of its situation on the navigable river Drave,
and is seated in a very pleasant country.

Kreutz is a strong place in the interior of Cro-
atia, which is situated at an equal distance from
Warasdin and Agram, it being 30 miles N. E.
of Agram, and-SO miles S. E. of Warasdin.

Petrinia is a small but strong town on the
river Kulpa, which falls into the Save about
seven miles E. of this town. It is 35 S. by W. of
Kreutz, and 37 miles E. <»f Carlstadt. The in-
habitants are humane and friendly, and the trade
^hich is carried on by tticm greatly surpasses
that which falls to the lot of many others which
are much larger and more populous.

From Petrinia the road leads in a soutll'eastcrn
direction to Costainitza, which is situated on the
river Unna on the borders of Croatia, and in the
Ranat Croatia It is IB miles S. E. of Petrinia,
and 51 m.'les E. by S. of Carlstadt. The inha-
bitants carry on a good trade with their neigh-
bours the Turks, who are situated in Bosnia on
the opposite side of the river.

Ogulin, a strong town of Croatia, is 20 miles
S. \S . of Carlstadt; and Fiumc, another strong

place, is 3.") miles VV. of Ogjulin. Fii,mo ij U
wise called St. Veit. Thi-. hiiat town h
good harbour on the shore of the Adriatic S I
therefore the inhahitanis enjoy a "-ond ma,.;.' I
trade. It was situated jn Istria, but ij „ J
reckoned in Croatia..

From Fiumc the road leads Ihrotigh Bukal!
Hrelin, Stanke, Novi, Klenovitzii, and M
Eiizabfi, to Zeng or Segna. which is.'JOmiJ
S. E. of Fiume, in Morlachia, on tlio Carnarl
Bay on the Fast shore of the Adriatic. [{ „,
former»y called Flanaticum. Segna is the see i
a bishop, under Spalatto; it t'^ strong both hJ
nature and art, having an excellent castle, wiij
vast woods and crags on the land side, but id
harbour is indiflferent. 1

Karlopago, which is seated on the sea shcrJ
is another strong town of Morlachia, mid ^ ;
miles S. by E. of Segna. It is opiiosite to tb
island of Pago, and is situated in a pleasaDl
though not very fertile part of the country.

Gospitch is 15 miles E. by N. ofKarlopafJ
in Croatia Prosper, and being situated on tli
road through which there is a great Ihoronghfu
towards Turkey, the inhabitants carry on im ti
tensive traiiic in various kinds of merchandize,

Zwonigi.id, at the southern extremity of CrJ
atia, is 44 miles S, E. of Gospitch, audiiimili
S. E. of Carlstadt. This town being situated J
tlie frontiers of Turkey, has been fortified \vitli|
great deal of wisdom. Its fortifications
ampzingly strong, and appear to have hreu tij
work of much skill, as well as of great labnu|
The inhabitants of this place being the {^[ciien
carriers between this part of Croatiii and Turkd
carry on an extcnsivt! trade* and enjo^ cerJ
privileges,

TRA

■I -f ir<~

THE END OF DUTEN S TRAVELS IN HUNGARY, &c.

""■f-Hl-ni^

Imnce into Austrian Pcla
] Unctions— ^^rrival at Crat
\ktJie Confederates in the
\sa-crnl Polish Sovereigns.

ijlE entrance into Austr
bpvond Bilitz, after h
liilet Biala, which falls
1,11111 Bilitz the journey to (
letirritories which the hou8(
, itself in the partition bef(
Let claimed by the empr
kr manifesto is thus describi
riaiid l.ving on the righ.t s
L Silesia above Sandoniir t
L. and from thence by Fi
Id Rubiessow, to the Bog.
Lh are carried along th<
Liato Zabrasupon tlu;bor(
yolia; and from Zahras in
Leper, where it receivva tli
jkiiiiinasmallslipofPodoli
luiidaries separating Podol
I The importance of this acq
TAustria will best appear
Uiabitants, which, accordin

7f-

Mil d

|« A n-markuble circumstiiiice at

Ision iif titis district, which will
Illy (he limits were at first trace

idiaa'ordinif to tht' mat) of Zani
Ls taken as the eastern bouiidai
loiiiici'; l)iit when the Anstriaii c
bl. ttlaro according to Zannoni
J( Diiiipcr. iliey found no rirer \
llirh ansH end to that iiiime. Th
^ffdiiliiTs still more eastwards, ar
|tfii'>l)r)tz for the boundary, call
liuj ciiiiiilry has, since the parti

ills now inciirporatt'd into tlie A

karpi'llalioii of the kingdoms of

lich kingiloiiiN some ancient di|)lu

IPuLiiid, and subject to the king

IVoL. II. No. CIIL

I. ■ »'t V

TRAVELS IN POLAND.

■ MY W. COXE, ^, JW. ■

SECTION I.

Mmce into Austrian Pcland-

\ iiictions—'-'irrival at Cracow

•Limits of the dismembered Province-
■ Description of that Cfty — Univcrsitjj-

Its Population and Pro ^
Palace — Citadel occupied

hil'ie Confederates in the late Troubles — Histort/ of that Transaction — Cathedral — Tombs of

sacral Polish Sovereigns.

MIE entrance into Austrian Poland is just

bevniid Bilitz, after having crossed tlio

unlet Bialii, which falls into the Vistula.

friiin Bilitz the journey to Cracow is through

letirritoiies which the house of Austria secured

, itself in the partition before the last. The

fctrict claimed by the empress of Germany in

krraaiiilVsto is thus described: "All that tract

flaiid lying on the riglit side of the Vistula

foni Silpsia above Sandoniir to t!ie mouth of the

In, and from thence by Frariepole, Zamoisc,

I Rubiessow, to the Bog. Prom the Bog the

lit^ aro carried along the frontiers of Red

jissiato Zabrasupon thebordersof Volhynia and

lodoliu; and from Zabras in a straight line to the

Inii'pcr, where it receives the rivulet Podhorts,

iiiiijiiiasmallslipof Podolia.andlaslly.alongtlie

Lidaries separating Podolia from Moldavia*."

iTIie importance of this acquisition to the house

lA'istria will best appear from the number of

ihabitaiits, which, according to the numeration

h A ri'iiiarkiiblf circumstance attciulcrt the lakins pos-

Isioii (if this district, wliich will shew wi'.h wiiat iinccr.

liiviho liiiiits were at first tracc.l. The partition bciin;

Idran'oriling to tht' map of Zannoni, the river Podhorts

lis taki'ii as the cistern boundary of this disi">'mb(!rfd

jotiiKc; l)iit when the; Anstrian commissioiurs visited the

|ot. mIrto iiccurdiiig to Zannoni the Podiiorls llowed into

[Dnieper, iliey found no river known to the inhabitants

Jirh answered to that name. They advanced, therefore.

tfroiiiiers stMl more eastwards, and ailoptini? theSebrawce

[((ii^hrvtz for the boundary, called it the I'odhorts. This

liil (i.iiiilry has, since the partition, chaiifjed it:: name:

> mm incorporatHl into the Austrian dominion!) under

r|i'IUlioii of the kingdoms of (ilalicia and Lodotueriu,

lii'h Itingdonis some ancient diplomes represent as situated

iPuljiid, aud subject to the kings of Hungary; thu must

IVoL. II. No. CIIL

made in 1776, amounted to two millions five
hundred and eighty thousand seven hundred -"ud
ninety-six. The mountainous parts of Galacia
and Lodomeria produce fine pasture; the plains
are mostly sandy, but abound in forests, and are
fertile in corn. The principal articles of trafldc
are cattle, hides, wax, and honey. These coun-
tries contain mines of copper, lead iron, and.
salt, of which the latter are the mosc valuable.

Crossing a narrow slip of Austrian Poland of
about S(> miles in length you reach Cracow,
leaving on the right hand a chain of Mount
Crapack, or the ancient Carpathian Mountains.
Tiic country is at first somewhat hilly, but after-
wards chiefly plain, covered with forests. The
roads are bad, the villages few and wretched be-
yond dc-cription; the hovels, all built cf wood,
seem full of filth and misery, and every thing
wears the appearance of extreme poverty.

Th'i Vistula is the limits of the Austrian do-
minions, which reach to its southern banks f.

' convincing proof tliat there over existed such kingdoms-,

I tliat they depended upon JIungary, and ought, by virtue of

' an hereditary though dorniaut title, to revert to tlie empress

as sovereign of Hungary. \\;is derived from the Austrian.

I army ; for what peo()le can re.'^ist an argument backed by

I two hnndri'd thousand troops, unless they can defend their

I side of th;! ipiestion by an equal luimber.'

] + Acconling to the partition treaty, this river was-

marked as forming the limits between the Au>^trian anil

Polish territories: the house of Austria at (irsi construed

the \'istnla to mean the oil channel of that livei now (lr\,

called the Old Vistula; and by force of this slraiiiid intc]-

pretalioi) included Casiinir in the dismembered inovince;

but not long afterwards th»' empress of (ienuauv restored

('asimir to the Poles; and accepted t!io V^istula as it now

lluws, fur the buunditry of her dominions.

a C Having

< ;«

i- i' ;

il WM

ifi'l. S 'ill

I U ft'

Ir -

li'

:< . .11

'U! I f I ■

j ''M i; ■ I

468

COXE'S TRAVELS IN POLAND.

Having crossed the Vistula by a bridge into
Ciisimir, you pass the dry clianncl, teriued the
Old . Vistula, by a secor.d bridge, and enter
Cracow.

Cracow is a curious old town: it was formerly
the capital of Poland, where the kings were
elected and crowned, and was once almost the
center of the Polish dominions, but by the
chang^es which have taken place it is now a
frontier town.

Cracow stands in an extensive plain, watered
by the Vistula, which is broad but shallow: the
city and its suburbs occupy a vast tract, but are
so badly peopled, that they scarcely contain s^ix-
teen thousand * inhabitants. The great square
in the middle of the town is very spacious, ai>d
has several well-built houses, once richly fur-
nished and well inhabited, but most of them now
either untenanted, or in a state of melancholy
decay. Many of the streets are broad and hand-
some; but almost every building bears the most
striking marks of ruined grandeur: thechorches
alone seem to have preserved their original
splendour. The devastation of this unfortunate
town was begun by the Swedes at tbe commence-
ment of the last century, when it was besieged
and taken by the Charles XII. ; but the mischiefs
it suflered from the ravager of the North were
far less destructive than those it experienced
during the late dreadful commotions, when it
underwent repeated sieges, and was alternately
in possession of the Russians and Confederates.
The eflTects of cannon, grape, and musket-shot
are still discernible on the walls and houses. In
a word, Cracow exhibits the remaiits of ancient
magnificence, and looks like a great capital in
ruins: from the number of fallen and falling
houses one would imagine it had lately been
sacked, and that the enemy had left it only
jesterday. The town is surrounded with high
M'alls of bric'k, strengthened by round and square
towers of whimsical shapes in the ancient style of
fortification: these walls were built by Vcuceslaus

* The city, exclusive of (he suburbs, contained in 1778
only eight thousand eight hundred and ninety.four souls.

f While speaking of the university of Cracow, it may
not be improper to mention, that the art of printing was
first introduced into Poland by Ilallcr, who excrcisexl that
profession in the city of Cracow; and ono of the earliest
books printed by him was the constitutions and statutes
compiled by Caslmir the Great, and afterwards augmentNd

king of Bohemia during tie sbort renod in «] ' I
he reigned over Poland. The universityJ
Cracow was founded and endowed byCa' 1
the Great, and improved atid coiiipleicd"hl
Ladislaus Jaghellon. The number of stud
amount to about six hundred. The iibrar'
neither remarkable for the number or raritv '
its books. The university of Cracow Mas f ij
merly, and not unjustly, called the mother
Polish literature, as it principally siipplJ
the other seminaries with professors and men 1
learning; but its lustre was greatly obscured bl
the removal of the royal residence to Warsa/
and still more by the late intestine convulsions!
The most flourishing period of the univerj
was under Sigismund Augustus in the sixleentt
century, when several of the German reformei
fled from the persecutions of the emperor CharJ
V. and found an asylum in this city. Thsf wJ
to the world several versions of the sacrd
writings, and other theological publicatioa
which diJisscd < he reformed religion over gre|
part of Poland. Sigisrv.u;id Augustus indet
aflbrded protection tc men of learning of alldJ
nominations, and extended universal tolerationti
every sect of Christians. Towards the southeil
part of the town near the Vistula risegasmil
euiinence or rock, upon whose topisbuiltta
palace, surrounded with brick walls and oil
towers, which form a kind of citadel tothetowl
This palaceowesits origin to Ladislaus Jaghelloa
but little of the ancient structure now appear]
as 'he greatest part was demolished by ciiatlJ
XII. in 1702, when he r -red this town i
triumph after the battle of ' jsow. It has I
since repaired: the remains of the old palai
consist of a few apartments, which are lef^ i
their ancient state as they existed in the rentuil
b jfore the last. The walls of the first of tha
apartments are decorated with paintings of till
and tournaments; and all the rooms in thepalx
are of fine dimr nsions. containitig several reinaiij
of ancient magnificence, but totally witboij

by his successors. I'hc characters are Gothic, the iu
which were universally used at the iuvuntion of |irlntinj
the great initial letters are wanting, which shows thatibi
were probably painted and afterwards worn away, Tl
year In which this compilation was printed is not posiliTif
known; but its publirvtion was certainly anterior to Uit
as it does not cuntaia the statutes pas&cd by John Albertl
that year. v

furnilut^

I* Thi« palace was formerly th(
Masil, who, from the time of I^
»fneil at Crarow. The Polis
ifer concerning the time -when tl
liiDjed by the Kovcreigns of thi
vbable account is, that in 120i

I tide, and was crowned at
JfiDjl diocese. Ho was succeec
ho, ofl'ending the Poles by his'
fcnducf, was deposed before
icircslaus king of Bohemia,
Whtcr of Pi'cmislaus, bric.g e
consecrated and crowned
Iter flying from his country, a
■lamituua adventures, was at lei
It misconduct. Having regainoc
p, he was restored, in the li
art of hit dominions ; and he r
piiscof that monarch in 1305
^; sonic years without the title
W was crowned at Cracow, to
ceremony of the coronation
|iat for the future his successors
cathedral of this city. Sim
bland ha?e expressly enjoined t
lace of coronation ; and such
ackmcnt of the Poles to thi

COXE'S TRAVELS IN POLAND.

469

L -Kure*. From the apartments of the palace
Ere is an extensive view of the neighbouring
E untry, which is principally a large sandy plain.
At some distance from Cracow is the fortress of
.ndskron situated upon a rock, which the con-
ates possessed during the late troubles,* and
itoin whence they made excursions as occasion
L^gj against the Russian and Polish troops in
L service of the king. By a det: "hment of
Ljps from this fortress, the citadel of Cracow
L taken by surprize; a gallant exploit, and
Uich merits a particular description. The per-
U wlio shewed the palace was himself pre-
Lgt when the Polish troops issued from a sub-
•rraneous passage, and surprized the Russian gar-
m, consisting of eighty-seven troops. About
bur in the morning a party of seventy-six con-
Jerates, all of whom were Poles, led by a
jeutenant, whose name was Bytranowski, entered
ke palace through a common sewer, without
(ejiio- discovered, and repairing to the main-
iiard instantly fell upon the Russians: the latter
(ere so confounded with the suddenness of the
eaiilt, they all yielded the::isclves prisoners
jithoiit the least resistance, and the Poles became
Ltersof the citadel. Two or three Russians
(ere killed at the first onp^et, and the remainder
tre confined in a dungeon. One soldier how-
It Thi« palace wag former))' the rftflidcnce of the kings of
Manil, who, from the lime of I^dislaiis Lokctec, had been
roirneil at Craniw. The Polish and German historians
ifer concerning the time -when the title of king was first
liiued by (he Kovereigns of this country ; but the most
robable acrount is, that in 1205, Promislaus assumed the
I title, and was crowned at Gncsna by the archbishop
If inat diocese. He was succeeded by Ladislaus Luketcc,
llio, ufl'ending the Poles by his' capricious and tyrannical
Inducf, was deposed before he was crowned; and
tcnrcslaus king of Bohemia, who had married Richsa
Whtcr of Premislaus, beic.g elected in his stead, was in
consecrated and crowned at Gncsna. Iiadislaus,
Iter flying from his country, and undergoing a series nf
plamitiius adventures, was at length brought to a sense of
s misconduct. ItaTing regained the aflectiun of his sub.
kt!, he was restored, in the lifetime of VencAlaus, to
krt uf his dominions ; and he recovered them all upon (he
jnniscor that monarch in 1305: he governed, however,
; sonic years without the title of king; but at length in
W was crow ned at Cracuw, to which place he transferred
l( ceremony of the coronation ; and afterwards enacted,
plfor the future bis successors should be inaugurated in
cathedral of this city. Since that period, the laws of
klandhave expressly enjoined that t^racow should bo the
lice of coronation ; and such has been (he superstitious
luckmciit vjf the Poles tu this usage, that when John

ever found means to escape by climbing the wall
of the citadel, and alarmed the Russian soldiers
within the town; these without delay attacked
the castle, but, receiving" a warm fire from the
Confederates, they imagined the enemy to be
more numerous than they really were, and de-
sisted from the assault. This event happened on
the 2d of February, 177^', The same evening
Monsieur de Choisy, in the service of the Con-
federates cf Landskron, being made acquainted
with the succesp of the enterprize, advanced
towards Cracow at the head of eight hundred
Confederates (amongst whom were thirty or forty
Frenchmen, most of them officers), and, having
defeated a detachment of two hundred Russians,
was received into the citadel. But the Russian
garrison in the town, which before consisted of
only four hundred men, being likewise reinforced,
the Confederates inthecitadel underwent a regular
siege: they defended themselves with the most
undaunted spirit for the space of three months;
and at length capitulated upon the most honour-
aole terms f.

Near to the palace is the cathedral, which
stands within the walls of the citadel. In this
cathedral, all the sovereigns of Poland, from the
time of Ladislaus Loketec, have been interred, a
few only excepted. The sepulchres of the king'9

Sobieski was desirous of being crowned at Leopold, on ac.
count of its vicinity to the army, which he was to command
against the Turks at the time of his elucdon, the Polish
pa(rio($strongly opposed any innovation; and that monarch
was under the necessity of repairing to Cracow for the
performance of the ceremony.

Since Ladislaus, all the succeriling sovereigns were
crowned at Cracow, excepting the li\te king. Previous to
his election a decree was issued by tht diet of convocation,
that the coronation should be solemnized for this turn at
Warsaw, without prejudice in future to the ancient right of
Cracow; but as Poland no longer subsists a separate nation,
il having been divided among the emperor of Russia, the
!>ing of Prussia, and the emperor of Austria, the quarrels
concerning the place of coronation is now done away.

+ The subterraneous passage through which the seventy-
six confederates introduced themselves into the palace, is
a train which conveys all the tilth froXn the interior part of
thi palace to a small opening without the waiis uear tho
Vis.ula. They entered this small opening, and crawled
upon the'ir hands and knees a considerable way, one behind
another, until they came out through a hole in the walls of tho
palace; so that if the Russians had either been apprized of
their a(tciii()l, or had over-heard thciu in their passage, not
one person could have escaped: the danger was great, but
it shews what spirit and perseverance will clfcct.

!..!J^i

;•>,!

470

COXE'S TRAVELS IN POLAND.

of Pi>l;md arc not distinguislicd by any peculiar
magnificence : their figures arc carved in mjirble
of no extraordinary workmanship, and some are
without inscriptions.

About an English mile from Cracow ave tl«:
remains of an old structure, called the pulace of
Casimir the Great; but probably little of the
original palace, as it was built by Casimir, ex-
ists at present. In the inner court are the remams
ofacorridore v/ith pillars of the Doric order;
and upon one side of the walls is the white-eagle
of Poland carved in stone, and around it an in-
scription seemingly in old Gothic characters, of
which can only be made out, Ann. Dom.
M.CCCLXVII, which answers ♦-> *'ie a^ra of
Casimir, who died in 1370. SJeveral marble

columns were scattered around, wliich n] J
the ancient magnificence of the buildinn- '^Tfj
greatest part of the fabric was evidently''of 1 1
date than the reign of Casimir, and was d t J
less constructed by succeeding sovereio-nj ]
the foundation of the ancient palace; !>er!.;i ^- i
Stephen Barthori, as in oiw place the itiscijot 1
Stephanus Dei gratia, may be traced; aiV"'^
by Sigismond III. as his cypher is to be seej
with the wheat-sheaf, the arms of Gust
Vasa, from whom he was lineally descend^
This ptilaice was the principal residence •
Casimir: in the garden is a mound of cartji
a barrow, which is called the tomb of Ejjy
the fair Jewess, who was the favourite niistreJ
of that monarch *> .

' SECTION II.

Mode of sal III in g and Dress of the Poles — Account of Sall-JMines of Wielilsha — Their Extent aii
Profit— Journcjj to Warsaw — Arrival at Warsa-dC — Description of the City — Palace—Porlniik
of the Kings of Polan(^ Supper in Prince Poniatous/ii's Garden — Description of PovumkiJ
Public Lihranj — State of Learning — Wretched Administration of Justice — Prisons of IVavmrj:.
Punishments for criminal Ojjt'ences — Torture aboHshcc^—Laws relating to Debtors.

T'HE Poles seem a lively people, and use
much action in their ordinary conversation.
Their common mode of salute is to incline tlicir
heads, and to strike their breast with one of their
hands, while they stretch the other towards the
ground ; but when a common person meets a
superior, he bows his head almost to the earth,
waving at the same time his hand, with which
he touches the bottom of the leg near the heel of
the person to whom lie pays his obeisance. The
men of all ranks generally wear whiskers, and
shave their heads, leaving only a circle of hair
upon the crown. The summer dress of the
peasants consists of nothing but a shirt and
drawers of coarse linen, without shoes or stock-
ings, with round caps or bats. The women of
the lower class wear upon th^ir heads a wrapper
of white linen, under which their hair is braided,
and hangs down in two plaits. Scvcial of them

• To the influence of Ksthcr it is said the Jews owe Ihd
numerous )>rivileges enjoyed by them in PulancI, which is
eallcd the paradise of the Jinvs. But when the character of
Casimir is eonsidered, MB may conceive that they were in-
debted for tlieir fafoiirablc reception in Poland more to his
policy thau to his alleclion for his miblru!<!>; fur iu tbote

wear a long piece of white linen hanging roiini
(he side of their faces, and covering ilieir bodii
below their knees: this singular kind of vei
makes (hem look as if they were dnin;;^ peiiiiiice.l
The dress of the htghrr orders, both monani
women, is uncommonly elegant. That oftli
gentlemen is a waistcoat with sleeves, omt whicl
they wear an upper robe of a dill'crput coloui|
which reaches down below the kiiw, nnd i
fastened round the waist with a sash or |ririllej
the sleeves of this upper garmen( are in warij
weather tied behind (he shoulders; asabiti
necessary part of (heir dress as aniark ol'nobiliiJ
In summer, (he robe, «&c, is of silk; in wiiilel
of cloth, velvet, or stuflf, edged with fur. TlJ
wear fur-caps or boime(s, and buskins of yelloj
leather, the heels of which are plaited with irni
or steel. The dress of the ladies is a siiiiplj
polonaise, or long robe, edged with fur.

times the .Jews were itic richest and most commtrcil
individuals in iMirope; by allowing the-n tla'ri'fure I
settle in i'oland, and by ^ranliirg them some extraordinaij
immunities, he introduced trade and much wealth iiitoK
doiuiuigns»

i '4

COXl':'S TRATCl-SitM POLAND.

471

infifvhs, in tiieir features, look, customs,

n,|(lu;d«eral appearanciv resemble. Asiatics

ff (lian Europeans ; and tlioy are unquestion-

'' r,j(,(^^„(lcd from Tartar ancestors. Mascow,

fiiinan liislorian, well versed in the antiquity

tiniiii, remarks, that the manner in which

'n„!,s \vear their hair is, perhaps, one of the

itaiuii'iit tokens of their origin. So early as

rfili tfiiitury some nations, who were coni-

lidiileci uiidor the name of Scythians, had the

"' . custom. For Priscius Ilhaitor, why ac-

lipanicu Waximns in his embassy from

PoiltisiiH II. to the court of Attila, describes a

Kvtliiaii lord, whose head was shaved •«! a cir

liar form, a mode perfectly analagous to the

,^,,.nt fashion in Poland.

''[n iliis P'"' <*' Poland, are the celebrated salt-
liiies of Wi('li(-ska, which are situated within
t(rh( miles of Cracow. These mines are exca-
tteil iu a ridge of hills at the northern extremity
fllitcliaiii which joins to the Carpathian moun-
liDs: tliev take tluir appellation from the small
[liaje of \V iclitska; but are sometimes called in
Lei'in countries the mines of Cracow, from
Lr \i(;iiii1v to that city. Those who are de-
iMiisor visiting" tiie inner parts of the mine are
«!(iiie(l lo (he great ro[)e that is employed in
Liiiis: up the salt*, and are let down gently,
Liila liimdred and sixty yards below tlie Hr&t
iHt of salt. They theu pass a long and gradual
isrenf, sometimes through broad passages or
Llltnes ciipiihlc of admitting several carriages
breast; sometimes down steps cut in the solid
lit, wliicii has the grandeur and commodiousness
tliestiiircase in a palace. They each carry a
|ht, ai\J several guides precede them with
jiips in their hands: the reflection of these
jilts upon the glittering sides of the mine is ex-
Kuiflv beautilul, but does not cast that luminous
ileiidoiir, wliith some writers have compared
Itlio liiiitre of precious stones. The salt dug
inm this mine is calicd Zichna or Green Salt,
|r uliat r(!as()n it may be dillicult to determine;
lr its colour is an ii on grey; when pounded it
^ui dirty iish colour like what we call brown
The qualily of the «alt improves in propor-
uino the depth of the mine; towards the sides

I* TliiTO iirfl two other opuiiiiJg.'^, down one of which the
liioisdi'iccii!! I)y sttiirs, ildwn thii otliiT l)y liuldcrs.
It Olio uf till! most ri'ni.irkiiblc ciiriositios of (ho |>la('0 is,
^eral !.m»Jl cliapels e.vcavatud in the su'.tj in Hhich iiuus \i

Vol II, No. cm. '

and>Burfacc it is mixed with earthy or stony par-
ticles; lower down it is said to be perfectly pure,
and requires no other process before it is used than
to be pounded. The tinest of this grey salt,
however, is of a weak quality when compared
with the common sea-salt: it is therefore un-
doubtedly by no means perfectly pure, but is
blended with extraneous mixtures, though it
serves very well for common purposes. .Being
almost as hard as stono, the miners hew it with
pick-axes and hatchets, by a tedious operation,
into large blocks, many of which weigh six or
seven huudreu pounds. These large niasses are
raised by a windlass, but the smaller pieces aro
carried ;;n by horses along a winding gallery,
which reaches to the surface of the earth. Beside
grey salt, the miners sometimes discover small
cubes of white salt, as transparent as Crystal,
but not in a'.iy considerable quantity; they find
likewise occasionally pieces of coal and petrilied
wood buried in the salt. The luine appears to
be inexhaustible, as will easily be conceived from
the following account of its dimensions. It*
known breadth is one thousand oue hundred and
fifteen feet; its length six thousand six hundred
and ninety-one feet; and depth seven hundred
and forty-three; and the best judges on the spot
suppose, with the greatest appearance of proba-
bility, this solid body of salt to branch into
various directions, the extent of which cannot
be known: of that part which has been perforated,
the depth is only calculated as far as they have
hitherto dug; and who can ascertain how uuich
farther it may descend ?i'.

Many of the excavations or chambers, from
whence the salt has been dug, are of an ilnmen.^e
si/e; some are supported with timber, others by
vast pillars of salt, which are left standing foj*
that purpose: several of vast dimensions aro
without any support in the middle. There is one
of (ins latter sort in particular, which is certainly
eighty feet in height, and so extremely long and
broad, as almost to appear amid the subterrane-
ous gloom without limits. The roofs of these
vaults are not arched, but flat. The iuuuenso
size of thes-c chambers, with the spacious passages
or galleries, together with the chapels nientioiied

MTiil on certain Hays of thi> year; ouo of thoso cliapcls ii
ahi)vi> thirty feel long and Iwi'uty.livo I)r()ad; <hf altar, the
cnicitix, thu ornaments of tin- church, tliu ■^^ijitues of several
saiat."*, art- all carved out' of thy tialt.

0 J) ill

^ ■■ I

.' V'

' «..!

lU.

4"2

COXFS TRAVFXS TN POLAND.

in the note, and a few sheds built for the horses
which are foddered below, probably gave rise to
the exaggerated accounts of some travellers, that
these mines contain several villages inhabited by
colonies of nnners, who never see the light. It
is certain that there is room sufficient for such
purposes; but the fact is, that the miners have
no dwellings under ground, none of them re-
maining below more than eight hours at a time,
when they are relieved by others from above. In
truth, these mines are of a most stupendous ex-
tent and depth, and are sufficiently wonderful
without the least exaggeration. They are as dry
as a room, without the least damp or moisture;
for there is only one small spring of water, which
is impregnated with salt, as it runs through the
mine*. These mines have now been worked
above sixSuuidred years, for they are mentioned
in the Polish annals so early as 1237, under
Boleslaus the Chaste, and not as a new discovery:
how much earlier they were known cannot now
be ascertained. Their profits had long been ap-
pro]) riated to the king's privy purse: before the
partition they furnished a considerable part of
the late king's revenue, who drew from them an
annual average profit of about S.-'iOO.OOO Polish
florins, 9'i,'2::t2£. 4s. M. sterling. They now
belong to the emperor of Austria, being situated
within the province which he dismembered from
Poland ; but they are far from yielding a revenue
equal to that wliich they had afforded to the king
of Poland ; for the Austrian commissioners im-
prudently raised the price of salt, from an idea
that Poland could not exist without drawing
that commodity as usual from Wielitska, and
would therefore be obliged to receive it at any
price. This mode of proceeding offending the
Poles, the king of Prussia, with his usual
sagacity, did not neglect this opportunity of ex-
tending his commerce; he immediately imported
large quantities of salt, which he procured chiefly
from Spain, to Dantzic, Merael, and Konings-
burg, from whence it was conveyed up the
Vistula iiito the interior provinces: by these

* Such an enormous mass of salt exhibits a wonderful
phenomenon in the natural history of this 4,'Iobe. Monsieur
Cuctard, who Tisitcd thcste mines with groat attention, and
who has pubKshed a treatise upon the subject, informs us,
that the w|ipeimo»t bed of earth at the surface immediately
oTer the mines is sand, the second clay occasionally mixed
with sand and grafcl and containing petrefactioos of marine

means he furnished great part of Poland
salt,, at a cheaper rate than the inhabitants ,*"
procure it from the house of Austiia; a 1

cnuk

1778 the rnines of Wielitska only sunpliej,],
districts which immediately bordei -pou Au
Poland. ' siu

The road from Cracow to Warsaw has nnt
single object throughout tlie whole tract \\\\
can for a moment draw ibe attention of the „ J
inquisitive traveller. The coiuUrv, for n,,, „ j
part of the way, is level, with little varimi,,,,"
surface: it is chiefly overspread with vast (my
of thick gloomy forest; and even where i|
country is more open, the distant horizon
always skirted with wood. The trees are mostH
pines and firs, intermixed with beech, birch ai
small oaks. The occasional breaks in the fore]
present some pasture ground, with here am
there a few meagre crops of corn.

Without having actually traversed it, onecai
hardly conceive so comfortless a region: afnrlnn
stillness and solitude prevails almost tliroii«hilil
whole extent, with few symptoms of an inhabiiej
and still less of a civili/ed country. Thdnjhil
the high road, which unites Cracow and War!
saw in the course of about 258 Englisli mileJ
you will scarcely meet- above two carriages am.
about a dozen carts. The country is equallj
thin of human habitations: a few stramr|iJ
villages, all built of wood, succeed one auoth'
at long intervals, whose miserable appcuran
corresponds to the wretchedness of the counltl
around them. !« these at. .-nblages of huts, tiJ
only places of reception for travellers are hovelj
belonging to Jews, totally destitute of fiirnitun
and every species of accommodation. Itisdiij
ficult to procure any other room but tliat
which the family live; in the article of provisioi
eggs and milk arc the greatest luxuries, atideveJ
these cannot always be obtained; the oi'.l} bedtJ
be had is straw thrown upon the ground, and;
traveller may think himself happy when he cii
procure it clean.

The natives arc poorer, humbler, and moi^

bodies, the third calcareous stone. From all (hrfic cirroi
stances he conjectures that this sjiot was furnuTlv cotere/
by the s^ea, and that the salt is a gradual deposit fnrniiil m
the evaporation of its waters See ^femoire siirtes ilintf
de Set de Wielitska, in flistoire de r Academic des Hciem
for 176'i.

-i

tniseratilq

,i,crable thim any people
',ts of Europe: wherever
U around him in croi

utily. "s" *'"' "'^'^ *''J^
The road bears as few
yrv as the country whicl
,jt where it is sandy; inoj
Jjablp; and in the ma
labour is absolutely
ijpporl the carriages, it is
Mis of trees thrown pn
jirfacc, or formed by trunl

iRiVi.-

I After a tedious journey at
J'arsaw; bnt the roads
jassihic, nor the country 1
fe suburb? chiefly consistir
loicls which compose the
liipiiion of being near tl
Lilyou arrive at Us gates.
[Tlie sitnation of Warsaw
1 built partly in a plain,
Ltle ascent rising from th
[la, which is about as I

Westminster-Bridge, b

niiier. The city and its i
Stent of ground ; and are
Httcen sixty and seventy l
M)ngwhom are a prodigio
The whole town has
Ice, exhibiting that stronj
Id poverty, luxury and'
tecvrry part of this un
Ifds are spacious, but ill
I public bnildings are lui

palaces of the nobilit
Ijendid; but the greatt
Irticularly in the suburb!
Instructed wooden hove
larsaw (late the king ot
h built by Sigismond
pre commodious for the
cause it is situated nearer
jigdom, and because the
is city. The palace s
pund at a small distance
amauds a fine view of i
iaceut country. Next to

is an apartment fittc
lich his late majesty dedic
Vriptiuii, to the meraor

COXF.'S TRAVELS IN POLAND.

473

imbler^ and mon

Vrable than any people in the more western

"'f Europe : wherever a traveller stops, they

f i around him in crouds ; and, asking for

lilv, use the most abject gestures.

The road bears as few marks of human in-

strv as (he country which it intersects. It is

I where it is sandy; in other parts it is scarcely

j'ssable; and •" ^^'^ marshy grounds, where

mc faboiir is absolutely necessary to make it

iiDpoitllic carriages, it is raised with sticks and

illisof <rcc8 thrown promiscuously upon the

rfacc, or formed by trunks of trees laid cross-

:SVi.-

Aflera tedious journey at length you approach
jrjsw; but the roads being neither more
ssablc. nor (lie country belter cultivated, and
e suburbs chiefly consisting of the same wooden
vols which compose the villages, you have no
picion of being near the capital of Poland
ijlyou arrive at Us gates.

JTIies^it'iation of Warsaw is not unpleasant: it
I built partlv in a plain, and partly upon a
Ltle ascent rising from the banks of the Vis-
i\i, which is about as broad as the Thames
Westminster- Bridge, but very shallow in
liniiiier. 'f he city and its suburbs occupy a vast

the kings of Poland : " liegnm Memorta dicavit
Stanislaus Augustus hocce monumentum, 1771."
The portraits of the sovereigns are ranged in
chronological order: the series begins from
Boleslaus, and is carried down to the present
time. These heads are all painted by Bacciarelli,
and arc well executed: the portraits of the earlier
kings arc sketched from the painter's imagination;
but that of Ladislaus II. and most of his succes-
sors are copied from real originals. They alto-
gether produce a pleasing effect, and may be
considered as an agreeable species of genealogical^
table.

Mr. Coxe, who was on his travels in Poland
while the Poles had a king in the year 1778,
says, ( for we shall use his own words, ) 'i In the
evening (of August 5) we had the pleasure of
meeting his majesty at his brother'sj prince
Poniatowski, who gave us a most elegant enter-
tainment at a garden which is situated near his
villa, and is richly ornamented with buildings.
The taste of the Polish nobility is not to be con-
trouled by want of any materials; for if thcj
cannot procure them from nature, they make a
representation of them by art. In the present in-
stance, as there arc no quarries of stone near

itrnt of ground; and are supposed to contain Warsaw, the prince has substituted a composition

Mffcen sixty and seventy thousand inhabitants.

Long whom are a prodigious number of forcign-

The whole town has a melancholy appear-

Ice, exhibiting that strong contrast of wealth

Id poverty, luxury and' distress, which per-

fccvrrv part of this unhappy country. The

Jfds arc spacious, but ill-paved ;' the churches

I public buildings are large and magnificent;

palaces of the nobility are numerous and

Ijeiidid; but the greater part of the houses,

Irticularly in the suburbs, are mean and ilN

instructed wooden hovels. The palace of

farsaw (late the king of Poland's residence)

built by Sigismond III. Warsaw is far

bte commodious for the capital than Cracow,

tause it is situated nearer to the center of the

ngdom, and because the diet is assembled in

city. The palace stands upon a rising

|)und at a small distance from the y istul'a, and

DiuHuds a fine view of that river and of the

iaceiit country. Next to the audirncC'-chani-

is an apartment fitted up with marble,

lich his late majesty dedicated, by the following

Icriptiuii, to the memory of his predecessors

so nearly resembling stone, that the most minute
observer can scarce discover the difference. We
arrived at the garden about nine; it was a
beautiful evening of one of the most sultry days
we had experienced this summer. Aft€r walking
about (he grounds, we came to a grotto of arti-
ficial rock, where a spring of wat^Y dripped
through the sides, and fell into a bason with a'
pleasing murmur. We were scarcelv assembled
in this delightful spct, when the king made hit
appearance: we rose up to meet him; the usual
compliments being passed, we attended his ma-
jesty about the grounds, and then returned to the
grotto, round which we ranged ourselves upon a'
bank covered with mos.s. The moon was now
risen, and added greatly to the beauty of the
scene. I happened to be seated next to the king
(for all form and ceremony was banished), wlio'
talked with mc as usual, in English, on the arts<
and sciences, literature, and history. In the
course of this conversation I ventured to ask
whether there was any good poetry in the Polish
language. His majesty told me, " Wc have
some lighter pie<»es of peetrj, by no means con-^

temptible.

i •'

*'i!-:

I ■■■.'i

, I

..•f. I

*■ I.'

fiV -('il

''•..5l!H|

4-7 i

COXE'S TRAVELS IN POLAKO.

' lemptihltt, nnd an indiflorcnt epic poem; but the
work ot" chief poetical excellence in our tongue
is »i line triuigltU'on of the Ccrusalctnmc Libcrata
of Tusso, far superior to any translations of that
admirahle poem in any other language; .some
Italians of taste and judgement have esteemed it
not Huich inferior to the original performance."
I then tuok the liberty of enquiring about the
historical productions of Poland; when the king
informed vac, that they had no good history of
their country in Polish, which he looked upon as
a national reflection, though he flattered himself
it would be soon removed, as a person of genius
and' eruditiouj admirably calculated for the un-
dertaking, was now employed in that work.
Upon expressing my surprize at a circumstance
almost peculiar to Poland, that they had uo
hitstory in their native tongue, his majesty con-
descended to acquaint me, that they had several
excellent historians, all of whom however liad

written in Latin; "the knowledge of this Ian- j part of the company, realized this bciiutilulco
guage," his majesty remarked, " is very gene- i vivial picture:
ral among the Poles*; the earliest laws are all
drawn up in Latin until the reign of Sigismond
Augustus, when they began to be composed in
the vernacular language; the older i^«c<rt Con-
venta are all in Latin; those of Ladislaus IV.
being the first that appeared in Polish." The
conversation, in which I was at a loss whether
to admire most the knowledge or condescension
of the king, was interrupted by the prince, who
proposed a turn in the garden before supper:
bis highness led the way, and the company
follov\ed ; we passed through a subterraneous

passage, long and winding, with here and there I returned to Warsaw, highly pleased wit!i o
a single lamp, which shed a glimmering light; j evening's entertainment. "
■^e came at length to a wooden door, which I The elegance and luxury of the Polish nobilifi
seemed the entrance into some hovel; it opened, I in their houses and villus is really extjuisilc in |||
and we found ourselves, to our great astonish- | extreme; in their decorations and funiilurflihi
nient, in a superb saloon, illuminated with inuu- | seem to ha\e blended the English and IVi'iid
uierable lamps. It was a nttunda, with an ele- modes; in their entertainments they are c.\i|uijil
gant dome of the most beautifid .synunetry; in "
the circumference were four open recesses be-
tween pillars of artificial marblef : in the re-
cesses were 80|)has, with paintings in fn\siv,
representing the triumphs of Bacchus, Silenus^

Love, and the victory of the Emprcaj of p
over the Turks. As we were all ad,„iriSi
beauty and elegance ot the rotunda, our J
were on a sudden regaled with'a conwrt of
quisite music from an invisible band Ui'
we were listening to this agreeable perlWma
and conjecturing from what quarter it cij'^'
maguifiieut table was suddenly spread in Ii
midst of the saloon with such expedition - '
resemble the eft'ects of enthantnieiit. MV j
mediately sat down to supper with the kinj; 'J
prince, and a chosen company: our spirits r "
elevated by the beauty of the s^aloon, by tlie 1 "'
pitalityof the prince, and by the afiabilitv of'iij
king; who, so far from bciiug a c()nstriiiiiV(„t|,.
society, greatly enlivened it by liis vivH*itv, am
seemed the soul of the party. I hckt na^Jj
more agreeable evening; tlie conversiition,,
animated and rational, while the social ease al
freedom, which dilfused itself tiir»ut>h c\i:n

La I.ihiirte ronvhe ahnnhlc
J\lct Ics Unix coufks sur la table'*'

Even with the lustre of a crown, which, is m
to dazzle our judgements, the king of l\t\l
could not fail of being esteemed one of tlmmoi
agreeable- and polite gentlenien in I'liroiic:
has a surprizing fund of interesting conversaiioB]
and I never yet had the honour of access to I
company without being both informed and dJ
lighted. His majesty did not retire until J
o'clock, when the company separated, unj ^4

* " I Ii;i(l several opportunities (says Mr. Coxp) of re.
marking the prcvaloiicy of the Latin tongue in Poland ;
when I visited the prisons, I coiiversi'd \t\ that hn^uiinc
vcith a common soldier, wlio stood guard at the entrance:
be spoke it wish great ilucucy." -.^. .

ly relined; and as th(!y spare no expcme, anj
have a natural good taste, they generally mn
in creating pleasure and surprize. TlicirhoJ
pitality and politeness exceed those of alnioj
every other nation.

+ These pillars are of the same romposidon mdciloJ
with those of the i'aiithooii in O.xforJ Street.
i V^oll.aire.

PflVO

COXE'S TRAVF.W IN POLAND

475

'■^■)i[

Pnronikii Uie villa of prince Adam Zartoiiski,
I bout three milea from Warsaw in the midiit
I fyte^: ihe situation is alnost level, with

fMtd there a gentle slope, which produces an
jLable variety. A river runs through the

Ejundii, w'»'<^'' """^ '*"* **"* '" *''* English taste,

lb a beautiful intermixture of lawn and wood;
Uii are cut. through the wood, and carried
E ,|, llie side of the water. The house, which

^ upon a gentle rise, has the appearance of
{toM«> constructed like those of the peasants,
[ilhtruitksof trees piled upon each other, and
■itched with straw: beside the principal

Jini;, inhabited by the prince and princess,
lere arc separate cottages for the children and
ktendants, each of which has its inclosures and
L|| garden; this group of structures bears the

nblanceof a village, composed of huts scat-

I at a small distance from eiicl) other. Other
luildingSj such as summer houses, pavilions,
istic sheds, and ruins, are dispersed throughout
jirrounds; the stables are constructed in the
jiu of an half demolished amphitheatre. Several
Laiitic bridges, rudely composed of the trunks
ybent branches of trees, contribute to heighten

(rusticity of the scenery. From the appear-
jce of the principal cottage without, one might
Uctthe inside tube furnished in the simple
\leof a peasant's hovel, but within every spe-
of elegant magnificence which riches and
ste could collect are to be found. All the
[isrtmfnts are decorated in the most costly man-
it; but the splendour of the bath room is pe-
Lliarl) striking: the sides are covered from top
Ibnttom, with small square pieces of the finest

isdeii China, each ornamented with an elegant
Lrig; and the border and cieling arc painted
p beautiful festoons. The ex pence of fitting
I this apartment must have been prodigious ;
[there arc at least three thousand square pieces
[china employed, each of which cost at Dresdea
jrce ducats*. Near the house is an enclosure,
Lrouiided with large blocks of granite heaped

!U|)on another, and fallen trees placed in the
itt natural and picturesque shapes. The several

ages inhabited by the children ar^ each fitted

in different styles, bu' with equal elegance.

l«ry thing without doors gives one the idea of

pappy peasant's family; within all is costliness

I tuslc. The grounds are prettily laid out in

IVolii. No. cm.

* About

the English taste of gardening. Here is likewise
a Turkish tent of rich and curious workmanship,
pitched in a beauf'-"!! retired field near the
stables. This tent oelongcd to the grand-vizier,
and was taken during the Ih(c war between the
Russians and the Turks: under it is a Settee, and
a carpet spread upon the ground. Passing
through the house is a small spot of rising
ground, where, in the evening, you are suddenly
struck with a most beautiful illuininution. A
rustic bridge, consisting of a single arch over a
broad piece of water, is studded with several thou-
sand lamps of diflerent colours; whilethc reflection
of this illuminated bridge in the water is so strong
as to deceive the eye, and give the whole the ap-
pearance of a brilliant circle suspended in the air :
the effect is splendid beyond description, and con-
siderably heightened by the gloom of the forest
in the back-ground. \Vhile the traveller is ad-
miring this delightful scene, a band of music
strikes up at a little distance, and amuses him
with a concert. From this enchanting spot, you
are led across the illuminated bridge, to a thatch-
ed pavillion, open at the sides, and supported
by pillars ornamented with garlands and twisted
festoons of flowers: within this pavillion, when
any strangers are present, they generally sup on
a cold collation, to partake of which they sit
down to a table which is covered with all kind
of delicacies, with the most costly wines, and
every species of fruit which art or nature can
furnish.' When the supper is ended they rise
from table, and take a walk in the gardens, which
are suddenly illuminated, and they range about
as fancy dictates: and here they are gratified
with the sound of wind instruments, played by
persons dispersed in diflerent parts of the grounds.
The bishop of Plotsko has a palace at Jablonska
about eight miles from Warsaw. The palace is
a handsome building, constructed after a design,
aiid at the expence, of the late king for his
brother, who was bishop of that see. One of
the apartments, called tBe Turkish saloon, is re-
markable for its elegance and singularity : it is
in the Oriental taste, of an oblong shape, very
high, with a fountain in the middle, surrounded
with a parterre of flowers. Between the parterre
and sides of the room are ranges of Turkish
soplias. The variegated tints and rich fragrance
of the flowers, joined to the transparency and

6E in

jtfl 7s. 6i>.

^!.Kr,.

■■' : V

ill isS' '

'■ 'if

;

i. '.'■'■

;■ '

I '1f

\ H

I'- Til

' i

47ff

COXF.'S TRAVELS IN POLAND.

murmurs of tlic fountain, produce a most
pleasing clfcct, and, together with the coohicss
of (he apartment, reader it a delicious retreat
from the iioats of summer. The Vistula winds
uh)ng at a stuall distance from the palace,
through a sandy and almost level country.

The public librar}' at ^Varsaw owes its be-
p:inning to the private bounty of two bishops of
the family of Zaluski; the following inscription
is over the door; Civiiim iisui pcrihluo Zalusiro-
nnn ptir illusive (liaivit 1714. It has since re-
ceived several large additions from various bene-
factors; and contains above a hundred thousan.i
volumes. It is very rich in books and manuscripts
relating to the Polish history.

There are two universities, one at Cracow, and
the other at Vilna; the former was under the
direction of pricsfs, called Academicians; and
the latter was superintended by the Jesuits; but
in both, the course of studies was cliietly confined
to theology. After the suppression of the Jesuits^
the king established a committee of education,
composed of members distinguished either by
liigh station, or enlightened understanding-^.
The committee has an absolute power in matters
of education, appoints professors, regulates their
salaries, and directs their studies.

Although from the nature of the government
learning has never been widely diflused in Poland,
yet there never have been wanting men of genius
and literature, who have been an ornament to
their country: and perhaps no nation can boast
a more regular succession of excellent historians;
or a greater variety of writers deeply conversant
in the laws, statutes, and constitution. Under
Sigismond I. and his son Sigismond Augustus,
the arts and sciences began to be greatly distin-
guished by royal patronage; they were cherished
by some of the succeeding monarchs, particularly
John Sobieski; but no prince paid them more
attention than the late king Stanislaus Augustus.
His munificence in this particular was attended
ivith the happiest effects. The Polish literati
have, within a few years, given to the public a
much greater variety of elegant performances
than ever appeared in any former period of the

* Many of these towns arc at present rudiiccc' to such a
low state, as .scarcely to dc^scrve the name of villages : in
♦Jicse placcF, of course, the judges are necessarily persons
«f the lowest doscription, and totally unqualified for the
(liscbargc of their high ofHco. Innocence and guilt, by this

same length. What is more material, a (j,* r
science has spread itself among the 'nobles'^
begins to be regarded as an accomplishment *
Atrocious crimes, such as murder, ^/

punished in Poland by beheading or hancl
lesser delinquencies by whipping, hard laK
and imprisonment: the nobles never siifl'or
corporal punishment ; but are liable only to i"'
prisonment and death.

Torture was abolished in 1776, by an edict |
the diet, introduced by the influence of ^\^p | ,1
king; a regulation as expressive of hi^ inji(.^|..
j udgemcnt as of his benevolence. It is an inllmf
satisfaction toseethe rights of humanity extendin,,
themselves in countries, where they bail bceS
but little known. ,

The defects of the police in this country are bt
no circumstances so strongly evinced, as by fr/l
quent impunity of the most atrocious criiiies-|
this abuse may be traced from the foUowiJ
causes: I. The greatest criminals fuwl at tiinej^
little ditficulty in engaging the protection ot'sonj
of the principal nobles, who occasionally assemJ
! lie their vassals and retainers in arms, and driveL
the otiiccrs of justice from their lands. 2. Tliel
law, esteemed by the Polish gentry the great!
bulwark of their liberty, which enacts, that nol
gentleman ran be arrested for misdemeanors untilf
he is convicted of them, notwithstanding tligl
strongest dogree of presumptive proof: (hei
olTender, of course, if likely to be found giiiltyj
takes care to withdraw himself before the cooiJ
pletion of the process. Murder indeed, aDdl
robbery on the highway, and a few other capital!
crimes, are excluded from this privilpsre: buC
even in those flagrant enormities no gentlemanj
can be taken into cu.stody, unless actually appre.[
bended in the commission of the oU'encu; nndl
when the crime is thus positively ascertained,!
which in the nature of things can seldom occur,]
the culprit cannot be sentenced to capital punish-
ment by any other tribunal than a diet. 3. Tbel
right which every town possesses of having its j
own criminal courts of justice, with judges se-
lected solely from the inhabitants*. 4. Thcrel
are no 'public officers whose province it is tol

moans, are often not distinguished, and as often wantonl;!
confounded. Not only the power of levying duscrctiooatjfl
fines, but the infliction of corporal punishna'ut, andcieti
of death itself, is entrusted to these co«iteinptible tribunaKl

prosecuttj

COXE'^r'TIlAVKLS m POLAND.

fffljecule <''<' offenders in the king's namb.

r.(f even in case of muTder, robbery upon

L lii<r|iw&V< ^>"' ^''^ 1^^^^ atrocious crimes, the

r,',"u(.nt generally escapes, unlesi some in-

dual indicts and bringshim to trial: tills »el-

I l,3ppciis, as the process is attended with no

jlghiirc of expence. 5. The power which

, pljintilf possesses of withdrawing li is pi-o-

cuiion, even in cases of the greatest enormity:

is custom screens all but the indigent from the

mrsuit of justice; as persons of moderate

ironcrty nre cenerally able to bribe ihc necessity

If avarice of their prosecutor*.

The laws relating to debtors are ns follow:

le creditor prt)cceds a2;iiinst the debtor at his

m.i cvpfiK't!; and, until the trial is finished,

\0i him eight groschens, or three half-pence.

a day for his maintenance; when the debt is
proved, the creditor is released from the above-
mentioned contribution: the debtor continues in
prison, at the discretion of his creditor, until the
debt is discharged ; and', if he has no means of
subsistence, is obliged to maintain himself by
working with the delinquents in rutting wood,
sawing stone, or cleaning the streets. In ca!«c a
gcnCIeman contracts a debt, an action lies against
his lands and goods, and not against his person,
unless he gives a note of hauil with a double
signature, one intended as an ascertainment of
the debt, the other as a renunciation of his ex-
emption from arrests; but a person of high dis-
tinct'on, even though he should bind himself by
this engagement, can bid defiance to all danger
,of iaiprisoament.

..,.;t,

SECTION III.

itf ■ ,j

Mistocn — Enferfai'ivncnt at the Countess of Braniski's Palace-— Duchti of Lithuania— Its Union

I'siih Poland — Description of Grodno — Diets — Phijsic Garden — General Productions of Lithuania

\ -Account of the Wild-Ox — Of the Remiz and its pendent JVcst—AIanufactures — JSf umber of

j^s;s— Badness of the Roads and Want of Accommodations — Close of the Dietine at Minsk —

Pivr/// and Wretchedness of the JVatives — Comparative IVcxu of the Swiss and Polish Peasants-^

EoiHirks on the Plica Polonica.

iPPOSlTE to Warsaw, on the other side of
(lie Vistula are the suburbs of Pragaf.
Ibuut ail English mile from Warsaw a forest
eiiH, and continues, with little interruption,
[the distance of eighteen miles. Some of the
laces in the road to Biallistock, though extreme-
]wrctilied, enjoy their own police and courts
liiistice: they consist of wooden huts, mostly
Btclied, some roofed with wood, and a few
b'th tiles. The country is chiefly saiidy and

I* This practice, founded on a narrow principle, that
Tirages against imlividiKiLs arc merely private, nut public
jencos, k an instance of the grossest barbarism, which all
lilizcd nations hare renounced ; for it requires a very
degree of legislative improvcmeut to perceive, that
Ivate wrongs, when unchastiscd, become highly injurious
llhccommHnity at large, by affording encouragement to
nlar oirincrs. In visiting the prisons, says Mr. (Jo.vc,
Bv the had effects of this usage exemplified in a striking
jtaiicc. Two persons, indicted for the assassination of a
V, had been permitted to rem.iin in prison upwards of a
(ln*oii(h, without being brought to a trial. The widow
[ihtMlcfeased, upon whose accusation they were imprison-
1 iavjng agreed, on the pnyraciit of a stipulated sum, to

level as far as the Bog, which may be crossed at
Gran: the river is broad and shallow. On the
further side of this river is a better soil, and the
country is more diversified. The road is not un-
pleasant, running through fields sown with dif-
ferent species of corn, hemp, and flax; but the
forest is still in sight, and seems to skirt the
horizon. In many places the wood encroaches
upon the fields, and young trees shoot up in
groat numbers wherever cultivation has been

drop the suit and grant them a release, their inability to
.•satisfy her demand had been the only reason for detaining
them so long in confinement ; and as when I saw them they
h.id jnsl r.iised the money, they were upon the point of ob>
taining a linal discharge.

+ When Count Siiwarroff took Praga, in 1794, when
the inhabitants were tranquil, when ten hours had ulapsed
after his taking possession of the suburbs, and when he had
sulUcient time to get thoroughly intoxicated, (for he seldom
undertook any military exploit till he was half inebriated,)
ilie inhuman monster ordered an undistinguished massacre
uf the inhabitants of this ill-fated place. This sealed the
fate uf Poland, and it ceased to be an indcpcndeui nation.

neglected.

478

COXPS TRAVELS IN POLAND.

neglected. This is the rase in mmt parts of
Poland, many traces of former eiK-losiires, iwd
even the vestiges of paved streetn, being dis-
cernible in the centre of the forests.

The largest place on the road is Bielsk, capital
of the palatinate of Podalnchia, >^'here thedictine
for the district is held: it is little better than a
miserable village, though called, in the geogra-
phical descrijitions of Poland, a large town.
Between Biels!'- and Wovtszi the cottages are
infinitely worse: even tliau thme wretched
d\YelIin;;8 which are in the towns where the inha-
tntunts are more free; in the latter are furniture
and some conveniences; in these nothing but the
bare walls. The peasants are perfect slaves, and
their habitations and appearance correspond with
their miserable situation: a traveller could scarce-
ly figure to himself such objects of poverty
and misery. The country from -Warsaw to
Biallistock is in general sandy; but in some
places the soil is very rich. All parts are fit for
cultivation, and many spots have the appearance

* ]NTr. Cloxc, s))caktHg uf his vi.sit to the countess Braniski,
Siiys, '•'• The muniiiig after uiir arrival, the rountt'os, to
M'lioin wc hiid a Iftter from ])riiicc Stanislaus I'oninlowski,
honoured i)s with a most polite invitation to dinner, and
sent her ciu-rlagc to convey ns to the nalaw. We were
mast politely received by our n«ble hostess, and were con.
Tjncrd from her aminble inanners, condescending liehavioiir,
niul lively flow of conversation, that attHbility and good
souse arc natural to the family of Poniatowski. VVc found
a largo coni])any assemlikKl at table, whom the countess had
iutilcd to partake of her hospitable board, which was ele.
gantly supplied with every delicacy. Among «)thcr topics,
the conversation turned upon our inoJe of travelliug
through a country so poor and wretched, and so deficient
in coniforlable accommodations. " I suppose," said a
Polish gentleman, " you carry your beds with you ;" to
which we replied in the negative. " How do you sleep
then?" "Upon straw, when wc ca:> get it; .and when we
arc not «o fortunate, upon the floor, upon a bench, or
»i|M)n a table." " You take your provisions," returned
the I'olc. — " Vcr)' seldom." — " How do you live then ?" —
" Upon what we can procure: one of our servants is sent
before and generally contrives to obtain soqjc kind of pro.
vision, which may sooth, if not satisfy, the demands of
liunger; but we have travelling appetites, and arc not
fasfidio\i3." — " Vou are not, however, without knives,
forks, and spoons; fur such conveniences arc not known
among the |)easanls." — " We each of us carry a cla p>knife;
arc now and then so fortunate as to meet with a wooden
s(><)on; and never regret the want of a fork." Here our
noble hostess made a proposal to supply us with knives,
forks, and spoonsj together wjth wine and provision :
upon our declining this ofter, she pleasantly replied, " Per-
haps you are above accepting them ; I know the Knglish are
very haughty; will you purchase thcra:" Wc made answer,

of great fertilit;^. The harvest, however
in the most fruitful tracts, is but indifferent
circumstance evidently owintr to der«r» i» i <
bandry. •«=" 'nhuJ

Biallistock is a very neat and wcll-buiu to 1
Tlie streets were broad, and the houses, wif "j
ar« in general plaistered, stand detached ft' J
each other at uniform distances. The suDer'"!
neatness of Biallistock is owing to the illultri i
family of Braniski, whose palace stands cloJt'l
the town, and who have contributed to ornamei!
their place of residence. It belongs to the cmnJ
tess Braniski*, sister of the late king, and wida«
of the late great general Braniski; wiio, notJ
withstanding this alliance, warmly proWel
agaioiit the election of his late majesty.

From Biallistock, for some way, ig a conJ
tinned forest; afterwards the country become
more open, abounding with corn and pasture!
the towns and villages arc long and 8tra?glinir|
all the houses, i^nd even the churches, of voodl
crowds of beggars surround a carriage wheneveH

that we were not afraid of laying ourselves under any oblit
tions to tk person of her politeness and generosity ; but liil
object of our travels was to gratify curio«ity rat'iier thail
appetite; and that wc thought ourselves most likely to b-.
come acquainted with the domestic ceconomy of the m'.\
sants, by partaking of their accommodations, and bvriJ
lying on them for the supply of our waots. WiJIiiiij ho J
ever, not to appear rude in a rejection of tlio whoic'oirorl
we accepted a few bottles of wine. The coimtcss did us tliJ
honour to conduct us herself through the aiHirtmi'iitMlT
the palace, which is a large building, in iIk- ItalhJ
taste; and, on account of its grandeur and nia^niiironcf
generally called the Versailles of Poland. It was forll
nierly only a royal hunting scat; John C'asimir gate ill
together with iiiallistock and some other estates tJ
Czarnicski, a general highly distinguished by his victuritil
over the Swedes at the time that Poland was nearly rrusMl
by her enemies. Among the curiosities preserved in tli«|
])alace is a golden cup, which C/arnieski used afdr ihtl
custom of those timt-s to wear fastened to his girdle; irntl
an embroidered sash which ho took among the spoils arttril
defeat of Charles X. and supposed to belong to that iii(i.|
narch. Czarnieski left one daughter, w ho married llraniskll
the father of the late great general, by which marriage ihtl
estate came into that family/ There is one apartment whichl
Augustus III. useii to occupy whenever he passed thisviyl
to the diet of Grodno; and which, out of rcs|)cct to tli<|
memory of their late sovereign, in left in its original sUte,!
In another room is a fine portrait or Augustus in hinrojill
robes, with his head shaved in the Polish fashion, as he ip.!
pcared on the day of his coronation. In the afternoon vil
drove about the parks and grounds, which arc tcry cilen.1
sivc, and elegantly laid out in the English taste. NVeciosdl
.this agreeable day with a supper at the i>alacc, and twkl
leave, witli regret, of its amiable and noble mistress. I

iti

COXI'VS TRaVF.LS in I'Or.ANO.

47!)

WU'l't'iti,'

■ . j,;vv« mf»l«o flicir nppoariinco without

I'lio next town of foiiM'<iiieiice is Ciiodno,

liiis soinr wiclihcd siibiiihs iiiliubited by

Here the Nicinoii in broad, cloar, and

lUluv'i ^^'''' '■''^'".'^ biiiiksj bovoiid wbich is the

" vvliiii' i^ built upon uii ciniiicncc o^fcilook-

! lii'iiv*""- 'riiouj^h Viliia is tlio capilal. yi't

I mliio is esteemed the principal town in Litliua-

riticflv Litliuania was entirely unconnected

Poliiiid, and was <!;overncd by i(s own

lis uiuicr <he titU- ol' ji;reat dukes. From

ii'iviiln, which usually subsists between con-

^^„(,i stsitcs, llic two unlioiis were enj^aced in

^Pi.i,,,„f perpetual wars until MiHd, when the

■cat'dukc iiadislaus Jugbellon, having espoused

Lffi"-e and embraced the Christian religion,

U riusi'd to the Polish throne, and reigned

Ivcr both countries. Hecoming a sincere con-

L| to the new religion, (which he at lirst

idiinled tVom interested views,) he endeavoured

..,i.,,|,ao-ate its doctrines among his idolatrous

Jjjccls^in Lithuania*. Having introduced

Ihristiinity into that country, he nominated his

Llitr Cusimir Skirgcllo governor of that duchy,

L returned to Poland; but u civil war being

Lited by ll>'' ambition of Alexander, aurnamed

liloldus, and the discontents of those who Mcre

.1 altachert to their Pagan rites, Lithuania was

jir some time a scene of tumult and hostility.

II lep£,ili, by a compromise in l.SyS, Vitoldus
L aiipointed great duke, and Ladislaus con-
jiitcd himself with a reservation of nominal
ivprei'nity. In 1413 it \^as stipulated, in a diet
fPuksand Lithuanians held at Hrodio, that,
Liillie demists of Vitoldus, the Lithuanians
loutd acknowledge no other great-duke but the
Jfson whom the king might appoint, with the
troement of the two nations; that, in case
liihlaiis died without issue, the Poles should

lect no king without the consent of the Lithua-
fiiis; and that a diet, composed of repre-
ntatives from both nations, should meet when-
ier it was thought necessary, at Lublin or

' In suhsorvicncy to (his great work, ho ordered the
llowed grovrg tn 1)0 cut down, tlio oracular nhrinc to bo
llfuyod, lht> sacred (iro to bo extingiiislu-d, and tho ser.
m worshipped as Gods by his siiperstllions subjects to
jilain. A belief unlvcrsaHy prevailed among tho people,
It w'mi'ver pi'of.%uely attempted to destroy thcso objects
I their worship, , wouhl bo struck with insttaatanuous

[Vol. II. No! CIV.

I'arzow. Tlii-j compart wan, Iiowcvcr, some-
times violated, till Sigisuiond f. united the two
govercigntii's, and wa* succeeded in both by his
son Sigismond Augustus.

lliflicrto the connection between the two iia-
tiniis had been nu)re an alliance thiin an union;
but Sigismond Augustus living no children, and
being the only surviving male heir of tlio Ja-
ghollon family, plamuid the iniion of Poluiid and
Luh'iania, lest upon his decease the connection
should bc dissolved, and the two nations be again
governod by ditterent princes. After some dif-
liculties, and being once f-ustrated in his attempt,
he obtained, from a general diet held at Lublia
in i.^)()i*, that Poland and Lithuania shjuid frorn
henceforth be united and considered as one nation ;
that one sovereign should be closen conjointly
by both people; that the LHhuanians should
send nuntios to the general d.ot, be admitted into
the senate, and have an equal share in the |)ublic
honours and eniploynicnts; that no alliance
should be made with foreign powers, and no am-
bassadors dispatched without the consent of both
parties; that the same money should pass current
in both countries ; in short, that they should
have no distinction of privilege or interest. Upon
the ratification of this union, Sigismond Augustus
r(!nounccd all hereditary right to Lithuania.
From this period the same person was uniforuily
elected king of Poland and great duke of Lithu-
ania; the two nations were incorporated ir.to one
republic; Tind continued so till the final partition
of Poland.

Grodno is a large si/aggling place, but con-
tains no more than three thousand Christians,
excluding the persons employed in the manufac-
tures, anti a thousand Jews. It has greatly the
appearance of a town in decline; containing a
mixture of wretched hovels, falling houses, and
ruined paUces, with magnificent gateways, re-
mains of its ancient magnificence. A few habita-
tions in good repair make the contrast more
striking. The old palace in which the kings
used to reside during the diets, stood upon a

death : when the falsity of this tradition was proved by tha
iiii|)unity of those ronrcrned in tho supposed sacrilege, tho
Lithuanians lloi-lied in such crowds to be converted, that
the priests could only bestow separate b;iptism on persons
of distinction ; but distributed the muUltude in ranks, and,
sprinkling them with water, pravc one christian nam.'} t(>
each rank without distinction of 5ex.

hill

t M

(."I

ill

Hi fill

• nlK'

K.1

480

COXE'S TRAVELS IN POLAND.

liill of sand rising abruptly from the river, and
forming part of its bank: some remains of the
ancient walls still exist. Opposite to this hill is
the new palate built, but never inhabited, by
Angnstus III. as it was iiot finished at the time
of \m dcaU). Tn this palace are the apartments
wherein it was intended the die(s shonld be held,
if thej are ever again summoned to Grodno; but,
alass! Lithuania is now under the dominion of
llussia. The late kinj;- of Poland established in
Grodno a Kovul Academy of Physic for Lithu-
ania, in which ten students were instructed in
physic, and twenty in surgery. They were all
lodged, boarded, and taught at his majesty's ex-
pence, and the institution greatly flourished un-
der the roval patronage and protection. The .
physic garden, which did not exist in 1776,
made, in 1778, a very respectable appearance;
which was entirely owing to Mr. Gillibert's at-
tention and care, that gentleman being superin-
tendant of the college and physic garden.

The animals roving in the very large forests of
Lithuania are the bear, the wolf, the elk, the
wild-ox, the lynx, the beaver, the glouton, the
wild cat, &c. The wild-ox, or common bull in
a wild state, is probably the same quadruped
which is described by Aristotle under the name of
Bonasus, styled Urus in the Commentaries of
CfTSDr, and called Jiiso7i by some naturalists. It
is rather larger than ihe common English bull,
and shaped like a buft'alo, but without the pro-
tubera ic«; over its shoulders: its neck is high and
thick, and covered with long hair, or mane,
which somewhat resemble? that of an old lion;
the forehead is narrow, with two horns turning
inwards, and the tongue of a blueisli colour.
The male is sometimes six feet in height, and is
more fierce and shaggy than the fern tic*.

* Linn;rii.s has classed the lionusiti, the Urus, and (he
iy/.vo)j under three ppccics ; Duft'oa •odiKCs (tu-in to two,,
the (////s and the fiison; and Penniuit has ron-.prised Ihcni
all under one species. His opinion has been lately adoi>tcd
by Pallas, in a very curious dissertation published in the Acts
of the Imperial .Vcadeiny of Sciences atSt. Petersburg. That
celebrated naturalist informs «s, that this species of the
•wi.'d-o*;, which was formerly very common in Kurope, ex.
ists ni» where in that continent, but ia these Lithuanian
forests, i-i some parts of the Carpathian mountains, and
[lerhaps in the Caucacus. lie agrees also with Bullon, in
holding the bixon or « ihl.ox of America to bu only a variety
of this »irns clian;;ed by the climate.

■i Naturalists have loii« diiiored concerning tho origin of
amber. Some maintain it to be an animal substance ; others
class it among the minerals ; some assert, that it is a vege-
tabic oil uuiuii with a mineral aiid; but the taunt common

Lithuania is very rich in ornithology; amn j
the birds of prey the eagle and vulture arc 1
common, liemiz or little species of tituio^!,!
called Paras Pendulinuti, is not luifrequeiuiJ
found in these parts. They are of the small '(
species Of titmice. The head is of a very nt
blueish ash colour; the forepart of the iietk ■ 5
the breast tinged with red; the bcllv white; vc'l
black ; back and rump of a yellowish nistcoloufj
quill feathers cinerous, with the exterior sid I
white; the tail rust-coloured. The njale
singularly distinguished from the female by
pair of black-pointed whiskers. l(s nest is intlJ
shape of along purse, which it, forms wij
amazing art, by interweaving down, goss-a-merj
and minute fibres, in a close and compact maniierl
and then lining the inside with down alone, soj
to make a snug and warm lodging for its yoimd
brood. The entrance is at the side, and siiiai
and round, with its edge more strongly markei
than the rest of this curious fabric. The bird!
attentive to the preservatiori of its oggs or 1
ones from noxious animals, suspends it at thelcsiti
end to the extremity of t1ie slender twigs ofj
willow, or some other tree, over a river. Coih,
trary to the custom of titmice, it lays only foul
or five eggs: possibly Providence hath orilaiiJ
this scantiness of eggs to the livmiz, bccaus< bi
the singular instinct imparted to it, it is ciiablei
to secure its young inuchinore eHectualiv froij
destruction, than the other species, which ar]
very prolific.

A great quantity of yellow amber is frcqueuj
dug up in th^; Lithuanian forests, sometimes il
pieces as large as one's tisl, and it is probiibil
the production of a sinull resinous piiicf
duchy abounds in iron ochre, called by Linna-uj
Tophus humoso ochrcaccus, and described b|

r»llerius

under the article o

opinion seems to be that it is a fossil bitumen. A kw lioll
it to be the resinous juice of a pine hardened by :no: i!if
latter opinion was also maintained by the ancient Ki.ni,ig^
Amber is most usually found upon the sea-coast, amlth(><i^
frequently discovered several feet beneath the surface of iJ
ground, yet has been supposed to have never bccidiiggl
at any considerable distance from the sea ; a ciraiinstaiKf
which has led several naturalists to conjectute, (hHtitonei
in a great measure, its production to the sea. Bui i
hypnthesiii is cocfuted by the discovery of largo pieces^
amber in the heart of the Lithuanian forests far fio'ii an]
sea. See Plin llisl. Nat. L. 37. Sec. XI. T,ui!o>i
Moribus GermanicuR. jMacquaire's ChymjMry, v, II,
20(). Uishopof LandalPs(Dr. Watson) tlssaysoiil'lijMiistfjj
V. III. j>. I'i. and |iarticularly\ValleriusSysteui. .Miiicrjloci^
V. II. p. II.') — li?. where the reader will liiid a list of I
priuciial naturalists, who have writtcu uuun Anibn.

VVallaii

I produces forty pounds

[weight; it yields also se

ler and iron pyrites; blacks

. fj a resemblance to tlie ro(

jniassesofrcd and grey grai

Jojtainiiife'f'2'P**'s"* white

Lizcd; a prodigious quani

Les- particularly anielhysi

L clialccdonies, cornelian!

Inhis catti, or c&VnvA-e,jmp

J red ipccies. Lithuania

[jrine petrelactions, and ch

(common in the IJaltic; of i

I till most numerous, and

ijfdliinum Gotlilcnidicnm

Kich is described in the 1

LiwiVfl/cs Jcadanica; as ex

JTlic principal manufacti

Ljets, linen and cottons, sill

ikstockirgs, hats, lace, fire i

leailiing wax, and carriages,

Ijies suiVicient wool, flax, 1

fiwax for the supply «»f the

bplov those commodities; 1

ioD colours, gold and silver

nine thread from Krusse

bortfd. The manufacture

liid persons, including I'mi

liiliiriioiH villages, who spi

Iffnl. The apprentices ar-

lililrcn of Poli.'h peasants.

Id, and IriTp besidis a smaJ

^if dirccttfT- complain that t

iioii;;' them; and that, althi

iiiiii clothed than the otht

hinot excite them to industry

■an force. Tht;se nninufact

iraiic), hut their iintitution r

Istrenpon the late king's re

rilariv Hi his attention was

leni during the civil convuls

bm;, and at length overtiu

In Lithuania there are a v

I indeed there are in every [

seem to have fixed their

Ichv, If von ask for an int

111 a Jew; if vou come to i

la Jew; if you want post

ut'i them, and a Jew drive

purchase, a Jew is your

COXE'S TRAVFXS IN POLAND,

481

Pll'yg under the article of Ferrum limosum,
r*' I produces forty pounds of metal in an hiin-
Ivveiebt; it yields also several species of cop-
ji,(| iron pyrites ; black agate, which always
Ls a resemblance to tl'.e roofs of pines; dctach-
jniassesofrcd md grey granite ; pudding stones,
r jjiniiit- cbrystals of white (jiiartz ; the echinus
^lizeJ; a prodigious quantity of false precious
Les, parlicnlarly ainclhysts, topazes, garnets,
.. (iialccdonies, cornelians, milky agates, the
Uiiscatti, or cat's eye, jaspers, and particularly
lered Mwcics. Lithuania is cx'ieuicly rich in
lirine netrefactions, and chiefly in those which
ecninnio" in the Hultic; of these (he madrepores
.(iic most numerous, and amongst of hers the
V(!//in»"f Gothlandicnm is not un.i, union;
hicli is ilt'scribed in the first volume of the
hnMcs Jcadcmica; as extremely rare.
jTlic principal maiuifactures arc cloth and
blets, linen and cottons, silk stufl^s, cml)roidery,
Ikstoekirgs, hats, lace, fire arms, needles, cards,
atliintf wax, and carriages. The country fur-
jshessiiHicicnt wool, flax, hemp, beavers hair,
Jwax (or the supply (»f the manufactures which
nplfM' flioi>e cominodifies; but the silk, cotton,
toll; colours, gold and silver for the embroidery,
line thread from Brussels tor the lace, are
bortcd. The manufactures employ three thou-
\ii persons, including ihose dispersed in the
fciiii^iioiH villages, who spin l>:.en and worsted
Iffjd. The apprentices arr hoys and girls, all
iildreii of Polish peasants, who arc clothed and
rf, and If&vr bcsidis a sm»<l allowance in money.
[be dircctcn'- complain that there is no emulation
iiniii.''(liein; and that, although ihey are better
rlofhed than the other peasants, yet they
hi'idtcxcifefhem to industry by any other means
laii loicc. These manufactures are still in their
|faiii), but (heir iu'^tidition reflects a considerable
litre upon the late king's reign; and more par-
tnlarly a^ his attention was not withdrawn from
lenuiuringthe civil convulsi(ms which shook his
Iroiic, and at length overturned it.
Iln Lifhuaiiia there are a vast number of Jews,
I indeed there are in every part of Poland, but
lev seem to have fixed their head-quarters in this
ichv. [f you ask for an interpreter, they bring
In a Jew; if you come to an inn, the landlord
lajcvv; if you want post-horses, a Jew pro-
ps (JiiMn, and a Jew drives them; if you wish
I purchase, a Jew is your agent: and this per-

haps is the only country in Europe where Jews
cultivate the ground: in passing through Lithu-
ania, you frequently see f hem engaged in sowing,
rea^iing, mowing, and other works of husbandry.

The roads in this country are (juife neglected,
being scarcely superior to by-paths winding
through the thiv-k forest without the least degree
of artificial direction: they are frcquiatly so nar-
row as scarcely to admit a carriage; and arc con-
tinually so obstructed by stumps and roots of
trees, and in many parts so exceedingly sandy,
that eight small horses can scarcely drag a car-
riage along. The postilions are frequently boyg
of ten or twelve years of age, hardy lads, who
ride posts of twenty and even thirty English
miles without a saddle, and with scarcely any
covering except a shirt and a pair of linen draw-
ers. The bridges across the rivulets are so weak-
ly constructed and so old, that they seem ready
to crack with the weight of a carriage.

Bielitza is distant about !)0 English miles from:
Grodno. Novogrodec, wliioh is on the road
from Grodno to Minsk, is all built of wood, ex-
cept two or three ruinous brick-houses, a con-
vent that belonged to the Jesuits, and some
mouldering stone-walls surrounding a small emi-
nence, upon which are the remains of an old
citadel. Near Novogrodec are a large number
of barrows, which the peasants call Swedish
burying-places. In this part the country is less
sandy, of a richer soil, and somewhat diversified
with hill and dale: the solitary extent of the
forests is more then Uaual interspersed with vil-
lages, and dotted with fields of pasture, in which
are numerous herds of cattle.

Still farther t.n the road is the small village of
Mir, where the poverty of the inhabitants denies-
a scanty supply of the most ordinary refresh-
ments, and the highest entertainment which the
place affords is being a suspension of the dangers
of travelling, and an intermission of fatigue.
The distance from Mir to Minsk is between.sixty
and seventy miles; the roads bad, and in some
places are several bridges to be crossed not very
passable in the day time without the utmost cir-
cumspection; so that if a traveller should attempt
to pursue his journey in ♦he night, it w ould be
doubtless at a great, risk of his personal safety.

At Minsk, however, a person may experience
comforts to which he had before been a stranger.
He will here fird a neat white-washcu room with:

a brick.

f Fail;!

nil

/?/'H;

H i!'^:|

■ ^

1 1

11. !'

jti

482

COXE'S TRAVELS IN POLAND.

a 1)rick floor, no flcus or flics, plenty of clean
straw, (ioon bread, and fresh meat.

Wiiisk k a larj>e place; where are twochnrchcs
and (he uioiiusUm y which belonged to the Jesnits,
which are constructed of brick; and the remain-
ing buildings, though t'oimed of wood, liave u
neater look than the generality of dwellings in
this country.

From I\iinsk to Sinolcwitzo, which is ,"0 miles,
(on account of the badness of the roads,) takes
near twelve hours to perform the journey. No
traveller has any indncemtnt to remain longer
than is absolutely necessary in tlusc hovels,
abounding in vermin, and in which filtli and
■\v retched ness are united.

In various parts of the forest, through wliicli
a traveller must pass is a circular range of boards
fixed to several trees about twelve feet from the
ground, and projecting three in breadth from
the trunk. Upon any gre..t hunting party,
ladders were placed against these scall'oldings;
so that when any person is closely pr esed by a
bear, he runs up the ladder, and draws it up
after him : the Dear, although an excellent climber,
is stopped in his ascent by the projection of the
boards.

^Ve were very happy at length (says Mr.
Coxe) to reach Nait/a, although we took up
our station in on of the most wretched of all
the wretched cottages we had yet entered. The
only article of fnrniturt! it afl'orded was a small
table, and the oidy utcnsi! a broken eanheii pot,
in which our repast was prepared, and which
served ns also for dishes and plates. ^^ e ale our
meagre fare bv the light of a thin lalh of deal,
about five feet in length, whiih was stuck into a
crevice of the wainscot, and hung over the table:
this lath, thanks to the turpentine contained in it,
served us instead of a candle, of which there was
not one to be found in the whole village of
Mait/a. It is surprising, that the careless method
of using these lights is not oftcner attended w ith
more dreadful eflects; h;r IIk cot*'<gers carry
them about the house with such little caution,
that we frequei tly observed spaiksi to drop from
them upon the straw which was prepared for our
beds: nor were we able, by the strongest ex-
pressions of fear, to awaken in them the ilightest
degree of circumspix'tion. For some time after
coming into this country, we used to start up
with uo small emotion in order to extinriish the
5

sparks; but, such is the irreslstllilo Infliif^n
custom, we became at last ourselves pcife, i " ""
sensible to the danger of this practice, aiu! o ^ il
all the inditlerence of the natives. 1 oii^t \
M) far forgot myself as to hold a liglitcd slit'- J
a considerable time over a heap of straw Lm
I was negligently searching for some triile.' ''i
supineness, which I so easily acqiiiicd i,, 'n,-!
particular, convinced ine (if I mav tomJ
small thinp with great), that I could iiviMv'jil
the inhabitants at the foot of Mount Visii i
without dread of an eruption; or sit uiic,)ii(ef„p,
with the natives of Constantinople amid die dj
vastations of the plague. _

It is inconceivable how few are the watiij,,
the Lithiumian peasants! Their carts are nnti
gether without iron; their bridles and trace* aij
generally plaited from the bark of trees, orcnni
posed merely of twisted branches, Tluv \]m
no other instrument but a hatchet, to tonstrJ
their huts, cut out their furniture, and iii,J
their carts. Their dress is a thick linen shirt aii
drawers, a long coarse drugget coat, or iislifoJ
skin (ioak, a round black felt cap linrd \\\i
wool, and shoes made from the bark of tied
Their huts are built of trunks of trees lieapodc
each other, and look like piles of wooi' in wharj
with penthouse roofs. How very rniike ilij
Swiss cottages, though constructed <•;" tlicsani
materials. Nor arc their houses nion; dissimilj
than their manners. The striki;-;- diiU'ri'iiccl
tween the Swi^s iind Polish peasiiits, i-i tluirveH
air and deportment, strongly murks (In tontrJ
of their respective governments. TlicSwis;a(f
open, frank, rough, but ready -o HTve voiif
they nod their heads, or slighti/ pull otrthel
hats as you pass by, but expect a return ol'rivilili
they are roused by the least rudeness, .md urpii'ij
to be iusidted with impunity. On the ciiiiiiuj
the Polish peasants uki cringing and mtvIIi'
their expressions of respect: they bow dnwin
the ground; take oft" theii hats or caps, and li
them in their hands till the traveller gels out
sight; they stop their tarts oi: the tir:4 cliinpJ
of u carriage; in short, their whole litluuioJ
gives evident symptoms of the ahject kvnm
under which they groan. Yet libe»ty iv a (fi
the subject of encomium in Poland as in .S\»;!zei)
land: how difl'ercnt, however, i»,rc its opcratiool
in the two countries! In the one it 'ui'i\'d\
ditfused, and nprcads comfort and liap|iiiiei

tliruun

fliroiigli the Tvliole
Lfiiters in a f«w, an
Lies of despotism,
j In travelling thrc
Laniiot fail observing
jot clotted hair, wl

I tjoii because it is coi
|si,;l; althongh it is

[TarlaiV, anil several
jjtancct "fit if^occas
((ountrii's. Aceordin
|Vic;.t, ai; ingenious S
jij Poland, and who
(treitiso* upon this s
Ijj supposed to procee
Imour penetrating into
■ittlien exudes either f
liDd clots the whole i
Ifoldt, or in one u
lijniptonis, more or k
[toDstitution of the p
Jsease, are itehings, i
[iiitermitting fevers, p
HowDCSs of spirits, rhc
imti even convulsit

These symptoms grai

Hionics affected. If
M, he relapses in
Uaiiits which preccdec

udlie continues to I
[ftesh {jrowlh of hair
Ihiidiiurdcr is thougl

) be contagious wher
plivsical causes have I
bdering ll'.e Plica n
root tiian in other pa
{rork to enumerate thi
I each person hi

» Memoire sur la Pliqm
\ the dilatation of the
I to admit noall gIobul<

Vol. II. No. CIV.

COXE'S TRAVF.LS IN POLAND.

475

L j,„o,l, the whole community ; in the other it
ters in a few, and is in reality the worst spe-
Ifie's of despotism.

In travelling through this country a person

I aniiot fail observing several persons with matted

I clottcfl hair, which constitutes a disorder

r lllgj jj/,Vrt Polonica: it receives that denomina-

i ,• „ because it is considered as peculiar to Po-

llaiid; although it is not unfrequent in Hungary,

iTarta'V. ^^'^ several adjacent nation^ and in-

[«Unc« "f it af*^ occasionally to be found in other

Lounlfii's- According to the observations of Dr.

Ivici't, ai; ingenious Swiss physician long resident

Jji Poland, und who has published a satisfactory

Itreitise* upon this subject; the l^liea Polonica

Iij supposed to proceed from an acrid viscous hu-

Ljur penetrating into the hair, which is tubular f :

litthen exudes either from its sides or extremities,

Ld clots the whole together, either in separate

Ifolds, or ill 0"^ undistinguished mass. Its

[jinptonis, more or less violent, according to the

LoDstilution of the patient, or malignity of the

imie, are itchings, swellings, eruptions, ulcers,

ialerraitting fevers, pains in the head, languor,

^owDcss of spirits, rheumatism, gout, and some-

(iines even convulsions, palsy, and madness.

Ibcse symptoms gradually decrease as the hair

conies aflected. If the patient is shaved in the

jiead, he relapses into all the dreadful com-

flainls which preceded the eruption of the Plica;

lodlie continues to labour under them, until a

^resh growth of hair absorbs the acrid humour.

Ihiidiiofdcr is thought hereditary ; and is proved

I be contagious when ina virulentstate. Many

Ipbvsical causes have been supposed to concur in

lEudering ll'.e Plica more frequeiU in these re-

rioDsthan in other parts; it would be an endless

kork to enumerate the various conjectures with

Irhicheach person has supported his favourite

» Mtmoke sur la Plique Polonaise.
\ The (liliitation of the hair is sumctimeR lo conBidorablo
I to admit noall globule* of blood; this cii'cumi<titncc,

hypothesis: the most probable are those assigned
by Dr. Vicat. The first cause is the nature of
the Polish air, which is rendered insalubrious
by numerous woods and, morasses; and occa-
sionally derives an uncommon keenness even in
the midst of summer from the position of the
Carpathian mountains; for the southern and
south-easterly winds, which usually convey
warmth in other regions, are in this chilled in
iheir passage over their snowy summits. The
second is unwholesome water; for although
Poland is not deficient in good springs, yet the
common people usually drink that which is near-
est at hand, taken indiscriminately from the rivers,
lakes, and even stagnant pools. The third cause
is the gross inattention of the natives to clean-
liness; for experience shews, that those who are
not negligent in their persons and habitations, are
less liable to be afilicted with the plica, than
others who are deficient in that particular. Thus
persons of higher rank are less subject to this dis-
order than those o" inferior stations ; the inha-
bitants of large lowns than those of small vil-
lages; the free peasants than those in an absolute
state of vassalage; the natives of Poland Proper
than those of Lithuania. Whatever we may de-
te.mine as to the possibility that all, or any of
these causes, by themselves, or in conjunction
with others, originally produced the disorder;
we may venture to assert, that they all, and par-
ticularly the last, assist its propagation, inflame
its symptoms, and protract its cure. In a word,
the Plica Polonica appears to be a contagious
distemper; which, like the leprosy, still prevails
among a people ignorant of medicine, and inatten-
tive to check its progress; but is rarely known in
those countries, where proper prei;autions are
taken to prevent its spreading.

.i\

'n'lill

which howcTcr very rarely happens, has probably give*
ri8u to the notion, that the patient, if his hair be cut off],
bleeds to death.

END OF COXES TRAVELS IN POLAND.

I Vol. II. No. CIV.

TRAVELS

";' ^

TRAVELS '■■-;::^.:.*;

■w---.'- ti

DENMARK, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN.

BY THOMAS JVOjrEJL, i:SQ
IN 1801. ' '"' ."-"'""

SECTION I.

', 17w

■■■I":

General Description of the Kingdom of DcmnarJc—Its Climate, Population, Privileges of the XoUcsl
and Burghers, Language, Police, Artists, Taxes, Army, J^avt/, Form of Government, and La-ii:s,

is thick, moist, and rather unboallliy. 'fliel
shifting of the winds, indeed, renders the weatlieti
somewhat variable; but at the same time ifl
purj^es the atmosphere of fogs and vapours. Thef
west wind is the most violent, and blows vervl
frequently in these parts. Denmark is <>liiellyf
situated on a level, and, excepting the tnici n'fl
land about the middle of Jutland, is very lertilcl
so that the country maintains its iiihabitunts ig]
plenty, and yields a rich provision of everything
necessary for the support of human life. Itcaii|
better dispense with horned cattle uiid IiorsesJ
than with any sort of grain. The climate k noil
in general so rigid as in sonic p;irts of GermanvJ
which aresiti:aied much more to the south. Thiij
may arise from tl»e adjacent sea, the viipours off
which dissolve the nitrous particles brought bjj
the wind from the northern latitudes, binoretlifti
reach this region. The gentle breezes blowinjj
from the sea continue also to make the aircoolctl
in summer. The ye;ir in the.se parts properlvl
consists only of two seasons?, viz. winter audsuin-j
mer; for spring and autumn are very sek!
known. Diiring the three months of June, Jua
and August^ the heat is more iiifciisc than in
Enr,land, and very sultry in the night. Rutiti^
a close and disagreeable heat; and .'. Uiickncsil
of the atmosphere even tinges the heanis of itiq^
sun with a deepness and gloom which is rxtreuiel/l
tilfensive to the eye, particularly of a forcir-rf
In Copenhagen, during t!iesc months, the pidirw
of the fly, as it is tb jre called, is excccdiiigM
troublesome. These the iuhabitiuitK endeavo

THE kingdom of Denmark, one of the north-
ern states of Europe, was formerly called
Dania. It has the German Ocean on the W.
the Skager Rack on the N. which separates it
from Norway; the Cattegat and the Sound on the
E. which separate it from Sweden; and part of
Saxony on the S. The extent of this country is not
easily ascertained, from the very irregular position
of its several parts: it is, however, contained be-
tween 53 degrees 30 minutes and 57 degrees 45
minutes N. latitude, and between 8 degrees and
13 degrej's 40 minutes E. longitude from Green-
wich. Geographers usually divide it into Jut-
land, the duchy of Sleswick, the duchy of
Hulstein, .ind the islands at the entrance of th^
Baltic. All these together constitute the kiof^-^
dom of Denmark, yet neither of then particularly
is called by that name.

It is a singular circumstance, that the king
of Denmark has not a navigable river in all his
dominions. The Eyder is not by any means
adapted to ships of burden; and the Elbe is
rather one of the confines or boundaries, than an
inland river of this kingdom. There are here
some lakes, which ati'ord abundance of fresh-
water fish, and the forests are well stocked with
game of all sorts, as stags, elks^ wild boars^
hares, and plenty of wild fowl.

The air of the north parts of Jutland is cold
and piercing; but in the more southern parts, as
well o in the islands of Funen and Zealand, it is
milder and more temperate; though in the low
mariiby parts, and in the isle of Laaland, the air

i'i>?T

NORWAY, DENMARK, AND SWRDF.NT.

477

j^jjfoy by means of a poisonous liquid: the

I fled" of winch are so certain, that, on sprinkliiipj

I 1 their kitchens and chambers, pecks of dead

•'"cts'inay be swept tc -ether in one room.

'°The latest and most accurate calculations of

, number of inhabitants in the kingdom of

lentnarkj excluding: those in the Greenlands and

leiand, nial^e the whole amount to two millions

Li: hundred and fortv-four thousand. How-

, (jisDronortionate this number may seem to
ever f 1 i^„„:„ u * :*„.:„„ 4U^ ..«_

tk extent of the Danish territories, the un

' Itjygted condition in which they lie, renders it

ijffblv probable ; and even this seems to be more

(ban sufficient for the purposes of commerce.

Population in these modern times generally keeps

nscewitl' plenty, especially in northern countries;

Lniimber of his Danish majesty's subjects must

llierefore be greatly encreased by tho improve-

eiits lately introduced into agriculture and other

lis. This part of Europe, liowever, is thought

ysome to have been much more populous than

It is at present.

The Danes are divided into nobles, burghers,
lid peasants ; and the noblest are distinguished
V the appellation of the higher and lower
lOLilitv. There never were any princes or
liikes, except the king's sons, in Denmark, one
blenian excepted. Knot Pors, who was created
juke of Holland by Christopher II. so that the
ink of higher nobles included only counts and
tons, which titles were introduced by Christian
The privileges of counts are many and
reat: they have the right of primogenilurc.
kir voungcr sons and daughters are stiled
onsand baronesses, and possess all the dignity
exed to that rank. In their counties or
Tonies they exercise the right of patronage, and
ippointajudge and secretary, from whose son-
nce there is no appeal but to the supreme court
if judicature. T'hey pay neither tylhcs nor
ntributions for their hereditary estates; and are
lowed three hundred acres of land free from all
isalion or impost. All suits carried on against
lem must commence in the supreme coiut of
(licature. They beur a coronet over their coat
arms. Barons are distinguished by nearly the
me immunities; but enjoy only one hundred
:res of land exempted from tylhes iind con-
ibiilions, and are somewhat inferior in rank
iri litlf. No person is made a feudal count or
roQ who is not able to purchase so much land

as may De changed into a feudal county or
barony. But this qualification is not requisite
to the lower nobility, who, in matters of lite and
honour, can only be cited before the supreme
court of the king. As (o orders of knighthood,
there are but two in this country, viz. that of
Dannebrogue, which :s ',t great antiquity; and
that of the Elephant, which was instituted by
Christian I in honour of his son's marriage, and
is conferred only on persons of the first quality
and most extraordinary merit. The number of
members which c )nstitu(e this most honorary
order, besides the iovercign, is only thirty.

The burghers of this country enjoy greater or
less privileges acording to the cities of which
they are member , their extent of property, or
their personal deserts. Those of Copenhagen
hav<: some peculiar distinctions, which are said
to be very extraordinary and extensive. They
obtained them in 1650, and had them both con-
firmed and considerably enlarged in 1661.

The peasantry of Denmark are of difTerent
classes. Some possess a spot of land as their
own property, for which they pay to the lord of
the manor an inconsiderable acknowledgement:
they are otherwise exempted from all exactions,
excepting the gciieral contribution. These are
called land-owners. Those who have only a
farm, pay f*^r the profits of it at a stipulated rent
in money, cattle, or corn, once a year, and do
inferior service for a certain number of days at
the manor, and at the pleasure of their landlords.
There are stiil others who act as servants to these
two classes of peasants. Slaverv, m the state of
servitude, was abolished for the most part in
tliis nation by Frederic IV. in 1703, and is con-
tinued only in some parts of the duchy of SIcs-
wick.

In the times of heathenism the Danes paid re-
ligious worship chiefly to their gods, the prin-
cipal of which were Thor, Odin, and Frcya.
Many attenipts were made in the middle ages to
introduce Christianity in Denmark, but tfeose
who endeavoured to cnlijihten the people in tins
way were generally persi-iited with the most un-
pavallelcd barbarity. At length Lutheranism
met with a favourable reception in this kingdom,
and gained the sanction of a national establish-
ment by the diet held at Copenhagen in 15.37»
The ecclesiastical government is divided into six
dioceses; one in Zealand, anothtr in Funcn, and

' K'

'^ I

il :

'Pm

.ill:

478

NOWEL'S TRAVELS IN

four in Jutland. The governinciit of these is
committed to bishops, or supcriutendant's of the
church and clergy.

Men of eminence in the republic of letters are
as frequent and numerous here as in any other
European state of a similar extent. Indeed there
is scarcely any branch of literature, or any ()ar-
ticutar science, in which individuals in this king-
dom have not acquitted themselves with credit.
■ The climate, however, seems to form aii in-
vincible obstacle to the progress and improve-
ment of what we call poiife learning and the fine
arts. A short summer succeeds to the long series
of cold and darkness, which environs them from
October till April; and during that period they
often experience very great heats for a few days,
or sometimes weeks. Certainly man is much
aflccted by physical causes; and one is not sur-
prized io find the elegant arts confined more to
luxurious and southern climates; and faintly
raising their heads amidst the snowy and inhos-
pitable regions, where the inhabitants seem in
some degree to partake of the asperities of the
soil, and where royal munificence, however un-
bounded, can only raise, as it were a few sickly
and straggling plants.

The language of Denmark, like that of Nor-
wav, is a corruption of the Teutonic. High
Diitch and French are spoken at court. The
nobility have also of late years made great pro-
ficiency in the English, which is now publicly
taught at Copenhagen, as a necessary branch of
polite education.

The police is singularly rigid and regular:
Denmark is therefore seldom infested with those
highway robberies, burglaries, and various
kinds i){ felonies, so common in other commercial
countries. Murder and manslaughter often
liajipen; and the punishment of the criminal
guilty of such enormities, is decapitation. Here
the public executioner, though (as in every other
place) he be universally despised, is usually very
rich ; as he is the general contractor for emptying
alljakeg, removing all kinds of filth, and par-
ticularly dead domestic animals, which no other
Dane would touch on any account.

The Danish apothecaries are all under the
most'excellent and exemplary regulations. Only
two are allowed in Copenhagen i and only one in
all other towns of importance. They are seve-
rally licenced by the college of phyhitiana, and

confirmed by the king. They are also

Ijoimj J

under certain penalties, to keep an exact rcir i^ i
of all the drugs they sell; by whom prcscriyl
and to whom administered. If some such 1
gulation as this were adopted in other countrbl
it would be a mean of keeping empirics fro'
vendi-g their pernicious nostrums, ami wouSl
hinder many of those, who are called res^i.iarlJ
bred, from selling those deleterious driiirs ^hit^
have been the cause of much mischief evciiiinlil
metropolis of Britain. I

There are many artists of the first celcbritrl
and most extraordinary skill at Copenha(rei|.)
and every branch of mechanics is at present welif
executed in Denrnf/k. A few years agoa ocneraU
warehouse or magazine was opened by aiillioriti
in the metropolis, to which manufacturers brin*
all the goods they have not been able to dispoi
of in other towns, and are paid ready nioiiev y
them. From this great storehouse all sorts ofl
vendible connnodities are constantly delivered i
to retailers on credit.

Denmark enjoys the most commodious situaJ
lion for navigation; and by establishing a general
mart or staple in Copenhagen, might be tnadJ
the center of all the northern trade, especially ol
that carried on in the BaUic. Formerly, ftlltJ
commerce in this country was carried on by tlid
Hanse towns, which were afterwards supplantej
by the Dutch and English; but chiefly by tU
former. In process of time, the Danes under]
stood the advantages of abandoning all nenlral
bottoms, and using their own. Frederic IVJ
may with propriety be stiled the real foundcrol
the Danish commerce, which Christian VlJ
powerfully supported, and Frederic V. verij
much encouraged by his royal munificence an|
bounty.

The royal reven jes of Denmark arise from mj
positions made at the king's pleasure on his owi
subjects, from the duties paid by foreigners, »ii(j
from his own demesne lands, including alUorl
of mulcts and confiscations. Wine, salt, t»
bacco, and every kind of luxury, are all mode-
rately taxed. Marriages, paper, corporation
land, houses, and poU-nioney, raise a consider^
able sum. The expenccs of fortifications arede<
frayed by the people; and when the king'd
daughter is married they contribute a hundrei'
thousand rix-doUara towards her portion. Bui
the internal taxes of tbi? country are very uncetJ

1,^,^^ flillicy arc iniifornily rni

lliewillof t''e king. Custom:

porls and exports arc more'

paid by strangers arise chiefly

Ljiiig tbrongh the Sound in

iliLiiiifrnw strait which runs

jiij Zealand. Thwe tolls arc

ilicsizeofthe ship and the va

fshibiled in bills of lading

lis more than once thrown th(

juion flame: it was often disput

jiidDuttli; and the Swedes, wli

onposite side of the pass, for soi

pay it; but in the treaty of 17

((VI) rival slates, under the

firitaniiic nnijesty George I. tl:

(0 pay the same rates whicli are

ect;of Great Britain and the 1

iipaid at Ekiiieur, which is se;

itihefiiitrance of the Baltic,

The army of Denmark, in tii

jii;|i()niiii<^ thousand cavalry

liiiiu' of militia; but in time ol

iin ihoiisand regulars, and an£

IV naval force of Denmark I

:i)iijideriihly augmented, and ii

maritime nation*. The fis

!il«, especially of the nortlie

ti'i\, allord great niMuhors of

liiiryst a- faring i\ imi being obi

ill', when called ipon, to ger

loiiiitry for six years, for which

III rt'^'iitcred. The six years h

Innrc service is required of thci!

)Umwn in Denmark and Norw

Inii'iinls to twenty thousand moi

lere Jj always a body of four

biiiienled for sudden occasions

lav, at t'openhagen.

I The form of government ii

bniieilv (lie same as that whicl

|vtli(>(M)ths find Vandals \vhrr(

ll't'ir confjtiests; but whothei

oiodive or an hcreditarv kii

Imlii'iinined, since both sides

|fis|)oiN^d hy historians of e

l(liiii((int> llie crown fo bo herci

Jele>s certain, that the states

I'Sufftn licroiiijt of tho uKicU OH
BNiti f(M't.'os ill liu7, ;iiid ihg i\iri'0!
]Svi. It, N\> CIV

.iH

NOHWAY, DENMATIK, AND SWF.DKN.

479

n mllicv a>'<' "'"^''^•'"''y '■'^'^^^ *"■ lessened at

|f' ^,.ij| of the king. Customs, and tolls oniin-

I r(8 and exports arc n'loi'c stable. The tolls

"" ' by slr;iiie,e''s Hi'.ise chiefly from foreign ships

0- through the Sound ihto the Baltic, bj

(I'liar^rosv slrait which runs between Schouen

iJ '/^ciilaiid. ThcTiC tolls are in proportion to

iL'si/coflhe ship and the valuo of itg cargo,

esiiibitcd in bills of lading. This exaction

hs more than once thrown the northern nations

jp.pn flame: it was often disputed by the Kiiglidi

jjjiitcli; and the Swedes, who coninuindi.'cl the

liposite side of the pass, for some tinio refused ti)

'ay it; but in the treaty of 17^0 between these,

(J) rival slates, under the guaranty of his

jiritaniiic majesty George. I. the Swedes agreed

to nay the saiiie rates which are paid by the sub-

iedsof Great Britain and the Dutch. This toil

Laid at Eisinenr, which is seated on the Sound

Klicsntrance of the Baltic.

The uiiny of Denmarkj in time of peace, con-

ijiot' tliirt\ thousand cavalry and infantry, ex-

|ii,iye of militia; but in time of war they muster

fiv ll)oii«and regulars, and augment ihe militia.

llieiiiiviil ('""ee of Denmark has likewise been

oiisidcrably augmented^ and it is considered as

maritime

loa'

Ivav

nation*. The fisheries along the

|t, especially of the northern parts of Nor-

iitl'ord great numbers of excellent seamen.

their choice out of the royal family, and that
they also on some occasions departed from this
custom. The present form of government iu
Denmarkisgraftcdonthe ruins of that aristocratic
power which the nobility exercised over their in-
feriors with the most unsufterable arrogance and
inhumanity. In 1660 the whole nation was in a
most calamitous situation. A peaca not very
hrtnourable succeeded a most uijfortunate war.
The treasury was so much exhaiisted, that, on
disbanding the troops, there was no money to
pay up their arrears. The soldiers then became'
insolent and licentious. The power of the nobles
had lately arisen to an enormous height; and
their haughtiness and rapacity extended with
(heir power. The clergy, for want of im-
portance, were discontented and chagrined at
the obloquy and disrespect to w hich they found
themselves reduced. The peasantry, irritated
and made desperate by the oppressive taxes occa-
sioned by a long, expensive, and abortive war,
.vere turbulent and. unmanageable. These and
other alarming circumstances rendered an imme-
diate convention of the states indispensible. Here
the commons proposed that an equitable tax
should be laid on all without distinction, in pro-
portion to their circumstances. This was strenu-
ously an.', resolutely opposed by the nobles, who
asserted their hereditary privileges as a full ex-

irvsca-faiing i, an being obliged, once in his i emption from every kind of impost. The other

|itl', when called ipon,

to serve his king and

party bad recourse to the great law of nature.

ouiitrv for six years, for which purpose they arc ' wlich they contended was superior and prior to
ill rt'i;iHtcred. The six years being expired, j»o j nil jirescription; and urged with unanswerable
nori'st'i'vicc is required of them. The nuniber ! force the unalienable extent of theirnatural rights.
Miiicn in Denmark and Norway thus registered i They stated, as the fundamental principle of the

lnioiiiil« to twenty thousand men. Besides these
lere ij always a body of four thousand sailors
Kiiiieiilrd for sudden occasions, and in constant
lav, at ('o|tenhage(>.

jThe form of government in Denmark was
Uifilvtlie same as that which was established
lvtliL>(M)ths and Vaiulals wherever they cxtend-
llu'ir conquests; but whether it wa'5 anciently
cklive (tr an hereditary kingdom scorns yet
liiihuiutincd, R'uce both sides of the question
If es|)onst*d by historians of equal reputation.
l(liiii(tin£> the crown to b'> herediturv, it is never

proposition before them, that it was incumbent
on those who engrossed the largest share of the
lards, wealth, and honours of the kingdom ; to
be.ir an equal proportion of the common burden^
and contribute accordingly to the general dcfiiocc.
T'lis mode of' reasoning was too convincing ti)
produce any other cflect thaji silence or fury;
and the consequence of a disagreement between
the interests and convictions of meu is easily fore-
si»en. Teuaciousalikcof their real and injaginary
claims, both parties were highly mflamed against

each other. In the midst ot this violent ferment,
chs ccitiiin, that the states commonly made I Otto Craeg, a nobleman more intrepid than pru-

offiHliPr with the DinUh (loi;t to tlio Rritish arms in th"

^ a dcut,

.M-J^

|*u?an iiiToiiut of tho uMicU on Copeaha^cn by tho
ffoUovcos ill ltju7, uiid ihg lun'fiiili'i' •!' tl<»t ciidl;*!,

Ut.H. No <IV.

'1^1!

):!i1

■i U '4']

' " i 'III

4fiO

NOWEL'S TRAVELS IN-

feT'-

iUl

li.i

den(> boldly told the commons, that thej neither
understood the rights of the nobility^ who were
their masters, nor their own, who were no more
than slaves. These degrading expressions proved
like oil to a furnace, and threw tne whole assem-
bly into a blaze. The speaker of the commons,
fired with indignation, swore a solemn oath, that
the nobility should certainly repent the contempt
with which they had treated them. The term
slavery operated like a watch-word concerted
by the burghers, the clergy, and the court.
The assembly broke up in a rage ; and the com-
mons, undertheauspicesof their leader, adjourned
to the Brewer's Hall, where it was instantly and
iinuiiimously resolved to make a solemn tender of
their liberties and service, and to establish in his
family an hereditary succession to the crown.
Ilih resolution was executed next day. The
bisliop of Copenhagen officiated as speaker for
the clergy and commons. The king thankfully
accepted their grant, and promised immediate
relief and protection. The gates of the metropolis
were shut; and the nobility, finding themselves
divested of all their late hereditary coii^ieqiience,
submitted with the best grace they could, to con-
firm the king's supremacy and their own in-
significance. Thus from motives of revenge,
probably fermented by artful and designing
courtiers, the people, with b rude and daring
temerity, resigned their independence for ever,
and in one fatal moment, changed the whole face
of afiairs, made the crown hereditary, and the
king absolute. It is happy indeed for the Danes,
that ever since the year 1660, when this memo-
rable revolution took place, few or no instances
have occurred of abusing the despotic powers
thus vested in the crown, which are at present,
)>crliaps, more unlimited than those of any other
monarch in Europe.

The code of Danish laws is so peculiarly per-
spicuous and concise, that the whole is com-
prised in one volume. This celebrated work,
which discovers an amazing fund of legislative
w;i8dom, is composed witi. infinite simplicity,
and written in the native language of the coun-
try. It is divided into six books, and treats
clearly, though briefly, of the proccedure of the
courts of justice; of (H^clesiastical laws; of of-
ficial and honorary law; of maritime and naval
law; of property law; and of criminal law. By
luearrs of a system thus formed on the viost ob-

vious and equitable principles, the lowejt
least intelligent easily understand their (lut\ ■ ^\\
when either injured or accused, are cna'bied'j
plead their own cause. **

The town of Hamburgh, although itisna
propcrlv belonging to Denmark, yet as it i
been of late much subject to violence during tlJ
present war on the continent, must be particular^
noticed. It was formerly the metropolis nl
only of the district of Stormar, but of a||
Holstein, which is a part of Denmark, till it|,J
came a free imperial city of that part ol 0^,1
many. It is large and very populous, IvineoJ
the north side of the river Elbe, which hen
forms the boundary of the king of Dcnmark'l
dominions on the South. Haniburc^li lies partj
on islands, and partly on the contiTient, liavjnj
a very good harbour. The Ilauibnighers po3
sess a territory for twelve miles round, inwhici
are several villages and fine seats. Cliarlemagi
built a fort here, and erected a church, theonlL
one in Hamburgh for three liii.ulrcd and fjM
years. It has undergone many revolutions siid
and is now greatly increased. Its slrocls aij
spacious, and its houses, built witb brick, \m
very high, making a grand appc.irauce. Tli|
town was the second of the Hanseatic union, an/
one of the principal among them. Hiunbiiij
being naturally strong, is as well fortified bvi
as a place of its magnitude can well admit ol
From its situation it has all possible advantaJ
for trade, both foreign and domestic. Toii,7
time of peace, merchants of all nations rMrj
whose goods are sent up the Elbe into Prusil
and the heart of Germany. From llainburgl
canal has been dug to the river Trava, for tij
sake of a communication with Luhec and tq
Baltic, without the trouble of going rouiui 1
mark; so that by an inland navigation of I
five miles, they save a hazardous one by m i
aeven hundred miles. Its trade is very coiisiucj
able: for the Elbe, and many other navisal
rivers falling into it, after a course througf
some of the richest and hmst tradiug parts i
Prussia, and other states, furnish this cilv will
all the products and manufactures of Austrij
Bohemia, and Dpper and Lower Saxonv. Tlf
principal merchandize it exports, especially
Great Britain, is linen of several cowiitrics ii^
sorts, well known in London; also great qiiai
tities of linen yarn, rags for paper makers, ti

plilif

CftNMAHK, NORWAY, AND SWEDTlN.

48|

laies vrircof iron, brauj and steel, clap-boards,

I !ioe staves, and other timber, kid skins, and

' „ "The Hamburghers have a ^ood share in

^Greenland whale fishery, having generally,

I '"peaceable tinips, fifty or sixty ships in this

!lde annually employed.

The government of this city is vested in the
Lnate and three colleges of burghers, and is a
Litture of the aiistocratical and democratical

Hamburgh has long been celebrated for itn
Ljre of the poor. They have a hospital for
Lrpbans, the revenue of which is about sixty
lliousand pounds sterling per annum. The niiin-
flerof houses in the city are about thirty thou-
Ifiiid. The churches are large and handsome
Ifabrics, but open thoroughfares during the day,
lind ill some are booksellers shops. The church
IdfSt. Katharine has a stately front, with several
lilaiues in niches^ and the steeple formed of seve-
Iralianthorns diminishing to the last, which sup-
InorU a spire like that of St, Bride's in Fleet
lltrect, London, but much taller: round the
[niiddle of its steeple is a gilt crown; and its
Lrwn, which is reckoned the finest in Europe,
llias six thousand pipes. Here is also an iwiiver-
jiitv, which •' w\ill endowed. The senate house
■anil town hall is an ancient, largo, and noble
Lriicturc; the exchange, which stands opp.isKe
[initi is a fine building, but inferior to thai of
ILondon. The city is nearly circular, and five or
[til miles in circumference. The wall:? and forti-
Iticalions that lie open to view, are planted with
jruws of lofty trees; so that none of the houses
1(111 be seen from without, on that side of the
Iwalls which are next Altcna. It has six gates,
land three entrances by watr"/. A canal divides it
jiiilothe Old and the New city. It is surrounded
|by a high wall, with twenty-three bulwarks,
{beside other out-works, and a very deep ditch:

noble line with other works runs from the
largest bason of the Alstcr to the Elbe, about
llialfainilc above the town; and on the other
Ifiile of the bason, about midway between that
lund the Elbe, below the town, is.the star sconce,

strong a fortification, that the king of Den-

jinark with all his army could not take it in 1686,

laner six weeks' siege. In the new town towards

Ulcna, are large streets of mean houses, princi-

pallv inhabited by Jews. The two channels of

illie North and South Elbe, into which this river

is separated two or three miles above the city,
forming several isles towards Marbourg, re-unite
six miles below the city. Towards the etst it is
washed by the little river Bille, and towards the
North by the Alster, forming a very large bason
without the town, »nd another within the walls;
after which it turns the public mills, and passing
by sluices and canals through the city, fall*
into the Elbe. Here are eighty-four bridges,
thirty-eight water mills, and six wind mills. It
has also six large market places. Spring tides,
especially with a N. W. wind, do frequent da-
mage to the town, of which there were two
melancholy instances in 1651 and 1719.

The jurisdiction of Hamburgh comprises the
bailiwics of Rutzenbuttel, Bilwerder, Ochsen-
werder, and Eppendor. The four cantons of
Altegame, Newgame, Kirchwerder, and Ros-
lacke, belong to Hamburgh in common with tho
city of Lubec; as does also a castle, with the
small town and bailiwic of Hergedorf They
put in a baiiiil' alternately, as also an equal num-
ber of soldiers to garrison the castle. Here are
several convents and cloisters, which having been
secularized, are now Lutheran; the tenure of
the foundation of one of these in particular is
still continued, by oH'eriiig a glass of wine to every
malefactor that is carried by it to execution.
Hamburgh is two miles S. E. of Altena, 60 miles
S. E. of the German Ocean, 43 miles S. W. of
Lubec, and 58 miles N. E. of Bremen. Although
this. town lies in the same degree of latitude with
that of Lincoln in England, it is colder in winter,
but hotter in summer than the latter city.

Altena is a large and populous village of
Storman, a province of Danish Holstein, situated,
as above mentioned, two miles N. W. of Ham-
burgh. Here a governor for the king of Den-
mark resides. It is now indeed almost joined to
Hamburgh by a row of houses on the Elbe, as
Islington is to London. This village received its
name, according to the Danish historians, from
a ludicrous circumstance, which is as follows:
Deputies from Hamburg, in a remonstrance to
the king of Denmark against building this vil-
lage too near their city, frequently made use of
the words "dat i«all ta nae," i. e. " that is all too
near;" the king taking particular notice of the
three last monosyllables, said in a bantering
manner to the deputies, he could not excuse him-
self from going un with the building; but that.

•■■; ;1

48^

NOWEL'S TRAVFXS IN

to oblige them, lie would cull it by the muiio
thc^ had given it, " All ta nae," which was cor-
rupted into Altena. Formerly it was a place of
refuge, not only fi)r insolvent debtors, but even
for malefactors, that came from Hamburgh;
and though it depended entirely on the trade of
that city, yet it was out of its jurisdiction. A
treaty wasconcluded here, in l()8l>, between the
king of Denmark and the duke of llolstcin
Gottorp about the partition of the duchy of
llolslein The government of this town is vested
in an upper president chosen by the king, the
burgher-master, and corporation. The court of
ajjpeal is held at Gluckstadt It is now estima-
ted to contain upwards of three thousand houses,
and thirty thousand inhabitants. Here are two
cliurches for the Lutherans, tw o for the Calvinists,
one for the Calvinist French, another for the
Roman Catholics, and two for the Mcnonite
churches, exclusive of other sects. The Jews
licrc are numerous, and have a large synagogue;
but pay two thousand ducats per annum pro-
tection money. Here are three docks for building
ships, and a'variety of manufactures are carried
on. In 17 10 it lost two hundred houses by fire;
and in 17 1'^ it was burnt by the Swedish army
Under Steinbeck, About the same time it suft'ered
very much by the plague. It was originally a
village in conjunction with the lordship of
Piuneburg; but in 1(510, coming with that
lordship under thedomitiion of JVninark, it soon
became a town, and in l()44 obtained a char'^r.
The Danes would have fortified this town long
ago; but the llamburghers, havii)" obtained a
^Vitnt of the emperors of German , -nat no fort
sbould be built within two miles of them, would
never permit it. Altena, however, is now the
en)jiorium, or market, for the sale of goods
brought by the Danish East India con»pany from
the Indies.

«;. Gluckstadt, which is 38 miles N. W. of Ham-
burgh, and 36 miles N. W, of Altena, i.* u
utrongly fortified town of Danish Holstein, on
thff banks of the river Elbe, near the inilux of
the river Rhyninto it. The emperor Ferdinand II.
besieged this town two years in vain, principally
owing to the assistance it received from the
Danish fleet in the Elbe, for it cannot be taken
unless blocked up by a fleet. The Danes usually
keep in it a-garrison of two thousand foot. Hero
are gevtral canals, one of w hich divides the town

into two parts, and U intersected by nnoijifr
the end of the market place, which is vervm **
nilicent. At one corner is the fjreat chuT
where the Calvinists and Papists have ead*^'
chapel. Its harbour is capable of reiei\iiin. '
royal navy, the Eiibe being here very wide A^J

eep,
iniul

and safe. At the end of the canal riinni..
it from the town, is a tower built in tlie Tv»te 1
on piles, round which are platforms, with liatJ
terics of cannon that command the Kibe, 'i'lJ
town standing in a marshy bottom, there ii n |
approaching it on the land side, but hv ;i -toM.!
causeway about three quarters of a mile in lLiint|,i
on the side of Krempe, (a town \\hu:\\ ^\^^A
mid-way between Itzehoe and CiliaksiaiJt )|
The king of Denmark attempted to obline alJ
ships that pass up the Elbe to pay toll; but J
this project he was opposed by allthe powers o1
Europe, particularly the Hamburirliors; aiJ
although matters were accommodated, yet M
duties demanded by his Danish niuji'sty vtcrchJ
on; so that a heiivy loll is deinamjdd at thil
town, and it was declared a free port in \',',n
In this town the police is rigid, and the puiiijj
ment for oflences singular, In some ma
thieves are condenuicd to draw the dn«t curtj
and are chained to them like Turkey galley slayHj
Between (iluckstadt and Elmesborn t he cijiinir J
is rendered very fertile by frequent inuiidiiiioiiJ
of the Elbe. |

Itzehoe is a small town, lying- on tim riifj
Stor, Vhich abounds with fish, and lalls
the Elbe at Gluckstadt. It/ehoe is Ij mile]
N. E. of Gluckstadt, at the foot of a moiinlainl
and is defended by an old custle. It? iiil.iibilaiiH
enjoy a good trade t)y mean.s ot' its rivev TbJ
place is in a flourishing condition, and its inlJ
bitants daily inrrcHsing in ntunber. It is \eiJ
well l^uilt, especially that part of it which id
called the New town, and there is u church iiJ
each. At Itzehoe there is a Lutheran iiunmn]
for an abbess and nineteen ladies of quality, wliJ
are not compelled to make any vowu, or to |itac-
tise any Romish custom.

Meldorp is 2i miles N. of Gluckstadt, andii
the capital of Ditmarsh, a canton of Iloisteinj
It is situated a little above the river Blil(l(>]
(which falls into the German Ocean,) near
mouth. Its church i» largo and beautiful. liaJ
ore three market places, viz. the north, thc80ii,il)J
and the ivest; with an excellent seminary IqiI

DENMARK, NORWAY, AKD SWEDEN.

483

ng- on tim rivfj

lijiifl' the classics and rhetoric, which was

lerh a monastery. On account of this seat
fleariiiiia; .y"""ff gentkmen from difterent parts
,. Pj,,,niuik are sent to it for education. It is
l(,,it„ftlie judicial courts for the canton iu
liich it stands, and is a place of some trade,
11)1 not so imich as when the Milde was naviga-
ile for small vessels.

Uendsborg is another town of Danish Ilolstein.

,'lieroad from Hamburgh N. W. to Gluckstadt,

lodfrom Gluckstadt by Itzehoe N. E. to Rends-

w, is through a charming country ; as is iike-

„j(>tlie road which leads directly North from

laiiiburgli to Reudsborg. That part which is

led the Old Town is situated on an island

rnwd hy tlie river Eydcr, which runs in two

iranrlics through the town, and separates itself

tills place in such a manner, that the branch

ibovethc Old Town is called the Upper, and

le main stream the Lower Eyder. That which

knoffn by the name of the New T«>wii or

icuewcrk lies on the other side of the Lower

der, is regular and handsome, and has parti-

jlar fortifications of its own, which environ (he

Town in the form of a half moon. It is

lell irarrisoncd ; and here is the royal armoury,

lecirriaj^e house, and tiie granary, all of which

^c large and spacious buildings. A commercial

lloge or board of trade was established at this

Ln about seventy years ago. It consists of

bout six hundred houses, and its inhabitants

ma peculiar franchises. It owes its name and

ligin to ilie ancient castle of Reinoldsburg,

lliich was erected by count Adolphus III. iu

0, and which was repaired and improved in
le next century by Count Gerhard the Great.
I Kill is l':t miles K. of Rcndsborg, 50 miles
,E. of Gluckstadt, uiiil .")8 miles N. of 11am-
lirjli. This towH is situated on a bay of the
illic, in Holstein, and is a place of considor-
llc trade. Its harbour is excellent, and is much
»quciitcd by shipping from Germany, Sweden,
liij all other parts of the Baltic, and is a
Ipiilous and wealthy town. Both the ♦own
Id the harbour are defended by a castle or a
lishbourinir liiH. On the cast side cC this
Istlethe set washi'S its walls, and on the other
|e of the ii'ty io .i delightful, though woody
|untrv. A g irdci facing the castle is the only
bee by which Kiel has a communicuiiun with
fraain laud. This garden lying along the sea
iVoi,. II. No. CV.

side, is above two hundred paces broad, con-
sisting of u terrace walk; level with the founda-
tion of the castle, from which there is a small
descent to parterres full of flowers, and adorned
with a fountain and wilderness: and this lcad«
to others, fi'om which there is a little ascent to a
second terrace. It suftered greatly in the wars
between Denmark and Sweden. Here the duke
of Ilolstein Gottorp founded an university in
166.5, which had many learned professors. It
is divided into the New and Old Town, the
former of which is the largest and nuist pleasant,
the streets of which arc planted with rows of
trees. The old town, which stands on a kind of
peninsula, is fortified with deep ditches; and ou
the harboifr are flne walks with trees. Here is
a palace which faces the north side of the town.
At Kiel are several good buildings, particularly ^
large church and hospital, which before the re-
formation was a Franciscan monastery. The town
is much enriched by its annual fair, which is held
for three weeks after Twelfth-day, and is fre-
quented by multitudes of all ranks, especially the
nobility of the duchies of Sleswick and Ilolstein.
Vast sums of money are here negociated, and
I payments according to previous contract punctu-
1 allv made; insomuch that he whodoes not keep
] his credit at this fair, is looked upon as iu a state
of bankruptcy, and is liable to punishuicnt as
well as disgrace. During this fair eveu Ham-
burgh is, as it were, deserted, every body hurry-
ing hither to pay rents, renew leases, or let out
money Ui interest, &c. by all which means the
town is bO fu'l, that it is a diflieult task to pro-
cure a lodging iu it. The Old aud New towns
are joined by a bridge, at the end of which is a
draw-bridge and a gate, where a guard is con-
stantly kept. Thcie was a project on foot some
years ago to cut a navigable cauul Trom the river
Eyder to this town, by which shi»»s of two hun-
dred tons were proposed to be carried iinuiediate-
ly from the German Ocean into the Baltic, with-
out going round Jutland aud through the Sound.
This was intended to be done by the c/ar Peter
the Great, who stipulated that for this service
Russian ships should not be obliged to pay toll
to Denmark; but on that monarch's death the
design was laid aside. At the mouth of the har-
bour is the small fort of Christian Preiss, which
entirely commands the entrance.

About six miles N. of Kiel, but in Sleswick,
6 1 is

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23 WEST 1V«AIN STftEET

WEBSTER, K V W<90

(716) 873-450^

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4:84?

NOWELS TRAVELS IN

i; Ekerol fordo, which is a well inhabited and
flourishing place, being almost surrounded with
water and situated on the same bay as Kiel is, so
that its harbour is both capacious and suQicicntly
deep. Formerly it was a pretty large staple,
but its navigation seems now to be on the decline.
The streets are broad, and planted with rows of
trees. The town has suffered very much by fire.
Sleswick is 15 miles N. of Rendsborg, and 23
miles N. W. of Kiel. It is the capital of the
duchy of^Sles'svick, and takes its name from being
situated on the Weick or gulph of Sley. The
duchy of Sleswick is about eighty miles long
and forty-four broad, having Jutland on the N.
the Baltic on the E. Ilolstein on the S. and the
German Ocean on the W. It is watetcd by
several rivers, which in most places render it
beautiful and fertile. The eastern parts of the
duchy lie considerably higher than the wcslern;
and in the latter particularly are many extensive
and fruitful plains, which produce great quan-
tities of all kinds of grain. ' The nobility of Sles-
wick are very rich, and the common people en-
joy more independence than in any other of the
Danish dominions. The cities in this duchy have
their own magistrates, altogether independent ef
those in the country; but the governor-general
for the time being '" also president or chief judge
in all the separate towns. The town of Slcswi:-k
, was formerly a place of great trade, where mer-
chants fronri all the ports of Europe were to be
found. Many are the revolutions it has under-
gone, and various the efforts it has made to over-
come its numerous misfortunes. It has more
than once been plundered and ravaged by the
sword; and in 1447 was entirely consumed by a
dreadful conflagration. It recovered, however,
in part at least, from all these disasters, and was
in a flourishin<; condition till the removal of the
ducal court, in the beginning of the last century;
80 that even at the present day mapy of its prin-
cipal buildings are destitute of inhabitant's Its
streets appear desolate, its markets forsaken, and
its shipping annihilated. In former times a cause-
way, leading from the west end of the quay to
fleveral places, lay on the south side of the town,
and was defended by the strong castle of Jurgen-
burg, which is now in ruins. At the end of this
mole, which is now only to be seen at low water,
stood the Castle on the main land, where Abel,
when duke of Sleswick, resided; who, on ascend-
ing the throne by the murder of his brother, be-

in III

is III

stowed it on the Augustine monks, by ^Ji^^
was converted into a convent, and stood wL
the orphan house now stands.

From Sleswick to Flensborg the distance
21 miles N. Flensborg is a large and Iiandsoi
town, situated at the bottom of the bay of Flen!
which is twenty-four miles inland from (
Baltic. It is a fine haven, where ships oft
greatest burden may ride with the most corapli
safety, and even come up to the warehouses, i
the land side it is encompassed with monntaiii
upon one of which, near the suburbs, is a east
commanding the bay on that side. Uere
four churches. The town of Flensbor
capital of a bailiwic called Angelen or Eiigelanl
which is the country of the English Saxons
Angles, who came over into Britain, and gav
it the name of England.

Tonder is 24 miles W. by N. of Sleswick,
is an inland town on the river Widaw, whj
had formerly a harbour that has been for seun
vears choaked up; but it is defended by a sma
fort.

Hadersley, or Hadersleben, is a sea- port (oh
of Sleswick, 32 miles N. of Sleswick. It
watered on the W. by the lake of Haderslcbc
upon the E. by the gulph of Haderslebiion
which is so shallow near the town, that ships
burden are obliged to anchor two miles (
This gulf, into which the lake empties itself,
very narrow, and falls into the Baltic about ti
miles E. of the town. Hadersleben is wr^ll biii
its streets being broad, and its houses uiiitorn
It had formerly a castle, which stood on the to
of a neighbouring hill, but has been long mih
demolished, and a new one built, called Han!
burg, which stands between the lake and gi
above mentioned. On the W. of this casi
stands the new town, which is separated froi
the old one by a small stream, and is better bui
than the old town. The country in its vicioil
abounds with corn-fields, and cvccllent pastun
which, with the fish caught in the lake ai
neighbouring gulf, render this a very floorishii
place. This place gave birth to king Fredeti
II. in 1534, and Frederic III. in 1009. Haden
leben is the canital of a considerable prefeclor
ship, which is divided into the seven districlso
Ilabersleberharde, Tusterupharde,. Gramhardf
Froesharde, Kalshinhardc, Giddingharde, an
Northerangstorharde.

Colding, or Kolding, is a small town in lb

DENMARK, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN,

485

hailifficofKoldinghuus, and diocese of Ripen,
111) miles N. of Hadersleben. It st^i ds on the
Itiver Truethis, or Koldiuger-aue, which falls
lioto a bay that extends itself from the Liitle
iBelt. I' ''^* ^^^' '^^'"S situated between tvo
Luntains; is a pretty old place; has a parish
Ithurch, a rich hospital with a church of its own,
liLilin school haudsomsly endowed, and a har-
Lur, which by the neglect of its inhabitants is
Lw clioaked up; so that ships of small burden
Iwlycan at present resort to it. On the N. W.
Iiideoftlietow'ii stands on an eminence the castle
|((Kol(linghuus, anciently called Oernsborg, i. e.
lEigle Castle. Among its greatest curiosities is
Itbe giant tower, built by Christian IV. which is
[at at top, and surrounded with a stone balcony,
, range, at the four corners of which is a stone
aire seven feet high. This castle has a church
lolitsowp. The air here is reckoned very fine
y lieslthy, Mherefore Christian 111. made it
lis usual residence, and here he died in 1559*.
Aarhtms is 50 miles N. E. of Colding, and 43
jiibS, E. of Wiburg- It is (lie capital of a
kistopric of the same name, which is 15 geo-
graphical miles in length and between eight and
line in breadth. This bishopric is the best of
til the Jutland dioceses: the soil is uncommonly
Ituitfiil, and vast quantities of corn are annually
^ported. Here are many navigable bays, lakes
■bounding with fish, good rivers und streams,
1 spacious forests ; the diocese c(>nlain8 about
nly seats of the principal nobility. The town
^fAarhuus lies low, in a beautiful plain between
Ibesea, and an inland lake, from which last the
Irater is conveyed, by means of a pretty broad
inal, through the town. It is entirely open,
f, and populous; has two market places,
iro principal churches, an university, a palace
(he bishop, a tree cathedral school of six
and a well-endowed hospital. The Ci«-
dral church is a handsome building, begun in
lie year It^Ul, and contains many beautiful
jjonuments. The inhabitants of this city carry
IS good trade. The harbour, which is situated
(the mouth of the river Gude, is safe and com-
jiodious, but not remarkably large ; and, at cer-
I seasons, the water in it is not of a sufficient

Colding is principally rcmarkabit; for the toll paid at
^e bridge orer the A.ue, for all foreign goods carried in
« that way; also for all black cattlo and horses
M ga into the duchy of Slcg^TicK or farjtlior. Tho num.

depth for large vessels. At this place is the
usual ferry to Knllundburg in Zealand.

The town of Wiburg is ^',1 miles N. VV. of
Aarhuus, -and 38 S. W. of Alborg. A^iburg i*
a considerable town, is the capital of the bishop-
ric of Wiburg, and is remarkable for being tho
seat of the chief court of juiilice in Jutland.
The hall where the council assembles has the
archives of the country, which escaped the de-
vastation occasioned by the drsadful iire (hat
happened in 1726, and which burnt the cathedral
church, that of the Black Friers, the town'
house, and the bishop's palace; but they have
all been rebuilt more magnificently than before.
It is seated on the lake Weter,- on a kind of
peninsula, at the southern exfrcmity of the lake.

Alborg, or Aalborg, is 38 miles N. by E, of
Wiburg, and 65 N. by W. of Aarhuus. It is
the capital of a. bishopric of the same name. It
is called Aalborg, or Eal-tovvn, from the vast
quantities of eels which are taken there. It is
seated on a branch of the LymHord lake, about
20 miles from the sea. Here is an exchange for
merchanls, and a safe and deep harbour. The
inhabitants carry on a considerable trade in
herrings and corn, and have several good manu-
factories of guns, pistols, saddles, and gloves.

The island , of Funen, which is one of the
ibanish islands, has the Great Belt on the E. the
Baltic on the S. the Little Belt on the W. which
separates it from Jutland and Sleswick in Den-
mark Proper^ and the small islaiid of Samsoe on
the N. This k the most fruitful country belonging
to Denmark, having a good and well cultivated
soil. It consists of small and very fertile hills,
some of them woody, and is in general well
peopled. From Funen are exported great quan-
tities of corn, large herds of black cattle, aiid
abundance of hogs. This is an appendage to the
king of Denmark's eldest son, and its government
is the most considerable in Denmark. Odensee,
which is 85 miles W. by S. of Copenhagen, is
the capital of Funen, and is the see of a bishop.
Its cathedral church is a remarkable building.
The Danish language is spoken here in its greatest
purity; and in 1538 a diet was held at this place,
in which the reformation ef this kingdom was

her of oxen alono, which are annually driven through
Colding, is computed at fort^ thousand head, for each of
which a rix doUac is always csactcd.

settled.

\\v

.ifM!

«IU^!;^,|-

rali

■a

il:^ii

]h\

i-^l vt

48(S

NOWEL'S TRAVELS IN

setiled. There are four churches in this town,
and the best beer in Denmark is brewed here..

On the sea coast of the isle of Ftinen is
Faaborg, which is 28 miles S. W. of Odeniee: it
lies in a low ami fruitful spot, and its inhabitants
carry on a good trade in corn and all sorts of
provisions, but the harbour is rather indifferent.
Here is a pretty good hospital. The town has
suH'ered much from accidental fires, and from
burning and plundering by the enemy, particular-
ly the Swedes. Not far from fhis town, at the
church of Home, is a ferry to the isle of Alsen;
and in the bay near the town are several small
islands.

Alsen is another island belonging to Denmark,
of which the principal town is Sonderberg,
which is about J8 miles E. yy N. of Flensborg.
Alsen belongs to the duchy of Sleswick, and is
near the main land, from which it is separated
by a narrow strait called Alsensund. This island
is upwards of 12 miles in length and about six
broad. It is populous and fruitful, being ii rich
and pleasant spot, having an exuberance of all
sorts of grain, wheat alone excepted. It pro-
duces excellent fruit and vegetables; and has no
want of woods, in which wild game of various
kinds are to be met with. Here are several fresh
water lakes, which afford abundance of iish.
The island of Alsen is divided into the Suder and
the Norder-Hardc, or the jurisdictions of isoii-
derburg and Norburg.

The island of Langeland, which receives its
name from its long form, is situated in the Great
Belt, S. E. of Funen, and W. of Laaland: it is
32 miles long, and about six miles where broad-
est. The soil is fruitful throughout, abounding
in wheat, rye, and barley, of which great quan-
tities are annually exported. It is under the
jurisdiction of the governor of Funen, and con-
tains but one royal bailiwic, namely, Traiickia,
to which belong Norre and Sonderherred ; and
in each division are seven parishes. Here is also
n fort called Tranckiar, where is kept a strong
garrison. Round this island are three smaller
ones, viz. Omme, Agger, and Echolm. The
principal town in this island is Budkioping^,
which is rather a small place.

Laalandc is another island belonging to Den-
mark, which has Langeland on the \V. F-.lster
on the E. and Zealand on the N. E. This
island is ail Icrw ground, which i(s name imports.

3(1

Its greatest extent from S. E. to N. W i>
miles, and its greatest breadth from N. to S^'
about 15 miles. Il produces all sorts of con, '*
abundance, particularly wheat, with which t
supplies Copenhagen and other places in tl'
kingdom. This island is divided into three di*
tricts orbailiwics, viz. those of Ilalsted, Aalliolm
and Marieboe-Kloster. The inhabitants breed
but few cattle, because they find husbandry niure
advantageous; yet from the soil lying low and
damp, the air is rather unhealthy. Of all tlig
inhabitants here, the ministers are mostly in tbe
easiest circumstances, on account of their plenij,
ful income. About the middle of this island
there is a lake, on the North of which lay
nunnery of Mariqboe. Besides noblemen's seats,
here are four towns and a village, viz. Na^kow
Rodbye, Marieboe, Nystadt, and Saxkiobing. '

The island of Falster lies east of Laalande
from which it is separated by a narrow strait'
and is in the diocese of Funen. The soil is o
the same nature as that of Laalande. Itisabou
twenty miles long, and its mean breadth aboii
nine. It has been by some writers called thi
orchard of Denmark, from the vast quantities
fruit which it produces; and it abounds will]
wild game. The whole of this island belongs i
the queen dowager, and is divided into two dis-
tricts, viz. the southern, consisting of thirteei
parishes, and the northern, which contains
fifteen. Its chief place is Nycoping, or Nve
kiobing, or Stobbekiobino-, which is situaled6(
miles S. by W. of Copen jagcn, and isdefendei
by a strong fort.

The island of Seeland, Zeeland, or Zealaiid,
is the largest and most fertile island of \k
Baltic Sea, and is the seat of the Danish go-
vernment. On the east it has the Sund, w
separates it from Sweden. Its groulest leiigi
from N. to S. is about seventy niili's, and ii
mean breadth, from E. to W. is about fifty milc!
The land here is pretty low, and has but few
hills, though there are many woods and forest
which take up almost a fourth part of the inland
which abounds with wild game, excellent pai
ture, and plenty of grain, especially barley, oals
and rye. Round the coast are several deep baji
some of which run many miles inland. Tlies(
and the adjacent sea are exuberant in fish, asari
the fresh water lakes and rivers which wash tin
island. Although tbe air of Seeland is tliickan

DENMARK, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN.

487

\Lg9X yet, >t i' observedj that many persons
[J^jto^ great age. On the coast are several
if. and commodious harbours, particularly
Fopenliagen, Callundborg, &c.

rgneiihsgeu, -called in old writings Hiifnia,
••tbe capital of Seeland^ and is the metropolis of
DeDDiark. It> name, Copenhagen, literally sig-

lej the Merchants' Port, and seems to have

itrioated from the convenience and utility of

harbour, which is equally beautiful and ca-

jous. The city is situated upon a fine bay of
..Baltic Sea, near the strait called the Sund,
ii'tbe eastern shore of the island. Copenhagen
originally but a mean little village of fisher-
buts, vvbich, by the assistance of the
of Roeschilde, gradually rose to mag-
jtude and consequence. In process of time it

constituted a city, And made the royal seat
if tlie Danish sovet .^ns. The houses were
irincrly of wood, but in the year 1738 almost
je whole were re'luced to ashes by fire; and
iJDcethat time they have been more sumptuously
md securely built of free stone. The present

perb palace was then erected at an immense
ipenre, and the town embellished with various
ile<rant houses for the nubility, magnificent
;burche», and some stately public edifices. The
ischange of the East India Company, their
lilitary repository, the king's stables, the college,
e magazine of provisions, the orphan house,
le opera bouse, and the martial academy, are

$tructures planned and finished with taste and
legance.
The citadel is a regular fort defended by five

i bastions, a double ditch full of water, and
vera! advanced works. Tbe arsenal is furnish-

trith naval stores sufficient for the equipment
if no inconsiderable armament; it exceeds that

Venice, and the royal fleet usually lies here.

A harbour it surrounded by the fortifications
fthetown; and the entrance is so narrow that

yone ship can enter at a time. In the night-
me this entrance is shut up by a strong boom
lid across. Tbe passage is defended on one side
ijf the cannon of the citadel, and on tbe other by
itroilg block house, well moutttcd with heavy
(illery, The whole haven ia capable of con-
ining five hundred sail of Urge ships. It is en-
Died by a wooden gallery, rluae to which every
ip has ber appointed station; a circumstance
(tadds greatly to the beauty and rouvcniency
Vwi.irNo.CV.

of the scene, than which nothing can be more
rich and regular, when a number of shipping
happen to be in the port. The harbour owes
most of its excellence to the little island of Amack,
which diverts the waves, and shelters it from the
surge of the sea. Here stands that lofty range of
houses known by the name of the New Town.
The whole city is about five miles in circum-
ference, and from the space it occupies in the
bottom of a spacious bay, which embraces the
sea in the form of an amphitheatre, and tbe de-
clivity of the situation, exhibiting as it were id
detail all the natural and artificial beauties of
the place, it makes a most magnificent appear-
ance at a distance. This metropolis contains
four royal castles; ten parish, and nine other
churches; a considerable number of public
and private palaces; above four thousand bur-
gher's houses, several of which contain ten or
more families; and the whole number of inha-
bitants are estimated at one hundred thousand.
The city is generally divided into three parts;
Old Copenhagen, New Copenhagen, and Chris-
tianshafen. Copenhagen is one of tbe most mag-
niKcent, beautiful, and elegant cities in Europe.
Between Copenhagen and that part called Chris-
tianshafen there is a lofty pillar erected in the
middle of the water, on which is a statue re-
presenting a naked woman with a swan. The
royal palace, called Rosenburg, is a small
edifice, and is built in the semi-gothic taste.
It is, however, a grand structure, and is sur-
rqundcd by a ditch and sort of foHification. The
adjoining gardens are extensive, and are em-
bellished with a profusion of ornaments. In
summer they serve the inhabitants for a public
pleasure walk. The new palace was built by
Christian VI. and though it cost six millions of
dollars, yet the inscription over the grand portal
declares, that the sovereign erected it from the
ordinary revenues of the crown, without layiifg
any additional taxes or imposts on his subjects.
Beside the supreme and other colleges, there arc
in this capital several literary societies, academics
for painting and drawing, the surgeons' the«i'
trading companies, the bank, insurance offices,
and a great many manufactories, in which silk
and woollen stufis, cloths, linen, gold and silver
lace, porcelain, &c. are made; and the port is
frequented by a vast number of ships annually.
The tower of Trinity Church is used as an

0 K nstronomical

f S

'■:;1i! r

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■i1 Wti

488

NOWEL'S TRAVELS IN

astronomical observatory: it is round, one hun-
dred and fifteen feet high, and fifty-four feet in
diameter: it is flat at the top, and is surrounded
by an ihon bnhistrade. The ascent to this tower
is spiral, and so spacious and easy, thai a coach
and horses may be drove up and down with ease;
which experiment was tried by Peter the Great,
c2ar of Russia, in 1716.

In the history of this city, it is observed, that
from a mean fishin^place in the eleventh century,
it rose to a city in 1254, and then continued an
episcopal see till 1443, in which year it became
the residence of the kings of Denmark, and has
remained such till the presci,it time. In 1360
and 1372 it was taken and plundered by the
Ilanse towns, and in the years 1306, 1428, 1523,
1535, 1658, and 1659, it was closely besieged.
The plague visited it eight limes, between 1546
and 1711, and swept away a great number of its
inhabitants. In 1626 it was considerably en-
larged, and in 1700 it was bombarded by the
British, Dutch, . and Swedish fleets. The fire in
1728, alluded to above, broke out on the 20th
of October, and in forty-eight hours destroyed
twenty-four streets, &c. sixteen hundred and
fifty houses, five churches, the university, the
council house, and several public buildings.*
' Tiie anniversary of this accident is kept in a re-
ligious manner.

Jfi August, 1807, the English government
fitted out a large fleet and a body of thirty thou-
sand land forces, which were sent to the isle of
Seeland, with a view to compel the Danes to
enter into the measures of the English, and to

force them to join them in hostilities against the

•*

* By the third article of capitiilution it was agreed, that
** the ships and tosscIs of war of every description, with
■II the naral stores belongiofg to his Danish majesty, shall
be delivered into the charge of such persons as shall be ap>
pointed by the commander in chief of his Britannic majesty's
forces.'*

■f Besides getting; possession of the town and citadel of
Copenhagen, tho docli.yards, storehouses, &c. &c. the
English took eighteen ships of the line, vh. Christian the
Seventh, S6 guns, built in 1803; Neptune, 8t guns, built
in 1789; Waldemaar, 84 guns, built in 1798 ; Princess
Sophia Frederica, 74 guns, built in 1775 ; Justice, 74
f(uns, built in 1777; Heir Apparent Frederic, 74 guns,
l>nilt in 178?;' Crown Prince Frederic, 74 guns, built in
1781; Fupn, 74 guns, built in 1787; OJen, 74 guns,
built in 1788; Three Crowns, 74 guns, built in 1789;
9kiuld, 71 guns, built in 1702; (<rown Princess Maria,
74 guns, built in 1791 ; Danncmarii, 74 guns, built in
i794; Norway) 74gaai, built in 1800$ Princess CaroliaH)
5

French; but the Danish government rcsormr
refused to yield to the terms of accoinniodar
proposed by the English. In consequence"
this refusal to the menaces of the British gov M
ment, the English array of thirty thousand 1
were landed, and the city of Copenhagen ,yL
invested on the 17th of^ that month; but (k
Dunes did not allow the progress of the Brit,
army without interruption, although no 8erioi
conflict took place: and, nfter a most strsnuoi
defence on the part of the Danes) the town
citadel of Copenhagen surrendered, on articli
of capitulation*, the 7th .»f Septemberf.

Roeschiidc is 92 miles W. of Copenhage
and 35 miles- S. W. of Elsineur. It is a vei
ancient, and was once a very considerable ci(v(
Seelaiid : it vvas indeed formerly the capital, an
the royal residence of the kingA of Denmatl
Its bishops, as has been mentioned above, wei
the meanfr of bringing Copenhagen into reputt-
and their munificence to that place paved (h
way for the ruitt of Roeschiide; insoiniich thi
since Copenhagen became the metropolis, an
the removal of the episcopal sec thither also,
has rapidly gone to decay. It stands at tliebot
torn of Isefiord Bay, but that part of it is no
so chouked up with sand, that Roestliilde h
but little trade. Here were once twent)-scv(
churches, but they are now reduced to two onl

Elsineur, or Elsinore, is 35 miles N. E. o
Roeschiide, and 25 miles N. of Copenhagen,
that strait of the sea called the Sound. Thi
place, next to the capital, is the richest and moi
elegant town in the island of Seeland. It In
two churches and a gram^r^ar school, whert

74 guns, built in 1805; Detniarsken, 64 guDS, built i
1780, Conqueror, 64 guns, built in 1795; and Jlars, {
guns, built in 1784. — Fifteen frigates, viz. Poiirl, 41guiii
Housewife, 41 guns; Liberty, 44 guns; Iris, 41 sou
Rota, 41 guns; Venus, 41 guns;' Ny.ide, 36 ggos
Triton, 98 guns; Frederigstein, 38 guns; Little Belt, !
guns; St. Thomas, 2i guns; Fylla, 24 guns; Kibe,!
guns ; Eydcren, 20 guns ; and Ciluckstadc, 20 guns.-Si
brigs, m. Sarpc, 18 guns; Glommcn, 18 guns; Ne
Elven, 18 guns; Mercure, IS guns; Courier^ 14 goo;
and the Flying Fish. — And twenty .five gun boats.— Allthi
was atchieved, viz. the taking of Copenhagen, (from its in
Tcsture on the I7th of August till its surrender on then
of September,) and the fleet above stated, with the loss (
any credence is to be given to the official documents sign
Cathcart) of thirty.nine of the military killed, and on
hundred and forty.three wonnded only !!! Ga'.cttt Extn
ordinary of Sept. 16, 1807.

V-^"**.'-*,

DENMARK, NOIIWAY, AND SWEDEN.

489

scholars arc educated and uiain-
ic J „.fatis. riere is also a good hospital, and

pMt many poor s^

tlic king's custom house.

Th6 inha-

lliiant* f>^ VA'^nexiT carry on a considerable trade^
I ■ j( j^ famous both en account of its being the

I licc bv \^hich the Swedes and Norvvegians
ILally P*** '"*® Denmark, and for the toll
I kich i« P"'^ '•^'"*' ^- every ship that sails

litfli the Sound. The celebrated castle of
u„ijerg stands an the north side of Elsineur, on
EC narrowest part of the entrance into the Bultie,
I yfM certainly intended to command the
I lid, of the Sound, which is here n'-t more
IrtaD lialf a luile wide. This is one ol A\e best
U strongest fortresses in Denmark, and is in
jucellcnt oDiulition. It is a fiiie Gotliic chateau,
l^d was built by Christian IV. and was often
Ldethe seat of the royal residence. It is here
Litbeships whi^h enter the Baltic areobliged to
Laicto and pay toll. It is built in the form of a
guare^ and within is a fine quadrangle. The tur-
itlsat the corners are very superb, and inthemost

improved style of Gothic ardiitecturc*. There is
a little hunting^ seat or palace about a quarter of
a mile from EUineur, whither the king makes
excursions frequently for a few hours in the sum-
mer. Nothing worth seeing distinguishes the
building, but the prospect from the roof i>
beautiful beyond description. It looks down on
the town of Elsineur and the castio of Cronberg,.
and commands beyond these a view of the Sound
and the coast of S>Veden to a great distance.

Callundborg, or Calenberg, formerly called
Herwig, is a good town, and stands at the bot-
tom of a bay which opens in the Great Belt.
It is 38 miles W. of Roeschilde, and 60 iniles W.
of Copenhagen. Originally this town consisted
of a few fishermen's huts, but it experienced the
bounty of the bishops of Roeschilde, who made
it a city, and beautified it with a castle, a churchy
and other public buildings. At this place the
gulph forms a safe and commodious harbour, by
which means the town enjoys ar pretty good
trade.

SECTION II.

heral Description of Mnoay ; its LengtT and Breadth, Government, Mountains, Cataracts,
Lakes, Forests, Climate, Air, Soil, Minfs, Language, and Religion — The prineipat Tuians tyT
Xormy described. _ •

MIE country of Norway is about a thousand

miles in length, from Lindesnaes (the Naze)

itlieSoutli, to P^orth Cape at the extremity of

j^iniDBrk in the North; and its breadth, from

|lie frontiers of Sweden Westward to Cape Statt,

labout two hundred and thirty ; but the country

[rows gradually narrower towards the North,

KODiucli that in softie places it does not exceed

jixty miles. On the South it is bounded by the

kager-Rack, or Categat, the entrance into the

Baltic; on the cast it is separated from Sweden

1} a long chain of mountains; and on ^,he West

Ind North it is washed by the German Ocean or

Nortli Sea. The coast of Nbrway extends above

Ibtirtecn hundred miles, and is studded with an

OQieDge number of islands, which afibrd habita-

I * The late unfortunate qurcn Matilda, sister to George
pe Third, king of Great Britain, was confined for some
me in this castle as a state prisoner. Slie was brought
kieoDtiie 17th of January, 1773, when the royal apart.

tion to a vast quantity of fishermen and pilots>
and pasture for a few cattle. These island*
form an infi^nite number of narrow channels, and
a natural barrier of rocks, which renders Nor-
way inaccessible to the naval power of its enemies.
If any attempt of this kind were made it would
be extremely hazardous, as the shore is bold>
steep, and impending; so that close to the rocks,
the depth of the sea amounts to one, two, or
three hundred fathoms.' The perils of the North
iSea arc moreover increased by sudden storms,
sunken rocks, violent currents, and dreadful
whirlpools. The most remarkable vortex on-
this coast is called Moskoe-strom, from the small
island Moskoe, belonging to the district of
Lofoden, in the province of Nordland. Norway

mcnts were by no means iit for licr reception ; the colonel
commandant'thcrcfore, with equal huntanity and poUteaesf^
resigned bis own to hermajeity.

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490

NOWEL'S TRAVKLS IN

ii divided into tlie four governmenia of Agger-
huus. Bergen, Drontheiiu, and Wardhuus. The
grcnt chain of Norway mountains, running from
North to South, ia called indiflerently Rudfield>
Suileficld, Skarsfield, and Scoreberg. The height
and breadth of this extensive chain likewise vary
in difierent parts. To pass the mountain
llardangerj a person must travel about seventy
English miles, whereas Filefield is about fifty
over. . This last mountain rises about two miles
and a half in perpendicular height; but Oofrefield
is reckoned the highest mountain in Europe.
The river Drivane winds along the side of it in a
serpentine form^ so as to be met nine times by
those who trKvel the winter road to the other side
of the chain. The bridges are thrown over roar-
iug cataracts, and are but indiiferently fastened
to the steep rocks on either side; so that the whole
exhibits a very dreadful appearance, sufficient
to deter the traveller from hazarding such a
dangerous passage: fur which reason people
generally prefer the road over Filefield, which
is much more tedious. This, however, is the
post road for the king's carriages. The way is
distinguished by posts fixed at the distance of
two hundred paces from each other, that in
snowy or dark weather the traveller may not he
bewildered. For the convenience of resting and
refreshment, there are two mountain stoves or
kouscs, maintained at the expence of the public,
and furniBhed with fire, light, and kitchen
utensils. Nothing can be more dreary and dismal
than these mountains, which are covered with
eternal snow, and where neither house, tree, nor
living creature is to be seen, but here and there a
solitary rein-deer, and perchance a few wander-
ing Laplanders. Norway abounds with fresh
water lakes; the principalof which are, Rysvand
in Nordland, Snaasen, Selboe, Great and Little
Mioes, Slirovand, Sperdille, Rand, Vestn, Saren,
Modum, Lund, Norsoe, Huidsoe, Farisvand,
and Oeyevand: all these are well stocked with

* In 1702 the seat of the family of Borge, near Frederic,
stadt, being a noblo edifice, witli lofty towers aiid battle,
mcnts, auddcniy sunk into an abyss a hundred fathoms Uoep,
which was instantly filled by a piece of water three hundred
ells in length, and about half as broad.

f In the year 1710, seren hundred Swedes, who intend,
ed to attack Drontheim, perished in the snow on the
mountains of Rudenor Tydel, which separates Jemptland
in Sweden from the diocese of Drontheim in Norway. A
company ot two handred Norwegian sledge mou, under

I'OWl

fish, and are navigable for large vessel?. \v
have been formerly carried on upon these jnla*']
seas, in some of which are small floating island
or pdrcels of earth with trees on them, amJ*!
from the mainland, and probably preserved ''
compact masses by the roots of trees, ghrui"
and grass, interwoven iii the soil*. Ofallth'
waterfalls in Norway, that of Sarp is the mo
dangerous for its height and rapidity. The cur
rent drives seventeen mills, and roars with sue
violence, that the water, being dashed and con
muted among the rocks, rises in the form of nin
where a beautiful rainbow maybe always see^
when the sun shines. In ancient times thii
cataract was made use of for the execution
traitors and other malefactors; they were t!ir
down alive, that they might be dashed in njcci,
on the points of the rocks. Great part of Nor
way is covered with foreats of wood, which con
stitute the principal article of commerce in thi
country. They chiefly consist of fir and piut
for which great sums are received from foreigner.)
who export an immense number of masts, iieani*
planks, and boards.

The climate of Norway is various in difllron
parts of the kingdom, At Bergen the \viiiter
so moderate, that the rcias are always open u
practicable both to mariners and h'^Rhermcn, e.\
cept in creeJis and bays, that reach far into i
country towards Filefield, when the keen \.
wind blows from the land. On the K side
Norway, from the.frontiersof Swedento FileP''
the cold generally sets in about the middle
October with great severity, and lasts till tli
middle of April; ^luring which interval lli
waters are frozen to a very considerable thicknei
and t^iB face of the country is covered wil
snowf. The cold is stilly more intense iiilh
part of Norway called Finiuark, situated in th
frigid zone, near the polar circle. Butiftb
winter is generally cold, the summer is often el
cessively hot in Norway. The rays of the

Major Kmahus, found them all fro/cn to death on tl
ridge of the mountain, where thuy, had been surpryedli
a storm accompanied with snow, hail, and cxtreutu col
Some of these unhappy victims appeared sitting, sunieljii
and others kneeling in a posturu of prayiiii;. Tbcyha
cut in pieces their muskets, and bunial tlio liii!e woo
they afforded. The generals Labarro and Xoegz losttht
liros; and of the whole corps, consisting uriginalljn
ten thousatid men,, no mor« than two thousand livu hniidn
survived this dreadful catastrophe.

:i .,'

DENMARK, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN.

rttwberated from the sideB of the mountains.
a to render the weather close and sultry in
rtlliwJ hcsides the sun's absence below the
i/ 40 short, that the atmosphere and
intsins have notthne to cool. : The heat in so
it that vegetation is remarkably quicL
ley it sown, grows, ripens, and is reaped in

iipsce

of six

weeks or two months. The

I day at Berffen consists of nineteen hours,

junrisii»g at half an hour after two and setting

half after nine. The shortest day does not

ijx hours; for the sun rises at nine in the

injne, and sets at tlKee in the afternoon. In

wioning of the year, the day-light increases

Ji remarkable celerity; and, at the approach

winter, decreases in the same proportion. In

ler one may reed and write at midnight by

_jgbt of the sky. In the district of Tromesen>

the extremity of Norway, the sun is continually

liiew Bt midsummer. The air of Norway is

lerally p*>re and salubrious. On the sea

it, indeed, it is rendered moist by vapours

eihaiations; but in the midland parts of

(country, towards the mountains, the climate

Udry, that meal may be kept for many years,

bout being worm-eaten or damaged in the least.

> inhabitants have no idea of sickness, except

jtt is occasioned by excesses. The winds that

iiicfly prevail on the western coast are those that

from the S. whereas on the other side of

^ilefield, the wiuds that produce and continue

bard frosts are always northerly. In the

ner, there is a kind of regular trade-wind

I (be coast of Bergen. In the forenoon the sea

to be cooled with a wiesterly breeze,

bkh continues till midnight. Then the land-

Kze begins from the £!. and blows till about

I in the morning. The coast is likewise sub-

t to sudden squalls and storms. Hurricanes

Onetimes rise -at sea, and in these latitudes the

bcnomcnon called « water-spout is not uncom-

ilon. The fresh water of Norway is not very

|h( or pure. The soil varies in diiferent places

wording to the situation of rock or valley.

mountains here, as> in every other country,

chare and barren ; but the earth washed down

om them by the rains, enriches atid fertilizes

!vaiHe!). There is also clav found in different

iris of this kingdom, of which the inhabitants

kgiii to make earthen ware. In a cold country

\i Norway, roughened with rocks and pioua-

V0L.II.N0. CV.

tains, interspersed with b«gs, »n4 eovep-ed, with
forests, we cannot expect to find agriculture in
perfection. The ploughed lands, in respect to
mountuins. woods, meadows, and wastes, d9
uot exceed the proportion of one to eighty; ao
that the whole country dx>es not produce corn
sufficient to maintain above half the number of
its inhabitants. The kingdom is moreover visited
by some unfavourable years, in which the sun -
seems to have lost his genial power; the vege-
tables are stunted, the trees hud and bloom, yet
bear no fruit, and the grain, though it r%es, wilt
yet produce nothing but empty ears and straw.
This calamity, however, raroly occurs ; and, ia
general, the cultivated parts of Norway yield
plentiful crops of excellent rye, barley, and oats.
Pease are likewise propagated in this country,
together with wheat, buck-wheat, hops, hemp,
and flax, but not t» any considerable advantage.
The meadows are well stored with pasturage for
sheep and cattle, and tlie fields are productive o£
those vegetables which are common in other
northern countries. Within these eighty years,
the people of Norway have bestowed some atten-
tion on the culture, of gardens, which in former
times was so neglected, that cities and towni
weresupplied with leeks, cabbage, and roots, from
England and Holland- At present, however,
the Noirwegians raise their own culinary and
garden roots and vegetables, which thrive there
as well as in any other country. The scurvy
being a disease that prevails along the sea coast,
nature has scattered upon it a variety of herbs,
efllicarious in the cure of that distemper, parti-
cularly a plant called erich's-grass, that grows in
great plenty on the island of Northland; from
whence the people of the Continent fetch away
boat-toads of it to be preserved in barrels, as a
succedaneum for cabbage. The common fruit
trees thrive tolerably well in Norway, the inha-
bitants of which have plenty of cherries, apples,
and pears. Some kinds of plums attain maturity,
which is seldom the case with grapes, apricots,
and peaches. But even the apples and* pears
that ripen here are summer fruits; that which
grows till the winter seldom coming to perfection.
Of the trees tliat grow wild in Norway, the
principal are the fir and the pine. The first
yields an annual revenue of a million of rix
dollars, if we include the advantages resulting
from the sawmills and the masts, one of which

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NOWF.rS TRAVELS IN

last Iiosbeen known to sell for two hundred rix
dollars. The red fir treeDvliich grows r:\ the
mountains, is so rich in turpentine, us to be al-
most incorruptible. Even a hundred years after
the trunk of the fir tree has been cut down, the
peasants burn the roots for tar, which is a very
profitable commodity. In the fens, the resin of
the fir tree is by nature transformed into a sub-
stance which may be called Norway frankincense.
Norway likewise produces some forests of oak,
which 18 found to be excellent for ship building.
Hazles grow here in such abundance, that a
hundred tons of the nuts are annually exported
from Bereen alone. A great diversity of stones
is found in Norway, some of which are of a
surprising figure. Several mountains consist
chiefly of a brown pebble, which decays with
«age. In some places the grey and black pebbles
are intermixed with iron, copper, black lead,
silver, and gold.

In Norway are inexhaustible quarries of ex-
cellent marble: Gold has formerly been found
ill a small quantity in the diocese of Christiansand,
and coined into ducats. There is at present a
very considerable silver mine wrought at Kongs-
burg on the accoun* ""d risk of his Danish
majt'sty: the ore is < singly rich, but inter-

rupted in such a mann^ .hat the vein is often
lost. Many masses of pure silver have been
found; and among the rest, one piece weighing
five hundred and sixty pounds, preserved in (be
royal museum at Copenhagen. Such is the rich-
ness of these mines, that the annual produce
amount.s in value to a ton and a half in gold.
About five thousand people are daily employed,
and earn their subsistence, in those stupendous
works. Other silver mines are prosecuted at
Jarlesberg, but not to the same advantiige; and
h^re the ore is mixed with lead and copper. In
many parts of this country copper-mines have
been discovered; but the principal, and perhaps
the richest in all Europe, is at Raraas about a
hundred English miles from Dronthiem. This
work yields annually about eleven hundred ship-
pounds of pure copper, the foundries belonging
to it consume yearly about ten thousand lasts of
coals, and five hundred fathoms of wood. The
next in importance is the copper work at Lykkon,
about !20 miles from Drontheim. A third
mine is carried on at Indset or Quickne, at the
distance of 30 miles froi)(i the same place; and

here they precipitate the copper from \U mmi
struum, by means of iron. There is a fouT
copper-work at Silboe, about ^ mild dirt
from Drontheim, although the least considtr h
of the four. Other copper-mines of Icgg not.
worked in difl'erent parts of the kingdom i*'
is still in greater plenty, and was the first J!
wrought in this country. Many hundred thou
sand quintals are annually exported, chieiiv'
bars, and part of it in stoves, pots, kettles a'
cannon; the national profit arising from t^
metal is estiijnated at about three hundred thoii
sand rix dollars. There is a species, called mooi
iron, found in large lumpa among the roorasm
of this the peasants make their own domett
tools and utensils, such as knives, scythes u
axes. The lead mixed in the silver ore'ii
article of small importance in Norway; yetioi
mines of this metal have been lately opened in|
district of Soloer, by the proprietors of t
copper-work at Oudal. A vitriol work bi
been begun near Kongsburg: the mines vie
great plenty of sulphur; which, however, tl
Norwegians will not take the trouble to nieltai
depurate, because imurense quantities are fouL
at a cheaper rate in the island of Iceland, Allui
is found between the slate-flakes near Clirisiiai
in such plenty, that works have been set up ft
refining this mineral, though they have notn
brought it to any degree of transparent)'. Hi
Danish majesty has established salt works in tb
peninsula of Valoe, about six English niih
from Tonsbcrg, where this mineral is extracte
in large quantities from the sea water. Mid
Danish, English, Scotch, Dutch, and Germi
families have settled in Norway, and now fw
no inconsiderable part of the trading peopk
but the original inhabitants are the descendinl
of those ferocious Normanni, who harassed il
most all the coa'sts of Europe with piratical ot
naments in the eighth, ninth, and tenth centuri(
They speak the same language as that which
used in Denmark, though ^their original tongn
is the dialect now spoken in Iceland. The
profess the Lutheran religion, under an ircl
bishop established at Drontheim, with foi
suffragans; namely, of Bergen, Staflancr, Hid
mer, and Christiana. By the union of Calnui
the two kingdoms of Norway and Denmark ve
united under one monarch, the viceroy resida
the capital, and presides in the supreme court, I

»lii(

NORWAY, DftNMATlK, AND SWKDFN.

40$

BOt

ich •PP'*^' "''' made from the subordinate
' jj^fjudicature. The Norwegians are gene-
well formed, tail, sturdj, and robust,
ve hardy, honesty hospitable, aqjd ingenious;
iav>ff0' rash, quarrelsome, and liHgious.
P^gggnti never employ any handicraftsmen
neceMtiries to themselves and families. The
ians have evinced their valour aud
■Jjty in a thousand different instances. The
jjntry was always distracted by intestine quar-
I, ^hicb raged from generation to generation.
Cieo tbe farmers stand upon their punctilios,
Icbailenge one another to single combat with
koives. On such occasions they hook
_elTei together by their belts and fight until
B of them is killed or mortally wounded. The
jilily and merchants of Norway fare sumptu-
jjy; but the peasant lives with the utmost
jperance and frugality, except at festivals:
icoiDinon bread is made of oatmeal, rolled into

thin cakes, like those used in Scotland.

itjoetof scarcity, they boil, dry, and grind

jbirk of the fir-tree into a kind of flour which

ley mix with oatmeal: the bark of the elm-tree

lined in the same manner.

[Chriitiansand is the capital of the diocese of

.Bwne name in Norway, where the diocesan

ptmin and bishop have their residence. It

ilet its name from Christian IV. king of Den-

irk.and the large sandy beach upon which it is

lilt. It is 2iO miles N. W. from Copenhagen,

155 miles N. W. from Runberg, the nearest

^WD to it, on the opposite side of the Skager

ick, in Denmark Proper. The town is built

k I quadrangular form, has broad and regular

Wto, eood houses; and a town bailiff or magis-

Itte. It is commodiously situated, for on three

lit ii surrounded with fresh and salt water,

on the fourth side with fields and partly

uotains. In 17^ the church with the greater

t of the town was burnt by an accidental fire,

lit it it was shortly after rebuilt.

IStavanger is a town on the western coast of

lorway, in the government of Christiansand,

IdUmN. W. of -Christiansand. It stands on

louthern shore of the bay of Bukkefiord,

hicb is very large and fiill of s(nall islands.

bit place,' though small, is the see of a bishop

der the archbishop of Drontheim, and is de-

ded by the strong fortress of Doeswyck, which

di leaward about two miles from the town.

The district in which Stavanger is tituaied is th«
most temperate and best peopled, perhaps of any
in Norway, though it has no other town of note.
Bergen, the largest and most considerable
tradingplace in all Norway, is 410 miles N. W. of
Copenhagen, and is situated on the southern
shore of a bay which the natives' call Waag.
On the land-side the town is defended by high
mountains; so that no enemy can approach it.
On the seu-side the harbour is sufficiently guarded
by fortifications. The harbour is strongly de-
fended on the north side by the citadel of
Christiansholmj also, by Rothouzen, Sverresborg, -
the Commun and castle, and on the left side hy
batteries erected upon Nordnas and Fredericlu-
berg, whidi last is reckoned among the nio^t
considerable fortificatitms about Bergen. Be-
sides, onSyUdas is, a black house, and a particular
round citadel called Christiansbcrg. All the
churches and public buildings, as also most of
the burghers houses on the shore, are of stone.
Formerly here were thirty churches and convents:
but at present in Bergen are only four parish
churches, three of which are Danish, and one
German; and besides there is a church in the
great hospital of St. Jurgen, and a little church
in St. James's churcb-yard. The castle is a con-
siderable building. The large cathedral or high
school, was built in 1554 by bishop Petri, and
endowed by him; the revenues of which havo
been since augmented: so that twelve scholars
are annually maintained in it. The school for
navigation was formerly very numerous, but is
now much declined. The Frederick-seminary is
also worth notice. The town carries on a large
trade in all kinds of fish, coarse goods, hides,
fine furs, tallow, fir-timber, and wooden-wares.
These commodities are brought hither from the
northern countries, and exported abroad; in ex-
change for which, corn and other goods are re-
turned. The Hanse towns erected a factory or
counting-house here; in which the towns of
Lubeck, Hainburgh, Rostock, Deventer, Embden,
and Bremen, have the greatest share. In the
seventeen edifices with warehouses, are forty-two
burghers shops, and seventeen factories witli
shops also; of which the Lubeckers have one,'
the Hamburghera one, and the Bremeners the
other fifteen. They have altogether eight halls
for the merchants to assemble and feast in. Three
se?eral councils have been holdeo here; and the

place

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49i

NOWEL'8 TRAVFXS IN

place has been five times burnt down ; particu-
larly in 1248, when eleven parish-churchea were
burnt; in 1756, when one thousand six hundred
and sixty families were deprived of their dwell-
ings. The number of its inhabitants amounts to
about thirty thousnnd ; and besides themngistracy,
it has a town-bailiwic. It is the sec of a bishop,
under the archbishop of Drontheim.

Drontheini, which is 260 milos N. E. of Ber-
gen, and 540 miles N. of Copenhagen, is the
principal town of the government of Drontheim,
and the see of an archbishop. It is situated on
the river Nid, which issues from Tydel, a rising
ground, and falls into the lake Sclbosea. Thi»'
town being the capital of Norway, h)ad formerly
ten churches and five convents; but at present
there are no mure than two churches and an
hospital church. The cathedral, a magnificent
structure, built of beautiful marble, was burnt
as far us the choir in 1530; which part is still
standing, and is large enough for a church.
Here the diocesan amtman and archbishop reside.
At Drontheim a considerable trade in timber,
Hah, coarse goods, and copper from the neigh-
bouring works of Meldal and Roraas, is carried
on. Its principal strength lies in the mountain
fort of Christianstein, the fortifications on the
land side, and Munkholm. This town, being
built almost entirely of timber, has sufTered Con-
siderably by three different conflagrations. In
the summer time the inhabitants have no occasion
to burn candles, since it is light enough to see
without for a considerable time all night, the
longest day being about twenty hours and a
quarter long. On the E. side of the town is the
suburb of Bakkclandat, with a church of its
own, and not far from thence is Ladegaard, with
another. The abovementioned fort Munkholm
stands on a rock in the harbour, defending both
it and the town towards the sea. In this fort it
is usui;l to confine state prisoners.

Friderikstcin. or Fredericshall, is a well built
town of Aggerhuns in Norway, at the southern
extremity of the country, on the borders of
Sweden, and is situated on a bay of the Skager
Rack, by the convcuiency of which .t|ic inha-
t)itants enjoy a pretty good trade. It is 246
miles N. of Copenhagen in Denmark, is a well
fortified place, and is reckoned the key of the
kingdom of Norway. Charlfs Xll. of Sweden
having set down before it in 1718, was killed as
he was viewing the trenches. This towo has

»e

been frequently burnt, and was tottHviJe,*,. .
by an accidental fire in 1763, when Zhi?
escaped the ravages of the devouring element h
a magazine. "

At 12 miles N. W. of Priderikstein ii p,idJ
rikstadt, which is another well fortified dU
and is situated on another bay of the Skaff*
Rack. The inhabitants, of this town likewt
enjoy a good share of commerce. It is 86 ^j
due VV. of the frontiers of Sweden.

Christiana is 50 miles N. of Friderikjtadt
and is the principal town of the diocese of
own name or Aggerhuus. It is one of the fini
towns in Norway, where the sub-governor
amtman of the diocese, the supreme juridii
court, and the bishop, have their seats. In thj
town u provincial court is also held. It i» y
and regularljr built, and the inhabitants cari
on an extensive trade, its situation being
calculated for that purpose; for it is seated
the bottom of a bay called Christiana Fiord.
has (wo suburbs, called Waterland and Piveri
gen. After Opslo had been burnt 4uwn, t
town of Christiana was built in 1624, near tli
castle of Aggerhuus, so as its guns can commu
all the streets. Its school was made an aGadeo
in 16.36, with a salary for the master, i
foundations for twenty scholars ; but on the.,
clension of the academy in 1653, it again retei*o
the appellation of a school. The fortress
Aggerhuus is exceedingly strong, butthcdate
its foundation is not known. In 1310 it wai
vain besieged by duke Erich of Sweden;, and
1567 the Swedish army, which closely besie^
it for eighteen weeks, was shamefully dcfeatn
in 1717 the like fruitless attempt was made iipi
it by the Swedes under Charles XII. Beforetli
fortifications stands a cluster of houses calli
Hovedtangen.

Wardhuys is a sea-port town of Jforwfgii
Lapland, and is seated on an island of the san
name. The town is very small, and is silui
near the continent. It has an old fort, whei
the governor resides, and a street consisting
poor cottages. The government of this proviu
extends from the giilph of Ostrasion to Rusiii
Lapland, and comprehends the most northe
part of Norway, which produces little i
nothing except a few pastures. The longt
day at Wardhuys is about two months,
consequently the «hor(est day is the oS the
duration.

SECTIO

::.Wji'f

DENMARK, NORWAY, AND SWEDFN.

495

SECTION III.

Ctntral Description of Sweden; its Length and Breadth, Boundaries, Lonf.est Day, Climate, Soit,
Roads, Rocks and Islands, Lakes and Rivers, Minerals, Inhabitants, IVealth of Sweden, Lan-
tuns' ""^^ Beliglon — Cattle and other Beasts, Trade and Mannfacturcs, Monei/, Prerogatives of
L Kina—Tlie principal Towns of Sweden described.

the King-

^HE kingdom of Sweden is one of the north-
ern stiktes of Europe, which comprehends
• greater purt of the ancient Scandinavia. It
i Ucnmark and Norway on (he W. Danish
Finland on the N. Russia on the E. and the
liltic Sea on the S. and S. E. It extends about
Ufeo hundred miles in length, from Ystad in
LeS. to Utsjola in the N. and its mean breadth
iibout live hundred miles. Sweden is situated
itween the '*th and 32d degree of East longi-
it, and stretches nearly from the 53th to the
Eoth degree of North latitude. The longest day
I the suiitlicrn part of Sweden is about seventeen
«urs fifteen minii^«iH, while at the northern cx-
imity it is somewhat more than two months.
itStockhulni, the capital of the kingdom, it is
bghteeu hours long.
Sweden can scarcely be snid to enjoy either
Bring or autumn; for a severe winter prevails
luriag nine months in the year, and insufferable
leat iinmediateiy succeeds excessive cold. It
hezeiall at once in the month of October, with-
out any of those insensible gradations which in
)(her countries usher in the seasoki, and render
variations in the atmosphere more pleasing
tolerable. Nature, however, to alleviate
jiii inconvenience, has given to Sweden a serene
iky and a pure air. The almost unioterniitting
itat of the summer's sun produces flowers and
Uts in a short time. The tediousness of the
bng winter nights is mitigated by the evening
morning twilights, which continue in
htoportion as the sun is more or less removed
\m the Swedihh hemisphere. Night in this
lountry is every where singularly luminous and
bbsing. The brightness of the moon, never
Ibscured by clouds, but highly increased by the
now lying on the earth, and frequently by the
loflhern lights, render it as convenient to travel
liid do business, either within or without doors,
ly night as by day. The air appears universally
|lear, keen, and salubrious. Violent storms of
Vol. II. No. CVI.

wind and rain are seldom known; and the steady
piercing N. wind oidy serves 4o purify and refresh
the atmosphere.

Though Sweden is extremely mountainous, it
affords many tracts of even ground fit for agri-
culture. The soil is in {general sandy and
swampy, but is not void of hirtility. Gothland
produces the n;rcatcst quantity of grain, as wheat,
rye, barley, v^'ts, and pease: but every part of^
Gothland is not equally fertile. Sweden also
affords good pastures, and in the southern parts
some orchards which yield fine fruit; but this
country is more famous for its mines than the
produce of the soil. Nordland, being full of
rocks and mountains, produces but little corn:
however it has some spots for grazing. Lapland
yields still less grain than Nordland; but Finland
IS in nuist places extremely fertile, though far
from being properly cultivated. The corn in
the short, but hot, summers of this climate
suddenly grows up and ripens; but it is far from
being sulKcient for the subsistence of the inha-
bitants, and therefore several hundred thousand
quarters are annually imported from abroad,
particularly from Livonia, Pomerania, and Wis-
mar. Mr. Wraxall's account of the soil of (his
country is superior to any thing yet published.
" I think (says he) it may be very justly asserted,
that not one twentienth part of this country is in
a state to be cultivated. I have travelled near
seven hundred English miles in this kingdom,
and, except in the province of Scania and some
parts of Finland, I did not sec twenty acres of
good land lying together. The soil in those
places where it is capable of being cultivated is
tolerably fruitful, though seldom more than
eight inches deep. It is easily ploughed, and
generally best, where there is least of it, that is,
in the little spaces between the rocks; and fre-
quently the barren land, enriched with the ashes
of trees which are burnt upon the spot for
making of charcoal^ produces a plentiful crop;

6M but

; i'

1 ! I ^:

h h

V ''It

■ n\

ill

h ■ i

H'il' 111

r496

NOWFT.'S TRAVF.LS IN

but tlie danger of dcsfroying (oo imuh of the
woi<fls. 'whirii are so iircessarv lor ;hcir iron
W(Mks, lias ofcajiotiod s-cveial laws to be publish-
ed to limit, that costoiii. it '.-i true, tiiat if
agri<'til(iirc bad been properlv cut'oiiraged, and
tbe farr.icrs permitted to make the most of their
farms, they niiabt ha\e grain siiliicient for their
own consumption; but as things are managed at
present, they cannot subsist without great im-
portation of all 3orts of grain." Some patriots
among the Swedes stremieiisly endeavour to pro-
mote schemes for the encouragement of agricul-
ture and manufactures: and if the success be
answerable to tbe present favourable appearance,
tbe produce of the country will soon be sullicient
to support some millions of inhabitants more
tban it does at present, and that in greater
affluence and plenty. In the year 1752, the
king granted the new society of agriculture a
great deal of waste land for forty or fifty years
rent-fr<^e, and exempted them from taxes. Hither-
to considerable advantages have been made in the
forests by cutting down the trees, burning them,
and strewing tbe ashes on the land before it is
sown. This sort of ground thus prepared yields
a great crop of corn for three years after. The
south parts of Sweden produce pretty good fruit
and vegetables; but towards the north these
gradually become more scarce, they degenerate
in flavour and goodness, and in the most north-
ern parts no such vegetables are to be found.
In the beginning of the summer the fields in the
south are stored with a variety of flowers, and,
according to some authors, strawberries, ras-
berries, and such kind of fruit, grow upon every
rock. In dry years melons are brought to per-
fection in tiie gardens; but peaches, apricots,
and other wall fruit, are extremely scarce: as are
also pears, apples, and plums; and those they
have are not well tasted. They have, however,
cherries of several sorts, and tolerably good.
Accordinj^ to Motra\e, the gardens about Stock-
holm are^very fine; and, nolwithstaiiding the
severity of the winter, their i^reen-houses aflurd
©range, fig, myrtle, and other trees, plants, and
flowers, of tbe most tender nature. Finland
produces excellent turni|)s: and flax, ^lemp, and
tobacco are cultivated to great advantage. Their
•woods consist chiefly of pines, beech, birch,
Alder, juniper, and some oaks which are gene-
irally straight, tali, and lit i'ur building. But

the extensive woods in Sweden become tliin
and (luilv decline fVoui the immense coMsiiiir,. J
of wood in making < iiarcoal, lar, pitch, not'. '"(J
and in burning the laud. Oaks in particul J
gr(»w very scarce. *"

The highways in Sweden are better than cari
be imagined, considering the many riiegei
mountains and rocks in the c<Mintry. These
in a manner planned and made evoii bv ih
peasants, so that there arc scared v better roa
in any country of Europe; nor can a man and
where travel .with more security and lessexpcncel
for horses are hired for about a penny a milef
but then there are very poor accommodations o|
the road both for lodging and diet, Theeasiei
and most expeditious method of travelling jjjj
winter, when they make use of sledges, especiall]
in those parts of the country which abound i]
lakes and rivers; for these being all frozen, theu
meet with no obstacles in their way, and ihevcai
more conveniently carry provisions with them j]
a sledge than on horseback.

The coasts of Sweden are encompassed witJ
innumerable capes, rocks, and i^slands; so thJ
the approach to the continent is somethiit
dangerous: these which they call Sheers, detivi
their distinguishing names from the provin
opposite to which they lie, as the Upland Sheen
the Sudermanland Sheers, &r. These islandst
rocks lie very near each other aud arc of differenj
dimensions. Several thousands of them are inbij
bited by people who live chiefly by fishing, i

The lakes of Sweden are very numerous: lli
large ones amount to seventeen. The numberol
rivers is liliewise considerable: the largest ol
them are in the Swedish language called Elbq
The principal of these are the Dal-Elbe, inlbi
Vale Country, which is tbe largest ri\fr
Sweden; the Gnllspang, which divides W'a
Gothland from Wermi^land; the Gofheshe EM
or Gothic river, which rises in the lake of ^VenerJ
and about forty-n\e mih-s before it talis intulM
Skagcr Rack forms a cataract, by prccipitalinfl
itself from a liigli precipice; the Slang, wliicM
divides East Gothland into two parts; :indl
Motalastrom, which issues from the WaWnl
lake, being increased by seventeen smaller riiftj
forms u cataract, by falling sixteen feet, aiuldisi
charges itself into the Baluc. B.»lh the lAii
and rivers abound in fish of several kinds; tliJ
principal of which me salmon and trout ol

variouil

DKNMARK, NORWAY, AND SWFDFN.

497

• Qggorte. Sweden likewHc aifurds medicinal

This country abounds with minerals and fossils
Lfaliiiost all kinds, as topazes, aniethvsts, crys-
iU cornelians, agate, a reddish stone called
Is'tein, ci>r"l> a greenish semi- pellucid stone,
-jjyry, lapis-lazuli, asbestos, load-stone,
iBich-stone, free-stone, mill-stones, stucco-stones,
y l{ lime-Atones, coarse and white marble, and

'lifiil petrifactions; also excellent white

Lfble with bcautifnl green veins, which are

flieliiiies of a dark, and nt others of a bright

livid green, finely interwoven; marienglas or

lasJ, vitriol, mercury, amianthus, lead
1^ cobalt, allum, fullers-earth, petrolimu,
jlphur, mother of pearl, &c. gold, silver, tin,
ttd, copper, and iron.

The Swedes are of a tall r>tature and robust

looititution, capable of enduring hardships and

jligues. Where they are not too much exposed

ithe weather they have good complexions; and

leirhair, like that of other nations, is inclined

I yellow. The women are of a just proportion ;

ley have also fine features, and those who are

Bployed at home arc generally fair; but the

uiiits are accustomed to make their females

dergo an equal share in all laborious employ-

flts. They go to plough, thresh their corn,

tow on the water, serve the bricklayers, and

trrv burthens like men. The inhabitants are,

owcver, far from being suHicient to people the

buntry. There is a remarkable instance of this

lone place, where, though not the most north-

rlvpart, there are scarcely four thousand seven

undred people to be found in the compass of

Hve thousand and seven square miles. The

bliabitants of Sweden and Finland have been

Ijoipuled by some well-informed Swedes at

bout three millions six hundred thousand,

Kkoiiing eighteen thousand farms, on which

Ire one million six hundred thousiiiid souls, in-

ludiiig' the women, children, and servants; and

is said these farms make up above half the

limber of the inhabi<a"ts of (he whole kingdom.

kdeed, at present soirie parishes are so extensive,

pd at the same tin)'; so thinly inhuhitcd, thiit a

Jeasiiiit must travel several Swedisir miles to visit

is next nei^;hbour ; others contain not more than

Iveiity i'ariDs, and vet take a tract of land equ il

Hlic whole province of Holland, though per-

Ips such a parish has not so many cottages as

there arc towns in (hat flourishing coiintr}'. The
common people s^ibsist by agriculture, -working
in the mines, grazing, hunting, fishing, and
commerce bath domestic and foi-cign.

The principal wealth of Sweden arises from its
mines : some gold ore has been discovered, and.
there are several large silver mines, said to be
very rich The number of the copper mines,
hammering-mills, and smelting houses, is con-
siderable. Iron ore is in such plenty that it gene-
rally appears on the surface of the earth, and is
remarkable f(;r its richness. Indeed the pro-
duce of the mines constitute two-thirds of the
national revenue. The inhabitants of the N.
part of Sweden are strangers to delicacies and
live very hardly. They have a sort of bread
made of the bauk of birch and pine trees, straw,
and roots. Their clothing in winter is suitable
to the climate : the rich wear clothes lined with
warm furs; instead of which, those who cannot
afford them, make their clothes of sheep skins
with the wool on; and thus are better provided
with clothing to the season, and to their own
condition than the people in most other countries.
The fashion resembles that of the Germans and
other European nations : and like them, they
wear in summer such clothes and stuifs as they
can produce: the great iidorn themselves with
lace and embroidery.

The Swedish tongue has such an affinity with
the Danish and Norwegian/ that the inhabitants
of these three kingdoms readily understand each
other : but Finland and La|)land have their re-
spective dialects. Christianity was introduced
into Sweden in the ninth century, and Gustavas
Vasa was among the first princes who counte-
nanced the doctrines of Luther, and gave them a
legal establishment. The Swedes are singularly
steady in their religious principles and have such
an aversion to popery, that castration is the cer-
tain fate of every Roman Catholic priest discover-
ed in their country.

In.several parts of Sweden the inhabitants sub-
sist by grazing, but in all the northern countries
the cattle are small, and the wool of (lie sheep is
very coarse, so that in order to mend the hreeil,
rams arc imported frmn England and Sjiain.
The ■ horses are strong, hardy, and vigurous.
The kingdom aifords plenty of all kinds of d.eer,
elks, hares, and all shorts of tame and wild tow!:
and some parts of Sweden are uiuch infested witli

rwii

I !

"• ■!-

I .0

{I.l

l«4«

'^^ IW

498

NOWEL'S TRAVELS IN*

lynxes, bears, wolves, foxes, otters, martins, and
weasels. All sorts of animals, quadrupeds, birds,
and fish are similar in most particulars to those
in the various territories of Denmark. The
Swedish horses are well known to be much more
icrviceable in war than those of Germany. ,

The fresh and salt water fish, which are the
same here as in the neighbouring countries, are
however taken in such quantities, that tlieir very
pikes are pickled and prepared with others for
exportation. The train-oil of the seals found in
the Gulph of Finland afF-.)rds a very lucrative
branch of commerce. All the northern countries
are more or Ics^s distinguished by such protu-
berances, declivities, or inequalities, as are evi-
dently produced by llicir affinity to the pole, or
the turbulent rigour of the climate. Their seas,
bounded on all sides by rocky shores, rushing
over innumerable shelves and promontories, and
agitated without intermission by the fiercest
■winds, are generally stormy and furious; nor is
the land less subject to that striking irregularity,
which, under the directions of a boisterous
atmosphere, so incessantly disfigures the face of
the ocean. These appearances are common to
all the countries in the world in proportion as
they verge towards the polar regions. Those
peculiar to Sweden are neither niunerous nor ex-
traordinary. A few leagues from Gottenburgh
is a hideous precipice, down which a mighty
rat!],ract of water rushes with such impetuosity,
and to such a depth, that large bodies of timber,
precipitated frcmi the height by the torrent, dis-
appear sometimes for a half, and at other times
for a whole hour. The bottom of this dreadful
abyss, formed by the weight of a powerful
stream falling some hundreds of feet perpendicu-
larly, perhaps from the beginning of time has
never yet been found, though sounded by lines
of several hundred fathom<<. There is in the
southern parts of Gothland a slimy lake, which
singes whatever is put into it of a combustible
quality. Several parts of Sweden aie also said
to contain a stone or certain petrefaction of a
yellowish colour intermixed with various streaks
of white, which seem as if compounded of gold
or silver, and which ail'ord sulphur, vitriol,
allnm, and minium. The peasants in this coun-
try, as we have already observed, chiefly subsist
by agriculture, mining, grazing, hunting, and
lisbing. Their materials for tratlic are the bulky

and useful commodities of masts, beams if tl
boards, and other sorts of timber for shi'nn
tar, pitch, barks of birch, pot-ash, vvoS
utensils, hides, flax, hemp, peltry, furs, conn
lead, iron, cordage, and fish. Tiil the sixtS
century, they sold their own crude ore to tl
Hanse Towns, and bought it back anin
manufactured; but since that time, tlieineih
of manufacturing all sorts of iron ware has be'
assiduously cultivated. Assisted by tlie Dut
and Flemings they have also set up several main
factures of glass, starch, tin, woollen, sill., soai
leather-dressing, and saw-mills. They J
sugar-baking, tobacco plantations, and mam
factures of sail cloth, cottons, fustian, andoth
stuffs. Ships of considerable burthen, fi.r jj
as well as for their own use, are likewise built
their docks. Those towns, though lyimj ne
the sea which have n<> foreign trade, arecalli
Land Towns; others, a.:d these are twenty-foi
in number, are called Steeple Towns, where i|
merchants are allowed to import and export coi
modities in their own ships. Those intheinji
districts are called Mine Towns. Tliediffen
branches of trade, however, and everything
lating to merchandize, are monopolized in t
kingdom, and only a fixed number of artilia
and traders allowed in every town. Thus win
a young man has served his time to any particuli
business, he cannot exercise it till he has all
served a certain number of years as a joiirnem
and then not till there is a vacancy by thednl
of one of the masters. The stagnation of inlai
commerce prevents the inhabitant.'- ;)f thediffen
provinces from bartering the superfluities
their respective products. The profits of as
culture, though the most important objects
commerce, are very much neglected, and litl
encouragement is given to carry the native pn
duce of the earth to any foreign market: for (hi
reason, many very extensive tracts of landinti
most fertile provinces still remain uncullivati
Indeed, there has been no great progress imi
in the internal improvement of this cuudIi
during the last two hundred years.

Very little of either silver or gold is to
foiuid in this depopulated and hair-fumi>1
country. The two things which supply thi
place, and by which a miserable semblance
commerce is still carried on, are paper and coj
per. Their bank notes are as low as one sliillii

DENMARK, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN.

499".

%'W

I , jj.pence;' and lliey have them of all value
I- ff gradually from that sum. This, too, is
I isfortune which originated in Charles the
twelfth'* unhappy passion for war. Baron
Ml in *'•* '***^'' ^"'^ °^ ^^^^^ monarch's reign,
y (lie address for facilitating the schemes of
Diaster against the peace of Denmark, to give
'ooper the value of silver; by which the Svnedes
re obliged to give all the silver they then pos-
''«d in exchange for this wretched "and chi-
riical equivalent; the payments are therefore
this day made in coj>per, which is^here the
Lf medium of trade, and extremely incon-
Leot. They have still, however, a few gold
Lats, and pieces of silver about five shillings
Hwo pence value each, in circulation: and
(Several subsidies which of late years, under
ujg XV. and XVI. paid them by France and
«r courts have eonsiderably increased their

fonJlie 19th of August, 1772, Gustavus III.
rSweden restored to the crown those prcroga-

iwhich it had lost for more than half a cen-
uy, His profound secrecy and dissimulation
Ithis dangerous and critical jiuicture, much
nused what might have been expected from
iTtulliful agu. To this important plot, which
H executed with as much dexterity and pre-
m, as it had been planned, it is said, that
Mr|iv<? persons in the kingdom were privy.
leMildicry and people were successively gained
hlie eloquence of the young king, who ad-

d tliera in a language equally simple and
tiblc. No popular commotion took place,
{ conspiracies were tornied, and few imprison-
knts clouded the memory of this illustrious oc-
tioD, nor did the most strenuous op posers of

measuras experience in the smallest degree
f dioiinution of the roval favour oa that ac-
Bnt: the senate only took a' new oath of alie-
nee to the prince ; and every part of the

donij cordially acquiescing in what had hap-

led. reverted to its original trauc^uillity. We

[st not, however, suppose an unlimited nio-

thv or absolute governnient established in

den. Nor is this new political institution by
f means an exact model of the English, though
omc rcspecti titc Swedish is still more restrict-
Itlmii the British sovereign, as he can neither
invar nor peace without the consent or con-
Tcnce (if the other branches of the supreme
FoL.Il No. C VI.

legislature. His prerogative is greatly enlarged ; '
but he is not by any means superior to the laws
of his country.

Opposite to Elsineur in, the island of Seeland,
in Denmark, is the town of Helsiugborg; in'
South Gothland, in Sweden. This is u very ah-<
cient staple or trading town, and is situated at
the foot and declivity of a high mountain, on the
top of which it formerly stood. This place
having suffered greatly by former wars, has now
only a battery of a few guns. The harbour is
shallow. ' From this ^ lace is the direct passage '
over the Sound into Denmark, from which it is
distant but a small space. It, carries on a good'
trade, and in their ribbon-weavery yoiing girls ■
are usually employed instead of young men.
From a mountain in its neighbonrhood issues the
Ilelsingborg spring, which furnishes the town
with forty-three large measures of cold, clear,
and well tasted water, which is fetched fron»
thence, and shipped, oif in large quantities.
Ilelsinborg is 29 miles N. by E. of Cupcnhagen.
and 290 S. W.. of Stockholm.

Laholm is 32 miles N. by E. of Helsingborg,
and !2()2 S. VV. of Stockholm. It is situated at
the mouth of the river Laga on the tl'attcgat, near
the entrance of the Baltic. Hcrr is a citadel and
a good harbour. The inhabitants by means of
its harbour enjoy a decent trade.

Halmstadt, which is 12 miles N. of Laholm.
and 2(>0 S. W. of Stockholm, is a pleasant well
built sea-port tow n ; it is the capital of Ilalland,
a subdivision of South Gothland. It is situated
at the mouth of the Nissa, which falls into the
Cattegat, and its inhabitants carry on an exten-
sive trade. It is famous for its salmon. In 1619
Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, and
Christian IV. king of Denmark, had a friendly
interview here: the latter had fortified it, but it
was yielded to Sweden by the treaty of Bromsbo^
in 1()45; and in its neighbourhood Charles XI. -
of Sweden obtained a victory over the Danes.

Falkenberg is 22 miles N. by VV. of Halm-
stadt, and 2.')1 S. W. of Stockho.m. ' It is a
small, but ancient maritime town of Ilalland in
South Gothland, and is seated at the muiilh of a
river of the same name, which falls into Cattegat.
It hiis V. considerable fishery of salmon, but
that of herrings is small. The harbour here
is tolerable, and is defended by a castle. Near
the village of Axtorn in its neighbourhood, a'

G N battle

a. ■.■:!; ij. I

. ' 1

5oa

NOWEL'S TRAVELS W

Twrnwa..

baUIe (calfed tbe battle of Falkcnberg) was
fought in I565»^ in which the Danes were de-
feated by the Swedes.

Warlierg is 13 miles N. of Falkenberg, and
245 S. W. of Stockholm, and i» likewise in the
subdivision of Haliand in South Gothland. It is
but a small town, but is defended by a strong
castle. It stands on the Cattegat, and has a de-
cent harbour.

Gottcnburg, or Gothenburg, is 41 miles N.
by W. of Warberg. and 240 S. W. of Stock-
holm. It is the capital of \Ve8t Gothland, and
is seated on tbe Skager Rack, at the mouth of
the Gutliesba, where it fotms an excellent har-
bour. It was originally built by Charles IX. of
Sweden, in 1607, on the island of Hisingon;
but being destroyed by the Danes in 1611, the
iuhabitants, about seven years after, removed to
the place where it now stand.s and were favoured
with several considerable privileges. Gottcnburg
carries on the greatest trade of any city in Sweden,
except Stockholm. The streets are broad and
kept very clean; and since the year 1746 the
greater part of the houses have been rebuilt with
sloiie. It is regui::rly fortified, and on the land
side is defended by two citadels, called the Lioa
and the Crown; and towards the sea by the
citadel of New Elsburg. The governor of the
prefectures of Gottcnburg and Rohus, who is
also commandant of tbe forts and fortifications,
resides in this city. Gottcnburg is the see of a
bishop, and has two printing-offices, a city
church, a seminary, an orphan house, an edifice
called the crown-house, where the garrison attend
divine service, a German church, and several
quays and docks. The number of its inhabitants
are estimated at fifteen thousand. In 1731 an
£a8t India company was established in this city,
for tbe harbour is a very fine one, and is resorted
to by a great number of ships: there is here also
a college of admiralty, and a court o. appeals.

Marstrand is an old staple town of Bohus, a
district of West Gothland, at the distance of 20
miles N. W. of Gottenburg, and 240 W by S.
of Stockholm. At this place is an excellent har-
bour, which is defended by the citadel of Carl-
stein, a fortress which is said to be impregnable.

* In thPcIcT<nih century a socKty was foundt'd here in
iqemory of king (Canute IV. or thu haint of that name, and
called CaauUi'ii Gild, hariitg members of both sexci among

This town has been so 'educed by the war«U
tween the Swedes and the Danes, and by gey i
fires, that in the yea* 1745 there remain./.

I • • ' ./::k

*u . * u 1 remained M

more than twenty poor burghers to inhabit it- 1

has, however, somewhat iutreased, and

now is but thinly inhabited.

Lidkoping is '70 miles N. W. of GotlenhnJ
and 180 miles W. by S. of Stockholm. U "'
small but well built town of West Gothland J
is situated at the mouth of the small river Lid
where it falls into the Wener Lake. It hag n
of the largest and most pleasant market places i
the whole kingdom.

Falkioping is an inland town of WestGoth
land, 28 miles S. £. of Kidloping, and GO 1
by N. of Gottenburg. It is situated in a fruitfJ
spot, but quite divested of wood, between t«|
mountains, and on the south bank of a little Ji
which empties itself into the Lida, . Thecouaii
round about it is called Falbvgden. Iq
neighbourhood of this place a battle was fouej
in 1388, between king Albert and queen Mil
garet, in which the former, together wiibb]
sun. were taken prisoners.

Landscronn, or Landscroon, is 13 miles S.i
Helsingborg, in Gothland. It is&itualtdnnty
shore of the Sound, has a safe and good liarbou
and is much more resorted to by mercliini
especially at its annual fair on Midsummer i
Here is a strong castle not far from the islaiid^
Huena, which is a place of great impurtan
Near this town Christian V. of Denmark «j
routed in a pitched battle by Charles Xl.kii
of Sweden, on July 24, 1677 ; but the suco
ing year the Danes took. the place.

Malmo, (called by the Dutch ElJebo^^
because it standi on an angle or elbow,) is j
miles S. of Landscrona, and is a poptiloui iJ
pretty trading town of Schonen^ inGolhlaod:
has a harbour on the Sound, upon which itl
Tbis town is reckoned to contain about t«
thousand inhabitanta. It had formerly viUi
ditches, and bastions on the land side, wilbj
castle and fortress on the sea-side*.

Cimbrishamn ii a small maritime tovoi
Schonen in Gothland, 45 miles E. of Malmo,a
tbe eastern shore of Sweden. Here is a harboiii

whom have bceo seTcral king», prtncn, and pcnoiij
distinctioa.

7TP

NORWAV, DENMARlfi ANI> SWF.nRN'.

■■-~-— ""- ■ —'■•—'-'..,. .11. , .«■.. ,11^..,

50 E

Hi name importSi and its inhabitiants have a

((y good traoe. From this place some of the

Btient Cimb" are said to have migrated.

Cbristianstadt is 3S miles N. of Cimbrishamn,

Istandson the river Hedge-a, which surrounds

. (firee .sides. It was built hy Christian IV.

Cl of Denmark, and had it« name from him.

tj iuhabitants carry on a good trade, and it

•inlaHW about eighteen hundred inhabitants.

Aftovin is surrounded with ramparts and horn-

twfe, besides a fort which lies near the church,

: . ^jjich is not considerable. The lands-

nntraan, or goVerhor of the province resides

cjrlshamn ( formerly called Christianfhamn )
i30 miles i^- by N. of Christianstadt, and 250
[byW. of Stockholm. Tt is situated in the

[net of Blekingen, in Gothland, and is a
ye town. On a rock near the mouth of the
•erisa fort, which defends both the town and
bfoniModious harbour. Here are two churcb-

a woollfen manufactory, and a wh.irf for

lipping;

without the town, at a small disitatice.

J 1 coppc^^ vt'ork. The number of its inha-

iliii<s is about fouHeen hundred

[Carlscrona, 6r Carlsrroon, is a fine staple

Kii of Blekingen, in Gothlandi on the Baltic.
i 28 miles E. of Carlshamn, and 238
[by W. of Stockholm. This is reckoned one

the best towns of Sweden. Part of this town

on the isle of Biorkholm, where is a la«a-

\ao for giiilors, apd on Stubhoira, where is the

enal. &c. and on the wharf, where the fleet
The sniall and great iiilands round the
|wn, with the forests of oak and beech,

nder the situation very pleasant. It has
Iree churches ; the number of its inhabitants
jcomputed at flve thousand. Here is a royal
lllege of admiralty; also a dock which is sepi-
Jted from the town by a high stone wall. The
lovincia' governor resides here. The harbour
W be.wtcH Aspoe and Stork-oe is so commo-
ous, iliat the whole royal fleet may be quite
jcure in if, and ihi eittranre is defended by the
|adel of Kongsholra and Drotningshiar. The

(k is particularly remarkable ; it is a lar^ ex-
Ivation made by art in a rock, about ieighty
It deep, and from three hundred to four luin-
)ed and fifty feet long, where the royal fleet
Iltiaa a large opening towards the sea Cof

I greatest ships ofwartoeome in. It is sliu.
rby two water gates, at which time the cavit ^^^
4

may bcdrained in twenty-four hours, and left a
quite dry dock for repairing- or careening any
ship. When she is to come out again, the
water may be let in through two openings in the
said water-gates ; before which is an engine to
hinder the waves of the sea from beating against
them with all their force. In 1119, a grand
bason was formed there by Mr. Tunberg,
reckoned one of the finest performances of the
age.. It contains twenty-four places in which
ships may not only be kept dry, but may be
taken out by letting in water at any time, which
may be done with any one separately.

Calmar is a fine staple town' belonging to a
district of the same name in East Gothland, and
is one of the oldest towns in the Gothic kingdom.
It is 43 miles N. E. of Carlscrona, and lOIi
S. by W. of Stockholm. It lies on the open sea,
directly opposite to the isle of Oland, and is
built nearly in a circular form, with regular
streets. It formerly had a difl'ereiit site, and
contained several churches and convents; but
after it was burnt in 1647, it was removed
towards the isle of Quarnholm. Its' castle is
well fortified. In the wars between the Swedes
and the Danes this place has been often taken und
retaken. Here the famous treaty was signed
which united Sweden and Norway to Denmark
in I39T. It is the see of a bishop, has an university,
a fine cathedral, a ship dock a commodious
quay, and is surrounded with a royal chace on
the I'and side. The principal export trade of
this place consists of deals, tar, and allum; it
has likewise good linen and woollen manufac-
tures. It is retnarkable, that near this place is a
spring of fresh water in the open sea.

Westerwyk, which is 60 miles N. of Calmar,
and 120 S. by W. of Stockholm, is a sea-port
town of the province of Smaland in East Goth-
land, and is a place of some trade, for its har-
bour is safe and commodious.

Nvkoping is a large city, 70 miles N. of
Westerwyk; and 54 S. W. of Stockholm. This
town is'the capital of Sudermanland in Sweden
Proper, and is supposed to be the oldest in the
kingdom. Here the kings and princes of this
province formeny had their residence. It has
a pleasant and healthy situation on a bay of the
Baltic. It was defended by a strong castle till
the year, 171 9, when it v/as taken and destroyed
by the Russians.

Stockholm, the metropolis of Sweden, is 2iO

milea

■:,h

Ml:

I v' ■

502

NOWFX'S TRAVELS IN

5— SC

miles E. by N. of Gottenburg, 340 N. E. of
Copenbagen, 430 W^ of Petersburg, and 920
E. bv N. of London. This city is the seat of the
Swedish government, and is situated Bt thfv
junction of the Raltic "with the lake of Malcf>.

X it seeins to borrow 'its name from the materials'
of which it is builtj and the foundation on which
it stands. The houses are mostly timber, and
built on a cluster uf islands. The circuit it
takes from one gate to the other is twelve miles,
and the space it occuiiies contains six islands and
some peninsulas. The islands which inclose the
greatest part of the city are surrounded by two
arms of a river, which run with great rapidity
out of the Maler lake, over each of which there
is a wooden bridge. From the city is a prospect
on one side over the lake, and on the other over'
the sea, which here forms a gt'lph, that running
between several rocks has the appearance of
another lake. This place, about three hundred
years ago, was no more than a bare'island, with
a few mean cottages for accommodating the
tinhcrmen and their families; bujl^ it was thought
a. proper spot fur a fortress to check (he incur-*
sions of the Russians. Here, therefore, a castle
was first erected; next a palace for the Royal

>■ Family; and then a complete set of apartments
for the whole court and principal oliicrrs of
state. In this manner Stockholm soon surpa3sed
in magnitude and splendour all the cities in
Sweden. The castio, which has been repeatedly
enlarged and refitted for these public purposes,
is a place of no great strength or beauty, but is
a very capacious edifice, containing accommoda-
tion for the king's household, most of the
ministers, the national court of justice, the
college of war, the chancery, treasury, colleges
of reduction, liquidation, commerce, and execu-
tion. Here are also kept the |)ublic records, an
armory, chapel, and a library. Most of the
inferior olHccrs ^nd servants of the court are
quartered on the burghers, at their landlord's
charge, for lodging, fire, and caudle. In this
city are nine large and beautiful churches, all of
which have lofty spic/es: and instead of bcU#,.
they have pretty musical chimes in their steepiles,
which play on festivals and other solemn occa-.
sions. The church of St. Nicholas is chiefly

* This is tlic fabulous history of liis delivering Clcadu>
Hilda, daughter of the king of Ji}dia, and twelve other dt;^ .
voted virgins, from the fury ul' thu nioniitcr he subdou»..'

tA-~

»j.fji»V»f'. , nt; ,rt«i»«»!« fMtCJ

usuall

Qlll

distinguishied; from the rest by i(g size and m m
niticence. It is covered with copper, gunn !^
by four massy pillars of -roatbleapd adorned
a great vi^riety of elegixjit tombs and mDnuml'I
1 The sti^tute of St. George on horseback tramDlj
Ion the, dragon is 'much ad mired *i Over «i
alta? is a cabinet Gnely gilt, which holdsatabl
of a pyramidical form with shelves of maJ
silver. On tliis are several historical acrlptn
pieces in basso r/elipvo. Ther^ are o(her sily!
statues, about the altar of the pme niiagiiUude'
that of Moses with the two tables of, the W
John the baptist, with, a cross and a larab
the Evangelists, with the drapery u'
assigned theni by painters and st<atuarie«.
Stockholm most qfth9,good9 of their owngrowi
as iron, copper, wire, .pitch, tar, masJs, deals, &
arc brought fipr exportation. Tl|e greatest p«
of, foreign commodities are , imp<>rted ijitu {U
port, where there is a haven capable of receivlDi
a thousand sail, with a quay near nn EnMis
mile long, close, to which vessels of the great
biirtheo n>ay lie with t' eir b'oa^^ sides; tReon.
inconyrufency is its being ten miles from ttiesea
the river very crooked ^nd. no tides. It open
into the Baltic, but i9, of dapgerous access, b
reason of rocks; and its entrance is defended b a
two forts: within, ships are so secure fromth
wind, that it, has been said they need nc-ithi
anchor nor cable to hold theui. '

Soderhamo, r c. thu South Harbour, is a tow
of Hclsingland in Sweden Proper. It is situatn
on the Gulph of Bothnia, 140 miles N. of Stock
holm, at the mouth uf tlic river Liusiia; itbi
good harbour, and has been built within abou
sixty years, nevertheless it appears to be io
flourishing state.

Umea is a tpwn of West Bothnia in Swedm
200 miles N. by E. of Soderhamn, and 3ii
miles N. by E. of Stockholm. It is situated
the mouth of a river of the same name, wbicii
empties itself into the Gnlpb of. Bothnia,
this town the governor of V^mea Lapmark
sides, 'i(i 'the place enjoys a tolerable share o
trade-

Pitea ie a sea port town of tVest Bothnia
situated on a small island at the raoiitli of tin
river Pitea, >yhere it falls into the Gulpb ol

TUt princess is represented kneeling, with iiol' liuiid* lifieJ
up, and other ^ignt of the siucercst ackiioM lalgumuiiii id
thoir gallant prusiervor.

©ENMAUK, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN

503

l|jhoii. It i'« 103 milei N. by E. of Umca,

JJJ, ^20 milc« N. by E. of Stockholm. This

liAffii i' jo'"^^ *** ^^^ continent by a wooden

haiVt >t the ^ai of ]nrhich a gate is creeled.

iMfitreetR run in parallel lines; but the church

Liodgat lome distance from the town; so thut

lie bridge must be crossed to go to it. Pitca

ITig originiilly built by GuBtavua Adolphus in

0, about three miles higher up in the coun-

u... but tiiat town being destroyed by fire in

0, was rebuilt on its present situationj where

I has a very commodious harbour. The old

lovDof Pitea is now only a village, consisting of

I few homes irregularly scattered on a fine com-

LuIeB; a sea'port town of Weat Bothnia, is
fi milei N. E. of Pitea; it is situated at the
fouth tff a river of the same name: its harbour
itolerabl)' commodious, but the inhabitants do
^oteajoy much trade.

Tornea, the capital of Tornea Lapmark in
^Ht Bothnia, is 56 miles E. by N. of Lulea.
1490 K. by £. of Stockholm. It is seated at
I mouth of a river of tlie same ntniie, on an

i, and at the most northern part of the

Eulpli of Bothnia. The inhabitants of Tornea

try oa an extonaive trade with the northern

itiiof Sweden; and although the cold is very

irere in winter, tliey are exceedingly healthy.

Ipngeit dtty at this town is about twenty*

If 0 bours. The river Tornea rises in Norwegian

^pUnd, and falls into the Bothnic Gulph at

jftroea, ftiler a course of about three hundred

It is extremely rapid, receiving in its

ty twenty-nine other rivers, one of which is

!ry broad. On the melting of the snow, this

id the other rivers overflow their banks; and

lof(he'i» have several dreadful cataracts.

Gamla Carleby, or Old Carleby, is a 8ea<port

|pwn of Finland, on the eastern sho^e of the

pulph of Bothnia. It is 375 miles N. E. of

ockholm, staads on a fruitful plain, and has a

^odund safe harbour. The business of ship*

iuilding is carried on hero to a considerable ex-

p, and affords employ to a great number of

'i. The inhabitants likewise trade largely in
|r. In spring and autumn the peasanti of these
j\i make salt from the sea water, which by
puring a little sour milk upon it in the refining
an, turns immediately from a grey tinge to a
iloir as white as snow.
Vol. II. No.CVI. , . . . .

Ny Carleby, or New jCarlcby, is 29 miles
8. W. of Gamla Carleby, and is likewise on the
coast of the Gulph of Bothnia, Here is also
a good harbour, and the inhabitants carry on a
considerable trade in tar.

Wasa, Vasa, or (as it is sometimes called)'
Mustasnr, is another sea-port town of Piiilund;
at the distance of 70 miles S. W. of Old Carleby,'
and 280 miles N. E. of Stockholm. A con-
siderable trade in tar is likewise carried on by tbci
inhabitants ot'thi» town.

Christianstadt is a maritime town on the Gulph
of Bothnia in Finland, 60 miles S. of Wasa, and
230 N. E. of Stockholm. This town which it
populous, was founded by Count Peter Brahe,
on the peninsula of Koppo, and received H%
name from his first wife,

Biorneborg, the capital of the district of the
game name, in Finland, lies on the sea coast, at
the distance of 60 miles S. of Christianstadt, and
185 miles N. E. of Stockholm. It is situated on
a long strip of land on the eastern shore of the
Kumo Elf, or Gulph of Bothnia, which belovr
the town is subdivided into several arms, and by
that means forms several small islands for the
space of half a mile. It is said at first to have been
built in the parish of Kumo, but was afterwards
removed to Ulfsby or Wanhakyla, and in 1558,
to its present site. From this nlace are sent
annually gre^t nuantities of wooaen ware, and
abundance of fisn, particularly salmon and larg-e
cod or white fish, not only to Stockholm, but
also to other parts. The place where ihips take
in their lading is near Sandred, about a mile from
the town.

Nystadt is 50 miles S. of Biorneborg, and 150
N. E. of Stockholm. It is seated on a commo-
dious bay of the Bothnic Gulph, and is noted
for a peace concluded here in 17^1, betwecr the
emperor of Rpssia and the king of Sweden. It
enjoyi a good trade.

Abo is S3 miles S. E. of Nystadt, 158 E. by N.
of Stockholm, and il84 W. of Petersburg. Thig
town, which is the capital of Finland, stands on
the angle formed by the Gulphs of Bothnia and
Finland, on the river Aurojocki, which runs
through the town. Abo is by far the best town
in Finland, .and was built as early as the year
1155. It is fujrrounded with mountains, has the
privilege of a staple, and has uu excellent and
commodious harbour. Abo is the sec of a bishop,
. , , 6 0 wh©

',«, )

't 'i

,<,;.

1 Ti I

i ■-.]■

i , . m

; I

s^ .'

■|tt

■ ■ m

t'' ■.=■!!

50* ^

NOWFX'S TUAVKLS IN DENMAWK, kr,

who is suflTraga;) to <he arrhbishnp of Upsal,
-wliich was founded about the year I23G. In
1528 Gustavus Adolphus ere-ted and endowed a
colkge at Abo, which, in 1640, qneen Christina
turned into nn university, granting it many
privileges. The great or episcopal church,
built ill 1300, is a handsome structure. This is
the only royal jurisdiction in the province, the
governor of wnich resides here. It was almost
cnfiifly reduced to ashes in 1087. Near the
harbour stands a rock surrounded bv the scu;
and, when ships pass it, tlie compass, they say
does no longer point to the north; v^hence it is
suspected that it contains mines of load-stone.

Hclsingf(»rs is the capital of the province of
Nvlaiid in Finland. It is 1)2 miles E. of AbO,
240 E. of Stockholm, and .195 \V. of Petersburg.
HelsiugTors is but a small town, and is situated
on a peninsula and giilph of its own name, at
the mouth iA' the river ^^'inda, which here falls
into the Gulph of Finland, and forms a pretty
good harbour, which is one of the best in the
whole kingdom.

.. Tavasteims is an inhand town of Finland, and
capital of a district of its own name. It is 60
miles N. of Helsingfors, and 80 N. E. of Abo.
The dijitrict in which this town is situated is a
fruitful level country, intersected by rivers and .
lakes, which abound with fish. The inhabitants
chiefly subsist by agriculture, grazing, and
breeding of cattle, and some of them are em-
ployed in the fishery.

Louisa, Of Degerby, is 55 milts E. of llcl-
siiigfors, and 145 W. of Petersburg. This is a
/Well situated town^.on an angle of the Finnic
Gulph, where is a conimodious harbour, by
means of which ^hc infiabitants carry on a good
trade.

On the coast of Sweden there are an innume-
rable quantity of islands which belong to that
kingdom, the principal of which 'ate, tlie Isle of
Gotnlaud, the Isle of Oland, and the Isle of
Aland. • ' ,

The Island of Gothland is situate on the Baltic
Sea, at the distance of 60 miles from the eastern
coast of East Gothland. Its greati-st length,
.from S. W. to N. E. is about 80 miles, but its
mean breadth is about 24 miles. There is but
one considerable town in this island,' vi*. Wisby,
but tiiere are a great many villages. Wisby is a

«ea-port town, on the west side of the i*slii«j .
is m miles S. hy E. of Stockholm. It i";?!|
on a good harbour, which is defended bva u,
castle. The town of Wisby has received
much damage from the sea, that it'is prcnily *
duced from what it was formerly. Tlieji'^
of the inhabitants on the Isle of Gotliland
cstimnted at about ten thousand. *'

The Isle of Olaiid, or Oeland, is a beauiifj
spot directly east of the coast of East Gothja M

It is 86 miles long from N. to S. but not m
tlian ten in the widest part frohi E. to W. itj
divided into two parts, viz. the North andiy
South. In the former are several fine hnM
and many quarries of stone; hut in the httfj
the ground being more level, is fit both fj
tillage and pasture. The island in general 3fie|||)
plenty of houey, wax, butter, and nuts. Roll
parts of Oland abound in mines of allum, blacy
marble, and free stone, remarkable for its bard
ness. The number of its inhabitants arc said (j
exceed seven thousand persons, who are chien]
emplojed in^griculture, working in the qnarrij
in cutting free stone, burning of lime, in ushio!!
and in navigation. The Isle of Oland is abo
12 miles E. of the shore of F^st Gothland.

The Isle of Aland lies at the entrance of tij
Gulph, of Bothnia, about midway betwn
Sweden Proper and Finland. In the intermedin
channel are many small islands, particularly I
tween Aland and Finland. This island is abc
27 miles long, and 16 miles broad, where broai
est. The soil is in fruitful, that the inhabitm
have a sufficiency of corn throughout the yeii
The pastures are very good, as are likewise (ij
cattle. The inhabitants speak the Swedish lij
giiage, and have their subsistence mostly froi
agriculture, breeding of cattle, the fishery! bael
ing, and navigation; also from the taking of»
fowl, and from the loppings or profits of ll|
vvoods. They trade in butter, cheese, wood
wari, coals, and chalk. ' Formerly this islii
had its own kings; and even after it caineiiml
the dominion of Sweden it had, for some centj
ries, , its own stadtholders or governors,
clergy of this island are under the bishop i
Abo. The most remarkable places in this iilaij
are Castelholm, Grelsby, and Haga; whidiv
domains belonging to the crown> in the lirst I
T/hich is a post-house.

END OF TRAVELS IN DENMARK, NORWAY, AND SWEDEN.

VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

•'./ /

^^IJLLI^M TOOKE, F. R. S. '

llIE>nJF.n OF THE IMPERIAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ANt) OF THE FUEE ECONOMICAL

SOCIETY OK ST. PETEKSBURG. • .:• .

if .,v^

SECTION I.

/ '

Ihtroduclorjij Remarks — Climate — Miture and (^iialiO/ of the Ground — Face of the Country: Forests,
Jdmmtms, Steppes, Morasses, Wastes, Salt Places — The principal Mountains of Jiu&sia.
enumerated — The principal Plains of Jiussia. ^ .^ _

ble. The arts of Europe were transplanted, and
bloomed both on the shores of tlie Neva and
those of the Irtysh: a new world was opened to
commerce; and the sciences, the manners, the
luxury, the virtues, and the vices of western.
Europe have found their way into the deserts of
oriental Asia, and to the i hospitable coasts of Uie
Frozen Ocean. The icra of these remarkable
phenomena was the commencement of the
eighteenth century *.

By Russia is sometimes understood the whole
Russian empire: yet these two expressions have
properly a very different signification. Russia
Proper impli' those principalities and provinces
which for many ages past have been inhabited
by Russians f ; and the following are its divisions,
namely: 1. Great Russia, which has always bore
the name of Russia in the strictest import, and
comprises those large tracts of country, princi-
palities, viceroyaltics, and dukedoms which have
uninterruptedly (Composed the Russian dominion;
as Mosco, Vladimir, Novgorod, Pscove, Pc-
rieslaf, Riafanskoi, Kaluga, Tula, Yaroslaf,
Kostroma, Tver, Vologda, &c. 2. Little Russia,
comprehending the Ukraine |', or in general the
present three governments of Kief, Tschernigof,
and Novgorot'.-Sieverskoi§. 3. White Russia,

^HE Russian empire, which in various re-

__ spects now fixes the attention of Europe,
\lti for several years been the subject of a multi-
llude of irivestigatitins and writings, by which
|(he knowledge of that country is considerably
lioinroved and enlarged. The care which Cathe-
Iriue tbe Second, from lier first accession to the
llbrone, and during the whole of her reign, de-
Iroted to the cultivation of this knowledge, has

to attended with so much success, that Russia,
ubich, prior to the year 1762, waa a sort of

ra incognita in our part of the globe, is now
En possession of a very considerable store of ma-

tiaU, from which the present state of this re-
Darkable country may be illustrated and de-
itribed.

Russia, an empire but little known or regarded
1 the seventeenth century, at the opening of the
iei^hteenth made her appearance all at once
pong the states of Europe; and, aftef a short
Vial of her powers, became the umpire and the
Irbitress of the North. The whole system of
Europe took another form; the arctic eaglt cx-
^nded her influence to the regions of the Adriatic
knd the banks of the Tagus, while the lightning
bf lier eye struck terror into the recesses of
|l'Iount Caucasus and made the Hellespont trem-

* In the year 1697 I'eter the Great began liis first
oiirncy into foreijfn countries, tn \M)9 ha concluded tho
Irmisticc with the Porte, by which he acquired Azof, and
pas enabled to construct a navy on the Kuxiuc. Tn 17U()
po hatde of Narva was fought, where the Swedes for tlic
(St time shewed their superiority iu discipliuc and the arts
If war.

+ For about thirteen or fourteen hundred year.*, as far
bacl{ as authentic history reaches: this however is i)riuci«
pally to be understood of Great and Little Russia.

I Which word signifies the horikrs.

§ It was long sepanited from Great. Russia; but uuiteiJi
to it again in 1651.

i *

i^m

'Hiy

v. Lfj;

ih'i

■■t-9

■■f ;-i

.;i! ,:,■

500

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUflSTAN E^TPmK,

by wliicli, for a long period of time, was meant
the principality, or the present government of
Smolensk; to which are now added the two
governments of Polotzk and Mohilef, still some-
times called the White-Russian territory: otiier-
wise the name of White Russia is no longer heard
of. To these were added, 4. New Russia, hy
which were denoted the large tracts of country
rear the Ukraine, towards Poland imd the Turk-
ish dominions: namely. New Scrvia and the
province of St. Elizaheth, which now belong to
the government of Ekatarinoslaf, and therefore
its name has fallen into disuse.— The three last
lia\e not always been united with Great RusHia.
But, by the Russian empire, is likewise undcr-
dtood not only those just mentioned, but also
finch kingdoms, countries, and provinces as have
been at various times since added to it by con-
quests and appropriations: as, 1. The kingdom
of Kazan, which was conquered by tzar Ivan
Vassillicvitch in 155^, at present consisting of
several governments. 2. The kingdom of As-
trakhan, taken by the same monarch*; at pre-
sent likewise divided into, several governments.
3. The vast country of Siberia; which by calcu-
lation, contains upwards of ten millions and a
]ialf of square versts, comprehending within it
several kingdoms, taken by roving Kozaks on
their own account, and then surrendered to the
tzar, who completed the conquest; this at pre-
sent consists of several, but those the most exten-
sive governments. 4. The provinces on the
shores of the Baltic, captured from the Swedes
by Peter I. and for ever incorporated with the
Russian empire by two treaties of peace:
liivonia, Estbonia, Finland, and Ingria or the
present governments of Riga, Revel, Vyborg,
and St. Petersburg. 5. Tltc countries taken from
Poland, now the governments of Polotzk and
INIoliilef, which the empress Catherine II. united
t(» the empire. 6. The territory she annexed to
Russia by the ])eace concluded with the Turks
in 1774. 7. The Krim and the Cuban, or the
province of Taurida and the government of
Caucasus, united to the empire by that sovereign
ill 1783. S. The tributary islands in the eastern
ocean, now added to Russia. 9. The countries
that have more recently submitted to the Russian

* Kabarda likcwi^ic soon afterwards submitted.
I- The proper name of this capital is Moskra; bat
ISiotcu i) grons into sudi familiar luc bj lopf ofitablisbcd

".'?w'"*'m?'^^' "*'»«'3'' Karttiplia. orKartoIinJa *,
10. The possessions in America, con«iI.
partly of islands, partly of the contincn "'^,1
California, where the principal cstablishnient ■ '
called Donalesk. 11. Some other countries '1
corporatpd with the empire at various nerior
as, the Kirghis-kozaks, of the middle and lijl'i
horde, who submitted themselves in 173| .Jj
several others. ' "'*'

Hence it appears that the Russian empire hi
not always been of such magnitude as at present I
Even in the thirteenth century Lithuania wajnoJ
so far from Moscof as now. From thig sli»y
inspection it is manifest that the amplitude of tha
empire is far greater than that of the largcj
monarchy in ancieat or moderr^ tioiel Accorik
ingly, the empress, in her letter of grace to tL
Russian nobility in 1785, expresses herself m
the following manner: " The Russian empire iJ
distinguished on the globe by the extent of J
territory, which reaches from the eastern border]
of Kamtshatka to beyond the river Duna whitk
falls into the Baltic at Riga: comprising withU
its limits a hundred and sixty-tive degrcen ofl
longitude: extending from the mouths of thd
rivers Volga, K-:ban, Don, and Dnieper, whicli
fall into the Caspian, the Palua Moeoti? and tht
Euxine, as far as the Frozen Ocean, over two-an|
thirty degrees of latitude." The same numbei
of degrees is assigned it by this sovereign, in ha
instructions to the conm issionfor framing a com
of laws. But, from her own words, it plainlJ
appears, that she only takes notice of the cou»
tries contiguous to each other, according to
general extent: but none at all of the islands,
the numerous promontories and points of landj
that strike out from them. The islands in tlie
eastern ocean are not once mentioned. Even ihi
isle of Oesel, with its western promontory reach']
es several degrees farther than the river Ouni
If we take all these into the account the Russiai
empire, according to the newest and bestcharlsj
will be found to extend from about the fortJ
third to the seventy-eighth degree of noita
latitude; and from the thirty-ninth to the twoj
hundred and fifteenth degree of longitude: thii
last, however, including the islands lying in the|
eastern ocean. Without reckoning the island

custom, tliat wc should no more thiuk of altering it than
rcduoinjT Warsaw to its right name of Varschati, or ciliiod
the XitrUrs bjr their proper liamc Tatar,

TOOKF/S VIFIW OF

' " t

THE RUSSIAN F.MPIRK.

507

I .^nire extends in length nine thousand two

II (Ired n)iles> and in breadth two thousand four

llussis* by its magnitudn and situation, has

tfv various frontiers as well as neighbours. On
u I) sides, imnicly, to the north and the "ast, if

e omit the establishment on the continent of
America; '^ is* bordered by seas. On the other
Uesit is bounded partly by Terra Firma, partly
It seas, and here and there bv rivers; viz. to the
Lt by Sweden and the Baltic; but to the south,
LCourland, Poland, Turkey, the Eiixinc, and
ieCaspia"> by Persia, China, and various tribes
^uncivilized nations.

From the enormous extent of the Russian em-
hjre it will naturally be inferred that the tcm-
jeratures of the atmosphere must be various,
[contains many reyfions that are blessed with the

■ireit air, and the mildest sky; but a greater
iiinber of others where the weather is extremely
Lie and cold, and many others again where the
Uiiations from the earth are not of the most
Llubrious nature. The parts towards the south
Ljoya warm and agreeable temperature, in which
loiostall the plants and vegetables of countries
jiutted niiK-h nearer to the equator flourish and

mid. Others again, in high northern latitudes,
lough not congealed in everlasting ice, are yet

iressed with so severe a frost as to exclude the
of ag;ricnlture. On ihe whole, therefore,

e climate is not excessively hot, except at cer-
lin seasons in Taurida, seldomer and less

rting in a few other places; but in many parts
lisextrcmtly cold. However, the one tract of
Lntry not only supplies the deficiencies of the
[her; but nature has kindly provided that every
loiate should be fitted to the wants of its inha-
iUnls, and has adapted them to the temperature
{f their sky. High to the north she has dispensed

corn, but plenty of moss, for the animals;

I far mankind, an infinite variety of berries,

Hsh, and wild fruits. Farther to the south
tr liberality is displayed: beneath a mild and
knial atmosphere she bestows on the inhabitants
iiuperfluity of the finest productions.

I* In aad about Mosco (be rivers freeze about the middle
lljttcr end of November, and break in March or the be-
piitK of AjtHI. The birch-trrcg come out in May, and
p their leavci iu September. About Kuriik all sorts of
lit arc ripe in Auguvt, and thcu the cora is all got in.
mefi Travels,
lln Irkutsk tho thormometcr, en the Oth of December,

Vol. II. No. CVII.

In the middle and northern regions the winters
are very cold, and the days uncommonly short;
but the summers are so much the longer, and
the heats are sometimes great. In severe frosts
it is no unusual thing for iiumi tj be. fro/en, so
as either to die on the spot, or, without speedy
assistance, for the limbs that are frozen to tall
oft' by degrees.

The freezing of the rucrs happens in various
ways, according to the degree of eold, the
quality of the water, the ciirniif, and the niitiiro
of the bed*. Some carry floating ice, which at
length consolidates; others, on a sudden frost,
arc covered at top with icy particles like gruel,
which in a day or two congeal; others again,
of a gentle current, are in one night covered
with a thin scum of ice which gradually in-
creases in substance: while the rivers in Russian
Dauria, or the province of Nertshinbk, differ
from all these, and exhibit a quite dift'erent
property: for there the ice first fornms at the
bottom; M'hich is then lifted up by the water,
where ii remains till the whole river is entirely
frozen up; and at times so much ice conies
gradually to it, that the water can scarcalv find
a free passage beneath it. Some derive the cause
of this either from the quality of the beds of the
rivers there, which universally consist of chalk
stone; or from the frigidity of the soil, which all
the summer through never thaws to a greater
depth than two arshines.

The frost, and still mosc the quantity of snow
in connection with it, is of infinite advantage to
the empire, as by that means the land-carriage is
inconceivably facilitated. Many provinces could
neither procure the necessaries of life, nor turn
their own products into money, were it not for
the frost and snow. No sooner is the sledgeway
formed, than all the country roads arc covered
with carriages. In several districts, masts, balks, '.
firewood, &c. can only be fetched in the winter,
especially from marshy forests. Imoiense quan-
tities of Hax, hemp, tobacco, deals, tallow, &c.
are brought by sledgeway from the distant pro-
vinces of Russia to the ports of the Baltic.

1772, stood at two hundred and fifty-four desroes ; not-
withstanding that tho Angara there commonly freezes not
till towards the end of December, and frequently not till
the middle of January ; and breaks up at the end of March,
or before the middle of April. Gcorgi's Travels, toI. i.
p. 36.

There

pt ■'

:!;i:l

ii ' I

'■.filii

,' .1 '

508

TOOKE'a VIF.W OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

There are regiono wliere the creator part of
the yciir may be called winter, othcm wjiere the
winter lasts but a few weeks ; gome where storms
are very frequent, others where they arc extreme-
ly rare: of the latter sort are the parts about
the Frozen Ocean.

The cold and its elFects arc licre very remark-
able. There are nnniially from one hundred and
fifty to one hundred and ninety days of frost, the
iievcrity and continuance of which frec/r the
ground every winter from two to two and a half,
and SDmctinics even three feet deep. The ice of
the Neva is from twenty-f»uir to thirty-six, but
generally twenty-eight inches thick. It is curious
to observe, that, though this thickness of ice is
formed by the shcots of ice lying horizontally on
one another, yet the huge blocks of it that arc
cut out for filling the ice-cellars, on being left
exposed to the sim, fall to pieces in perpendicular
spiciilic, each of the thickness of one's little
finger. So likewise in the spring, by pressing
on a walking stick; while the ice is fttill of its
primitive thickness, the alkk will go through,
because it pushes down one or more of these
spiculfe from their connecti(m with the rest.

The covering of tlip Neva with ice, and the
breaking up of it, are remarkable pha;nomena.
When the ice is setting in, as it is called, small
detached ilakes of ice are seen floating down the
current, which soon grow into large fields, and
acquire so great a momentum, that the bridges
must be hastily taken asunder, to prevent their
being carried away by the ice; a disaster which
has happened more than once. These large
plajns of ice continue for a day or two passing
with the current, while the boats are seen rowing
between them; till all at once the floating ice
•tops, either by the gulf being already closed
below, or the flakes of ice freezing together:
when immediately foot passengers, who have
been waiting on the shores for this moment, go
over in all safety. Nothing is more common
than to see boats crossing the river, and, in two
hours afterwards, to behold hundreds of people
going over on foot.

No less rapid is the departure of the ice. Iq
the spring the first indication of this approaching
event, is the standing of the snow-water on the
ice; then the i«e becomes more porous, or divides
into spiculae, lets the water through and becomes
of a blackish colour. At length it parts, while
the roads that have been well trod during the

winter remain: so that often foot

pOMcngi

are seen on these roads, and between then
the floating sheets of ice, boats in frr^,^^^ f^jL^^w
passing and repassing. By the force of the r I
rent, and shocks received from the floatinp "' 1
at length the roads give way; the ice continual
to fall down with (he stream for a day 7
two to the gulf, and the whole river isclcHr ki
week or fortnight after this, the ice of Lad,,.,
conies down, which, according as tin; wi *

iiul

iiiiti

happen to be, continues a couple or moroday,^
«>nnic(imcs an many weeks, and renders the »»
mosphcre uncommonly chilly.

The ice and the cold arc of service to tlic inlij
bitants in various ways. Distances are mud
shortened by their means, inasmuch as peoni,!
horses, and carriages of all sorts, can cross tj
Neva, and the other rivers, lakes, ami canals, ij
all places and directions: and the CroiisfudtgnipS
supplies, in some measure, the want of iiavi<rati'j
during the winter, by the transport of'comJ
modities of every denomination over the ice.

The Neva never broke up before the 25th oi
March, and never later than the 27(h of April]
The earliest .<itanding of the jce was thcSOihol
October, and the latest the 1st of Dccenibtrj
Tts standing and breaking up determines IlieJ
summer and winter.

On the breaking up of the ice, when theriveL
is so far open as to be uavigable for boats, th|
event is announced to the town by the Urine o
three cannon» from the fortress. Upon liiis th
surveyor of the city wharf goes in a barge uiih
the city flag flying, accompanied by a imtnbel
of other barges, to the fortress, and salutes i
with seven guns, on which the fortress retiitnl
the saiiite with five. From the fortress lietliei
proceeds to the imperial winter-palace, wjierej
on being come near the shore, he again niakei
another discharge of cannon, which is fullowei
by three cheers from the crew, repeated by tin
companies of the ntimerous barges. ThisdniKl
they all return in procession to the place froJ
whence they came. Previous to this ceremoDrl
no boat may dare to shew itself on the Neva: m
from that moment any one may pass upon it thai
will : and so long as the Neva continues open!
the rising and setting of the sun are noticed bvi
gun from the fortress. But this is discontinued
during all the time that the Neva is coverej
with ice.

The severe cold here has not that violent I

Dumbipji

TOOKF'S VIEW OF TUF RUSSIAN r.MPIRE.

509

binjf effect cither on man or beast as people

"joulli"" climiitos mighf imiiginc. The

I -M and tlieir horses, from being seasoned

ihecoW. fi'<'' I'ttlc «>r no inconvenience in por-

' * (lieir employment through (he streets of

r town niitl along the roads, though the beards

lirforincr and the muzzles of the latter are

tfrcil w''h hoar-frost and little icicles from

f joiijrflation of their breath ; and in (lie

r^jji , 'oil! they travel all day, without receiv-

|.iv detrimeut. Nay, even from twenty to

j,n(v-foiir degrees of Reaumur, women will

Ldriiicii'S the linen through holes in the ice,

Lr liv»S «'' "'* hours together, often barefoot,

ytlifir hands dipping in the water all the

Ljlf and tlieir draggled petticoats stifl'with ice.

riie winds are in some parts very violent,

,.ig||y ill Siberia, where reigns a certain

jiendoug kind of winter-hurricane, which (hey

Iburoeii, and which not unfrequendy buries

U nun and cattle in whirlpools of snow and

uj. Storms, in most of the districts, are not

frequent, and generally speaking not so

Llent, as in other places ; neither was any mis-

Lfcvor known to have been done by lightning.

Ltbepiirts to (he nor(h thunder and lightning

[(even great rarities. On the other hand, the

brthern lights are ordinary appearances; and in

inyof the northern districts, u few months ex-

mted, are, in a manner to be seen daily.

[Earthquakes in most of these parts happen but

lldoin. Yet tliere have been some, felt over

Lniptschatka to the mountains of Altai.

I 111 the northern districts the days in the winter

[extremely short; but in summer therefore so

uclithe longer. On the shortest day, the 10th

if December, old stile.

the

.sun

rises

and setH

Astrakhan, about 48 rain, after 7.

12 mill, after 4.

Kkf,

7 8.

5.1 3.

Mo-'co,

37 8.

23 3.

Hip,

47 8.

13 3.

Tobolsk,

fi6 8.

4 3.

St. Petctsbiirg^

15 0.

43 1

Archangel,

24 10.

36 1.

[The quality of the soil, in this enormous em-
Ire, as may well be supposed, is extremely va-
Dus. There are entire, and these very exten-
Ite governments, that are full of mountains:
mothers, in still greater number, that consist
J vast steppes and plains, some of which are in-
btorable to the eye. u^ ..

Captain Plescheyef says, " Russia is divided
by niituro into two great parts by a range of
niountaiiiH called Vral, which form one continued
uninterrupted barrier across the whole breadth of
it, dividing Siberia from the rest of Russia.

" That part of Russia which lies on this side
(he Ural mountains presents a vast extended
plain verging towards the west by an easy grada*
ti(m. This plain, from its prodigious extent*
has a great variety of climatesj soil, and pro-
ducts. The northern part of it is very woody,
marshy, but little capable of cultivation, and
has a sensible declension towards the White Sea
and the Frozen Ocean. The other part of thi»
extensive plain includes the whole district alon^
the river Volga, as far as the deser(s reaching
hy the Caspian and the Sea of Azof, constituting
the finest part of Russia, which in general is rica
and fertile, having more arable and meadow
land, than forests, swamps, or barren deserts.

" The most remarkable, for superior quality
and flavour of every kind of fruit and other pro-
ductions of the earth, is that part which extends
towards Voronetch, Tambol Penza, and Sin-
birch, as far as the deserts. It every wher*
abounds in an admirable rich soil, consisting of a
black mould, strongly impregnated with salt-
petre. But that part which commences between
the sea of Azof and the Caspian, and extondiq^
near the shores of the latter runs between the
Volga and the Ural, and then stretching as far a^
the river Emba, is nothing but a desert, level*
arid, high, sterile, and full of saline lakes.

" The parts lying on the other side of the
Ural mountains, known by the name of Siberia,
is a flat tract of land of considerable extent de-
clining imperceptibly towards the Frozen Ocean;
and by equally gentle degradations rising towards-
the souHi; where at last it forms a great chain of
mountains, making the boundary of Russia on
the side of China. Between the two rivers Oby
and Irtish, and the Altay mountains, runs a very-
extensive plain, called Barabinskaia steppe or
the deserts of Baraba, the northern part where-
of is excellently adapted to agriculture; but the'
southern, on the contrary, is a barren desert, full
of sands and marshes. The country, betweeni -
the rivers Oby and Yenissey consist more of
wood land than of open field; and the otfier side
of the Yenissey is entirely covered with imper-"
vious woods, as far as the lake Baikal; but'tbe-
soil is every where fruitftrl; and 'wherever th«-

native»

510

TOOKE'S n.^V OV TMK RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

natives liavc bcon at tlie pains of clearing and
draining tlie ground, it proves to be ricb, and
liigbly lit for cultivation. Tbe parts beyond the
Baikal are surrounded by ridgos of high stone
mountains. Proceeding farther on towards the
east, the climate of Siberia becomes gradually
more and more severe, the summer shortens,
the winter grows longer, and the frosts are
more intense

" In such temperature of climate, the greater
part of Siberia, that is, the middle and south-
ern latitudes of it, as far us the river Ii4:iia, is

extremely fertile and fit for every kind i
produce; but the northern and eastern narM
being encumbered with wood are deprived 1
this advantage, being unfit both for pasturpj
and culture. The whole of this part, as far J
tlio (50th degree of north latitude and to tlj
Frozen Oct m, is full of bogs and rm,rasse|
covered with moss, which would be absDlmiij
impassable, did not the ice, which never (h;uvi
deeper than seven inches, reruaia entire bcneatJ
it." . . '

SECriON II.

Of the Seas fonitliiix the Boundaries of the Hussian Empire — Of the InUnul Seas, and pTincim
Lakes of Eiissia — Its principal liiiers — Mineral Waters — Canals.

THE Frozen or Northern Ocean in ancient
times was called by the Russians Mor(^
Murcmskoe, but at present Ledovitoe more. By
the Goths it was termed Gandawyk, by the Cini-
brians Mare Manisa, and by the Latins, Mare
Sarniaticum, and Mare Scythicuin. The Swedes
call it Is-Hafoet, and the Norwegians Lehecsec.
It borders the whole of the northern part of the
empire, from the confines of Lapland to the
Xschukotskoy-Noss; that is, from 50 to 205
degrees of longitude, and consequently laves the
shores of the governments of Archangel, Tobolsk,
and Irkutsk. Several bays of very considerable
expanse are formed by this vast ocean. The
greatest is the bay in the vicinity of Archangel,
M'hich commonly goes under (lie name of the
White-Sea, extending from north to south within
the land, from 69 to 63 degrees of north latihide,
and contains a multitude of petty islands. — Next
follows the Tcheskaia Guba, the Karian Bay,
called also the Karian Sea. Karskoe more; then
tlie Obskoc bay, which is uncommonly spacious;
the Taymurskaia guba, or bay; the Khatangskaia
guba; two bays at the mouth of the Lena; and
lastly, the Tashaunskaia guba, at 1B5 degrees of
longitude. — Of the numerous islands in this ocean
the most coniderable are; Novaya Zendia and
Kolgurva; but both of them arc uninl.ubited,
and only frequeDted by fishermen and hunters.
Novaya Zemlia is indeed well supplied with
Heaters but is rocky, unfruitful, and destitute of

woods; scarcely are a few .stunted bushes aii|
poplar plants to be met with there. IJut, ont
other hand, this island abounds in rein-deeJ
white beaj-.«, white and blue foxes, and tlic shortf
swarm with morasses, wallrusses, &c ilsima
niiude is estimated at nine hu.idred ami
versts in length, five hundred and twenty ii
breadth, and three thousand and ninety in (il
cumforence, witliout following the simiosiliesj
and four hundred and twenty-five thoiisund fivl
hundred and nine German miles of siipLTfirca
according to Mr. Storch. On the northern <iiiJ
it is entirely encompassed with ico niouatamJ
Among the lakes there \'^ one of salt wateij
From the middle o<' October till Fcbriiarvl
sun is not visible at all; but they have luimeroul
and strong north lights. In summer tliercan
no thunder storms. The snow falls in manl
places to the depth of four arshines. For t»i
months, namely June and July, the sun nevei
.sets. Between this island and tlie main land |
the famous passage known by the name
Vaygat's Straits. — Though this sea contiiifls i
many bays, not less numerous are tlit capes oj
points of land that strike out into it; these spilj
of land are called in Russian Muiss or Noss.
all this great sea there arc only three harhoutj
whence at this tiqa any navigation is piimiel
namely, Kola, Archangel, and INIesen, wliorfM
that of Archangel is the most famous. Kut IW
navigation^ io comparison of the prodigious en

pani

TOOKf'S VIE^V- OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

511

jj of Ihls sea, is very trifling; however it ia

flv owing to the short portion of the year
[Ittcd by the ice for this purpose; and in some

v„g jliftre is scarcely time for undertaking it at
Jail. A* ^'^' *''^ northern passage to China,
fctich. as c^*"*y ^"® knows, has been so often
Clen)pt«'l» nothing has hitherto been discovered
f ifjjble to any hopes from future enterprises.
fbe shores in many places, especially in those of
If White Sea, are beset with rocks; in other
L[i low with shoals, that, in a manner, forbid
Ws, and the country adjacent is very marshy.
plicffater in this sea is proportionahly but little
[it though near Archangel it is so briny, that
ueqimutities of common salt are prepared fi om

The ebb and How are moderate, and in the
arts Ivinajmost to tl.e north scarcely perceptible.
le fi*iien is very considerable, particularly of

k-lisli, herrings, whales, morses, porpoises,
J dogs &c.

jTlie Eiixine or Black-sea laves the shores of

Jiurida and a part of the governments of Cau-

jiuand Gkatarinoslaf. It is divided into the

iixine Proper, the Pontus Euxiaus, computed

^ be a thousand versts in length, and five hun-

I ill breadth; and the sea of Azof, the Pains
^eotidcs of the ancients, which (not including
ebay uf Tuganrok) is stated to be two hun-
ted versts long, and one hundred and sixty versts
Iroad, Both these are now entirely within the
tuliiics of the Russian empire.
iThe Ualtic or East-Sea, anciently called
firiatzkoie more, or the sea of the Varagians,
inestward of Russia. That part of it which
laches the coasls of the governments of St,
letrrjbiir<r, Keval, and Vyborg is called the

ot" Finland, which is above four hundred
ii\i long, and from a litindreU to a hundred
kd twenty broad.

[The Caspian, an inland sea, was anciently
llled by the (hoeks, the llyiranian Sea; the
larlars give it the name of Akdinghis, the
Hiite-Sea; by the Georgians it is termed trie
lurtslieiiskiun sea and (he Persians denominate it
luticn from the old Persian capital, Gurgun,

Y h Ruisian vcrst i» about tlirce quartors uf a niilo

jigli<li.

If It is a woll known hct, that forolgnoiti, for the first

pnih or two of their stay at St. Peti'jsbiirg, porcci?o a ccr-

Jitltcraiicn in their habit uf body, bucbniing more Ux

■nuiual, wliirh has chietly been attributed to the waters

IthsNi'va. Tliiii circiinigtancu iuJuccd MoUul, and after

Vol. II. No. CVII.

which is said to have stood in the province of
Strabat, only seven versts from the sea. The
name Hyrcanian sea is as much as to say the Per-
sian sea; for in the Persian language, Persia is
not called the Persian, but the Hyrcanian empire.
The Caspian roaches in length, from about th»
i}7th to the ITlh degree of north latitude, and in
breath, where it is tlie widest, from the Gjth to
the 74th degree of its longitude. Its superficial
contents amount to above thirty-six thousand
square miles English,

There are stsveral other seas or lake's in the
Russian empire, the principal of which are, 1.
The lake Baikal, in the government of Irkutsk,
which e-\t('nds from the 51st to above the joth
degree of N. latitude. 2. The Ladoga lake, iu
the government of Vyborg, between the Gulph
of Finland and the lake of Onega. It is a hun-
dred and seventy-five versts* long, and a hundred
and five broad. S. Lake Onega, in the govern-
ment of Olonetz, between the Ladoga and the
White Sea. It is one hundred and ninety versts
long, and seventy versts broad. 4. The P<Mpn8,
5. The Ilnien. 6, The Bielo-ozero, or White
Lake,
noor.

7, The lake Ishany; md, 8. The Altyn"-

The principal rivers are. The Duna, called by
the Russian Dvina, and by the Lithuanians
Daugava, It derives its origin from a lake in
the govP'nment of Tver, at Biala, not far from
the sources of the Volga, and falls into the
Baltic at Dunammide, not far from Riga, At
Riga this river is nine hundred paces broad.
The Duna is generally covered with ice in No-
vember, which breaks up again in March or
April, This river has in general a sandy and
clayey shore, and a discoloured water. 2. The
Neva, which draws its current from tlie Luke of
Ladoga, flows through the city of St, Peters-
burg, and falls by several arms into the gulph of
Cronstadt, The Neva and its different iirancht a
(with the Livoga canal) supplies the city of
Petersburg with water: its waters may bo ranlo'd
with the lightest, clearest, and pmest of those
which flow in riversf. .'5. The Dvina, calUd

him Ceorgl, both professors of tlic Imperial Aoailomy; to
submit it to a ciiemical process, when the result of both
thcsi!* gentlcmoii proved that tho ehargo was iil.fouudcd,
Tho accideut to foreit?nors seemed theroforo to ariso from
tho dilierence in tiii'ir way of living, ratiior than to tho
operatiou of tho waters of tho Nova. > . . j

1 :'4\

•I m

i! ' I '

'W,y

i 1-

t '

•a .i 1

512

TOOKE'S VIEW OF TUT! RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

by the Russian Sievernaia Dvina^ i. e. the North-
ern Dvina, falls into the White Sea at Archangel.
This river has the honour of having given recep-
tioa, in 1553, to the first English ship that ever
sailed to Russia. 4. The Fetshora. 5. The
Oby, 6. The Irtysh. 7. The Tobol. 8. The
Yennissey. 9. The Tunguskis. 10. The Kha-
tanga. 11. The Lena. 12. The Yana. 13.
Anadyr. 14. The Kamshatka. 15. The Amoor.
16. The Yeraba. 17. The Ural. 18. The
Volga. 19. The Kuban. 20. The Don (for-
merly called Tanais). 21. The Dnieper (the
Boysthenes of the ancients ) 22. The Bog,
or Bogiie. And many others.

It is somewhat surprising, that iti an empire so
extensive as that of Russia, so few mineral
springs should have hitherto been found. The
mineral waters at present known, and occasionally
applied to medicinal purposes, are, sulphureous
and liver of sulphur waters; among which are
reckoned the hot springs ( which are the most
numerous). Some are of lukewarm, others
warm, and a few of hot water.— Strong martial,
or vitriolic waters are not uncommon.— Bitu-
minous waters, or those impregnated with
Naphta, are not unfrequent.

There are in Russia a considerable number of
canals; the construction of- which was a prin-
cipal object with Peter the Great. Some
canals were begun by his orders, but were after-
wards left unfinished from the difficulties which
arose in the progress of the work. Four parti-
cularly derive their origin from him, viz. 1. That
to Cronstadt, which, after hcing carried upwards
of two versts, was then abandoned. 2. The

Ladoga canal, which in length is one liund J
and four versts, and seventy fathoms in breadS
3. A canal, along which, by means ofj
rivers, a communication i* formed between m"
CO and the Don. 4. That at Vishnei-Vojotsh
by means of which a passage is had from tH
Caspian into the Volga; and thence, in A
junction with some rivers and lakes,' into ♦Jl
Neva, and so into the Baltic. The lateemnr
from the very boginning of her reign, bcstoi
a peculiar attention to this important object
actually caused three canals to be dug, besidJ
those of Cronstadt and St. Petersburg; in orj
particularly to render more commodious tH
passage from the Caspian into the Baltic- J
then by means of rivers, to connect the Caspll
with the Baltic; and then by means of D
rivers, united by canals, to join the Caspian!
the White Sea. Several other plans have
set on foot, namely, the uniting of the Dnicjl
the Daiepr, and the Volga. — Almost all t|
rivers of Siberia disembogue themselves into J
Frozen Ocean. Not one of all that take tk
rise in Siberia, runs to the countries of theMol
gols, Biikharians, Kalmuks, and Tartars; whw
as many of those which rise in the MonguW
and the country of the Kalmuks, flow norlhwai
through Siberia. They are so commodious
navigation, that a vessel might go from till
through St. Petersburg to Seleiiliinsk, wlifre]
is only navigable two voloks;* om- between t
river Tschussovaia and the Taghil, ami
other one between the Ket and tlio Ycsnis!
the latter of about ninety versts, and the forui
not so wide.

SECTION III.

General Viezo of the J^ations which compose the Russian Empire, ichclher /J''sceu(hdffomlk\
Suuvoiiiatis, Finns, Mongoles, Tartars, or other Tribe

THE whole Russian territory at present con-
sists of fifty alike organized provinces,
which are called governments or viceroyalties.
As in this distribution less regard was had to the
superficial contents than to the population, so are

* Arolok in the Russian language, signifies notiiiiifi; more
than a small tract of land between any two rivers (lint run

the areal dimensions of the governments genera^
various; while the population, with a few
ceptions, is pretty equal. Each governiuentj
again divided into several circles; some oft
largest have also a farther distribution into '

nearly in a parallel between those two rivers,
communication.

and ills I

trid

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

513

I In eacli circle is a circle-town, where the
'•^''u.gjniinistration has its seat, and one of

'"' jircle-towns is at the same tinne the govern-

" \.t«^»'n» '" which the governor-general and
I"'"' incipal ollicers reside, and by which the

hole government is usually denominated.
rgjjije these fifty governments, belonging to

, Kussian empire, are two more countries^
[^^jjg a military-civil constitution, namely, the
I iio^yof the Donskoy-Kozaks, and the country
I flhcEuxine-Kozaks. Two-and-fifty provinces

Ljfoce, properly speaking, compose the Rus-

anempire: the Georgian states, Harduella and
ILkhetty. several petty districts of people, in
III,,, parts of Caucasus, with the country of the
||;jj«l,is.Kozaks, are to be reckoned among the
Icoiintries under the protection and in the de-

noiidence of Russia.

Great part of the country now called Russia
I J, in periods of remote antiquity, inhabited
Ifowards the north-east and north, by a people of
iFiiinish origin, perhaps descendid from the an-
Icient Scytliians. Towards the north-west, were
llribes consisting of a motley race of Sauromates
liod Grecian colonists; and from them are de-
Lended the modern Lithuanians, Lettorians,
hivonians, and Courlandcrs; as were also the an-
Icient Prussians, The whole southern part of
lEussia, even to the Krimea, was for some
Itime inhabited by Goths; and, between the
|Vol^a> the Don, and Mount Caucasus, dwelled
|i nation descended from the Medes, called Sau-
Iroinates, that is, the northern Medes. In process
lof time, when nations of barbarians issued, one
lifter the other, in swarms, from the east, and
lionie of the different tribes of Goths had, since
Ithe middle of the third century, penetrated into
Itlie western regions of the Roman empire; part
lof the Sauromates found themselves under the
hecessity of retiring farther toward the north and
■the west. Even at that early period they had
jthesame political constitution we still sec preva-
jleiit among them. Each individual of the nation
jwas either master or slave. Those who were of
Idislinction among them, called themselves tribes,
Jilaf, and slavn^, or noblemen; whence again, all
Isurh as either were renowned for great atchieve-
Iments, or only capable of performing them, were
|afterwards in like manner styled slavn^. Under
[this denomination it was that they became known
Ito the Europeans, who were not till very lately

acquainted with the particular tribes of those
nations. These tribes had th&ir appellation fre-
quently from some river, town, or district. So
the Polabes were named after the Laba, or Elbe;
po, in the Sclavonian and Rusi>.dn tongues, sig-
nifying near. The Pomeranians dwelt po moreen
or near the sea.

No other country throughout the globe con-
tains such a mixture and diversity of inhabitants.
Russians and Tartars, Germans and Mongolcb,
Finns and Tonguses, live here at immense
distances, and in the most different climates, as
fellow-citizens of one state, amalgamated by
their political constitution, but by bodily frame,
language, religion, manners, and mode of life,
diversified by the most extraordinary contrasts.
It is true, there are some European countries iu
which we find more than one nation living under
the same civil constitution: whereas in Russia
dwell not only some, but a whole multitude of
distinct nations; each of them having its own
language, though iu some .cases debased and
corrupted, yet generally suffic:<;nt for generic
classification; each retaining its religion and
manners, though political regulations and a more
extensive commerce produce in some a greater
uniformity; the generality of the main stems, ia
short, bearing in their bodily structure, and in
the features of their faces, the distinctive im-
pression of their descent, which neither time nor
commixture with other nations have been able
entirely to eftace.

This extraordinary variety of inhabitants,
while it gives great attraction to the study of
Russian statistics, adds likewise to its ditficulties.
Instructive and interesting as it is to the reflecting
observer, to trace the human being through
every degree of civilization, in the several classcH
of manners, and in all the forms of civil society;
yet toilsome and dry is the occupation which
must necessarily precede that satisfaction. The
united efforts of the numerous inquisitive histo-
rians, both foreign and domestic, who have em-
ployed themselves on these subjects, have hitherto
been able to cast but a feeble light on the origin
of the greater part of the nations of the Russian
empire, and the researches of many of them have
been lost in traditions, the romantic obscurity
whereof has left us no hope of arriving at the
truth.

Besides the Sclavonians, to whom the predo-
minant

I »:

fit

ir'i;-

U k till

-,TJJ •

51*

TOOKF.'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

I !

I ^

minant nation belongs, there are in the Russian
empire three main national stems, whose original
identity is historically placed beyond all doubt,
and among whom several other tribes are to be
counted as rehitive or collateral branches, namely,
Finns, Mongoles, and Tartars. To these may
be added the Tnnguses; who, though not a
primitive stock, yi't are the only one of (heir race
in Russia. A si.xth class is formed by those na-
tions, w ith whose language and history we are
still too much unacquainted for being able with
any drgrce of certainty to assign them a place in
the national system at large; and this chissilica-
tion is terminated by the dispersed miiititudes of
European and Asiatic nations ^^ho have scKled
here and there in particular provmcos; either as
conquerors with violence, or volniilarily ;iiid on
invitation as colonists: but their number is incon-
siderable.

The Sclavonian stock is one of the most re-
markable and most widely extended in the world.
Next to the Arabians, there is no people ihroiigli-
out the' globe that has diffused its language, its
douiinion, and its cfdonies to so surprising an
extent. From the shores of the Adriatic north-
wards as far as the Frozen Ocean, and from tb«'
j,hores of the Baltic through the whole length of
Europe and Asia, as far as America, and to the
neighbourhood of Japan, we every where meet
with Sclavonian nations, either dominant or
dominated. All the branches of this grand stock,
who have formed peculiar states, may be ranged
by their present condition in seven classes, that
is. into Russian, Polish, Bohemian, German,
lllyrian, Hungarian, and Turkish Sclavonians.
Three of these branches we find in the spacious
territory of the modern Russian empire: the
Russians, the Poles, and the Servians.

The aborigines of Russia were of ! vo races:
Finns and Slavonians. The former possessed
the regions of the Volga and the Duna; the
latter dwelt about the Dnieper and the Upper
Don.

A second main stem of the nations dwelling
in Russia is that of the Finns, of which, though
not one branch has ever arisen into a ruling na-
tion; yet, as being the common stock of most of
the northern nations of Europe, is exceedingly
remarkable for its antiquity and its wide extent,
from Scandinavia to a great distance in the
Asiatic regions of the north; and thence again

to the shores of the Volga and tlie C s •
Dispersed as all the Finnish nations are f?"
prodigious space, yet the resemblanco in U i ,"
frame, in national character, in lanj^iia..p' '"
in manners is preserved. It is scarcely\' ""'
raarkable, that the generality of the T ^^

ris

races still dwell only in the north, which ha!""
been their favourite abode, and on which aico
they are likewise called inhabitants of ""'

been their favourite abode, and on which aic^*'^'
they are likewise called inhabitants of mora
or fens; and the chace and fishery have *^^
been with each of them their chief occunaii
and trade. ' "'

The Mongoles, a nation remarkable' as fl
disturbers of the world, every where extcin]!
their ravages, as if the annihilation ot'thr. !,„J

III I • 1 • »•■■». liliini\[]

race had been their ultimate object. Had
their violences brought about revolutions inilu
st.:te of governments and of mankind, iind pm
duced consequences that are still visible
historian would never have prolaiiod his pen bi
recording the catastrophies of these barburimi,
.i!id their bloody trophies would alon|^ ii>r,) lij,j
been consigned to oblivion. In the niiiih ((^^
tury three nations appeared roaming about ti,
northern side of China and the Korea; in tlij
west, or in mode/n Mongolia, the Mon-r-i,
were in the sequel called Monk-kos, unij Mml
goles. Part of these people arc the saiiifi with
the Tunguses. The Mongoles, at prcsfn
among the inhabitants oi' the Russian enipnf,
in the seventeenth century withdrew tlieiiiichei
from the Chinese dominion, and vohnitarilv put
themselves under the Russian supfeiuacv. TIk
Russian Mongoles inhabit the regions about liie
Selenga in the Irkuttkoi district of the go\m'
ment of Irkutsk.

A fourth primitive stock of the nations dwellmir
in Russia are lIutTiirtars, who compose a di§iiiict
nation which originally belonged to tlic frrat
Turkish stock. The Hrst known uiother-cdimirr
of the Turks or Tartars lies on the eastern anil
northern sides of the Caspian, where liieir ili
scendants have still their seats. Fornierh iliet
were s|)read from the Oxiis (»r (jfiiion int. ii;e
Mongoley and the Orcabiiig territory , liite
they served from time immemorial as a iiiuiukI
against the incursions of the nations m bo uoull
penetrate from the east to the west or contrariwk,
till at length the Mongoles, tike a rushint^ ^\ms
that has burst its banki, swupt away all oppoji'
tiun, aud established several indepcndciit km;!'

t .,i«r*i

^;;i!

i :f '

! ■"*•

,;' 1

i-'ifll

•; M

., -rl! N.

L '' 1

*S "if.

iiifili iiiiinii fji

f!M-'

-^^jmfftf^^^^'^f^rf

III, 1114 iwyuiLii,

TOOKE'S VirW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

515

wliich were, liowever, after a lapse of,
i'vearS) subjugated in their conquered coun

lI and the whole remains of this nation^ once

ttiii, now subsist under foreign sovereignty.

,' hordes belong, either as subjects, or as

'jent wards of the Russian empire; others

[,! in like manner appanages to the Ottoman

Turk or subject to the great Mogul, to China,

U to Persia. The Tartars belonging to the

Russian empire inhabit the northern coasts of the

(ujiiie and the Caspian, the north side of the

hiica!*ean Mountains, the extensive steppes

I the river Ural to the Soongarey, the south-

UUral, in Siberia, the southern frontier moun-

liins and steppes from the Tobol quite over the

\tn\iiey, and the deserts in the middle region of

iic Lena; likewise not a few Tartar colonies are dis-

lersed among the Russian habitations, particular-

hlnthcgovernmentsof Ufa, Kazan, and Tobolsk.

I As these regions have for the most part, since

llic flotirishing epocha of the Mongole-Tartarian

bnarchy, been inhabited by them, frequent me-

LialH arc found there of their ancient grandeur,

Uni licence, and culture, of which some are

lifaii antiquity demonstrably of above a thousand

Mrs, It is no rare thing to come suddenly upon

lie ruins of some town, which, in its crumbling

tcmains, plainly evinces the progress which the

|(ts liad made among a people whom we are

Lt to consider as barbarians*. Still more fre-

luently are seen sepulchres, which, by their in-

biptions, throw light upon the history of this

lalion; and, in the vessels and implements pre-

ved in them, supply us with interesting proofs

If its opulence, its taste, and its industry f. The

tartars, next to the principal nation, constitute

Btemost numerous part of the inhabitants of the

pssian empire^. The branches of this nation

khich belong to Russia are, the Proper Tartars,

I • Near Kasimof, on the Oka, a circle town of the
joiernmcnt of Riazan, is standing a Tartarian suburb,
phirh seems formerly to have been the court rusiduncc of
I khin. Among the ruins is a lofty round tower, an
Itituryor chapel, the remains of a palace and a mausoleum,
constructed of brick or burnt tiiov. Not far from
Istrakhan n\"i the ruins of the old Astrakhan ; and higher
l|i ihc Voli^a, near Tzaritzin, similar heaps of rubbish,
ihicli hare evidently been a spacious town. On the Volga,
Iflnw the mouth of the Kama, are found well preserved
pil partly magnificent remains of the ancient Urachtimof,
rBulgar. In the citadel of Kazan are still seen monuments
if the Tartarian monarchy. On the Irtysb, in the vicinity

Vol. II. No. CVII.

the Nogayans, the Meschtscheryaks, the Basch-
kirs, the Kirghises, the Bukharians, tlit! Yu-
kutes, and the Tclcutcs; to which may in some
sort be added the tribes of Caucasus.

The Mandahure swarms com prise two nations,
viz. the Mandshures or Mandshu, und the
Tungiises. Both nations arc related by descent,
as appears from their traditions, their language,
and their bodily structure. Tie whole <»f these
people together possess extensive countries and
deserts in eastern Siberia and in the northern
Mongolia: the Mandshu arc even still very pow-
erful; one of their princely families being ia
hereditary possession of the ttirone of China.
The Mandshu, particularly the Daourian stem
of that people, while they mhabitcd the modern
Russia, were by no means an uncivilised people.
According to their written accounts and traditions,
they had a constitution composed of nomadic
and civil parts, and adapted to their situation,
their mode of life, and their various exigencies.
They lived peaceably among themselves «nd with
their neighbours, sedulously attending to agri-
culture, grazing, and mining. Traces are still
seen about the Bargusin and other rivers, of their
gardens, orchards, and fields artfully laid out,
and watered with artificial water-courses. The
Daourian mine works on the banks of the Ar^
goon, still famous under the name of Nertschins-
kian Mines, as well as all Daouria, afford nu-
merous proofs of the mineral labours of the an-
cient Daouarians. ^ u ■'.

That the Tunguses originally composed one
people with the Mandshu, is apparent not only
from the resemblance of their features, manners,
and customs, but also chiefly from the agreement
of their languages. The Tunguses called them-
selves (Evoees, probably from the supposed
founder of their race; or, in the manner of most

of Tobolsk, are the remains of Sibir, the capital. In Sibe>
ria, and the Kirghisian steppe, are many ruins of towuj
not to mention memorials of inferior consequence.

f In the Museum of the Imperial Academy of Sciences
at St. Petersburg, arc preserved a nrailtilude of vessel!,,
diadcmH, weapons, military trophies, ornaments of dress^
coins, &.C. which hare been found in the Tartarian tombs
on the Volga and in Siberia. They are of gold, silver, and
copper; The greatest antiquity of the tombs h eleven
hundred years, the latest four hundred.

j; Not long since it was to ; but at present, owing to
the last division of ilUfated Poland, the Poles are more n m-
merous than the Tartars.

6R ■ ■•: ^*

l<"

'i a

riili;

1 ^|ife'|il'lh;r

516

TOOKK'S VIF.W OF THK RUSSIAN KMPinK.

of the Siberian tribes, from the word which in
their language signitic!) men. The exlmsive
dest-rts, in whicli they have now their nomiidizing
scats, reach from west to east, from the Yenissey
across the Lena as far as the Ainoor and the
Eastern Ocean. From north to soutli they kce|)
between the 5.'jd and (iuth degree of north
latitude, and accordingly neither touch upon
the Soongarian borders nor the coasts of the
Frozen Ocean. Being a very accommodating
people, they have admitted into these their .seats;
namely, the Ostiaks, Samoyedes, and particu-
larly Yakutans. The districts are mostly in the
government of Irkutsk. W hen the Russians at-
tacked the Tunguscs, the latter displayed more
courage than the other Siberians, and not till the
close of the sixteenth century were they brought
into that iinperfect state of submission in which
they arc held at present. The Tunguses on the
coasts of the Eastern Ocean arc known by the
name of Lamuts.

Besides the several nations which have been
mentioned, and the branches arising from them,
there dwell in the Russian empire some nations
whose origin is utterly uncertain, and who seem
to stand in no relation with the branches that are
known. These, from several particulars, may
be reduced to two classes, one comprising the
Hamoyedian, and the other the Eastern Siberian
Nations.

The history and the origin of the Samoyedes
is not more known even among the people them-
selves, than by the Russians and the rest of Eu-
rope. Leading a nomadic life in bleak and
savage deserts, without the arts of writing and
chronology, they endeavour to save from oblivion
the memory of their transactionsiand heroes only
by songs; which, perhaps with some truth for
their foundation, are embellished with so many
fabulous additions, that even this mode of tra-
dition allbrds us no means of becoming acquaint-
i:d with their ancient state. The cold and track-
less wilds of the Samoyede nations have never
yet been trod by the foot of any inquisitive
traveller; the collectors of the tribute and sur-
veyors, from whom we might expect some sort
uf information, have naturally more in view their
proper business and the advantages of trafiic,
than the collecting of historical accounts; and
out of their territory individuals from the
Siainoyedc tribes arc very seldom seen. The pre-

■'4

sent home of the proper Samoycdos arc (lif
of the Fro'/x'n Ocean, from "ulh^it the (ijlj'"?
gree of north latitude, quite up to the sci|.,i
Novaya Zemlia indc<'d is not inhabittdliyV,'^
but eastward across the Yeniss^-y exlciid't
coasts on which they live up to the 7jHi(if„
of latitude. In these regions, the coldest, riiif
and most desolate of all the earth, dwell
Samoyedes, solitary indeed and scattered iv
the ^Vhite Sea to the <Uher si<le of the Ymis
and almost up to the I^ena, thereCore l)ut|i
Europe and in Siberia. They call tlKiin^.!,
Nenetsch, persons, or Chosovo men, s.vfr
petty tribes may also be classed w ith the Sanio
edes.

The nations which we comprehend under
general head of Eastern Siberian nations are
Yukaghires, the Kamtschadalcs, the Knriak
the Tschuktschcs, and the inhahitiints ut'
north-eastern Siberian-American Arthipel
the kurilians, and the Aleiitans.

There are also in Russia very coiisiderab
colonies of the two wandering nations, who
every-where at home, and have no-whcrc
country, viz. iFews and (iypsies. ThcJewsa
in great numbers throughout the Polish pruvinc
which now belong to the Russian empire;
they are seen in pretty strong bodies in the boi
ders of the neighbouring governments: \vhe«
in the rest of Russia they are foimd very sparin
ly, and in most parts not at all. Taurida, hoi
ever, is an exception to this, where thev a
partly fixed as ancient inhabitants. At theti
when the Chazares were masters of the Kriuit
even some of their sovereigns, according fo tin
traditions, possessed the religion of Moses
The Gypsies are particularly in the provinces
both Great and Little Russia, where they stro
about in large companies.

From this contracted view, in which some
the petty tribes have been entirely omitted,
appears that the inhabitants of the Kussianei
pire form at least eighty distinct nations, asw
in their lineage as in their manners and the
language, essentially dillerent from each other.
To see SD extraordinary a muitittide of natioi
and tribes united in one body politic is ccrtiii
a curious phaniomenon, of which \vc slio
look in vain for another example ii> the hislni
of the world. This mingled mass of people,
extremely numerous, presents a spectacle whic

TOOKIO'S VIFW OF THl", RUSS5IAN EMPIRE.

517

I tbel''g'''y Interestin;^ to every refliuling- ob-

I >f ItH physical, civil, unci moriil state,

r'*ijjj grand aiid instructive pittiirt;, in wliicli

„.,.n all tlie modiliciitidns whcrcoi this stale,

Jllie most various causes and operations, is

;ei)til''c- * t^o'"'"*'"**''y '*" the history of

r'likiiid' illustrative ofthe {>radua] developeuicnt

n j^.jlixiitioa by the most lively and striking ex-

r |l(,__On the whole scale of human nature,

11] the rude and brutal condition to the siuninit

fseiisil)!^ and intellectual reiinement, there is

jriflva remarkable transition which may not

matched from the list of these people. Here

^e seen nations of hunters and fishers, roaming

;it their forests, without permanent liubita-

iDfls, defying all dangers and inditlereiit to the

(Oiimiodations of life, who have scarcely any

iilioii of property, who feed upon raw flesh

id unprepared fruits, and wrap themselves in

skiiw of the beasts with which they contend

,1 tlieir existence, and by which they sustain

leir lives. — Near to these we find pastoral na-

idQ), obtaining their nourishment, their clothing,

id even a sort of atlluence solely from their

locki and herds; living with them in njoveable

oljon everlasting perambulations, and passing

leirdiivs in a patriarchal simplicity of manners,

geriiilv without the art of writing, and without

knowledge and use of money. — Again, we

yd nations, who devote themselves to the

iboiirs of agriculture, carrying ou their various

cupations, one while incomplete and directed

injjle objects, at anotiier on a general scale

id with ingenuity and industry. We observe

t progress of culture, in regions where the virgin

Lrtli, the first time for thousands of years, opens

It bosom to the strange hand of the countryman ;

iidwhere,insteadof temporary huts of felt, houses

y villages arise to our view. — With equal sur-

m we see villages changed into towns, and

Uses into palaces, where productive industry

IS erected her manufactories, and where dili-

jtoce collects the products of the distant parts

fdie world for traflic.

Asall the gradations of living arc fonnd among
le inhabitants of the Russian empire, so we see
ISO examples of all the modifications of civil
Institution. , Among the Tschuktsches and the
liiabitants of the Eastern Isles we scarcely find
idea of social connection; among other na-
bos in the east of Siberia and among tb«i Lap-

landers, we perceive in the family goTernment of
f.itl.> rs and elders, the first rude sketch of
niouarcliy ; but fur more considerable is the num-
ber of those who divide themselves into stems
und hordes, vvhieli are again parted into races.
A pure democracy is discernible in the generality
of the branches of the Kozaks; while the Kaj-
mucs and Kirghises have a mixed republican-
monarchy. Not less numerous arc the cor-
ruptions of these several forms of government,
wliieh at List dissolve into the elements of un-
limited moniirehy. — Some nations have a family
nobility hereditary in their oH'spring; whileothers
have odly a |)crsonal nobility, founded on the
respectability of age, on the influence of wealth,
or on the brilliancy of personal talents. — Of all
the moditications of civil constitution none is per-
haps so singular as the military democracy of the
Kozaks, the essence and aim of which is war,
and even of which we have been witnesses of a
corruption, in its denying the other half of the
hunniii rac(! all civil and domestic community.

Not less edifying and diversified is the view of
the religious ideas and forms of worship which
these nations have .idoptcd for the service and
the honour of the Supreme Being. We find in
the Russian empire not only the generality of
the known parties and seats of the Christian
faith, but the Jewish, the Mahammedan, the
Lama, und the Sehamane religions have here
their numerous votaries.— From the most mon-
strous polytheism to the total unacquaintance
with any idea of a supreme intelligence, there
are innumerable windings in which the human in-
tellect may stray, and the religious opinions of
the savage and half-savage tribes of the Russian
empire present us with no inconsiderable sup-
plement to the history of these aberrations.

Great as the dilference is between the modes
of life, constitutions, and religions of the inha-
bitants of the Russian empire, so motley and
various is also the picture of their physical con-
dition, their manners, customs, dresses, dwellings-,
utensils, and wenpons. What a contrast between
the flat, broad, beardless physiognomy and the
yellow figure painted skin of the cast Siberian
nations, and the European form and complexion
of the several genuine Russian stems! What a
distance from the earth-holes of the Samoyedcs
to the palaces of residence, from the needlework
of iisk bones and sinews to the weaving of

tapestry.

I Mm

! '

!:t li'!

i:'

;4. :' !

. 1

\V '' ■

;

'i,;!'.

518

TOOKF.'S VIRW OP THE RUSSIAN EMPIRR.

tapcblry, from the sling and llie arrow <o (he
lire :irtns of the modem mode of war iu Europe!
If the view of Buch u p;rciit and strikina: diversity
iu all (lie concerns of mankind, and in all the
displays of their activity, alford instructive and
entertaining: matter for reflection, our astonish-
nient is not less excited by the consideration, that
this prodigious mass of people can be kept in the
most unconditional submission to the ut4lin)ited
will of one ruler, and the confluence of ull forms
of government, however great their diverttity,
maintained in the general form of one state. The
key to this singular phuennmenon is to he drawn
from the political and religious toleration which

marks the spirit of the Russian tnonnrchv ij
no state of the world is there u complclo unif 1
ity and unit^ of administration, though nowtj
is the physical and moral variety greater (I J
here. Forbearance is shewn in all rega T]
which do not oppose the being and aim Ifi^j

f government; and the omnipotence of the
imited will is only apparent where the (lirect?d
of all the energies is necessary to one end.— Ti
the individuals of this extensive emuire have'!i
sphere in which they may range, till, by (hcij
gradual approach to civilization, (tne great aid
happy nation may arise from the niuliifario,,
aggregate of hives of which it consists.

SECTION IV.

Of the Population of the liussian Empire, and the Pnilic Insfilulions for the Preservation m

Increase of the Population.

THE Russian empire, which, in regard to its
superficial contents, is exceeded by no coun-
try in the world, must also, in regard to the
number of its people, be reckoned amc^ng the
most powerful. By the revision or enumeration
of the people, made in 1783, in order to levy
the personal tax on head-money, it was found to
be, in the forty-one viceroyalties of which Russia
at that time consisted, of male inhabitants:
Merchants, one hundred and seven thousand four
hundred and eight; burghers, two hundred and
ninety-three thousand seven hundred and ninety-
three; Odnodvortzi and free countrymen, seven
hundred and seventy-three thousand six hundred
and fifty-six; exempt from taxes, three hundred
and ten thousand eight hundred and thirty;
crown boors, four million six hundred and seventy-
four thousand six hundred and three; private
boors, six million six hundred and seventy-eight
thousand two hundred and thirty-nine; making
a total of twelve millions eight hundred and
thirty-eight thousand five hundred and twenty-
nine: which doubled on account of females,
amounts to twenty-five million six hundred and
seventy-seven thousand persons of both sexes.
This, however, is supposed to be much below
the truth; for since the year 1783, there have
been great acquisitions; so that the population
has considerably increased; therefore we may

with safety assert that the population at preseJ
amounts to thirty-six millions. 1

Of this prodigious mass the greater partbvfJ
belongs to European Russia. The five govcrJ
ments of Perm, Ufa, Kolhyvan, Tobolsk, an
Irkutsk, comprehended under the general diiil
of Siberia, contain all together, according to th
revision lists, only two million two hundred u
fifteen thousand, or, with the unnumbered trilK
and classes, perhaps above three million fiij
hundred thousand inhabitants.

To preserve and increase the population of tU
empire, the Russian government have adnptej
several modes. It is certain that Nature, f«j
wise and good purposes, has made the f
period of human life dependent on thenursii
and care of others, and the whole of its phvsicJ
existence on a thousand accidental circumstance
but no less certain is it that man is his own dq
stroyer, and that the physical and moral corrun
tion of large societies begets numberless new evil
the origin whereof can never be charged
Nature. Ii, for example, by well-attested obj
servations, of a thousand children nourished [
their mothers, only three hundred died; biit(
just the same number who are suckled bynursfl
five hundred are a prey to death, — if in Ruiii
annually two iMindred thousand grovrn perjoil
arc brought prematurely into the bills of moil

tililj

TOOKE'S VIEW Of THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

519

liillvby tl'O Immoderate use of strong liq
I h 1 Hiir^b' '* ""* ^'**' '^"'* "'^ Nature, who

L,fhc« "»

uorn, —

neither

to keep nurses nor to drink brandy,

f we follow her simple and bencticent

IJ who •' ^^^ loiiow iicr Hiiii|Mv uiiu uciif iiLf III

i! I te) renders even mortal di8tcinpers innoxious.

I |.^.,',f<,tionablc as it is that the generality of

I h'tiral evili) proceed from man himvelf, not less

r ' it (hat he has the eradication or the miti^a-

If nof'liei" in his own power. The care of his

1 I preservation is implanted in the breast of

h individual, which only needs some undcr-

Udm ii"'l conduct in order lo rQiich its end : in

r:|j(,ciety the care for the preservation of ill is

duty incumbent on the state, and requires to be

Inorlcd with so much the greater energy the

jjH, strength and welfare are dependent on

Ihitcarc. No one will make it matter of doubt,

M a wise government possesses great and

dvterful means to check the mortality of its

'M((ti; ftnd of what may be effected in this re-

rard by public institutions, history affords us in-

ifuctive and striking examples.

From the following representation it will ap-

jear huw much in Russia the government has

Uerto dune in this important part of public

jncerii. A country in which most of the in-

Ltions for the preservation of the hunuin race

jreofa new creation, and where the people live

lipersed over an amazing surface, great dif-

Mies naturally present themselves to the pro-

Ijiioiis that may be undertaken for furthering the

loblecnd for which they were set on foot.

Medicine, as a science, claimed the first atten-

m; but it was not domesticated in Russia till

jie commencement of the eighteenth century.

: though before that period foreign physicians

re individually maintained at the court of the

;ar$, yet public medical institutions were un-

lovu to the empire. Peter the Great first

illed expert physicians and surgeons, erected

ah, and endowed a Medical Chancery,

hicli had the supervisai of the whole state

medicine, committing it to the care of

foundation and enlargement. The Medical

Ibancery became extinct, in consequence of

I • In the express instructions to tin; colloge and its incm.
Irs is the followin;; : "Two tnings the rollcgc ar« to make
Vir prinfipal object: to preserve (he people of the empire
[Ihcarts uf modicinc, to educate Russian doctors, siir.
Ms, operators, and apothecaries, and in the next place
[put the apothekcs and their oeconomy on a good footing.

Vol. II. No. CVIII.

the erection by Catharine II. in 17<>J, of the
Imperial Medical College, whose foundation
forms a new and important cpocha in the history
of physic in Hussiti*.

nluch has been done since the time of Peter
the Great to advance the knowledge uf the heaN
ingart by the foiDiding of hospitals, establishing
of apothekes, and inviting of foreign physicians.
The sphere of this imperial college extoids over
the whole body of physic, and all medical per-
sons throughont, excepting only the medical
establishment of the court. It is its duty to seo
that all the governments and circlea are provided
with the requisite physicians, surgeons, and
apothecaries, according to the imperial, precept;
it watches over the observance of the duties of
every individual under its direction, and has in*
herently the power to reward and to punish. It
has the inspection over the management of the
apothekes belonging to the crown, over the hos-
pitals and seminaries of education. It examines
all physicians, surgeons, and operators before
they can be permitted to practise in the empire,
from which even academical testimonies and de-
grees will not exempt, and publishes in the
Gazette the names of the persons to whom that
perinissiot; is granted. It is competent to confer
the degree of doctor in medicine. On learning
that some infectious distemper has any where
made i(s appearance, it loses no time in adopting
the proper means for stopping its progress.
Lastly, it attends to the improvement of the
healing art in genernl; and to this end collects
the cases transmitted by the several physicians of
the empire, and publishes them from time to time
in the Latin languagcf.

It is only of late years that hospitals have been
founded in Russia for th" sick, but they now be-
come pretty numerous. _ The town hospital of
St. Petersburg, which was founded in 1784, is
built in one of the skirts of the city, and consieti
of a large, brick, insulated building of handsome
but simple architecture. The ground floor is
devoted to the oeconomical purposes of the in-
stitution, and the upper stories are occupied by

■f Among other establishments in ditTercnt parts of the
fmpire, the college, in 1795, erected its own printing oflice^
with a type.foundcry adjoining, which has already ))iiblUh>
cd several works, the typographical neatness whereof does
honour to tho overseer.

'i'i

the

'..*»

:'\ i

5iO

TOOKK'S VIFAV OF TIIF RUSSIAN F.MI»IUr!.

itic patients. The rooms arc lofty and. spacious;
nnd instoud of ventilators, hoiiic of tliu window
shutters are puiiiielk'd with wire work. This
liouse receives uti necessitous patients, venereal
excepted, and attends their cure without fee or
reward. All patients on admission arc imme-
diately hatlied and have their heads shaven: this
done, they receive the hospital clothinc:, and
severally a hed. In 1790 six contiguous buildings
of tiuibiT on bricit foundations were erected be-
liind the main ((lifuo, by the college of general
provision, and furnished with two bundled and
lifty bcdn.

In the mad house, which with its small end
abuts upon the back, front of the main structure,
is upon the liHme footing, and under the same
direction, are forty-four rooms in two ranges,
the one for male and the other for female lunatics.
A broad passage divides them; the door of each
chamber is fastened with a spring latch, which
tiie keeper can open from without. The raving
are not confined with chains but with leather
thongs, while the quiet arc sutfered to walk
freely in the passage or in the court. The whole
e.Ktublishment, treatment, method of cure, and
diet, are well conducted, as plainly appears from
their cH'ects.

Beside the above and many others of a similar
description, there are several Military hospitals,
both for land and sea forces. For the land
forces, exclusive of the two general land hos-
pitals at St. Petersburg and Mosco, there arc
fourteen large Held hospitals at Astrakhan,
Bogoyavlensk, Kherson, Kriukof, Riga, Reval,
Elizabethgorod, Orenburg, Vyborg, Frederiks-
ham, Kazad, Lubenau, Smolensk, and in Cau-
casus, without reckoning the battalion lazarets,
which are everywhere in great numbers. The
Miiitar) hospital at St. Petersburg has commonly
a thousand beds; but in time of war, and when
recruits are raising, the npaiber is twice or three
times as great.

The eleven Naval hospitals at present subsisting
are at St. Petersburg, Cronstadt, Oranien.baum,
Riga, Archangel, Iva/an, Taz-inrok, IJogoyav-
Icnsk, Kherson, Reval, and Sevastopol. The
Naviil hospitiil at Cronstadt during the Swedish
■w.ir was obliged to admit annually from sixteen
thousand eight hundred to twenty-live thousand

Mill

UUU

* On (he in.Tniu'r in which thi'j beiii'firi.-il plan is cxrcutcd
nc will hear at least one witness, hy citing the judgiucut of

patients, a circumstance which may ^t^■
shew the amazing extent to which these ho'*
ore extended.

Exclusive of the above there arc liomes f
lying-in-women, foundling hospitals, siimll i,"
hospitals, and pest-houses: a particular {Icic!"
tion of them all would be unnecessary v
shall, however, say a i'ew words on tlic I'oumi
ling llospiral at Mosco, which is a most , J
and benclicent institution, by far exccfdiiiini
of London. *= '"*

This foundling hospital receives cliilihei,
all hours of tin: day or night, without any (,n,
tion being put to the bringer, except \vii!t|,e
the child has been baptized, and wlii'thor ii
a name. Children may also be carried to
pariidi priests, or to «he monasteries aiul m,
houses of thoi city, w ho inunediutcly send the
away to the I'liundling hospital, when; (he
liverer receives two rubles for each rhild. 'n:
is truly great. The carriers of.su(li cl)i|,lic:ia„
by day and night under the special prolaii,,,, „
the police. At the reception of every child,
day, the time, and the sex arc noted in a bu
with all that the bringer declares of thccircm.
stances of the child, the clothes and other arlici
that he brings with it, and the birth marks ai,
tokens observed upon it. Hereupon the baptisi
ensues, if not already administered; the name
entered in u book, and a little crucifix is hur
round its neck with the number under which it
registered. It is now examined by the siirgcoi
and brought to the childrens' rooms, wlure
receives new linen and clothes from the magazini
meanwhile the articles of dress brought with i
if they be not too miserable, are deposited i
magazine apart, there to be kept. The childn
are either suckled "by strong and healtli) mirif
arh of whom can nourish two babes, or dcli\(ri
to dry nurses who bring them up with other tooi
The physical education alone contimics tw
years, when they come into the great rmiiiii
Till the sixth year boys and girls remain
ther, and during this period arc habiiiiairtl t
easy employments. >Vi(h the seventh i)c.;iih lb
moral and civil education; thenceforwaid t!
preservation of the physical existence UmwU
dinate object*. In the lirst twenty vears miii
the opening of this hospital, including lim

a sagacioHS and attentive observer, who, hcinj,' an I'.n^b
mail aud a traveller, could probably have nu iniiTo'i

disSl'Dliill

TOOKF.'S VIFAV OF TIIF. RUSSIAN FMPFRF.

6'Ji

, In tlie liouic, tlicro were adniiltcd tliirty-
I illiflU8a«nl six luindred and bevuii children. —
h\\t aie Hcvi-rttl other bospitaU on u similar

pliiii founded in diflferent pnrfs of the nnpirc,
parliciilarly at St. Petersburg, Tula, Kaluga,
Yaru^lafj Kaxuu, &c.

SECTION V. . '

J^aturitl Chnraclerintlcs of llic Inhabitants.

ijlE Rn'sians are a modcratc-si/od, vif^oroii*,
ami (lurahle race of men. Tiic growth of
tecnand longevity of this people are very dillVr-

iii (liU'eicnt districts; but in general rather
larffi lliii" siniill, and the_y are coiujuonl)' well
It is vci'v rare to see a person naturally
iflJmiPil; which doubtless is chielly owing to
Lr loose garments and the great Variety of
Ljlv exercises. All the sports and pastimes of
lif voiilli have a tendency to expand the body

I'lrive (li'.vihility to the muscles.
\hs\ as it is occasionally by comparison to
|j(niiiiii!ite the Russian by his outward make
JOB) ollii-r Europeans, it will, liowever, be found
Ldiiiit'iiltto point out the principal lineaments
fthe national physiognomy; as speaking fea-
kre$ arc in general extremely rare. The follow-
^niav be deemed common and characteristical ;
Kiiall month, lliin lips, white teeth, little eyes,
]|(W forehead ; the nose has a great variety of

iii<: it is most frequently seen to be small and
Init-d upwards. The beard is almost always
Itvbusliy; the colour of the hair varies through
Jjllii' shades from dark brown to red, but it is
jldoiii quite black. The ex prcssion of the coun-

liomMini! the truth. " 'I'lu' rooms of tho foundling hos-
lul." >a)s Mr. Coxe. " arc lofty »nd liirijo; the dormi-
jrifs, which arc soparatc from (he work.rooms, arc very
Ij, anil (ho hi'ds arc not crowded: each foundling, even
I infant, has a separate bed ; the bedsteads are of Iron ;
liffis are cliar>i^ed every week, and (he linen three tiin-s
I'tk. Ill going over the rooms' I was particniarly striieii
III tliiiriu'atness ; even the nurseries were uncommonly
|an, and without any unwholesome smells. No t.radles
alliiMod, and rockiiig is particularly forbidden. The
iin's aio nut swaddled accurdinir (o the custon\ of the
lintrv, but lousily dressed. I could be no jnil^e, merely
|ti<iiint! ''i'" hospital, whether the children were well in-
lurii'd ami the regulations well observed; but I was pcr-
ly riiiiTiiiced from their behaviour, that they were in
bmi! hajipy and contented, and coiild perceive from
tirlnoks th;it thoy were remarkably healihy. This latter
t'jiiHlaiice ninstlje owln^ to the uncommon care which is
III lu i.'li'aulia«!:i<, both in their perBons and. rooms.

tpuaucc is gravity and good-nature or sagacity.——
Hearing and sight are usually very acute; but
the other senses more or less obtuse by their man-
ner of living and the climate. The gait and
gestures of the body have a peculiar and often
impassioned vivacity, partaking, even with the
mere rustics, of a,certaiii complaisance and an
engaging manner.

The same leatures, on the whole, are con-
spicuous in the temale sex, but in general im-
proved, and here and there actmilly. dignified.
A delicate skin and a ruddy complexion are in
the vulgar idea the first requisites of beauty;
but 1:0 where is paint so essential an article of
the toilet as here, even among the lowest classes
of the people. As the growth of the Russian
ladies is not confined by any bandages, stays, or
other compresses, the proportions of the parts
usually far exceeds the line which the general
taste of Europe has prescribed for the contour of
•k fine shape.— The early maturity of girls, at
v\liich they generally arrive in the twelfth or
thirteenth year is only to be accounted foe, in so
cold a climate, by the frequent use of hot baths,
which, while it accelerates this expansion, also

" In Another visit which I paid to this hospital, I savr
the foundliii'^s at dinner: the girls and boys dine separate*
ly. The dining rooms, which aro upon the ground lloor^
are l.irije .I'ld vaulted, and distinct from their work-rooms.
The lirst cl.iss sit at taMe; the rest stand: the little children
are attended by servants ; but those of the first and second
class alternately wait on each other. I'lacli foundling has
a napkin, pewter plate, a knife, fork, and spoon: the
napkin mul table clo(h are clean (hree limes in tlio
week. They lisc at six, dine at eleven, and sup at »iv.
The little children have bread at seven and four. AVIieii
they are not employed in their necessary occupations tiio
utmost freedoni is allowed, ami they arc encouraged to bo
as much in the air as possible. 'I'lie whole was a lovely
sight; and the coiintenauces of the cliildren expressed tho
utmost coivtjnt and happiness." See Coxe's Travels tiirougii
I'ol.md, Uu.ssia, Sweden, and Denmark, vol. ii. p. C3. Bva
edition.

'':. t

^. !■

ft'

.••■|sil tu of Jtif '

brings

522

TOOKK'S VIf!W OF THE RUSSIAN FMPIRE.

brings on early decay of beaiity ajid solidity of
bodily frame. Married women seldom retain
the fresh complexion and the peculiar chariDs of
youth beyond the first lying-in. By their baths,
their paint, and the great submission in which
they live with their husbands, the moderate share
of beauty with which nature has einlowed these
daughters of the northern earth is gcnerall> faded
at an age when the' husband is just entering on
his prime.

Among the collateral branches of the Russian
stock but few variations are discernible in the
bodily form. The Malo-Russians have some-
what of the Poles in their physiognomy; the
Donkozaks partake of the Tartarian, and the
Uralkozaks of the Tartarian and Kalmuck,
which proceeds from the commixture, wherein
these people have long been accustomed to live.
With all of them, however, the main lineaments
are Russian, and so impossible to be mistaken,
that the form of the face alone affords the strong-
est proof ^f their parentage.

The bodily frame of the Russians is excejient.
Their happy organization, their cheerful and
blithe temper, that hardness which they oppose
to every inconveniency, the natural simplicity of
their manner of living, and their rude, but dry
and whc'esome climate, procure to the great
mass of the people a degree of physical com-
placency of which few other nations can boast.

There are not many peculiar diseases prevalent
aniong the Russians, and against most of them
they know how to guard themselves by simple
diet and domestic remedies. The women every \
where bring forth with great facility, and usually ,
in the bath-rooms; the number of still-born :
children is therefore, in comparison with other i
Countries, extremely small. There the small

pox and measles carry off not nearly $o m
children as in the greater part of the rest of p"'

rope; but on the otli< r hand the eflccts of
real disorders are more dangerous and infoct:
the virulence of it being unhappily iiicrpasoir

vciie.

the cold. — In Siberia, sometinies

>» summer, ,

disease called by the Germans the histseuclio ,■
sickness appears, an emidcniical disease a?

Jt shews Ksclf |,j
bodv, aiul, if

tacking both man and beast

a bile on some parts of the

speedy assistance can be had, is mortal, tho

* The use of the bath, that venerable relic of the man-
ners of the ancient world, is now almost entirely confined
to the oriental natioiis, where it ministers both to health
and to luxury, and h perpntnatcd by religion. In Europe
jt has beer gradually declining forneveral centuries, thtiigh
it ^\'as here also <n some sort interwoven with religion ;
Ilutsio. and llaii(;ary are at prcsciit the only counti-ii>s in
this (tuartcr ')f the world, where it is still ihc custom to
Lath'! after the 'I'aniier of th". ancient's. In Russia particu-
larly the bath makr^ so muc^ apart of the system of living,
that t is used I'y people of every age ."ud in all circnm.
«itanc >8, by infants, by women at their lyt'.ig.in, in almost,
. ait si kncsses, before and after a'journey, after hard work,
iic. The bath is a utcessary of life so iDdispoasiliic to luO

not infettious; but they have now found outj
easy and safe method of cure.— About the Up J
Lena croups or goitress arc common eiioiiih
yoimg people however, get quit of (hem j,
coming to parh where they have better water-
In the ncighbourho id of thv^ Caspian there is
horrible, {edious, and deadly leprosy, whirhhai
pily, however, becomes less and less frequent
its attacks, and is generally called, from
former country, the Krimean disease.

Most of the household remedies of the comnio
Russians arc truly heroic. A mixture of leeh
garlic, Spanish-pepper, and brandy, seems wi(
them to be the grand panacea, and is gnplie
without regard or distinction in all diseases (
whatever kind and haw opposite soever; soali
aconite, hellebore, and the like, arc 'n hi;
reputation for their medicinal virtues. Inptii
and aches of the bones or limbs, and in cholidi
complnints, they burn moxa of artemisia, 4
on the bare skin. — In geaeral the common Ru
sians use but few medicines; supolving the
place in ali cases by the sweating baths: aprai
tice so universal among them, and which ha$i
decided an influence on the whole physical sta
of tl 0 people, that we must absolutcl}
little longer upon it *.

common people, that th ?y frequent it as often ss pos'J!
well or ill, and without any particular orcasion once
week at least. Persons of the middle stuliun, iiigoodd
ciimstances, and the f:,ri'at, usually construct vapxir I]
after the Russian fashion in thuir own liuu!>e$; Ihon^lil
these classes the practice is becoming more cunliutil |
foreign nmnners gain ground among them.

The biiths have been common throughout Ttus.iiafro
time immemorial ; they uri-. described by Nestcr .iu loiigii
as the eleventh century precisely as they are coiisdluidj
present.— Among the ancients thc1)aths were public ImiiT
ings, under tho immediate cognizance of th - Kovirnimi
Their invcntio'' was owing to cleaniiu''., \uA toiiTcniciKJ
but in tbo sequel all the gracei of art.l^.t,..(urs wcrcLiiiitj

♦ -^

TOOKF/S VIT'W OF TIIF, RUSSIAN FMPFRK.

523

Tlic Russian language is an improved dialect
I f tlii';Uii^"in'Hn, which, with its chtiracters is
II ji, lis,; ill the olllce of religion. The Russian
I l,,,l„,t has foitj-one letters, whereof soukj arc
I nlv iintes of aceeiits in promiriciatioii. The
'l ' |.|,ri. IS riih in word?, soft, expressive, and
j j^ij|.,., .vreat pliancy in the organs of utterance.
Ifeiiiiwiiw liavo been foiauied of old in the epis-
l < seals; gvninasiuins and thi! universities of
|Kicl'aii'lM"s<'oare fiMnuhilionsofgreat antiquity.
iTIii're «'iis however, a delicieney in scliooU; and
Itfctr'i'iirc the late empress was constantly adding
1(0 their iiinid)er. BesiJcs these, hero arc in;di-
lliilioii- <or (lie education of the military and the
liwbilitv, a.ul for young ladies of quality; an
licadDiiiv al.io of sciences; and another for the
Ijtudv (it'thc arts, which were entirely re-erected
^naniagiiificent plan by Catharine II. to whose
niinilict'iite likewise the nation is indebted for
lliceslablislnnent of an academy for the improve-
jifiit of rural economy, and a society for the
Utivatioi) of the Russian language. In the
jerrral inUitutiuns for tlic purposes of education
llirougliout the empire, the pupils are found in

b<ion lli>'ni, iiiul at Ipngth liixuiy and Toliiptiiuusncss so dis-
Licl tlu'iii from thi'ir priiiiilive purposes, that tki-y were
i;ii.n,iii'iiiKl shocking evi'ii to Jh« moralists of antiqi:ity.
lk\aiiilor «.!'• ustoiiished at the niagiii licence of the l)uliis
iPirsiii: iitHonu', under tUc emperors, there were once
Liiiliiimlud and «cv('nty of these edifices, that in point of
hjnilicoiuT and in.sie ii)iij;ht pass for master-pieces of art;
IrJvihitli wi'if doomed in aflcrtintes to be demolislied by
loih.S or converted into churches by bishops. — In our

iistliMig.iry i< the only co"nlry that can still slicvv baths
Iqiialin nia;,'i.iilci.'nce to those of the ancient Uoinans, In
iuiiia. 0" the contrary, they are always of that simple
|l)!l^l^ul•,loll which bespeaks tlicir 'riii.itive and inostesscu-

ilJt'slliK'.tion.

litre tlji> pi:blic baths usually consist of mean wooden
|o;iKS, .situated, whenever it is possible, by the side of a
liiiiiMiiV't''''ain. In the bath-room is a lari;e vaulted oven,
kliicli hIii'ii heated makes the paving-stones lyin:; njioii it

i.hut; and adjoining tc the oven is a kettle fixed in ina-
fciirv, for the |)iirpose of holdinu; boilinu; water. IJouiid
pout the walls are three or four rows of bniclies one above

iihfrlik" the scats of a scafl'old. 'J"he room has little
fchl, but here and there arc apertures for lettii'n the vapour
loa;,e: die cold wate; (hat is waniini; liein!^ let in by small
launch. Some baths have an anti-chamber f<»r dressiiij;
id iiiiiliTssini; ; but in the most of them (his is done in the
bill fmirt-yanl, wliich on that accoui'.t h.:s a bordered
pre. iind ij provided with benches of planks.

Hv far the majority of the baths arc constructed as they
cliiTi! ilescribed. In tfce country, in part.s w here wood is
(iirco, iiicy sonielimes consist of iiiiserable ( avv riis. com.
kinlyiliig in the earth close to the bank of some liu'r. In

; Vol. IF. No. C VIII.

every necessary article, s'.icli as board, Iodeini»?,
food, raiment, wasliing, «S;c. and are depiisden*
01) (he foimdation. Accordingly the entrance
into these .schools is accounted a service rendt red
to (lie country; and in letkoniiig the years of
service, in order to promotion in rank, the years
of attendance at schoid are always intludiul.

The native Russians arc of ditllriMit stature;
some arc very fall, hut few nuiclt below (he usual
hoigh( ; several of them arc remarkably stron.""
limbfeil ; in p:cncral they are lean, hut well built.
Tlidse dei'oiiniiies which in other |>arts (»f Eu-
rope are mostly owing to the relincincnls of
luxury introduced info educafion, are here birt
rarely seen: their mouth and eyes arc small, the
lips thin, the teeth evci and beautiful, the nostr,
as every where, variotis, in general noi large nor
very aquiline; the ft)rehcad frequently h)\v, ind
their aspect rather grave: (he heard ''s strong
and bushy, their hair lank, hr.)wn, Ib.xen, or
red, seldom entirely black: in sight and hearing
they are uncommonly acute: (he organs of feel-
ing, smell, and taste, are hardened, like all (he
rest of their body, by the rudeness of their cli-

thc houses of wealthy individuals, and in (he ji.iiaces of (lis
great, they are formed upon th ' same i.jn.struction, but in.
linitely more ele-^ant and convenient

The h(!at in the bath-room is usually from (hirfy.fwo to
forty degrees of Reaumur, and that greatly incr'.'a^ed by >he
throwing of water every five minutes on liu' i;liiwiiii; hot
stones in the chamber of the oven. By this means the heat
often rises, especially on the uppermost bench, (o forty,
four degrees of that thermometer.- -The bailiers lie, stark
naked, on one of the benches, where they perspire more or
•ess in proportion to the heat of the humid ;iliiios|ihcre in
which th -y arc enveloped. In order the better to promii!n
perspl'ation and comj)letely to open ihe pores, they ar*
first rubbed, ,'nd then gently fiat,nlliied with leafy biauchssi
of birch. After remaining awhile th-y comedown from the
sweating-bench and wash their body with warm or coll
w."!i'r, and at last plun/,e over head in a large tub of water.
Many people throw tl'cmselves immediately from the bath
room into the adjoinii!^ river as the youths of ancient Kor<ie
used ii( leap info a pond after thj violent cxerei<e of wrest-
ling, or roll themselves in the suow iu a frost of ten or
twelve degrees.

Tlie Russian baths, therefore, are sweatlii^-baths: not
the Koina-i tepidaria and caldaria of a moderate w^irnith,
but very >ioli'i.t sweating.baths which to a p';rsoii not
h.iliidiated to the practice, bring ou a real, tluuigh a gentle
ami almost voluptuous swoon. They are tapour baths,
not water, nor yet dry sweating.baths ; herein they ililtor
from all the baths of antiquity as well as from those of tlio
modern orientals ; and this is also tlici'- essential excellence,
(liat they are ...^nelicial in such a variety cf cases where hot
water baths wottUl be useless or even pernicious.

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524

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

mate and manner of life. They are mostly of a
choleric temperament; in gait and action they
are brisk, lively, and agile.

The complectiou of the females is brunette,
witb ■\ fine skin; many of them very handsome.
Gil 13 generally arrive early at maturity, numbers
in their twelfth or thirteenth year; but many of
them lose all their beauty after being married
about a couple of years. The frequent use of
the hot bath promotes an early devclopement,
and as speedy a decay ; and the hideous practice
of painting spoils the skin.

The general disposition of the people is gay,
careless even to levity, much addicted to sensuality,
quick in comprehension, and prompt in execution.
Violent in their passions, they easily mistake the
golden mean, and not unfrequently rush into the
contrary extreme. They are attentive, resolute,
bold, and enterprising. To trade and barter
they have an irresistible impulse. They arc hos-
pitable and liberal, frequently to their own im-
poverishment. Anxious solicitudes about the
future here cause but few grey pates. In their
intercourse with others, they are friendly, jovial,
complaisant, \ery ready to oblige, not envious,
slanderous, or censorious, and much given to
reserve. From their natural and .simple way of
life, tl'" - Wiiiits arc few, and those easily satis-
fied, leaving them leisiue for recreations and re-
jtose ; and (lie constant chee'Tulness of their tem-
per frees tlicm from troublesome projects, pro-
cures them satisfaction in all situations, keeps
them healfhy and strong, and brings tlicm vo an
undisquieted, contented, brisk, sometimes a very
advanced old age.

In the diflerent villiigcs all over the empire
ve see the nnu'lianical businesses of towns carried
on; but more especially in the parts adjacent to
the Volga, and in the vicinity of the governments
of Mosro, Nishney-Novogorbd, and Kazran.

The employments of the female sex, both in
(own and country, vary but little from those in
the neighbouring countries. They see to the
cleanliness of the house, spin, weave linen and
coarse cloth on frames, in quality but little in-
ferior to what is brought from fieraiany; they
bleach, full, and colour, knot the ends of the
threads for a span long, for talile cloths, neck
cloths, &c. make felt, bake bread ev^-ry day, &c.
In general they are kept closer to work, and fare
harder than is customary amor.g their European
neighbours.

The country market towns and haml.*
commonly open; and are mostly built
gular streets, with little kitchen-ganl '' "'1

large yards to the houses. They arf .iS .
the banks of the rivers, since the di"** 1
wells IS not in practice: as in most parffu.

the roads and streets are frequently madT'f .
hers, or banks h-id close together, naw ""'*
upper pa^t made flat with the hatcliet. TheJ

'ng till

contam many, not large, but jrood'lnJI
churches, mostly of brick and plaistcr Sj
monasteries m and near the towns, from (1 I
strong walls, massy gates, and nuuicrous ch„ J
towers, hare the appearance of tustlcg Tk
fortresses dispersed about the country h
seldom earth-ramparts, mostly batteries of b,!!
aid one on the other, in the same .mnncr
they b-..ild heir house.; and about thcscaloi
palisade. Ihc cannons stand on tlie .rates an
upon the angles of the ramparts or batteii'.,
wooden carriages. Their design iMo ii i,h
tributary tribes in awe, and tlie \,< .-Ail
nomades from the borders. Ostrog >, ,,^„
surrounded with a palisade of upright pointd
banks, are either in towns, where thev sorvei
prisons for criminals, or solitary in various nail
of the country, for the same purpose as tlicfo,
tresses, Villages, of extremely various dime]
sions, ar.d parishes are situated on the inar^
ivers, brooks, Jakes, and sometimes oi.^mti
morasses and springs. The parishes, orrhurj
vijlages, are sometimes very extensive; and coil
tain, it may be five hundred or even a thou J
and m«)re tHrms, from three to seven cliurdi
many of brick, markets, and trallickin}; plard
Large villages are frequently called slobodl
and are less than church villages: the lioiisisal
ranged in strait streets, and the streets inosth
with timbers. The proper Russian ardiiteclu
is alike in towns and villages. A mcssua'ci
sists of a dwelling-house, with little "slori
rooms, stables, and d. stow, or hot bath,
which the yard is enclosed. All these striictiid
are built of banks, unhewn, placed on ol
another, and notched into each other at the fol
corners; sometimes, though hut rarely, on f
brick foundation : these houses are covered wij
boards, and w hen the owner can afl'ord it, wil
oak shingles. The meanest dwelling-houscsco|
sist solely of one little room, which lhercfore'|
the door to the street. In it is an oven, taliif

ilaei

.[)■: to '

FTHl

TOOKR'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRF.

525

almost one fourth part of the whole space;
oiiiing to it, of equal height with the oven,
' broad shelf of board. Tlie top of the oven
d this shelf are the sleeping places of the
.jlv. The light is admitted into these houses
roiieh two or three holes in the walls furnished
th shutters, or through a little window of
uscovy-glass, or only of bladder, oiled linen,
Mper. l^hc smoke fnids its wny out as well
it can through these apertures in the wall.
,^5^; rooms, as may well be suj) posed, are aj
Ilk as a chimney, and, as all the household
iiclions are performed in them, s:ich as biking,
,,|^ji,rr, washing, &c. it is hardly possible to
fp thein clean. They arc called, with the ut-
)'t propriety, black rooms. Under the floor
(he room is a cellar*.

The corn kilns are without the towns and vil-
res. Places thus built must be very liable to
ms firfs; *"^' >'heu once they break out,
'v rarely leave any thing unconsumed. The
uschold furniture, both in town apd country,
Ml among people of opulence, is very simple.
(he room which, with very few exceptions, is
the same time, the kitchen, are a table,
nches, the sb^if, which serves for the dormi-
■V, and in tlie corner one or more holy figures,
^c lich have a great many of them, some with
ns of beaten silver. Before these lamps or wax
ndles arc kept constantly burning, or at least
all the festivals, which amoinits to nearly the
lie thing; so that many of these summer-rooms
vethc appearance of little chapels. Culinary
cnsiU, and those for the use of ti,.; table, arc
few as can well be conceived. As vehicles
fy n'.ake use of quite small open one horse
rk tii >>mewhat larger, and iialf covered over
nchil'^s cradle, also with one horse, with-
in!':: i'o that a collateral horse can at any
,,i i>'-' p * to; both kinds of such a simple
Ecliai, "h vhat almost any boor can make a
wone, Of at least repair the defects of an old
e, even upon the road. They are extremely
rht and conunodious. — Splinters, like laths, of

» A complete touii or counfiv Iioiisi>, for the sako of
liiiga collur, stands raisod a fathom above the groimii,
Jlus a black room and a wliite room, and bitwicn tht-
0, a small paksage. 'I'lic black. room lus frc(|Mcntl) a
imm-y to (lie o»cii, and a winilow of glass or niailcnslas ;
t the whitcroom has the oven of tiles, or bricks covered
th plaster. The entrance, by acovered lliglit of «ooden
[y: to 'h») aforcBjcntioiicd passagej is from the butk-jard,

fir or vc»y dry birch-wood are much more com-
monly used for giving light in the room^ after
dark, than tallow-candles.

The inferior houses are much pestered with
domestic vermin; besides the common house-rat
and mouse, they swarm with water-rats, bats,
large beetles very frequent, orickets, bugs, fleas
in abundance; various kinds of very troublesome
Ties, gnats, moths, woodlicc; in southern low
places frogs, toads, and tad- poles; in Siberia
little beetles; and about the Tsliercmtshan, Lap-
land beetles. The preparation for their victuals
is so simple that foreigners do not easily bring
themselves to relish it, but adhere to the custom-
ary way of dressing their food in their own
countries.

Fresh meats with the watery sauce, or baked
pasties of connnon crust, with minced-meat, or
whole fish, fish with water and salt, without
other sauce, cabbage and roots chopped together,
cabbage-soup, which is never omitted, meagre
fish and flesh soups, cool drink, qiias, with eggs,
minced-meat, and leeks, pancakes, soup of
ground hemp and linseed, millet-soup and grits,
turned milk with meal and sour milk, &c. almost
all seasoned with onions, leeks, garlic, and some-
times pimento, are their ordinary dishes. Where
Tartars dwell, they use likewise a few wild roots,
especially dog tooth, lily-roots, and others. For
the evening repast are served up nuts, orchard-
fruits, and the several wild fruits produced by
the country rourd; black strawberries, sloes, &c.
At an entertainment of their friends and ac-
quaintance they provide a surprising variety of
these kind of dishes. The lower sort feed very
poorly at all limes, but particularly in the fasts.
In large towns, the table in good houses is be-
coming more luxurious and fasluoiiable from day
to day.

The most common domestic drink is quas, a
liquor prepared from pollard, meal, and bread,
or from meal and malt, by an acid fermentation.
It is cooling and well tasted. Corn-spirits, and
rectiticd corn spirits, supply the place of wine.

not from the street. The magazines or store-rooms are
small ili'tachcd huts for provisions, corn, in short all the
nt'ccs^ary stores. The stables are more hovels or sheds,
open to the yard, or at nu).-,t fronted with wattles, paid «itli
mortar; in the latter case they are called pokteti. The
b.uh room ri>sembles a detached black-room. It stanils
ilone; has an oven like the other, siuoke-holes, a water
tub, bruslicS) aud benchei raited one ab^vc another.

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520"

TOOKI-?S VIFAV OF TIIR UU8SIAN EMPIRF!.

In good liotises are friiit-winos, rasbcrry-wiiie,
clicrry-winc, bilbcrry-wino, &c. from the juices
of tliose fruits, inccd and brandy made by fcr-
iiuMitation, wliicli are pleasant enou^li to the
})alatt' Tea is in very general use. The true
Russian tea, is a decoction of honey, water, and
S])aiiish pepjier, and drank warm. It tastes well
and cheers the stomarh.

In the article of dress they adhere as faithfully,
in the country towns and villages, to the manners
of their fathers, as they do in food and lodging.
The noblesse, all the oHicers in the civil de|»art-
iiiciit; and, besides the light troops, the soldiery
all over the empire, the merchants of the chief
towns and those who trade with them, the mine-
owners, and ahnost all the people of quality
throughou;. the empire, dress after the German
fashion; and the ladies, even in tlv remotest and
most retired parts of the country, i" ••"" more
modishly attired than would easily t> ;ined.

The burghers and mercantile class, hov.. r, ge-
nerally .speaking, stick cl(».se to the national
dress, no less than the jjcasantry.

The Russians are a race much liardened by
climate, education, and habits of life, having
their own peculiar usages, which have a greater
aflinity with the Asiatic than the Kuropean,
only without the effeminacy. They sleep on the
floor, the hard benches, or the boards placed
shelf-wise for that pur|>ose, in the suuuuer con-
tentedly lying down in the open air, in the field,
or the yard of the house, as they do in the win-
ter on the top of th(^ oven without beds, or mere-
ly on a piece of fell', scmietimcs with, and often
without any pillow, either under a thin covering
cr in their clothes. After performing their eve-
ning devotions, accompanied with frequent
prostrations and crossings, before the sacred
ligures of the saints, they betake themselves early
fo rest, and rise again betimes in the morning,
wash themselves, renew tfu'V pious orisons, and
proceed with alacrity to business. Into the
houses of the great and opulent, even at a dis-
tance from chief towns, feather !)eds, and late
liours, with other lu.vuries, have long since found
their way.

AVhcnever acquaintance meet together, their
term of greeting is, Zdravstvui*! or sometimes,
Zdarovuif! accompanied with shakingof hands,

* Which may lie rt'iidfrcd, All liail ! or God save (het!
or good betide thcc! — Salve ! Sit bululi 1

taking oll'f he cap, bowing, and often Tvilh I i„'
which is much in practice with both sexes v'"^'
the lowest of the people greet one anolh-r V
great civility. Inferiors kiss their suiicriar""
the breast, and of peoj)le sfill more dcvji"!)
above t!u nii they kiss the border of ilu! >^aiin,,'t.
and when the diiTerence is very grcut,^i'l;..v'ni
j down and strike thoir foreheadHpoii (Ik; si,„. '
I the great man. When (liey have aiivdiiij!"
i request, they assiune a tone and fRitaii- ^ '
they were imploring mercy. It is iiidccorons ('1
speak l(Mid in llie |)resence of superior:,; a„j ,■
any one happens to do so, he is pr(',cn(lv'iluil hi
the bystanders, with ''Do not bawl !" Mhe,,
man designs to honour his guests, he Ids his ^^^l
and daughters appear, full-dressed, wlio kisjihj
guests, and hand them what they want at (he en.
tertaimnent. They seem to vie with one anothcrin
the profusions of hospitality. Old age i^ n,,,
versally honoured. On the breaking no oicim-
panv. (hey depart, saying, " Prohha'i];!" ;,„j|
never omiting (he valedictory kiss. On tliesh"!!;.
est interruption or alteration to the ordiiury
course of whatever (hey are about, at eniii"
drinking, sneezing, at a sudden start, &i'. at 1^'
sight of a particular place, of a churcli, Oic. tiny
make the sign of the cross with (he fingers, on die
foreliead, the stomach, and the shoulders bin.
ing several times, and ".dding with a dcep-l'eklitj
sigh : " The l.,ard Iiave mercv>) !"

They have usually two meals in tlie day; in
the forenoon about nine o'clock, and in the Kfui.
noon at tliree. The family at these tiiiici ciaall
together; and, when it is nunu-roiis, lii^t ilie
males and afterwards those of the other snj
They allow themselves but a short (lie.;; at t,ihle
and arc easy and cheerful. Kveu anioiiij iheiii.
ferior people, the table-linen, and vcsmIs m
kept in great cleanliness. If strangers sitdowa
w ith them there are very copious potations In.
toxie;«tion is not disgraceful, and e ii mmf\
|)eople of good condition, if a lady he (ivirhUa
in liquor, it is no subject of reproach, llioj
are never quarrelsonu; or scurrilous in llitii(ii|H,
but friendly, jovial, courteous, speak in pi.ue
of the absent, and boast of their fricndsliip; mil
thos,^ that are not able to stand, find reiulvai-
sistance from those that can. On jotuiiies met
chants and others lake (heir food wilh retiiiirk;iblv|

+ Itcalth! Sospcs! Sanii^!

J Karowcli. ^ (Jospodi pomiliii!

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TOOKF'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

527*

Lff formalities. In towns and great village
It lions, /otncn sit in tlic street, near the public-
|f_';vith tables liaviiig roast and boiled meat,
If h pifogg'^^*' cabbage-soup, cucumbers, bread,
I 'd qiiasj consequently a superb and every where
cap repast, which is taken standing, and al-
jvs accompanied with a glass or two of brandy.
to li»t ""^ *^"'*^ bathing they are so habituated
« I, their earliest infancy that the practice is in-
Lnciisil'lc- They usually go into the hot bath
Lf a wcpk, besides other frequent occasions,
Lli as. aft'-'"' ^ slis^t indisposition, hard work,
Intcliirniiig from a journey, and the like. They
■ llic bath very hot, heating the room with
le stones made glowing red, and raising a
jioiir by repeatedly throw ing w ater upon them ;
Lioomall the while being so tight that no par-
fl^sof lifat or vapour can transpire, Tlio halher
LeUeiidccI naked upon a mat thrown on one of
shches of the scatlold already described,
[lichilie higher he ascends the greater the heat
(l',,k ^\ hen he has thus lain perspiring for
U liiiic, the waiter of the bath, generally a
Lie, couies and washes his i)ody all »>vcr with
kiwii'.or, bconrges and rubs him with bunches
.jiV biicli, wipes him wiili cloths, and then
lu'jiiiiu to lie and sweat as long as he chooses.
Liilirrsoflhcni run from the hot bath into the
U,l\Mtor flowing by, and in winter roll tliem-
|h.> in the snow, without deriving any bad con-
jjem'Os from it.
IWiiii substantial people the marriage-contract
Inude uitli mercan Ao punctuality; the com-
frU'iiter into the nuptial state, for its pe-
lir purposes, as young as they can; and, as
I'piii;^ is not expensive, and as education
liiiiiiicr attended with cost nor trouble, they
;;- uiiiiii at (lieir ease as bolbre. The be- |
:,i;r is performed with ecrlesiastical rites, i
r, A ci^iit (lays previous to the nicirriagv", |
i^ iiidissuiulile. During this inh-j'saj, the |
m is oiilv visited by the bridegroom and the
mI hi'f acquuintance, who uiouse her with ,
1,^ Oa the last evening the young women
[; ilic liiide into the hot bath, vhere they !
It mi ;i(; up her hair all tlu! while singing {
|aJs iijciiplive of her lulure happiness. The |
[iiiiv is soil luiii/ed in the church befdre the I
Miitiicr they proceed, with the figure of I
siiiit (allied betore thcui. During the cere-
■y a (I'owit is put on each uf their heads.
loL, II, No. CVIII.

The priest, with due forms, changes (heir ringN,
reads to them an admonition of their reciprocal
duties, gives them to drink of a cup in token of
the present union of their fortunes, and dismisses
them with his blessing. At their return from
cinirch the father of the bride presents the young-
couple with a loaf of bread and some salt, ac-
companied with a wish that they may never know
the want of either, for which they thank him on
their knees. They then sit down to su|)per.

The national diversions of the Russians on
holidays, at weddings, and other occasions of
festivity, are very diversified, and have great re-
semblance with those customary among the Per-
sians, the Arabians, and Egyptians. Their music*
is more usually vocal than instrumental. On th(i
whole globe we shall scarcely meet with a country
when; the song is more jovial and universal than
in Russia. They all siii9,' fioni tli'? child to the
hoary hrad, on all occasions, old women except-
ed, even while at the most lulxnioiss anil toilsome
work, and generally with all their might; the
country roads re-eclio with the songs of the
drivers, the village-sitrcets with the merry voices
of the girls, and drinking houses are never with-
out a concert. Their songs are simple recitations,
ancient or modern; on the subject of love, natiu'e,
and talcs of chivalry, giants, and heroes, fre-
quently lewd, and th(>ir melodies uniform and
monotonous, but sometimes pleasing enough.
The little groups of girls sitting together of an
evening and sin<(ing are verv entertaining. The
men sing, from the fullness of their hearts, ex-
ploits of soldiers or kozaks in time of war, or a
thousand otln-r subjects that will* suit their own
style of compositi(ui, and their tunes and their
thoughtless ni.'irv disposiliiuis. reciting soinefimei
single wcrds or lines from diiicrenl songs iu oery
tune and Cor whole hours tugetlier.

I'lie (lead are sinceielv and long lamented by
their relations and fVieiid.s; but, tVoui a natura4
repugnance to the idea of death, they \\>c but
little cerenjoiiv with tl'.c corpse. Thcv piit'on it
a .shroud, then lay it in a coilin, in wlr.rli it is
brought open, oniv covered with a piill ta the
gr;ive, atfcuiicd hv priists, chiinlitig hxnin;, and
bearing crosses and lighted tapers in their hands.
Rcing conie to liie place of ititennent, the at-
tciidauts take leive ol the body bv a kiss, give it •
a blessing, tlien I'asten up the coliiii, liM it down
into the grave, and siiovc;! in lliv; earth. On these
(i U occasions

1 'V^

,,' 1

■p!

'■.,i
'4.

528

TOOKF.'S Vir.W OF THE RUSSIAN FIMPIRR.

occasions the nobles and the rich put on black,
but others make no chiin<;e in tlicir drcs*, Tlie
lower sort bury tlicir (h'inl in tlicir ordiiuirv
clolhcs. Sui h as die in (he barks upon the rivers
are hikcn to tlie sliore by their companions, and
tlieie pu( in (he f^round, without any <(fhcr cere-
mony, riif.it liiiural (Vasts and niournint;; in
bhu k clolhcs arc not cnstoniarv: anionic; (he few
(iisht's they ser\e about, one is usuiitly a t'rnmciity
ot'sdiikcd wheat, in rcl'eience to tl.c pussajie con-
rcrniuii; a sproutiujjf vhcat-corn in John .\ii. 'ilr.
In .'frcitt towns (he I'uncral obsccpiies are con-
ducted, ainonji: people of condition, as ''leyare
in other countries.

At the new year is annually held a feast of (be
dead, on which every body visits (he g^ravc of his
relations, lays some vicluals upon it, and hears
mass, in payment for whicb the priest geia >iie
victuals. Protligates, such as have come to u
miserable end, and all who have died without
(he sacrament, were formerly thrown, without
inhumation, into a but for that purpose, and, on
(he Thursday before Whitsunday, were buried
by (he clcriiv, who said masses for (heir souls,
iiitcndcd hy (he inhabitants of the place. At
present grc'tcr indulgence is shewn to these poor
wre(ches.

TIk; ancient orthodox Greek religion, to which
the whole nation is attached, is universally ac-
knowledged in doctrine and discipline. \\ e shall
Jiere speak only of its c.vternals. The churches
and the sacerdotal vestments are very magnificent.
The people at large are very strict in the ob-
servance of the outward forms of worship, at-

I'oal
'> btiii

tendance on mass, keeping the fasts, f whip], * ,
up one-third part of the >ear, ) perlor;!!;!,,.,
domestic devotions morning juirl evpnin!,
fessi(m, receivuig the sacrament, &c,
churches is a meritorious act; hence it is "d'
even (he smallest towns have such a nuinbc
these structures, and some of Ihem hand „ '
As, by reason of the severity of (Ik; winics It'
necessary to beat (he churclu-s, there ;ir(. f
(juendy two churches in one cluircli-urd
win(er and a summer church; at oilier tiuics (I
consist of two stories, used (o the same purno-;
The clergy are held in great honour, and arced
tremely tolerant towards all other iirof'fjsions
faith. The titles of metropolitan and arclibisli
are not attached to the see, but are at prpij,
merely personal distinctions conlerred by t|
sovereign, which give the possessors no addiiio
power, and scarcely any precedence. Evervo
on meeting a priest, kisses his band, in return
which he receives his blessing with the sign
the cross: this custom is now, liowever, pre
much confined to country places. Passion \ti
is kept by every person in great apparent
lemnity, with frequent ceremonies of devoti
to which they are invited by slow and disi
strokes of the church-bells: but the Easter-w
is pass >d pretty nearly as in some other coimtrii
invariousdiversions, drunkenness, and debaiichei
At this festival it is the universal custom ail 01
the empire to present each other with an ei
accoippanicd with u kiss, at the same time savi
"Christ is risen!" to which the other repli
" He is risen iudecd!"

, SECTION V.

The Chace, with a particular Description of the JMethods made Use of far taking the several Jnii

HUNTING was every where the first occu-
pation of man. Impelled by hunger, and
incited to resistance by the attacks of savage ani-
mals, his first business was to struggle with them
for the support of his life. In most of the coun-
tries in our part of the globe the chace has lost
this character: it is now, neither from want nor
fear, a business of necessity: and even (he em-
ployments which in the earlier stages of the Eu-
ropean nations was a toilsome and dangerous

nmim

pursuit, is become an object of diversion ai
|)leasure. Kut in Russia are still nuincroustribi
who, in regard to (heir physical wants, arei
(irely or principally addicted to the eliaie, ;
are obliged to contend for their cxistoiue «
the savnu-e inhabitants of their deserts. Considd
cd in this point of view, (he chare is aln
a business of very great consequence tothcRd
sian empire: but if we look to the qiiantitja
the value of the products that arc ubtaiiiedl

...- • . id

TOOKK'S VIEW or TITF RUSSIAN EMPinF.

529

.,, -urtijif, not only to the home ronsimiptioii,
II I likewise to its commerce with foroii^n niiUons,
I, ujfpg Olio poliliciil iinporlaiu'c iiiorp, wliich
r nosM "" "* *^*' necessity of becoming somewhat
I re 8i'Ciii''it»-''>' acfjUiiiiilod witli tiie matiiier in
rhicli it is conducted, and the objects to whidi

Ijifxtpnils.
In Sibc'"- <hc chacc is confined to such beasts
have vabiable skins, and in pmsuancc of sii-
I rfinc command to those naJions who deliver
ILir tribute in tors, and make hnntino,- their
I .|gf employment ; but here also the Hnssian
Vor never fails to devote (o tli^ chace the idle
\ii\i of winter. The wild animals which are
Lrsucil for the sake of iheir skins are found in
le gfentcst plenty in the most northern and
astern par's of Russia', principally on the island^
ictwfcn Kamtshatka and America, the dis-
flfcry whereof is become of vast importance to
>fiir trade. Next to these the governments of
[f Tobolsk, Pcrme, Usa, Viatka, Archangel,
Jnnetz, Vologeta, and some otaers, are most
Ibiindant in beasts of the chace.
But precisely where the cbucc is the most lu-
\ii\\\e there it is a very diliiciilt, toilsome, and
jerilouJ business; accordingly it is made a prin-
Ipal employment only by the most uncultivated
itions, as, the Ostiaks, Samoyedes, Vogules,
runcusef.Tschuktsches, KamtschadaleSjYakutes,
|e Eastern islanders, and the majority of the
Itierian Tartars. With several of these nations
le chacc is the sole means of profit by which
Sev are enabled to procure food, clothes, and
jllier necessaries; and these pay their taxes to
mfriimeiit or their tribe, in furs. In deliance
Kf all the hardships atlcnding the chacc of large
ieasHof prey in the monstrous forests and wilder-
iC'sesof the arctic region, this trade is not only
lie principal but al<>o the favourite em|)loyuient
[most of its inhabitants. It is by no means un-
kual for single hunters of these savage tribes to
Bgage in duels with bears, wolves, and other
rocioiis animals, in whicl* they are so sure of
leartilice or their aim, that they seldom or never
III in the combat. Some nations, as the Ostia1(s
[the Oby, never go to the chace but in small

I* The manner in which the sables of Kiunlslialka are
Ion is extremely simple. The KanUsliadules follow the
kck uf this animal in siiow.!>!iues, till they have ileteeted
I cuiort, which is generally a burrow in the earlh. As
jouas the little creature is aware of his pu'^uer, lie cscupes

companies, when they beat about the forests for
four or six vt'cks toji-etlier iti qii(!st of prey,
tnkiiig with them no rjflicr provisions than frozen
fish ill little sledooi. Whcroas llie 'ruuguscH and
others roam sina;ly about their wilds, which arc
covered with moinitains, fraj'tneufs of rocks, and
large rivers, anil where tliry often fall a sacrilice
to their fondness for this sport. ^VIl(•n one of
these himtcis Ii.is the uiisrortinu; to break an arm
or !i leg, or to be wetlged b<:twee:> (wo pieces of
rock, in this hiljilcss situation he must either
pcri:Ji with hmi<;<>r or die of his wounds, or fall
a pr.'v to some savage bea>it.

The chace tor the sake of furs being the most
important to foreign commerce, we shall make it
the tirst object of oiu" notice. The most valuable
of all the animals (hat are sought for their skin i»
the sable; to which, by the general consent of all
the nations of Europe and Asia, so great and de-
terminate a price has been allixed, that its skin
still serves as a standard to the tribute which is
paid to the crown by the Siberian nations of hun-
ters. This animal is found in Asiatic Russia,
iVoin the Aleiitaii islands and from Kamtshatka
to the districts of the Petschora and of the Kama :
but the quality of its skin in this extensive region
is extremely difterent. The finest sables comu
from Yakutsk and Nertschinsk, and among these;
arc likewise, though rarely, yellow, and extreme-
ly seldom, whi*e sables. The Kamtshadale
sables are the largest of all. Their skin is thick
and long haired, but not very black, therefore
most of them go to China, where they are colour-
ed. At the time of the conquest of Kamtshatka,
the sables were there in such extraordinary num-
bers, that a sinf»;h» hunter could easily bring away
sixty, eighty, a u more of these animals in &
winter, and they were held in such little estima-
tion by the Kamtshadales, that they deemed the
more useful skin of a dog to be of twice the value.
For ten rubles worth of iron ware there was no
difliculty in obtaining the value of Hve or six
hundred rubles in sables; and whoever had only
followed this trade to Kamtshatka for the space
of a year, usually came back with a profit of
thirtv thousand rubles and upwards*.

The

into a hollow tree, wliieh the hunter snrrounds with a net;
and then either cuts it entirely down or forces ihe sable by
fire and smoke to abandon his retreat when he falls into this
net and is killed. In other parts, wiicrc these animals arc
rare, the cuutrivanccs to take tliem arc more arlilik iai. Of

tlti*

i'l

M!J

■ 1

i!--'i '■ |;'il

''"",11

S:)0

TOOKK'fl VIF.W OF THK KUSSIAN KMIMRF.

The fox makes also a coiisidcriible article of
trailf, of \\Iiiili ill I'liKsia tlioiT art- four disliiKt
spriics: llic common, amoii!; wliidi arc tin; red,
llir sorrel, llic bhuk-slriiicil, tculici' llic cross-fox,)
ami (lie ciilirdv uliilc, which o!;. (lie rarest and
cUau's); the kariigaiu', of a j^rcy colour, tlic
»<c|)|i('-fox, and (In; rink or icc-l'ox. The liiUcr,
which are niO'^tlv wliilc, hut soiiiclimcs «>r a bluc-
ish colour, chiefly iiihal)it (ho islands on (lie coasts*
of tin- Frozen Ot can, Kamtshalka, and (he Rus-
h'nu\ Archipelago. The black foxes, which ul
present Iclch most nioie.'v in commerce^ arc only
found in ciislcrn Siberia*.

Ivistern Siberia, and particul.irly Kamfshatka,
abound UK st ;ii l)eau(il'ul fo\(s: (hev were lierc
in sucli jireat niMuI)irs aixuit (he niiddh; of (he
cif^hteenth cen(urv, (hat the linest hrc-red fox
skins wove never s-old hii'her on (he spot than at
one hundred and thiil} to one hundred and eighty

Ilii< kliii! is (lio s.il)lf ir.i|) i I' tlii' Vo^iilfs, Mliicli is h.sk! in
fccvi'i.il parls of Sibcii:!. A pl.iCi; is soiinlit out wlieii- two
><)iing troL's siiiiul iio( far ii.-.iiiul.'r, uiiicli arc iinnieiliatrly
'»tii;i|ii'(l of tlii'ir hraiu'lu's a'umt tin- liottoni. At oiio of
thi'si- trri's a post is shirk in du- jjroiind, anil on it i« placed
a biMni iiori/.Diiia'ly, fasioiu'ii in surli iiKinncr (o liotli treos
thai on.' cnil of it lios bi-tvc-Mi (lie p isi ami (hi.- (ri-c. Over
this beam aiioilvr i-i l.iiil, as ii trdp.f.ili, at llu' t nil wlnroof
x tliin siipixiil is pill, ivliiili, wlion I'n" tr.i| -f ill is up,
»tsii(ls over tin' ii )(i'luil vn.\ of tlu- post ; at tli.! cxtr.'niilv
of tlis sujiixn't is a nuit-'Uiiii;, .mil anollu'r at t'lo lower
tr.insvorsc brain lii-.l vny bliort. l>olli ace broii^lit toajflliiT,
aiul a bit of stick put (lii>>iii^li liiiiii. h.tviiig at its lon^'i-r ox.
Ircmily a piece of iK'sli nf \wlil foul alt.iilii'il. whieli by ils
jireponilcranci" keeps tlie stiik down and thus holds (he (wo
strings (Dfrether. 'i h.- sable creeps caiitiinisly alona^ the
lower b.-,vu till he can naeli (he b:iil ami pull it to liitn :
<his ie(> n.i the siiik to w liu h |!k' b.iil is (i.il ami by which
the sfriiii-'s were li.ld liP:;e!!i('r : (h • slay idsisi;; hold, and
coiiseipi- nMy ■.'„: iiprcr b i'ln tails upon the shonhlers of the
aninml .ind holds him i'as(.- With tlie same kind of (rap
martens and oth.-r liillo hetif^ a.e Ivilbd.

*» The oidinar> me.'hod o( catching ihcse aninrils is by
traps fet f.»r ihein ; bnt tli^' inh.iliitants of Kai'.tshaika most
coiniiHMily ni;;ke use of a'.i in;:cnijns invention for th.il [nir.
pose, 'i'hi'y la) >-'>\cial siiiires of whalebone w.'tich ar;!
fastened like hnji •; to a boirJ, wiilun a circle in tlie snow;
pi icliiij; in the n.ii'.ule of this circh- a luew or sea-gull as ii
b.iit. As soo'i as (he fox J' inp- into (he ciicl; to seize Ilis
|;rev, 'he h.int.'r, who link:, in a pit, dr.iws (hi- h loji (o.
gfdier by nie.ins of a stiiiiif, \* hich c.iches the fox eiih.T by
the body or llij fool, and hnlds him (ill t'l.' iuinter knock:)
him (I )wii widi a s(i;!i. In S beria it is m' y usual to make
the fax shoot himself dead, by fastenin'T a 4;en(ly drawn bow
nith its arrow upon it to a post li\ed in tin; ground: across
the path or trick a line is lei 1, in saeh .1 manner ronncded
with the bow, that it is i'lniediately dii-ehaiL'e.d as t!ie fox
touches the siring in rumi.Ui;. The .iiraw ^cuciallv pierces

kopecks. The black foxes arc in general m
very plenty; their value in commerce is s!?*
that sonieiintes even a sinjrlo skin cannot ijo'l I
for less than one hundred or five himdrcil ai j'
times even for a tliousaiul rubles. TiiiN,.';,^; fi
are iiadirally the choicest object of (1^ ^i/*
auKM'j;* all the eastern Siberian nations, us one L 1
not unfretpumlly defrays the tribute of a wh, 1 1
village. Tiie care, therelorc, wiili ulu,;|, ,i,^,J
keep the young ftjxes they take is so jrreat (hlf
(he Os(iak women nourish them at (licir 1)1,.^,. |
111 summer, when they iind >oiiii<r loxes of (|| '
sort, they at fir.st leed them, but shorlly li,.|„j
they kill them tiiey break one of tlieir Icrsil; t
they niiiy cat less, as lean foxes have bctier^ sl^n,,!
The true native country of (hi- roek or ice-fox m
the islands of (he Frozen Otean and (he Vyhlm
Ocean, where tlit^y are found in incredible numJ
bcrs f.

■ ■ ' '■ "■ '•oti

the heart of tlie animal, an I ruiiseipieiitly kills it on ihj
spot: to llii. end l!ie linnter has a rule to tli'teriniin. (hJ
lieis;li( at w iiich (he bow must be placed.

+ The descri|>tion which Stelicr f;ives of this ciirinus anil
sly animal is so enter!. lining, that it inav be r.Mil viiili |i|,,,J
sure fven more (ban once. " Diiriii!; my inifurliiimj
abode," says Im-, " on nehrin^'s Island, I hail OiipniinniiJ
more than eniiiii;li for sliidunj: 'lie naiiire of ilii> aiimaU
far e\celliii'4 the common fox in impudence, einiui'i^', aiil
rotrnery. | he narrative of (he innumerahle (rit',(s (U
played lis mi^ht easily vie with Alberdis .liiiiii^', lii.i.jtyj
the apes on (he islmd of Saxenbiiri;. They ferml i,,,ii|j
s.lvcs into our iiahitations by ni;;lit as well as ilav, Meutl
nil that they could carry oil; even ihinus tli,|t Hi'riMifiJ
use ti) (hem, as, knives, sticks, our cloa'.hs, \i. |'!,J
we ■ ^o inconceivably iuneuious as to roll iliiwn '•iir ra kMl
proM-ions several poods in wei;;lit, and then ste.il ;'if nicj
out of ihein so ahly, that al lirst we could nut hi'm^r iiiir|
M'lvi'^ to ascribe the lliefl to thcin. .\s v. i- wire s'iji>|iinl
an iiiiinial of his skin, it often liappctied that w: cuiililnol
avoid stalibinn («i or lliree foves, '0111 their r.iriri", iij
tc'aiin(;tlie iK^hont of our hands. If we huri;'il it ivcmiI
curi'tilly, iiml added stoiirs to the vveij^ht of cinih tlih! \ui
upon it, they not onlj found it out, bii( shoved :uvaj iJ
siones, as men would hiveilone, with theii sIhuiIiIit;, ,i:if
lyin; under the.n helped one another with all Ih.-ii' i;;i<li(l
If, (hinkiiii; to secure i! we put any on the tii;i uf a liij
post in (he air, tlu'v .'![rul'bed np the earth at the lijtl.iri, si
(hat (he |)ost and all cam tnmblin!; down, or one uf iliff
. clambered up and threw (low 11 what was upon ilMiiliinJ
.credible artilice and de\ -rity. They walcheil all our laJ
tions, and accompanied usiii whatever we were idjout toijaj
If the sea threw np an animal of any kind (hev ilivoiit.JitJ
ere a man of ns could come up, to our great ili^ulvanijicl
and, if they could not consume it all at onco, tliey traileT
it aw:'y in portions, (o (he nioimlains, where: (11 y cvtt
biiii d i( uiulcr stones before our eu', riinriii!^ (o avil frj
as lung us any thing rvuiainud to bu cuiivuyed away, Wliill

TOOKR'S VIEW OF THF. RUSSIAN FMPinK.

581

I V(ff imaller fnrrifrici nnd edgings, the skiiiA

f llie niartcn, the squirrel, the erniiiiR, the rab-

rtaiid the inarmotte arc the choicest. AM those

I'ldf aiiininl* are coursed with dogs by tlie boors,

l,,, devote a>part of their time to the chaee; or

I uirlit i" great numbers, with traps and gins set

Wfore tlieir burrows.— The marten is not only

fuiiid >» Siberia but in European Russia, even

ibuut the Ladoga Lake and in Livonia; but

I ...ce in the government of Tobolsk are the finest

« nell as the most plentiful. The blackest squir-

Irelicoiue from Yakutsk and Nertschinsk; but

I (hey afc likewise the smallest. The tcleutan are

Ifimous for their size, and have also the beautiful

lijlver-colour that renders them so valuable. The

|iltipc(i squirrel is likewise plentiful in Siberia.

lAii iF*> duii'St othcm stood upon guard and watched us.
Ilflhoria^ any uno coming at a, dutunce, the whole troop
IjjBbiiicd at once and began digging all together in the sand,
lull ,|,,.y iiad so fairly put a beaver or a sea-bciir under the
InrfiK tba'. not a trace of it was to be seen. In the night
lliie "'''''* ^'^ slept in the field, they came and pulled oflT
Itiir iii"ht caps and stulo our gloves from undor our headii,
Ifilh the bcaTcr coTcrings and the nkins that we lay upon.
Ilg consrqucnce of this we always slept with clubs in our
lltgjs that if they should wako us wc might drive them
■itay or knock them down.

I I' When wc made a halt to rest by the way, thoy gathered
Loond us and playetl a thousand tricks in our view, and
Kkii vc »' s''"> ^''^y approashcd us so near that they
Ifgiwrdthe thongi of our shoes. If wo laid down, as if
Ktending to sleep, they ramo and smelWd at our noses to
Et whether we were dead or alive ; if we held our breath,
Kej gave such a tug to the Rose as if they would bite it uflf.
Ei onr first arrival they bit off the noses, the lingers, and
Kesof our dead, while wa were preparing th« grave, and
Eonged in such manner about the infirm and tho sick, that
■ vu with difficulty we could keep them off. Every
Koroing we saw these audacious animals patrolling about
BnoDg tlie sea.lioas and sea-bears lying «n tho strand,
laelling at such as were asleep, to discover whether soroo
Bf ihem might not be dead ; if that happened to be the case.
Be/ procmicd to dissect him immediately, and presently
Kter all were at work in dragging tlie parts away : because
B« tta.lions of a night in their sleep frequently overlay
Heir yuung, they examine, as if conscious of this circum.
Ihnce, every morning the whole herd of them ono by one,
Kd immediately drag away the dead cubs from their dams.
■leing now that they would not sufl'er us to be at rest at
li;ht nor day, we were in fact so exasperated at them that
Helullid them young and old and plagued them by every
■am we could devise. When wc awoke in the morning,
■ere always lay two or three at our feet that ha^* been
■locked on the head in the night ; and I can safely affirm,
Hitduring my stay upon the island above two hundred of
Bete animals were slain by myself alone. The third day
HUermy arrival I knocked down, within the space of three
Wfm, upwards of seventy ef tbea with a clubj and made

I Vol. II. No. CUL.

This delicate liitle creature climbs the trees and
nimbly springs from bough to bough, but hit
winter holf^s and the m.aga/int's of provisions al-
wiivs found with them, in which various kinds
of seeds arc colleclud, he makes in the earth,
though on account of the moisture of the ground
aot remarkably deep. Easy as it would be to
catcli thu.se animals, and numerous as the fanciers
which their beautiful striped fur would ensure,
yet none apply to the capture of them,

To the other objects of the chace for furs must
be added the bear, the wolf, the lynx, the glut-
ton, the ferret, the polecat, &c. which, generally
speaking, are spread over the whole of North
Russia, and the prodigious quantities obtained
of their skins are partly consumed at home and

a covering to my hut of thi-ir skins. They arc so ravenous,
tliut with ono hand wc could hold to them a piece of llcsihy
and Qrasp a stick or an axe in the other to knock them oa
the head.

*' When these busy animals could not get hold on what
they wanted, for example, the cloaths we occasionally put
ofl', they voidi'd their excrements upon it, and then «carcel^
ono of the rest passed by without doing the same. From all
circumstances it was clear to us that they could never before
have seen a human being, and that the dread of man is not
innate in brutes, but must be groundrd on long experience.

" In October and November they, like tho foxes, wcr*
tho most sleek and full of hair. In .January and February
the growth of it is too thick; in April and May they begin
to sited their coat; in .Iiino they drop their cubs, nine or
ten at a brood, in Holes and clefts of the rocks. They ara
so fond of their young, that to scare us away from them thcf
barked and yelled like dugs, and thereby betrayed their
covert. No sooner dc» they perceive that their retreat is
discovered, than, unless tliey be disturbed, thoy drag awa^
the young in their mouths, and try to conceal them in a mora
secret place. On killini^ the young, the dam follows th»
slayer with grievous howlings, day and night for a hundred
and more vcrsts, and never ceases till she has played hoc
enemy some trick, or is killed by him herself.

" They stink much more horridly than even the red fox.
In rutting.time they run together day and night, biting eack
other from jealousy, like dogs. When they couple they
make just such a screaming as cats do. In storms and heavjr
falls of snow they bury themselves in the snow, and lie still
as long as it lasts. They swim across rivers with great
agility. Bcsiidcs what the sea casts up or is destroyed bf
beasts, thoy seize the sca.fowl by night on tlic dill's whera
they have settled to roost ; hut they themselves are fi'c»
qucntly victims to the birds of prey — These animals, whicb
are now in such inexpressible numbers od the island, proba*
bly were conveyed thither, since there is no other land>
animal upon it, from the continent on the drift ice ; and,
afterwards nourished by the great quantity of animal sub-
stances thrown a-shorc by the sua, multiplied to such aa
extraordioi^'y dui;ree.

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partly flcnt abroad. The bear is in 111.1:1/ rcspccU
«(• ii>.(<i'iil HI) uiiiintil, and the inuiiiicr of diking
hitn in Russia ao viiriouii »nd ho ingcniouii, that
our pains will be amply repaid in enlarging upon
thoiii.

Tho most usual way of killing the bear is with
iirc-aims and spears or darts. The Luplaiulers
knixk fluMn down with clubs, as ihev ean easily
ovt fluke them in running with their snow-shoes;
but thoy are genorallv hrst shot and then dis-
patched with spears. In some parts of Siheria
the hunters erect a scall'old of several bulks laid
on each other, which fall down all together and
crush the bear, on his stepping on <!ie trap placed
under it. Another method is, to dig pits, in
which a smooth, solid, and very sharp-pointed
post is fixed into the ground, rising about a foot
above the bottom. The pit is carefully covered
over with sods; and across the track of the bear a
thin rope with an clastic bug-bear is placed. So
soon as the bear touches tlie rope, the wooden
bug-bear starts loose, and the scared auiaial, en-
deavouring to save himself by flight, falls vio-
lently into the pit, and is killed by the pointed
post. If he escape this snare, at a small distance,
peih!!'?!, several caltrops and other instruments
of annoyance await liim, amongst which a similar
territic log is erected, and where the persecuted
beast, the nu.re he strives to get free, lives him-
self faster to the spot at which the blood-thirsty
hunter lies in ambush for him. Yet n<it only be-
neath and upon the earth, but even in the air
has man's inventive genius contrived to lay
snares for his liberty and bis life. The Ko-
riaks to this end look out for a crooked- tree:
grown into the form of a gibbet, at the bowed
summit of which they attach a noose, hanging
with it a bait. The hungry bear is so tempted
by this object, that he eagerly climbs up the tree,
and is infallibly the victim of his greediness; for,
on his moving the branch, the noose draws toge-
ther, and the bear remains suspended to the tree,
which violently springs back into its former di-
rection. But more singular and ingenious is the
method adopted by the inhabitants of the moun-
tainous parts of Siberia to make this ferocious
animal kill himself. They fasten a very heavy
block to a rope, terminating at the other end
with a loop. This is laid near a steep precipice
in the path which the bear is wont to take. On
liuving his neck in tlie noose, and finding that

he cannot proceed for the clog, he takes it ■
a rage, and, to free himself from it, tlirovi "
down the precipice, which iiaturallv' 1)1111^1 "
after it, and he is commonly killoa bv ihe f"|?
Should tliH accidentally not be the ciise, lied
the bltM-k again up the mountain andreiterT
hit rdorts, till with increasing fury he eith *
sinks nerveless to the ground, or put»anci,dj!
his lifi! with a decisive plunge.

The bear is found not only in all the Silicrui,
forests, but also in great plenty in the northern
provinces of European Russia. The white 0
polar bear, lives on the coasts of the Fro^el
Ocean, and on some of the eastern and noriliaa
isle.s where the chace of him is a collateral nau!
pation of the mariners, who visit these coasts for
the capture of the morse. Black bears are sj
numerous in Kamtshatka, that they are seen
roaming about the plains in troops, and woiik
infallibly have long since exterminated all the in.
habitants were they not here more tame and geih
tie than in all the world besides. In spring thei
come in multitudes from the mountains in whici
they have passed the winter, to the mouths of (It
rivers for catching fish, which swarm in all tin
streams of the peninsula. If there be pVntvo
this food, they eat nothing but the he thi
fish, and when they tind nets laid in
they dexterously drag them out of the y,„.tr anJ
empty them of the fish. Towards autu nii vhti
the fish go up the rivers, they advance with then
gradually to the mountains. — When a KanitJ
shadalc spies a bear, he endeavours to conciliald
his friendship at a distance, acconipanying h
gestures by courteous words. Indeed they aresi
familiar that the women and girls when theyari
gathering roots and herbs, or turf for fuel, \
the midst of a whole drove of bears arc never disi
turbed in their employment by them; and if ani
of these animals comes up to them, it isoiilyt
eat something out of their hand. Tliey liavJ
never been known to attack a man, except MbrJ
they arc roused from their sleep, and they seidoij
turn upon the marksman whether they be hit (
not. The humane character of the Kamtshadall
bear, who difler so remarkably from his brethni
in all other countries, procure him howemi
exemption from the persecutions of mankiii
The great utility of this animal, whose bodilj
parts from the skin to the entrails are of senk
to the Kamuhadalcs in a thousand wavi;, \>i

tuliicK'ij

TOOKF'S VTFW OP TITf ntT«<?T\N F.MriRF.

533

jdjjjnt motive to gelf-lnterr^tcd man to licrliire
'ternal war against liim. Wh«n both parties
' I the contest is generally bloody, and almost
, 'y, terminates to the advantage of the more
[tfiil creature. Armed with spears and cinhs
llieKaiiitHhadales goes in quest of the peaceful
bear i» his c*'™ retreat, who ivi meditating no
ittick) hut only thinking of bin defence, and
-„vely takes the faggots which his more brutal
Ljccutor brings him, and with which he him-
jfclioaks up the entrance to his den. The
mouth of the cavern being thus closed, the hun-
[ter bores a hole through the top, and spears with
the irreatcst security his defenceless foe*.
I \a\o\\g the animals already named, the glutton
Idewrves to be mentioned on account of his lu^au-
Itiful skin- These creatures, at the charge of
iwhom credulous travellers have spread so many
liurprisiog falsehoods, are found both in northern
luKJ southern Siberia, principally about the
lAoadvr and the Kovyma^ where thry are famed
Ifor their ingenious artifices in taking and killing
Irein-deer. From the trees they watch these
IjiirQibi creatures and strew moss upon the
rround as a bait. Lured by this, as soon as the
lein-deer comes under the tree, the glutton leaps
m his nock, scratches out his eyes, and tor-
jents bitn with such perseverance, that the poor
ufferer beats himself to death against the tree.
ihis done, he buries his prey very carefully in
Kveral places, and never yields to the suggestions
^f his ravenous appetite to taste a morsel till he

• It would be diflicult tu uainu a spocios of animals, ex.
bliiii; the sheep, so variously scrvircablc to man us tliu
|cjri» after his dcafh to the Kumtshudiilcs. Of the skin of
li! animal thoy make beds, covortiircs, caps, gloves, and
Mkf fur thi-ir slod^e.dogs. Those who i;o upon tli« icv
kr the capture of^iarinc animals make their shoe-soals uf
leni, which have this advantage, that the wearer is not in
kngcr uf slipping with them. The tat of (he bear is held
i^it I'ilimation by all the inhabitants of Kamtshatka, as

Tcry iiaToiiry and wholesome nourishment; and when
Itllfdand thus rendered fluid, it supplies the jilacc of oil.
jle khh is reckoned such a dainty, that they seldom cat it
loDi', but usually invite a number uf guests tu partake of

0 delicious repast. The intestines, 'vthen cleaned and
fl|n'rl}' scraped, are worn by the fair sex as masfks to pre.
jiie their faces from the ctVucts of the sun.bfiams, which
irr, on being reflected from the snow, arc generally found

1 blacken the skin; by which means the' Kamisluidalc
birs preserve a fine cou)pIexion : the Russians of Kanit.
Ilka make window.paiies of these intestines, which arc as
insparent and clear as those made of MoMcovy.s;lass. Of
biliouldcr-bliulcs are made tickles fur cutting gra«s, and

has deposited the whole of his provision safely
under ground. With equal cunning the glutton
in the district of the Lena subdues the much
larger and stronger animal the horse; when tamed
however he loses of his entertaining pranks a most
amusing rompanion to his muster.

To these objects of the rhiice for furs, lastly,
may be added the following animals with short
wci) feet, since tht-ir dwelling and the iniiimer of
their capture allow them to be brought under no
other rubric: the heaver, who is found in the
great rivers of Siberia, and in the Sundsha among
the mountains of Caucasus, &e. and the rirer or
tish-otter, which likewise is at home in most of
the Siberian and in some of the European riversf .

In fact the uninhabited wilds of Canada anil
Siberia are the only regions in which the beavers
are numerous, auA even here they herd together
only about the solitary and unfrequented rivers,
therefore they are oftcnest found singly on the
woody banks. The usefulness of this animal
sharpens the persecuthig spirit of man, from
which he is never safe even in the most latent
coverts. — The skin of the heaver has hair of two
kinds: the short, implicated together and as finn
as down, the upper grow more sparingly and are
thicker and longer. This latter is of little value;
but the flax or down is wrought up into hats,
stockings, and caps. — ^Tlie hunters prefer the
winter season for seeking out the holes of the
beaver; they stop up the entrance on the side
next the water with stakes, enlarge the vent-hole

the heads and the haunches are huuir up by the Kamtscha*
dali's us ornaments or trophies, on the trees about their
dwellings, [f the uses of the hear be so various to th«
Kumtshudali'S, not less general is the wear of fine and warm
fur by ])ersons uf the higher classes in Russia. A light
black bear skin is one of (he must comfortable and costly
articles uf the wint'cr wardrobe of a man of fashion at
Petersburg or Moscu, even the small white hand of a bell»
is slipped into the large bear mull' whieh covers the half of
h it elei<anf shape.

+ The beaver, says the most learned naturalist of th«
ago, UutVon, is pcrha|)'j the only example still left as an an-
cient monument of the intellectual faculties uf the brutes.
The solitary and insulated beaver, instead of shewing a
cogitation beyond that of the other species of animals, seems
ever, by his mere individual capacities, to stand far beneath
scmui of the;ri ; his genius and his talents unly shine forth
when he lives united in society ; ami even those animals
never think of building unless (iiey ihvi'll in dc'i.irt regions,
where men are in such small uuuibors, that thry canaut
easily luolett them. *

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5-34

TOOKK'S VIFAV OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRK.

which the}' find on the i«nd side, for the purpose
of ptUiiig through it a dog, wiio is so trained
that he holds the beaver with his (eeth, and lets
himself be drawn out with it by the hind feet.
The otters are likewise either pursued with dogs,
or destroyed by spring-guns placed on the mar-
gin of the streams they frequent. Among the
animals that are sought as well for their (Icsh as
for their skin, the first to be named is the roe-
buck, which strays in herds about the Irtysl:, the
Yenissey, and in Daourii; and is likewise found
in the confines of th.-* Samara, the Sok, and in the
regions of Caucasus. A tenant of nearly the
■ame districts is the stag, whose degenerate race
the deer is not unfrequently seen in Tauri. A
third very considerable oLicct of the chace is the
elk, which roams over all Siberia, within the
C5th degr ;e of latitude, beyond which he is
never seen: likei Ue in Russia Proper even about
the Ladoga Lake and in Livonia. — Of these
animals a very great number are killed every year.
The ordinary hunting season is towards March;
about which time the sun has melted th(> surface
of the snow to a consistence which fVows ihe
hunter easily to follow hi? trade in Urge wooden
snow-shoes, whereas the beasts v.ith their claws,
break throiigh this crust, and are hindered in
running. They are foIl.»wed by the track, driven
into vallies, where the snow is drifted frequently
to the depth of several ells, and there are either
shot, or kept at bay by the dogs till the pursuer
can rcue up and kill them with his lance. The
roe-buck particularly is so hi ble to wound hiin-
•cli.' in the feet by flight, that he is very soon in-
capable of running. The elks often stand on
V eir defence agi^inst the dogs, killing several .-f
them with their hoofs, which are the usi.al
weapons of this animal. In many parts likewise
ije roe-buck and the elk are caught in strong
gins and dispatched by spring-guns, which, where
the country is woody, are fastened lo the trees.
The skin of the roe-buck sells cheap, and be-
cause they are very light and easily turn off the
wet, are frequently used by ths peasants as cover-
ings to their huts, and someti iies made into win-
ter garments: about Krasnoyarsk they are in ^uch
plenty, that flesh and all they scarcely fetch
fifteen kopeeks a-piece. Generally, therefore, it
is only their skin that is brought to market,
which may be had for about ten kopeeki.
The rein-deer is cxtremeljr uumeroui through

the whole of northern and eastern Siberia- 1
frequent about the Ural and in the Euron I
north. In woody districts, where springj f I
arras, and spring-guns are ap,)licablc, \\LTa
the nmst usual means resorted to for takiiip I
killing the rein-deer; but in the open downs J'
jacenl tw the sea, where these coutrivaucca would
fail, the Samoyedcs, the Ostiaks, the Tiiiil'us*
and others have i» vented different arts, of which
as an example, we shall take those of ill

Samnyedes. The rein-deer are wont to

goi»

herds from ten to a hundred, and soinstimM
even two hundred are seen together. Wheutha
Samoyede* go out in parties, and perceive one ol
these herds, they station their tame rein-oeeroi
an elevated plain to the windward, then ouckun
from this place to the savage herd as near as (he>
can venture to come, without betraying
selves by the weather, long sticks, at small disJ
tanccs asunder, in the snow to which goosc-winw
are tied, to be fluttered freely by the windsJ
Thl? done, they plant the like pinions on tb^
other side, under the wind; and, the rein-dei.
being busy with their pasture beneath the snow]
^nd being chiefly guided by their scent, the!
generally observe nothing of all these prcpari,
tions. When every thing is ready the hunterj
separate; some hide themselves behind tbei]
snowy entrenchments, while others lie with bow
and other weaponb in the open air to leewari
and others again go to a distance and drive bj|
circuitous route the game between the tcrrifil
pinions. Scared by these, the wild reinde^
run directly to the tame ones which are standini
with the sledges; but here they are alarmed i
the concealed hunters, who drive them to thel
companions that are provided with arms, vb
immediately commit great slaughter among tliei
If it 80 happens, that a savage herd arc fcediii{
in the proximity of a mountain, then the hunte
hang up all their clothes ou stakes about thefooj
of the mountain, making also with the sai
frightful pinions a bread passage towards it, il
which they drive the game together from a d^
tance. As soon ta the^ are come into this ganj
way, the women go with the sledges right aero
the further end of it, shutting the rein-deer I
who immediately run round the mountain, aod(
every round are saluted by the shot from i
hunters.
At OB luch occaiiou a number of people i

rcquiiill

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

535

I ' ijg^ (he Samoyedes have recourse to other
^"itioiisto deceive the caution of these animals,
'h Marksman goes, for example, clad entirely
• eiiideer skins, stooping in the middle of five
^'ij rein-deer trained to this purpose, which he
'dsbya rope fastened to his girdle, and thus is
"bleii «> approach very near to tlic wild herd,
Kliout being betrayed. In autumn, when the
n-detr are in heat, the hunters choose out a
iVorousbuck from their droves, to whose antlers
lev tie nooses, and then turn him loose among
•^ ,yild herd. The wild stag, on spying a
n^e rival capering among his females, rushes
j'to ti-'lit him. During the combat he so eii-
L„|j,''his antlers in the loops, that when he
r(i(U(i the hunter and strives to escape, the tame
Lk strikes his head to the ground, and there
gu his antagonist till the marksman can kill him.
TlieShamois and the Bezoun Goat are an ob-
Mof chace to the Caucasean nations, in whose
Lntains they abound. The Ewcck is likewise
Inative of these as well as the mountains of
Elietia. Antelopes traverse in droves the steppes
jiutthe Don, in the districts of the Volga, (he
fnl, the Irtysh, and in the territory of Nerts-
liiuk, another species of wild-goat, the Zob-
d, or craw-go c, livef in Uaouria and in (he
Llines of Mangolia 'i'hc first is found in gicat
jleiity, yet never transgresses the bounds to the
^li ufllic 55th degree of latitude. The horns
ftliis animal are sometimes eleven inches long ;
I lace is imperfect, as the eye-ball is obscured
laspiingy excrescence on the brow. Perhaps
iturc intended by this to temper the ghive of
spppes which give birth to the antelopes,
return she has endowed him with acuter
Ifaclory orga-w, by which he has the faculty of
Hitiiigbotli men and wild beasts, when the wind
1 fiivourable, at the distance of several versts.
lis surprising that this animal, which seems as
(were framed for running, ( since it is apparently
rtliat purpose that he is provided with a wind-
M)f nearly two inches in diameter, large linigs,
I wide nostrils,) should be more easily put out
jlireath, when hunted or vexed, than any other
m'l. The chace, on their running nags, of
antelopes is a favourite diversion of the
ngales and the Dauriau Tonguses of (he
ippci. For this purpose they unite in com-
nitiof fifty, of a hundred, or of two hundred
mm all well mou;:ted and provided with led
IVoL. il. No. GIX.

horses, all likewise armed vrith bows and
hunting spears, and every one having with him
a trained dog. They choose on 5 of their com-
piiny i'or their leader, who directs the chace, and
has the command while it lasts. When the hunt
is to proceed, early in the morning three or four
men, who have a keen eye-sight, arc sent for-
wards, that from certain elevations are to look
round for game; and where they perceive them
in troops to stand still till the whole party is come
up to them, whom they point out, by signs
agreed on, on which side the beasts are feeding,
and what course they ought to take. In pur-
suance of these signals the company disperse,
and gradually form a spacious arch, in which
each man is not above sixty or eighty fathoms
distant from the other, and by which the herd is
cautiously surrounded. As soon as those latter
are aware of the hunters, and are betaking them-
selves to flight, they rush in on all side*, at full
gallop, upon them; who, panic struck at the
shouts of the sportsmen and the whizzing of
their javelins, start different ways, but are slain
in groat numbers from the dexterity acquired by
all the nations of the Daourian steppes, who
make it one of their constant exercises to shoot
and throw their weapons at n i wrk. The chace
is still more productive when t ao scene of it hap-
pens to lio near a river or a iiiountainous forest,
for the goats « f the steppes liave this singular
property, that they never t.ike to the water,
thotigh long and furiously harassed, but rather
strive to escape by sudden and vast V^ps through
the tioops of their pursuers. Taey are almost
equally shy of forests. No sooner are they
hunted into a wood than they are so bewildered
among the trees as not to be able to flee a hun-
dred puces, but run their heads against every
tree, and soon fall breathless.

The wild sheep, called by the Mongolcs argali,
and the rock-ram, kaniennui-baran, are met with
in the Sayane, the Nertschinskian and Altayan
mountai. ->, also in Daouria, on Caucasus and in
Kamtshatka. The argali is larger and more
powerful than the dam stui;;, : but the ram is
larger still, whose exuberant horns alone weigh
full forty pounds. The winter coat of ihis
animal is long and shaggy, uiucli mixed with
wool; whereas the summer hair is short and
sleek. They live on solitary, dry, and v.i'odjr
mountains aud rocks, where they can feed on (he

G Y various

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I -■)'

556

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSFAN EMPIRE.

-various oitter and acrid mountain herbs. The
stag is not so shy as the argali, ^vith wliich it is
almost impossible to come up. They are of un-
common speed in running, and when pursued
make tortuous circuits, and often double upon
the hunters. Though this animal be so wild
when full grown, nothing is so easy to tame as
the Iambs that are taken, and to habituate them
to milk and fodder. The kamennoi-baran keeps
entirely n<- high inaccessible rocks and never ap-
proaches inhabited districts. — The wild boar is
found in the steppes of the Samara and the Volga,

aill

in the confines of the river Vral, in Daouri
even about the Irtysh. Between the Vi i*"
the Yembii they are extremely numerous ui""
they are hunted in winter by «he Kozafcs '*'
dogs, and killed sometimes with carbine? ^
sometimes with hnces. These animals, who f
solely on the roots of sea-weed and sedtfe m\
to such an extraordinary size, that the\ are f"
quently found weighing upwards of six hundn
pounds; their bacon is near four inches thick
fat, though their flesh in general is dry and fir
and well flavoured.

SECTION VII.

' . Desaiption of the Fishery.

AS the chace has always been the exclusive
occupation of particular nations of the Rus-
sian empire, so there are also tribes who maintain
themselves by the fishery, and with whom even
the establishment of this trade forms a part of
their civil constitution. It is naturally to be im-
plied that this can only be the case with those
nations and swarms whose habitations border on
the sea, or comprise large rivers abounding in
fish, and whose civilization is as yet by much too
littie advanced for selecting more productive and
ingenious sources of livelihood. Some of these
fisher-nations follow this trade solely for their
own support; while others, as the Kozaks of the
Don and the Ural, and the tribes on the shores
of the Volga, carry on an important and lu-
crative traffic with the products of their fishery.
With most of the hordes and swarms of Siberia
the chace and the fishery are equally important
as the means of profit; the former is followed
chiefly in summer, and the latter in the winter
months. The same severity of frost which
covers the coasts and the rivers with ice, and thris
makes the fisherman idle, smooths the way to the
huntsman through forests and over morasses,
which in a warmer season would be utterly im-
passable.

All the trades carried on by the Russians on
the northern ocean are of thcj.'^reater consequence,
us the benefits of them extends over the whole
empire, and beuaiisc the consumption of the
products thence cbtaiucd is general. The arctic

waters, it is well known, breed the largest
animals of the cetaxeous genus, whales of sever!
species, dolphins, &e. for the capture of whij
ships are sent by various n^ons. Here, inti
extremitier. of the north, are! ike wise engeixlert
the numberless shoals of stock-fish, herrini;^,
other small kinds, supplying food to whole com
tries, and by the capture whereof more than (
nation has been enriched. The advantages arisiJ
from the fishery in these seas arc indeed maj
and great, but the ditticulties and perils attondai
on it arc not less either in number or magnituii
as the people here have not only to ronteiid J
the strength and cunning of the animals tbeyi
in quest of, but also with the terrors of an
clement sky, with raging storms and (clmk
and with enormous masses of ice that ob
their navigation, and threaten them every muin(|
with dcstructi(m. As the huge soa-animal»
seldom met with in the White Si-a, ami as,
reason of the inhospitable climate of these dreJ
shores the coast of the Northern Ocean arealmJ
entirely destitute of human beiiijis, the intiaj
tnntt* of the governments of Archiiiigel andOlq
elz principally prosecute their fishery on Sp
bergeii and Noviiya Zeiiilia; these islands, tlit
fore, as the chief scene of the northern (isliej
deserve to he briefly characterised.

liotli islands are completely UHinhabitcd,
by niisfortiui'o some poor mariners have benhhi
wrecked on their coasts, it is prt>bable, tlialj
the severity of the climate, against whidi i

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

5? 7

L J not the means of defei.re, th/jy have presently
I to pcrislied. Some English and Dutch sea-
who in the first period of navig:ation in the
In rthcrn Ocean, vrintered on these islands, for

h*inost part 'o** their lives, or endured inex-

I essible misery. Yet the abode there is only

Ifneerous to those navigators who have been

I Id to a HI"'"*' genial climate, and have not been

I blebv proper clothes, nourishment, and motion,

lloresistthe attacks of the scurv}', which are so

I jly brought on by an indolent and confined

life during the winter. The Russian sailors from

|! l,jn<rel and Mesen, who annually visit both

kflvsyrZcnilia aud Spitsbergen, arc more able

llodefy the horrors of the climate. They afford

ffcqueiit examples of a very long sojourn in the

lolar countries : a seaman from Mesen, Fcodor

Mnianin, wintered six-and-twenty times on

ik'oiava Zcmlia, which he also visited twice in

y^mer-timc, lived six winters oa Spitsbergen,

sailed five jears successively from the

I'enessev to the shores of Siberia.

The extreme cold which reigna here the
Ireater part of the year is the most piercing with
jnorlh wind; south and west winds bring snow
y rain. For about the space of three months,
Bpifsbergeii and the northern parts of Novaya
ycmliaare shrouded in one uninterrupted night.

This long ni^iht is however, somewhat cheared
kithe aurora boreal is, which appears in its full
naenifitfiice ai/d splendor only in the polar re-
riuiiii. Durin<^thc impenetrable darkness, some-
liraes for up'varils of eight days together, tre-
bendoiis h'.irricanes, with impetuous falls of
now ami icy particles, raged with such fury that
liie wretclied hunters dared not stir from their

ts lor fear of not being able to find them tgain.
Through this deep polar night the liussian
ailors marked the passing days ,\y the burning
If lamps, which they filled afrish with fish-
Liuhbor every four- and -twenty hours.

The principal objects of the sea-chace about !
Ipiubcrgcn and Nov.tya Zcmlia are whales and j
norses. For, though the Frozen Ocean pro-
luces a multitude of other marine animals, which

various ways might be made subservient to
|iiiiian industry, they seem to excite but little

ciition, or the capture of them is only an oc-

sioiial or accidental employment. Every year
\i\\\\) goes from Archangel to winter at S|tit.s-
«rgen, and at least one, trequenlly more, to

Novaya Zemlia. The inhabitants of ?/Ieseen,
who cannot so well bear the ex pence rf fitting
out a ship for a winter voyage a:; the Archangel
merchants, navigate only in summer t'le coasts of
these countries.

Whales abound not only in the higher regions
of the Frozen Ocean but they come in consider-
able numbers into the gulf of Kola; y^t this use-
ful fish, the products of which are so much
sought after that the French and Dutch send out
whole fleets to the North-Sea for them, stilt
always escape the attention of the Russians that
dwell upon the coasts.

The jieople who go out to catch the morse
are hired for that purpose by a master or ship-
owner, who not only furnishes them with the ne-
cessary vesseh but fits them out with provisions,
stores, and whatever they are likely to want on
the voyage, but either agrees to give them a
share of what they take, or pays them certain
wages. The latter, however, seldom exceed five
or ten rubles for the summer; a trifling sum
when we consider the hardships, toils, and
dangers attending this profession. The morse-
catchers usually take with them a year's pro-
visions as they are often obliged to pass the win-
ter on board their sliips. Every vessel has an
oven for baking broad and cooking their victual?,
for the supply of which they take a needful stock
of wood. Tlie only drink they carry out with
them is \Mitor, with wliicii when they go on
shore thc\ prepare qu.i--. — The time of departure
var' according to circumstances; some <;et out
at i. ' ('ginning of summer, when the White-
seaisi 'otVomicc, (itliorsnottillautunH!, . -ipecially
if they mtcnd fo winter on the voyage. The
greatest pei. I to whieli they iir« exposed at sea,
is that of being hcuuned in h\ ihc driving masses
of ice; in this case the ice by its force beats in
the sides of the vessel, and the ni(»r- ratcliers arc
then reduced to the dread In I alternative either of
being buried in the wav-es un the spot, or of get-
ting on the fields of ice floating at the mercy of
the winds, till cold and hunger put an end to
their sufllsring?. And yet it has happened,
though very rarely, thai iie of these poor
fellows have been brought i.live to land on their
flakes of ice.

M hen the morse-catchers are happilv arrived
at their place of destination, tlio lirst thing they
do ii to conduct their vcsscU to sonie safe anchor-

^lA

4'^hlt

X\ *'

638

TOOKK'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

age, wlicre they generally find several little huts
that have been constructed by their predecessors
in this hazardous warfare^ and then commit
themselves to the small boats, of which every
vessel takes with it one or two, to proceed to the
conflict with the beasts of the ocean. This is
usually done on the first fine day, because then the
morses delight in going on the land or on the ice to
repose; and besides, they are at times stimulated
to leave their native element for a length of time
for the purpose of copulation, which business
lasts with <'iese niorsters for a month or two, or
to cast their young", or to rescue themselves from
the bites of the «>ea-lice.. by which the morse in
summer is perpel'ially tormented, and from which
they have no other :rieans of escaping than by
fleeing into an element which deprives these in-
sects of life. All fhese causes together collect
them frequently on the beach of fields of ice in
prodigious number<!i. When the captors discover
one of these multitudes, they must have the pre-
caution to approach them the wind at a great
ilistance, and then immediately take to -the water;
whereas in the contrary case they continue lying
undislurbed, though they even see the boats ad-
vancing to them. Besides the morse-catchers by
this means have the advantage of discovering
sooner the place where their prey has couched ;
lor these fat animals, especially in summer, emit
fur round them a horrid stench.

When the captors have reached this formi-
dable encampment, they immediately quit their
karbasses or boats, armed with nothing but their
pikes, cut ofi'the way to the sea from the morses,
and then pierce those animals which come first to
save themselves in the water. As it is the way
with the morses to scramble over one another in
their attempts to escape, from the numbers of the
iilain there soon arises a bulwark which effectually
choaks up the passage to the living; and then the
captors proceed with the slaughter till they have
left not one alive. It sometimes happens that
after such an cnga£,ement so great are the heaps
of the dead, that the vessels can only contain the
heads or the teeth ; and the people are obliged to
leave the fat or blubber and the skint behind.

But, easy as it is for the captors to conquer the
morse by land, more dangerous is the conflict with
these animals in their own element. We have
only to recollect that the morse is commonly of
the size of a large ox, and that, besides tlieir

sharp teeth, they are provided with two lo
stout tusks, for judging how a sea fight of PI
kind is likely to terminate. When any of ii
morses escape into the water before they can »|
be killed, the captors leap upon the ice and f I
upon the animals with harpoons which ti I
strive to strike into their breasts or their bell
and to each of which is fastened a long cor'J
This done, they drive a stake into the ice, win
the other end of the long hai poon-stringroim
it, and are now drawn about, on the piece ol'ji
on vhich they stand, by the animal till he |,,
lost his strength, when they draw him up uu^,
the ice by the cord and kill him outright—Bi
when the morses lie so near to the water, th
they can leap in ere the attack begins, then tL
captors fasxeit the cord, when they have throwi
the harpoon, only to the head of the boat, wlijcl
is then drawn by the huge animal so deep ini
the water that the sailors must all run immedial
ly astern. The morse having fruitlessly endi
voured to get loose from the cord, rises en.
upon the surface of the water and makes a furioi
attack on his persecutors. In this he is somi
times so successful as to shatter the boat vvitu hi
tusks, or to throw himself suddenly by a pn
portionatc leap into the midships. Then notbi
is left to the crew but to jump overboard and
hold by the gunnel, till other morse-hunters cui
to their assistance in this desperate situatioi
To mitigate the danger of these misfortunes tl
captors not only previously take all proper mei
sures, but it is even laid down by laws and rc<;i
lations what conduct every one is to oh-ervi
during the voyage, and in the actual cncouniej
with the morses. Each of these companies cm
sist generally of a master or pilot, two harpooi
crs, two barrelling people, a steersman, ai
several rowers, each of whom has his appoial
dutv.

Tlioiigh the morses spread from the Kurilll
islan<ls along all the Russian coast of the \ortl
ern Ocean, quite to Norway, Iceland, and Greei
land, this trade is the most produclive
Spitsbergen and Novava Zemlia, conseqiientlj
the morse hunfers pnM't'rably go thither. Mai
of them pass the winter on these inhu;pitabl
islands, in order to return with greater buutv,
they then may pursue the whuc-bear, thcrcii
deer, and the !• '-t'ox. In (his case (hev liui'
thcmseUes little Uuts for the winter, wiiicli

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPmE.

53<J

1 1 arc so buried in snow that nobody ciin come
tof tl'^""" •^^ "° wood at all grows on these
f, jjj (he morse-hunters must inevitably perish
"ih fold, were not the sea to cast a great qiian-
n ■ of drift-v.'ood on shore, among which are
/jjf,„ind b»!ks fit for building houses*.
R'sidts the marine animals already mentioned
the capture of which the inhabilants of the sea
I L«ls af^ principally employed, the Frozen
Iflccan. likewise teems with the nailuval, the
I itt-fisb, from whose brain spermaceti is pre-
pared, ll'« sea-dog, dolphin, sea-hog, hay-fish,
IL-cow, the sea-bear, the sea-lion, the sea-otter,
ndinanv others,, which animals arc cauglit either
Iforlheir skin or their blubber. Tiie sea-dogs are
Itonimonly most numerous in the Frozen Ocean,
land often proceed to the White Sea; there are
I j„ several specie^ of them, at least those which
lire known about the Oby, the Yenissey, and the
llena, under the Russian iiamc of morskoicf saze
(sce-li»re), are entirely ditlerent from the common
U. These have a silver-white glossy skin and
•woolly hair. — The Samoyedes watch for the
tfii°do?s, or seals, generally in the spring-season,
iben tliesc animals repair to the mouths of the
livers and get out of the water, through holes
b they have made in the ice by their breath.
Thcv usually lay near the aperture a lioard to
irhich a rope is fastened. The Samoyede, lurking
Icliii'd a block of ice, as soon as he sees the sea-
Ljs fairly out, draws the board over the open-
Jr; the animal's retreat being thus cut oflf, he is
iiilfd without trouble.
Another remarkable animal in these waters is

♦ The products which arc broitglit into the channels of
(onnioriT by the niorsc-tishery arc priiioipally t\\v blubber

jlhrskin of these mariiie-aiiimats. The captors usually
fini! liome the fat unmeltrd, wlicreby it loses nuich of its
lowjui'ss, and coiisoquenfly of its price; but this cannot be
KtiKii, as both the want of wootl in the countries where
lemoricis taken, and the haste which the men ar<>. obii^eii
Dcmploy, allow them to do no better. When the fat is

ttcil over (he fire by these people at home, they usuully
III Hilh it the fat of the sca-dot; or (lie b.iluga, and sell it
bJir the name of vervaniioye-salo. — Of tiiis oil U auuualiy
(lipped from the port of Archangel from two to (en (lioii-
Lltons, the 'on ut seven pood; the pood at •Arrli.ingel
bis a ruble and a half and upwards. This oil is ciiiploM'd

Mp.boiling, in the prrparalioii of leather, and for (he
bn^imiptiun of lamps; it is likewise employed in various
llifr purposes by difl'ercnt tradesniet and ntcchanics.
[Tlicmoi'se.skins are hung upon poles, as (hey are taken
itofilic sea, iu the open air till they arc bccu mo still',

Vol. II. No. CIX.

the white-fish, known to the Greenlandcrs under
(his name, but to the Russians by that of beluga,
and which professor Pallas, byway of distinction
calls the sea bulga. He belongs to the race of
the dolphin, is not above three fathoms long, and
is every where found in the Frozen Ocean.
These animals keep together in shoals, and arc
driven upon shallow , daces in the White Sea and
the gnlf of the Oby by the Samoyedes, who as-
sociate, into numerous companies for that pur-
pose, and harpooned. Their flesh is black, but
over the whole body is drawn a white rind,
out of which a very pure fat may be prepared.
According to Guldensteedt's opinion (his species
of fish might be beneficially used for obtaining
tiain-oil. That the morsc-caichers employ it in
preparing the train-oil of that animal has already
been remarked.

It is easy to conceive, (hat a people who make
the fishery their principal occupation u)u?t have
combined a great variety of means, some of them
ingenious, for pursuing; this business at the least
cxpence of time and tr')uble. IJesides the purse-
nets, and (he fisli-weeh, and wears (hat are every
where in use, the Ostiaks and Samoyedes eustom-
arilv go to fish in shallow places in the night-time,
by the lightof burning birch bark, which theys'ick
on poles. In the secondary rivers most norths ard
(he Samoyedes as soon as (he ice is strong make
openings in it, over which they build huts, and
sink in the water little lure-fish, cut out of wood,
by lines made heavy with stones, by means of
which they ea.iily pierce with forked-spears the
fish who are led to them .by greediness or cu-

wheii thoy arc prepared for farther use. Of them are
luade traces for carriages, horse-haruesscs, &c. and frora
the cullins;-* excellent size for the paper-manufactories. A
niorse-skin costs usually three, four, or more rubles.— The
niorse-teeth are transported partly to St. Petersburg and
Mosco, and partly likewise to Archangel; wliere, and iu
the districts around it, they are wrought up into all the
works for which ivory cm be used. Here are made,
of them all sorts of elegant little boxes and caskets of
open work in a variety of (a'(es, fan. stick*, kiiifi'. handles,
card-counters, chess-men, kc. wliicli aceordiiij; to the neal-
ness of woikmanship and the whiteniss of (he teet!- bear a
ilillereiif price. The thicknoss of tlip<e teeth retide! ; fheta
so lieavv, that sonietimes five of the large tusks (-. ill weigh
more than a pood: they ar,- as while as ivory, Jmmiiu iliis
advautate over it, that they are firmer and will nol io soon
become yellow. A pood of the lari^est niorse.teetl cost.'*
upon the spot twenty or thirty rubles.

()Z

rios.'ty.

ft.

^'' i

8 III

i ' a %

lit

;'if. ^ Hi

ujtl

i I

! i

« 1

540

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN FMPIRR.

riosity. They also make little wears across such
rivers, let through the aperture with tree-barksunk
by stones to the bottom, and spear those that are
visible. — By these and many other inventions the
O.stiacks and Samoyedos are enabled to supply
tliemselves and the Russians their neighbours all
the year round with fish. Insummer they have such
a great superfluity of sturgeon alone, which arc
of'ttMi a fiitliom long, and yield two pood of kaviar
Ihiit they throw away the smaller kinds of Rah.
The sturgeon, therefore, in IJereslof is never more
thau forty kopecks a pood, and the fat scarcely
illly kopecks, never above a ruble.

'Fhe fishery on the coasts and the islands of the
Eastern Ocean is extremely remarkable for the
multitude and quality of i(s objects, and in regard
to the employment it occasions. lu those dis-
tric<s where agriculture and the rearing of cattle
arc impracticable from the soil and the climate,
and European cultivation can only be prosecuted
in particular places as a frequently unsuccessful
attempt, no other pursuit is left for the thinly
scattered and partly savage inhabitants than the
tiiaee and the fishery. The latter principally
an\)r(ls them the greater part of their necessaries
i)f life; and, parsimoniously as nature has dealt
out tn tlienj the rest of her gifts, so richly has she
(supplied the \vnter> with the choicest, most useful.
. and best-tasted kinds of fish.

To this chiss primarily belongs in more than
one respect the whale; though found alike in the
Frozen t)eean. About the coasts of Kamtshalka
this huge sea-animal is so coranmn, that on the
rtiflux of the waters they are often seen sleeping
on the shore, or pursuing the fish (piite into the
harbours. Neither is it here a thing unfreciuent
lor the whali's to be thrown dead on dry land,
vs hieli the Kamlshadales regard as a liuky acci-
dent, as the tiipture of them is attended with
great danger and numerous difiii-ulties. From
the southernmost cape of Kamtshatka the inha-
bitants go out to sea in baiders or little canoes, on
the search for sleeping whales, which they wound

♦ The uses made on the shores of the Easfern Occait of
tlio proilucis of this capture are riirioiis and inanifuld The
f.osh of the whale', thoii-h so hard and coarse, will not keep
long: it is therefore eilluT iiumediattly consumed, or hiMii;
up in the air to dry. Thi' .■•Kin is fcparalcd from the lard,
Sfrapeil, smoaked, and, to make it suiiple, beaten; it is
liToiight into cords and shoe soles, « hich are so strong that
they never wear out or become unserviceable. 'I'll- fat is
laid in |)lts tilled up with hot stones, purilicd front the
blubber, and then yields a wdl-taiitcU lard, 'i'bu blubber;

with poisoned darts, and leave it then to tli •

good fortune whether the animal be thus kin'S

and cast upon their shores. In the norll

districts of this peninsula the whale is take'""

large nets made of thick hardened th()ngs"!3

mor.se-hides, and sunk in the water at the mou^

of the gulph with heavy stones. ^Vhe„ n,

animal is enttinglcd in it, the struggles he niab

to get free generally cost him his life; andtlJ

he is towed ashore by the captors and slain amidj

a variety of religious and fantastical ccremoni«

But of all the tribes of these parts none are so

addicted to the whale-fishery as the Tsclmkistlii

and the methods they use come nearest to tliosen

the Europeans. They row to sea in very laro

baiders the crew consisting of eight or ten people

when they meet a whale one of these vessels bear

up to him, whence the harpooner throws aspca

into his body, leavi:jf the iron or wooden hooli

sticking in him while the shaft of the snear

drawn home. To the hooks a cord is fastened

several hmulred fathonis in lenglli, and litscdjli

up in the bottom of the canoe. This mrd i

held fast by the harpooner, letting it out ac

coiuing to the violent motions of the enrage

animal: if he plunges he has rope enough; jfli

rise tl e holders draw it in, who can alwiu

which way the whale takes by means of a bin _.

attached to the cord. When the whale rises fo

the first time, the second canoe pursues liimj

like manner; and this is repeated by several ves

sels, till they have altogether suflieientlv fisei

and fatigued him. Then they suddenly set up

violent shouting, at which the raging aniina!

so confused that he makes fur the land, an

throws himself with amazing force uiion lli

shore, where it is afcerward:* veiy easy (o Li

him. This method is in genera' practiceil on mo

of the islands of the Russian Archipelego. Tb

Isehiiktschi rely so muih upon their coiirap;caii

dexterity in this business, that they onlv tikcili

trouble to carry away the fat cf the vt hale the

have taken*.

which is good for ipelting a3 well as for lamp-oil, is poiire
info the cleansed intestines, which are used instcail nf bai
rels or casks', and in which they generally keep \up\i
Willi the whalebone the Kauitskadales sew tlieir biiilc
tOL^'lher, or thry make fishing.nets, fox-tr;ips ami nale
casks (tf it. Of the bones of the lower jaw thiyniali
niider-lays tu their sledges, knife>handles, and riii^i (o
their dog-harness. The sinews serve tliein for all thopm
poses of pack-thread, and the vertebrae of the back-bontu
used as mortars for pounding.

TOOKF/S VIEW OF TITF, RUSSIAN FMPIIIK.

541

I if|,e£aitern Ocean contains, besides tlie whale,
I jjnsiderablenumberof other large and lemark-
l*,| , pa, iiifi animals, of which, however we shall
fliv notice such as by the capture of thcra ein-
I lov the industry of the natives, and are use-
ILl lo tlie purposes of life. Among these we
y particularly reckon the sea-bear, the sea-
lion tbc sea-cow, and the sea-otter, all natives
loflliat ocean, and of which, as the natural
Ihistoryof ^^^^ '* ^"* ViU\c known, we shall at
lliiesarne time give a short description:
I The sea-bears appear in troops in the Eastern
I Ocean, principaily between the Kurilly and the
lAtfiitaii islands. The largest of these animals
lire ninety English inchfs in length, and weigh
|ei4itfeii or twenty pood. They resemble no
llaDil-aiiimal more than the bears excepting only
llliefeel, «i"d the hinder part of the body, which
llcrminales in a grotesqnc ligure. \Vhat is more
Isino-ular in the structure of these animals is their
IjiiJJy.feft, having not only joints and toes, by
Iwhifli tlu-y arc enabled to go on shore, to set on
Itlieir breech like the dog, and to use their paws
Ijii various ways, but likewise by n»eans of the web
Ibelween their toes, to swim with equal ease. —
iTtic manners of these animals are so peculiar and
lextraordinary that the account of them would be
wceaicd a fiction, were it not accredited by the
iHimonY of a sagacious and learned observer.
■Theaircction of the mother for her young is ex-
Iteedinftiy great ; and they in return endeavour to
IdiTcrt bcr bv various kinds of frolicksome play.
foil seeing these gambols, it seems as if they were
|jerci»ing (eats of wrestling, one striving to give
llie other a fall; and if the father conies up
Vowiing, he drives the wrestlers asunder, coaxes
llie conqueror, and even tries himself to throw
lini on the ground: the greater the resistaiue
llitwii by the latter, the more he gains the love
If llio parents, to whom on the other hand, their
|k:iiilul or timid children, appear to give but
title joy. Though polygamy prevails among
■lie sea-bears, and some of them have m many us
Iftv wives, )et every one watches over his
Iffspring with unconimon jealousy, and is ex-
]c6si\ei\ furious ifa stranger come too near them.
Even when they lie b> (hoiii.;i:»ds on the beach,
lev are alwa\s divided faiuilv-wise into com-
lanies, and in like manner they swim together in
Be ocean. The aged, who no longer have any
lives, Uve solitary, and arc ci uU the most grim;

these frequently pass a whole month on the shore
in sleep, without taking any food: but whatever
approaches them, whether man or beast, they
fall upon with the most outrageous fury. The
sea-bears at times wage bloody wars together, the
usual ground of hostility being either the females
or a good couching place. When two are con-
tending against one, others come up to assist the
weaker party; and during the combat, the
swimming spectators raise their heads above the
water, and calmly look on for a length of time,
till tliey also find a motive for mingling in the
fight. Sometimes these conflicting armies cover
a tract on the shore of two or three versts, and in
all the air resounds with their dreadful yells and
growlings. It often happens that the combatants
make an armistice for an hour to recreate their
forces, during which they lie beside one another
without any danger: then both parties suddenly
rise up, each takes its place, and the battle
begins afresh willi redoubled fury. This
goes so far, that they pursue one another
into the sea, when those of the victorious party
drag their enemies back to land, and put them to
the tort -re o^' their bites so long, till at length
they lie i'riint and exhausted, and finally perish
by the talons and beaks of the ravenous birds of
prey that arc hovering round. — The authority
with which the husbands rule over their wives
and children is frequently displayed in a very
tyrannical manner. When the wives, on being
attacked by the hunters, abandon their cubs from
aflrighf, and these are carried off, the husbands
immediately cease from pursuing the common foe,
and turn upon the mother, as if to demand an
account of what is become of their olfsprhig.
Then seizing them with their teeth, dash them
with violence against the rocks; the wives stunned
with the blows, creep and crouch at the feet of
tlieir despots, and caressing them, shed abun-
dance of tears. While the husband continues to
feel his vexation, he goes growling to and fro,
and rolling his eye-balls just as the land bears
are wont to do; but when his rage is abated, he
then b»>gins also bitterly to weep for the loss of
his voting.

From June till the middle of August the sea-
bears come ashore, in order, like the land-bears
in, winter, by three months of sleep and fasting
to disburden themselves of their superfluous fat.

This is tlie hunting season for them

The full,
grown.

it»^

< /; :

, «

t: ■

U\ mm'

; I IjS I ■ 1 1 tt I

542

TOOKE'S VIFAV OF THE TIUSSIAN EMPIRF.

and aged are not easily frightened, but go boldly
up to the men to tight them ; yet whole droves of
them will plunge all at once into the sea from
fear, as if seized by a panic, on any sudden oc-
casion of alarm. On land they run with great
swiftness, a man, therefore, who is pursued by
them has no means of escape hut by climbing up
a steep mountain, where they cannot follow him
so fast. The capture of these animals about
Kamtshatka is prosecuted mostly at sea with
Javelins furnished with hooks, which quit their
shafts. The wounded beast strikes with the
speed of an arrow through the water, drawing
after him the canoe; and rages till he has bled to
death. The skins of the sea-bears arc of no great
value; as their hair is black, thick, and rugged,
and the hide v<Ty thick and harsh, they are only
used like seal-skins for covering trunks and boxes.
Below the long hair, close to the hide, lies, as
with the heavers, a fine wool of a black glossy
colour. The skin of the young that are cut out
of their dam, are far more beauliful, and among
the Siberians arc of great worth, as they make
their whole dress of them.

The ?ea-lioii is not so much unlike in shape to
the sea-bear; only he is twice as large and heavy:
and besides the male sea-lion has a shaggy mane
about his neck. Tremendous as the look of this
animal is, and furiously as he defends himself in
case of need, yet at the sight of a man he takes
immediately to flight, and rushes into the sea.
In this his proper element no hunter dares attack
him; the usual method is to fall upon him when
asleep. When a sea-lion in this condition is
luckily descried by a hunter who can depend up-
on his own strength and flcetness in running, he
approaches the sleeping animal against the wind,
in order not to be betrayed by the scent, and then
strikes the before-mentioned hooked spear through
the fore feet, while others are employed in wind-
ing the rope to which it is fastened round a post
driven into the ground. This done, the animal,
who now cannot easily escape, is shot with
poisoned arrows, or knocked on the head with
clubs. They frequently do no more than wound
him with poisoned arrows, and then leave him
to his fate; as the salt sea- water aggravates the
' smart of his wounds, he hastens soon back to the
shore, where he then, dead or alive, becomes a
prey to his captors. The chace of this animal
implies so much courage and agility in the hunts-

, that a Kamtshadale, who lias been sever 1
s successful in it, pusses for a hero, and \\

man

tmies aiivucasiui iii ii, |ja:<3ca lur a ncpo, and all
his life after is held in particular respect Ti
captors, not unfrequently go the distance of fiy*
and twenty or thirty English miles out to seat
their canoes, made of the hides of marine anim 1
and the bark of trees, on this perilous enterprise'

Tenderly as the seu-bears love their yoimj
little instinct the sea-lions seem to have fortlicir .
whereas the bloody conflicts of those animals ar
also customary with them. They couch on the
same place with the sea-bears, who, from fear
resign to them the best spot; and never interfere
in their intestine broils, though the sea-lions do
so with them as often as an opportunity offers —
The utility of these animals is by no means trifling
The fat, tlie skin, and the flesh of them arc gene-
rally sweet and well-tasted, and the webs of (he
feet yield a jelly which passes for a dainty araonj
the kamtshadales. Of the hide they make leatSei
and the thong ropes which are used in the cap-
ture of these and other marine animals.

A third animal belonging to this collection!
the sea- cow, called by the Spaniards mnnati, am
is found b*th on the eastern and the westen
coasts of America. The largest of these animal)
arc from four to five fathoms long, and abonttii«
umbilical region where they measure most in ^irt,
four fathoms and a half. The head regcmblei
that of a buflalo, and is connected to the hodvbi
a short neck. The fore-legs consist of two joints
the extremity whereof beSrs some resemblance t(
a horse's foot, I...1 is provided beneath withseve'
ral short bristles which the animal cmplovs ii
scratching up the sea-weeds that serve him 1
food from the stones. His buck is like that of ai
ox; the great circumference of the belly drrline
at once, but the tail is gradually thinner to thi
fins, which act instead of hind-feet.

These animals love wet and sandy places on tin
sea-shore; they therefore couch in whole drove
about the mouths of rivers, and are here sn im
that they will suffer themselves to be stroked am
even struck at. The males seemed to coliabi
with only one female; at least a hct-d consiit
generally of only a pair of old ones of differen
sexes, of one grown up, and a small young one
Their appetite is so insatiable, that to feed it the
constantly almost keep their head under watei
and are little concerned for their safety. In thei
conjugal embraces they manifest an cxtraordinar

tend"rnM

TOOKK'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

513

LndernenSj on wliich occasion the female pla^s

ru prude, and not till atter reiterated oppurtu-

i iiies at liist } ields, as if forced to compliance.

i The ttt'ochment of the males to the females pro-

.jeds lo such length, that they submit to the most

Leitain danger of death, if the latter be taken;

Ld it not unfrcquenti}- happens that they will

Lj,e\vilh hunger by the skeleton of their mur-

Ucred companion. The manner of taking these

animals is with laTge spears barbed with iron;

jd fastened to a long stout rope. The hunters

|,gw warily up to a drove, and the mnrksinun,

Llio stands in the fore part of the canoe, throws

Ijlic barbed shaft at the animal, who thereupon is

Ijmwii a-shorc by means of the rope, by people

Ijlaccd there for that purpose. But as at ica*t two

Ijersons are necessary for this employment, and

Itiesnimal ,c.>isting with the utmost exertion of

L,jtren;^tb, the canoe follows him, and the cap-

lors endeavour to harrass him with repeated

still he can no longer hold out. As soon

j(he sea-cows in the vicinity perceive the danger

'their associate, they run up to his assistance.

jome strive to overttirn the canoe with their

Inks, others throw themselves athwart the rope,

b}' that means to break it asunder, or they

iitaboiit with their tails in hopes to draw out

llie hooks from the skin of the wounded beast, in

fhich too they sometimes succeed.

The thick and strong hide of these animals is

nplovfd by the Americans for shoe-soles and

s; the Tschuktsches stretch them out by sticks

make use of them as canoes. The flesh of

• sea-cow is indeed more coarse and fibrous than

tl, but when boiled it is very like it in taste,

t this advantage, that cveu in the hottest

thcritdoes not easily spoil; the flesh of the

ig calves is, however, far more tender.

k tat under the skin, which surrounds the

Ihole body to a hand breadth, is white and

nid, smells and tastes very agreeable, and yields,

boiled, a butter resembling in taste the oil

f almonds. As the multitude of these animals

«tit Kamtshatka is excessively great in general,

1 one of them weighing about two hundred

Kids, or eight thousand pounds, this nourish-

might be alone sufiicieut to supply all the

jiabitauts the whole year through with whole-

neand well-tasted meat.

sea-otter wrongly called the Kamtshadalc
JiTer, did'crs from the river-otter only in this^
(Vol II. No. ex.

that he lives hi tlse sea, thit he is about half as
big again, and approaches nearer to the beaver
in flneness of hair. There is no doubt of its be>-
ing an American marine-animal, and only «
stranger on the coasts of Asia, where it dwells in
what is called the Beaver-sea, from the 50fh to
the .56th degree of north latitude. It is in len^^th
usually five and it.« circumference in the thickest
part of the body is tlircc feet; the largest of tiiese
animals weigh from about seventy to eighty
pounds. Their fur, in length, beauty, black-
ness, and glossiness of the hair, far excels the fur
of the river-beaver. One such fur will sell at
Kamtshatka for twenty, at Yakutsk for thirty,
at Irkutsk forty to fifty, but on the Chinese bor-
ders in barter for eighty or a hundred rubles.
The flesh of this aninuil is tolerably palatable,
and even the flesh of the female is, contrarv to the
stated laws of uatiiie, the best shortly before and
after the breeding season. The food of the sea-
otter is crabs, conchylidc, little fishes, some sea
weeds, and also flesh. There is no manner of
doubt that this useful animal, if some people of
spirit would go to the expence, might be
brought into Russia and there rendered tame,
since they are as fond of living in lakes, river?,
and ponds, as in the sea. — In point of manners,
there is no animal of all that we have mentioned
so amusing and agreeable as this creature so much
sought after for his fur. Their favourite manner
of lying is family-wise together. The male
caresses the female with his fore-paws, with
which he can do every thing in the most inge-
nious ways; and the female plays with her
young, and rejects the dalliance of the father
with an affected coyness. Their love for their
young is so great th.at they not only rush into ex-
tremities for their deliverance, but not seldom
grieve to death at the loss of them. On their
flight they carry their sucklings in their mouth
and drive the full grown before them. When
they are so fortunaite as to escape their pursuers
they deride them as soon as they are safe in the
sea with all manner of diverting tricks; one while
keeping them themselves right on end iu the
water and jumping over the waves, at the same
time holding the fore paw over the eye as if to
shade it from the sun while narrowly looking out
for somebody; then lying flat on the back and
stroking their belly; then throwing their young
into the watcr^ and fetching th«m out as:aiu.

7 A Whea

I »

ii'.' ;

■»t

,!i'ii'

1 ■

' f

:lf.*

';i!|!

■\

;;

tookf;s vif,w of the rusrian f.mpire.

When a sea-otter is closely prcssfid, and sees no
means of escape^ he scolds and grins like an
angry cat, if he receives a blow he immediately
makes himself ready to die; he lies on his side,
draws up his hind-legs together, and covers his
eyes with his fore-paws.

The Kurils in the spring-season go out to sea
in leather canoes or baiders the distance of ten
Torsts and more for the capture of these animals.
When they surprise a sea-otter^ they immediately

shoot arrows at him; and, as the animal can nil
keep long at a time under water on account" (1
respiration, he presents himself repeatedly n.( ,1, °|
intervals to the attacks of his enemies. BvtTI
bubbles that rise the hunters know which wavll'
turns, and follow him in the vessel. \\\i^n 1
length exhausted and breathless, he wishes to J
pose on the surface of the water they kill l/
with a lance. '"

SECTION XII.

Account of the Mines of Jiussia.

■() '

1 . . . . ■. . .V ... :,'l
■) i V' , .1

THE empire of Russia possesses mines which
may be matched with the richest and most
productive of those in any quarter of the globe;
the working, whereof for a century past has
created a new national occupation with ample
returns, and the astonishing spoils whereof have
aflforded the means to a beneficent administration
fur the most extraordinary undertakings.

The principal scene of these transactions lies in
the cold metallic regions of Siberia, the acquisition
whereof, after the lapse of a hundred years, un-
expectedly became of such great importance to
the Russian empire; for though the soil of this
enormous country is almost everywhere pregnant
"with ores and noble as well as useful minerals,
the European part, however, is herein by no
means to be compared with the Asiatic. The
largest works are at present carried on in the
IJralian, in the Altayan^ and in the Ncrtschin-
skian mineral mountains: of less importance are
Rome iron and copper mines in those of Olonet/,
and in several other parts of the empire. In the
Uralian mountains arc gold, iron, and copper
mines, which latter arc sonic of the most im-
portant in the empire. The Altayan mountains
contain the richest gold and silver shafts, also
veins of lead, copper, and iron, impregnated
with gold and silver. But in the Nertschinskian
mountains are ve y rich mines of lead containing
gold and silver.

The discovery of these shafts, as well as the

* ConcerBing (he Russian weights and measures it is to
be obsorred, that a berkeretch contaius ten pood; a pood

origin of the proper mine working in Russia 1
of no older a date than the beginning oftbi
eighteenth century, as the single attempts tbi
were made prior to that period for llndino-aii
working the metals, were but very iihijrnilican
The nation has possessed iron-ore Iroin times in
memorial. The boors formerly collected
themselves, smelted it and made iron of it. ^MJ
they were deficient iu this metal, instead of]
they had recourse to hard wood, which, inord
to make still harder for their own iisc and fJ
posterity, they laid in bogs ; both nietliuds al
practised still in some parts of the euipire-l
Siberia at a time reaching back beyond all histon
mining was so vigorously practised by a uatii
who now bear the name of Tschiides, that thJ
various and large Ilalde, still subsisting, hii
given rise to a great number of newly adopl(
and in part very rich mines.

Of the two proper goUl-nuiics bdonpiiiigtotl
Russian empire, that of Bercsof near Ekatannej
burg on the Ural is by far the luo't niiioriJ
Here annually is obtained about four iuimlrl
thousand pood* of ore, which on an averai
yields from every thousand pood forty to sis{
solotniks of fine gold. To these mines
the Cavaderous and the Pyschina, ontheritul
Ueresof, and Uktus, together having eight lii(
dred and sixty-one troughs. The whole
her of men employed in these works amountil
upwards of two thousand, whereof about 1

forty pounds; a pound uiuuty.six solotniks; a soloi
ninctjr.six parts; three solotniks arc one lote.

2 thoun

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

5f5

. p^ two hundred are in actual employ
I! I No enrolled boors are any longer allowed

(to them
The

Itlrcc,

BDur

mines of Bcresof have aflforded annually

four, five, or six, but in later years seven

i" iirht po"^ "^ S"'''" From the commencement

J^tlic works here in the year 1754 till the year

I'iA tliercforc in thirty-four years, generally

hout a hundred and twenty pood has been gain-

1'. ^^iijcii in value is estimated at one million one

idrcd and ninety-eight thousand rubles, and,

fier deducting the costs, have yielded above

rluindred and eighty thousand net profit. If

ctakethc gold and silver here obtained, as it

locfcds from the separation, according to its

landard in coinage, and balance it with the ex-

,„fcs, which are paid in copper money, ac-

jjiijr to the true value of it, then a profit of

.jfciHit hundred thousand rubles will appear.

The Voyf'/er gold-mines in the mountains of

iloiictz, which annually afibrd only a few ( from

ijediousaiid seven hundred and forty-four to one

oiisiind seven hundred and seventy, in general

flv-sevt'ii) pounds of gold, have, on account of

lejinalhicss of their produce, been some years

ce abandoned.

The most important silver-mines are those of

olhyvaii in the mineral mountains of Altay,

licli were undertaken by the crown in the year

(5. The main shaft is the Schlangenbcrg, one

if the richest ever known in the world; the

uieonnrskoy in point of consequence holds the

\t station, llesidcs these two there are still

hers of less importance, alternatelv or con-

iitlvworked; and from a new shaft, tilipofjkoy,

t';,' ril)a, it is expected that the produce will

li;;;i;('{|iial that of the Schlangcnbcrg. From

llioio mines together are at present aniiuiilly

taiiifd upwards of two million pood of ore, the

iiliiits whereof have of late years hocome poorer

hdiu! half. At lirst (he pood of it condiiiied

If or six solotuiks of auriferous silver, since

liivtour, and latterly, especially since 17S5, it

tntaiiis not above two and a half. Here are five

lundcrics, and the head-quarters are at Barnaul.

M workmen employed in 1786 were altogether

lilv-four thousand. The whole expenditure

boiints yearly to four hundred thousand rubles,

pvhich one half is paid in copper coined on the

mt, the other half in bank assignments.

iFrom the year 1745, when the crown took

these mines into possession, to the year 1787,
therefore in forty-two years, they have afibrded
twenty-four thousand four hundred and sixty
pood of fine silver, and about eight hundred and
thirty pood of fine gold, which together amount
in value to upwards of thirty millions of rubles.
The cxpences for this whole time even including
the charges of separation at St. Petersburg, come
to not above seven millions, consequently here is
a pure gain of twenty-three millions of rubles,
which is very much increased if we estimate the
copper coin, in which this expence is paid at its
real value, and consider, that even this is got and
coined at the mines themselves.

The silver, or rather the auriferous and ar-
gentiferous lead mines of Nertschinsk have been
in constant work ever since their discovery in the
year 1704, but with alternate success. Here,
from the several shafts, more or less rich, are
obtained annually about two million pood of ore,
which however is very poor, and at present on an
average scarcely contains a solotnik or one and a
half in a pood. Here are five founderies of
which Staroi-Nertschinsk is the chief, which is
also the head-quarters. The workmen are about
two thousand, and the boors inrolled to it for
cutting of wood, .about thirteen thousand. The
annual ex ponces amount to about two hundred
thousand rubles in copper coin and bank assign-
ments.

From 170i to 1787, therefore in eighty
years, these mines produced eleven thousand six
hundred and forty-four pood of silver, from
which since the year 1752 about thirty-two pood
of gold has been separated. Botlfi together
amount in value to about ten millions of rubles.

According to the foregoing statements, there-
fore, in the interval between 1704 and 1788, at
all the gold and silver mines were gained about
a thousand pood of gold and about thirty-six
thousand pood of silver, amounting together in
valiu; to upwards of forty-five millions of rubles,
and on which the expences were uot more than
fifteen millions of rubles.

The most important copper-mines of the Rus-
sian empire are principally in the Uralian,
Altayan, and Olonetziau mountains. The
Uralian mineral mountains, which contain by
far the richest mines, and to which belong all the
copper-works in the governments of Pcrnie, Ufa,
Yiactka^ and Kazan, had in the year 1779 in all

sixtj

•;! •'if . iiii

■It.

,!!:■

' ■!

.. F :

64&

TOOKE'S VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE.

lixty foiinderies, together containing two hundred
and twenty-nine furnaces, Mid at which in 1782
above one hundred and ninety thousand seven
hundred and fifty-two pood of copper were ob-
tained. In the Altayan mountains is liicewise a
considerable copper-mine; besides, there arises
from the cupriferous silver-ore a tolerable quan-
tity of copper: at present in all about fifteen
thousand pood. In the year 1782 here were
coined eighteen thousand seven hundred and
ninety-three pood of copper. The spoil got
from the Olonetzian mountains, and the other
separate copper-wctis ca.;not be computed at
more than a few hundred poods.

The entire annual amount of the copper ob-
tained is therefore about two hundred thousand
pood, the value whereof in money, reckoning
the pood only at ten rubles, makes a sum of two
millions of rubles. As for some years past the
extraction of the copper has greatly declined, we
can in fact at present scarcely admit more than
two hundred thousand pood as the certain yearly
total ; and the price of that metal has accordingly
risen.

The iron-mines form the greatest of all Rm J
mineral wealth, after the salt-works, i!' j
known to all the world, that this empire |,.
all its mineral mountains, and even in tnai'^'i
its plains, a prodigious quantity of inn-ore ot J
the known sorts; but the most numerous and ilJ
richest mines are in the Uruliuu mounl;i||<, ^.i 1
in the year 1779 were generally at Moik'scve'l
forges and Ave hundred and thirty-twu I
hammers. There arc, besides, two smtlij
houses in the Altayan and Sayanc ntouiitain,; J
several in tlie governments of Oloiictz, VoloirdJ
Nishnei-Novgorod, Kostroma, Kursk, TulJ
Tambof, &c. Without being liable to niucl
mistake, we may at present admit for tho whoJ
empire, about a hundred forges and ci^ht hnJ
dred hammers; but besides the iroii-worb
are carried on in the gross, there are a mi
number of boorsmiths who smelt (he ore nt ho J
and of the iron make various kinds of uicnsiU
Such little smithies are particularly in tliegovctJ
raents of Olonetz and Archangel, in .some reeinJ
of the Volga, ai\d in Siberia near Krasiut^aril
Yenisseisk, &c.

■ I M

> -ri

;}: ■ ..;i- I

I IV •■

■>i

END OF TOOKES VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN EMPlKt:.

.-.*

i.: V !.

••<

•♦^s; '

>•; iW-:

ACCOUNT OF AN EMBASSY

TO Tin;

KINGDOM OF A V A, •

SKNT BY THE (iOVI'.ll.VOll-CiKNIlUAL 01' INDIA, IN 1705.

.■;%. • , . .

BY MICM^IEI. SYMES, E S q,

MKIJTF.NANTCOLONKI, IN HIS MAJESTY'S 7Gih REGIMENT

INTRODUCTION.

llFlRFi nrc no countries on the habitable

{r|(.bi', where the arts of civilized life are

loiMood, of which we have so limited u know-

|ii|('C as of those that lie between the Dritish

pws^ioiis in India and the empire of China.

Coiiicrniii^ India beyond the Gangea, scarcely

li,iort' WAS known to the ancients, than that such a

iiliv (lid exist. Undeserved importance is

r^^M ' incs attributed to that which i.s imperfectly

At length the entcrprizing genius of Emanuel,

tlictlosi' of the fifteenth century, opened a new

iirM, and laid the foundation of general wealth
|o Ciiropo, on the ruin of the Egyptian trade,
y of I lie slate of Venice. Early in the six-
jtoiilli cciitnrv, the Portuguese made themselves
\i-[m of Malacca, and soon ac(|uired inilucncc
Inion:; the neighbouring maritime states. To the
jiriters of this nation history is principally in-

lilrd for whatever information has been obtain-

lof the eastern countries of India.

TliP Foi'tna,njese acquaint us, that f<>Mr povv-
kiil states divided amonj;,-! them the rip-i(Mis
lliich lie between the S. K. province of Briii:h
yia, Yiinan in China, and the Eastern Sea;
fceirtftrrilories extended from Cassav and Assam.

idie N. W. as fur South-eastward as the isle of
lunkseylon. These nations were known to Eu-
kpeaiis by the names of Arracan, Ava, Pegue,

J Slam. Arracan, properly Yee-Kien, borders
the S. E. province of British India, and in-
H'oL.II. No. ex.

eludes the sea coast with wliat Is called the
Hroken Islands, as far as Cape Negrais; Ava,
the name of the ancient cupilul of the Birmans,
has been usually accepted as the name of the
country at large, which is iMiamraa. This em-
pire is situated east w ard of Arracan, being divided
from it by lofty mountains, called Anou-pec-tour
miou, or the great we.stern hilly country. On
the N. W. it is separated from Cassay by the river
Keen-Duem; on the N. it is bounded by moun-
tains and petty principalities, that lie contiguous
to Assam ; on the N. E. and E. it reaches China
and North Siam; on the S. its limits have so
often varied that it is diliicult to ascertain them
with precision. Pegue, called by the natives
Bagoo, is the country S. of Ava, wliich occupies
the sea-coast as far as Martaban, properly Mon-
diinaa; Prome (or Pee) was its no^lncrn frontier,
and Siam adjoined on the East. The kingdom
of Siam, or Sbaan, cornprelieiided as far S. as
Jiuikseylon, E. to Cambodia and Laos, and N.
to O/einec ( probably tht^ Chiamce of Loubere),
and Vunan in China. This nation calls itself
Tai, and is further distinguished by the appella-
tions Tay-yay, or Great Tai, and Tai-nay, or
LiiMe Tai: their former c;ipital was named
Yoooia or Yoodra; whence the Siamese are frc-
quenJy called Yoodras by the Birmans.

Tlie Portuguese exercised an influence in the
Birman and Pegue countries, as well as Arracan,
so .'ong as they maintained an ascendancy over

■7 B other

..M

i ^'

'^ ,

i(i-m

•*r«'' !**irP'>r.i,i'""'»ww,»j|i< -y I r« 'i j,i^wpj,vf.wi"Ti"-.l"i'^'»»"'J.i

548

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

other Euro])c:in nations in the East; but on the
seizme of thc'ir scltlcuients and abridg'tMnent of
their (loniiniuis by tho Dutch, (he consequence
Ihiit Iwul l)e('u iiuisi'xcd to the P«rt(i'.';i."si; nume
sunk in(oin^ignili(■ance; and tlie Christian settlers'
degenera(fd 111(0 a coniiunplible race, distin^'uish-
ed only for tiicir feebleness and vice.

In the beiiisniin;.!," of tlie seventeenth century,
both the Ei);';!i,sh and Dnk-h iiad obtained s "ttle-
nients in the lJiiMi^.n dnmir.ions, which were
al'terwiirds furrei(ed by the ujisconduct of the
liitfer; and Europeans ()f all nations were banish-
ed from Ava. The Enj^lish, after many years,
were reinstated in (heir factories at Syriam and
A -a; anU the island of Negrais was likewise
taken pos!;es'!ion of by the Ensflish, where tlie
government of Fort St. George established a s4Jt-
tlement ; but little benefit seemj:' to have been de-
rived from it.

The supremacy of the Birmans over the Pecucrs
ro'itinued throus;hont the seventeenth, and during
the first forty years of the cighteiuil; centuries,
when the Pegucrs revolted; a civil war ensued,
which was prosecuted on both sides wMi sav.-'ge
ferocity, in 174+ the IJritish factory at Syrian)
was destroyed by the conteuclinii' parlies, and the
views of co'ninerie were bUspemled by pre-
cautions of personal seeiirilv. Scccess long con-
tinued doubtful; at length the TegrTs, by the
aid of arms procured from the Europeans trading
to their ports, and with the assistance of some
renegide Dutch and native Portuguese, gained
several v-cfories over the IJirmans, These ad-
vantyges ihe-: pursued with so much vigour, that,
r:irlv in 17 j^, the capital of Ava was invested.
Tl»e Birmans, disheartened by repeated defeats,
:.ftci a short siege, surrendered at dii-eretion.
Dweepdee, the last of a loeg race of Hirinan
kirgs, was made prisoner with all his family, ex-
cept two son-!, who etl'ected their escape lo the
Siamese; t'rom whom they found a favourable
reception, and were (lattered with assurances of
security and succour.

Bonna Delia, or Beinga Delia, king of Pegue,
when he had completed the conquest of Ava, re-
turned to his own country, leaving his brother
Appuraza to govern the late capital of the Birman
king*, whom he carried with him a prisoner to
Pegue; enjoining his brother to reduce the re-
fractorv. displace suspected persons, and exact
on oath of allegiance from such liirmans as
•hould be sud'cred to retain their furmer posses-

sions. Matters at first bore the appt^.-nfp «
tranquillity and submission; and the priiici))^! |,,
habitants acknowledged themselves vassuU of dp
conqueror.

Alompra, a Birman of low extraction, waj
continued by the corqueror in the ebief-liipljf i
Blonchahoo, at tlia* time an inconsitleiabh! vi|.
lagx', about twelve ruilcs from the river, M. of
Keoum-meouin. This man, who pos«(Ni(.(i ^ j
s])irit of eutcrpri/e and boldness e({iial to tlu; most
arduous nndertakirgs, at (irst, like many otluij
dissembled the reluctance he felt at tliciinpnv.im]
of a foreign yoke,, and submitted to the iiemsjiy
of fortune; but, unlike others, he enterlaineli
hopes of emancipation, and meditated onthchct]
means of accon)plishing his future purpose.
lie had at this time, in the town and nciglibour.
hood of Monehaboo, about a himdied dcvoieill
followers, on whose c>»uragc and fidelity he could]
safely rely. He strengthened and repaired (Iie|
stockade that surrounded the town, witlioutl
awakening suspicion in the minds of the PeginTsJ
who did not imagine that a person so iiicoiiDidcr-l
al)le would attempt an act of rebellioii under I
cluck of a numi;rous garrison, distant (nily lif.J
teen leairucs.

Thus resting m

una''iiiarv aJ

curily, liiero were not more than fil'tv \\<<^
soUlitTs ill rvlonchabiio, who, on a!l occasiuiii,
treated the Birmans w ith coiitcinptuoiis nrrogiiicej
Alompra, availing himself of the rcyendiiLiilc);-!
cited bv some particular act of iudiguitv, nuiedl
his already well-prepared adl.erents to aiiMj
resistance, ard attacking the Peguers ^^ilil irre-
sistible viol^'iice, put e\ery man of tiial iiationtoj
the sword. Well-knowing the consequera
should he be taken, he now thought of phiciiigtlid
crown npon his ovrn head, and he wai^vj v/iq
with the Peiiuers; meeting with eiH\tun!i;eraoiil
he pursued the war, and at length eii!iri;!v\aiiJ
quished the Peguers, and wore tlie diailerJ
Partial to the scene of his first success, he f»|
moved the seat of government to MoiicliabcJ
which he constituted his capital, and fixed .u ai
the place of his future residence. Not contenl
-,vith obtaining the throne of the Birman empiiej
lie pursued the Peguers, took the city of Pcgoi
w til the king, and annexed his kingdom to hij
lately acquired possessions At length (In
Birmans attacked Arracan, which they likowiij
added to their empire; and alsj grca' partuftbl
kingdom of Siam.
The tranq^uillity of the Birman empire n

buncvcij

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

549

i .r/.r frefluentlv disturbed by insurrections in

Lcnnqnercd provuicen; at length, ni\i\).i, a

Lcc was concluded with the Siamese, by which

r pirniaiis acquired a threat accession of the

L « iinnortant parts of that kinsrdoin. Become

. iire-emnient among the nations which sepa-

"i* the ""ulf '^f Bengal from the Chinese sea;

jesicd'of a territory equal in extent to the

Ecrinan empire, ( before its dismemberment by

apnieoii, emperor of the French;) blessed with

(Iibrious climate, and a soil capable of pro-

liicing almost every article of luxury, convenience,

Wcommerce, that the Eastcansupply, Miamma,

IrBinna, thus happily circumstanced, enjoyed

lic pleasing nrospect of a long exemption from

le miseries of war; but unbending pride, and

'.;entiiient unju-^tifiably prosecuted, nearly era-

toiled them in fresh troubles, before they had

Iflieto prolit bv the advantages of peace, and

Ireatened to raise them up a foe far more

Lidable than the Chinese, Arracaners, Peguers,

hme, and Cassayers.

iTiie trade of Arracan, which is chiefly carried

y,\{\\ the eastern ports through an inland

tvitatioii, when the rivers are swollen by the

M liiid sulfered r«*peated interruptions from

Iralical lianditii, who, infesiing the Broken

ilmdri, aitioiiLT which the channels wind, that

icllip usual course of boats, not only co'nmillcd

LredatioiH on private mcrduiiils, bwt had even

ichiiniiiu'ss to attack fleets laden with th • royal

itonio*. These robbers, when the season of

veardid not admit of their plundering on the

(er. soiii'ht adventures by land; and, as the

mails alit'dge, conveyed th«'ir booty of goods

1 callie across the river TSaaf, into the Chit-

^oiia: province, where, secure frou? pursuit,

iii<: tluMi under the protection of the Briiish

ij, they disposed of their spoils to ailvanta'j;e,

id lived at ease, until returning want impelled

nito renew their predatory inroads f.

The banks of this river are covered with deep

dos, interspersed with scanty spots of

Itivation, and a few wretched villages, where

ell the poorest classes of herdsinen, and the

> ( iisloms arc usually received iu kind, viz. one tenth of

|ciiiiui:i)<iity.

Till' ririT iN'anf, whirh bounds (he Brilish and liirmnn
bitorii's is situated at a considerable distance from tho
IrniifCliitlagon^, the seat of provincial government, and
Ui'iice uf the liUylish inugistratu. ,

families of roving hunters, whose occupation if,
is to catch and tame the wild elephants, wjfh
which these forests' abound. The asylum that
s*j'.'h unfrequented places oflered to persons con-
cerned in a lawless traffic, rendered it easy to be
carried on without the knowledge of the English
otliccrs of justice; nor could it possibly reach the
iiuticc of the Supreme Board, unless a proper
representation was made, either by the individuals
that were aggrieved, or by the goveriiir.ent of
their country. This, however, was a conde-
scension, to which the ujighty emperor of the
Birmans, w ho conceives himself superior to every
potentate on earth would never stoop. To ask
redress was beneath his dignity; he proceeded by
a more summary course to do himself justice.
On its being ascertained that three distinguished
leaders of the robbers had sought refuge iu the
British districts, his Birman majesty, without
coinnuniicating his intention, or in any form de-
manding the fugitives, thought lit to order a
body of five thousand men, under an officer of
rank, to enter the Company's territories, with
positive injunctions to the commander not to re-
turn, unless he brought with him the delinquents,
dead or alive; further, to support this detach-
ment, an armv of twenty thousand men were held
in readiness at Arracan.

So unexpected an aggresiion, oflered without
anv previous remonstrance, or the assignment of
anv pica, left no room for discussing the merits,
of the case. T! ■ Birmaus having taken upon
thenisehes to redress their ow'i grievance?;, it be-
came necessary to convince tlieni that they had
mistaken the mode; and what they might readily
procure from Knglish justice, they could never
exton through fear: to accomplish this purpose,
a strong detachment was formed at the presidency,
the conduct of which was entrusted to Major
CJeiicral Erskine; the troops proceeded from
Calcutta to Chittagoiig, a battalion of Europeans
and artillery by water, and the native sepoys;];
l)y laiuj.

Seree Nunda Kiozo, the Birman chief, to
whom the arduous task of reclaiming the fugitive^

+ The V ord scpoj/, by which nami> the native (roops of
India arc always called, is derived from the IVrsian word
,-//)«/•, which means a soldier, and is constantly used to dis.
tii'tjuisih tliu native troops from Kurupiau soldiers. Lbixur.

WWi

•|::li'H!lS

iH'» I

h :):|

1 ^f\^mft »'.tu«i,iT»^i-

550

EMBASSY TO TriE KINGDOM OF AVA.

VMS assigned, acted with more circumspection
and prudence than the government from which
he had received his instructions. After he had
crossf'd the river, and encamped on- the western
l)ank, he dictated a letter to the British judge
and magistrate of Chittigong, acquainting liini
of the reasons for the inroad; that tlie caption of
the delinquents was his sole object, without har-
houring any design of hostilities against the
Englisii. At tlie same time he declared, in a
style of peremptory demand, that until they were
given up, he would not depart from the Com-
pany's territories: in coufirmatioa ofithis menace,
he f^ortified his camp in the Birman manner, with
a stockade, and seemed determined to resist any
attempt to oblige him to retire. These matters
being reported to the government, the Governor
General was pleased to order the magistrate of
Chittigong to apprehend the refugees, and keep
them in safe custody until further directions.

On the ajjproadi of General Erskine, the Bir-
man general sent a t^ag of truce, to propose terms
of accommodation, stipulating for the surrcjider
of the fugitives as the basis of the agreement.
General Erskine replied, ihat no proposals could be
listened towhilsttheBirmans continued on Englisii
ground ; but so soon as they should withdraw from
their fortified cam p.andretue within their own fron-
tiers, he would enter on the suljject of their com-
plait)ts; notifving also, that unless they evacuated
the Compan>'s possessions in a limited time, force
would be used io compel them. The B'.man
chief, in a nuinly confidence of the English cha-
racter, personally waited on General Erskine, and
disclosed to him the nature of his instructions,
the enormity of the oii'enders, and the outrages
thev h.ul coimnitted. General Erskine, whose
moderation and judgement on this occasion camiot
be too highly commended, assured him, that it
was far from, the intention of the British govern-
ment to screen delinquents, or sanction in their
country an asylum for robbers; but as the manner
in which (he BirmiMi troops had entered (he Com-
pany's district wiis so repiignunt to the principles
that ought to regulate the conduct of civilized
nations, it was impossible for him to recede from
his first determination. He gave hopes, notwith-
standing, that if the Birmans peaceably retired,
the Governor (ieneral would institute a regular
inquiry into the charges preferred against the
urisuncrs; adding, that iu^staut cumpliaucc witli

the conditions prescribed, was the only oronnJi
on which they could expect so rroo ^.„ • T

uigence. 1 he Birman general, cither conlenl,
with this intimation, or convinced that opnosii
would be fruitless, professed his reliance '"
General Erskine, and agreed to withdraw h,
troops: the retreat was conducted in the mo!
orderly manner; and so strict was the subordina!
tion observed in the Birman arm v, that not on
act of violence was committed either on the ncr
son or property of British subjects while it con,
tinned within the Company's' district, Gpn»r,i

lirsknie was alterwards empowered, h, t|
Crovernor General, to invest igale the cJiarffi
against the refugees, wlien, after a formal am
deliberate hearing, their guilt being estahlishei
on the clearest evidence, they were dolivcrci
over to their own law.s, by whose sentciicp, tw
out of the three underwent capital pniiiKliincni,
'I'lie- amicable termination of this dill'eicnci
alVorded a favourcble o|(i)or( unity to acnuire
more accurate k!io\vledge than hail hitlicitobfei
obtained, of {".people whove situaiiup, extent o|
territory, and commerciai coi;;,(;cti()ii,s will
British India, rendered aliberai intercourse mi
thenj highly desirable. The trade between Cai
cutta, Madras, and Rangoon, had of late \ta
so rapidly mcreased, as to become an obj/c
national importance, more partieidarlv on ai
count of teak tindier, the produce of Avian
Pegue, whence Calcutta and Madras draw al
their supplies of wood for ship hnildiiiu', aiidf(
various other purposes. A commerce inoiieai
tide so essential to u.s, and so exten . as ton
quire an annual return of Indian co... , .,(li(ic>
the amount of two hundred thousand pniim
.sterling, was an object worth cnltivalini!;, Kcpri
senlations had, at dillerent times, been iiiadei
the Suprcine Board, comp!;iining of iiijii«|i(
and oppression at the port of llangoon: to prev;
tlie rciMurence of n like misunderstandina',
form a commercial connection on ecpiitabli' ai
fited principles, and to establish a cnnliileiil
anil authentic correspondence, such as ()ii;Hil
sul)siHt between two great and contiguous iiiitioii!
Sir dohn Shore ( now Lord Teignmouth) llioiijl
pro|)er to semi a formal deputation to (he Hirai
court. Nor were these the only ends U
answered by the embassy; the influenn; wli
the natural enemies of Great Britain had acqiiii
ill that quarter was to be cohihated, ami, ii p

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

^51

I 1,1. overcotne; whilst the natives were to be

nnresscd with an adequate sense of the power,

!^ fgjouices, and, above all, the equity of the

Rritisli character, in such a manner as to convince

ilienitliul (heir real interests were connected with

jtatcthat neither meditated, nor would suRer

Lfroiiciiments and sought for nothing beyond an

interchange of meichandize, on terms mutuaVy

Leiieruial. The result of this mission, througii

tlie various stages of its progress and completion,

(ill be detailed in the subsequent pages.

The Hirnians, under their present monarch,

[ire certainly rising fast in the scale of Oriental

Inilions. Knowledge increases with commerce;

laiidastliey are not shackled by any prejudices of

leasts, restricted to hereditary occupations, or for-

lliidden from participating with strangers in every

[social bond, their advancement will, in all pro-

IbabilitV} be rapid. At present, so far from be-

ing in a state of intellectual darkness, although
they have not yet explored the depths of science,
nor reached to cxeclleiife in the finer arts, Ihey
yet have an undeniable claim to the character
of civilized and well instructed people. Their
laws are wise, and pregnant with sound morality;
their police is better regulated than .1 most Euro-
pean countries; their natural riisposition is
iViendly, and hospitable to strangers; .ind their'
manners rather expressive nf manly candour, than
courteous dissimulation: t.ic gradations of rank,"
and the respect due to station, are maintained
with a scrupulosity which never relaxes. A
knowledge of letters is wisely diffused, that there
are no mechanics, few of the peasantry, or even
the common watermen, ( usually the most illiterate
class, ) who cannot read and write in the vulgar
tongue. Few, however, are versed in the more
erudite volumes of science.

!)f

4 II'

' SECTION I. .

|Siii7/rom Calcutta, on board the Sea Horse — Make the Cocoa Islands — Touch at Port Cornwallis
in the Great Andaman — Some Account of the Island — Prepare to depart.

[AVING received my commissions from the
„_ Governor General, one no pointing me
Ajent Plenipotentiary, with power to treat, in
■liEnamc of the Supreme Government of India,
lithtbeP^mperor of Ava; the other, vesting in me
luthority to take cognizance of the conduct of the
Iritisli subjects trading to, or residing in, the
Untriesthat 1 was destined to visit; on Feb. 21,
K95, 1 embarked (says Col. Symes) at Calcutta.
Inboaril the Sea Horse, anarmcdcruizer belonging
litlie East India Company, Cnptain Thomas,
fcoirmander, attended by Mr. Wood, Assistant
Secretary, and Dr. Buchanan, Surgeon to
le mission. Our numbers were more t?'an
ivenlv persons. On the evening of the 26tb,
nr pilot left us in seven fathoms water ; but the
liiid being foul, we anchored for the night, and
Vxt morning stood to the south-east with a
boiirinfr breozc, which blew without inter-
lissiou till th^ 4tli of March, when we made the

[♦The settlement in Port Cornwallis is not situated on the
incipal island, bnt on a smallor one witliin tijc harbour,
Died Cliatliam Island ay the English; the utmost length

Vol. II. No. CX.

Great and Little Cocoa Islands, so called from
being clothed with cocoa nut trees of unusual
luxuriance. These islands are flat, small, and
swampy; they are uninhabited, and destitute of
good water. Steering between the southern
Cocoa and the north end of the Island of An-
daman, we opened Port Cornwallis* on the east
side of the latter. At eleven o'clock on the 5th, '
we hauled our wind and stood in; at one we
came to anchor a quarter of a mile from the
shore. On landing we were received by Cap-
tains Ramsay and Stokoe (Colonel Kyd, the
Governor, being absent, ) with the kindest hos-
pitality, which continued during the time we
remained fheir guests.

The Andaman Islands arc a continuation of the
Archipelago that extends from Cape Negrais to
Atchecn Head, stretching from 10" S2' to 13»
4()'N. lat. and from 90« 6' to 92" .¥.)'£. Ion.
The Great Andaman, the most i.orthern, is

of which does not exceed two miles, and the breadth littlo
more than half a mile: the southern extremity terminates irt
a narrow neck of land, fordabic at low water to the main.

T C about

;•'( M

n 1 1 F

111 I :

I ::\-

; i^ •

552

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

about 140 miles long, and 120 broad. A separa-
tion, or strait, however, has lately, owing to a
fatal accident, been discovered in this island,
which, in fact, divides it into two, and opens a
clear passage into the Bay of Bengal*. The
first settlement of the English was nsade in 1791,
near the sowthcrn extremity of the island, in a
bay on the east side; bnt was afterwatds removed
in 17*J3, by advice of Admiral Cornwallis, to
the place where it is now established. The
original object of the undertaking was to procure
a commodious harbour on the east side of the
bay, to receive and shelter his Majesty's ships
during the continuance of the north-east monsrKU';
it was also used as a place of reception tor con-
victs sentenced for transportation from Bengal.

In the evening we walked round the grounds
that had been cleared, making a circuit of little
more than a quarter of a mile. A small garden,
diligently tilled, produced but a scanty crop of
Indian vegetables. A shallow soil, impregnated
with leaves and decayed brushwood, washed
down by the mountain streams, proved at first
unfavouriihle to ctihivation; the pains, however,
^hich had been hcstoNNcd, seemed likely in the
end to overcome this discouragement. The
situation of I'.ie seKlement on the side of a hill,
rising abruptly from the verge of the sea,
although calculated to avoid the unwholesome
cflfects of stagnant waters, was yet at times at-
tended with great inconvenience, owing to the
impetuosity of the torrents.

Notw ithstanding the colony had been establish-
es! on its present site little more than sixteen
niontli!'', the habitations of the commandant and
ofiicirs, were rendered <;xtremcly comfortable:
the first constructed of stone ami planks, the latter
of mats and clay, thatched with leaves of the
rattan, or covered with boards. The surgeon
had a separate dwelling at^signed him, and there
was likewise a conunodioiis mess-room. Thp,
number of inh.^>bitants altttgctber wn« about seven
hundred, including a company of iiepoys as a

guard over the convicts, and a defence to tl
settlement.

A situation more picturesque, or a view mor
romantic, than that which Chatham Island and
Cornwa lis harbour present, can scarcely be im
gined: iand-loeked on all sides, nolhinn- istoi."
seen but an extensive sheet of water., r<.',;oiiibliii
a vast lake, interspersed with small islands and I
environed by lofly mountains clothed with im.
penetrable forests. The scenery of nature in thjj
sequestered spot is uncommonly strikinw and
grand.

All that voyagers have related of uncivilized
life seems to fall short of the barbarism of thel
people of AndaiiJ .n. The ferocious natives of I
New Zealand, t.r the shivering hiilf-aiiimatedl
savages of Terra del Fuego, are in a relative stiitc
of retinement compared to these islanders, Tlie
population of the Great Andaman and all its de-
pendencies, does not, according to Capt. Stokoe
exceed two thousand or two thousand five liuiU
dred souls: these arc dispersed in small sorieticsl
along the coasts, or on the smaller island,s withinl
the harbour, never p<Mietrating deeper tli;in (liel
skirts of the forests, which hold out little iiidiicf.!
ment for them to enter, as they contain no aiiiiiulsl
to supply them with food. Their sole occupa-
tion seems to bo that of diujbing rocks, or roviii"!
along the margin of the sea in (jiiest of a prc-l
carious meal of fish, which duviiii; the tew.
pcstuous season they often seek for ia vain.

The Andamaners are not more 'avonreil indiel
conformation of their bodies, than in tlic endow.
mentfi of their mind. In stature thev i^tldora ex-
ceed five feet; their limbs are disjiropoitionatclyj
slender, their bellies protuberant, with higij
shoulders and large heads; and, stranire to liiid]
in this part of the world, they aie a ilegciieratc
race of Ncgr(»es with woolly hair, ll;it imses, and
thick lips; their eye- are snudi iinii red, llieirskin
of a deep sooty black, whilst their counteiiaiicesj
exhibit the extreme of wretchedness: a horrid
mixture of famine and ferocity. They yo (|uiiel

• In the month of February, 1702, a vessel was frdg'iM
from Madras to c.irry stores to his maicstys (Icrt at Andaniiii.
The niasler, l)ciiig unaiqiiaiiiU'il with (he harbour, sent a
small boat, in the afternotm, to explore an uponin^ in the
land, that appeared like the entranrr; the boat stood in, it
fcH dark, and s^h** was swept, by a ra^^id current, thron;;h
B f!h,innei that divided (he main island, and opened into the
Bay of IJongal. The north-east monsoon jjrevailed «ifh

prcat ■violence : unable to work against Htrram ami wiiidJ
the boat was borne to let-ward, and driven irri'sistib!) iiiiof
the Indian.Occ.in. Kiglitci'n days aftt-rw ards slic «.is lickcd
up by a French ship, near (hi' cq-iinorlial Htir. Tim mt
eonsisted of two I'liiropcans and !,ix. lasears ; ami, fiinciiina
to ri'lati", when rpU<vrd by ihi- Frenrh ^hip, three oflin
Lascars liad been killed and caluu by their ec!ii;>aiiioiiH.

"/.■•)

liiiiiiil

EMBASSY TO TIIK KINGDOM OF AVA.

555

I y, and are insensible of any shame from

Irtnnsiire*. . . . , . . ,

1 Tlieir religion is the simple but f^enume homage

f nature to the incomprehensible Ruler of (he
I niH.-E''. expressed in adoration to the Sun as the

nniarv O'"''' obvious source of jijood; to tiie

Jlnonasthe secoodiiry power; and to the genii
I flliP^voods, the wafers, and the mountains, as
Ikilerior Jigents. In the spirit of (he storms thoj
Liipffcs (lie influence of a maligniint beinie;; and,

diiriii? llie soutli west monsoon, when tempests
jnrevaii with uinisual violence, they deprecate his

wrath by wild chorusses, which they rhant in
small congregations asscnible<l on tiie bcacb^ or
on some rock that overhano-s the ocean.

The language.of the Aiidaiiianers has not been
discovered to possess the slightest aftinity to any
that is spoken in India, cither continental or
islandic. Captain Stokoe informed me, that
what he heard was not at all harsh or disagreeable
to the ear; their ^ongs are wildly melodious, and
their gesticulation, whilst singing, is cxtrcnscly
nnpassioned.

- SECTION II.

\y! from the yindnwnns — Arrive at the JTouth of Rangoon River — Arrival at Rano^oon, and ex-
truordiiian; Conduct of the Govenimeiit — Concession on tiie Part of the Rangoon Government.

HAVING passed five days at the Andaman
Islands; the Hindoos, whose religion for-
Ibidstliem to drink water drawn by impure hands,
lliaving tilled their owti casks; and the stock of
[sur iiiinierous company bemg replenished; we
Ipreparpd to depart, and on the lOth we stood to
lifa. Next morning at day light we made the
Lie of Narcondamf. On the Kith we found
lourselves nearly in the latitude of the roads of
iRaiignon: we anchored for the night in five
Ifatlioms, and perceived lights on the beach.
I\e\t morning we discovered low land, about six
liiHles to the N. VV . Here we remained till the

• The few implements used by the Andamancrs arc of
ilk rudest texture ; a bow from four to five feet long, the
Iftrini! made of the (ibrp of a free, or a slip of bamboo, with
Itirows of reed, headed with fish bone, or wood hardened in
lilif lire, is their principal weapon. Hesides this, they carry
jji|je.ir of luMTy wood tiharply pointed, and a shield made
luf birk tn defend themselves from the assaults of their

vmm; for even these poor wretches have rights to assert,

mil iJi<;nities to maintain; necessity has taught them an ex.

irrtmunn;;einrnt of their arms, on which they rely for sub-
kitimce: happily for them, their numerous bays and creeks

itoiind with fish, which they shoot and spear with sur-
brizini; dexterity. They are said also to n-.e a small hand

k't, made of the filaments of bark ; the fish when eaup;ht is
jpttinvo a wicker basket, which they carry on their backs.
tiaviii,; kindled a (ire, they throw tjie food on (he coals,

UiJdi'vmirit half broiled. A few diinimilive swine are to

ciniiii.' ill the skirls of the t'oresis, and amonj; the mm.
kroTc tliickels in the low grounds; but these are very scarce,
N arc probably the ))roseny of a stock lift by former
piijatora. When a uati<rc has the good fortune to slay

18th, waiting for a pilot, standing off and on

with short tacks during the day, and al anchor in

the night. Finding- that our signals, by firing

guns and hoisting coloins in the usual manner,

were not answered, Mr. Palmer, the second

ollicer, was sent in the pianacc, with instructions

I to proceed up the river as far as Rangoon, incase

j he did not find a pilot sooner. On the ensuing

{ day Captain Thomas ventured to stand in; and,

I steering by land-marks, and sending a boat a-head,

I crossed the bar without a pilot, at half-flood, iit

I fotu' fathoms. At twelve o'clock we entered the

; Rangoon river. Four miles within the extremes

one, he carefully preserves the skull and teeth to ornament
his hut They cross the bays, and go to fish cither in-
canoes formed of a hollow tree, or on rafts of bamboo^
wliieli (hey direct by paddles. Tiieii' habitations display
lifile more iut;enuity tlian (he dens of wild beasts: four
stii'ks stuck in the ground, are bound together at the top,
and fastened transversely by otlieis, ti) which the branches
of trues are suspended ; an opening is left on one side, just
larije enough to admit of entrance: leaves compose their
bed. Iteii):; much iiicouuuodeil by insects, their first occu.
pation in a morning is to plaster their bodies all over with
mud, which, hardening in thi; sun, forms an impenetrable
armour; they paint their woolly heads with red ochre and
water: when thus completely dressed, a muro hideous ai>-
pearanee is not to bu found in human form. Although the
principal food of the Andamaners consists of fish, yet they
eagerly seizcon whatever else presents itself; lizards, guana^j
rats, and snakes snjjply a change of repast. ^

+ Narconihim is a barren rock, rising abruptly r.'.xt of
the ocean, about twenty leagues K. of the Andaieans. It,
is uninhabited, and seemingly destitutu of vegetation.

i;!

ill

Sf <

•iiT

51 }i ii'i

^' t

554

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

\re came lo a small villag'e^ whence a boat rowed
towards us*. The Birmaii officer on board the
boat enquired, in broken Portuguezc, the name
of the ship, whence she came, what arms and
ammunition were on board, and the name of the
commander. Being satisfied in these points, he
carefully committed them to writing. Mr.
Palmer now appeared in the siiip's boat, bringing
a pilot with him from Rangoon; and our cautious
visitor took his leave.

About two o'clock a small boat from Rangoon
met the ship: a man in it bulled our pilot in
liindoostanee, and desired him to cast anchor, as
it was the intention of the governor of Rangoon
to come down and receive the British deputation
in person. Of course we complied with his re-
quest. We continued at anchor till the next day,
when about noon the fleet came in sight: it con-
sisted of from twenty to thirty boats; on a nearer
approach, only four out of the number seemed
to belong to persons of superior condition. Three
persons, apparently of higher rank, came on
board: they meant to be civil, but were perfectly
free from restraint, and took possession of chairs
without waiting for any invitation, or paying the
smallest regard to those who were not seated ;
■whib.t their attendants, seemingly as much at ease
as their masters, formed a semicircle around them
on the deck. The chief of the three, a good-
looking young man, of short stature, I under-
stood to be a person of consideration: he was
governor of the province of Dalla. The second,
an elderly plain man, said he was Nak-haan-gce ;
literally, the royal car. I was afterwards inform-
ed he was transmitter of intelligence, or reporter,
to the imperial court; an office of much con-
fidence. The third, a Sereo, an inferior secretary,
was a man of little relative importance compared
with the other two. We conversed for an hour,
through the medium of an interpreter who spoke
the Hindoostanee : they were extremely inquisitive,
and asked many questions concerning the object-
of the mission, which were answered in friciidly
but general terms. Having paid their compli-
ments, they arose to depart, and returned to their
boats, making lavish professions of friendship.
At length we reached Rangoon. The Princess
Royal East Indiaman, that had come from

* This proTod tn bo a watch>boat, which is stationed at
the mouth of the rirer, to send iotclligcnce of the arrival of

Madras for a cargo of timber, fired a salute f 1
the Company's colours; and the Sea Horse nail I
a compliment to the battery on shore, of elev 1
guns, which were returned by an equal number
the pilot camc-to below the town, apart from the
other ships about half a mile. As soon as the
Sea Horse dropped anchor, all the boats withdrew
without further notice or explanation.

Being desirous of sending some of our atteiid-i
aats on shore to refresh themselves, particularlr
the Hindoos, whose religion enjoins tliein not to
eat victuals dressed on board, and who were oa
tliiit account put to great inconvenience, beiii»
obliged at sea to subsist on dried fruits, sweet'.
meats, and parched pulse: I sent one of the at.
tendantk to the governor of Dalla, to acquaint
him with my wish. He, in reply, desired that I
would defer landing till the following day, when
a habitation that was preparing for our reception
would be in readiness: with this request 1 ac-l
quiesced, and communicated the same to Captaial
Thomas, and the gentlemen of the deputation I
who forbade their servants to leave the ship >vith<j
out express permission.

About five o'clock in the afternoon the inter<L
prefer returned on board, and informed me, that]
the Raywoon, or governor of the town, meaDll
to wait on me the next day at the dwelling assi^nJ
ed to us; intimating also, that he was ordered tof
remain on board to receive my commands. He]
spoke the Hindoostanee fluently; and 1 desired]
the Moonshee, a discreet and sene'ble inuii, tol
entertain him. The night passed witliout ann
communication with the shore, or with (he other)
ships in the river. I

Next morning, the Slst, at ten o'clock, M
Scree, or under secretary, came on board, acJ
companied by a man of Portuguese o\(ractioD,j
who spoke very imperfect English. The Sereej
told mc he was about to depart for IVgueJ
charged with dispatches for the Mavwuon, orl
Viceroy; and requested to know whether I had!
any commands: I replied in the a(!irmntivc;l
adding, that it was my wish to ^nd a confidtntiall
person to his Excellency, to deliver to himaicttetl
from the Governor General of India, and anotlier
from myself. Finding I would not trust nivdis-j
patches to him, the Seree promised to call ati

vessels to the nearest guard; whence it is forwarded to titj
governor of Rangoon. I

• ■■ .' DOODJ

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

555

I oon, and convey my messenger to Pegue (al>oiit
I' jy miles distant) in his own boat; a promise
Ll'iicii lie omitted to perform.
J III the afternoon, Mr. Wood, Dr. Buchanan,
I nd mvself, landed, and were conducted to a
JJ0U8 temporary building which had been pre-
I ated for ""'' reception: it was situated on the
rpditlie liver, nbout five hundred yards below

,,/'(,)^vii, opposite to where the Sea Horse was
I ,..(.(]; it consisted of only one .story, raised

tliroc I'cfit iVom the ground, supported on posts
jj'ji, into the earth; an elevation very necessary
1(0 tlie comfort of its inhabitants, as the hi<\h

[ipring

tides washed the foundation pillars, and

lilniost insulated the building, by filling a channel
Lhich llic '"''"** ''"'^ excavated. This edifice,
liboiit niiU'tv feet in lengtij, was entirely composed
lof bamboos and strong cane mats, and divided
several comi)artnients; the roof was lofty,
liiid i(»vL'rcd with the same materials, which were
llaid ill such a manner as to allord |)rotection from
Iraiii, and shade from the sun: the floor, a bam-

lOoV'itii'i',". "as likewise spread with units; and
iji, o!i(! apartment small carpets were laid,
liiouhlless designed as a ujark of distinction. On
llandiie, «(! were received by the Scree, who
Imade a Irivoloi.s excuse? for not having called
laccording to his i)romisc. On entering the
Iviraiiili), (ir balcony, we were saluted by the
liouiuls of very discordant music, issuing from the
linslrianeiits (if a band of musicians sent by the
iGovornor to welcome us; to these he had

diifjiiglv added a set of dancing girls, and
|tumi)linii' bo>s, who exhibited a variety of move-
In'icnts in altitudes, some of which was not un-
Imarul. Having dismisjcd this noisy assemblage,
land taken a view of our hibitalion, we thought
lit more ad\isal)le and nioie commodious to sleep
board. Lt'aving therefore jiart of the guard
land a few of our attendants to occupy the house,
|«r relnnicd at dusk, and passed the night on
|l)(iar(l the Sea Horse, better lodged, and more
Icoiiirortahly, than if we had continued in our
|iicw dsvelling.

Not a boat, however, of any description,
jiliiriiig all this lime, came to our ship, either
ll'nim the English merchantmen in the river, or
liom shore; a circumstance that bore the appeac-
jance of distrust and prohibition on the part of
jllie government ; but the truth was, that matters
lof etiquette had not been adjusted.

Vol. II. No. CXI.

On the following morning. Captain Thomas
and the gentlemen of the deputation accompanied
me on shore to our habitation. Wo found no
person of distinguished consequence there; but
crowds of the lower class, both men and women,
were collected from curiosity. In a short lime
several baskets were brought, with the Ray-
woon's, or Governor's compliments, containing
venison, ducks, chickens, bread, and roots: the
same company of musicians that had performed
oil the preceding day, attended to amuse us.
At twelve o'clock the approach of a person of
erudition was announced, when a tall elderly
man, of a graceful appearance, followed by seve-
ral attendants, was ushered in, under the title of
liaba Sheen, whose manners were easy and re-
spectful. After informing me, through the me-
dium of a Portuguese interpreter, that he was
second in authority at Rangoon, and held the
office of Ackawoon, he apologized for the ab-
sence of the Raywoon, or Governor of the town,
who, he said, was prevented from waiting on me
by indisposition; and added, that he would
be happy to shew me every attention in his
power. I expressed my sense of his politeness;
remarking, that my wants were confined to per-
mission to purchase a few necessaries, and the
means of finding a messenger to the Viceroy of
Pcguc, with a letter from the Governor General
of India, and one from myself, which I was de-
sirous should be delivered as speedily as possible.
To this he replied, that he would forward by ex-
press any commands I might have; observing that
it was anuseless troubletosendaservant of niyown.
His meaning was obvious, and as this was his
first visit, which might be considered rather as
ceremonious, than as intended to discuss business,
I did iioi, press the matter farther; being, how-
ever, determined not to protract the purposes of
the mission longer than was necessary. Wo
parted about two o'clock; and, at his desire, my
Mooiishee wrote a list of such articles as we stood
in need ot", and tendered payment beforehand;
an oH'cr that was declined. Early in the after-
noon Haba Sheen, the Ackawoon, paid us another
visit, and brought with him, as interpreter, a
Mussulman merchant, who spoke Persian tole-
rably well, through whom I was enabled to con-,
vey my sentiments with more case than at our
former meeting.

A great deal of trifling and evasive answers,
7 D however,

ii t^

li-ii

r !/i:

556

EMBASSV TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

however, took place on tlie part of the Rangoon
government; and the petty marks of authorized
disrespect from ditlercnt quarters, at lenj^th de-
termined me to come to a full and satisfactorv
eclarcissemenl with that government, before I
would consent to visit the Viceroy at Pegtie. In
pursuance of this resolution, I sent to Baba Sheen,
desiring to see him as soon as convenient; and he
accordingly soon after paid me a visit. After
recapituiating the various causes of umbrage
which had been given me, I added, that all these
reasons combined, which were further strength-
ened b}' the Viceroy's returning a vague and
verbal reply to the Governor General's letter,
contrary to their known usage, rendered it im-
possible for me to proceed to Pegue, until he
should explain the motive for such mysterious
conduct; and I desired, that if any doubts were
entertained respecting the objects of my mission,
x)T the nature of my de^iigns, he would express
himself freely, and give me an opportunity, by
removing them, to undeceive their government.
He replied, as usual, in equivocal terms, and by
an assurance that it was no more than what was
conformable to custom. 1 said, I was sorry that
our customs were so incompatible with tbeirs:
that I could not, consistent with what I owed to
the dignity of my own government, longer submit
to my present situation ; that as their forms and
ours didered so widely, and, from what he said,
were not likely to correspond, without a deroga-
tory concession on one part or the other, there
was no help for it; we conld not apply tlie
remedy, and slionld part as we had met, on
icrms of mutual good will and friendship As I
had thus far acquiesced, Baba Siicen did not ex-
pect that matters would take such a turn: in-
telii"-ence of my arrival had been forwarded to
the court, and the autiiors of my departure
would be subject to its displeasure: he appeared
alarmed, and earnestly asked, " What is it you
desire.^" I replied, immediate release from all
personal restraint; that the spies which Wi-rc
stationed on board the Sea Horse, and the sentinels
that accompanied every boat that left or came to
the ship should be removed; that my servants
should have the same liberty that the servants of
other strangers enjoyed, with leave to purchase

what they wanted ; that boats from shippinp
the river should have free access, and tlmco
mandcrs permission to visit me; that Mr. yi^'T
should have safe conduct to the Viceroy
Pegue, to receive in person a verbal acktiowie'jge,
ment of the Governor General's letter, and an mj
vitationto me to visit Pegue, or bring with himi
written reply; that unless these reasoii.ihlc roquisiJ
tions were acceded to, I must beg leave to denarH
which I should do on the most amicable tcriiHanJ
only regret that the public character 1 Imd (U
honour to fill, did not admit of coiu-essionsoninJ
part which would be considered as huniiliatino'U
my countrymen. To this Baba Sheen answered id
his former strain, endeavouring to amuse mewiiH
a story quite impertinent to the subject. Id,
him it was very well; the English and BiriiiarJ
nations, I hoped, would long continue to mainl
tain a friendly intercourse: at the same time bcf]
ged to be favoured with his commands to Call
cutta. Finding, however, that [ was deteriiiiiicit]
he said he would consult the Raywoon, and^iJ
me a reply in the afternoon: he then took hJ
leave.

At four o'clock, Mr. Wood and myself mel
the Raywoon and Baba Sheen at our habitation]
they came accompanied by a numerous train ol
followers; among whom, the Nak-haan attended]
to listen to, and note the conversation. AfitJ
talking for three hours to no purpose, and offer]
ing to yield in some things, they at length a2;rceil
to give up every point. Mr. Wood was to ad
company Baba Sheen to Pegue; the captains ol
the English ships were to have free access; oufl
attendants liberty to purchase what thcv wantedj
and to go where they pleased ; the spies stationei
on board the Sea ilorse were to be removed, am
boats suilcred to pass from the ship to the short
without a Birman sentinel. These matters beinji
stipulated, and a punctual performance '^olcmnln
promised, I relinquished my design of goina
away for the present, and we parted with appiJ
rent contentment and good humour on both sidesa
and the morning of the 2i)th produced a satis-
factory adjustment of every point in contcntiooj
by an unqualified acquiescence on the partoftlieT
Rangoon government, to my several requisition!

SECTIO.N'I

.f^,;.,l

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

SECTION III.

557

fnmtto g<y to Pegiie "before the Return of Mr Wood. — Suspicions of the Birmans axvakened bf/
, yninff Fersons — Arts used to counteract the English Depntation — Embark for Pcgne — Ap-

ntncc of the Country — Destitute of Population, and infested bj Wild Beasts.

THie earnest solicitation of Baba Sheen, I
consented to embark for Pcgiie on March
and not wait the return of Mr. Wood, who
Mcoiiclliitber to (he Viceroy, as I had at first
Lpnilcd. The annual festival at the great temple
Ifpfsrue was about to be celebrated withsumptu-
Lnu'iiificence; and the Viceroy had expressed
narliciilar desire that the English gentleujcn
iioiilii witness the rejoicings. I told Baba Sheen
Ltl would relinquish my original determination
Id this point, as a mark of my confidence in him,
I perfect conviction of the friendly inclinations
flhe Viceroy.

[prpvioiis to (his amicable termination of adis-
Lfement wliich at first bore an inauspicious ap-
EaraiuT, I had conjectured what were the real
i9tive$ of (heir distrust, and my conclusions
(Icrwards proved to be rightly founded. Pride,
tmliiral characteristic of the Birmans, was in-
Irnipil bv (be arts of designing men, and suspicion
^(awakened by misrepres<'nta(ion. The Bir-
Biis, sensible of the advantages of commerce,
(inexpert in the practice, desirous to improve,
I iiii;u(iuaintcd with (he principles of trade,
Idofliitc vears given (olera(ion (o all sects, and
liti'd straijgers of every nation to resort to tluir
Iris; and being themsehes free from those pre-
Jdiicsof cast vshich shackle their Indian neigh-
lurs, llicy permiKed foreigners to intermarry
Istltle among tliem. These settlers flocked to
Incnnii, and were received with hospitality by a
m\ nation: many of them soon acquired
by means of their superior knowledge.
(e Parsers, the Armenians, and a small pro-
rtion of Mussulmen, engrossed the largest
|re of the trade of Rangoon; and individuals
(lieir number were frequently .selected by
Icrnment to fill employments of frust that re-
Id to trade and transactions witli foreigners,
[duties of A'hich (he Birmans supposed (hat
persons could perform better than thcm-

lltcoiisLstcd of three small cumpiirlmcnti, parti(iunc(I
Bemals, no.itly fuBtenrd to slips of liainl)uo raiic: the
rioum wuii lined Mith India chintz; thu louf, huwcrcr,

Several private merchants had thus acquired
influence in Rangoon. These people naturally
behold with a jealous eye any advance of a com-
mercial nature, that may tend to diminish their
influence, and deprive them of that dictatorial
power, which they assume and exercise over all
merchants and mariners that resort to Ranjroon:
but of none are tliey so apprehensive as of the
English; a connection with whom, they appre-
hend, might teach the Birmans io transact foreign
business without their assistance, and sive them
a more adequate sense of their own interests
Under these fears they had long been discrimina-
ting the seeds of suspiciop, and warning the Bir-
mans to be on their giiaid against British fraud,
as well as British force; but no sooner did they
hear of the present deputation, than the alarm
bell was sounded from all quarters. They re-
presented our designs to be of the most danger-
ous tendency; and endeavoured to work on the
superstition of the peo])le, by (he promulgation
of a prophecy, that in less than twelve months
the English colours would fly on the Rangoon
flag-stall". These artifices, not now practised for
the first lime, were not void of elfect. I'liis ac-
counts for the coolness of our reception at
Rangoon.

'I'liis day the captains of the |)rincipal ships in
(he river dined with mc onshore. The Ravwoon,
knowing (hat I was to have company, scat a
vvliole antelope, with Indian vegetables in abun-
dance; and acquainted me, that boats would be
in readiness for us on the following day at noon,
as»I had promised to leave Rangoon by the
evening's tide.

The morning of the following day was spent
in preparation for ous journey to Pegue; and
about noon three boats were in reidiness at the
creek near our dwelling. The one designed for
my conveyance was comfortable, according to
Birman notions of accommodation*.

It was rowed by twelve Birman watermen, who

was so low as not to admit of a person standing; iiprii;ht ; an
inconvenience scarcely to In- endured by an European, but
not at all regarded by Asialic>.

used

;i-i

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m fi

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J, 1 1 1't f

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i-;ij

il'^

; '_ 1

H'-'

!■■

1 ' ■' \

ii^i'

i-'t.l

1 !«■

5j8

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

iisr.'d short oars made in tlic Englihli form, and
>vlio sceinod to iinderstiind their busiiiesH. A
l<ii7>;o hravv boat was provided (or tlie soldiers
and our doiiirsiics, and ii smiiil cutter uttch(h'd us
a kitchen: (he boat destined for Dr. Buchanan
did not arrive until it was dark, and bein^ u very
indiU'oreiit one we imagined it was kept out of
sight ("or that reason.

The nioulli oftlie S3rian or Peguc river, where
it joins with that of Rangoon, is about three
niih-s beh)w the town; we tlierefore waited till
the ebb tide was nearly s|)cnt, in order to droj)
ilowii, and take the first of the' Hood to ascend
ilie river of Pegue. At eight o'clock at night
Ave euil)arked, accompanied by two war-boats;
in one of which was the Nak-baan of Rangoon,
and in the otiicr an inferior olUcer. A black
Portugue/e, in the service of the provincial
government, who spoke the language of Iliii-
dostan, came as oOicial iiiicrprelcr: we bad like-
wise another Portngucze, named Paunlclioo,
who engaged in iny service at the Andaman

Island, ai.d wlio was a valuable acqnisliiun ,j
me during the mission*. '1

Early in thy morning F)r. Rurhanjin ami „„ J
walked out with our guns, aceoinpaiijcd by i^
a dozen attendants: the country rotiii',1, as I' '.
otir view could reach, displayed a loyoj nh|j
with clumps of trees at distant inlcr\als; ;, tl I
rcctly grass had grown in some places vc'iy hi.,),]
in others, where it had been bninl, (l;,,r,. ^
peared good pasturage for cat lie: \v,; s,,v tfl
einl'^iiked divisions of a few rice plaiiialion ■ J
discovered the vestiges of former ciildi;,.' J
population ; but during a walk of two liiHirstJ
eye was not gratilied by the sight ol' a lioii,,
an inhabitant: desolated by tlie conlciitioiisol'i
IJirmaiis and Pcgucrs, the country had i,,|| ,j
recovered from (he ravages of war. Tlio |,;,||
of the river, on "each side, are low, iiiidllielj
seems ada|)ted to produce excellent crdps; lim]
is now quite d<'serted, and become the itiidisiiiiJ
domain of the wild beasts of the forc-,t,

SECTION IV.

tArrh'c at Pcs:uc — PoUlc Jiircption — InxUed to the Cddtvathn of the .Iniiual Fistival—Prora-ii
^c. (Inscribed — Jnlrodiiclioit to Ihc J7d_;/U()(/», or I 'inrujj — Gruiid J)is}Uini w/'^V/'cu'drA.v— (,';(/;. J
of the liirmaiis — 'ihc Binnans dose the Year liilh a i)uvificiUorij CevLDioninl, in mhich the Eiim
Gentlemen bear a Fart. . : , I

AT noon wc got under way, and soon passed
a village on the right, consist"ng of about
twenty houses; the river gradually diminislicd in
breadth, and at (his place was not more than
fojty yards wide, (he hanks covered with co|)pi(:e
and hing reeds: after passing another and larger
village wher« there was a chokey or watch-house,
we proceeded through a cultivated country, and
numerous villages appeared on each side. At
seven in the evening we were in sight of Pegiu",
and judged the distance by water fronj Rangoon
to be about ninety miles, most part of the way in
a northward direction; but the windings of the
river are so great, that the road in a strait line
must be much less. >Vhen we approached the

* He siHikc (lio liii-man language fluently, aii<I (hat of
Iliiidoiitan iiiti'lligii)ly : the laKer was the inciliiiin eomnioiily
used in my coiiviTsations w'uh Itiimans, and 1 was seldom
at a loss to find some person tlat understood it.

+ Like JJijiuan housci in general, it was raised between

landing-place, Mr. Wood came down tn m
us, and the favourable account he gave nf
reception, added not a lilt It; to the siti-l'idij
of having liiii^lu'd our journey: we nisii
Raba Sheen on (lie bank waiting our arrival: wi
conducted us with great civility to onrliabitalJ
which we were pleased at finding far sii[U'riiir|
that v>e had leftf.

^\'c had each a small apartment as a Lej
chamber, with carpets spread over the nials aj
a large room to dine in and to receive \i^iliil
huts \\'ere also erected for our attendants; ana
bamboo palisade, inclosing a court siiHirienll
spacious, surrounded (he whole. Sliortl\ aflf
our arrival, two ofiicers of government waikd

three and font feet from t\n' i^round, composed wliiillfj
l)amboos and mats, and iudilierently tlialdicil. Tiiisi
defect that extends universally to their ouii ihvil'ii!:<,
all'ords matter of siirprixe in a country wIktc tlic cuij
grass used for thatching is so plctitiful.

fMBASSY TO THP- KlNCnOM OF AVA.

BS9

L* wItH COnpUmcnts of congratulatioa from

ihe'lVlaywoon: they ttaid hut a short time, pcr-
I teiving t!"'^ ^^ ^^f® "^"'J ^" arranging con-

TenienccH for the night.

In the nilternoon of the next day an officer
I (tiled CIic-Key, second in rjink to the May woon,

•ndthe Scree-dogee, or sccrotarv of the provincial
Lyfrnment, accompanied bv Uaba Sheen, paid
^8 visit to tea. The v informed me, that tho
rjayvvoon, or Viceroy, wh<» had been much en-
[ngei i" directing the prt'^iaratioiiH for the eu-
\mS festival, hoped we m ould wave ceremony,
iiiid Kive him our company on the following
I morning at the great t«.>mple of Shoemadoo, to
[ticff the amusements of the first day: an invita-
Itioii that"! gluilly accepted, from motives of
|(ariosity as well as of respect.

At eight o'clock in the morning Raba Sheen
firriTed, in order to conduct us to the temple;
I brought with him three smnll horses,
■(quipped with saddles and bridles. After breuk-
liiit, Mr. Wood, Dr. nuchaitan, and myself
nounted, and, attended by Baba Sheen, and au
lAckcdoo, an officer belonging to the Maywoon's
fjiouschold, also on horsebacK, set out to view
Ithe fercmony. We entered the new town by the
learett gntc, and proceeded upwards of a quarter

fa mile through the principal street till we came

dwliere it vrns crossed at right angles by anottier,
flfhich led from the May woon'i residence to the

nple. Here our progress was stopped by a
Ipcat concourse of people, and we perceived on
acbsidc of the way troops marching by single
JIm, in slow time, towards the temple. By the
dvice of Baba Sheen, we occupied a convenient
potto view the procession*.

As we had not been formally introduced, the
fayvroon passed by without honouring us with

* The troops that we saw were (he Maywoon's guard ;

jinoriii hundred men passed us in this manner, wretchedly

ncd and equipped ; many had muskets that appeared in a

iiery iiiisorvicoabie state, with accoutrements not in a more

tspectahlo condition ; soipu were provided with speari,

irrs with sabres; whilst their dress was as motley as their

•nponi. Sereral were naked to the middle, having only a

lamiuerband, or waist-cloth, rolled round their waist, and

passed between their legs ; some were dressed in old velvet

lor cloth coats, which they pnt on regardless of lize or

Ifishion, although it scarcely covered their nakedness, or

Inilcdun thcgroond: it was fluery, and finery in any shape

116 Hclcoine. Some wore Dutch broad-brimmed hats bound

iritli gold lace, others the crowns of hats without any brim

vuL a No. CXI.

any notice. Proceeding to the foot of the steps
that lead to the pagoda, his elephant knelt down
to siifl'er him to alight. WhiUt he was in the
periortnitnce of this act, the parade elcphautst
knelt also, and the crowd that foll.Hved squatted
on their heels. Having ascended the ilight of
steps, he put off his shoes, and walked onie
round the temple without his umbrella, wliiili
was laid aside out of reverence to the sanctity of
the place. When he had finished this ceremony,
he proceeded to the scene of amusement, a sort of
theatre erected at au angle of the area of tha
temple. Two saloons, or open halls, separata
from the great building, formed two sides of the
theatre, wliicli was about tifty feet square, cover-
ed by awning of grass, spread on a flat roof of
slender canes, supported by bamboo poles. Be-
neath the projecting verge of the roof of one of
the saloons there was an elevated .«cat, with a
handsome canopy of cloth, for the accommoda-
tion of the Mi\>woon and his three children; and
on a bare bench beneath him sat the principal
oflicers of his court. Seats were provided for
the English gentlemen, covered with fine carpet*
ing, but without any canopy. The diversion*
of the day consisted entirely of boxing and wrest-
ling. In order to prevent injury to the chilmpions,
the ground had been prepared, and made soft)
with moistened sand. At the latter exercise they
seemed to be very expert: a short man was parti'
cularly distinguished for his superior skill and
fitrength; and it w\i» said, that in former contests
he had killed two of his antagonists. The lirst
that encountered him on the present occasion,
tlioiigh much superior in size, was, after a short
struggle, pitched on his head, and, as the by-
standers said, severely hurt. Many others dis-
played grcai. aclivity and addres.^; but in the art

at all: the ufllccts of this martial band, who were fur the
most part C'hristi.ii: descendants of Portuguezc ancestors,
exhibited a very grotesque appearance. The lirst personages
of rank that passed by wera tlirec children of the May woon,
borne astride upon mea's shoulderi;; the cidost, a buy-
about eight years of age; the youngost, a girl not more
than live; the latter only was legitimate, b 'ing the first,
born of his present wiff ; the two elder were flic oirspriii;;
of concubines. The May woon followed at a short distance,
monntcd ')n the neck of a very fiuc clcph:tut, which ho
guided hiviself. His dress was handsome and becoming;
a number of parade elephants iu tawdry housings brought
up the rear.

^? 'I:

» }

560

riBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

of boxing tliey seemed very deficient, notwith-
ntanding they used fists, knees, and elbows.
Tiie battles were of short duration; blood
drawn on either side terminated the contest; and
even withont it, the Maywoon would not sufler
them to contend long. At the end of an engiige-
mcntboth combatants approached the Maywoon's
throne, and prostrp.ieu themselves before him,
>vith their foreheads to the ground, whilst an at-
tendant spread on the shoulders of each two
pieces of cotton cloth, as the reward of their ex-
ertions, which they carried away in a crouching
position, until they mingled with the crowd.
The places of those who retired were immediately
filled by*fresh pugilists. This amusement lasted
three hours; then tea and sweetmeats were served
up in great profusion in the name of the May-
Moon.

Colonel Symes then received a message in-
timating that the Maywoon hoped to see him the
next day at the government house. The English
embassy then marched through the town, the
objects of universal curiosity, till they reached
the gate of an inclosurc surrounding the May-
woon's dwelling. When the Maywoon entered
he sat down, and silence was kept for some time,
whiih 1 first interrupted, says Colonel Symes,
by telling hiro, that the governor general of
InJia, having received his friendly letter, and
being well assured of the amicable disposition of
the Birman government towards the English na-
tion, had charged me with the delivery of letters
and presents to his majesty at Ava, and had like-
wise requested his acceptance of a few articles
which I had brought with me. I then rose, and
presented the governor general's letter; he laid it
on a tray before him, talked of indifferent matters,
and was extremely polite in his expressions and
manner, but carefully avoided all discourse that
had the least relation to business, or the objects
of the embassy. Alter half an hour's conversa-
tion, on uninteresting topics, he invited us to a
grand display of fireworks, which was to take
pl^ce on the following day, and soon after with-
drew unceremoniously. Tea and sweetmeats
were then served up.

Previous to the display of fireworks, the dif-
ferent companies from the several Mious or dis-
tricts, passed the government house in review be-
fore the Maywoon and his family, each company
di»tinct. A small waggon, drawn by four bufl'a-

loei, profusely decorated with peacock'i fei<|u I
and the tails of Thibet cows led the proces I
on which were laid the fireworks of that particH J
company: next advanced the men helDiigincfto J
daocing and shouting; the females, in ^ jcparaJ
troop, came last, singing in full thoriij ail
clapping their hands in accurately measured' tim J
Each division or company exhibited in turn !
own fireworks; and the display of rorkets J
strikingly grand. Each company, after con
tributing its share towards the genertil entertain
nient, marched past the Maywoon, to the souiu,
of musical instruments; after which thevamusd
the Maywoon and his company wit!) sont^s anl
dances, manifesting every lively demonstraiioiK

joy- . o

Every day during the abode of the Colontl am
his retinue at Pegue, vast numbers both of mei
and women, prompted by harmless curiosiiir
surrounded the paling of the inclosurc alloiieL
for their residence from morning till night; thol
of a better class usually entered, some previous!
asking permission, but many without it. Per]
fectly free from restraint among themselves, tli
Birmaus scruple not to go into your house wiihoi]
ceremony, although you are an utter stransr.
To do them justice, however, they are not at a
displeased at your taking the same freedom niti
them. This intrusion is confined wholly to you
public room; they do not attempt to opcnadool
and where a curtain dropped denotes privacJ
they never oflcr to violate the barrier. On eiitei
ing the room they immediately descend into tlJ
posture of respect. Of all our customs, savsll^
Colonel, none seemed to surprize them tnoit
than our preparations for dinner: thevarietvi
utensils, and our manner of sitting at table, eil
cited their wonder: they never touk anygreate
liberty than merely to come into the room, aiii
sit down on the floor; they meddled with nothing!
and asked for nothing, and when desired toe
away always obeyed with cheerfulness.

The three last days of the solar year oftli
Birmans are usually spent in merriment and I'easl
ing; and Colonel Symes and his company werl
invited by the Maywoon to be present on the 10
of April, at the exhibition of a dramatic reprei
scntati(m. At a little before eight o'clock, tbi
hour when the play was to commence, theyweJ
to the house of the Maywoon. The theatre wJ
the open court, splendidly illuminated by iann

EMBASSY to THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

SCI

Ldtorchei. The perlbruiftnce far excelled any
him itAOfH' the Colonel had ever seen. The
ILloeu^ was spirited without rant, and the
l^i„„miimated without heing extravagant; the
Lje» of the principal performers were showy,
Ikut becoming. By way of interlude between the
I I, jclownith buflfoon entertained the audience
Lib a recital of diflerent passajrcH; and by j^ri-
laice, and frequent alti^rations of tone and ci)tiii-
L,gce, extorted loud peals of laugiUer from ttie

liofdators*.

I On the I2th of April, the last day of the Bir-

I j^ycar, the embassy were invi'cd by t!ie Ala}-

km ^0 bear a part in a spoil that is universally

Lictisfd throughout the Biriuan dominions on

L concluding day of tbrir annual cycle, To

basil away the impurities of the past, and coui-

lence the new year free Ironi slain, women on

ij, Jay are accustomed to ibfow water on every

an they meet, which the men iiavc the pri\ilege

(retorting: this licence gives rine to a great deal

birtnlcts merriment, purlicularly amongst the

lOUDZ women, who, armed with large suinges

laggons, endeavour to wet every man that

j(s along the street, nnd, in their turn, receive

[wettiiic; with perfect |;ood humour; nor is the

nilbt indecency cvci inaiiiresled in this or in

L other of their stjorts. D^rty water is never

a man is not. allowed to lay hold of a

vnian, but may tlingas much water over her as

i|i|pajC8, provided she has been the aggressor.

fa woman warns » man that she docs not infan

I join in the diversion, it is considered as an

kowal of pregnancy, and she passes , without

nicstalioii. .

J About au hour before sun-set, says theColoncl,
fewent to the Maywoon's, and found that his

lady had provided plentifully to give us a wet re"
ception. In the hall were placed three large
chma jars, fuK of water, with bowls and ladles
to fling it. Each of us, on entering, had a bottle
of rose-water presented to him, a little of which
we in turn poured into the palm 'f the May-
woon's hand, who sprinkled it over his ()\vi\ vest
of fine ilawered nuisliii; the l:i/ly thru niiile her
appearance at ;!"; door, ;iiii! jravc us U) iindoritand
that she did not inca;.' to join in the spoft l.crself,
but made her eldest dLii;;hfcr, a piijiy ihild, in
the nurse's arms, pour I'ro.n a '^oIKm e>i|) some
rose-water mixed will' sa!;d.il-\vood, tirNt over
her father, then over each ijf v.>: this was n sig-nal
for tlie sport tr begin. We \v»>rc prcpaitJ. being
dressed in linen waistcoats. From ten t ; twenty
women, young and middle agec', rusii'^ ' iirto tlio
hall from the umer apartments, who surrounded
and del'igcd without mercy four men ill able to
maintain so unequal a contest. The Maywoon
was soon driven from the Held; but Mr, Wood
having got possession of one of the jars, wc were
enabled to preserve our ground till the water wa«
exhausted: it seemed to aiford them great diver-
sion, especially if we appeared at all distressed
by the quantity of water ilung in our faces. All
parties being tired, and completely drenched, wc
went home to change our clothes, and in tJie way
met many daniseJs who would willingly have re-
newed the sport: they, however, were afraid to
begin without receiving encouragement from us,
not knowing how it mic,iH be taken by strangers;
but they assailed Baba Sheen and his Rirman at-
tendants, who accompanied us, with little ce/c-
mony. Having put on dry clothes, we returned
to the Maywoon's, and were entertained with u
dance and puppet-show.

! 1,

i*!|

I I.

l^^ ;«,

! .1.

SECTION V.

tiij

:l l<i I': ..■. ;ni''. ' M

me of the ancient City of Pegue — Dtacr ration of the new Tovin — Account of the Temple of
\siwemaduo — Mmiastic Rctreiits of the Jihahaans — OJicers of the Provincial Government — Ad-
{nmistrntion of Justkc. < ■ ■ .■

"'HE extent of ancient Pegiie may be still ac- wall that surrounded it: from these it appears to
curately traced by the ruins of the ditch and have been a quadrangle, each side measuring

I The Birman^ seem to deligbt in mimiclcry, and arc very
Kft In the practice, |ios8issiiig uurommon rersatility of
[gntcnanre. An cm|iiout praclitionrr uf this art amused
t company witht a specimen of his skill, and exhibited a
iitcrly display of the passions in pantomimic looka and
ktuiti; fic trausitious he luaUo from pain to pleasure}

from joy to despair, from rage to mildness, from laughter
to tears; his expression of terror, and, above all, his look
of idiotism, uerc performances of iirst rate merit in their
line. Had his fates decreed him to have been a n itive of
Great Britain, his genius would hare rivalled that of any
inoueru comedian of the Euglith stage.

nearly

f-l't

:j ill

I'O*

T^TITASSY TO TllE KtNnnOM OF AVA.

nearly a nillo and a lialf; but in several places the
ditch is clioked up by rubbish tliat has been cast
into it, and the falling' oF it.s own banks. Th(;
fragments of the wall likewise evince that tins
tvas a work of magnitude and labour; its breailth
•t the base not being less than f(>rty feet. In tlit;
centre of each face of the fort there is a gateway
about thirty feet wide; and these gateways were
tlie principal entrances. The passage across (he
ditch is over a causeway raised on a mound of
earth, thit serves as a bridge, and was fornicjiy
defended by an entrenchment, of which there .^rc
now no traces. It is impossible to conceivi <i
more striking pic'iirc of falling grandeur, and
the desolating hand of war, than the inside of
these walls displays. Alompra, when he got
possession of the city in the year 17r)7, razed
every dwelling to the ground, and dispersed or
led into captivity all the iidiabitants. The tem-
ples or praws, which arc very numerous, were
the only buildings that escaped the fury of the
conqueror; and oif these the great pyramid of
Shocmadoo has alone been reverenced and kept in
repair.

The prcsenl king of the Birmans, early in his
ftign. sought to conciliate his subjects by mild-
rtCir,, rather than to govern tlicm by terror. In-
deed no act of the Rirman government seems more
likely to reconcile the Pcguers la the Itirman yoke,
ihan the restoration of theirancient place of abode,
iind the prcscrvf^tion and embellishment of the
temple of ShovTuaJoo. The king, sensible of
this, as well as of the advantages that mutt arise
to the state from the increase of culttire and
population, issued orders in 1 790 to rebuild Fegne,
encouraged seHlcrs by grants of ground, and in-
vited thescattered families of former inhabitantsto
return and repeople their deserted city. The more
cit'ectually to accomplish his purpose, the king
ordered the Maywoon of Rangoon to make
Pegue the place of his future residence. These
judicious measures have so far succeeded, that a
new town has been built within the site of the
ancient city. The number of inhubitants at pre-
sent amouiit to about seven thousand. There can
be little doubt that the respect paid to their

• These proplc are called I'agwaat; they are slafct of
(OTrrnmcnt; men who have bei-n guilty of theft, \nd,
through niercy, had their lives spared. These men )irc dis.
tinguished by a blaek circle on each check, cause*! by gun-
powder and punctuation ; ni well u by havit^ on tbeir

favourite temple <»f worship, and the jccfja
Mivl encourogemcnt hclU out to those who vent i
to return, will, irt time, restore the city to
ancient splendour. The piano of the to'wn ijn I
jet filled with houses, but a number of new on!
are building. The Kioums or monasteries of th
Iihahaans, and the habitations of (he lii,ri|<.
fiuks, are usually elevatcid six or eight, (||„jj,j|
th'i lower classes from ttvO'to four ftet. Tl
p.re no brick bulldln.'»» cither in Pcgue or R«|
J50\>n, except .such as belong to the kin^, or ai
dedicated to their divinity Gaudma; hit niajest!
having prohibited the use of brick vt stone i
private buildings, from the apprehension, thai
people got leave to build brick houses, they mii
erect brick tortifications, dangerous to the
eiirity of the state. The houses therefore are
made of mats, or sheathing boards, supported
bamboos or posts; but from their being loninosi
of such combustible materiftls, the inhabit;
are under continual dread of tire, against whji
they take every precaution. The rool'sare
coveaed, and at each door stands a large bambi
with an iron hook at the end, U* pull downtl
thatch: there is also another pole, with agratii
of iron at the extremity, about three feet squw
to suppress flame by pressure. Almost evi
house has earthei pots, filled with water, on
roof; and a particular clars of people*, wl
businesa is to prevent and extinguish fires,
perambulate the streets during the night.

The object in Pegue that most attracts ii
merits attention, is the noble edifice of Shocraad
or the Golden Supreme. This extraordinary
of bttildings is erccteU on a double icttm,
raised upon another. The lower and gri
terrace is about ten feet above the natural level
the ground, forming an exact parallelogram:
upper and smaller terrace is similar in shape,
rises about twenty feet above the lower terrace,
thirty above th^ level of the country. A side
the lower terrace is one thousand three huudi
and ninety-one feet long, of the upper six hi
dred and eighty-four. The walls that sustaiu
sides of the terrace arc in a ruinnuy state: II
were formerly covered with plaster wrought ii

breast, in Birman characters, ;he word thief, and Umb
of the nrticie stolen, as on one was Putcliao Khoo,
doth thi^. These men palrolu the streets at nigli'^ to|
ontall tirn and lights after » certain bo.ir. Tlic/icl]
coiMt«blcs, and arc alig tke public executloacrk

VVU

KMRASSY TO TllM KINGDOM OK W'A.

:)(53

I jrious figures. Tfie area of the lowei* is strewed

I illi <lie fragments of small decayed buildiiiirs,

y the upper is kept free from filth, and is in

tolerably good order*.

The terraces arc ascended by flights of stone
itfps, which arQ now broken and Mc|;;l('cted. On
Jh'sidc are dwellings of <he Khaluans, riiUcd
on timbers four or five feet from the j-rouiul f.

ghocinadoo is a pyranjiilical biiildin.^, coin-
oosed of brick and mortar, wiiiiont txcuvatioa or
aperture of any sort; octaj^onal at <hc base, and
jniralattlie top; each aide of the base niciisiircs
J hundred and sixty-two feet: this immi'nse
bteadtli diminislics abrnptly, and a similar build-
in» lias not onuptly been compared in shape to a
large speaking trnmpet. Six feet from 'li.
pound there is a wide prnjiHlion that surrounds
the base, on the plane of which arc lifty-scven
limall spires of equal size, and equidistant; one
|,f(lirm measured twenty-seven feet in li(;ie;ht,
and forty in circumference at the bottom. On a
liijlior ledge there is another row, consisting of
fiftv-thrcc spires of similar shape and nieasure-
ocnt. A great variety of mouldings cncrrclf the
building; and ornaments somewhat resembling
Ik fleur-dc-!ys surround the lover part of the
inire; circular mouldings likewise girt it to a
considerahle height, above which there are orn^i-
ijenls in stucco not unlike J'"' leaves of a
foriiitbian capital; and the whole is crowned by
^1 Tec, or umbrella, of open iro:i-work, from
Iffiiicb rises a rod with a gilded peidant;};.

The cinnmferenre of t.ic tee i , fia%-six feet:
jitrostson an iron axis fi,\ed in tne building, and
Martticr scrurfd b\ large < hains strongl* r.vetted
tolhcspin . **()und the lower rim of the tee are
ippcmled a number of bells, which, agitated by
llbc wind, make a coininual jingling. The ex-
ttcnic height of the edilice, from the level of the
eouii.fv, is three hu"(lred and sixty-one feet, and
liboYc the interior terrace three hundred and
lliirty-one feet.

Such Rhahaans or priests as devote themselves

' TluTO is rc-ison (o believe fhnt this htiildim and the for-
lli«ar<' coeval, since the earlli of which the terraces are
Tcoujwscd apptMrs to have been taken from the ditch; (Iutc
Jleiiig no other excavatidii in the city, or in its neighbour.
|L;i<!, that roiild have atfurdrd a tenth part of lliu quantity.
Thi'sc. houses consist only of a lar);rc hall; the wooden
killirs tli.it support ihe.in are turned with neatness; tbi* roofs
I ciiver'd with tiles, and the sides arc made of boards;
mil there are a number of bare benches in every honfo, on

Vdi.ll. No. C\I.

to religious seclusion, and prefer the tranquillKy
of rural retirement to the noise and tumult of a
town, take up their abode in groves. In their
choice of a residence they conunonly solcit ti.e
most retired spots they can find, where shady
trees, particularly tiie tamarind and bainati,
protect them from the -looii-day sun. In (iiesc
groves they build tlicir kioums, and here they
pass their solitary lives. All kioums or monas-
teries, whether in town or country, are semina-
ries for the education of youth, in which boys
of a cerlai;! aj.n' are tiuight their letters, and in-
slrucled in moral and religions duties, To these
schools tli'i neighbouring- \iilages send their
children, where thev are cdiuated grati'', no dis-
tinction being made between the son of a peasant
an! of him who wears the tsaloe, or string of
nobility. A piece of ground contiguous to the
grove is inclo.ied (pr a garden, where they sow
V"g(!t;ibles and plant fruit trees; the Indian sweet
potatoe, and the plantain, being the mo.st nutri-
tions, are principally cultivated; the charity of
tlie country pettple supplies them abundantly with
rice, and the few necessaries which their narrow
wants requir«. Abstracted from all worldly con-
siderations, they do not occupy themselves in the
common concerns of lite: tln;y never buy, sell,
or accept of monev.

In the town of Pegue there are only tlire^ per-
sons besides the Maywoon or Vicerov, 'vhoserank
entitles him to distinction: these are tiie H ivwov)n,
Chekev, and the Seree-dogee. Tir.'se olucers ex-
ercise the function of nmgistratos, and hold sepa-
rate courts at their own iio'isc-, for the determi-
nation of petty suits. Ivich has his distinct de-
partm<Mit; hut this private jurisdicti'Mi is very
limited: all causes of i;'.iportancc relating to
property, and matters o' a high crimimil nature,
are solemnly tried ic. open court. The three
before mentioned oflicers unite, and form a tri-
!»una), which sits at the Rhoom, or public hall
of justice, where tiiey hear the parties, examine
witucsses, and take depositions in writing: these

which the Rhahaans ilcrp ; but tliero was no other furnittirc
J The tee or umbrella is to be seen on every .sarrej
building that is of r. piral form : tlie raisins; aiul t'ons.vratiDn
of thi.s appendage i . an a( t of hiirji reli'.ious soicrniiity, aiid
a season of festivlt\ and relax.-'.tion The present kin^ be-
stowed the tee that » 'Jters Shoemadoo. It was niadir at the
capital; and many ol the principal n(>'jilily came down from
Umwcrapoora to be present at the ccrunony of its el tiou.

dcpogitiom

ii-'fi

b6'h

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

tdcposithns are sent to the Maywoon, who re-
prescnls Jhe King-, and the Jiulgos transmit their
opinions along 'tiilh the evidence, which the
INIaywoon either confirms or rrjeots as he thinks
proper, and, in cases of capi<al conviction, orders
execution, or pardons the culprit. From his
judgment there hcs no appeal, except when it

happens that an offender who holds an oBl
under a royal commission is hrought to (rial' ''
that case, the minutes of the evidence takeii ' I

court must be forwarded to the coniuil ai stat
to be by then submitted to the King, wlohim
self applies the law, and awards the sentence

SECTION VI.

-'^ntipatl

Leave Pc^iic and rcarli ilic Villits:c of Deem — Abundance of Game — Biiffcdocs; tlicU

Jiid or Scarlet — Deenn infested In/ Tigera and zvild Elephants — Reach Jiangoou — Ceo!>:r(ij)hici^i
Foaitiun of J'egue erroneousljj laid doxen in modern J\Ia}iS — Description of the Town of Rangoon
—.Icconnt of the People called Carianers — Description of the Temple of Shoedugong — 2'ciw/i yf
jViaindu — J\Iima-Shun-liua, the Milage of Prostitutes.

'i.'l lo

COLONEL Symcs and the rest of the embassy
Ici't Pegue on the 26th, and arrived fi-e next
day at the village of Deesa; where, shor.ly after
their arrival, the Miou-gce, or chief n rson of
the village, came to pay his respects. The
I'ountry about Deesa abounds in various kinds of
game, particularly deer. About a mile east of
the town is an extensive plain, \\here a herd of
deer was soon discovered, but they were so \vat( li-
f'ul and vild, says the Colone'. that I could only
get near enough to (ire a r.^ndem shot from a
rille, which did not take ili'ect. In endeavouring
to approach them unperc»'i\e;l, I left my servants
iind guide at a '-onsidcrable distHiice, The r"|)ort
of the gun alarmed a drove of buifalocs: the
whole troop raised their tii'ads and, instead of
miming awav, seemed to ^taud on the d<;ren.-:i\e.
Two came out from tlio Led, and, with their
tails and heads erect, trottej towards luo, not in
a straight line, but uuiLiiig lialf a circle, as if
afraid to advance; but e( length they drew so
near, that I expected a direct charge to he made
upon me. In tliii e.vireroify the i\Iiou-gee dis-
Kuered me, am! made signs to ui'*, which 1 com-
prclu ruled, and slip[)ed oil my sca;!et coat, -.thidi
1 flung, togciher with my hut, in'o souu", hmg
grass: the huilalo desi>teJ tVoui the pursuit, and
jefurned towards the herd, quietly graziiig as he
retired. This circumstance proves, that the buf-
l.ilo enterfiiius the same antipathy to tin." colour of
red or scailet that some vit!>er animals are known
todo. The xMiou-gee, when i joined him, secm-
id quite us much alarmed i was; he said

that if I had sustained any injury, his head would
havn paid the forfeit of the accident. In the '
thickets that bo/der on the banks of the river to
the north and s(,uth of the village, tigers I'te-
quenfly prowl abodt, and carry away the dogs from
the villJTge, but dare not attack the buffaloes '
who appear to be almost as fierce as theinselve>:
and in a forest, about twelve miles to the nortli-
east, are immense herds of wild elephants, which
freciuently destroy whole crops of rice and sii<,'iir.
cane. Tlie next morning they left 13eesia and ar- '
rived at Rangoon.

Ttie authorities on which the geography of]
the city and river of Pigoi' has beea laid d> wii,
though diud)tlets the best that could he procured,
are nevertheless far from being accurate. IV
Pegue river is called by the natives IJagoo Kioi
or Pegue rivulet, to distinguish it from 3.iiiiii|), ,
or river. It is na\igable but a scry few niiltsto]
the northward of the city of i*egue, and for this ^
it is wholly indebted to the action of the tide k
has no communication with the sea, execpt hy
the Rangoon river, and in the fair sei'.son, at luw
water, is almost dry. There seems to lia\e bteii
a mistake of this stream for the Sitang river,
about fifteen miles I'ast of Pegue, which isaL;iTiit
and independent body of wafer, that p.irll\ de-
scribes (he course that in the maj) is given to what
is called the Pegue river. Nor does the ineridiaa
lueasurei.ienl oi' the city of Pegue, as i('pr)rted bj
loriner travellers, at all correspond with later ob-
servations, Mr. Wood, an accurate astronomer,
and furuishcd with cAccllcut iustruiucnts, phuij

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

*;65

|p,nie io seventeen degrees forty minutes N.

llifudf, above forty geographi'cal miles S. of the

*ijj,i(,n assigned to it in the map. The difference

? Igngitiido is less than that of latitude.

Mr Wood, from a mean of observations of the

niincr-ion and emersion of Jupiter's sitellites,

delermines Pegne to be in ninety^six degrees,

I i,,veii minutes, fifteen seconds, about thirty-two

jniilc? W. of i>s supposed situation. This east-

utii error may liave giver, occasion to the mistsuce

jofilic Sitanii; rivvr for that of Pegue. Indocd

llieaiitiiori'.ii's for the geof^-raphy of this country

I j[e, inmost places Jm pel lect, and in some alto-

iJiirTroneous.

I Inci casing trade, and consequent population,

have cxtt'iuii'd tiie present town far boyoiid the

lliaiilsilint fonnrriy comprehended Ilangoon, as it

Iwasorigiiwllv founi't-d by Aloinpra. It stretches

Ijl^iin. ihe bank of the river about a mile, and is

Ipjd^ioie than a third of a mile in breadth. Tin;

Itilvor miou is a square, surrounded by a Ijigh

|t|9ckaik; vithin which in several places arc

IfKCled wooden stages for ninsqut'tccrs to stand on

Ijfjs,. of an attack. A battery ol" twelve cannon,

liixiiiid iiiue-ponnders, raised on the bank, coni-

iuands the river; but the guns and carriiiges are

liisuc'i a wretched condition, that (Iwy could do

liltle execution. C'losctothe principal wharf are

Locoimnodious houses, used by the merchants

L;iue\ch:iiigc, \\here they usually meet in the

koolofthc morning and evening, to c<mveise and

Lnsacl business. The streets of the town are

Lrow, and much inferior to those of Pegue,

Mclean and well-paved. The houses are raised

In posts iVoni the ground; the smaller supported

\\ l),iiiiboos, the larger by strong timbers. All

ii' olliccrs of government, the most opulent

jritrcliants «ud persons of consideration, live

llliiii the fort; shipwrights and people of in-

jtriuniiik iidiabit the suburbs; and one entire

tiid, citlled Tackallay, is c.\clusi\tly assigned

jcoiniiion prostitutes, who are not permitted io

iuW wilhi'i tli<! precincts ot" the I'ortilicatiou.

■nine arc si.'lered to roam aliout the town at

W: llic'sc ai.imals, which are with reason held

jiirliaii, do not belong to any paiiicular owners;

t(^ lie >er\ ants of the public, «oinmon scaven-

>; iliey go under the houses, and do\ our (he

li. TIic IJirma.is are also fond of dors ntun-

|Chiir»lMth inf.'st the streets; the Itreed is small,

pcxticuicly noisy; whenever wc walked out.

the inhabitants were apprized of the approach of
the English by the loud barking of these trouble-
some curs.

A singular description of people called Carav-
ners, or Cariancrs, inhabit different parts of the
country, particularly the provinces of Dalla and
Bassien, several societies of whom also dwell in
the districts adjacent to Ilangoon. Thcv are a
simple innocent race, who speak a language dis-
tinct from that of the Binn ms, and enllcrtaiii
rude notions of religion. They lead a pastoral
life, ami arc tl mtj^t inJustrions subjects of the
staie. Their villages form a select eommnnity,
from which they exclude all other sects, and
never reside in a city, intermingle, or marry with
strangers. They profess, and strictly observe,
universal peace, not engaging in war, or taking
part in contests for dominion, a system that ne-
cessarily places them in a state of subjection to
the ruling power of the day. Agriculture, the
eare of caille, and r.^aring poultry, are almost
their only occ'ipalion^. * great part of the
provisions used in the country is raised by the
Carianers, and they particularly e\cel in garden-
ing. They have of late years been heavily taxed
and oppressed by the great Birman land-holders,
in cojisequ' nee of which many have withdrawn to
the moimtainsof Arracan. They have traditional
maxims of jurisprudc'.ce for their internal govern-
nicnt, but n-c with, .t any written laws: custom
with tluim constitutes the law. Some learn to
speak the Birman fongiie, and a fiiw can read
and write it imperfectly. They are tinu)rous,
honest, mild in their manner:i, and exceedingly
hospitable to strangers.

The temple of Shuedugon, or Dagoung, about
two miles and a half north of Rangoon, is a very
grand building, although n(>t so high by twenty-
live or thirty feet, as that of Shoeinadoo at Pegue.
It is i.'uirh nnne ornani'iMited, atul is ascended by
above a hundred stone steps, that have been suf-
fered to fall into (Kcay. The situation renders
Shoedagon a conspiciu)Us object at the distance-
of many miles. The tee an<l the whole of the
spire arc richly gilded, which, when the su«
shines exhilnt a siui^ularly splendid appearance.
The road leading from the city to the temple is
formed with care; a wide causeway in the centre
))reven(sthe rain from lodging, and throws it off
to lliesid(!S. Nuinberhss little spires are ranged
along the edge of the road, in wbixh are niches to

rcccivs

f l;^l' i.:

)\:^ly\

:i!'i,i|i.

Hi-! ■

566

ETymASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

receive small images of their divinity Gaudma.
Several kioiims or monasteries lay in this direction,
generally removed a short distance from the pub-
lic way, under the shade of pipal or tamarind
trees.

The Birmans, like all the natives of the East,
are fond of processions; scarcely a week passes
ihiit there is not a religious display in Rangoon;
eitUiu" a funeral of some person who leaves suf-
ficient to defray the expencc of a pompous public
burning, or the ceremonv of admitting youths
into the convents of the Rhahaans. The age of
induction is generally from eight to twelve years.
On an appointed day the youth parades the streets,
dressed in yellow, and mounted on a horse richly
caparisoned, led by two servants: a band of
music goes before, and a party of Rhahaans en-
circle him : his male friends follow in a troop,
and the females of their families bring up the
rear, the latter carrying on their heads the oiTer-
ings meant for the Rhahaans. Thus thej pro-
ceed to the convent of which the novice is to hc-
coiue a member, whcrt; ho n presented in form to
the senior of the brotherhood. This ceremony is
repeated three times, and at each peran»l)ulation
fresh presents are to be provided. From the

any convents in the neighbourhood of Rangoon,
the number of Rhahaans and Phongliis* are very
considerable; they were estimated at upwards of
fifteen huoflr^d. Like the Carmcli!"s. they go
barefooted, and have their heads close shaven, on
which they never wear any cHvering. Yellow is
the only colour worn by the priesthood : they
liavc a long loose cloak which they wrap round
them 30 as to cover most part of the body: they
profess celibacy, and to abstain from every sen-
sual indulgence f.

The Rhahaans never dress their own victiials,

Rhahaans never take any active share, or publi 1 1
interfere in politics, or engage in war; by yi\{ivi
prudent conduct they excite no resentment. Th I
Birmans and Pegucrs profess the same reli»io 1
so that which ever are conquerors the miiiisiorj
of reli'^ion are always respected.

In the city and suburbs of Rangoon tliere arei
five thousand taxable houses, and about tliirtJ
thousand inhabitants. Tins town haviiiT Iq^iI
been the asylum of insolvent debtors from ttiel
different settlements of India, it is crowded v'M
foreigners of desperate fortunes, who find fronjl
the Birmans a friendly reception, and, [\n ty
most part, support themselves by carryiii'' on »!
petty trade, which affords a decent siibsisleme J
those who act prudently. Here are to be fomJ
fugitives from all countries of the Eust, and oil
all complexions: the exchange, or place of iheiJ
meeting, exhibits a motley assembbige of m\
chants, such as few towns of much greater i
nitude can produce: Malabars, Mogul?, PefJ
sians, Parsees, Armenians, Portugncze, FriwliJ
and English, all mingle here, and are clipped iij
various branches of commerce. The nienihersoj
this discordant multitude are not only permillei
to reside under the protection of goveniraent, buj
Irkewise enjoy the most liberal toleration in rcJ
ligious matters: they celebrate their sevfral ritci
and festivals, totally disregarded by tbe Ihrmjiiij
who have no inclination to make proselytes. Ihim
same street may be heard the soleinn voice of ttiJ
Muezzin calling pious Islamites to early pravcriJ
and the bell of the Portngueze chapel tinklingi
summons to Romish Christians. ProceiiMon
r.ieci and pass each other without giving or \4
ceiving cause of odence.

On the west side of the river, opposite to Ran^
goon, IS the town of Maindu, the residence oil
the governor of the province of Dalla. TliJ

holding it an abuse of time to perform any of the

common functions of life, "h'rh, so long as they town of Maindu is composed of one long strcelJ
occupy, mii.it divert them from an ..bstract con- j at the ea.«t end is a creek, which goes all (hewajj

temptation uf the divine essence. The v receive to Ba.ssien, and has twelve feet depth of water i

the contributions of the laity ready cocked, and high tide; on the west side is a smaller creek, oil

prefer cold food to hot. they never eat but once the bank of which stands a village called Miiu-j

a day, and that at the hour of noon. The ShuD-Rua, or the village ol' prostitutes, k'inj

* Tiic inferior order of pnciiCi, vulgarly railed Talla-
poius<

+ I'litf prescribed piini.sh:ncn., for a Rhahaan detected in
an !ic( of inroiilii "lice is, expulsion and public disgrace:
the (leliiiqueiit i.s seated ua an ass, and his face daubed witii

black paint interspersed with spots of white: ho h tin;
through the streets), with a drum boatin't; before liiin, an!
afterwards turned out uf thu city ; but £uch io^'^^iiics ufilcJ
gradation arc verjr rare.

iuhabiln

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

$67

.b:

habited \«liolly by women of Ibat description*.
iThe situation of the town of Rani!,oon is cx-
I ecdinirU advantageous for trade, and tlie river
r ij'^liv commodious for the - on.strutlion of
{'! p^f. "The sprinf? tides rise twenl}' feet in p«!r-

"iidicular height: the banks arc soft, and so flat

•.,jrf^

ire

^t■. i

that there is little need of labour for the formation
ofdoeks. Vessels of an V l)iii(lri) may be built. In-
deed Nature has lil)craliv d(t!ii> iur piirt to render
Rangoon tlie most thniri.->lii!Jt;' ica-port oi' the
eastern wprld.
■>« t>.T?Hi1»' !*'•■'£/-} <;ai oil// , ;.; !

!f ■•>!(

Ui:i

SECTION VII.

1 ids ) . .

,».vt

' ■ir'.uti (iv) /ij.-ii ■-••i'.-iii

lupfrialM/indaie nvrivesfor the Eiiglish to proceed to the Capital — Maijxvonn nf Pegue ordered ta
itccompaiiijit^^flvntsnien emplnijed to catch Alligator^ and Rhinoccro.ses — '.Iir Mntixooon leaves
RmsooTh and the English DeptUation prepare to follow — Dev^-ription of the Boats — Depart froni
Rani^oon — Pass several' Toxmis and l^illageR-^Arrire at Peeniic-mew, or P) ome — Description of
l>f,)ine— Leave Loonghee-^City of Pagahm — Temple ofShocgecgooji, — De *, uclivc Cofiflagration
^Embark nn board the rorfal li(vrge-^ Leave Pagahm — Description of a.i cient Ava — Appearance
ofUmmcrapoora, the Capital — Residence ofihe British Dcputationf anu, Heception on landing.

MIE month of May was now far advanced,

iuiil, says the Colonel, we became a liitle

Binn.i;iciit at remaining so long in a state of un-

Lftainty, especially as the oflicers of government

^id not all relax in the fjormality and coldness of

■ir deportment, nor were we yet assured what

|iiig>t be the nature of our reception at court.

Jrorn Jliis unpleasant state of suspence we were

It length af:;recably relieved by the arrival of a

leder from the May woon of Pcgue to the coun-

()f R!ini;oon, acquainting them that he had

[eicived the imperial mpudate to make prcpara-

Ym tor our conveyance by water to the capital ;

liid that it was his Majesty's farther pleasure

hat lie should accompany the deputation in per-

«ii, Baba-Sheen lost no time in imparting to

jiielliL' iiiU'lligence, which was soon after coni-

[imnioat<(l l»V an olfuiiil nv'ssage from the KaV'

to hear the o'der formally announced in council.
This was a ceremony I begged leave to decline;
but I sent my moonshee, or Persian secretary, to
attend the meeting. A visit of the deputation to
Ummerapoora being now decided on by the
highest authority, the Colonel applied to the
Haywoon for leave to purchase suitable boats for
the uNe of himself and .etinue; but an oflicer from
theRaywoon informed him, that ii. was inconsistent
with the usage of their government to admit of %
public minister being at any ox pence for his con-
veyance; and that the superiutendant of the port
had received instructions to prepare as nian^y boats
a.s the Colonel thought necessary. Conformably
to the imperial mandate the Maywoon left
Pegue, and arrived at Rangoon on the :i.)iii of
May, attended by a numerous retinue. .;

About this time an order came from court to

iivitiiig me to llie Rboom, or public hail, ! the provincial governuicnt of Pegue, which fur-

DOOIIj I

» I'rc-iiliiiion in this, as in all o(hcr countries, lo. the
k!ti!M::tc icMirt of female « retrluHlnc^^s ; but Iiprc il is often
luinl'd 'nilh ciiV'.nniitiinft'S of peciilinr «iul iiiiniorltod
kiisnv. '''.oy who follow (his course of life are not at
Ikcir iiHii . |)osaJj,iMii- reqeive the earnings of their unhappy
lrofc^um: Ihey arc slaves sold by troditors to a licensed
Lidcr, f(ir debts more freiiuenlly contracted by oitiers than
l)LiinsclU'S. Accimlln's tothelaflsoflVfjue, lie >vlio incurs

" I'fcomeB •

pr.

tadicd and sold to discliari;e the obligation. Tlip wretciied-
ness Into which this inhuman law plniii^es whole families is
not to be described. Innocent women are often dr.iiriTcil
from domestic comfort and happiness ; mkI from tli," folly
or misforluue of the master of the house, in which they
perhaps have no blame, are sold to tl.e Iic;ni.M'd superiu*
teiulant of the Tackally, who, if the) >)os>;'vs atlraction."!,
pays a hiijh jirice for them, and reinil;- rs hinis-eir" by the
wages of their prostitution.

Itrt'ditu

f, who lujiy cliiim U>e iiis<»|vei|it debtor us bis shive, ' + The IJirmans use teak, the inost diiraMe wooil that is
gc him to perform menial service until he liquidates i known, and best adapted to (he purpuses of ship-bui ill

ililit; nor docs the unhappy man, always Miller in his
\i\\\w jii alone, hfs immediate rcfafiyi's arc often included
iiLdJond. and, when that in tho c:iso, nro liable ;o be at-

Vol! II. No CXIl. .

Ihli

Is wood is produced in the lorr'i-. o

f the Itirniaii and

Pegue empires in ine.vhau^tiblo abundance.

"W-hed

» '^n

^<M -i*

jii

i--f

568

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

m'^

nished a subject of much conversation. The em-
peror of China, having never seen a rhinoceros or
an alligator, entertained an ardent desire to view
those formidable animals before his death, and
had intimated his wish through a provincial
legate from Yunan, who had lately arrived at
Ummerapoora for the purpose of settling some
mercantile p/;rai)gcments. The king of Ava,
solicitous to gratify his august brother of China,
had sent an order to catch twenty alligators and as
many of the rhinoceros tribe, au^ corvey them
to the metropolis, whence they were to he trans-
ported to the imperial city of Pee-Kien (Pekin).
Strong nets were thrown across the Pcgue river;
the fishermen began successfully; several allliga-
tors were taken in two or three days, and put
into bouts, in the bottom of which wells were
constructed. The Rhinoceros hunters were not
equally fortunate.

The Maywoon left Rangoon on the 28th of
May, and as the boats for the English deputation
■were not quite ready, the Colonel prepared to
follow him with the utmost expedition. My
barge, says Colonel Symes, was sixty feet in
length, and not more than twelve in the widest
part : by taking away one thwart beam near the
stern, laving a floor two feet below thegunwhale,
and raising an arched roof about seven feet above
the floor, a commodious room was formed, four-
teen feet long, and ten wide, with a closet be-
hind it: at the stern there was a stage, on which
the Seedegce, or steersman, stood, and a vacant
space of seven or eight feet, where a kettle might
be boiled, or duiner prepared. On each side of
thp cabin a small door opened on the platform,
and there were three windows which, when
raised, admitted a free circulation of air. The
roof was made of Bamboos covered with mats,
and over all w \s extended a painted canvas, that
r.trectuallv secured us from the heaviest rain.
The inside was iieatl\ lined with matting. The
convcyaiucs of the other jLicntlemcn were nearly
of the same size and eoiistrtulion. Tweut\-s'.x
boatmen composed tlie crew of my vcssj'l, ex-
clusive of the Leedegee, who is the chief or
captain.

Two da)S after the deputalion left Rangoon,
a short way from wlucli town llie river becomes
narrower, with a winding course, owing to
which they did not advarue above three leagues
ia a direct line from ten o'clock ui the morning

till three in the afternoon. Prorredine o ii, I
voyage they passed a town r""ed Panlanl i jl
had formerly been a considerable city, anj i [ |
wise three small villages. At the latter J I
they passed a comfortless night, that part L^l
infested by mosquitoes of an unusual size "jI
extrem-^ly venomous. A little beyond Paul*' I
which town they left on the first of June at d"^'!
break, the river contracts greatly, and does n^J
appear to be mure than two hurtdred yards arrn I
In three hours they reached Kettoree-Rua 'I
Paroquet village; and io two hours more Yan*" T
ain-Chain-Yah, where they entered the grnlk
river, a!>d passed the night. The course of u, I
stream was neafly north and south, and about |
mile wide. The next morning|hey joined i|i|
Maywoon, who, with his suite, andavastconi
cour^ of boats, was waiting for the arrival i
the deputation.

On the 3rd of June the whole flaat got underl
way; and at nine o'clock passed Denoobew, Ji
extea^ive town, ornamented with a lofty tenmjei
resembling Shoedagon in form, but of "a siimlU
size. At sun-set they stopped near the town o^
Yeoungbenzah, which town they left at dav.
break the next morning. From the 3rd to tin
10th of June, they passed several towns and m1
lages, when the Maywoon expressed a dcjireJ
remain three or four days at Meaydav, aiuHn
and district two days journey mirth of IV.i
which he holds in Jaghire by a grant fronith
king. This intention was far from heiit<f disj.]
greeable to any of the party, as the boatimii wen
fatigued, and the servants and the guard rcquirei
a short time to adjust their conveniences for )|i
remainder of the voyage. The deputation liai
now reached the city of Peeaye-mew, or Promej

The city of Prome is renowned in Rirniai
history for having been the scene of many juui
sieges and bloody conflicts. The buildings ari
not remarkable ; but. though I saw iittir li
notici', suy.s Colonel Symes, 1 found thatlvi
m\sclf an object of universal wonder: an EngHs
olFucr dressed in uniform was a phaniomcDoi
p.rhaps never before seen in this part of tin
world. My attendants also created no little sur
prize; the dogs, numbers of which infested tl
streets, set up a horrid barking; the raeii gaped,
the children followed me, and the woiiieu
usual, expressed tlieir astonishment by li
laughter und dap'jing their hands; jct not

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA,

562)

acsi

I [ indication of contempt was manifested, nor
•at any thing ^^^^ *'•** could be construed into
n intention to oflTend. At ihe upper end of the
Jtesent city are to be seen the ruins of the ancient
L of Prome : it had been a small pentagon,
built of brick, and from its situation must have
l^n very strong. The modern fort is nothing
oorethaii apalisfided inclosure with earth thrown
behind it. Adjacent to the town is a royal
mens^crie of elephants, consisting of two rows
flflofty well-built stables, in which these animals
jte lodged during the rains. The city of Prome
iiid (lie province in which it stands are the
jighire, or estate of the second son of the king:
(J^y likewise give him his title. Prome is some-
times called Terreketteree, or single skin ; and the
Birraaiis have an old Icj^endary tale respecting
tbeoriginof this name*.
At length a messenger was sent by an order
from the Ljtoo, or Grand Council, to meet the
English deputation, and to acquaint the Colonel
Ibat his Majesty had beer pleased to direct that
three oHicers of distinguished rank should proceed
to Pagahm-niew, a city seven da^s journey be-
low Unimcrapoora, to wait his arrival, and
fjcort him to the capital. The king, he ob-
served, had done the deputation the extraordinary
honour to send a royal barge for the Colonel's
personal accommodation, with two war-boats to
tow it. This was considered as a Haltering mark
of his INlitjesty's good inclination, and a favour-
able omen was drawn from it. To have our
liar"t' drawn bv war-b(»at8 was an honorary
privilege granted only to persons of the first con-
sequeucc: it is grounded on the idea, that it is in-
Uisistent with the dignity of a man o* high rank
[to be in the same boat with people of such mean
ondition as common watermen ; it is a singular
liiislaiice of the characteristic pride. The Shaw-
uiider displayed great shrewdness in his conver-
sion, lie asked me several questions respecting
He powers with which I was invested; and as the
isit might in some degree be considered as oiiicial,
in part grati lied his curiosity, by explaining in
ineral terms the nature of the mission and the
kapacity in which I expected to be received.

•It is related, tliat a favourite fcmak slave of Tutcbong-
lBDgce,or the mighty sovereign with three eyes, importuned
Vr lord for a gift of some ground ; and being asked of what
jucot, replied ia similar terms with the crafty and amorous

without at all disclosing the specific objects I bad
in view.

The Shawbunder left Loonghee on the first of
July, to announce our approach to the Birman
officers, who were already arrircd at Pagahnv:
we postponed our departure until the following
day, and at seven in the morning quitted this
pleasing and rural place. In our journey we
passed many towns and vill.iges; sometimes wc
w^t swiftly through the water, at others v/e
were stationary, and even lost ground, as the
wind frequently subsided, and the stream waa
very rapid.

At length after a voyage of seven days.

which they passed several towns and villages,
they approached the once magnificent city of
Pagahm. They could see little more from the
river than a few straggling houses, which boro
the appearance of having once been a connected
street: in fact, scarcely any thing remains of
ancient Pagahm, except its numerous mouldering
temples, and the vestiges of an old brick fort, the
ramparts of which arc still to he traced. The
town of Neoundah, about four miles to the
north, which may be called a continuation of
Pagahm, has nourished in proportion as the
latter has decayed.

Wc reached Neoundah early on the 9th of
July. At this place the deputation from the
capital, of which I had been apprized the Shaw-
bunder. was waiting my arri\al. The Seree in-
formed me, that a temporary house wltich I saw
on a clear piece of ground about a hundred
3 ards from the brink, had been erected as a com-
pliment to me; it was much larger than that
which the Maywoon had prepared at Meeaday.
Early in the afternoon I left my boat, and was re-
ceived at the house by the Birman oflicers with
every format testimony of respect; on a part of
the floor elevatcda few inches, acarpet was spread,
on which I took my scat. The principal nersou
of the deputation was a Woondock, a junior
counsellor of state ; the others were the governor
of a district called Miengdong north of Ava, the
governor of Pem-Keing bordering on Chijia, and
the commandant of the Siamese guards. O'a

Elisa, when she projected the site of iincicut Ciirthagc. ITcr
request was granted, and she used the same aititice. Th«
resemblance of the stories ii curious.

entering

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570

EMBASSY to THE KINGDOAl OF AVA.

entering the town of Pagahm is a long, narrow,
yrintling street; about thirty feet wide; the houses
were built of Bamboo, and raised from the
ji;roiiiKi: this street was full of shops, containing
no otlior articles than lackered ware: boxes, trays,
cnj)*, iC<'. varnished in a very neat manner were
(lis|)lci\cd in tiie front of the shops; they were of
various colours ; some had figures painted on
them, others wreaths of flowers. Having reach-
ed the extremity of the town in this direction,
we came upon a well paved road, that led to the
areat temple named Shoegecjioon, to which we
prt)cceded. On each side of the road there was a
ran<;c of small temples, neglected and in ruins:
the kipuuis, or monasteries, were in good repair,
and we saw some handsome houses for the accom-
modation of strangers. Shoegeegoon is neither
so large nor so well built as the temples at R::n-
goon or Pegue, the height does not exceed a
liundrcd and fifty feet: it is surrounded by a
L^pacious area paved with broad flags, on which
there are a number of smaller buildings, pro-
fusely gilded, and laboriously carved. A stair-
case on the outside leads up to a gallery, about a
third of the height of the principal temple,
whence we had an extensive prospect of the coun-
try, which appeared to be exceedingly unpro-
ductive and barren: the ruins of innumerable
religious buildings were to be seen in every
direction, which cover a space of ground not less
than six or seven miles along the river, and three
miles inland. Pugahm is said to have been the
residence of forty-five successive monarchs, and
was abandoned five hundred years ago in conse-
quence of a di\ine admonition: whatever may be
its true history, it certainly was once a place of
no ordinary splendour. Returning by a difl'erent
way, \vc walked thron<>;h an alley occupied by
blacksmiths' shops, furnished with hill hooks,
spike-nails, adzes, &c. A little farther on Vic
saw the ruins of a .street that had been consumed
by fire only two days before: from seventy to
eighty houses were de.ilroycd by the conflagration.
It was the Tackallr, and the suflerers were the
already wretched, the miserable public problitutes.
Here are a great number of religious edifices,
which differ in structure from those we had seen
iu the lower provinces: instead of a slender
rpire rising to a great height from an expanded
base, the temples of Pagahm, in general, carry
up a heavy breadth to very near the top, and

then come abruptly to a point, which giyp,
clumsy appearance to the buildings. Mnn\ fl
the most ancient temples at this place arc notsorl '
at the bottom ; a vvell arched dome support L
ponderous superstructure; within, an ima>re fl
Gaudmasits enshrined, four gothic doorwin^on" !
into the dome: in one of these is a luMnau'i],!"!
standing erect, which the Seree told iiie\ ^1
Gaudma; and another of the same personam
lying on his right side asleep, both of giganijcj
stature. The divinity, however, it; rarely (n},J
found in these attitudes, the posture in which ul
is generally depicted, is sitting cross-leg-crd onal
pedestal, adorned with representations oi'tlie ip,ff
of the sacred lotus carved upon the base; tlipy
hand of the image rests upon his lap, and tlid
right is pendant. Passing through iho ,M;burbjJ
we came to a part where the inhabilanis wtJ
employed in pressing oil from the H'^miiuii
seed: the grain, is put into a deep wondJ
trough, in which it is pressed by an iinrigjiii
timber fixed in a frame, the force is iiurcasa
by a long lever, on the extremity of which anijiJ
sits and guides a bullock that moves in a tircll
thus turning and pressing the seed at \]r. ^jl
time; the machine was .simple, and anssvcicdilij
purpose eflectually. There were not less thm
two hundred of those mills within a narrow comJ
pass. From the circiunstance of the cattle beid
in good order, we concluded that they were fej
on the .seed after the oil was extracted. Tlicjan]
about Pagahm scarcely yields suflicicnt vcjdal
tion to nourish goats.

At nine o'clock in the morning of tlio 11
July the Colonel took possession of the roT<
barge with ceremonious fomiality, accoiiipaniei
by the Woondock and IJaba Sheen. 'I'lie plal
form, on the outside contained space for (liirtl
two rowers, sixteen on each side; but on Ihisoif
casion the oars were not fastened, as it wasnicaa
to be drewn by war-boats: the inside wa'iiliijdej
into three str.all apartments handsonulv (itfcduil
the roof and sides were lined with uhifcfoltiii
and the floor covered with carjiets and linniiij(|

Aungwa, or Ava, once the metropolis ol i
the TJirman empire, is divided into an upperad
lower city, both of which are fortified: thckma
which is the most extensive, I judged to bealioi
four mile« in circumference; it is prutcclcdbfl
wall thirty feet high, at the foot of which tit
is a deep aaU broad fosse. The cunnnunicatiiij
! belwB

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

571

■Mweenthe Tort and the country is over a mound

T?^(|, iTOSsing theditclij that supports a causc-

r . ,11 embankment of earth in the inside sus-

gt the wall; the upper or smaller fort, wiiich

be called the citadel, and does not exceed a

I ill circuit, was much stronger, and more

Bpact than the lower: but neither the upper

rtlie lower bad a ditch on the side of the river.

tie walls are now mouldering into decay; ivy

Am to the sides and hushes, suflered to grow

I the bottom, undermine the foundation, and

iiit already caused large chasms in the did'erent

ei of the fort. Tiie materials of the houses,

jiisting chiefly of wood, had, on the first order

J removing, been transported to the new city of

Lpierapoora: but the ground, unless where it

[covered with bushes, oi' rank grass, still retains

J of former buildings and streets. The lines
Iftheroyal palace, of the Lotos, or grand council
II, the apartments of the women, and the spot

'piijath, or imperial spire, had stood, were
I out to us by our guide. Clumps of bam-
x, a few plantain trees, and (all thorns, oc-
ny the greater part of the area of this lately
Himbiiig capital.

[Numerous temples, or which the Birmans
tr lay sacrilegious h-nds, were dilapidating
[time. It is impossible to draw a mure striking
[tute of desolation and ruin.
lAmoDg the religious buildings w ithin the fort,
enuned Shoegunga Praw, nownys distinguish-
Iforsjze or splendour, was in foruier times held
tuliuly sacred, and is still reverenced above
> rest. At the present day, when an officer of
|iii is about to enter on a great public trust or a

commander ia appointed to the army, the
Ih of allegiance is administered in this temple
Ihfreat solemnity, u breach of which is con-

1 the most heinous crime that a ISirman can
jguilty of, and is invariably punished by the
Itrest tortures. How Shoegunga obtained this
lindion I was nut able to learn. Wc were iu-
nod, that a temple of much magnitude, named
balhcrpoo Praw, stood a short distance to the
llward of the fort, in which was a colossal
preofGaudma, formed out of a solid block of
bk This temple and image we had a better
urtimity of viewing on our return.

aving Ava in the rear, the river bends again
northward, when the opposite city of

ail), and the spires, the turrets, and the
r«i.n. No.CXIl.

lofty Piasath of Ummerapoora, create an unex-
pected pleasure, and exhibit a fine contrast to the
gloomy and deserted walls of Ava. Chagain, on
the north side, once too the seat of imperial resi-
dence, is situated partly at the foot, and partly on
the side, of a ruggedi hill thi' is broken into
separate eminences, on the summit of each stands
a s;)i''al temple; tliese temples, rising irregularly
one above another to the top of the mountain,
form a beautiful assemblage of objects, the elfect
of which is increased by their being carefully
whitewashed and kept in repair. As we sailea
near the opposite shore, the sun shone full upon
the hill, and its reflected rays displayed thcscunery
to the highest advantage: in addition to this, the
swollen state of the river gave to the waters the
semblance of a vast lake, interspersed with islands,
which seemed to be immersed.

They soon came to the mouth of the channeL
that communicates with the lake of Tounzemahn,
through which it receives its waters from
the river. The situation of Ummerapoora hag
already been described ; tlic southern fort is
washed; during the rainy season, by the waves
of the lake, and the houses of the city and sub-
urbs extend along the bank as far as the extreme
point of land. Across the lake, and opposite to
the fort, stands the small village of Toiinzemahn,
near which, in a tall grove of mango, palmyra,
and cocoa-nut trees, a dwelling was prepared for
the British deputation. On entering the lake,
the number of boats that were moored, as in a
harbour, to avoid the influence of the sweeping
flood, the singularity of their construction, the
height of the waters:, which threaten inundation
to the whole city, and the amphitheatre of lofty
hills that nearly surrounded the place, altogether
presented a novel scene, exceedingly interesting
to a stranger. We rowed towards the grove, whilst
the greater part of the fleet went to the opposite
side: on reaching the bank I perceived a war-
boat belonging to the May woon of Pegue, who,
I understood, was at the grove wailing our ar-
rival. I was received on landing by Raba Sheen,
and some inferior oiKcers; they accumpauicJ me
to the house, which was situated about three hun-
dred yards from the brinkof the lake, overshadow-
ed by lofty trees, that completely defended it
from the meridian sun. When we came to the
entrance of the virando, or balcony, the May-
woen of Pegue, tlie Goyeinor of Bainoo, a

1 II province

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r)72

EMBASSY TO THE KIMGDOM OF AVA.

provintc bordering on Chiiin, and llicWooiidock
before-mentioned, welcomed me to the ciipital.
Being seated on carpets spread along the flooi,
llie conversation turned on general topics, and
particularly on European geography, a subject
on M'bicb the Oovernor of Bamoo appcarod very
desirous of information. After some time, the
AVoondock, addressing himself to me, said, that
liis Birman u)ajesty had been absent a few
months, at acoun'lryresidence named Meengoung,
where he was creeling a magnificent temple to
their divinity, Gaudma, but was expected to re-
turn soon to Ummcrapoora; that, in the mean
time, instructions had been given to his miniiters
to provide everv thing rcfpiisile for the accommo-
dation of the lilnglish gentlemen, and that Baba
Sheen was ctmimandcd to reside near us, in order
to supply our wants, and to communicate our
wihhcs; to this the Maywoon of Pegiie added,
that the two inferior Screes, or provincial under
secretaries, who had accompanied us from Ran-
goon, were likewise directed to attend our orders,
and, being persons to whom we were accustomed,
would probably be more agreeable to us than en-
tire strangers.

These polite and hospitable attentions were re-
ceived and acknowledged with real satisfaction;
nor was it at all diminished by the freedom wi»h
which the Woondock informed me, that it was
contrary to the etiquette of the Birman court, for
tt public minister from a foreign nation to go
abroad before his first audience, lie therefore
hoped I would not cross the lake in person, or
suffer any of my people to do so, until the cere-
monials were past; but as our customs differed
from theirs, and the Etlropcans habituated them-
selves to take exercise, I was at full liberty to
walk or ride into the country of over the plains
that lay between our dwelling and the hills, as
far as I thought proper ; recommending to nrie,
at the same time, not to go to any great distance,
ns it would be considered by the common people
in the light of a Jcrogation from my own con-
seijuence. I thanked him for his counsel, which
was delivered with many expressions of civility,
and readily acquiesced iis what he assured me was
an established custom. '*"•■;' ^''- ''""' J""^* . "'; '

The Usage of debarring a publfc'mitiiiier from
cnlcring the capital previous to his first formal
presentation, I understood, was neither recent
nor uncommon; it has long been the known prac-

tice of the Birman and Siamese government J
Monsieur Loubere makes mention of it in hi J
count of an embassy to Siam, sent from the co J
of Louis tlie Fourteenth. It is founded on (hi
cautious policy which governs all nations castwarJ
of India in their intercourse with foreign slates

The i)lace of residence appointed for the cmj
bassy was a spacious house of one storv r^; J
Irom the ground somewhat more than two ted
and better covered than Birman liousca iisuallj
arc: it consisted of two good sized rooms aiJ
a large virando, or balcony; the partition
and walls were made of cane mats, wiu
latticed windows in the sides; the shape of thi
roof was such as distinguished the houses
nobles : it was altogether a comfortable habiii
tion, and well adapted to the climate. M
Wood had a smaller house, erected behind min,
and parallel to it; and Dr. Buchanan anoty
at righi angles. Small separate huts were cod
structed for the guard, and for our attcntanJ
the whole was surrounded by a strong bambii
paling, which inclosed a court-yard. There wJ
two entrances by gates, one in front oftl
priiiripal house, the other backwards: ateachl
these, on the outside of the paling, wasaiheJ
in which a Birman guard was posted, to prntd
the deputation from thieves, keep oil" the popj
lace, and probably to watcii and report (iiJ
movements.

The building ckmominated Rhoom is (jicj
fiicial hall of justice, where the members of pJ
vinciul governments, and all mimicipal office!
arC' accustomed to assemble for the transaction)
public business. Every man of high ranicioll
Birman empire is a magistrate, and has a m
of this description and name contiguous to f
dwelling; but always on the outside of (lied
closure of his court-yard, and not surroiindnij
any fence or railing, in order to manifest publicij
and show that it is tlie .seat of majesty and juslij
to vvhici) all mankind may have free access,
imperial mandate to a governor, or an order frj
a governor to a petty miougee, or a chief oj
small to-.:!i or district, is invariably (>p(;d«
read aloud in this sanctified hall. The ikd
government,- in the administration of m
affairs, suffers no such thing as jii ivacvori
cealment. The Rhoom is likewise an appcndj
of dignity, as it denotes him to wl)ose hub
it is anne.Kcd to be a person of rank aiui col

.. quel

KMHASSY TO THE KINGDOM OK Wa.

573

Lucnce

a building of iliis sort was erected within

I f«* yards of the front pale of the inclosure to
lebiiilil'"g belonging to the embassy.
For two days after our landing, the boatmen
nd servants were employed in transporting our
r^-jge from the boats to the house, and our
(ipc was chiefly taken up in arranging the do-
mestic economy of our new residence, in which
I CQund a liberal provision of all such necessaries
lijllie natives themselves require: my rooms were
I fpjted, but the chairs, table, &c. were my own.
iRice, gee (clarified butter), fire-wood, and pots
Ifor dressing victuals, were supplied to our people
[jnabundancfl*.

The delinquent refugees, of whom mention has
llieenmadeas having been surrendered, by order
lof the Governor-General, to Ihc justice of their
Icountry, had reached Ummcropoora some weeks
Ijrevious to the arrival of the doputatioM. The
iBitman guard that escorted them had brought a
Ikttcr directed to Colonel Symcs from Cf<!neral
lEfskiiic, the English commander at Chittigong;
Lis letter the Rirman minister, as it was alledged,
Itirough mistake, but more probably by design,
[caused to be opened, and procured a translation
Iffoman Armenian interpreter. The circumstance
Ivas reported to the king, who ordered that the
llettcr should be safely deposited in the Lotoo,
land given to him on his arrival: the royal in-
Ijiinctions were punctually obeyed: an olHeer, in
lis dress of ceremony, brought it over. A pro-
posal was first made, that the Colonel should go
limsclf to the rhoora, solicit its restoration, re-
[ceive it as an act of grac(;, and do homage to the
king, by bowing witn his face towards the palace.

» A few stalls, or petty shops, were P!ital>li>.hu(l in tlie
|{roH', to afford the smaller ingredients of cuokury, such as
kmns, fipici's, s^lt, tamarinds, iic. Iti'ru also toliaoco
limlbLTlio U'af were sold ; and to enable the attendants to
|piirc!ia!>c such artlrlcs, (>nc hundred lackal, aboUt twelre
Ipuuiuls sterling, were distribnted araongtt them.: this was
■jiactofmunificcncuMrhicli ^he C^oloqel with great ditlicnUy
laToidril thtt obligation of, in his oM[n person : but no re-
liionstrance could prevail on the Itirnian ollieer to dispense
|«ilh It in the in^rancc of tho domestic.

f Caiilion and policy, fays the. Cttlonel, had, perhaps,

lis grrat n sliara, with the

n» as supmtitiou, in tliiis

rclanling (he ceremony c .' ojir im 'odu^tion : it was tp th^nii
iBurcliucident ; t|iey HO<'!de.'irr,<is to penetrate thorobgliF^
tutu tlio obj«cts wc liad i« > ii w, ■' eforc any part of the snb-
Ijccls came into formal discnssinn. They might probably
piiMish to liavi- an opporluniiy to judge of our national
FliiracliT, and to dutctmine, from our condnct, i'l what

From this he entirrly dissented, as the cause of
complaint was with him, and confidence hud iii
some measure been violated by their breaking the
seal. The proposition perhaps did not origiuutu
from any authority, as it was immediately given
up, and the letter in a silk wrapper, wai furiually
presented to him on a tray, by the oflicer who
conveyed it across the lake. In a few days the
return of the king was announced by the dis-
charge of rockets, and by the giHieral bustle that
so important an event caused among all classes of
people.

The period of the arrival of the embassy oc-
curred at a juncture that supplied the liirman
court with a plausible excuse for postponing the
consideration of public business, and delaying
the formal reception of 4he do))utatiou as well as
the delivery of the letter from the (toveruor-
General to the King. It happened, that in the
ensuing month there was to be an eclipse of the
moon, an operation of nature which they ascribe
to the interference of a malignant demon. On
such an occasion, affairs of slate, and all im-
portanl inatfers of business, that will admit of
procrastination, are ])ut oft' to the following
month. Tiie astrologers were assembled to con-
sult on the first fortunate day after the lapse of
that inauspicious moon, when they discovered
that the .seventeenth of the moon Touzclien, cor-r
responding with the 30tli of August, was. the
earliest that would occur, and that day was ac-
cordingly appointed for the public reception of
the English embassy f.

Amongst other regulations of this punctilioufi
court the Colonel was given to understand, that

manner to regulate their own ; if such were the motiTcs,
they were con.sistent with that sagacity which I found in.
variably displayed by the Birman government in all its re-
solutions and acts of a public nature. Hut the prevailing
characteristic of the Birman court if prido ; like the sove-
reign pf China, his Majesty of Ava. acknowledges no equal ;
indeed, it is the lived principle of ajl nations eastward of
Bengal, to consider foreign ministers as suppliants come to
solicit protection, not as representatives who may demand
♦edtpss; rather as vassals to render homage, than as per-
sons vo»tcd with authority to treat on equal terms. Of thi.s
system I was early apprized, and fcFt no disappointment at
hearing of a general rumour current nraong the higher ranks
of nirnian..<, that a dejibty had arrived from the I'jnglish
government, boarins tribute for their king. Reports of
thii^ nature were no otherwise regarded, than as an admo-
nilion to regulate my actions with scrupulous circumspec.
tion.

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WEBS.^'.N.Y, 14580

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^t4

tMftASSY TO THR KINGDOM OF AVA.

it was not custbmai'y for (he King to receive any
letter in a formal manner without being pre-
viously apprized of its contents. This created
some difficulty in respect to the letter from the
Governor General, which was at length sur-
luounted by an agreement on my part to admit of
a copy being made in my presence; but it was
stipulated by thtem, that it should be transcribed
in the rhoom adjacent to my house, and not in
my private residence. In this proposal I ac-
qUiesitted; aiid accordingly a formal deputation
consisting of seven or eight officers of state, was
directed to pri)cced to the rhooui, where they
^ere to open the letter, and see it properly
transcribed; these personages canie with much
parade, apparelled in their robes of ceremony;
on landing, they walked* directly to the rhoom,
and, having taken their seats, sent a Terrezoyee,
or inferior "officer, along with Baba Sheen, to re-
quest the Colonel would come, and bring him the
Governor General's letter. I obeyed this suni-
itiona, accompanied by the other gentlemen and
hid usual attendants. On entering the rhoom he
was civilly desired, as the occaaiua was a solemn
one, to mak^ obeisance towards the piasetb, or
kpltt of the foyal palace, which was more than
fviro teties distant, • ceremony that he complied
^ith, by ^a.jin^ his fight hand to my head ftnd
making a slight inclination of his body, after the
taianiier of the Mohammedan Salaam. Being
seated he delivered the letter, which was written
in English and ifi Persian, to the Woondock, or
superior officer; it was immediately opened ^y a
kecretai'y : and an Armenian interpreter, named
iftrckatee^, Who spoke «nd wrote fingliah
fluently, was ordered to make a copy in English,
W'hittt a -!l\f ussuhnan moohshee made another in
Persian. When the writing was finished, the
Colonel deli>rered a paper, which be desired
might be laid be<t»re his Majesty's council, de-
claratory, in generaVtiirrtis, of the friendly wishes j
and views of the tvovernor-General in dfeputhi^
him to the Birman court, and expressitig his
ilesire to maintain a confidential intercourse

i * It U liuttomarjr among nationi eastward of Bengal,
Irhen a public deputation is sent to a foreign court, to
nominate three miemliers, who constitute a council ; although
the president or chief of these if invested with atlthe power,
and controls the proceedings of the rest, yet the ilistinction
between them ii not so wide as to prec'udc the juniors froas

with such person! as his Majesty, or hit councilJ
should think proper to authorize.

The business being concluded, the Colonel i
turned to his house, and received a ceremoni'
visit from the Birman officers, among vvho^
there were some personages of high distinction]
a Woondock, but not the one that met him ad
Pagahm, presided; the master of the elephan
the old governor of Peen-keing, two Seredogeu.
or secretaries of state, and some other ofliceii]
whose names and stations ht did not learn, werJ
present; their robes, which were very graceful]
were made either of velvet or flowered satin, vM
wide bodies, and loose sleeves: they were aljinl
vested with the chain pi^ nobility, and wore capi
covered with light green taffety. Three of highti
rank than the rest, had a wreath of gold leavei
encircling the bottom of the caps, not unlike tlu
strawberry leaves in a ilucal coronet; their t(J
tendants, who were numerous, carried a varied
of utensils, such as their beetle box, rater flagJ

fron, drinking cup, and spitting pot; of wbici
atter, from their filthy practice of chewiq
beetle, they stood in constant need. The Colon
regaled tbeni with tea, and English raspberr^
jam spread on biscuits: they ate sparingly, ani
refreshed themselves with copious bowls of (ea,|
unadulterated either by cream or sugar.

About this time the Chinese minister, whtl
was then labouring under severe indisposition, Miitl
a polite message to the Colopelf expressing hil
regret that be had it not in bi>, power to visit bid
in person; but that his two colleagues woul^
wait OH him whenever he shot|ld be at leisure I
receive them. The Colotiel returned his ac-j
knowledgmentSi and apj)ointed the foUowin
day*.

The two junior "memoibers of the CliiiKse
putation came at the appoitlted hour, accompt-i
nied by seven or eight attendants. There is m
peraonage on earth so solemn and cercnonioui i
ii ChihCMi officer <yf state; Iim dignity ia preiervei
1>y prbfoond nil^ifCe, udlets; t^hiefi occasion rtn-j
ders it necessary to exer<;ise the faculty of speeciiJ

a^i^BtsSHSiKi

a high dt^rt<e'or'ctttfs»i)iieiic«Mn)|; atlaiihfcd to their ititioM J
artilitaci*« bf the denilkv of «h« 'prittdpal, thcscniorm^
T>oV tfibcutM all diplMAdtie fWti!liMs,>tMii°R <» iscly gnrdiii
agaidst anjr lotp^Utiieitt Which a caktMiltyifiight throw intf
way <^f aejfociation.

wliid

f:MBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

57«

liich is always slow* mon^toaous, and dull;

(0 gentlemen, in the familiarity of private life,

Idoo depart from their gravity, or relax into a

ijle. On entering a room where there is com-

igf, rood breeding is evinced by a Modest but

tftiiiacious refusal to sit down till the master of

je bouse is iirst seated, which would be an equal

jiation of decorum on his part*. They were

dj fond of cherry brandy ; they tasted our tea,

i, before they departed, politely presented me

jsome fans, two or three pieces of silk, two

[boxes of tea, and three bottles of shoucbou,

[rery dery spirit distilled from rice, of which

t Chinese are extremely fond. I returned the

iitonthe following day, and was received with

much pomp and ostentation a» circumstances

lould admit' in the front of the house a silk en-

i waved, on which was embroidered the im-

tial dragon of China, and at their gate were

ttpeaded whips and chains, importing the

irer which the owner possessed to inflict cor-

i! punisfament. Tbs two Junior members

1 me at the threshold of their habitation,

ilogized for the u;iavoidable absence of the

Lief personage, and introduced uic into a hall,

e walls of which were concealed by screens uf

silk, and the chairs covered with loose pieces of
sattin; this interview was renderedmoreinteresting
than the former, b^ a spontaneous question oa
the part of the senior Chinese, to know whether
I bad heard of the safe arrival of Lord Macart-
ney in England. His lordship having left China
only the preceding year, it was not possible to
have bad accounts of his reaching England, and
the issue of his lordship's negotiations was at that
time wholly unknown. They treated us with
tea and sweetmeats, and smoked their long pipes
with unrelated solemnity. I repaid their civilities
by giving them some broad-cloth and brandy,
and took my leave.

The interval that elapsed between the time of
our arrival at Ummerapoora, and of our formal
introduction at court, afforded us leisure to ac-
quire some insight into the customs, religious
tenets, and moral economy of the Birnian nation.
We shall therefore proceed to give a more general
account of the country, and endeavour to illus-
trate the character of this people from their man-
ners, and the state of society ; from the progress
which the arts had made; and from the usages of
the inhabitants in common life, i

Xi ■

i',>

: ^t'

SECTION VIII.

Mm qf the liirmatis^ Their La-ws — Jurisdiction of the MetropoIitt-^La-wj/ers — The Jioijal
\Estahlishment — Council of State — Honours not Hereditary — Insignia of Rank — Dress-— BC'
ImUmce to the Chinese — Marriages — Funerals — Population — Revenues.

^HE Birmans are Hindoos; not votaries of

Brahma, but sectaries of Boodh, which

a is admitted by Hindoos of all descriptions

ibethe ninth Avatar f, or descent of the deity

capacity of preserver. He reformed the

I* This custom sometimes prodnrcs a rery ludicrous scene,

W the guests arc not unfrcqucntly obliged to be dragged

Ithcii chairs, and placed in them almost by compulsion.

neutering the door, they both made an abrupt stop, and

tsistidall solicitation to advance to chairs, that had been

npared for them until the Colonel should first be seated:

k this dilemma ho immediately seized on the foremost chair,

mi Dr. Buchanan granpled with the second : thus we

"" lixcd them in their scats, both parties, during the

Iglc, repeating Chin Chio, Chia Chin, the Chinese term of

^ititioo. The conversation was not at all lively or in>

toiog; for thougb, lays the Colonel, I sat between

I Vol. II. No. CXII.

doctrines contained ini the Yedas, and severely
censured the sacrifice of cattle, or depriving any
being of life ; he is called the author of happiness:
his place of residence was discovered at Gaya in
in Bengal, by the illustrious AmaraJ;, renowned

them, our words li^d to make a wide circuit before they
reached each other's comprehension. I spoke in the lan-
guage uf Hindostan to a Mussulman who understood liir-
man, he delivered it to a Birman who spoke Chinese, the
Birman gave it to the tirst otTicial domestic, who repeated it
to his master in the Chinese tongue.

f Sir William Jones on the Gods of Greece, Italy, and
India.

■^ Sec the translation of a Shanscrit inscription on a stone
found in the tomnle of Boodh, at Gaya, by Mr. Wilkins.
Asiat. Research, t ol. I.

amongst

i.S'

bl8

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

amongst men, " who caused an image of the su-
preme Boodh to be made, and he worshipped it;
reverence be unto thee in the form of Boodh;
reverence be unto thee, Lori of the earth;
reverence be unto thee, an incarnation of the
deity ; and, eternal one, reverence be unto thee,
O God, in the form of Mercy."

Gotma, or Goutum, according to the Hindoos
of India, or Gaudma, among the inhabitants of
the more eastern parts, is said* to have been a
philosopher, and is by the Birmans believed td
have flourished above two thousand three hun-
dred t years ago : he taught, in the Indian schools,
the heterodox religion and philosophy of Boodh.
The image that represents Boodh is called Gaud-
ma, or Goutum, which is now a commonly re-
ceived appellation of Boodh himself: this image
is the primary object of worship in all countries
situated between Bengal and China. The secta-
ries of Baodh contend with those of Brahma for
the honour of antiquity, and are certainly far
more numerous. The Cingaleze in Ceylon are
Boodhists of the purest source, and the Rirnians
acknowledge to have originally received their re-
ligion from that island. It was brought, say
the Rhahaans, first from Zehoo (Ceylon) to
Arraca^, and thence was introduced into Ava,
and probably into China; for the Birmans assert
with confidence that the Chinese are Boodhists.

Whatever maybe the antiquity of the worship
of Boodh; its reception is very widely extended.
The most authentic writer ;{: on the eastern penin-
sula calls the image of Gaudma, as worshipped
by the Siamese, $omona-codom$.

The Birmans believe in the Metempsychosis,
and that after having undergone a certain num-
ber of transmigrations, their souls will at last

* Sir William Jones on the Gods of Greece, Italy, and
India.

■I- Tliis agrees with the account of the Siamese canputa.
tion given by Kaempfer.

^ Loiibere.

^ Being unacquainted with the language of Siam, which,
from so short a residence as four months, it was impossible
he could have acquired, ho confounds two distinct words
Somona, and Codom, signifying Codum, or Gaudma, in
his incarnate state; the dilTercnrc between the letters C and
G may easily hare arisen from the mndo of pronunciation
in diiferent countries ; even in the BIrmnn manner of «tter-
ing the word, the distinction between these letters is r^ot
very clear. The Boodh of the Indians and the Birmans, is
pronounced by the Siamese Puoth, or Pood; by the vulgar,

either bo received into their Olympus on th
mountain Meru ||, or be sent to suffer torm m
in a place of divine punishments. Mercy ty
hold to be the first attribute of the divinitJ
" Reverence be to thee, O God, in the form
Mercy!" and they worship God bj extendi!
mercy unto all his creatures.

The laws of the Birmans, like their religi^
are Hindoo; in fact, there is no separating thel
laws from their religion: divine authorHy J
vealed to Menu the sacred principles iuahu]
dred thousand si ocas, or verses; Menu promu
gated the code; numerous commentaries
Menu were composed by the Munis, or m
philosophers, whose treatises constitute t|
Dherma Sastra, or body of law. The Birmai
^nerally call their code Derma Sath, or Sasttt
it is one among the many commentaries on Meni
The laws, as well as the religion of the Birmai
found their way in^o the Ava country from aI
racan, and came originally from Cej^lon. TM
Birnian system of jurisprudence is replete wii
sound morality, and is distinguished above i
other Hindoo commentary for perspictiitj u,
good sense; it ptovides specifically for alJ
every species of crime that can be committed, aij
adds a copious chapter of precedents and i
cisions to guide the inexperienced in tt
where there is doubt and difficulty. Trial
ordeal and imprecation are the only absurd p^
sages in the book; but on the subject of woom
it is, to an European, offensively indecent: lij
the immortal Menu, it tells the prince andtj
magistrate their duty, in language austere, mai
and energetic; and the exhortation at the do
is at once noble and pious**.

Laws, thus dictated by religion, areingeneri
^ conscientiott

Poo ; which, withont any violence to probabiiltjr, ,
be converted hy the Chinese into Foe. M. Gcntii asict
that the Chinese admit, by their own accounts, that fJ
their object of worship, was originally brought from Igfl
II Meru properly denotes the pole, and, according tali
learned Captain Wilford, it is the celestial north riole j
the Hindoos, round which they place the garden of In
and describe it as the seat of delights.

** We select the following passages as a specinea:
*' i \ country may bo said to resemble milk, in vhidii
pression is like to water; when water is mingled wlthiii|
its sweetness hnipediately vanishes: in the same mannera
pression destroys a fair and fionrishing country, thetoi
Surkaib will only inhabit the clearest stream; soaprii
can never prosper in a liistratfled empire. By drinU

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

577

lODSclentiously administered. The criminal Juris-
orudence of the Birmans i> lenient in particular
Le«, but rigorous in others; whoever is found
jity of an undue assumption of pbwer, 6t of
crime that indicates a treasonable intent^ is

rst

,gy crime tuai indicates a treasonable intent, is
junislied by the severest tortures. The ni
LiDinission of theft does not incur the penalty of
death, unless the amount stolen be above eight
hundred kiat^ or tackal, about a hundred pounds;
or attended with circumstances of atrocity, such
B murder or mutilation. In the former case,
ilitculprit has around mark im^irihted on each
cheek by gunpowder and punctuation, and on
ii! breast the word thief, with the ai'ticle stolen;
W the second offence he is deprived of an arm;
liut the third inevitably produces capital punish-i
gent: decapitation is the mode by which crimi-
iilssiiflfer, in the performance of which the Bir-
[manevecr oners are e.itceedirigly skilful.

The city of Ummerapoora is divided into four

_itinc' subordinate jurisdictions, in each of

jlhich a May woon presides. This officer, who,

the provinces, is a viceroy, in the metropolis

loibles a mayor, and holds a civil and criminal

lurt of justice; in capital cases he transmits the

ifidence in writing, with hia opinion, to the

lire milk (he body (s strongthcned and the palate is grati.

d; bat when miogled with water, pleasure no lunger ifi
^gd, and the springs of life gradually decline.

"Awlie prince resembles a sharp sword, which at a
■lleitroke cuts through a pillar with such keenness that

tfabricstill remains nnshaken; witii equal keenness his

xrnmcnt will penetrate adTice. . .

" A wise prince is dear to his people, as the physician
litolhcuck nan ; as light to those that are in darkness ;

I gneipected sight to the eyes of the blind; as is the full
^wnona wintry night; and milk to (he infiintfrom the

itt of its mother."

The commentator then proceeds to denounce tremendous

jnrnts against an oppressive prince and corrupt judge;

eialter is thus curiously menaced: ,
I ** The punishment of his crimes, who judges iniquitabtly,

ddtcides falsely, shall be greater than though ho h.od sUiu
ItelhoiiMBd women, one hundred priests, or one thousand

Tlie book concludes as follows : ..

I <* Thu3 hare the leat-ned spoketi, and tHu^ hkie ^h^ 'wise

m^l, that litifjatiou may ecaSe among raen^ And cenitetu

b be banished the land : and let all magistrate! aod jud^
found the laws as they are herein, written ; and to the

test of thoir understanding, and according to the dictates
[their conscience, |)roauiincu judgmrnt agi'ecably tti the
jiior of this book : let the welfare of their oonnti'y, arid

benefit of their f^llow^craaturcs, be thMiri continual
kdy, and the sole object of their attention: l^^t them oter
ikadful of the suprctne dignity of the itoulah* and the

Lotoo, or grand chamber of consultation, where
the council of state assembles; the council after
close examination into the documents, reports
upon them to the King, who either pardons the
6ffendet, or orders execution of the sentence : the
Maywoon is obliged to attend in person, and see
the punishment carried into effect.

Civil snits may be transferred from tbe courts
of the Maywoons to the Lotoo; this removal,
howeVer, is attended with a heavy ex pence.
There are regular established lawyers, who con-
duct causesi and plead; eight only are licensed
to plead til the Lotoo: they are called Ameen-
dozaan: the usual fee is five tackal, equal to
sixteen shillings; but the government has large
profits on all suits that are brought into court.

There is no country of the East in which the
rbyal establishment is arranged with more minut6
attention than in the Bit-inan court ; it is splendid
without being wastefiil, and numerous without
confusion; the most distinguished members ar^
the Sovereign, his principal queen, entitled Nan- .
doh Praw; the Engy Teekien, or prince royal;
the crown descending to the male heirs in a direct
line.

Next in rank to the princes of the blood royal,

Bramins, and pay them that revcrenee which is due to their
sacred characters : let them obserre becoming respect towards
all men, and they shall shield the weak from oppression,
support the helpless, and, in particular cases, mitigate the
severity of arenging justice.

" It shall be the duty of a prince, and the nu^istratea of
a proTince, wisely to regulate the internal police of the
empire, to assist and befriend the peasants, merchants,
farmers, and those who follow trades, that they may dailj
increase in Worldly wealth and happiness ; they shall pro.
mote all works of charity, encourage the opulent to relieT*
the poor, and liberally contribute to pioui and laudable
purposes and whatsoever good works shall be p.-om«tfd by
their inBuehce and example, whatsoever shall be given in
charity, and whatsoever benefit shall accrue to mankind
from their endeavours, it shall all bo preserved in the records
of heaven, oncsixth part of which, though the deeds bs
the deeds of others, yet shall it be ascribed unto them ; and
at the last day, :at the solemn and awful hour of jiidgmen<^
the! recording spirit shall produce them, inscribed on the
adamantine tablet of human actions. But, on the other
hand, if the prosperity of the nation be 'leglectcd, if justice
be Buffered , to lie dormant) if tumults a'.r and robberies
are committed, if rapine andf foul assassination stalk along
tbe plains, all crimes that shall be thus perpetrated through
their retnissness, ohe sixth part shall bu brought to this ae*
coant, arid fell with weighty vengeance on their hoads; tha
dreadlul dprisefluenccs of vyhich surpass'the power of tougiiW

to uttcf^ or q( P«" '** "'P""^'*' , ;!

* Jrracun namtfot Rhahain.

' ■ i'"'t

i I

' m

'tt

;'!.:■

m* .

rut

L4') ■

578

t;mi)assy to the kingdom of ava.

are the Woongees, or chief ministers of state.
These form the great ruling council of the nation;
they sit in the Lotoo> or imperial hall of con-
sultation, every day, except on the Birman sab-
bath, from twelve till three or four o'clock, or
later, as there happens to be business; they issue
mandates to the Maywoons, or viceroys of the
ditlerent provinces; they controul every depart-
ment of the state, and, iu fact, govern the em-
pire, subject always to the pleasure of the King,
whose will is absolute, and power undefined.

To {tssist in the administration q( affairs, four
officers, called Woondocks, arc associated with
the Woongees, but of far inferior authority;
they sit in the Lotoo in a deliberative capacity,
having no vote: they give their opinions, and
may record th^ir dissent from any measure that is
proposed; but the Woongees decide: the Woon-
docks, however, are frequently employed to
execute busiaess of great public importance.
Four Attawoons, or ministers of the interior,
, possess a great degree of influence that sometimes
counteracts with success the views and wishes of
the Woongees; these the King selects to be his
privy counsellors, from their talents, and th$
opinion he entertains of their integrity; they
have access to him at all times; a privilege which
the principal Woongee does not enjoy. There
are four chief secretaries, called Seree-dogecs,
and have numerous writers or inferior Serees
under them. Four Nachaangees sit.in the Lotoo,
take notes, and report whatever is transacted.
Four Sandohgaans regulate all ceremonials, in-
trodiicc strangers of rank into the royal presence,
and are the bearers of messages from the council
of state to the king. There are nine Sandozains,
or readers, whose business it is to read all official
writings,, petitions, ^c. Every document, in
which the public is concerned, or that is brought
before the council in the Lotoo is read aloud.
The four Maywoons are restricted to the ma-
gisterial superintendance oftheir respective quar-
ters of the city ; they have nothing farther to do
with the Lotoo, than to obey the commands they
receive from thence. The Asiaywoon, or pay-
master-general, is also an o6Scer of high im-
portance; the place is generally held by one of
the Woongees, who is called Assay Woongee.
There are several other officers of distinction,
who bear no ostensible share in th« administration
of public affairs; such as the D^yWoM}, Or

king's armour-bearer, the Cliainceewoon, or]
master of , the elephants ; also the Woons of th
queen's houseliold, and that of the prime roval^
Each of %hp juniojr princes has a distinct esui
blishment.. ,

]ln the Birman government there are no heredi-
tary dignities or employments; all honours aiidl
offices on the demise of the possessor, revert tol
the crown. The tsaloe^ or cluiin, is the badeJ
of the order of nobility, of which there are di3
ferent degrees, distinguished by the number ofl
strings or sniiall chains that compose the urniJ
ment; these strings are fastened by bosses nherj
they unite ; three of open chain work is the lovvetB
rank; three of neatly twisted wire is the next]
then of six, of nine, and of twelve: no subject ij
ever honoured with a higher degree than twelve]
the king alone wears twenty-four.

Almost every article of use, as well as orna-1
ment, particularly in their dress, indicates M
rank of the owner ; the shape of the bectle-boij
which is carried by an attendant after a BirmaJ
of distinction wherever be goes, his ear-rin?
cap of ceremony, bofse furniture, even themetj
of which, his spitting-pot and drinking-cup
made ( which if gold denote him to be a mane
high consideration), all are indicative of tb
gradations of society; and woe be unto him thai
assumes the insignia of a degree which is notbij
legitimate right !

The court dress of the Birman nobility is ver|
becoming ; it consists of a long robe, either i
flowered sattin or velvet, reaching to th
ankles, with an open collar and loose sleevejj
over this there i^ c scarf, or flowing mantle, tb/
hangs fromi the shoulder; and on their head!
they wear high caps made of velvet, either plaj
or of silk eAibroidercd with flowers of ^old, a
cording to the rank of the wearer. Ear-rim
are a part of male dress ; persons of conditioa i
tubes of gold of about three inches long,
thick as ft large quill, which expands at cue eoj
like the mouth of a speaking trumpet; othei
wear a heavy mass of gold beaten into a plalj
and rolled up; this lump of metal forms alarg
orifice in the lobe of the ear, and drags it do«
by the weight to the extent sometimes oft*
inches. The women likewise have their ("
guisbiog paraphernalia : their hair is tied iij
bunch at the top of the head, and bound roin
tvitb a filletj the embroidery and ornainentit
■ ' ' whld

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

S7i)

*icli express \M&ir>re3}^&tiivo ranks; a short shift

,jl,cs to the pil «f theihtomach, 19^ drawn tight

(,ji,(rH, »pd:8iipport»lhn Ixreasfs; «»ver that is

Ijose jacket wjlli dose sleeves ; round their

List llicy roll a l()n«5 piece of silk, or cloth,

liich reaching tlieir feet,, and sometimes trailing

i|,g'(rrflun(), encircles them twice, and is then

Ad i>>- ^Vhen women of condition go

iroad, tliey put on a silk* sash, resembling a

^2 gliawl, which crosses theif bosom, and is

Irown over their shoulders, gracefully flowing

leach «iil«- T'*® lowest class of females often

Lf only a single garment, .« the form of a

Li, which, wrapped round the body, and

Ifkcd i» »nicf ♦'■•-' "'"'"' crosses their breasts,

J it scarcely eoncfals, and descends to their

Lilej; thus, when they walk, the bottom of the

loth where it overlaps, is necessarily </pened by

protrusion of the leg, and displays to a side

kw as high as the middle of the thigh; such an

kwisure, in the opinion of, an European, bears

I indecent appearance, although it excites no

l(hide» in the people themselves. Women, in

dresi, stain the palms. of their hands and

tirniils of a red colour, for which they ui^e a

■elalile jnice, and strew on their bosoiis pow-

jof sandal, wood, or of a bark caller' Sunnuka,

Hji which some rub their faces. 1? ^th men and

mn tinge the edges of their eye' tds and their

till with black; this latter operation gives to

cir inoiitlis a very unseemly appearance in the

{esolaii Eiiropcan, which is not diminished by

kir being constantly tilled with beetle leaf

fcn of nmk wear, in coninioji dress, a tight

|it, with long sleeves made of iTinslin, or of

jtrcmdy tiiic nankeen, which is manufactured

(the country ; also a silk wrapper that encirt Ics

twuisi: the working class are usually naked to

! middle, but in the cold reason a mantle or

t of European broad cloth is highly prized.

r'le Birmao'} in their features bear a nearer

iembiaDce to the Chinese than to the natives of

dostan. The wi)nien, especially in the

tllicrn part of the enjpire, are fairer than

lidoo females, but not so delicately formed ;

are, however, well made, and in general

lined to corpulency: their hair is black, coarse,

jjong, The men are not tall in stature, but

and athletic; they have a very youthful

tr»nre, from the custom of plucking their

bds instead of using the razor: they tatuo their

hi. I. No. CXIII.

thighs and arms into rarions fantastic shapes and
figures, which they believe operate ua a charm
against the weapons of their enemies. Neitlier
the men nor the women arc so cleanly in their
persons as the Mindnos of India, among whom
■diurnal ablution is a religious as well ns a moral
duty. Girls are taught, at an early age, to turn
their arms in such a manner as to make them ap-
pear distorted; when the arm is extended the
elbow is inverted, the inside of the joint beini^
protracted, and the external part bending inwards;
from this cause, the pendant arm seems as if it
were broken.

Marriages among the Birmans are not con-
tracted until the parties attain the age of puberty:
the contract is purely civil; the ecclesiastical
jurisdiction having ncrthing to do with it. The
law prohibits polygamy, and recognizes but one
wife, who is dencnninated Mica; concubinage,
however, is admitted to an unlimited extent. X
man may repudiate his wii'e under circumstances,
but the process is attended with a heavy expence.
Concubines,, living in the same house with the
legitimate wife, are, by law, obliged to perforia
menial services for her, and when slie goes abroad
they attend her, bearing her water-flaggon,
beetle-box, l*an, &c. When a husband dies, his
concubines, if bound in servitude to him, become
the property of the surviving widow, unless he
shall have emancipated them by a specific act
previous to his decease. When a young man is.
desirous to espouse a girl, his ninther, or nearest
female relation, tirst makes the. proposal in
private; it' the suit be well received, a party of
his friends proceed to the hon.se of the parents of
the maiden, with whom they adjust the dotil
portion. On the morning of the bridal day the
bridegroom sends to the lady three loongccs or
lower garments, three tnlbecks, or sashes, and
ti.rcc pieces of white muslin; such jewels also,
ear-rings and bracelets, as his circumstances will
admit, a feast is prepared ]by the parents of the
bride, and formal writings are executed: tlie
new-married couple eat out of tho same dish, the
bridegroom presents the bride with some laapack,
or pickled tea, which she accepts and returns the
compliment: ihus ends the ceremony, witliout
any of that subsequent riot and resistance on tho
part of the young lady.^nd her female friends,
with which the Sumatrian damsels oppose the
privileges of an ardent bridegroom.

7 K • When

■■ I 'tt

580

I-JIDASSV TO THE KIMGDOM OT AVA.

I .

When a tnna clies intestate, thrce-fuurths of
bis propert)' go to his children born in wedlock^
but not in equal proportiuns; and one-fourth to
the widow, who is the guardian both of the
property iimJ the children, until the latter attain
the age of maturity. A Birman funeral is solem-
nised with much religious parade, and external
deniunstrution of grief: the corpse is ckrried on a
bier, on men's shoulders; the procession moves
•lowly; the relations attend in mourning; and
women, hired for the occasion, precede the
body, and chant a dirge-like air. The Birmans
burn their dead, unless the deceased is a pauper,
in which case he is either buried or cast into the
liver, as the ceremony of burning is very ex-
pensive. The bier is placed on a funeral pile six
or eight feet high, made of billets of dried wood
laid across, with intervals to admit a circulation
of air, and increase the flame. The Rhahaans
walk round the pile, reciting prajcrs to Gaudma,
until the fire reaches the body, when the whole
is quickly reduced to ashes: the bones are after-
wards gathered and deposited in a grave. Per-
sons of high distinction> such as the Seredaw, or
chief ecclesiastic of a province, a Maywoon, s
Woongee, or a member of the royal family, are
embalmed, and their remains preserved six weeks
or two months after decease, before they are
committed to the funeral pile: during this
period the body is laid in state in some kioum
or religious building; but at the capital it is

placed in a sacred saloon, beautifully cmiaKQ««
with gilding, and exclusively appropriated fc
that sacred purpose. Honey is the principal ja
gredient made use of to preserve the body fron
putrefaction.

Of the population of the Birman dominio
it may he estimated that it amounts to ahuut foud
teen millions four hundred thousand persool
Pew of the inhabitants live in solitary liabitatiomJ
they mostly form themselves into srnii|| sociHiiJ
and their (dwellings thus collected cotnnnse theil
Ruas, or villages; if therefore, we reckon tl J
numbers, including Arraran, at seventeen miy
linns, the calculation may not be widely
roneous.

Although it seems difficult, and perhaps jn
possible, under such a system, to ascertain,
any standard currency, the amount of thernv^
revenue, yet the riches which the Birman monar^
is said to possess are immense, a supposition tb
may readily be admitted when it is considen
that a very small share of what enters his e|
chequer returns into circulation. The hoardii
of money is a favourite maxim of oriental sti
policy ; an eastern potentate cannot be brou
to comprehend that the diffusion of prop
among his subjects is a surer source of wealth j
himself, and security to his throne, than
possession of Lydian treasures, locked up
vaults, and concealed in secret recesses, contrivij
by sordid avarice and foolish cunning.

SECTION IX.

MUitary EstablishmerU — InfatUrtf — Cassay Cavalry— Artfjicers — War-Boait — Gunpo-wder k
knovtn — Weapons — Food^Climate — S^il — Produce — Minerals — Precious Stones — Commerce-
Currency — Weights — Measures — Character of the Natives — Beggars unkTiown—Aniinalt-
Division of Time— Music — Language — Extent of the Empire — Bivers.

THE Birmans may be termed a nation of
soldiers, every man in the kingdom being
liable to be called upon for his military services ;
and war is deemed toe most honourable occupa-
tion: the regular military establishment of the
Birmans is, nevertheless, very inconsiderable;
not exceeding the numbers of which the royal
guards is composed, and such as are necessary to
preserve the police of the capital. When an
arfoy is to be raised^ a mandate iteues fi'om the

golden palace, to all viceroys of provinces, i
miougees of districts, requiring a certain numbl
of men to be at a general rendezvous on aai
pointed day, under the command sometimnj
the viceroy himself, but oflener that of aninferi
officer : the levy is proportioned to the populj
tion of the district, estimated from the nuolif
of registered houses that it contains,
provincial court determines the burthen whiij
each house is to bear; commonly everj

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

mtt, 0t 'o**' tiouKt are to furnish among them
Imm recruit, or to pay three hundred tackal in
L^v, ( about forty or forty-five pounds ) . Tli is
litcruit ii furnished with arms, ammunition, and
licertsin daily allowance of grain from govern-
lirnt, but is not entitled to pay. The families
lifthe»e conscripts are relatned in the districts
Ifbich they inhabit, as hostages for the good
liooduct of their relation. In case of desertion
lor treachery, the innocent wife, children, and
lurfiits of the guilty person, are dragged to
Vtcution without the least remorse or pity ; even
«wardice subjects the family of the delinquent
tctuital punishment*.

lofsotry and cavalry compose the regular
urdiof the king: the former are armed with
ittikettand sabres: the latter are provided with
I spear seven or eieht feet long, which they
;e with great dexterity, seldom reouiring
iiJDg use of any other weapon. Tne in-
Irj are not uniformly clothed : seven hundred
Konitant duty within the precincts, and at the
nertl gates of the palace. On the day of my
bile reception, says Colonel Symea, I saw
Nit two thousand, and have no doubt that all
e troops in the city were paraded on that occa-
0. All the troopers in the king's service are
itjveiof Cassay, who are much better horsemen
ID the Birmans. They ride, like all orientals,
^ilb short stirrups and a loose rein. The horses
; Ava are small, but very hardy and active.
Wrary to the practice of other eastern countries,
ity castrate their horses, and are thus enabled
imaiatain them with little trouble and expence,
ill can also turn a nupiber of them loose in a
eld together, without any risk of their injuring
K another. Horses are frequently exported in
nber ships to Madras, and other parts of the
it, where tbe^ are disposed of to considerable
liantage. ,,|,

iTlie government of Ava is extremely attentive
Ifruvide, in times of peace, for the coniingen-
p of war; the royal magazines, I was told,
psthe Colonel, could furnish twenty thousand
lelocks, which, if they resembled the specimen's
|iaw, cannot be very formidable; these have
|ea iuported, at different periods, into the
UDtry, by ships trading to Rangoon and other

' This bnrbarous law, ivhlch is rigorously enforced,
hthire ft powerful effect In securing the allegiance of the
jops, aod of iuipelling them to rigorous exertion ; and it

parts of the empire, and are either of French
manufacture, or tondenined muskets from the
Ens^lish tirsenals in India. The Birmans aie
very fond of their arms, of which they take great
care; their gunsmiths, who are all natives of
Cassuy, (cce;) tlioai in repair ; but they arc in
general so bud ns to he out of the power of art to
render thcni serviceable. I saw a lolcrahlv good
fowling piece which they said was entirely the
work of a Cassay artificer; this however, was
allowed to be an extrnnrdiiiary etfort of ^-pnius:
the person who shewed it to me, presented me,
at the same time, with a bamboo which threw
out a short spear of iron by means of a spring; ik
was executed by the maker of the gun, and seem-
ed to be formed after a model of an English
walking stick, that contained a concealed spike;
the imitation evinced much ingenuity, although
the workmanship was coarse, and the iron badly
polished.

By far the most respectable part of the Birman
military force is their establishment of war-boats.
Every town of note, in the vicinity of the river*
is obliged to furnish a certain number of men,
and one or more boats, in proportion to the mag-
nitude of the place. The king can command, at
a very short notice, five hundred of these vessels:
they are constructed out of the solid trunk of the
teak tree, which is'excavated partly by fire, and
partly by cutting; the largest are from eighty to
one hundred feet long, but the breadth seldom
exceeds eight feet, and even this space is pro-
duced by artificially extending the sides after the
trunk has been hollowed. They carry from fifty
to sixty rowers, who use short oars that work on
a spindle; the prow is solid, and has a flat sur-
face, on which, when the}' go to war, a piece of
ordnance is mounted, a six, a nine, or even
a twelve pounder; the gun carriage is secured
by lashings to strong bolts on each side, and
swivels are frequently fixed on the curvature of
the stem.

Each rower is provided with a sword and a
lance, which are placed by his side whiht he
plies the oars. Besides the boatmen, there are
usually thirty soldiers on board, who are armed
with muskets : thus prepared, they go in fleets
to meet the foe, and when in sight, draw up in a

is {lerhaps, the only sure mode of inciting to enterprises di
danger men who are not actuated by any innate sense of
honour, and who do not feel any nstionai pride.

line.

■♦ ^illll

»trti

.•i..s

582

EMBASSY TO TIIK KINGDOM OF AVA.

n line, presenting their prows to the enemy.
Thrir ttttuck i^ oxtrcmcly.inipetf /Us; they ad-
vaiic.c Nyith grciit rapidity, and sing a war-song,
at oncv to uucourugu their people, datint their
udvcrsaricM, and rcgHljite tlie strokes of their
Oiirs; they generally endeavour to (grapple, and
when that is effected, the action becomes very
severe, as these people are endued witii great
courage, strength, and activity. In times of
peace, they are fond of exercising in their boats,
and tliey display great dexterity ui the manage-
ment of them. The vessels being low in the
water, their rreatcst danger is that of being run
down by a larger bout striking on their broadside,
ii misfortune which the steersman is taught to
dread, and to avoid, above all others. It is
surprising to see the facility with which they
steer, and elude each other ni their mock com-
bats. The rowers are also practised to row
backwards and impel the vessel with the stern
foremost: this is the mode of ifctreat, by means
uf which the artillery sjlill boars upon their op-

Souent. The largeut of the war-boats do not
raw more than three feet water. When a per-
son of rank is on board, there is a sort of moving
tilt orcanon^^ tor his particular accommodation,
placed sottii in the centre, and sometimes on

the prow. j. ides of the boat arc cither gilt
as fur as the water's edge, or ])lain, according to
the rank of the person it carries. Gilded boats
arc only permitted to the princes of the blood,
or to persons holding the highest stations, such
as a Maywoon of a province, or a ministvr of
state.

It is not improbable that the use of gunpowder
>vas known in India before its effects were dis-
covered in the'west; yet it dbps not appear, tliat
the natives of Ava applied it to the purpose of
musketry till the Europeans instructed them in
the art. According to Indian accounts, cannon
were fabricated, in the east long before the ara of
European conquest; their artillery, however,
'was not capable of being transported with fa-
cility, or at all used in the field : they were made
of iron bars beaten into a cylindrical form, rudely
put together, but of great strength, and enormous
weight, from which, when raised on a rampart
or tower, they threw huge stones to annoy the
enemy. The musket was first introduced into
Pegue and Ava by the Portugueze, and is an im-
plement of war which the natives unwisely prefer

\arfXif

to their own native weapons^ the »pcar.and sabr J
n partiality that is highly tir'cjudiciai to ihemi
selvcH. for nolhirig can'bft Ics^ formidable t||,j|
such tire arms as they possess, rtr have thcwcan
of proeirring. The pi'oper Indigenous weapon
of the ciMintry are the spear, the javrlin, nhicji
is thrown from the hand, the cross-bow, nndthi
sabre; the hitter is used by the Birmans not nnlj
as an impU'iment of War, but is likewise ann|ie|
to various purposes as an iilstrumcnt of maniial
labour: with this the peasaht fells trees, sjiacpi
timbers, c'uts bamboos, or defends himself against
an enemy, and wild beasts: he never travrk
without it, and generally, when on a journev)
carries a shield on his left arm. They cncumbrf
themselves with less baggage than perhaps anJ
other peb|)le; and are satisHdd with a stantl
portion of the hardest fare.

In their food, the Birmans, in comparisoJ
with tire Indians, are gross and nncleanli^.
Although their religion forbids the slaughter oh
animals in general, yet th^y npply the inttrl
diction only to those that are domesticated: i||
game is eagerly sought after, and in nmny placi
it is publicly sold: reptiles also, «uch as lizard^
guanas, and snakes, constitute a part of the sub
sistence of the lower classes. They are extreratJ
fond of vegetables; but at tlibafe places when
garden' greens are not to bfe procuired, they ^
wild sdrrel, and sothetimes 'substitute the tendej
leaves oif' trees; these, boiled with rice, au
moistened with a little oil, or .seasoned witi
gnupce, or pickled sprat, coroi)ose a meal for]
Rirntun peasant or bontman. The higher rankij
however, live more delicately, although tiu
fare is not very ^unfiptutfus.

The climate of every part of the Birman m
pirc bears testimony to its salubrity, by the bet
possible criterion, the appearance and vigour i
the natives. The seasons are regular, and i
extremes of heat and cold are seldom expericncei
at least, the duration of ihat intense heat whicj
im lined itltely precedes the, commencement oft
rainy season is so .short, that it incommodes I
for a Very little time. During our residence i
the country, we lost only one man by diseai
another niet ah accidental death, for in wanderinj
through the woods he becaniie the prey of a tij

The soil of' the sou^herti provinces ofi
Birman empire is remarkably fertile, and pnl
duces as luxuriant crops of rice as arc to be foui

EMBASSY TO THK KINGDOM OK AVA.

583

III the finest p«r(s of Bengal. Further nortli-
liirdthe country becomes irregular and oioun-
Iliinous; but the plains and valluys, particularly
l^the river, ajre exceedingly fruitful ; they yield
Irtod wlicati and the various kinds of suiall grain
which |?r»w i*^ Hindostnn; as likewise ir^ranies,
•ad iiio»t of the esculejit vegetables of India.
L^garcaneSj tobacco of a superior (|uality, indigo,
Lotton, Slid the ditierent tropical fruits, in per-
Ifection, ^^^ *ill indigenous prbducts of this
Ifivoiired land.

Besides the teak tree, which grows in many
Inirtsnf the Birman empire, as well to the north
llif Umnierapoora, as in tlie s(uithern country,
■there is alioust every description of timber that is
Lbowu in India. Dr. Buchanan, in one of his
Itfiernoon excursions, perceived a large log of
||r, which, his attendant informed him, had been
Iffuheddown by the torrents from a mountainous
Ipiirtof the country, four days journey northward
loflhe ca;)itul, where it grows in abundance, and
|tf considerable magnitude: the natives call it
[Zuenyo; they extract the turpentine, which they
jlurnto use, lint consider the wood of little value,
[oaaccount of its softness. If they could be pre-
[uileil upon to transport it to Rangoon, it might
[prove a beneficial material to the navigation of
[India. Top-giillant masts and yards made of
art! thought to be too heavy. European
jiiid American spars are often bought for the.se
[purposes at a very exorbitant price, uu incon-
lieniciice wliich the fir of Ava, if conveyed to the
linarkct, would probably obviate.
I, The kingdom of Ava abounds in mineral.s,' six
Edayg journey from, Bduioo, near the frontiers of
[Cliiiia, there are mimes of gold and silver, called
[Biuiutiein: there ure aUo ntiuos of gold, silver,
(rubies, and sapphires at pros(;nt open on a
noiintain near the Keenduem, called VVooboloo-
lun; but the mo.st valuable, and those which
produce the finest jewels, arc in the vicinity of
Jic capital, nearly opposite to I^ooum-meuum.
iPrecious stones arc found in several other. parts
of the empire. The inferior miuprals, such as
.^^^^*^"^— .^—

* The quarries of marble are only a few miles from
I'mmrrapdora. It is e(|ual In quality to the finest marble
Jof Italy, and admits of a polish that renders it almost
RraiKparent. Blocks of any size that it is possible to
pniiiurt niit;ht be procured, bnt thdsftle i» prohibited ; nor
n it allowed to be carried away without a spnrial order.
Inagcs of Gaudma being chioiiy composed of this material,

Vol. II. No. CXlII.

contain iron, tin, lead, antimony, arsenic, sul-
phur, &c. ure met with in great abundance:
amber, of a consistence unusually pore and
pellucid, is dug up in large quantities near the
river; gold likewise is discovered in tiic s»ii(ly
beds of iitrenms which descend from tlia mouu-
tuins. Between (he Keanducm and the Trrawaddy,
to the northward, there is a small river called
Shoe Lien Kiou|>, or the Stream of Cioldcn Sand.
Diamonds and emeralds are not produced in any
part of the Ava empire; but it aifurds auioth^sts,
garnets, very beautiful chrysolites, jasper, loail-
stonc, and marble*.

An extensive trade is curried on between the
capital of the Birman domiin'ons and Yuuan in
China. The principal article of export from
Ava is cotton, of which there are two kinds, one
of a brown colour, of which nankeens are made,
the other white, like the cotton of India. This
commodity is transported up the Irrawiiddy in
large boats us fur as Butnoo, where it is bartered
at the common jee or mart, with Chinese mer-
chants, and conveyed by the latter, partly by
land, and partly by water, into the Chinese do-
minions. Amber, ivory., precious stones, beetle
nut, and the edible nests brought from the eastern
Archipelago, are also articles of commerce: in
return, the Birmans procure raw and wrought
silks, velvets, gold leaf, preserves, paper, and
some utensils of hardware.

The commerce between the capital and the
southern parts of the empire is facilitated by the
noble river that waters the country; its principal
objects are the necessaries of life; several thou-
sand boats are annually employed in train^vorting
rice from the lower provinces, to supply Um-
nierapoora, sind the northern districts; salt and
gndpee may likewise be reckoned under the same
head. Articles of foreign importation are mostly
conveyed up the Trrawaddy; a few are introduced
by way of Arracan, and carried oVer the moun-
tains on the heads, of coolies, or labourers; Eu-
ropean broad cloth,. a small quantity of hardware,
coarse Bengal muslins, Cosseaibuzar silk hand-
it is on that account held sacred. Birmans may not pur.
chasb the itlarble in mass, bat are stilFercd and indeed en.
,coura(;ed to buy figures of the deity ready made. Ex.
portation of their gods out of the kingdom is strictly for.
bidden. The city of Chagaiu is tho priucipal manufactory
of these marble diTinitiest

; y : i |

' ; -I i

!i| 4

i'W :

"S I

kerchiefs.

km^

5ftV

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

kcrrhicfn, China ware, which will not admit of
land carria(^e, and {;lass, are the principal com-
iDodities. Cocoa nuts also, brought from the
Nicobar Islands, where tht-y are of uncommon
excellence, are looked upon as a deliruc^r, and
bear a high price: merchants curry down silver,
Ihcc, precious stones, luid some othtir articles, to
no great amount. The Rirmiiiis, like the Chinese,
have no coin; silver in bullion, and lead, are the
current monies of the coiuitr}'; weight and purity
are, of course, the standard of value, and in tlie
ascertainment of both the natives are exceedingly
scrupulous and expert. What foreigners call
tackal, properly kiat, is the most general piece of
. lilver in circulation: it weighs ten penny weights
ten grains and three-fourths; its subdivisions are,
the tubbee, two of which make one moo; two
moo one math; four math one tackal; and one
' hundred tackal compose one viss. Money scales
. and weights are all fabricated at the ca|)ital,
where they are stamped, and afterwards circu-
lated throughout the empire; the use of any
■ others is prohibited.

Rice is sold by a measure called Fayndaung,
or basket, the weight is sixteen viss, abcut fifty-
six pounds. There are many subdivions of mea-
surement. The average price of rice at the
capital is one tackal, rather more than half-a-
crown, for a basket and a half. At Rangoon
and Martaban one tackal will purchase four or
five baskets.

The bankers, called by foreigners Pymon, arc
likewise workers in silver, and assayers of metal:
this is a class of people very numerous; and in-
dispensably necessary, as no stranger can under-
take either to pay or receive money without hav-
ing it first examined. Kvery merchant has a
banker of this description, with whom he lodges
all his cash, aad who, for receiving and paying,
gets an established commission of one per cent ;
in consideration of which he is responsible for the
quality of what goes through his hands; and in
'no instance did the Colonel ever hear of a breadi
of trust committed by one of these bankiers*.
The quantity of alloy varies in the silver current
in different parts of the empire; at Rangoon it ig

* Any person may ha*e Us silror either piirifiad or d«>
predated to whatever staniiard he chooses; the nearait
lilrersmith will be glad to perrorm the work fcoe from
charge for his labour, as th» bringcr by the operation luiist
lose a triflS) which the artist gains : the small quantity of

adulterated twenty-five per cent; at XJmmc 1
ptiora, pure, or what i«i called flowerrd liu'*]
is most common: in this latter all royal dnM j
paid. The several modification!! are as follow, j

Rouoi, or pure silver.

Koimika, 5 per cent, of alloy.

Roiuiizoe, 10 fHT cent.

Rouassce, 20 per cent.

INTouwadzoo, 2.'i per cent.

Woontbo, liO per cent.

The Dirman measures of length are, a PanJ
paut, or inch, eighteen of which compose IM
Taiin, or cubit. The .Saundaimg, or royal ciibij
equal to twenty-two inches. The "|)ha
IJainboo, which consists of st^ven royal ciibifij
one thousand dha make one Birmaii league oi
Dain. neatly t^qnal to two British miks and twl
furlongs; the league is also subdivided into teiithj]
The Itirmans keep their accounts in dccimali
after the liianner of the Chinese.

It his already been noticed, that the gcncnj
disposition of the Birmans rs strikingly contrasie/
with that of the natives of India, from whom thel
are separated only by a narrow range of mniiiiJ
tains, in many places admitting of an cstxv inter]
corrrse. Notwithstanding the small extent ofthij
barrier, the physical difference between then J
tions could scarcely be greater, had they bfei
situated at the opposite extremities of the globe]
The 'Birmans are a lively, inquisitive race, active]
irascible, and impatient: the character of theij
Bengal neighbours is too well known, as M
reverse, to need any delineation; the unworthj
passion of Jealousy which prbmpts most uation
of the east to immure their women within llii
walls of an haram, and surround them will]
guards, seems to have scarcely any influenci
over the minds of this extraordinary and moti
liberal people. Birman wives and daughters ait
not concealed from the sight of men, and aii
Suffered to have as free intercourse with eacq

Other as the rules of European society at

but in other respects women have just reason tJ
complain of their treatment; they are consideref
as nut belonging to the same scale of the creatio

roctad that adheres to tha crncijbki h his profit. I wasL
>fpriD(td, tlmt th« silversmith can sell these i-ruuibivs afictJ
wards to refiners £o<r forty tackals % thoas^iiil, and thttii
ndvquatp gain accrues to tho purchaser from the miilal«i|
traded from the pot after it if.i^ryokeH.

EMh(V^SY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

5BS

ion: the unworthi

VthonsuitJ, i»>i<l '•'»'"

It mett, ind eter the law itanipi a degrading
^tinclion between the ta%e»i the evidence of u
vooiui is not recf .red a§ of equal weight with
(bit of a man, and u woman ii not sudbred to
licend the ttcps of a court of justice, but is
obliged to deliver the testimony on the outside.

The custom of selling their women to strangers,
vliich has before been adverted to, is confined
to the l(»wcit claasea of society, and i» perhaps
olleuer the consequence of heavy pecuniar^' eni-
harruMiJicnf, than an act of inclination: it is not,
bowcver, considered as shameful, nor is the fe-
male dishonoured ; partly perhaps from this
(ause, and partly from tlieir habits of education,
I fomeii surrender ihcmselves the victims of this
biirbaroui custom with apparent resignation Ii
iittso said, that they are very seldom unfaithful
I to their foreign masters ; indeed they are oflei*
meiilially useful, particularly to those vvho
t; !:> by keeping their accounts and transacting
[tixir business: but when a man departs from the
jcountrv, he is notauOerod to carry his tomporarv
Wire along with bira : on that point the law is
Lfeed-nfrly rigorous: everyiship, before she re-
IteiTM her clearance, is diligently searched by the
loficers of the custom-house: even if their
iTigilancc were eluded, the woman would be
•uickly missed ; and it would be soon discoveted in
■hat vessel she had gone, oor could that ship ever
jrturn to a Hirman port but under penalty of
Lnflscation of the property, and, tlie infliction of
I heavy fine and inipriatiunient on the master:
Me children also, bom of a Birnian mother,
ueoot sutfored to be taken away. Men are per-
mitted to emigrate, but they think that the ex-
Llatinn of women would impoverish the state,
Ij diminishing the sources of it« population.
One vice is usually the parent of another: the
firmans, being exempt from that jealousy, do
resort to the diabolical practice of eniascu-
[tinp; male children, to educate them as spies
Itr their women. Chastity, they know, is more
kicfly guarded by principles of honour and ot-
Ichment than by moits or castles. When
jracanwas conquered by the Bivmans, several
Muchswerc made prisoners, buloaging to the
keof the country, who had adopted that
geneiate custotn of Mohammedan growth,
^se people arc mainteined by tlte Bir-mad'
Boarch rather as memorials of his conquests,
in for any siervicestliey are required to perform.
^delity is not a characteristic of Birman wives;

in f^eneral they have too much employment to
leave leisure fur the corruption of their minds.
A woman of the higlieH rank seldom sits in idlc-
ncsBathome; her female servants like thu^e of
the Grecian dames of antiquity, ply "the various
labours of the loom:" whilul the mistress super-
intends and direrts their indu.stry. On the occa-
sion of a formal visit to the mother of the present
qneen, we observed in one of the galleries of the
palace, tlnee or four looms at w«>rk wrought by
the damsels of her household. Weaving is chiotiy
a female occupation. Most Birman families
make all the cotton and silk that is required for
their domestic consumption.

The Birmans, in some points of their dispo-
sition, display the ferocity of barbarians, and in
others all the humanity and (eadernoss of polished
life : they inilict the most heavy vengeance on
theii enemies; as invaders, desolation murks their
track, for thry spare neither sex nor age: but
at home they assume a different character;
there !>hey manifest benevolence, by extending aid
to the intirni, the u<>;e(l, and the sick: filial piety
is iiieulcated as a sac-red ])re(-ept, a-id its duties
are religiously obstjrwd A common beggar is
nowhere to be seen: every individuiil is certain
of receiving sustenance, wliieh, if he cannot pro-
cure it by his own Inbour, is provided fur him by
others.

The Birmans divide their time as follow: The
xpacc in which the tinger cau be raised and de-
pressed is called chara/i; ten charazi make one
piaan; six piaan one bizana (about a minute).
The day, of twenty-four hours, commencing at
noon, is divided into eight portions, or yettee^
of three hours each, thus denominated: Moon
Yottee; or uoon; Loung Yettee, three P. M.
Ijay Yettee, six P. M. Gneah Yottee, nine P. M.
Gueuh Gnek Yettee, midnight; Gneah Layhee
L(»ung Yettee, three in the luorning; Mioh Line
Yettee, six A. M. Gneah Tek Yettee, nine
A.M. __, _ ,ij

These divisions of time are ascertained by a
machine resembling the hour glass, and some-
times by a perforated pan p'luued in a tub of
water: they are announced by a str(^!ie on an
oblong drum, whiiih is alwa^a Jiept near the
dwelling ofthe chief mugistrate.of the city, town,
or village; it is uomutoniy raised on a high
bamboo stage, wiUi a ro»f of mutsjto protect it
from the weather. The edifice at the royal
palace for the reception of this instrument is of

masonrv.

itil'itiiti'ltlftiil

rm'-\

* -i

m.m

Mi '

, II

58<!

EMBASSY TO TIIK KINGDOM OF AVA.

masonry, and very lofty whence the sound is
said to be distinctly conveyed to the remotest ex-
tremes of the city.

The Birman year is divided into twelve months,
.which, striclly speaking* cannot be called synodi-
-cal, althongh they con)pr(;hcnd the days. A
revolution of the moon, in passing from one con-
junction with the sun to another, is performed in
twenty-nine days twelve hours and forty-four
minutes; but the Birman lunations consist of
twenty-nine and thirty davs, aKernately, which
causes a difference between the Newtonian and
Birman lunar account of eight hours and forty-
eight minutes. • ""«'. •!!^ •

'j '. r , . Tagoo contains
i'ji.. i' if { Kayoung
••» ^>^ '? Nay Young
1 ,!» • »; Wazoo
,.;,« ;-,„. Wugoung
.;i !i \r.-r Toouzelicn
' . I • Sandaing Guitc
^' Tazoung Moang

f ' l> '■• Ctnadoh
f ir : ■< Pceazoo

Taboodway

Taboung

29
30
2i>
SO
29
30
29
30
29

;^o

29
30

•v *'t([ t

In order to complete a solar revolution, they
interculate in every third year a month of thirty
days.

The Birmans are extremely fond both of
poetry and music ; they call the former Yeddoo :
when repeated by a scholar, it flows soft and
measured to (be ear; it is sometimes in successive,
and often in alternate rhymes. A line is called
Tageoung; a stanza, Tubbouk. They have
epic as well as religious poems of high celebrity,
and they are fond of reciting in heroic numbers
the exploits of their kin^s and generals.

Music is a science which is held in considerable
estimation throughout the Birman empire, tind is
cultivated at the present day more generally than
in India, notwithstanding it is called by the
Greeks, the language of the gods. The royal
library of Ummerr poora is said to contain many
valuable treatises on the art. Some of the pro-
fessional musicians display considerable skill and
eMCUtiun, auu «^3 softest airs are pleasing even

to an ear unaccustomed to such melody. Tin
principal instruments are a Soum, or harp* made
of light wood, hollowed and varnished, in shape
somewhat like a canoe with a deck; at the ex-
tremity a piece c)f hard vfood is neatly fastened* '
which tapers to the end, and rising curves over I
the body of the harp; from this curvature, the
strings, usually made of wire, are extended' to a
bridge on the belly of the instrument: there are!
two sounding holes, one on each side of thcj
bridge. The size of the Soum varies from twol
to five feet in length. The Tiirr rcsen-hlcs oiirl
violin; it has only three strings, and is |»liiycdon|
with a bow. The Pullaway, is a coiiimonl
flageolet. The Kyezoup, is ti collectiiiti of)
cvmbuls, which arc suspended in a bamboo franiej
those cymbals, varying in size, produce modiJ
latcd gradations of sounds. The Pulola, on
guitar, is a curious instrument; it is the exacj
form of a crocodile in miniature; the body oi
which is hollow, with sounding holes on (hef
back; three strings of wire extend from tb.
shoulder to the tail, and are supported on bridgei
at each extremity ; the strings are tuned by tncaol
of pegs in the tail, to which they are fastened; i|
is played on by the flnger, and is generull)' met
to accompany the voice. The Boundaw is
collection of drums, oblong in form, and varviui
in size, which are suspended perpendicidurly in}
wooden frame by leather thongs. The wholl
machine is about Hvc feet in diameter, nndfouj
feet high. The performer stands in the cciitti
and beats on the drums with a small stick. TU
instrument is also introduced when thereisaful
band, and is much used in processions,
carried by two men, whilst the performer shufi
along on the inside, playing as he goes.
Heem is the pipe of Pan, formed of several red
neatly joined together, and sounded h^'aconinil
mouth-piece; when played with skill, it pi]
duces a very plaintive melody. These are I
principal instruments of music in use among t
Birmans.

Of the ancient Pallis, whose langu:
stitutes at the present day the sacred text of Aj
Pegue, and Siani, as well- as of several
countries eastwr-d of the Ganges; andoflN
migration from India to the banks of the CJ
the Nile of Ethiopia, wc have but very imp
information. As a nation they have f
ceased to exist: they arc said to have posse

EMBASSY TO Tilt KINGDOM OF AVA.

587

I informer times, a doininion stretching from the
Indies as far as Siam, and to have been conquered
hv the Rajapatras, who chaii<;ed the name of
their country from Palisthaji to Rajapiitra. In
llie nlil l)i)o'»s of <he Hindoos ihey are called
Paliputras, and it may be concluded that they
verc tlic Piilibothri of the ancients.

(t lias bee 1 the opinion of some of the most

|ji,lifflitencd writers on the languages of the Eust,.

tint the Pali, the sacred language of the priests

iif Boodh is nearly allied to the Shanscvil of the

Bramiiis; and there certainly is much of that

liojy idiom engrafted on the vulgar language of

Ava, bv t'lc introduction of the Hindoo religion.

jTlie character in common use throughout Ava

ind Pegiie is a round Nagari, derived from the

hnuarc Pali, or religiouy text; it is formed of

Itirdi's or segments of circles, variously disposed

Ijnd combined, whilst the Pali, which is solely

[applied to the purposes of religion, is a square

lletter, cliiedy consisting of right angles.

The Hirman language contains thirty-three

liiniple s'junds, to represcMit which, their aipha-

Ibel, commonly called Kagye Kayue, consists of

liii equal number of distinct characters, exclusive

lot' various marks and contractions, that supply

lllicplaccuf long and short vowels, diphthongs, &c.

These arc explained and enumerated in separate

■fm, in the Birman spelling-book, entitled

iKsvchoungie, in which every possible combina-

llinn M given and exemplitied. The Birmans

dfiletVoin left to right, and though they leave no

distinguishing space between their words,

hhcy mark the pause of a sentence and the full

■lops. Their letters arc distinct, and their

uaniiscripts are in general very beautiful.

The common books of the Birmans, like those

bfihe Hindoos, particularly of such as inhabit

Ihe southern parts of India, are conjposed of the

palmyra leaf, on which the letters are engraved

a stylus; but the Birmans far excel the

Miiiiii^ul Hindoos in the neatness of the execu-

n, and -n the ornamental part of their volumes.

Ill the recitation of poetry, the language is ex-

diitgly melodious; even the prose of common

onversation appears to be measured, and the

lonchiding word of each sentence is lengthened

ly a tnusical cadence, that marks the period to

\ ear of a person wholly unacquainted with

lie meaning.

h is difficult to ascertain with precision the
Vol II. No. CXIII.

exact limits of the Birinan empire. Dr. Bu-
chanan, who accompanied thp embassy, sought
for geographical information with the most dili-
gent inquiry; he procured, but not without con-
siderable trouble and e.\ ponce, sketches of every
part of the Birman territoiie.s; and he has trans-
mitted the materials which lie thus collected to
the East-India Company. Those sketches, how-
ever, being contained in various and detached
pieces, not funning any connected body, nor yet
reduced to a graduated scale, can hardly be
brought into the shape of a regular map without
aid of some further communications ; they are
nevertheless documents of much intrinsic value
and importance; it is therefore to be hoped that,
with the aid of some additional lights, a vacuum
on the terrestrial globe will, ere long, be filled
up, and a portion of the earth delineated, which
heretofore has been very imperfectly known. On
a prob.ible calculation from Dr. Buchanan's
papers of the extent of the present Birman em-
pire it appears to inclose the space between the
ninth and twenty-sixth degrees of north latitude,
and between the ninety-second and hundred and
seventh degrees of longitude east of Green-
wich, about one thousand and fifty geographical
mihfs in length, and six liundied in breadth:
these are the ascertainable limits, taken from the
Birman accounts; but it is probable that their
dominions stretch still farther to the north. It
should, however, be remarked, that the breadth
cften varies, and is in many places very incon-
siderable, on what is called the Eastern Peninsula.

Dr. Buchanan, inthesummaryorgeneraloutline
of the geographical materials which he collected,
thus expresses himself on the subject of rivers: —
It appears, " that the Arracan river is not so con-
siderable as has been supposed, but takes its rise
in hills at no great distance to the north.

" That the river coming from Thibet which is
supposed to be that of Arracan, is in fact the
Keenduem, or the great western branch of the
Ava river.

" That whtt is supposed to be the western
branch of Irrawaddy, is in fact the eastern one
which passes by Ava, and runs to the north,
keeping west from the province of Yunan, and
leaving between it and that part of China a
country subject to the Birmans.

" That the Loukiang, which is supposed to
be the great branch of the Irrawaddy, has no

7 M , cora-

|V '/,

> i

■ ! , - ' >J :

'■i^ !l i\

p.- ■■-■I

\<:%\n

^88

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA;

communication \«^ith that river; but on entering
the Birmaa dominions assumes the name of
Thaluajrn, or Thanluayn, and falls into the sea
at Martaban.

" That the river Pegue, which is supposed to
come from China, rises among hills about a
hundred miles from the sea, and which form the
''boundary between the Uirman and Pegue king-
doms.

" That between the Pegue and Martaban
rivers there is a lake, from which two river? pro-
ceed; the one runs north to Old Ava, where it
joins the Myoungnya, or Little River of Ava,
which comes from mountains on the frontiers of

China; the other river run«i south from the lak
to the sea, and is the Sitang river in the man ^

" That the rivers of China, which are sun. i
posed to be the heads of the Pegue river a
those of the viceroy Siani. ' '^'

" That the rivers of Siam and Cambodia com
municate by a very considerable branch, calledl
the Annan." ' I

This disposition of the rivers gives an entirJ
new face to the geography of India beyond tliJ
Ganges; and from the diligence and ability witll
which Dr. Buchanan collated the several acJ
counts that he received ; I am inclined to belieJ
that his statement is nearly correct.

, r , SECTION X.

Permission granted to make Astronomical Ohsenations — Bengal Painter employed at Court— Moi,
of catching xcild Elephants — Attention of Vtceroijs to Foreign Ministers — Ceremowj arranged-
Procession — Manner of Entrance — Introduction into the Lotoo, or Grand Council Haii^
Description of the Court, and its Magnificence — Formalities observed in returning — Commcrci^
Intercourse with Birma likeUj to he advantageous to Britain.

GEOGRAPHY is the foundation of all his-
torical knowledge, without which history
becomes little better than romance. Having
hitherto found the most authentic geographical
information that could be obtained relative to
countricij eastward of the Ganges extremely er-
roneous, the Colonel was desirous of determining
the true situation of the capital of Ava, especially
as he had now a favourable opportunity of
profiting by the assistance of a gentleman of high
professional talents. It was, however, n^quisite
to obtain the sanction of the Birman government,
before Mr. Wood could commence astronomical
observations; and, in reply *'» an application
made through the Maywoon of Pegue, the most
liberal encouragement was given to proceed with
the observations. Being obliged at night to leave
the grove and go out on the plain, in order to
have a distinct view of the heavenly bodies, the
peasants that inhabited the neighbourii^ villages
believed him to be a necromancer, and his
telescope and time-keeper instruments of magic.
In their wonder they sometimes crowded about
him so as to disturb his operations; but it was
nothing more than harmless curiosity; they
wanted to discover by what means he held com-

mnnication with the Nat ts, the supernatural an
invisible agents of the air.

The reputation which the Bengal drutifrhtso)
belonging to the deputation had acquired by I
botanical drawings, having come to the kiion
ledge of his Birman majesty, or, in tlic Binnaj
phrase, having reached the Golden ^m, thj
king was pleased to d.sirc a specinicii of
skill, and sent a painting on glass, executed bvj
Siamese artist in his own service, sigiiifyingl
royal will that it should be copied upon papej
This picture, which was a tolerable poriormaiicl
represented the mode of catching wild clepid
in the forci^ts. It was thus describnl: Til
hunters, mounted on tame elephants that
trained to the business, by lying flat on M
backs, introduce themselves unnoticed into a wii
herd, and take an opportunity to cast a ruiiniij
noose in the track of the one that is meant toll
secured. The other end of the rope is tusten
to the body of the tame elephant, who iniis
diately throws the wild one downi; a battle tin
ensues, in which the trained elephant, buiii;;!
sisted by its associates, soon overpowers the i
habitant of the woods, who is deserted by allll
oUiers; it is afterwards borne away a prisoM

frnv

le siipernaturalan

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

589

Mtboundby two of its captors, whilst another
L,e8 on at its head, and a fourth urges it be-
lind. In " ^^^ weeks, by proper discipline, the
Liinal becomes docile, and submits to its fate.
Tiose that are taken in this manner are for the
Bost part females. Male elephants are usually
Inticed by the blandishments of the females,
Lned for *''® purpose, into an inclosure or
lepdab, from whence they cannot extricate
ijinselves, and are easily secured.
I Wlieii a public minister is delegated from a
Ljjn power to the Birman court, it is the
Itabiiihed custom for the May woon, or governor
ttlie frontier province which the minister first
tiers, to provide for his conveyance to the
LpitaT, and to attend to his convenience so long
f lie continues to reside in the country ; a serviqe
llicli he is ucquently obliged to perform in

tfson.

As the time approached that was appointed for

public entry into Ummerapoora, says Colonel
lines, which as yet we had only viewed from
ir residence on the opposite bank of the lake, I
Iged it proper to make some enquiry respecting
'ceremonials usually observed an such occa-
ins, and the exterior forms of homage that
luld be required. I wished also to ascertain
'relative degree of rank that would be given
[the agent of the Governor General of India;

as I was officially given to understand that

Chinese deputies were to be introduced on

same day, I urged my right to precedence,
the (borough persuasion that they did not
itidite an imperial embassy, but were merely
fovinciul legation, although probably sanction-
by the monarch of China. The necessity of

laining these points became evident, from the
ipiilous regard to external forms which the
mans manifested upon every occasion. The
lone! was informed that he should be allowed
tiljof rank with the nobility of the court, and

precedence over the Chiriese deputies would

,Tanted to him.

In the 29th of August, the day preceding that
[which the deputation was to be formally in-
luced, the Colonel received a message, de-

ITIic procession \vui> martihallcd in tlio rollnwini; nrder;
IndoliS'Uii, or master uf the ccrumunics, on horseback;
Iniruuiiseroo, or register of strangers, on horseback ,
KUouiiiii'rcc, ur re^isiur of presents^ on horseback;

siring to know what number of attendants he
meant to take with him, and to specify the rank
they bore, particularly that of the pundit, the
moonshce, and the painter. He was at the same
time acquainted, that it was not customary to
admit armed men into the palace. Late in tlie
evening he received another message, informing
him, that the profession of Dr. Buchanan was
held by the Birmans in a less dignified estimation,
than it bore among Europeans; and that it was
unusual, on such solemn occasions, to receive a
person of his station into the Lotoo, or great
council hall. He endeavoured to vindicate the
liberal and enlightened profession of medicine;
and the difficulty was at length overcome. They
agreed to receive the doctor, but stipulated that
he should ride on horseback in the procession,
and not be indulged with an elephant, a privilege
which, they said, was granted only to persons of
the highest consequence.

Preparatory to their visit, the presents intended
for his Birman majesty were carefully assorted,
and put into separate boxes, The next day,
(the 30th) they took vn early breakfast, and the
Seree-dogee, or secretary of the Lotoo, acquainted
them that boats were prepared to convey them
across the lake. The presents having been sent
before, they walked to the water side, attended
by Baba Sheen, the Seree-dogee, and several in-
ferior officers. Three war-boats were ready at
the bank to receive them: the largest was of fifty
oars. In about twenty minutes they crossed the
lake, where three elephants and several horses
were waiting to convey them, and some Birman
officers of inferior rank attended at the bank,
dressed in their robes and caps of ceremony.
The furniture of the animals we were to ride was
far from being superb. Men of rank in the
Birman empire always guide their own elephants,
and sit on the neck, in the same manner that the
drivers or mohaats do in 'ndia. Owing to this
custom they are unprovided with those commo-
dious seats in which an Indian gentleman reposes
at ease on the back of this noble beast, whilst the
government of it is entrusted to any other
person*.

__ ■ • The

dressed in their ortulul roljivs or cap-. Soldiers that coin.
l)osed th(( escort. 'I'he elephaut of tlm reprosentativo of the
Governor.General ; Mi . Wood and Dr. Uuciianan on horsti.
back; Baba Sheen, as ciiief intcriiretcr. The Chinese
, ' doputios,

vi|<

N-i^

,■( :

590

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

The procession being arranged, they coin-
menccd their march, keeping a moderate pace,
so as not to distress the bearers of tlie presents.
After proceeding a short way, they entered a
wide and handsome street that was paved with
brick: the houses on each side were low, built of
wood, and covered with tiles; they had been
evidently prepared for the occasion, being fresh
whitewashed, and decorated with boughs and
flowers; the shops, which are usually open
towards the street, displayed their best goods.
In front of each house was a slight latticed
railing of bajiiboo, advanced into the street, to
the distance of thr«e or four feet; over this space
was spread a shade of bamboo mats, that reached
from the caves of the houses to the railing,
forming a sort of covered balcony, every one of
which was crowded with spectators, men and
women indiscriminately. They proceeded till
they came to the rhoom, which was a lofty hall,
raised four or five feet from the ground, and
open on all sides: it was situated about a hun-
dred yards from the gate of the palace court, in
the centre of a spacious area. Putting off their
shoes they entered the saloon, and sat down on
carpets, that were spread for them, with their
faces towards the palace gate. The presents in-
tended for his Birman majesty were here do-
posited. They were delayed in the rhoora for
two hours, till the arrival of the royal family,
who came wiwi numerous and splendid attendants.
A few minutes after the Engy Tekien, or prince
royal, had entered, they received a summons, in
compliance with which they proceeded from the
rhoom, observing the same order as before; the
presents carried in front, and the members of the
Chinese embassy following the English deputa-
tion. As they proceeded, the Sandohgaan was
exceedingly troublesome, b" calling on them to
make frequent superfluous obeisances, whilst his
manner of requiring tliem was conspicuously un-
civil. The Colonel checked his insolence by ob-
serving, through Baba Sheen, that if the Sandoh-
gaan wished him to proceed, he must alter his
tone and demeanour. This reproof, however,
had only a momentary effect: he soon resumed
bis arrogant behaviour, which he repeated

deputies, oil elephants, preceded by tli ir servants, bearing
flags, A VVooiidoclt, or second counsellor of state. Two
Terrczogces, or officers who liold judiciary stations. Tlic

throughout the day whenever opportunity offi- j
On approaching tho gate the greater part of'tiJ
attendants belonging to the English deputai']
were stopped, and not permitted to follow fh
but the gentlemen of the embassy were rcquo i"
to put off their shoes, which, of course I'lJ
immediately complied with. '

The area is spacious, and contains tlie Lni i
or grand hall of consultation and audience, \,i
the Woongees met in council, and where all i
of state are discussed and determined, )Vj||,|
this inclosure there is an inner court, separaj
by a brick wall, which comprehends the pay
and all the buildings annexed to the ro\a| »
sidence. They ascended a flight of stairs," w|J
is a noble saloon, or open hall, called thcLoln
where the court was assembled in all the ir)L
dor that Birman pomp and grandeur could' di
play. On entering this hall a stranger cannot f|
to be surprized at the maguificenceof ilsappeJ
ance; it is supported by .seventy-seven pilij
disposed in eleven rows, each consisting of sevi
The space between the pillars i^ about twell
feet, except the central row, which is two fJ
wider. The roof of the building is coniposedj
distinct stages, the highest in the centre. Ati
farther part of the hall is a high gilded laltil
extending quite across the building, and in (
centre of the lattice is a gilded door, which, wb
opened, displays the throne; this door is elevall
five or six feet from the floor, so that (hetlirj
must be ascended by means of steps at (he I
which are not visible, nor is the seat of (hethrij
to be seen, except when the king comes in perl
to the Loloo. At the bottom of the latticelJ
is a gilt balustrade, three or four feet hi;,'hl
which the umbrellas and other insignia ohtj
were deposited. The royal colour is white,
the umbrellas were made of silk of that dol
richly bespangled with gold. ^Vithin thisinj
nificent saloon were seated, on their invertc(
all the princci and principal nobility I'
itirman empire, each person in the place |
propriated to his particular rank and slalil
proximity to the throne is, of course, the
honourable station; which was occupied bvj
princes of the blood, the Woongees, thcAJ

scrrants of the embassy walked on each side, (wolijB
and a number of constables attended, with long whites
to keep oil' the populace.

II ';

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

591

|f»9n«, and other great officers of state. The
Ifi^yXeekien (or heir apparent) sat on a small
ol, about six" inches high; the other princes
. ijoe mats. The space between the central
liiillars that front the throne is always left vacant,
IL this curious reason, that his majesty's eyes
Ljv not be ohHged to behold those whom he
does not mcanio honour with a look.
After w'c bad taken possession of mats that
been spread for us, says Colonel Symes, it
L„ civilly intimatedj that we oaght not to pro-
vide the soles of our feet towards the seat of
Mjesty, but should endeavour to sit in the
Ltiire that was observed by those around us.
^fjth this desire we would have readily complied,
fjlliadbetn in our power, but we had not yet
Lncd to sit upon Our legs. The flexibility of
fciiscles vvltich the Birmans, and indeed all the
jitifes of India, possess, is such as cannot be ac-
Lired by Europeans. A Birman, when he sits,
Seldom touches the seat with his posteriors, but
iwipported byhis heels. It is scarcely practi-
bbleforaii Ejropean, dressed in close garments,
) place himself in such an attitude; and if he
^ereable, it would be out of his power to con-
bue lon^ in it. We inverted our legs as much
ipflisibic, and the awkwardness with which we
lid this excited a smile from some; not a word,
loffcrer, was uttered, and our endeavours seem*
I to give satisfaction. Eight Bramins in white
kccrdotal gowns, and silk caps of the same
jDlours, studded with gold, assembled round the
M of the throne, within the balustrade, and
pdkda long prayer in notunpleasing recitative;
lij ceremony lasted a quarter of an hour. When
CT bad withdrawn, the letter from the Go-
nor-General, which Colonel Symes delivered
)a Woondock, was placed on a silver tray in
loot of the railing, and a Saudohgaan, or reader,
hranccd into the vacant space, and made three
ptrations, touching the ground each time with
lifurehead: he then read, or rather chanted, in a
voice, a Birman translation of the letter.
Ilicn this was done, he repeated his prostrations,
lue.xt proclaimed a list of the presents fur tin;
Sig. These several readings being finished, he
|)eated his obeisances and retired. After an in-
Itval of a few minutes, an otHcer, entitled
aiigee, advanced, and proposed a question
jthe Colonel, as if from his majesty; on re-
jinngan answer he withdrew, as it might be
(Vol, II. No. CXIV.

supposed to communicate the reply; and returned
in an adequate time to ask another: thus he put
three separate questions, which were as follow:
" You come from a distant country ; how long
is it since you arrived? How were the king,
queen, and royal family of England, when the
last accounts came frona thence? Was England
at peace or war with other nations ? and was your
country in a state of disturbance?" To ibcse
questions the Colonel returned satisfactory
answers. In a few minutes after his last reply
had been conveyed, a very handsome desert was
set before the deputation, which c. isisted of a
variety of sweetmeats. There appeared to be
not less than a hundred diflferent small fishes:
they tasted of a few, and found some of them
very palatable. About half an hour afterwards
they were informed by the Sandohgaan that there
was no occasion for thera to remain any longer.
When they rose to leave the Lotoo, (his Birman
majesty not being present, ) the Sandohgaan de*
sired them to make three obeisances to the throne,
by a slight inclination of the body and raising
the right hand to the head. They were then
reconducted to the saloon, wheie they were
informed it was necessary they should remain till
the princes came forth from the palace, and had
got upon their elephiMits, as their etiquette did
not allow any perso ■■, on such occasions, to
mount before the members of the royal family.
They accordingly took their places in the hall <is
before; and shortly afterwards the court broke
up with as much form and parade as it had as-
sembled; although it difi'cred in some particulars.
With a people less attentive to punctilio, or
less regardless of the privileges and external in-
dications of rank, I should certainly (says the
Colonel) not have considered it necessary to ton-
trovert matters of no intrinsic value in themselves,
but which, when intended to produce an eti'ect
on the minds of those who can only judge from
appearances, become, to a person in a public
capitcity, of real importance. Every occurnuicc
of this day, and every object that presented itst-lf,
evinced the previous care that had betMi bestowed
on the ininutest points of etiquette: the utmost
splendour of the court had been displayed on the
occasion; and I was credibly informed, that the
non-appearance of his majesty \v;is neither cus-
tomary when a foreign minister from a sovereign
state was to be introduced, nor owing to any ac-
' 7 N cidcntal

1 }

I 'vi !

<'f

.'j;

, M \i

v±

■ " W -li'i •

Sl!;|: :i:

592

EMBASSY TO THE KINGDOM OF AVA.

cidciitui prevention: but that it was a matter
{.reiletoi uiincd, in order to aflford a pretext for
Mpreadiiig abroad that the representative of the
English nation had delivered hia dispatches, and
rendered tribute, ( for so they denoiniiiated the
presents,) without being honoured with an inter-
view of their king. These apparent indications
of arrogance, which were not diminished by the
unworthy artifice of making me believe that his
majesty was to have received in person the letter
from the Governor General, as coming from a
sovereign and an equal power, gave me reasonable
grounds to be dissatisfied with the manner i"
which the ceremonials had been conducted, and
made me suspect the real light in which it was
the wish of the court that I should be considered.
As nothing degrading to my |:jiblic character,
however, had yet been avowed, I refrained from
any formal declaration of my sentiments till sub-
sequent circumstances confirmed my conjectures,
and rendered an explanation unavoidable. Every
thing being satisfactorily explained, the answer
of bis Birman majesty was at length received;
by which it appeared, that several advantages

were granted to the English ; and it was annr J
bended, that by the intercourse likely to t U
place between British India and the Birm
nation great benefit would accrue to tlie Enelii

Having settled every thing relative to tlj
mission, and received the presents for <|J
Governor-General, the deputation arranged maJ
ters for their departure, and record i ugly returnci
to Bengal.

Timber for maritime purposes is the oDivarJ
ticle the Birman empire produces of wliicb A
stinid in indispensable need, and to proDioteoJ
encourage the culture and exportation of thod
commodities which form the valuable staples r
British India, almost all of which the kingdon
of Ava is capable of yielding, would operate t
the manifest injury of our own province!). W
require, and should seek for nothing uiore llii
a mart for our manufactured goods, and, inrj
turn, to bring back their unwrought material]
interference in any other shape, appears to U
impolitic, r \d likely, in the end, to prove prJ
judicial to ourselves. .

^ •.':.••• s''-*

END OF SYMESS EMBASSY TO AVA.

, • I. ■>■)■, In:

'.- ;r - A'

.,r.> {.,

"t .

t^^nUMm

OBSERVATIOI

OBSERVATIONS

/ '. MADE ON A TOUR FROM

BENGAL TO PERSIA,

"' In the Years 1786-7.

OBSERVATIOl

\rnit A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE REMAINS OF THE CELEBRATED

PALACE OF PERSEPOLIS.
Mr WIL,]LI^M FR*AJ¥K]LIJ\\

Ensign on the Honourable Company's Bengal EstaMiahmcnt. i"/* .:-»",);„,.,,

^ ■ ' •■■■■-■ '1' ,-.,v-,'».i-

,i .

SECTION I.

Markation from Calcutta — Description of Point de Galle — Anjcngo — Cochccn — TelUchcrry—
Qoa—Tomb qf Xavicre—Bombai/ described — Muscat — Abu Shchr — Journey to Shirauz—'
r.^ Qi....^..^ . rr...^i. ..f ij„ff~. n„^i-«r,i„.ri . Tvi....,i„.. . '''■"'1' f Sadi; remarkable

in Persia — Fimcrals
'Hits of Shirauz-^

Breed of Horses — Manufactures and Trade — Ciimute — Character of the Modern Persians —
Women of Shirauz — Superstition of the Persians; their Talismans; Manner of charming
Scoifions—Mode qf Living. ,

^N the 27th of February 1786, Ensign
Franklin embarked at Calcutta on board
hip Yarmouth, Captain Greenly commander,
tir Bombay, in his way to Persia; and on the
llth of March arrived at Point de Gaile, which
ii small fort, situated on the south-west side of
leisland of Ceylon. The inhabitants, excepting
kc Dutch, arc a mixture of Malabars and native
fortiiguese; but great numbers of the latter,
Ipecially of the lower class of people. The
lingliere is very cheap, but there is little trade.
mms, amethysts, and other precious stones,
■found on the island of Ceylon, and brought
[ere for sale; but it is dangerous to purchase
m, when set, without being skilled in those
bminodities ; the people who sell them being
iry expert in making the false stones appear like
lue ones, by colouring them at the bottom.
lo kind of spiee, nutmegs, or any other rarities

h I obscrred, (says the Ensign,) in the course of a few
urs'stay on shorcj sereral people whoso legs were swelled
Itinost extraordinary manner ; this the natives acconnt
f, from the badness of the water, and the vapours which

for which this island is so celebrated, are to be
met with at this placj. The harbour is circular;
at the entrance of it lie many rocks, just above
the surface of the water, which make it danger-
ous fur strange ships to go in, without a pilot;
the waves beat with amazing violence against the
fortifications. Along, and almost all around the
harbour, are the country-houses of the inhabit-
ants, which have a pleasing effect; the road^ to
these, by land, is through a grove of cocoa-tnit
trees, which forms an agreeable skauc. However,
this place must be very unhealthy, ae high hilU
lie close behind the houses, and exhale noxious
vapour both morning and evening, which make
it precarious to the inhabitants in point of health;
they are in general siekly, but particularly Eu-
ropeans*. Fish is to be had here in great
plenty; poultry of all kinds is very scarce; the
fruits are chiefly plantains, pine apples, and

arise from tbo adjoining hills. I have heard that the in.
habitants of Malacca arc liable to the same disease, and
similar causcsi

.^, . ^, ^ ; pumple

I fr

I 1

M' 1

i' II

59 1

OBSIftVyVTIONS MADft ON A

pum pie noses; tlie cocoa nuts are also in great
plenty and very good; (lie bruud is tolerable,
but the L!'Uer execrable, it being litde better
than train oil.

On the 2\hh saw the land a little to the east-
ward of Cupc Cormorin, and on the li\st of
March came to anchor in (he roadii of Anjengo,
which is a small fort and English residency, the
first that you arrive ut upon the Malabar coast
from Cape Corniorin: the inhabitants are
Malabars and native Portuguese, mixed. It is
reported to be one of the first places in India for
intelligence, and the English have received great
service from it in that respect during the American
war. At Anjengo there is a post to several parts
of India; this is but lately established.

On the 9th of April, came to anchor in Cocheen
Toad?, and went on shore immediately. Coche'en
is very populous, and a place of great trade; the
inhabitants are a mixture of a variety of Eastern
ifatipns, being composed of Malabars, Armenians,
Persiapf, Arabians, Jews, Indians, and native
JPortugupse. The Jews occupy a whole village,
a little to the westward of the town; they live
separate from the rest' of the inhabitants: the
Ensign went into several of their houses, and
could nothel|) observing, in this people, a striking
peculiarity of features, diflerent from any he had
ever seen ; a resemblance seemed to riiu through
the whole, as if they were all of one family : they
seldom or ever marry out of their own tribe, by
-which the likeness is preserved, from father to
son, for a long time. The same similarity of
features is to be observed amongst the Jews of
Amsterdam in Holland, and other parts of Eu-
rope. This certainly .serves to distinguish them
more as an »riij|^ial people than any other. They
have a good synagogue here, and are less op-
pressed, and have more liberty, than in most
other parts of the East. The rs^jah of Cocheen
resides here, but lives in an indifferent state. He
is a Gentoo. Cocheen, in former times, was a
place of considerable celebrity, and was one of
the places pitched upon by the first Portuguese

. r i '■■■' 'i

• Here tlio English troops .sustaiiu'd a si'vorc sirgc for
BCTcral years, anaiiist the army of Jlytlcr, iiiidor tlic com.
mand of Sa<lik Klian ; however, on the arriral of Major
^biiiKdon witha rehiforcoiiwnt from the Bombay setthsment,
the garrison made a most spirited and successful sally, in
which, havinf? defeated the enemy and killed great rsuriibers
of them, they at length compelled them to raise the siege ;
obtaining, at the same tlrac; a coniiidcrablc booty of horses,

settlers in the East, after the discovery of th
passage round the Cape of Good Hope by Vasc3
deGama; bjut that |)«ople have now very litti]
left of the vast wealth and power lliey fo'rmerll
enjoyed ; a revolution of three centurios Im? reJ
diiccd them below mediocrity in ilic irfii|,fj
scale of European adventurers. The I'nrt is i
very large one, and very well fortified on i|iJ
land side; towards the sea not so well, but i
is secured by a very dangerous bar, which w'l
not admit of ships coming nearer the shore th»
three or four miles. Provisions of ever) kinds
to be had here ii> the greatest plenty.

The lOth, sailed; and on the l.Jth, camel
anchor in Tellicherry roads. Amon^ otIiJ
places which he saw in and about TeliiiJierrv,!
had a view of the fortifications, or rather of tlierj
gular lines drawn round Tellicherrv, for
defence of the place. These lines are extpcdini'M
strong; they take in a space of about three mill
and a half in circumference, and are well
fended by batteries and redoubts; a river ru|
parallel to the western ai^Je, which breakii^
oil' from thence runs among the hills*. TM
lines in some parts appear rather out of orda
as they have not been thoroughly repaired Mn
the siege of the place. The garrison of tJ
licherr> consists generally, in time of |ieaie, |
one battalion of sepoys, a company of urtiljerj
and sometinies a company of European infunir]
they are also able to raise about three thuusai
native militia. The view of the country aroui
Tellicherry is very pleasant, consisting of iri|
gular hills and vallies. Tellicht^rry is esteem
by all who reside there, to be one of the healltii^
places in India, Europeans seldom dying then
it is also much resorted to by ctiiivalcscents: i
sea produces plenty of fine oysters, and provisiol
of all kinds are to be had in abundance. He|
in the Company's garden, is the pepper viJ
which grows in a curious mann^^r, and soiuetliil
similar to the grape; the pepper on it, whcDi
to gather, appears in sniall bniiclies ; it is in si
something larger than the head of a small {

(enfs, and elephants. The (Jeneral o( the enemy '
dangerously wounded and takcii prisoner, and diedal
days after, of (hat and a brokon hcari, at rcilicheir}. I
lies buried close to the fort of Tellicherry j a tuijl)!
been erected to him, in which lamps are. continually burii|
which many Mussulmeii visit out uf respect to tlici
of the deceased.

TOUR FROM BENGAL TO PRRSIA.

505

Ibe pcpP"'' however* for the Company's ships'
Ifutm, is brought from some distance in the
ifionity- Tellicberr^ also produces the coflee tree.
On the /29th, anchored in the rouds of
Gos> off* the Fort Aiguarda. Goa is a large
Lty, and was once populous; it is the capital
of tl)C Portuguese settlements on this side
Le ^Ap* of Good Hope; it is the residence
Lf a Captain-General sent from Portugal, who
Ijyfs in great splendour. The city stands
Dpnn (lie banks of a river nf the same name, about
L^lve miles distanc<^ from the entrance of the
harbour: the view up this river is truly delight-
ful, th'' banks on ;ilher side are adorned with
(hurcliea, and co mtry-seats of the Portuguese,
inlerspcrsed with groves and vallies; the river
his several pleasing openings as it winds along,
ill banks are low, but the hills behind rise to an
limiizini; height, and add grandeur to the spcc-
lide. The city of Goa itself is adorned with
Lanv tine churches, magnificently decorated;
lindiing several handsome convents; the church
■of Saint Augustine is a noble structure, and is
lidorned in tlie inside by many fine picture:-;; it
litMcIs on the top of a hill, from whence is an
Ittteniiive view of the city and adjacent country :
lit ii a circumstance that has always been observed,
lindvery justly, that the Portuguese have ever
Itliosen the spots for their convents and churches
JiD the most delightful situations. The body of
Idiis church is spacioua, and the grand altar-piece
Knished in the most elegant style. The building
|«f the choir is of Gothic architeoture, and there-
Ifore of antiquity. This church has a convent
lidjnining to it, in which live a set of religious
hionks, of the order of St. Augustine. Adjoining
[to this church is a convent of religious women,
|«ho have taken the veil, and are therefore pro-
fited from all kind of intercourse with the
Ivorld: these chiefly consist of the daughters and
nieces of the Portuguese inhabitants of the place;
Vd a sum of money is generally given with
hbeiD, on their entrance into the convent. A
Bittle lower, on the declivity of the bill, stands
jinother church, dedicated to the Bon Jesus, in
Mch w the cbapel of Saint Francisco de

* ThU chapel isamofit superb and magDificent place;
Ihc tonib of the laint U entirely of fine black marble,
Brought from Lisbon ; on the fmir sides of it the principal
[iciiong of the life uf the Saint are most elegantly carted in

ma relie?o; these reptescnt his converting the different

Vol. II. No. CXIV.

Xaviere, whose tomb it contains*. On the sides
of this chapel are excellent paintings, done by
Italian mHsttTs; the subjects chiefly from
scripture. In the valley below is another con-
vent for yomig ladies who have not taken the
veil; out of this convent the Portuguese and
others who go (here may marry: souie of the
ladies have small portioriH, others none.

The Captain-General of Goa is also Cora*
mander in Chief of all the Portuguese forces in
the East Indies*. Goa is at present on the de-
cline, and in little or no estimation with the
country powers; indeed tlieir bigotry and super-
stitious attachment to their faith is ao general,
that the inhabitants, formerly populous, are now
reduced to a few thinly inhabited villages; the
chief part of whom have been baptized; for
they will not suffer any Mussulman or Gentoo to
live within the precincts of uie city; and these
few are unable to carry on the husbandry or
manufactures of the country. The court of Por-
tugal is obliged to send out annually a large sum
of money, to defray the current expences of the
government; which money is generally swallowed
up by the co vents and soldiery. There was
formerly an inquisition at this place, but it is
now abolished; the building still remains, and
by its black outside appears a fit emblem of the
cruel and bloody transactions that passed within
its walls! Provisions are to be had at this place
in great plenty and perfection; the Captain-
Ger ral lives in great state.

Iviay 13th, saw the light-house at Bombay ;
the island of which name is in the possession of
the English East India Company; it is situated
on the coast of Conkan, in lat. nineteen degrees
North, and long, seventy-two degrees thirty-eight
minutes East; it was granted, as part of the
marriage portion with the infanta of Portugal,
to Charles II. The harbour is capable of con-
taining three hundred sail of ships, with the
greatest safety: there la also a mpst excellent
dock, in which ships of his Majesty's squadron,
and others, are repaired, refitted, and completely
ec;uipped for sea. They build also here all sorts
of ve !>els: and the workmen in the yard are very

uationi to the Catholic faith; the figures are done to the
life, and most admirably executed: it extends to the top in
a pyramidieal form, which tonuiuatei with a coronet of
mothor>of»pearU • i^.-'^i-a^ ijiijb (.•...ry:(^ w.>:i; *. »

I 'Y

■•}) M

I '^i'

7 0

mgenioug

596

obsfuvations made on a

iiiffenious and dexterous, not yielding to our bett
ahip-wrighta in England, 'this island is very
bpautifVin and as populous for its size as any in
the world; merchants and others coming to settle
bore iVum the different parts of the Deckan,
Malabar^ and Coromandel ; as well as the Guzerat
country: amongst those of the latter place, are
man)' Parsce families ; these are deiiccnded from
the remains of the ancient Guchres, or worship-
pers of tire: most of the country merchants, as
well as the meniat servants of the island, ai'e of
this faith. They are very rich, and have in their
hands the management of all mercantile affairs.
Their religion is much corrupted fVom the ancient
worship; they acknowledge that several Hindoo
forms and ceremonies have crept in amongst
them, probably in compliance to the Natives, in
order to conciKate their affections*. The island
of Bombay is about eight miles in length, and
twenty in circumference: the most remarkable
natural curiosity the island produces is a small
lish; this fish, according to the description' of a
gentleman who has seen it, is in form somewhat
like a muscle, about four inches long, and has
upon the top of its back, and near the head, a
•mall valve, on the opening of which you dis-
cover a liquor of a strong purple colour, which;
wben dropped on a piece of cloth, retains the
hue. It is found chiefly in the months of Sep-*
tember and October; and it i» observed the fe-
male fish has not this valve, which distinguishes
the sexes t-

The breed of sheep on this island is very in-
different, and all the necessaries of life are much
dearer than in any other part of India. A work
on this island is worthy of observation; it is a
causeway on the southern part, about « mile in
length, and forty feet iiPbreadth, eight of which
on each side are of solid stone; the remainder in

* It seems tlietr sacred book, the Zqm\, which is said tti
hftTe been written by their cclcbratod prophet Zcrdusht
(called by us Zoroaster} is at present only a copy of u few
eeiitorics; which must of cba'rse,'inrklidatcits authenticity ;
as that prophet, according Ko the Persian historfans, lired
■lore than three thousand years ago; and indeed it i| an in.
disputable fact, that what ri^igiqiis books >ijefe in, Jjij^d^ at
the time of the Clrecian conquests of that country, were
carefully collected and burnt, by the express orders of
Alexander, and w<!re .totally destroyed at tha lubsequont
conquests of that country by the Saracens : at which period
also happened the introduction of the Mohammedan religion.
By thsfc means their religion and language underwent a total

the centre is filled up with earth, a cement r
clay, and other materials; the whole fornijl
such a body as will endure fon many ages. Ti '
work keeps up the communication with the oth'*

Rarts of the island during the season of ti'l
lonsoon, which would otherwise overflow ill
and cause infinite damage. 'I

December l.^tli, after being detained levenl
months at this island, for want of a passage, hti
at length embarked on board an Arabian shin I
bound for Bussora. , There was on, board an ex-
act epitome of Asia, being a collection of Arnie'
nians, Persians, Arabians, Ethiopians, Jews I
Greeks, and Indians; who created as much coiiJ
fusion of tongues as at the building of the towetl
of Babel.

On the ^tb, saw Gape Rosalgate; and oni
the 1st of January, 1787, came to anchor intliJ
harbour of Muscat : the entrance into this har-i
hour is truly picturesque; it has a bold
with a range of high mountains extending i
sixty miles in length from Cape Rosalgate (which]
is opposite the Sciodian Gulph), to MuKatl
and forma a very grand natural prospect; tbtl
ru^edness of th&rocka marking;T«ry characterislj.l
cally the country of Arabia. '• The inner harbouil
is gtrarded by two fortsi very indiAerently situated.!
Muscat itself is. a place of considerable trade, m
well with the Arabian and Persian Gulphs,
with Surat, Bombay, and the Coasts of Malibitj
and Coromandrl . The to^vn, <m is'usual in moil
Eastern couiitnes; is badiy built, and the itretti
very narrow ; (hey' haveti however, a good an
well furnished bazai*, (market,) roofed at
top>; the streets crosi eltch other at right anglei,
and to each is allotted' its- particular raeriliaudisi
for sale. Muscat lies in lat. twenty>tbree de^^rei
fifteen minntes Ni' opposite to < the Gulpli oq
Ormuz, and is governed by an Imauui, or indc

change, f he very trace* uf both which hare long since dih
aj^pcarcd^ as is cridcnt by the many fniitl^sx elTorls madclJ
di^cyphcr those in^criptVoi\s still discernible on thewalhol
Persep6li«, bearing not the least analoity to uny rh.irictea
now Existing. Iltnco it may Im infprrad,, tha( wlmt is i
given as the ancient cfiarocter and lgrL|uage pf thii> rcliilind

S^oplc^ is no noro than an iuTention cf a later date, in^
ere rcmalris hot a probability tHitt''their real Zend wi]
ever be known.

f It is not impcobablo to suppose that this fish is of tiM

same nature as the ancient Murex. pr, shQll tisli, byvhid

the Romans attained the art of dyeing to such perfcctioaj

and i« fiiwUar to that found formody on th? coasts of Tjre

w I . J .1 ,. ; i . . . ,. ,,i . pendciil

TOUR FROM BENGAL TO PERSIA.

irth, a cement of I
J whole forming
nanyagcs. T|,i,

ion with the other!
le season of {\\A
wise overflow it, I

g detained KTenl
of a passage, ht|
an Arubian shipj

19 (Ml. board an ex<|

Dllevtion of Arme*
Dthiopiung, hm,\
kted as much coiiJ
Iding of the towetl

Losalgaie; and on|
le to anchor in th
ance into this hat-
has a bold shore!
ns extending abouti
I Rosalgatc (whicl)|
itph), to Muscat J
iiral prospect; tbel
l^vcrjfcharacteriali.f
The inner harboui)
ditiicrently situatedJ
isidcrable trade, i^
Persian Gulphs,
CoMts of Malabirl
iM is'UsuhI in moil
lilt, and the streeti
A-cv«r, a good am
ct, ) roofed at tlitl
ler at riglit anglei,
ticiilar inercliaudisi
wenty-three degrei
to 'the Gulpli tq
in Imauui, or iudj"

4&* ' ■ . •- ■ '
uch hafCjIoiig since dii.
fi.iiitlt;ss efforts madctd
c6rniblc on the walls o|
lalo^y' to any charjcti
snrtd,, that whit ii no«
\|iiagepf tliiiiccliilintN
ion of a later date, and
it' 'their real Zend fill

e that this fish is of Ik
pr.shqll fish, bywhidi
ing tp such perfcctimj
on the coasts onj«^

(•/ .If .

nendcot prince, oyer thw province of
thich Muscat is the capital. This

Oman, of

province

j. Oman is a part of Yemen, or Arabia Felix ;

jtbe IinB"«n resides at a distance of two days

journey inland, where lie lives in splendour.

Hbe whole country round this place is one con-

Itiaiied solid rock, without a bude of grass, 6r

lijykind of verdure to be seen; but this burren-

laei the natives atlirm to be aaiply rocoinpcnsed

Ihythe fertility and beauty of the inland country *.

Ijeveral Gt-ntoo merchants reside here, for the

Itoiiveoience of trade ; also a broker on the behalf

lol'thc English East India Complany; but the

Ijrovernment will not admit of any European

Ihctorv being established. The police in Mnscat

Ijjjjiellint. Captain James Mitchell, our fellow-

jpyjenjrer, diud, to the great grief of us all: we

Ijjyrred him the same day, on shore, at Muscat;

liDiitcli ship lying in the hbrbour, commanded

I Captain Stewart, saluted the corpse on going

,j shore with nine guns, as did also an English

iQow, there at the same time. His funeral was

t decently conducted as circumstances would

idiiiit, and every attention possible was paid to

ti remains.

On the ''^nth, we sailed for Dussor.!, and on

lie 86ih of February arrived at Abu Shehr,

khich is a small sen-port town on the coast of

Persia, and is under the government of a Sheich,

tiho is tributary to Shirauz. The English East

Klia Company have a factory here, but little

jiiress is carried on ; caravans come frequently

bihis place from Shirauz, and bring the com-

yitics of that city, which are exported to dif-

[rent parts of India. An opportunity offering

Iproceeding to Shirauz, Ensign Franklin em-

iacedit, and accordingly determined to iiet out

ithacafila or caravan, just then oo the point of

Iparture. On the 15th of March, he left Abu

lehr; the cafila consisted of about thirty mules,

H twenty or thirty horses; these and camels

ing the only mode oF-fravelting made use of in

ti country. The first day's march was about

Lrfursengs, or sixteen English miles; the road

[letting out lay over a barren plain, but the

I The reflection of the sun from thcsi; rocks must neccs.
Ilf cause intense and almost insupportable heats, >vhich
iigthu summer season arc so great, that all the natives,
Dare able, rbtire inland as soon as they commence: this,
ill tu the fatal effects of the smalKpox, for which they
lao cure, being ignorant of the application of medicine,

597

latter part of the way coming to some Verdure,
they halted at a place called Checanduckf. Tho
16th they travelled four fiirsengs, the most part
in the night, and arrived about ciglil o'clock in
the iiiorning, near Berazgnon, a considerable
and populous village, surrounded by a brick
wall, and flanked with turrets; under the do-
minion, and dependent of, Shirauz. — Halted
that day and the next, for the purpose of sh'oeing
the horses and mules belonging to the calila, pre-
paratory to ascending the mountains, they were
now approaching. On the ISth oncamped near
the village of Dnwiakie, distance three fursengs.
19th, entered the narrow pass which is tho road
to the four mountains, and is exceedingly difficult,
from the great number of loose stones. On the
SOth, began to ascend the first mountain, at the
distance of six furae-.igs, which is very high, and
the road almost impassable, from the vast number
of large loose stones that had fiilleu down on
each side in the way: near two miles of the latter
part of the ascent is almost perpendicular, and
so very narrow as only to admit of one person or
beast of burden passing at a time: the scene was
truly disagreeable and even dangerous, from th6
steep precipices, and frequent slipping and falling
of the horses and mules; the only means of safety
on one side depended on a small parapet wall,
about three feet high; on the other the mountain
towering up into the clouds strikes the beholder
with an awcful dread ; a broad and rapid river
runs at the bottom, which by its roaring adds to
the terrific grandeur of the scene. Having attained
the summit, there is a level extensive plain;
which is about four fursengs, or sixteen miles, in
extent; it is situated between the mouiHains, and
abounds in game, particularly the red'leggcd
partridge, which we saw in great abundance.
A little after nine we encamped at the village of
Khisht ; where they began to experience a sensible
alteration in the weather. At Dowlakic, in the
valley below, they were alniost scorched to
death with heat; whereas the air on the top of
this mountain, and the plain of Khisht, is very
sharp and piercing; distance three fursengs. 21stj,

causes the people in general to be afflicted with disorders iu
thtir eyes; so much so, that you scarcely meet ouo person
out of three, who has not visibly suffered from cither of '
the causes above mentionedi

+ The Persian furseng is the Parasanga of the Greeks^
and is equal in measurement to nearly four English miles.
- ■ ■ e . being

1 ';

fli

tj I

^ 1

ill 1

i vl

568

OBSERVATIONS MADE ON A

being tlie Persian festival of the Nooroze, or
New Year's Day, we halted*.

'i^ld, ascended the second mountain, which is
still higher than the t'onnrr, but the road not so
dangerous; and arrived at the village of Coma-
rigcf. This day the> travelled three fursrngs ;
un the 2Jd. arrived at the city of Kaxcroon,
4listance five furnengs. On the l^ilth, arrived at
the (but of tlu third mountain, situated on the
confine of the plain, whore the city of Kazeronn
is built; distunrc three fursengs 25th, began
to ascend the third mountain, which although
uut so high and Nlcep as the two former, yet is
sufficiently so to make tlic ascent uneasy and
difficult ; a great part of the road on one side is
made of masons work entirely, the materials
hewn out of the mountain : it has a parapet wall
of about three feet high, like the former: its
ascent is winding. Arrived in four hours in a most
delightful valley, by an easy and gentle descent;
entirely covered with a species of the oak and
birch, which being situated between two high
mountains, is ej.treuiely pleasant ; the air began
now to be piercing cold, and the snow lay very
thick on the mountain, which they were to pass
the next day; proceeded on through the valley;
and encamped about nine o'clock at the foot of
the fourth and last mountain, in the way to
ghirauz; distance travelled this day three fur-
sengs. S6th, began to ascend the mountain,
which the Persians call the Peera Zun, or the
old woman, by way of distinction. This is
higher than all the former, and near twelve miles
in length. The view from the top is most
strikingly romantic, the three preceding moun-
tains seeming beneath your feet; the summit is
covered with snow, and in many places where
the rain had fallen, was ice of considerable thick-
ness. Below, on each side, they beheld the

♦ In the ancient times of Persia this day used to be ccle-
brate<I with great joy and festivity throughout the empire,
and has Bincc been kept as nuch under the Mohammedan go-
vernmcnt. Th» people of the cafila made thcmiclTcs as
merry as their circumstances would admit of; and although
in general the food of these people is no more than a few
dates and butter-milk, yet on this occasion, the CheharwaJer,
or master of the cafila, sent to the neighbouring village, and
procured some mutton, which he gave to his men, and par-
took, with them of a comfortable pilau.

+ At this plact the Rah Dar, or toll-gatherer, demanded
one tomun (about thirteen rupees), as a toll, although the
custom for every passenger, whether European, Jew, or

vallies opening te the beauties of »prin|^, y,M\
watered by running streams, the great lake n I
the plain of Kaueroon appearing in lU lull cxlcni'l
By a steep descent they gained the plain below l
and encamped near the village of r)(:^teriiii.^|
This day we travelled four fnrsengH and a liaif I
27th, arrived at the village of Khoun Zineoun f
near this village runs a very pleasant river, wbicli
extends to 8hirauz|. 2Sth, arrived at acarai
vanserai in ruins, near the village of Chinu
Rehadar. This day we travelled four fiirscnji
29th, arrived in safety at the city of Shiran/, tin
place of his de'-^'nation, four fursengs.

Shirauz, the capital of Farsistan, or Wi^
Proper, is situated in a valley of great ektcntai,
surprising fertility ; this valley is twenty-six qjiI
in length, and twelve in hreadth, and is Hurroun
ed on all sides by very high mountains: it |ii
according to Mr. Niebuhr, in 2i)'' 3( 31"]i(j
about a hundred and ninety-six miles to tl
North-EDast of Abu Shehr. The purity nftl
air of this place has at all times been celcbral
and with great justice. The city in circuu
ference is one furseng and sixty measured pacnj
the fortifications, considering the country, n
tolerably good ; a wall extends quite round tl
city, five and twenty feet high, and ten tliid
with round towers at the distance of eighty paci
from each other. Shirauz has a most cxcelli
dry ditch around it, the work of the late Vaki
Kerim Khau; it is sixty feet in depth, and twei
in breadth, and would alone, exclusive of tl
other works, enable the city to hold out
long time against any power in Persia, wIk
artillery ii but little known, and less used. Tl
city has six gates; each of which has an i|
pointed guard allotted to it, of one hundi
men; and four Khans or officers, who eti
morning and evening attend at the citadel

Armenian, Is only one piavtro, which is equal to one mix
lie alledgcd that I was a Fcrionr (Christian), and thirrfoj
ought to pay more. At (ho Ensign had no resource,!
would have been obliged to comply, had not tlic mastcrj
the cafila opposed thit imposition, and threatened to (
plain on our arrival at Shirauz ; on which the tolUgatli
desisted.

X Mr. Niebuhr has laid this down as the Rodhnd
probably from the people who gavo him his infurmiiJ
calling it Rood Khoona, as that name in Persian implies
stream, or river ; the' natives of the place mcntiouingitl
the appollatloa of Rood Khoona Zincooo, or the rii(|
Zineoon.

TOUR FROM BKNGAL TO I'KUftlA.

5yy

ill !iD'' 3( 31" Nl

ly, had not the inasKij
I, MoA threatened to c
on which the tolUgttb

il<r to pny ^li^*"' compliments to the Khar., or i Shiran/ linti many good ba/ars and caravan-

1 ibience to the Beglerbcg. It ii the duty i serais: tlmt distinguisiiod by the appellation of

' llieic f^iiitfd* to prevent all persons dcpartin|^ the Vakeel's Imzur is a Ioiiib; ttrcet, extending

I the city ^^^ '^'^^^ "°^ permission so to do; about a quarter ofii mile, built entirely of brick,

[if any person noxious to government, escapes, and roofed sontetliinfii; in the style of the Piu/.zua

officer's head answers for it. The gates of in Covent Garden ; it is lofty and well-made; on

,city arc shut at sunset, and opened at sunrise, > each side are the shops of the tradesmen, mcr-

u«|,^ which periods no person is permitted to ' chants, and others, in which are exposed for sule

,i„orout. I a variety of goods of all kinds: these shops are

„.jin(l>e city, at the upper end, nearest to j the property of the Khan, and are rented to the

JLc Kiig Sh^h, stands the Citadel; which is merchants at a very easy monthly rate. Leading

«ill of burnt brick, and is a square of eighty ; out of this bazar is a spacious caravanserai, of an

jscircuniferenct, flanked with round towers, octagonal form, built of brick; the entrance

encompassed with a dry fosse of the same through a handsome arched gate-way: in the

■ ' ' *' ' '• '• ■' '• - centre is a place for the bagi^age and merchandise,

and on the sides above and below commodious
apartments for the merchants and travellers; these
are also rented at a moderate monthly sum.
About the centre of the above-mentioned bazar ia
another spacious caravanserai, of a square form,
the front of which is ornamented with a blue antl
white enamelled work, in order to represent
China wars, and has a pleasing effect to the eye.
This building is larger than the former, and ii
chiefly resorted to by Armenian and other Chris-
tian merchants; there are besides separate bazara
rn Sbirauz, for the diflerentcompanies of artiflcers,
such as goldsmiths, workers of tin, dyers, car-
penters, joiners, hatters, and shoemakers; these
consist of long streets, built very regularly, and
roofed.

The Jews have a quarter of the city allotted to
themselves, for which they pay a considerable

tj(ltl) and depth as that of the city; this is

M bv the Persians the Ark, and is also the

fkot Kurim Khan: it also serves occasionally

laslale prison*. Opposite to the citadel, in a

bsntlsome square, is a gallery where the

kbaii'i music, consisting of trumpets, kettlu

Ituuii. and other instruments, plays regularly

liunriiie and sunset. When the Khan is in

or on a journey, these are always placed

i I tent near h mi: one side of this square leads

, the Dew.iu Khan, or chamber of audience,

the other opens into a street which leads to

(great mosque. The Uewun Khana is a very

dionie building, situated at the upper end of

i large garden, to which you are conducted

Irongb an avenue, planted on each side with

I Persian Chinar tree, a species of the sycamore.

le chamber of audience is a large building, of

loblongform, with an open front; the inside,

lilt one-third up the wall, is lined with while tax to government, and arc obliged to make fre

jirble from Tauris, and the ceiling and other
krU src ornamented with a beautiful gold
kiiiielled work, in imitation of the Lapis Lazuli :
lere arc several pictures in it; some of which
[tolerably well executed. In front there are
Irte handsome fountains, with stone basons,
jiiich are constantly playing. In the great square

quent presents: these people are more odious to
the Persians than those of any other faith; and
every opportunity is taken to oppress and extort
money from them; the very boys in the street
being accustomed to beat and insult them, of
which treatment tht^y dare not complain. The
Indians have a caravanserai allowed thorn

a caravanserai allowed tnem in
Ifore the Citadel is the Tope Khana, or park of another quarter of the city, for which they are
Killery; it consists of several pieces of cannon \ also under contribution. There is a mint at Shi-
uunted on bad carriages, most of the guns i rauz where money is coined, the process of which
[rbich are Spanish and Portuguese, excepting , is very siniple, like most in other places of the
lEnglJHh twenty-four pounders) are so dread- East, the gold or silver being laid in a dye fitted

lily honeycombed, that they would certainly
pmt on the flret discharge,

Atthodoor of tho Ark in a pfiintiiijf, dono In Tory
ItlycolourH, rcpresonting tho combat m'twcon tho cole
id Pcrniftn hero lloktum, ami Dooro Sifecd, or tho

IVoi. II. No. CXIV.

for the purpose, and struck with a large hammer,
which completes the operation. Here also the

White Demon. The story is taken from Feril.iusi's Sh ih
Nainch, and the figures aro at full length, but ill.prnpjr.
tlouod. . i

7 P public

> '

I :l.

, ; »;

I'l'f

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I <l

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600

f>BSERVA'nONS MADE ON A

SI t.

public Scrafs (or money changers) set »»rid
rei^ulatc the exchange of gold and silver.

Shiraiiz is adorned with many fine mosques,
particularly that huilt by the late Kcrim Khan,
>Yhich is a noMe one: being very well disguised
in a Persian dress, the Ensign had an opportunity
of entering the building unobserved; it is of a
squiirc form; in the ccnlre is a stone reservoir of
water, miide for performing the necessary ab-
lijfions or wiishings, previous to prayer; on the
four sides of the building arc arched apartments
allotted for devotions some of the fronts of
which are covered with China tiles; but Kerim
Khan dying before the work was completed, the
remainder has been made up with a blue and
white enamelled work ofthe kind before described.
Within the apartments, on the walls, on each
side, are engraved various senlences from toe
Koran, in the Niskhi character"; and at the upper
end ofthe square, is a large dome with a cupola
at top, which is the particular place appropriated
for the devotion of the Vakeel; this is lined
throughout with white marble, ornamented with
the curious blue and gold artificial lapis lazuli,
and has three large silver lamps suspended from
the roof of the dome: here mullahs or priests are
constantly employed in reading the Koran. This
mosque has very good detached apartments, with
places for ablutions and other religious cere-
monies; at a little distance, on the outside, the
late Vakeel had laid the foundation for a range of
"Very handsome buildings, which he designed to
have been occupied by mullahs, dervishes, and
other religious men; but, dying before the work
was brought to perfection, the troubles in Persia
since that period have prevented any other per-
sons from linishing them, and in this imperfect
state they remain at present; much to be regretted,
as it would have added greatly to the beauty of
the whole. In the centre of the city is another
mosque, which the Persians call the Musjidi No6,
or th<^ new mosque; but its date is nearly coeval
with the city itself, at least since it has bc^n in-
habited by Mohammedans: it is a square building
of a noble size, and has apartments for prayer
•n each side; in them are many inscriptions in
the old Cufic characlt r, which of themselves de-
note the antiquity of the place ^ in the centre of
the square is a large terrace, on which the Per-
siaosjperform their devotions, both morning and
evening; this terrace is capable of containing

upwards of two hundred pcrtons, and is built ■
stone, raised two feet and a half high from (J
ground ; there are here two very large cvnn
trees of an extraordinary height, whitli the pi
sians affirm to 4)ave stood the amazing Icnuth "
SIX hundred years: they are called ^lti\^^^i
Maashuka, or the lover and his mistress, aiidart
held by the people in great veneration, 'fh
mosque has a garden adjoining to it, and plaJ
necessary for performing ablution!*.' — In arioth!
quarter of the city is a square building of a ver|
large size, forme; I v ? .college of considerable nou
where the arts and sciences were taught; butiij
now decaying very fast: at present itgocsbytji
name of Mudrussa Khan, or the Khan's colle<rei
but literature and the sciences have long sini
been neglected at Shiran/.

There arc places in Shirauz, distingnishfd
the name of Zoor Khana, the house of stremrtl
or exercise; to which the Persians resort fur tl
sake of exercising themselves. Tliese houses col
sist of one room, with th(; tloor sunk about tw|
feet below the surface of the earth, and the lid
and air are admitted to the apartment by iiieai
of small perforated apertures made in the doim
In the centre is a large square terrace of earti
well beaten down, smooth, and even; and
each side are small alcoves raised about two l(
above the terrace, where the musicians ai
spectators are seated. When all the conipctitoi
are assembled, which is on every Friday uiorniii
by day-break, they immediately strip themseln
to the waist; on which each man puts on a pi
of thick woollen drawers, and takes in liisliani
two woo('<:n clubs of about a foot and a half
length, and cut in the shape of a pear; these
rest upon each should'>r, and I lie music strikii
up, they move them backwards and forwai
with great agility, stamping with their feet atll
same time, and straining every nerve, till thi
produce a profuse perspiration. After contiiitii
this exercise about half an hour, the matter
the house, who is always I'ue of them, and
distinguished by the appellation of Peblwaui
or wircstler, makes a signal, upon which tlicv
leave oft', quit their clubs, and, joining haiidi
a circle, begin to move their feet very briskly
unison with the music, which is all the \»bi
playing a lively tune. Having continued thisfj
a considerable time, they commence wrestli
but before the trial of skill in this art begins,

•' •/»/■* •„.- mull

.^^

TOUR FROM BENGAL TO PI.RSIA.

601

Lwler o( tl»e house addresseg thia company in
Imtticulftr speech, in part of which he inforr

in a

IL candidates, that as they are all rtict in good

Ifelloffsliip. 80 ought they to depart, and that in

ItiK contest they are about entering into, thpy

lilKXild littve no malice or ill-will in their hearts;

lilbein"' on'y •*•> honourable emulution, and trial

L strength, in which they are going to exert

Blieinsftlve?, and not a contentious brawl; he

Ibereforc cautions them to proceed in good

lumoiir and concord: this speech is loudly ap-

iljiided by the whole assembly. The wrestlers

Lpjiifiito their diversion, in which the master

Lftlic house is always the challenger; and, being

iccustoncd to the exercise, generally proves con-
fciieror. I'Y throwing each of the company two
fcfthrcc times successively. The spectators pay

n;haSljahee, in money, equal to three-pence
for which they are refreshed during the
liversion with a calean and coftec. This mode of
[lercise bears some resemblance to the gymnastic

ittfcises of the ancients.

The baths in Persia are very commodious, and
Iffll worthy the attention of a stranger ; they ge-

tallv consist of two large apartments, one of

basons of warm water, and the person is recon-
ducted to the dressing apartment, where he shifts
and dresses at leisure, receiving a calean to smok«.
The Persians are much more scrupulous than
any other Eastern nation in perniitling foreigners
to go into their baths, which if attempted with
their knowledge, they prevent.

During the spring, the baths in Persia are
decorated in great finery, a custom distinguished
by the natives under the name of Gul Rea-^ee
(or the scattering of roses), from tlie vast quaur
tity of those flowers strewed in the apartments;
this ceremony continues a week or ten days,
during which time the guests arc entertained with
music, dancing, coffee, sherbet, &c. and the
dressing apartment is decked out with paintings,
looking-glasses, streamers, and other ornaments,
at the expence of tlie master of the humauni, who
compliments his customers on the occasion,
though a small present is generally made by them
to the musicians. The baths are used alternately
by men and women every other day. but each
sex generally use them once a week, or in every
ten days at farthest.

The bath built by Kerim Khan is particularly
ihicli furnishes an accommodation for undressing, | beautiful; it has for the outer apartment a large
ifiitlior is thebaih; on the sides of the first are j hnndsome octagon, to which a light is conveyed
incliosof stone, raised two feet from the ground j from the top. To this bath noiie are admitted
wliich are spread mats and carpets, where the | but those of a higher rank, it being chiefly used
ithcrssit to undress, and froai thence they pro- I by the principal Khans, or officers of the army,

to the hath through a long narro*-" passage. ; and their families.
k bath is a large room of an ociagon form, | In the centre of the city, adjoining to the
itiiaciipcia at top, through which the light Musjidi Noo is a very large building called the
idairare admitted; on the sides of this room | Shah Cheraiig. or the king ^ lamp; it is con-
esmiil! platforms of wood raised above a foot i sidered as a place of the greatest sanctity about
m the ground, on which the people who enter i Shirauz, being the mausoleum of the brother of
bathe perform their devotions, a ceremony the i one of their Imaums, or heads of the faith ; this

place is of considerable antiquity, nor is ♦he ex-
act date of its foundation ascertained ; bus. by an
extract from the chronicles of the place, it ap-
pears to have been repaired by the celebrated
Prince /Vz/ud ud Dowlah Deilerace, of the
family of Buyah, who was Emeer ul Omrah to
one of the Khali phs of the house of Abbr.s, and
was a prince of great abilities, Icaruiug, and
piety. He reigned in the fourth century of the
Mohammedan llejira. This building was for-
merly magnificent, but is now going to ruin.
The last person who repaired it was Kerim Khan>
who gave it a complete new covering, but since
his time it has been neglected, and has suffered
much by rain and other accidents, owing to the

very

[kfsians always prcviotisly observe: at the upper

if the room is a large bason or reservoir of
jiler, built of stone, well heated by means of stoves
(ident the bottom, w ith iron gratings over them ;

adjoining is another reservoir of cold water,
'cither of which the bather has his choice.
fheii he comes out of the hot bath, which is
Wally in the space of ten or twelve minutes,

people of the house stand ready to perform

(operation of rubbing, and to effect this he is

I at full length on his back, with a pillow to

bport his head ; a brush made of camel's hair is

[n used, which completely rubs otf all the dirt

body has contracted. After rubbing some
le, they rinse the whole body with several

.iii'i

I'^l

i:.j)i;

;■ I

^i -hi

li-

m-M

)iiu :

Hlf

<J02

OBSERVATIONS MADE ON A

The celebrated bower of Mosdl

very great age of the building; which is about
nine hundred years: however, there are at pre-
sent some of the Iinauin Zadas, or dc^rcndants
from their Iraaums, residing in it^ who are sup-
ported by the remains of the. former ampfc
revenues '." the place. . *?!■,• j^'.* »^

The tomb of the celebrated arid* deservedly ad-
mired Hafiz, one of the most famous of the Persian
pofets, stands about two miles distant from the
city walls, on the North East side, and nearest
the gate Shah Meerza Hamza. "Here the late
Vakeel Kcrim Khan has erected a most elegant

Ivaij or hall, with apartments adjoining: this • tion op Abraham's oO'ering up
building is executed in the same style as the j whoiti,thcycail Ismaei. %
Dewan Khana, nor has any cost been spared to | A little to the northward pf Hafiz's tomb is
render it agreeable: it stands in the middle of a ( magnilicent building, called by the Persians He
large garden ; in front of the apartments is a stone | Tun, or the Seven Bodies, on account of sev
in the centre of which is a fountain

^v is situate,
a quarter of a n^le to the westward of thetomhJ
but is en^frelyttn ruins, no trace or vestige
maining of tb^ pleasantiVMg*twhich you !j
taught to expect on perusing^ihe works oi' Haf J
yet one may judge by the situation, which J
really a delightful one, that it might former! J
have been agreeable. At present tlic couiUrJ
round about is rugged and barren, and n 4
serves as a place for celebrating the MoharauicdJ
festival of the Ide Korban, or the cereinonie
which a^e observ<icl on that day, in coiiimeniori

•»'s son Isaac!

reservoir.

In the garden are many cypress trees of extra-
ordinary size and beauty, as well as of great
antiquity. Under the shade of these trees is thq
tomb of the poet Mohammed Shems }xd deen
Hafiz, of fine white marble from Tauris, eight
feet long and four broad: tlii.s wa? built by order
of Kerun Kban, and covers the original one*.
The principal youth of the city assemble here,
and she#'^very possible mark of respect for their
favourite poet, making plenMTul libations of the
deliciotis wine of Shirauz to his memory. Close
by the garden runs the stream of Roknabad, so
celebrated in the works of Hafiz; this, however,
is now dwindled into a small rivulet, which takes
its Source from the mountains to the N. E. This
water is clear aii^ .sweet, and in that respect de-
serves the fame it has obtained; it is held in great
estimation by the modern Persians, who attribute

medicinal qualities to It

■ - ^

* On the top and tidos uf the tuinb arc solor |)ioc<>s from
the poet's own works, roost bcatitifiilly cut in the Persian
Nustaiileek character. During the spring and summer
seasons, the inuuoitaiili visit here, and amuse themselves
with smokinu;, playing at chess, and other games, reading
also the works of Hafii, who is in greater est^sem with them
than any other of (iuir poets, and they venerate him almost
to adoration, never speaking of liiin but in the highest
terms of rapture and cnthnsiasm: a most elegant copy of
hi! works is kept upon the tomb for the purpose, 4nd the
iuspection of all who go there.

I 'J'his liall is twenty-seven feet by ii/,'iitecn, and forty
feet high; ont-tliird of the height of the hall is lined with
white marble from Tauris, and the rest and the cicling are
ornamented with blue and gold enamel: it is built oo the
SAine plan as those of liatiz and the Dcwila Kltuna, and is

d', . • " ,

Dervishes or religious men, who coming from J
greaf distance to reside in this country, tooki
their abode on the spot where the above buildin
is erected, and there remained until they all im
cich bu^^ing the other successively, until t|i
only survivor, who was interred by the neighboul
upon this spot, and in memory of which cvti
Kerim Khan erected a beautiful hall, with J
joining apartmentsf. Before the hall is a han
some stone reservoir, where the Persians obsefi
their ablutions previous to their pcrforniin<rthJ
devotions near the graves of the seven Derviihi
(each of which have handsome tomb-stones oti
them), iu a spot of ground allotted for that pul
pose. * I

On a parallel line with Heft Tun, about thrj
quarters of a mile distant, is the ^[ardcii
Gushai, so called from the pleasantness ufl
situation, signifying in Persian, hcavt-i.ijtmM
it is situated at the foot of a high mouutaii), ol

really a noble building. It has also sonio tolerable piiimijj
executed in the Persian style, amongst which Is one"
Abraham's ofl'cring up his son Isaac, with the anjelil
scending; and ano' ■ of Moses, when a boy, tomiin^j
ilocks of his father.'..!. law Jethro. Over thi' doors of ij
hall are placed the portraits of the two cekbralid pJ
Hafiz and Siidi, done at full length: that of llali; liiljil
in the old Persian dress. He is painted withufrniirl
complexion, and a very large pair of whiskers, and i:i(
picture appvark to be about six and thirty years olagi:
other, of Sheikh Sadi, is the figure of a venurahJcoMiiiJ
with a long beard turned w.hite by age, dressed in a ixli^iij
dress, with long flowing robes, in his right hand liulil
small crookod ivory stall', and iu the other a charger ofj
cense.

Mn vfofd 3f<nf« ycif vci • f;

ft Tun, about thrl

TOUR FROM BENGAI. TO PEllSIA.

605

Utliicli issues a stream of clear fresh water, for
reception of which there has been made a suc-
.,jrt,i ot' stone basons, so fashioned as to make
Ik water fall down from one to the other, after
IJIeiDaniier of a cascade, and at about sixty paces
Blitaiit from each other; these forming separate
Tils have a pleasing effect to the eye. In the
Lire is <* summer-house, built of stone, through
thicli tho water runs by means of a stone channel :
ijliis place the Persians sit and amuse them-
Elves, smoking and playing at games of chance,
Ind rc""*''' themselves with what they may have
Ifouf'lit t'i'»™ ^^^ city. This garden is, upon
Ihe whole, extremely agreeable, the water clear
L cold, and the air delightfully mild and re-

I Vinilc to the eastward of Dil Gusliuie, is the
Lboftlie celebrated Sheikh Sadi aforcmention-
L gjtuiitt'd at the foot of the muMntnins that
band Shirauz to the N. E. and is a large squire
wildiii"', at the upper end of which arc two
■coves, recesses in the wall; that on the right
Ind is the tomb of the Sheikh, just in the stato it
tjinwlicii he was buried, built of stone, six feet
[leiHli, and two and a half in breadth; on the
Lj of it are engraved many sentences in the old
Eskiii ciiaracter, relating to the poet and his
forks*. On the top of the tomb is a covering
[naiiited wood, black and gold, on which is an
|e flf the Sheikh's, written in the modern
luslaltck character, and on removing this board
Inerceivcd the empty stone cofiin in which the
/ikh was buried. This the religious, who
Ime here, take care to strew with flowers,
Lrips, and various relics. Ou the top of the
kib ii placed, for the inspection of all who
Lit there, a manuscript copy of the Sheikh's
fcrks, most elegantly described. On the side
illic walls arc many Persian verses, written by
Wwho have at dilfercnt times visited the place.
lie building is now goiiig^.to decay. Adjoining

<%\\ (loiirish(!iI about five liundrcil a\\t\ fifty years ngo,
I his Hdrks arc held in great estoem ainoiigst all the

kitrn nations for their muriilicy, ami fur the excellent

ttepl* llii') inriilc.ile,
Tliis the picfont I'ersians snperstitiniisly attribute to its

ling been built with what (liey call I'ool llelaul, orl.iufi'il
iiv, i, 0. money not acquired l)y oDpression nnd tyranny ;

hhcvsiiy sucli bnildi;i!;s as have been erected by lyraiitii
1 iiiuuld.'i' and fade away ; whiist, on the contrary, tiie

hi of good and just piiiice.s endure for ages unhurt.

^y liarc formed these opUiioiis by utt«iudtiig to the tra-

i'uL II. No. CXV.

to this building are tiie graves of many religious
men, who have been buried here at their own
requests.

A little to the left of this building, under
ground, is a very remarkable channel, to which
you descend by a flight of seventy stone steps,
and at the bottom are surprized at the sight of a
handsome building, of an octar.imlar form,
through which the channel runs. It is built en-
tirely of stone, which, althougli the work of
many ages past, y<'t remains complete and
perfectf. On the sides of this building are re-
cesses and alcoves, where those who visit it .sit
and smoke, and lintl it perfectly coo! and refresh-
ing, even in the hottest day of summer.

A (|uarter of a mile to the northward of the
gate Shaali Meerza llamza is a large octagon
building, in the inside of which is the tomb of
Abdurraheciii Khun, the second son of the late.
Vakeel Keriui Khan, who died in the tvvelftli
year of his ago. This tomb is eigiit feet in length,
and three in breadth, standing in the centre of
the roouj, covered with a piece of brocade; it is
of very fine marble from Tauris, elegantly gilt:
on the top and sides arc inscriptions in the Per-
sian language, well cut, in the Nuslaleek cha-
racter, and (he room has a beautiful dome, with
the cupola and sides oruanientcd with blue and
gold enamelled work, imitative of China ware.
The Persians excel ail the eastern nations in this
kind of enamel; and what makes it so pleasing to
the eye, is the brightness of the colours, which
far exceed, in their liveliness, any thing that can
be done in Europe ; and are equal to those pr,o-
duccd in China. ,. ; ►, . ,,.^*

Kerim Khan, amongst other beneficial worki
du'-ing his lifetime, built several summer-houses

in the neighbournood of Shirauz.

The gardens

in which they are, are laid out in agreeable style,
though quite diflerentto our ideas of the beauties
of gardening; they consist generally of lung

dilion of the place, which they say was built l)y a tiinj of
Persia named Jcmshecd, a prince famous in tiie 1'er.fiaii
history for his piety and justice, and the same who built
Persepolis, he having first, at a vast «x pence and much
labour, dug out a stream of water from the adjacent moun.
tains, which was conTcycd by an aqueduct to this well, from
wlienee it flows throngli a stone channel formed under
ground, about two feet in breadth, and supplies all the
places adjoining to Shirauz nilli excellent water. The pre-
scut natives attributcgreat virtues to the supposed properties
of IIms water, aud arc fond of bathing in iu

7 Q strait

\: ■

m '^

iiii

I !

.>M

60*

OR^FRVATIONS MADE ON A

strait plantations of sycamore, and cypress trees,
planted regularly on each side the walk, in form
of avenues, and have parterres of llovvcra in the
centre, with stone fountains in different parts of
the garden, which add much to the coolness and
beauty of them. On the side of the walls are
erected scaffoldings of wood, covered over at top
■with thin lathS^ on which the grape vines grow,
and form pleasant arbours.

As the religion of the Persians is known to be
Mohammedan, and as very good accounts have
already been given of it, I'shall touch but lightly
on the subject; but as they are of the sect of the
Sheia*, or followers of Ali, some of their customs,
as well religious as civil, may probably differ
from those of the Turks, who are of the sect of
the Sunnies, or followers of Omar. We shall
therefore make a few remarks on what is most
worthy of observation in each of them: and lirst
respecting their marriages.

When the parents of a y»ung man have de-
termined upon marrying him, they look out
amongst their kindred and acquaintance for a
suitable match; in which having succeeded, the
/ather or mother of the young man, or sometime.^
liis sister, assemble a company of their friends,
and go to the house where the person they intend
to demand lives: being arrived, a conversation
takes place, in which the business is opened and
the match proposed. If the father of the woman
be contented with the proposals, he immediately
orders sweetmeats to be brought in, which is taken
as a direct sign of compliance; and the company
■for that time take leave. Some days after, the
females of the family of the man assemble at the
house of the intended bride, where the terms of
marriage are settled, and the usual presents on
the part of the bridegroom are promised. These,
if the person be in middling circumstances, gene-
rally consist of two complete suits of apparel of
the best sort, a ring, a looking-glass, and a small
sum in ready money of about ten or tv\'elve
tomans, which sum is denominated Mehr u
Kaw^en, or the marriage- portion, it being given
for the express purpose of providing for the wife
in case of a divorce. There is also provided a
quantity of household stuff of all sorts, such as
carpets, mats, bedding, utensils for dressing
Tictuals, &c. After this a writing or contract
is drawn up, in the presence of, and witnessed
by, the Cadj> or magistrate, or in his absence by

an Akhund, or priest: this writing tlie Pert'

call Akud Bundle, or the binding ontract "

which the father of the bride sets forth, that '3

such a day, in such a year, he has given h'J

daughter in marriage to the son of sudi a nor J

( mentioning the name of the bridejyrooni and hi

father), who also on his part enumerates t|J

difl'crcnt presenfs he makes in his son's naniefotK

bride, as well as the stipulated money ralle

Mehr u Kaw^en. This writing is sip„.(| ^ J

sealed by both parties, as well as the Cadi aol

the Mullah, and is deposited in the hands ofthj

bride's father, where it always servos as a rccorJ

in case of a divorce, to enforce 4he fulfillini;/

the marriage-articles: for on this occasion (iJ

husband is obliged to make good the conlraci

even to the minutest agreement, before the divorJ

can be complete. When this ceremony is finisjiej

the marriage by the Mohammedan law is depma

perfect. It is, however, observable that portioJ

are never given with daughters in Persia, as]

the custom in Europe, and in most places of tJ

East. Nothing now remains but to cclebralelM

nuptials, and this is generally performed t^

second or third day after signing the contract,

the following manner: The night before ti

wedding, the friends and relations of tlie bri]

assemble at her house, attended by music, dancio

girls, and other signs of festivity. This niglitl

distinguished by the appellation of Shub HinJ

Bundee, or the night in which the hands a]

feet of the bride are stained with the herbi

Ilinna, well known all over the East. PrcTiol

to the ceremony, a large quantity of this herb!

sent by the bridegroom to the house of the briit

and on the day of staining she is first convcvedj

the bath, where having bathed, she is broua

back to her own house; after which the\ sti

her hands and feet, at the same time paintingl

eyebrows and forehead with the antimony po»i|

called Surma: when this is finished, thcv !ej

back what remains of the herb to the house oil

bridegroom, where the like operation is pcrlotl

cd upon him by his friends. The weddini; ni^

being come, the friends both of the bride i

bridegroom, men and women, assemble at

house of the bride, in order to carry her to tl

of her future husband: they are attended bjj

sorts of music, singers, and dancing girls,

are dressed in their smartest apparel, cacli of j

womeu having on a veil of red silk, Tbcji

TOUR FROM BENGAL TO PRRSFA.

1(111

yj which the bridegroom has niiide, are all put
•to trays covered with red silk, which are

ried on men's shoulders. After waiting at the
ijof some time, the bride is brought forth,
overcd from head to foot in a veil of red silk, or
tinted muslin; a horse is then presented for her
mount, which is sent thither expressly by the
Ijilegroom; and when she is mounted, a large
[^Ijing.glass is held before her by one of the
maids, all the way to the house of her

iband, as an admonition to her, that it is the

[tide'

ist time she will look into a glass as a virgin,
keing now about to enter into the cares of the
Lried state. The procession then sets forward

the following order:— first, the music and
Ijpjinff girls; after which the presents, in trays
lorne upon men's shoulders; next come the re-
litionsand friends of the bridegroom', all shouting
making a great noise ; who are followed by
.bride herself, surrounded by all her female
fiends and relations, one of whom leads the
[orse by the bridle ; and several others on horse-
nek close the procession. Being arrived at the
louse of the bridegroom, they are met at the

r by the father and mother, and from thence

• conducted up stairs; the bride then enters the
boin. The bridegroom, who is at the upper
W, makes a low obeisance; and presently after,
Uing close up to his bride, takes her up in his

m and embraces her. Soon after they retire

lapiivate chamber; and, on their return to
le company, it causes great rejoicings. They
fen all sit down to supper in separate apart-
«nts, the men eating with the bridegroom in one

out, and the women with the bride in another; it
leing quite contrary to custom for the women to
■tin company with the men on this occasion.
Tredding-supper is prolonged to a late hour
hlie night, with cheerfulness and festive mirth.
[Rejoicings in Persia for a wedding generally
Uinue eight or ten days. If, after marriage,
[man should be discontented with his wife
Khich is sometimes the case in this as in other
kuntries), he is at liberty to divorce her; a
Ian, by the Mohammedan law, being always
pabled to put his wife away at discretion: this

performed by giving her every thing he had

[omised previous to marriage, and by rc-demand-

jthe contract of his wife's relations. The cere-

lony of divorce is called by the Persians Tellaak.

again^ afte. the divorce, the husband should

be inclined to take his wife back, he is at liberty
so to do, and this for three times successively;
and when it so happens, the contract must be re-
newed each time: but after the third time he is
expressly forbidden to re-uiarry the same woman.
With respect t<» the number of wives a man has,
although by the Mohammedan law be is certainly
allowed as many as he is able to maintain, yet in
general, amongst the Persians, that person is
most esteemed who attaches himself to one.

Contracts of marriage in Persia, as well as in
many otiier countries in the East, are often m:ida
between families at a very early period; and al-
though consummation docs not take place till
many years after, yet the woman contracted cannot
divorce herself, or be absolved from the contract,
unless by the consentof her betrothed husband, ex-
cept on forfeiture of a considerable sum of money.
The same is also binding on the part of the man.
A widow in Persia is obliged to wait four months
after the death of her husband before she is per-
mitted by law to marry again.

At the christening, or rather naming, of chil-
I dren, in Persia, the following ceremony is ob-
served: The third or fourth day after the child is
born, the friends and relations of the woman who
i has lain-in assemble at her house, attended by
music and dancing girls, hired for the occasion;
1 after playing and dancing sometime, a Mullah,
I or jiriest, is introduced, who taking the child in
: his arms, demands of the mother what name she
j chuses the infant should be called by; being told,
i he begins praying, and after a short time applies.
J his mouth close to the child's ear, and tells him
I distinctly three times (calling him by name) to re-
I member and be obedient to hi* father and mother,
to venerate his Koran and hi*-- Prophet, to abstain
I from those things which are unlawful, and to
practise those things which are good and virtuous.
Having repealed the Mohammedan profession of
faith, he then re-delivers the child to his mother;
after which the company are entertained with
sweetmeats and other refreshments, a part of
which the females present always take care to
carry away in their pockets, believing it to be the
infallible means of their having oil'spring them-
selves. The ceremony of the Sur ut, or circum-
cision, in Persia, is generally j/erformed during
the Chehula, or space of forty days from the
bird: of the child; as within that period it is loss
dangerous, than at a more advanced age. Some

there

•V-^

1 ' I

t,;,

fh:'' .#

606

On^RRVATlONS MADI-: ON A

If !■

't i:?

f :

there arc, liowevcr, who do not undergo Ihe
operation until the expiration of seven or eight
years; but it is aliioltitciy necesdary that it should
take place before the aijc of fourteen, as after
that tune it is deemed luilawful: on this oceasion
the i)areiits of the child invite their relations and
friend-i to an enterlaimnent. The operation is
performed after the Jewish ritual, and in the
manner pr;uiised by the Mussulmen of India.

'l'li(> funerals of the Persians are conducted in
a similar manner to those in other Mohammedan
countries. — On the death of a Mussulman, tlte
relations and friends of the deceased being assem-
bled, n>ake loud lamentations over the corpse;
after which it is washed and laid out on a bior,
and carried to the place of interment without the
city walls, attended by a iMullah, or priest, who
chaunts passai^es from the Koran all the way to
the grave. If any Mussulman should chance to
meet the corpse during the procession, he is
obliged, by the precepts of his religion, to run
up to the bier, and otl'er liis assistance in carrying
it to the grave, crying (uit at the same time,"
" L,)h Jlldli III Dllali!" i. e. " Thar if, no God
hut God." After interment, the relations of the
decciued return home, and the women of the
family make a mixture of wheat, honey, and
spices, which they eat in memory of the deceased,
sending a part of it to their iViends and ac-
quaintance, that they also may pay him a like
honour.

The Persians are very strict in respect to the
price of blood, or Lex Talionis, this being laid
down and authorised as a positive command in
tlie Koran; it is called /A7mL At Siiirauz, if a
man murders another person, he is obliged to
pay a Dciut, either in money or goods, to the
value of eight hundred piastres, which is to be
received by the relations of the deceased; but if
this is not agreed to, and the relations insist upon
it (the acceptance being entirely optional), the
nuirderer is to be delivered up to the nearest of
kindred to the person slain, and is by them put
to death; but should it so happen that the mur-
derer escapes, the two families are at per|)etual
variance, until full satisfaction be made, either
by paying the price of blood, as related, or ap-

* There is yet, however, anothor mudo of compromise ;
which is, the relations of (he iiuinlerer giving in marriage a,
<Ju'j jhtcr, 9r niece, to the sou of the duccatcd, as (Ue price

prehentling the nuird^'rer and surrcndcrina lii
a circumstance often attended with very blyu
consequences *.

The police in Shiran/, as well as all over Pe

sia is very good. As before observed, at siin-<

the gates of the city are shut; no person wimitv

is j)ermi(ted cillicr to come in or go out diirji

the night; the keys of the diftereut gates bcii

always sent to the Hakim or Governor, juui i

' maining' with hioi until morning. Diirino- )

\ night, three Tiblas, or drums, are hoiiiei)

j three different times; the first at eight oVJoc

, the second at nine, and the third at half p.vtt(,

i After the third Tibia has sounded, all norjo

whatsoever found in tlie streets by the DariiMi

' or judge of the police, or by any of his iicim

are instantly taken up, and conveyed to a pla

of connncment, where they are detained im

next morning, when they are carried before il

Makim; and if they cannot give a very good a

count of themselves, arc punished, either by i]

bastinado, or a fine.

Civil matters are all determined by the Ca;
and ecclesiastical ones (particularly divorre
by the Hheikh as Sellaum, or Head of the Tajil
an ollice answering to that of Mufti in Turle
Justice is carried on in Persia in a very suiiiinai
manner; the sentence, whatever it may be, beir
always put into execution on the spot. Tlid't
generally piuiishcd with the loss of nose and ear
robbing on the road, by ripping up the Ijclly
the criminal, in which situation he is e\po$
upon a gibbet in one of the most public parts
the city, and there left until he expires in |(
mcnt; a dreadful punishment, but the sight i
ters others from conunitting the same crime,
renders robberies in Persia very uneomiiK
The punishments in this country are varied
cruel. < .. .

The Persians observe the fast during the mm
of Jlama/an (the ninth of the IMohammi.!
year) with great strictness and severity. Abi
an hour before day-light, they cat a meal \vl;
is called Hohrc, and Irom that time until then
evening at sun-set, they neither cat nor dr
of any thing whatever. It is even so very rij
that if in the course of the day the sniukc u

of blodd ; and when this is the case, the two families
cuniiog one, tiie rccouciliatiou is ahvays coiniilulc

Call

?rer and surrenilcriiig liinj 1
attended with very bloodjj

U'/, as well as all over Per.)

before observed, at sun-sef

re shut; no person wliuleveH

come in or a;o out liutini;

of the diftereiit gates bcinj

iikiin or Governor, unii reJ

iilil morning. During tlJ

or drums, arc; boiileii al

the first at eight oVlnck]

id the third at Inilf patten]

la has sounded, all |ipi3„|J

the streets by tlie l)ari)i,'lid

;e, or by any of his pciiple]

p, and convoyed to a phJ

:re they arc detaiiicil iini|

(hey are c;irried before

cannot give a very goodacl

arc punished, cither bytliJ

[ill determined by the Cazij
nes (particularly divoncd
unni, or Head of the I'aitlil

10 that of Mufti ill Turkeyl
in Persia in a very suiimiari
e, whatever it may be, beinj
■ution on the spot. Tl

ith the loss of nose anil earij
by ripping up the 1x11} oj
ich situation he is exposei
3 of the most public parts oj
eft until he expires in tor]
mishment, but the sight de-
niitting the same criiiie, anil

11 Persia very uiicomiiioiil
this country are varied m

rve the fast during the ninnlll
liiiih of the ]Mohanimii(laij
ictncss and severity. Abo
ight, ihcy cat a meal wliicll
from that time until tlicnHJ

they neither eat nor drinlj
,'cr. It is e\en so very tigiJ

of the day the smoke ofi

is is llu> casi>, tho (wo f.imilicsl)
liatiua is ahyays conn>lcU'.

TOUR FROM BF.NGAL TO PRRSIA.

€01

Caleaol

Calcan, or the smallest drop of water, reaches

their Hps* ^^^ ^^^^ '* '" consequence deemed

broken, and of no avail. From sun-set until the

next morning they arc , Mowed to refresh thcm-

iclvea*. From this fast, women under particular

tircumstances relative to their sex, very old pcr-

tbe sick, and children under the age of

I fourteen, are exempted: every other person is

[{njoined to keep it, as absolutely necessary lo

(lalvatioii. Travellers also, during this month

I (when on actual journey), arc exempted from

I observing the fast; but in lien thereof arc obliged,

lontbeir return home, to fast an equal number of

^.vj in another month : though the Persians say,

I [bat one day's fast in the month of Ramazan is

I more acceptable to God than all the remainder

Lf the year put together f. People of a religious

Iturnof mind begin this fast seven or eight days

Ikfore Ramazan, and some continue it as many

linore during the succeeding month.

The 23d of September, which this year (1787
Ijl, D.) happened on the 10(h of the Moham-
linedan month Zu al Huj, A. H 1^201, is kept in
Ipersia as a grand festival, and was celebrated at
Isbirauz with extraordinary rejoicings; it is called
Ibjilie Persians Ide Korban, or the festival of
liacrificc; being the same, they say, as that in
jwhich Abraham offered up his son Isaac, whom
jthey call Ismael. A few days previous to its
TtODimencement, each family takes care to purchase

» This fast, when the month Uamaziin fulls in the middle

Lfsuiiimer, as it sometimes must do (the Moliammedan year

|lieini| iimiir), is extremely severe, especially to those who

jircobligod by tliiii- occupations to go about during the day.

nimc, and is still rendered more so, as there arc also several

hi^hls during i(s existence which they are enjoined to spend

»i|iri)i'r. The Persians particularly observe two; the one

bciiigtli.it in which their prophet Aii died, from a wound

liicii ho received from the hands of an assassin three days

leforc; which night is (ho !i(st of Ramazan, the day of

»liiili is railed by the natives Yeom al Kutnl, or the day

fcf rannlcr; — the other is the night of the 2S(I, in which

Iballinii that tlie Koran was brought down from Heaven

Ivlhc hands of the Angel Gabriel, and delivered to their

krophi't Mohammed, wherefore it is denominated fjuilnt iil

Kudur, or (he night of power. The fust of these nights

|lic Turks and others of the sect of the Siinnies do not ob-

\trn\ and the latter they keep on the night of the '27th;

liithuih nights are spent by the I'ersiam entirely in prayer ;

Ifiiili'S wJiieh, the most religious men generally allot a part

If each day in (ho mouth for the purpose of reading the

Toraii.

t This month, by way of eminence, is styled by the
Roliainmcdans A I Mubarik, or tliu blcsicd: and tbcy aiHrm

Vol. II. No. CXV.

a fine fat sheep, which they design for the sacri-
fice, distinguished by the name of Ousefund
Korbun, or the sheep of sacrifice; this sheep they
take great care of, and he must be witIioutsp()t
or blemi.sh in order to represent the purity of
Isaac. The day being come, they adorn the
victim with ribbands, beads, and other finery;
also staining his face, feet, and different parts of
his body with the herb Hinna. The neighbours
reciprocally visit each other, and exchange the
wish of a happy Ide or festival. Their mode of
salutation is "Ide Shhmd Muhcirik bihhed! i. c.
" May i/oiirfestiv( .' be fortunate !" The victim
being slain, they send the difl'ercnt p*rts of hira
as presents to their friends and to the poor. Some,
indeed, do not reserve any part for thenMelves;
but every Mussalman is enjoined by his religion
to give a part of what he kills that day to the in-
digent, who generally find means to uiakc a com-
fortable meal. The day is spent in the utmost
festivity;);.

No place in the world produces the necessaries
of life in greater abundance and perfection than
Shirauz; nor is there a more delightful spot in
nature to be conceived, than the vale in which it
is situated, cither for the salubrity of the air, or
for the profusion of every thing necessary to ren-
der life comfortable ancl agreeable. The fields*
yield plenty of rice, wheat, and barley, which
they generally begin to reap in the month of

that whatever Mussulmans die during it, will Diost assuredly
enter into Paradise; as they believe the gates of I'.caTcn aro
(hen opened by the command of Ciod.

+ Among those of higher rank, the following ccreroonics
are observed: The Khan, or in his al)sence the Beglerbeg,
goes in proce.«sion to the place of sacrifice, which is without
the city, and is called the Korban Gah. A favourite
camel, chosen for the occasion, is led forth, which is
dressed out in great finery, and is considered as sacred.
On their arrival at the place, (he Khan tirst strikes a lance
into the breast of the animal, and the crowd are permitted
(o rush in, by which he is presently cue into a thonsanil
])ieces ; and happy in their estimation is the person who
can procure the least portion of him, as they look upon it
a great blessing, and an infallible omen of future good for.
tune. The procession returns to the city, where a sca(foId.
ing is erected before the palace, and the people arc enter,
taiiied with rope.dancing, singers (male and female),
tumblers, ranuiigbting, and other diversions, until evening.
The I'ersians, on this occasion, hav« all of them by heart
an ode made for the day, which they repeat as they walk
the streets; and chverfuluess, with couteoiuieatj sits us\
every cuuiiluuance.*

Mi:,k

'.i '

'ii*

■y "1 s !

111 HI '

i 'il

7BI

Majr,

608

OBSERVATIONS MADE ON A

May, and by the middle of July the harvest is
cuinpleted. Most of the European fruits are
produced here, and many of them arc superior in
si/c jind flavour to what can be raised in Europe,
particuhirly the apricot and grape. Of tlic grape
of Sliirauz (here are several sorts, all of them very
ji;oo(l, but two or three more particularly so than
the rest; one is the large white grape, called
llocsli Baba, without seed, which is extremely
luscious and agreeable to the taste; the small
white grape, called Askeri, also without seed,
and as sweet as sugar; the black grape, of which
the celebrated wine of Shirauz is made*. The
•wine of Shirauz is really delicious, and well-
deserving of praise; so much so, that people who
have drank it for a space of time seldom care for
any other, though at the first taste it is rather
unpleasant to an European. They have another
kind of large red grape, called Sahibi, the bunchtrs
of which weigh seven or eight pounds each: it is
isliarp and rough to the taste, and makes vinegar
of a very superior quality. The cherries here are
butindiiFerent; but apples, pears, melons, peaches,
quinces^ nectarines, and the gage plums, are all
\ery good, and in the greatest plenty. The
pomegranate is good to a proverb; the Persians
call it the fruit of Paradise.

The breed of horses in the provin«e of Ears is
at present very indifferent, owing to the ruinous
*;tate of the country; but in the province of
Dushtistaan, lying to the south-west, it is re-
uiarkably good. The sheep arc of a superior
flavour, owing to the excellerjce of the pasturage
in the neighbourhood of Shirauz, and are also
celebrated for the fineness of their (leece: they
Iiave tails of an extraordinary size, some of w hicli
weigh upwards of thirty pounds; but those
which are sold in the markets do not weigh above
six or seven. Their oxen are large and strong,
but their flesh is seldom eaten by the natives, who
confine themselves chiefly to that of sheep and
fowls. Provisions of all kinds are very cheap;
and the neighbouring mountains aftording an
ample supply of snow throughout the year, the
meanest artificerofShirauzmay have his water and
fruits cooled without any ex pence worthy his con-
sideration ; this snow being gathered on the tops of

* Thus wine is pressed by the Armenians and Jews, in
the months of October and November, and a va.st deal is
exported annually to Abu Shchr, and other parts in the
Persiaa Qulph, fur (he supply af the India market.

the mountains, and brought in carts to the cil I
is sold in the markets. The provisions is rcic''
lated at Shirauz with the greatest exactness "b' i
the Darogha, or judge of the police, who sets J
fixed price upon every article, and no slion.
keeper dares to demand more, under the sever
penalty of losing his nose and cars; such beimr
the punisluuent attached to a crime of this natur-
by which the poorest inhabitants are clicctualU
secured from imposition, in so capital au article
as the necessaries of life.

Manufactures and trade are at present o-reatly
decayed in Persia, the people having liad'^no jij.
terval of peace to recover themselves since tliei
death of Kerim Khan to the present period: butifl
a regular and permanent government were once I
again to be established, there islittle doubt butthey
would nourish, as the Persians are very inj^eiiious
of quick capacities, and even the lower class of ar-
tificers are industrious and diligent. They work
in filligree and ivory remarkably well, and are
good turners. They have at Shirauz a gJaiJ
manufactory, where they cast very good f>I,iss I
of which great quantities are exported to dilFcrcnt
parts of Persia; by which the manufacturers ac-
quire considerable profit. Most of the wooilenl
goods, hill;^ and worked linens, are brought from I
Yezd and Carmanin, from both of which places I
they also export felts and carpets. A greatl
quantity of copper is produced from Tauris, andl
other of the more northern parts of Persia. Koinl
is remarkable for excellent sword-blades. Lidial
goods are imported chiefly from Abu Shchr. iJ
matters of trade amongst the natives, the \vhcle|
is tinder the regulation of the Caloonltr, orl
town-clerk, who regulates the duties to be paiilj
to the Khii.u on all imports: this is somciinitil
executed with a severity which leaves the luor-
chant little or no profit upon his goodsf. All|
goods are opened here, even to the niuancit ar-
ticle, and a duty is exacted upon c\cry tliiiigl
foreign.

Tile climate of Shirauz is one of the niostl
agreeable in the world, the extremes of tolJ audi
heat being seldom felt. During the spring ofl
the year the face of the country appears uncom-'
monly beautiful. The floweis, of which tlievi

+ The Caloontrr h is an apar(mftnt in (he grand Carmn.l
serai, where iilinself or his assu'ant resides, w ho is calliiij
the (loom Hook, or Custonunmstcr and is always iirescull
on the arrival of a caruTan, J

liavel

TOUR FROM nPNGAL TO PERSIA.

OK.

609

tbe sw

., gjgreat variety, and of Oie brightest hues, | cipal reasons that the cdobrated ruins of Perse-
, j-jagriint herbs, shrubs, and phuils, the rose, polis hiive endured for so inanv ajjes, and com-
veet basil, and tlic myrtle, ull here con- paralively speaking, in so peril-ct a state; <hat

place being situated in much such another valley
as Shiran/, and but two days journey from thence.
The nights in Persiii, and more |)arfi(;ul;irly in
the southern parts of it, are most cxctlli/ntiv
adapted for the science of astronomy, bcin!>; (if
l«iveto°a(id to the satisfaction of the mind, and j extraordinary brightness. 'J'he l*eisians, vvitb

tribute to refresh and porlinne the natural mild-
„fjs of the air. The nightingale of the garden
,jjiy by the Persians BoolbiU Ilezar Dastann*),
[l,f jjoldtnich, and tlie linnet, by their melodious
Ljrbliiigs. at this delightful season of the year.

It,) inspire it with the most pleasing ideas. The
L'jjutics of nature arc here depicted in their fullest
latent; the natural historian and the botanist
Louldhere meet with ample scope for pursuing
lllieir favourite investigations. \Vith such ad-
Kjiitarres, added to the salubrity of the air, how
1(111 it be wondered at, that tnc inhabitants of
Kliirauz should so confidently assert the pre-

respect to outward hehaviowr, are ciMtninlv tho
Parisians of the Kast. Whilst a rude 'ind indolent
demeanour peculiarly marks the character of the
Tiukish nation towards foreigners and Chrisuau:3,
the behaviour of the Persians would, on the con-
trary, do honour to the most civilized nations:
they are kind, courteous, ciul, and obliging to
all strangers, without being guided by those

leiiiimiice of their own city to any other in the religious prejudices so very prevalent in every

lvorl(l?---or that such beauties should fail of ' other Mohammedan nation; they are fond of

Ifalling forth the poetical exertions of a Ilaliz, a ; enquiring after the manners and customs of

RaJi, or a Jami? Their mornings and evenings Europe; and, in return, very readily afford any

ifc cool, but the middle of the day is very plea- information in respect to their own country.

jaut, In summer the thermometer seldom rises , The practice of hospitality is with them so grand'

Ebove seventy- three in the day time, and at night a point, that a man thinks himself highfy honour-

t OTiicrally sinks as low as sixty-two. The ed if you will enter his house and partake of

mliiran is the worst season of the year, that being ; what the family affords ; whereas going out of a

ktime when the rain begins to fall, and during \ house, without smoking a Calean, or taking any

kautumnal months it is considered by the natives i other refreshment, is deemed, in Persia, a high

gthe most unhealthy; colds, fluxes, and fevers j affront; they say that every meal a stranger par-

leing very general. In winter, a vast deal of , takes with them brings a blessing upon the

tow falls, and very thick, but ice is, rarely to be housef.

^und, except on the summits of the mountains. The Persians, in their conversation, use such

ftowards Ispahan, and the more northern parts extravagant and hyperbolical compliments bnthe
Persia. One thing, which is most to be i most trifling occasions, that it wou'd at f'rst in-
denied ill this country, and renders it preferable ! spire a stranger with an idea, that every inhabitant
ail) other part of the world, is their nights, of the place was willing to la} down his life,
Ibicli are always clear and bright, and the dew, ' shed bis blood, or spend his money in his service?-
latin iiK-st places is of so pernicious and danger- | and this mode of address (which in fact means
lisa nature, is not of the least ill consequence \ nothing) is observed not only by those of a higher
krc: tliere is none at all in summer, and in the \ rank, but even amongst the meanest artificers,
jlher seasons it is of such a nature, that if the j the lowest of which will make no scruple, on

your arrival, of offering you the city of Shiran/
and all its appurtenances, as a peishknsh or pre-
sent. This behaviour appears at first very re-
markable to Europeans, but after a short time

ligliii'st scimitar should be exposed to it all the
Iglit, it would not receive the least rust. This
Iviiess ill the uir causes their buildings to last a
[eat Nvhile, and is undoubtedly one of the prin-

l»Tlie nighliiifjalc with a tlirjusand notes.
1+ Toaccoiiiit for this, ue in iist understand it as a [jlivlire
Ifallli and |)rotC(Ui<>n, when we cunsidur that die cuntiniial
Irs in which this conntry has been intolved, with very
llfi'Cjsaiioii, since tiic extinction of the Sefi family, have
latly tended to aii universal depravity of dispositiuti; and

a pcrpetnal inclination to acts of hostility. This hns lessened
that softness an;! iirbanily of manners for wliicii this natioa
has been at all former times so f.iniou>; ; and lias at tlu sanitf
time too much e\tinii;uished al! s^-ntiinents of honour and
humanity amouisst those of higher rank.

rltli;'

i.-Ji

becomes

*i?

'. Ill

'\^.W

\ \

% I

«10

OBSERVATIONS MADE ON A

becomes equally familiar. Freedom of conversa-
tion iH A thing entirely unknown in Persia, as that
" u'alls have cars" is proverbially in the mouth
of every one.— The fear of chains which bind
their bodies has also* enslaved their minds; and
their conversation to men of superior rank to
themselves is marked with >ii^U9 of the most abject
Hnd slavish submission; while, on the contrary,
they arc as haughty and overbearing to their in-
feriors.

The Persians, in their conversation, aim much
at elegance, and are perpetually repeating verses
and passages from the works of their most
favourite poets, ilaiiz, Sadi, and Jami ; a prac-
tice universally prevalent, from the highest to
the lowest; because those who have not the ad-
vantages of reading and writing, or the other
benefits arising from education, by the help of
their memories, which are very retentive, and
what they learn by heart, are always ready to
bear their part in conversation. They also de-
light much in jokes and quaint expressions, and
are fond of playing upon each other; which
they sometimes do with great elegance and irony.
There is one thing much to be admired in their
conversations, which is the strict attention they
always pay to the person speaking, whom they
never interrupt on any account. They arc in ge-
neral a personable, and in many respects a hand-
some people; their complexions, saving those
who are exposed to the inclemencies of the wea-
tO£r, are as fair as Europeans.

The women at Shirauz have at all times been
celebrated over those of other parts of Persia fur
their beauty, and not without reason. Many are
tall and well-shaped ; and their bright and spark-
ling eyes is a very striking beauty: this, however,
is in a great measure owing to art, as they rub
their eye-brows and eye-lids with the black
powder of antimony (called surma), which adds
an incomparable brilliancy to their natural lustre.
The large black eye is in most estimation among
the Persians, and this is the most common at
Shirauz. As the women in Mohammedan coun-
tries are, down to the meanest, covered with a
veil from head to foot, a sight is never to be ob-
tained of them in the street; but in their houses
they sometimes unveil themselves, and converse
with familiarity. The women in Persia, as in
all Mohammedan nations, after marriage, are
very little better than slaves to their husbands.

Those mild and familiar endearments which zn I
the social board of an European, and which!!
the same time they afford a mutual satisfadi,,,
to either sex, tend also to refine and polish man I
ners, are totally unknown in Mohammedan coiin!|
tries. The husband, of a suspicious temper, mdi
chained down by an obstinate and perneverini?|
etiquette, thinks himself affronted even by thai
inquiry of a friend after the health of his wife |
Calling her by name, is never allowed of; tli»
mode of address must be, '< May the mother oh
such a son, or such a daughter, bu happy; r
hope she is in health." And none, except tliosei
of the nearest kin, as a brother, or uncle, grj
ever allowed to see the females of the family uaJ
veiled: it would be deemed an insult. ThePcJ
sian ladies, however, during the days of court]
ship, have in their turn pre-eminence; amijtre!
making no scruple of commanding hcrlovertd
stand all day long at the door of her father']
hou<e, repeating verses in praise, of her bcautj
and accomplishments; and this is the general
way of making love at Shirauz; a lover mt\i
being admitted to a sight of bis mistre&g, before
the marriage contract is signed.

The Persians, in their dispositions, arc mud
inclined to sudden anger ; quick, fiery, and ven
sensible of affronts, which they immediately rji
sent on the spot. They are a brave and courag
ous people; but their frequent wars have mud
depraved their ancient urbanity of manners; m
this ferocity of disposition has also introduce!
a strife, peculiar to the lower class of inhabitaDl|
of Shirauz. When two people begin fighting,!
always raises a great crowd, who generally sepJ
rately take the part of one or the other in to
contest, and the whole presently becomes a seen
of tumult and confusion, until the arrival of th
Dkrogha, or judge of the police, who puts
end to the fray. These riots are very frequeol
:>nd even the boys are fond of running tu thed
in order to have a share in the contention.
their capacities they are ready, prompt, andiJ
genious: but these talents they too often cmpla
in the most discreditable way, being the grcala
liars in the world, practising the most improbabl
falsities with the gravest air imaginable; andi
far from being abashed by a detection, ill
always endeavour to turn it off with a laugl
and even confess themselves, that they think tliej
is no hf^rmiu telling a lye, provided it caubej
i ' ai|

!•'■

TOUR PROM BENOAT, TO PRnsiA.

Gil

I l,j,nefit(otlieniselvM: and tliej^ will always,
iLery business they are engajjed in, endeavour
lifit to bring it about by lying and knavery;
Kbicb, if nnsiiccessful (as those with whom
Ley deal »'■''* lull as expert as themselves), they
I jll (iicn conclude the bargain with truth and
Ibncsty; but either way is equally indiifercut to

riip Pcisians universally have a fixed belief in
lie efficacy of charms, omens, talismans, and
ither superstitions. Besides whai they have re-
fived since their conversion to IVIohammedanisni,
Ly have in general retained all that their an-
pfrtori before practised. Indeed, the only dif-
ifcnce is, that what was before authorised and
joaimandcd by the Magian religion, has been
jibjequently allowed by the religion of Moham-
iti They are, of all people, the most addicted
J the idea of fortunate or auspicious days and
loiin, the dies fasti atque n^asti of the Romans;

[even on the minutest and most trifling occa-
koDS will seek for a lucky moment. Going a
Iturney can never be performed vttithput first
MHulting a book of Omens, each chapter of
bbich begins with a particular lett;>r of the
ypliabet, which is deemed fortunate or in-
ispicious; and should they unluckily pitch
[pon one of the latter, the journey roust of
guf^ be delayed imtil a more favourable op^
trtuuity. Entering a new house, the putting

of a new garment, with numberless other

Dinon and trifling occurrences, are deter-
lioed by motions equally absurd and frivolous.
ilheir marriages they pay the strictest attention
I point; a lucky hour for signing the con-
Hct, and another for the wedding-day, being
beemed absolutely necessary to the future hap-
ymi of the intended couple. Those also who

in good circumstances, generally send for a
lluunjim, or astrologer, at the birth of a child,
I order to calculate his horoscope with the ut-
iiost eiactncss.

[To a man they have their Talismans, which
'generally some sentence from the Koran, or
Ijing of their prophet Ali, written either upon
■per, or engraved upon a small plate of silver,
Ibich they bind round their arms, and other

I* During the lumincr season, scorpions appear in great
gibers; (hey are quite black in appearance, and very
'gr, aad the sting of them is dangerous, but not mortal :
Ke, liQwefer, which are found ia the mora Dorthcrn

I Vol. II. No. CXV.

parts of the body; but those of higher rank make
use of rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones.
The women of condition have small silver platti
of a circular form, upon which are engraved
sentences from the Koran; which, as well as the
Talismans, they bind about their arms witli pieces
of red and green silk, and look upon them as
never-failing charms against the fascinations of
the Devil, or wicked spirits, and who they say
are constantly roaming about the world, to do
all the mischief in their power. They are equally
absurd in their ideas of the heavenly bodies, at
least the middling and lower class of people,
particularly in respect to the falling of the stars,
eclipses of the sun and moon, and tlie appearances
of meteors and comets. As for their religious
system, they believe there are nine heavens, the
lowest of which is that iminodiatcly above theic
heads: they imagine, therefore, th:it on tho
falling of a star, it is occasioned by the angels in
the lower heaven giving blows on the heads of
the devils, for attempting to penetrate into thoso
regitms.

Among other customs of a superstitious nature,
they believe that scorpions, of which there are
great i>umbers in this country, and very venom-
ous, may be deprived of the power of stinging,
by means of a certain prayer which they make
use of. The person who has the power of
bii.ding, as it is called, turns his face towards
the sign Scorpio, in the heavens, which they all
know, and repeats this prayer. Every person,
present, at the conclusion of a sentence, cl ps his
hands; after this is done, they think that they are
perfectly safe: nor, if they should chance to see
any scorpions during that night, do they scruple
taking hold of them, trusting to the eflicacy of
this fancied al'-no\yerful charm*.

Tlie Persians are, of all Mohammedan nations,
the least scrupulous in drinking wine, as many
of them do it publicly, and aluiust all of them in
private (excepting those wiio have performed the
pilgrimage to Mecca, and men of religion): they
also are very liable to be very quarrelsoiue wheii
inebriated, which is often attended with fatal
consequences. They eat opium, but in much
less quantities than the Turks; and indeed iu

parts of Persia, .irnl particularly iu the province of Cashdn,
are of »o dangerous a nature, as oftuu to causo immodiata
death.

r . (

i' 'i lli'i

I M

J. !•

m \'

il'v'Jk.

every

ev2

OBSERVATIONS MADE ON A

' I

every thine they lay or do. eat or drink, they
make a point to be as diflerent from thin nation
as possible, whom they detest beyond measure;
cstceminii^ Jews and Chrittians superior to them,
and mucli nearer to salvation.

I\IattcrH of religion in Persia are managed by
tlic Shcili)i us Sellaum, or the Head of the Faith,
an ofhce answering to that of Mufti among the
Turks. lie takes cognixnnce of all ecclesiastical
matters, and on |)ublic festivals and other occa-
sions prcnchps in the grand mosque; but he has
not, like tlie Mufti, any power in affairs of state,
being entirely confined to his religious office.

In point of drcsB, the Persians differ remarkably
from the Turks; f^or in Turkey any person who
ivas not u Seiud, or descendant of the Prophet,
tvearing the least green upon his garment, would
most pi obably be stoned : whereas in Persia, the
general unci favourite colour is green, even to
their shoes; and people of all persuasions and
denominations may wear it as they please. A
Turk also thinks himself defiled by the touch of
a Christian, even on his garments. The Persians,
on the contrary, will eat out of the same plate,
drink out of the same cup, and smoke out of the
tame Calcan, as readily as they would with their
own childrei). The Persians, in some parts of
their devotions, differ from the Turks, as they
always pray with their open hands; whereas
those of the Turks are closed and placed before
them. The Persians also, in their ablutions,
before prayer, wash their faces and beards with
their right hand only, the other being reserved
for meaner occasions, and they only slightly
touch the fore and hind part of their feet; but
the Turks wash with both hands, and rub all
over their feet. The Jai^ Numaz, or carpet on
v^hich they pray, is always endeavoured to be
placed with the upper part of it facint^ (o the
temple of Mecca, but this they only gyesst A.

In religious opinions they are far more tolerant
than the Turks: they acknowledge the authority
of the Old and New Testament, which they say
\vcre sent from heaven, and delivered to Moses
and Christ, equally with the Koran ; only they
afRrm that the last was given to purify and cor-
rect the errors of the two former, which they
pretend have been much corrupted from their
original state, both by Jews and Christians.
They acknowledge Jesus Christ to have been a
great prophet, but deny him to have been the

Son of God, and the Saviour of Mankind'
pretend that their prophet Mohammed iithel'
or seal of the prophets, the number of which
they say, amounts to one hundred and tweotf]
live thousand; from which circumstance he J
called Khatim al Ambeai, or the Seal of ti
Prophets. In their opinion, all nations are
be converted to Mohammedanism on the day
judgment; and on that day the people ofejci
faith (lying to their particular prophet for pf,
tcction, shall by him be screened and defended
from God's wrath through mediation, and fiaali)
become all of one faith, which is to be Muhani
medanism. In like manner they apply rnan
things to their own Impostor, which only b«|on
to our Saviour.

The mode of living of the Persians is in gen..
as follows: They always rise at day-break'
order to perform their devotions. Their fin
prayer is denominated Numaz S(»obh, or th
morning prayer; it is said before sun-rise, aft
which they eat a slight meal, called Nashla,
breakfast ; this consists of grapes, or any othq
fruits of the season, with a little bread, am
cheese made of goat's milk; they after warditdriiil
a cup of very strong coffee, without milk
sugar; then the Catean, or pipe, is introduo.
The Persians, from the highest to the Iowa
ranks, all smoke tobacco. Their second hoi
of prayer is called Numaz Z6hur, or roid-du
prater, and is always repeated when thesund^
dines from the meredian. Their dinner, or Cail
which is soon after this prayer, consists of cun,
bread, and fruits of various kinds; animal fooj
not being usual at this meal. The third hoiiri
prayer is called Numaz Asiir, or the aftemoel
prayer, said about four o'clock. The fourl
hour of prayer is Numaz Sham, or eveniii
prayer, which is said after sun- set; whentJiiij
finished, the Persians eat their principal nieil
called Shami, or supper. This gcneriilly fODjisI
of a Pilau, dressed with rich meat-saucts, aoj
highly seasoned with various spices: sometini(
they eat Kibaab, or roast meat. When ilicnuj
is ready, a servant brings notice thereof, and
the saRie time presents an ewer and water; tliel
then wash their hands, which is an invariabl
custom with the Persians, both before and m
eating. They eat very quick, convening tliej
food to their mouths wil)i their fingers; thciij
of kaiycs and forks being unknown in Perii|

Siierbi

<'/.'.* (.-

TOUR FROM BKVGAL TO PERSfA.

613

l^of diflerent totta arc introduced, and tho

.^1 conclude! with a dessert of deliiioui fruits

Rhe lupper being finished, the family sit in ii

Irifclei •"** entertain each other by relating

UiMnt stories (of which they are excessively

Ld), »•>*• *'*" "'y repeating passages from Uio

lofks of their niQst favourite poets, and umusini^

lenuelve* at various kinds uf games. The fifth

[lait prsyer is styled Numaz Akhir, the last

bfiyer; or sometimes Numaz Sh^b, or the night

inrer,' repeated about an hour after supper.

the city of Shirauz is divided into twelve dis-

L(t>, or neighbourhoods; over each of which

■ of their fmaums, or Heads of Faith, is be-

ieftd to preside, as a kind of guardian angel.

fvery Thursday night, which the Persians call

nirht of Friday, the cryefs and other do-

itici of the mosques make a Zikir, that is, a

recital of the life and good actions of the Imaum
or Saint who presides over the districts, by whose
influence tli« inhabitants hope to obtain their
wishes, and be absolved from their sins. These
Imaums are alluded to by the Persians in their
conversations; tlicy swear by them, and invoke
them on all occasions of distress and adversity, as
well us return them thanks on any goud fortune
befalling them. — The mosquo!) of the Imaum
Zadas, or descendants from the Iniaiinis, serve
as sanctuaries for criminals ; but the most sancti-
fied place in Shirauz, and which no one ever
violates, is the Shah Clieraiig, where the greatest
criminal can be protected, if the inhabitants of
the place should receive him. However, persuna
oflensivc to government are generally delivered
up when demanded.

SECTION II.

Iskri Account of the Remains of the celebrated Palace of Persepolis — Visit to the Tomb of tJi^
Persian Hero Rostum — Mode of Travelling in Persia — Citij of Bussora.

^N Thursday evening, the 30th of August,

Ensi|<;n Franklin left Shirauz in company

Hh Mr. Jones, for the purpose of visiting the

lju of the celebrated palare of Persepolis.

lenext morning they arrived at the viUage of

jirkan, situated eight fursengs, or '!,I:ity-two

Iggliih miles, from Shirauz. The road to this

jlict is chiefly through a rocky, mountainous

unlry; approaching, however, to Zarkan, is

ne cultivated land. Zarkan is a large village

der the government of Shirauz, and is ruled by

ICalentar, or chief magistrate. From its vicinity

I tbe mountain, the view of this place is very

u.ing; the neighbourhood produces the large

I grape.

IScpiember the 1st, they crossed the Bund
ineer river, which Mr. Niebuhr has laid down
the ancient Araxes; over this river is a stone
lidpp, which the natives call Pool Khan. They
loreciled on through the plain, and in five
lurs itnd a half arrived at the rnins. This stage
jfivc fursengs: the road lies entirely through the
Vn, wiiith beginning about five miles to the
lithward of Zarkan, is continued up to Pcrse-
llis, which is situated close under the moun-

; ,'f. -1

taint. Their Cafila encamped in a garden a mile
and a half to the northward of the ruins, near the
village of Merdasht, from whence the whole
plain takes its name. This plain is exceedingly
delightful; it abounds in game of several sorts,
amongst which are partridges, wild pigeons,
quails, and hares.

What remains of the celebrated palace of Per-
sepolis, is situated on a rising ground, and com-
maiids a view of the extensive plain of Merdasht.
The mountain Rehumut encircles the palace in
the form of an amphitheatre: you ascend to the
columns by a grand stair-case of blue stone, con-
taining one hundred and four steps. The first
object that strikes the beholder on his entrance,
are two portals of stone, about fifty feet in height
each; the sides are embellished with two sphinxes
of an immense size, dressed out with a profusion
of bead-work, and, contrary to the usual method,
they are represented standing. On the sides
above are inscriptions in an ancient character, the
meaning of which no one hitherto lius been able
to decypher.

At a small distance from these portals you
ascend another flight of otcps, which lead to the!

fraiij

>»t \

' {li

. J

.,1- ' I

u m

tiW

ii .;iif

^]ft

f M Vt

iV iiffli*

•ir

614

OnSFRVATIONS MADR ON A

grand hall of columns. The sides of this stair-
case nrc ornamented with a variety of figures in
basso relievo; moat of them have vessels in their
hands: here and there a camel appears, and at
other times a kind of triumphal car, made after
the Roman fashion ; besides these, are several
led horses, oxen, and rams, that at times inter-
vene and diversify the procession. At the head
of the 'stair-case is another basso relievo, repre-
senting a lion seizing a hull: and, close to this,
are other inscriptions in ancient characters. On
getting to (he top of this stair-case, you enter
what was formerly a most magnificent haU : the
natives have given this the name of Chehil Minar,
or forty pillars; and though this name is often
used to express the whole of the building, it is
more particularly appropriated to thi^ part of it.
Although a vast number of ages have elapsed
since the foundation, tifteen of the columns yet
remain entire; they are from seventy to eighty
feet in height, and are masterly pieces of mason-
ry : their pedestals are curiously worked, and
appear little injured by the hand of time. The
lihafts are cufluted up to the top, and the capitals
are adorned with a profusion of fret-work.

From this hall you proceed along, eastward,
until you arrive at the remains of a large square
building, to which you enter through a door of
granite. Most of the doors and windows of this
apartment are still standing; they are of black
marble, and polished like a mirror: on the sidci
of the doors, at the entrance, are bas-reliefs of
two figures at full length; they represent a man
in the attitude of stabbing a goat: with one hand
he seizes hold of the iuiimul by the horn, tnd
thrusts a dagger into his belly with the other;
one of the goat's feet rests upon n.e breast of the
man, and the other upon his rights arm. Thi>
device is common throughout the palace. Over
another door of the same apartment, is a repre-
scntatiou of two men at full length . behind them
Htaiids a domestic, holding a sprsad nmbrolla:
they are supported by large round stafts, appear
to be in vears, have long beards., and a profusion
cf bair upon their heads.

At the So.iih-West entrance of (his apartment
«ro two large pillars of stone, upon which arc
carved four figures; tiiey arc dressed in long
garment", and bold in their honds spears ten feet
in length. At this entrance, also, the remains of
A stuir-casc of blue stone are still visible. Va^t

numbers »t broken pieces of pillars, sliafj, J
capitals, are scattered over a consideruble extel
of ground, some of them of such enormous sj
(hat it is astonishing how they could have hcJ
brought whole, and set up together, lnj^p,
every remains of these noble ruin^ indicalc ilij
former grandeur and magnificence, truly worth
of being the residence of a great and powerfj
monarch; and whilst viewing (hem, the min
becomes impressed with au awful solt'innitJ
Exclusive of the ancient antique iiiscriptiui
already mentioned, are others of a modern dalJ
able! to be read as well a^ some in dm SyrJ
chatacter; the vhole of which tiie celoljuj
Mr. Niki^uhr has accurately copio'l and puU
lished. I

Behind the hall of pillars, and close umiort^
mountain, is the remains of a very large buildin
of a qucidrangiilar form: this may either had
made part of the palace, or, not unlikely, nd^
tached temple, as there is a considerable spaced
ground filled up with earth and mouiuU ot'su
b»twixt the two; bnd as it has within-sidcsvj
bols emblematical of a religious meanin!^. tlr
building has four principal entrances to it, t\i
from the North-East, and t-.vo from (he Soiitl
West,. The walls arc divi<led into several pari
tions, which are ornamented with varioin pied
of sculpture, the most common of wtiith haj
the figure of a man at full length ; ho is sittiJ
in a chair, with his feet supported by aW
behind the chair stands a domestic holding 1
umbrella; the man has in his hand a ruuiiistal
before him are two hundred branched raiidlj
sticks, with candles in them; beyond these ijl
little boy, and behind him is a vvoniaii wilhi
goblet in her hand. Underneath this ligiirci
several others in long garments; some of these j
nmed w'lh bows and avrows, others withspeai
and all of them have caps, in the form ofturrcj
which v/c iearn from ancien' historiaiis \y:iI
mode of d: ess observed by the Medcs.— Ocrl
doors of this building, which are twelve in i
ber, are bas reliefs of a lion seizing hold ull
bull, simibr to that observable on the gra|
stair-case: the recesses in the walls arc all
with fine granite, and their fronts have haiidst>i|
cornices of stone. IV":><de8 the usual figiirei), ii
very extraordinary - .,, and is, I suppose, el
blematicai of the ancient religion of the Pcrsiaij
it represents a mftii seated on a pillar, who liolj

TOUR FRO-M BENGAL TO PF<:RSIA.

ei5

ij, liand a small vessel; he has a girdle (wislod
Lnd the centre of his body, the two ends of
thill' project a considerable distance beyond his
yifs, and have much the appearance of wings;
eijdrcssed in lonp; f:f!innents, with a cap, tiirret-
ijin, Undcrncatli the ligurc are several lions
fi symbol of empire amongst the ancient Per-
Lj] very well executed.

Behind iliis ruin, a considerable way up the
Liiitain Reliemut, to the nortii, is the remains
(taciirious place cut out of the rock, which
foniierly an ascent to it by steps, but these
|,i(iir destroyed by time, you are obliged to
Luher up "'.V ^'"^ rock. There is another
Jjildiiig parallel to this, about the distance of
blit hundred yards to the south. They are
Li buildings of three sides, two of which are
[ain, and forty feet in height; the third has
heniMine sculptures boldly executed; in the
IgtrMS a pillar with the mystic figure, already

{cribfil, silling at the top : opposite to this stands
I111211 upon a pedestal of three .steps; in his left
^nd lie holds a bow, his right is held up,
ig to the figure on the pillar. To llie left is
lallarof sto!?e two feet high, upon which (ire is
liroin^, and a luili; on one side is ;i large globe
Wuilcd in the air which has much the appear-
Iceof being intended for the Sun. These (wo
W-nieiilioned symbols were considered by (lie
Irsiaii Magi as the two grand principles of their
Lion, as (hey adored Uie Omnipotent Creator

universe under tiiose types, being each in |
|(ir nature the purest and freest of corruption of ■

crcalcd thing.s. it may, therefore, be pio- I
Hied they w;e intended to represent certain 1
[itericK in the Magian faith. The man with <
I bow may possibly be designed for a chief of i

Mai<;i; or, to hazard a further supposition, \
idcbraled lawgiver and prophet Zoroaster
bwir, However, this k only a supposition. {
riic mo().'rn natives call this place IMujlis
Msliced, or the a.ssecnbly of King Jemsheed, as I
(v:; that prince used to visit the place, with
i noiilcs and great men of his court, in order
|enjoy a delightful view of the adjacent eoun- |

of which, indeed, there cannot be a finer
beet than from thence. ,. . ,

[Tlioyafiirm Ihit at the nul of t\w pass.igc is the T;ilis.

aiij dial whoever airivi's liitiiiT, ami itsks (|iics(i<)iis

Ifuiiire cveiitd, will be amwored from within ; but they

[lijt no out! has cvi-r yet bccii able to penetrate to the

i'oi U. No. CXVL

Underneath the above-mentioned devices are
small openings, which lead to a subterraneous
passage, cut out of the mountain; it is six feet
in height, and four in breadth: the passage
leads a considerable way into the rock, hut i»
quite dark after advancing about thirty yards,
and emits a mo.st noisome damp smell. JThe na-
tives call this place the Cherk AlmAs; that is,
the Talisman, or diamond of fate*.

Descending to the foot of the mountain, (0 the
south are the renrains of a small square building,
which has s<'veral doors and windows still stand-
ing, having carved (/gurcs on (hem; but as these
are only visible to the waist downwards, it i*
probable tlio .^and from the mountains has choked
up the remainder: the figures are the same with
those in other parts of the palace.- -A little (o (he
westward of this building, is a stone stair-
case which leads into a magnificent court, of a
quadrangular firm. Several pedestals of pillars,
and the remains of two grand portals tt» the casf,
are still visible: tliey are all of granite, and the
cornices of the portals appear to have been very
superb; thev arc of an oblong shape. On many
of the broken pieces of the pillars are ancient
inscriptions,

In several parfs of the palace are stone aque-
ducts, made for the piu'pose of draining oil' the
water th.'it conies from the mountains: (hey art?
of blue s(one cut under ground eight feet deep,
and tw(! and a half in breadth.

Then; vencralile ruins have siilTered much by
(he ravages of lime and weadier; but what still
r ;mains of them is as hard and dtuable as the rock
itself. EarliKiuakcs, nhich are frequent in Per-
sia, have also proved the means of throwing
down many of the columns, and otherwise in-
juring (h.! apar( nerds; and several of (hose which
liave not been ove; turned by the violence of the
sli( ks, have had their tops nearly removed oft",
and in this situation remain. The sand, which
is constantlv washed down from the moimtains
by the rain, in the winter season, has choked up
niuubers of places^ and even covered the pedestals
of several pillars.

The old inscriptions discernible on the walls,
and other parts of (he palace, may be reckoned

« — »^ — r_i__i.^ — i_;_:

cxnomity of tin' ^las^aijo, l)^'ill^' opposed b> (lie Doiiions aad
fi'enii, whom they belicvo todnell there; •ii'ii .';ll|l|•rs(ifloll^l^
iiniiqiiie, lh,it ali lights taken in there will go oiii of tiieqi-
selve',

IT among

I : f

[fi5.!'i

• iM

' \m

I ;. ^

€\6

OBSERVATIONS MADE ON A

among llie greatest curiositiesj as they have never
yet been dccyphercd, either in the East or in
Europe; and what is very extraordinary, the
most learned and cnrious in the Oriental
languages have been . baffled in every attempt
rtiade to learn their meaning : — like the hiero-
glyphics of Egypt, they remain buried in an
impenetrable mystery*. It is one of the most
considerable dilficultics to solve when and by
Avhom this pak'ce was originally built. The
Grecian historians have given very imperfect and
dubious accounts of it, and the Persians no less
so. liy the present natives, the place is called
Takhti Jemsheed, or the throne of Jemshced;
^ho they affirm built it between three and four
thousand years ago: he is also expressly men-
tioned as having erected the Chchil Minar, or
hall of forty pillars. It is related in Grecian
history, that Alexander the Great set lire to and
destroyed this rich and splendid palace, instigated
to it in a fit of debauchery by the celebrated
courtesan Thais f.

It is to be remarked, that in the figures
throughout the, whole of the palace, the rules of
art are not attended to; the muscles of the figures
are wanting, yet the drapery is finely done, and
the proportions in general are well kopt up,
though the contour is only observed, which givrs
a sameness to the whole.

The materials of which the palace is compo* d,
are chielly hard blue stone; but tlif cK Oi , luid
windows of the apartments are all ttf h' >< k mar-
ble, and so beautifully ])olishcd, as to r<llect an
object like a mirror. One of the principul things
worthy of admiration, is the immense strength
of the foundation. The whole of the palace
takes in a circumference of one thousand four
hundred square yards: Us front is six hundr^^d
piices from north to south, and three hundred
and ninety from cast to west. Being built at the
foot of A mountain, a great deal of it has been
emoothed with infunte labour, to make the stones
lie even. The height of the foundation, in front.

* Mr. Nichiihr lias given all these iiiscripfiims in his
crcond toIiiiup, most elegantly and ucciirately copied,
which may pobsibly assist the curious in their attempts to
rliiciditc them.

+ This circumstance,, .lithoiigU it has the sanction of his-
tory, if one rcllec*^ upon the appearance of what still re.
mains of these ruins, any perbon on viuwini^ them would
suppose SM( It ail CTent impossible to liivc taken place ; as,
in their present state, all the tire that cuuld be applied,

is in several parts from forty to fifty fggj
consists of two immense stones laid togetho,'. !if
sides are not so high, and more unequal, o 3
to the vast quantity of aand which has fliiJ
from the mountain. 1

The Hall of Pillars appears to have been dl
tached from the rest of the palace, and to h !
had a communicction with the other oarls
hollow galleries of stone. By the ped-^als
the pillars, the hall seems originally to have col
sisted of nine distinct rows of columns, each col
taining si.x; making consequently, in all, fiJ
four. The fifteen that remain, are from sevel
to eighty feet in height; the diameter atthebasel
twelve feet, and the distance between eachcoluif
twenty-two. By the position of t'e front nil
the hall appears to have been open >'o\var()s
plain; but four of the pillars, facing the moit
tain, and which are at some distance from i
rest, seera to have hco>\ in' nded for u poriji
or entrance from the ei.< • • i'calsoofai

ferent style of architei: i;rr. The materials I
the columns are a mixed sort of red sloi
granular. The hall, situated on an einioenL
and commanding an extensive view of the n|1
of Merdasht, is strikingly grand, find conve\i
Mie beholder the idea o( an Hall oi Audiena
a powerful and warlike nioiwrch.

On the 2d of September, the Ensign and!
Jones went to visit the tomb of the ceiebral
Persian Hero, Rostum (called by the nalil
N ushkee Rostum ) . It is situated three milesi
a half to the north-east of Persepolis: tlicplj
consists of four distinct chambers, pvcau
high in the rock. The devices, in »!'> r,
parts, are exactly the same as those of ;\ i
representing the mystic figure, wit: ♦■
fire and the sun. Underneath t' " ••'jro.:!^
the second chamber, is a gigantic r. ip
horseback, cut in stone, and very perfect, iijl
completely armed and accoutred, and dra
something after the Roman fashion. Onl
helmet is a globe; two figures are before

would not make the smallest impression on those I
masses of stone, equal in point of durability and liatil
to the solid rock ; and ol such are the materials ofl
whole biiildinit;. These sentiments a^nj^<1 to Mr. FnnT
whilst on the spot, ind his opinion ■wi\.. ""engthciicd bq
fullest acquiescence of Mr. Jones, - . > Jjouglit, liktl
self, it was absurd to give credit to lii-. . \m o' ii;l(g
been burnt by Alcxaudcr.

T OUR FROM BENGAL TO PERSIA.

617

ty to fifty feet, anl
;» laid together; tJ
ore unequal, owiJ
d which has falJ

ars to have been i\
: palace, and to ha]
the other narts
By the ped-.als
•iginally to have co]
•f columns, each co]
juently, in all, fiftl
ain, are from sever

diameter at the base!
between each colui
oil of t'-e front pilla
len open >';o\vards
ars, fuciiig the rnoii
me. distance from
n-' tided for a portiJ
• re also of ai,

rr. 'i'iie materials
I sort of red sto
ated on an eininen
sive view of the p||
grand, JMid conve\i
n Hall oi Audienc
(tiMircli.

r, the Ensign and '.
DPiib of the celebra
'called by the nstij
situated three miles i
[ Persepolis: the

chambers, e\ca\!
devices, in 0'" ii'i

as those nf' ;"'
gure, wiil* V
ncath t!-'!? • ■ hhKi".

a gigantic i. if
,ud very perfect, m
iccoutred, and dre
iman fashion. Onl
igurcs arc before

impression on those
t of durability ami W
h arc the inatcriah of!
I'lits arnso to Mr. Fraif
lion wn. ■ trengthi'iu'dkij
ncs, 1". 'r.< Jxmglit, littj
idlttoil'-- . v'.^ o' \v.ll

(he one kneeliii ; down in a supplicating posture,
gnd the other in the act of taking hold of the
horseman's hand, as if to mitigate his wrath; the
jiorscman is looking Htornly upon the figures, and
I (lie band at liberty is applied to the hilt of his
sword. On one side of this figure is an inscrip-
lioii in ancient characters, but different from those
on the walls of Porsepolis. Several attendants
Lfg in waiting behind the cquestiian figure, all
Lf tiiein as large as life; but the proportions are
Lot at all adhered to in the first sculpture, the
L,ai)b(;ing twice the si/Ai of the horse on which
lie rides. A little to the northward is another
representation. At the foot of the rock there arc
t#o iigiircs completely armed; one of them is in
the action of letting go a ring, which the other
Urasps. The figure to the right has a globe on
iiis helmot, and a large battle-axe in his hand:
that to the left has a domestic behind him,
jholJing an umbrella. Under their horses' feet
jite two human heads; and a little on one side
appear the heads of several figures, attendants;
I most of them have a broad fillet encircling their
hei-jpies, and a profusion of hair flowing loose.
|jir John Chardin supposes, that this may be in-
hended to represent the action of Alexander the
JGrcat, receiving the submission of the Persian
Imonarch Darius; but as we are -informed by
jGrecian history, that Darius never saw Alexander,
Ibeing murdered in his flight shortly after the loss
jof the battle of Arbela, by his servant Bcssus; so
Jl should imagine, says iJr. Francklin, the Per-
Isians themselves would hardly have taken such
I to render the dishonour and ruin of their
liawfiil king so permanent and known to the
llalest posterity, in order to praise one who had
lulterl)' overturned their religion and their laws.
[Moreover, the work itself bears not the least
Etnicoof having been the production of any Grecian
lists, as the Greeks at that period were arrived
jat the highest perfection in 'he arts and sciences;
L:nd had such a thing been done during the time
indcr, he would most certainly have made
luse of cue of the many celebrated artists who
Ifnllowed him into Asia; but these figures are
disproportionate, and executed in a rude manner.
lEiisign Francklin supposes, that the above device
»isof a date prior to the Grecian conquests of
Vrsia, and that it was intended to represent some
bnurkable action in the life of the hero llostuin

(from whom the whole of the place takes its
name), and that it was cut to perpetuate the
memory of it.

Near the foot of the rock is a square building
of blue stone, twenty feet in height, by eight in
breadth. This place has several windows; the
inside is empty, and there are small niches in
diflcrent parts of the wall. The natives aflirni
that the celebrated Rostum was interred in this
spot; but many travellers have supposed it »,
have been the tomb of Darius Hystaspcs, from a
passage of Herodotus, the Grecian historian,
amongst whom Sir John Chardin and M. Le
Brun are both of the latter opinion.

In a part of the rock, to the eastward, is the
sculpture of a figure on horseback, the face of
which has been uuich mutilated, and is scarcely
visible; enougi., however, remains to perceive
that the figure is that of a man: he has long
flowing hair, and has a projection, resembling a
horn, on the left side of his forehead. The
natives call this figure " Jskunder Zii Al Kerneen,"
or "Alexander Lord of the Horns," that is, of
an empire extending from oast to west; and they
aflirin, that it is positively intended for Alexander
the Great. Horns, we know, were considered
by the ancients as emblems and symbols of poweif
and majesty, and from this we may conclude,
without a contrariety to reason, that the Persian
idea ')f this figure is a just one; as Alexander is
always described by the Grecian historians,
having a horn on his forehead, or rather a par-
ticular lock of hair, resembling one; and it is
also observed on the coins and medals of that
prince, which are still to be seen in the cabinets
of the curious. Behind the figure on horseback
are several others; they arc in armour, on foot,
and seemingly attendants on him.

Onthe4th of September, 1787, Ensign Francklin
returned to Shirauz; and on the 1 1th of October,
he set olf from Shirauz on his return to India.
On the Itth he arrived at Kazeroon, which, by
its remains, appears formerly to have been a city
of considerable note, and in size little inferior to
Shirauz; it is situated in the centre of an exten-
sive plain, surrounded by high mountains; there
is a fine lake, about four miles east of the city.
In the vicinity of Kazeroon, great quantities of
opium are produced, but the Persians do not
make this very valuable commodity an article of

te ' trade.

I ,-J

!^K

61S

OBSERVATIONS MADE ON A

trade. Tlie city^ excepting a mosque, and ilie
Governor's palace and gardens, has nothing re-
markable ill it.

As to the mode of travelling in Persia, we may
observe, that a Caltia is composed of ciim«'U,
liorses, and mules, the whole of which are under
the direction of a Cheharwa Dar, or JMasler. It
is to him the price of a mule or camel is paid,
and he stipulates with the traveller to feed and
take care of the beast during the journey; he has
under him several inferior servants, who help to
unload the beasts of burden, take them to wafer,
and attend them during forage. The Cafila,
>vhilst on the journey, keeps as close as possible,
and on its arrival at the ]Mun/il Gah, or place of
encampment for the day, each load is deposited
on a particular spot, «i ,k",d out by the master,
to which the merchant w f ' s the goods re-
pairs ; his baggage forms at it; in the centre
are placed the bedding and pn , isions: a rope or
line made of hair is then drawn round the whole,
at the distance of about three yards each way,
which serves to distinguish the separate encamp-
ments. During the night, the beasts are all
brought to their stations, opposite to the goods
they are to cai y in the morning, and are made
fast to the hair rope aforementioned. At the
hour of moving, which is generally between three
and four in the morning, they load the mules
and camels. In doing this, the passengers are
awakened by the jingling of the bells tied round
the neck of the beasts, in order to prevent their
straggling during the march. When every thing
is ready, the Cheharwa I)ur orders those nearest
the road to advance, and the whole move off in
regular succession, in the same order as the pre-
ceding day.

On the 22d of December he embarked on board

the Scorpion cruiser, Captain Jervis, forPmsj™
2-lth, in the evening, passed the Bussoia P '
and on the 28th came to anchor opposile (1 '
town. ^

The city of Bussora is situated at the Pxlroniit .

of the Persian (Julph, in latitude .'i|" ^^0 \orii'

on the banks of a fresh wafer river, called t),

Shat al Arab, which is a branch of fhe [;,,

phrates; that river uniting with it about lifiy

miles to the N. W. of IJussora. The cifvisa

vtry large one, but indifferently fortified: a mud

wall encircles the town, having bastions and (nr-

refs also of mud; it had formerly a wef lo^.p

this is now dried up in many ])arfs. Allli(nii,|!

the Great Desert extends to the very walls of (he

city, the banks of the river on each side arp ex.

ceedingly fertile and pleasant; they produce tom

pulse, rice, and several European fruits; but

that which most adds both to the pleasant situation

aiid profit of the place, is the date tree; by t|,j

cultivation and prddute of this tree, a consider.

able revenue arises to the Turkish government.

The vicinity of Bussora abo4mds in game, parti.

cularly hares, partridges, and the wild \w<t I

whose flesh is of a delicious flavour. The inodcrnl

Bussora is fourteen days journey (by couriers)

from Aleppo. There is a very grand mosque ia|

Bussora, a'. J also a convent of Italian nii«sii)i|.]

arics. The city is at present under the g^overn.

ment of the Turks, and the residence of a Um-

selleni, appointed by the Basha of Bagdad, uiidcrl

whom he acts.

On the I2lh of February, 1788, he embarked |
on board the brig Futta Illahi, Captain Ximinn,,
on his return to India; and on the 2.')th of April,!
he arrived at Calcutta, after an absence of two]
years and two months.

.-i. .. . ., ' 'fit ■ -t ■/■

END OF FRANCKLINS TOUR FROM BENGAL TO PERSIA.

i-.i .. : %..;
\:

^ ■■ • ") C. !':■?<.' II it)- li U -It I ' rt

; I -,)i. 0 ii Ui Ail '-,! :;;

A JOURNEY!

mnr'y::yr :/f^[yi \. .

JOURNEY FROM INDIA,

./..i; !»0WARD9

i^,n \

.:<mriw. E JV G E, ^ JV 13). '''ii.- ^ . ' ■ : :."•.•■,■•'.■..:'
M,r fvW <»--•; -»'5* Intlie Year 1797;

BY AN OVER.LAND ROUTE, THROUGH COUNTU.'ES HITHERTO UNKNOWN TO EUROPEANS,

'Kf.;n».^!; »n'a «« cj ■>lf1^^fcf particulauly through .;; .r ^

' qURbl$TAN, DIARteEKR, ARMENIA, AND NATOLIA,

' ' ' " AND ' " i (i V ■ I !■ *

ROMBLIA; BULGARIA, WALLACHIA. TRANSYLVANIA. &c.'

/JV EUROPE. Iv/ J.n<>

V.rJ

>.;> !■

;»?!.

^Vflie 4th of May, 1797, Mr. Jackson left
Bombay, and embarked dn board the dbun-
ly ship Pearl, R. ^fience. Master, bound tb
BuNora; and anchored off Carrick Town, iH
ben fathoms water, on the 8tli of June, after
I diDgerous passage, id which the ship was fre-
Igently menaced by a number of vessels of war

iDging to one of tHe Arabian powers.
I Captaio Reid and Mr. Jackson went ashore in
jcountry boat at Carrick Town, With a view to
loot antelopes, of which there were many on
^- island, having first obtained the Sheikh's
lermission. They tbok with them two Arab
vides, and presently saw alk)ut twenty antelopes,
Mich, however, were s« very shy, that they
puld not get near enough to have a shot; nor
it appear possible tb take them without
jiwks, (lie mode usually practised in those coun-
Tlie swiftest greyhounds would be of no
le, for tba antelopes are much swifter of foot
m most other animals. They are of a light
Ivn colour, ah(>uk the size of a goat, but with
jnger legs, and ha .e small horns almost erect.
ley directed their walk to the hiVhest part of
fVoi. U. No. CXVI.

's •

the isl'atid, which appears to have been a volcanic
production, having coral rocks and sea shells on
its very summit; and in many places great quan-
tities of lava have run down towards the sea.
Here is plenty of good water, but very little
vegetation, except near the springs. Being on
shore in the middle of the day, they found the
heat mach greater than it is in India.

The island of Carrick,' which contains between
six and seven hundred inhabitants, is about twelve
miles long and seven broad. It abounds with
goats, but has very few cows, and no beasts of
prey. Nor are there any fowls, tame or wild,
except stock and turtle doves. It produces very
few vegetables, particularly at this season, the
heat being so intense as to destroy all vegetation,
except in the immediate vicinity ot water.
Wheat, rice, and barley, however, are grown,
but not in sufficient- quantity to supply the in-
habitants, the principal part of whose food is Hsh,
which they catch in abundance all round the
island. There is also very fine turtle, but the
natives do not eat it.

On the 1 Ith they saw the entrance of Bussora
7 U River,

■1i

111' ■! ':i

€'20

A JOURNICY FRO\t INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

River, N. W. distant off shore throe ItHjjjues;
and, while at anchor, a great many pelicuns
hovered ahout the ship. On the I2ih Captain
Reid and Mr. Jackson ^vcnt ashore on the Arab
side of the river; biitonl^ shot a few wild pigeons,
procured some eggs and greens from the Arabs,
and bought a bullock for six piastres. The ex-
tent of their walk inland did not exceed about
half a ini''°, which space was planted throughout
vith date-trees, tbc male trees being generally
planted North West of the females, because the
>vind iisuully blows from that point. The males
are very easily distinguished, being higher than
'the females, and not so full of leaves at the l.>p.
The ground is full of cuts for the purpose of
letting in the water from the river at tide-time ;
for without this the dates would not thrive, as
Ihcy require much moisture. After having passed
through the plantation, they entered some villages
on the edge of the Desert, beyond which neither
trees nor other vegetation were to be seen. All
the prospect consisted of a burning desert coTered
>vith a crust of suit, making a noise under the
feet similar to that caused by walking on frozen
«now. Without being on shore in the middle of
the day, and at the season near midsummer, a
stranger to this country could not possibly form
any idea of the heat upon the Desert. The bar^
feet of an European would be blistered in a
moment, and Mr. Jackson felt some inconvenience
to his, even through a pair of strong boots.

The houses here are buiit of clay, and covered
Milh the leaf of the date-tree. The inhabitants
are very numerous, and most of them have weak
eyes, occasioned, probably, by the reflection of
tiie sun upon the desert. 'I'heii' dress is very sim-
ple; that of the men being in general no more
than a woollen cap to defend the head from the
fun; and a coarse woollen cloak, with short wide
sleeves. An Arab always wears his woolleji ^ap,
though he has often no other cloathing. The
woman's dress is equally simple, being only a few
yards of blue cotton cloth wrapped round them.
These people have numerous flocks of cattle,
sheep, and goats, which they drive every morning
at sun- rise to the river side, where they fmd very
good pasture. They are watched all day by men,
women, and children, who frequently amuse
themselves by bathing in the river; for an Arab,
when he has an opportunity, will bathe five or
lix times a day. The flocks are always driven

back at suu'.'etto the villages, where they • m J
all night. Every village and lixed rcsic'nce
surrounded with a lofty mud wall, to dtf^^j '
from beasts of prey, particularly lions, wlii ]
are here very numerous. ' '

The Arab women were not so shy as weexpeda
to find them. They seemed much entertajna
by the novelty of the European dress, and vcrl
civilly oftered them milk, hriad, &v. 'fy
bread is in cakes, but not tine; and their milk J
not very palatable to an European, beinw Cfdi
and quite sour. It immediately turns sow afte
sun-rise; but the Arabs prefer it in that state

On die Persian shore are the ruins of a veri
large and ancient city, extending about twelvj
miles along the banks of the river, and coiitainin
many tombs which still appear entire. TliJDciti
was destroyed by the Persian Emperor, Nadji
Shah; and among the ruins several wolves weri
seen.

In the whole extent from the sea to this parte
the Persian side of the river, there is very littj]
culture, and but a thin population. It appean
however, to have hern once well cultivatedl
there arc still many embankments to prevent tli
river overflowing the country, and numeroii
canals to water the ground, similar to tboie i
the, opposite Arabiau «hore. As to pUiitation
we only saw a few straggliiig date-trees, wJiicB
being neglected, bore very little fruit. ]

The next day> June I Jthj they saw nuraeroii
herds of cattle, sheep, and goats, with agreJ
many horses, on the Arabian side of the rivn
An Arab Sheikh, or a man of any consequencJ
usually keeps several horses ready saddled, il
case of any alarm, and is always ready to ridcol
at a momcni's notice. Thesic. horses are fedwitf
grass cut by the side of the river at low walcl
or on some of th^ islands,, which are veryiiif
merous. Eor this purpose they make use
large baskets, covered with a coat of bitiiraeJ
which effectually kpcps out the water, and m
men will paddle in them at a toleruble rati
Some of these baskets are large enough to earn
a dozen people, and are frequently used as ferrn
boats.

On the Hth they observed, that on the Arabia]
side of the river the culture at^d popuiutiun wen
nearly the same as before; but, the Persian siif
had a better appearance. Vegetation was tlieij
much more flourishing-; unci ut sun-set, ucoj

sidcrabl

T^ T? n

A JOURNFT RROM INDIA, TOWARDS F.NCLAND.

621

.1 t,

Jerable tribe, with their flocks, bewail to pitch

iLir tents, not appearing to have aii}' tixed re-

idflifc. They lighted fires, which continued

Hurning: all night.

On the liJth they weighed anchor, but only

-iiifd about six miles. The Persian side of the

Lf improved in its appearance, having a few

,11 villages close to the river side, and some

.4rees, It being rather swampy, there were

]i good many willows, and a few elm-trees.

le Arabian side, too, looked better tlian what

ley had lately passed, being cultivated farther

ini the river. The date-trees being planted

^utten feet from each other, and full of leaves

top, afford a very good shade; and the people

enabled to cultivate the ground during the

hole day, without sutFering much inconvenience

oitbe heat of the sun, which out of the shade,

in the middle of the day, is at this season

it to be endured. They found here a very

fong brown soil, which does not appear to want

IV manure, nor do the Arabs at this place ever

ike use of any.

Ontlic Kith, they gained about six miles more,

the Persian side of the river now exhibited

high degree of cultivation. They saw many

ibitaiits and numerous flocks and herds; but

.not much intercourse with the people,

the) arc not so much to be trusted as their op-

lite neighbours the Arabs. They arc a very

g, robust, hard-featured people; and their

»is --earlv similar to that of the Arabs. A

e of blue calico, about five yards long, is

whole of the woman's dress, and the children

entirely naked. The men have a very fero-

lus appearance, and will destroy whomsoever

luan overpower, which renders it impossible

travel much in this country. Wild hogs are

y numerous among the marshes, and there

[iTarious kinds of game in great plenty, which

(l« tine sport to a shooting party; but it will

lilttays necessary to go in a considerable body,

"never very far from the river, to avoid being

OH" by the saVage inhabitants. The Arabian

of the river was near-y the same as before, ex-

that the canals were cut farther inland.

that on the Arabial
and population wcj
but the Persian sil
Vegetation was tlicij
d ut sun-set, acoJ
sidcrabl

I «!« very much pleased, says Mr. Jackson, with

I liltlf journey ; ami, tlx^iif^h I had lately bt-en in the

of (uyliin amoiii; the cinnamon, in the I'ravuncoro

klrv, aiul in every port of the Malabar coast, I certain.

loulilglvo the prorckuuce to ihU place ; for the abuuduncc.

4 ..... .1 . .-..

which implied of course more cultivation. Some
of the canals are very broad, and Mr. Jackson
crossed over several in the wicker baskets before
described, which are indeed very convenient
where there is not much current.

The 17th they gained also about two leagues.
A party of them went out a shooting on the
Arabian side of the river, hut were not very suc-
cessful. Extending their walk inland about
three miles, they found the whole well watered
by means of canals from the river, and the popu-
lation very great. The dates and other trees
atlurded an agreeable shade, and made their little
incursion very pleasant. They found great
abundance and many varieties of garden vege-
tables; some of them European, and several pe-
culiar to the country. Beside the dates, which
are the chief support of the inhabitants, there
were great quantities of pomegranates nearly
ripe; red and white grapes, some of them ripe;
an abundance of oranges, limes, and lemons, but
none of these had attained maturity. There
were also many well-tn.sted apples, chiefly of the
kind called codlings, but a little sweeter than
those in England. They took with them abom
a bushel of these, for which they paid a very
trifling sum*. The inhabitants are remarkably
civil. There being no regular road, the Eu-
ropeans frequently lost their way; and 'the natives
would very readily ofler their services to conduct
them into the right path.

On the 18th Mr. Jackson set out fur Bussora
by land, with an Arab guide. They were fre-
quently stopped on the road by soldiers ; but his
guide always satisfying them, he was permitted
to pass without molestation. Many of the inha-
bitants seemed to view him with astonishment;
and in all probability some of them had never
seen an European before, this part leing out of
any accustomed road, and where uo one can
travel on horseback on account of the numerous
canals. The country through which he passed had
a delightful appearance, being well watered, and
in luxuriant vegetation. Extensive crops of
wheat, barley, and paddy, were nearly ripe;
and of fruit and vegetables the quantity was im-

of various kinds of fruits, the fraj^rant smell from the
oranges, luiuons, and sweet-scented shrubs, and the airree.
able shade of thu lofty dutc*trctts, rendered it u most do.
lightful spot.

t .;■ ^ :: !i

iH ■

! S'- ,:., I; I

-HI -f

flt:4 I

mencc,

tv I am u..-

.>< .

622

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

mensc. The city of Bussora is supplied from
this neighbourhood, and the Turks and Arabs
consume a very large quantity in proportion to
their other food. After walking al)out ten milt-s,
he reached the English factory at Bussora. Here
he obtained a horse, and a guide, also mounted,
and set out immediately from Bussora for Margill,
the country residence of Samuel Manesty, Esq.
the resident. Thia stands about three miles
above the city, and is pleasantly situated on the
banks of the river.

During his stay at Margill, which was about
a week, he frequently visited the city of Bussora,
which is very large and extremely populous.
The Bazar, or Market-place, is nearly two miles
long, and appears to be well supplied. It
abounds with drugs of various kinds peculiar to
the country, and which, though of considerable
value in Europe, may be bought here at a
moderate price, money being of more value here
than in many other countries. European manu-
factures are scarce and dear; and the people
prefer thofte of England to all others. English
superfine broad cloth, and watches, will sell for
more than double what they cost in England.

The length of the city walls, from the river
toward the Great Desert, is about four miles,
and from North to South about three miles.
The walls are chiefly built of clay, and of course
cannot make any very stout resistance, particularly
against artillery. Of this, however, there is
very little in the country; in the city were only
ten pieces, most of them brass indeed, but only
two or three of them serviceable. Being exposed
to the sun, tlie carriages were dropping to pieces

Here are several mosques and minarets, many
of which are very handsome buildings. Some of
the latter are entirely covered with variegated
tiles, which have a very singular appearance.
Most of iiie public buildings, as mosques,
minarets, and hummums, are built of brick;
but the English factory is now by far the best
structure in the whole city. Within the walls
are several vacant spots not built upon, and whicb
appear to have been occasioned by fire. The
houses in general are very indifferent, being
chiefly built of clay with a small proportion of
bricks. Their timbers are the trunks of date-
trees, not squared, but round, and in the sara^
state as when brought from the plantation : they

• The greatest part of the trade of this branch of the
Turkuh empire is ia the haads of the Armeaiaoi, who,

are also very soft and spongy, and will not 1
loiipf. The very thick walls, and these clu ^'^
timbers, form together a very uncoutij nierl"!!

archilecfiirc.

piece

The roofs ar« flat, and suriouml
by a parapet, llorc the inliubitantsi sleep durj
the summer season, in the open air. To an p'
ropean every hctuse appears like a prison, as
can receive no light from the street, because
has no windows. Every house forms a snuar
and the inli:ibita!ifi have no cominunicatioinvii
their noighboufi. Within the squaro arc varioi.
olucc-i; somo unrler ground, where the pcopU
retire during the boat of the day. The kitcbe]
the water, and not unfrequently the horsy
kept on the i,;rouod floor. The hull, where tha
receive comparjy, tlie harem, and many otiJ
oflices, are on the second, which lias general!
a gallery siipported by pillars continued near]
round the inside of the whole building. Tha
have generally two flights of steps; one lead J
to the hall, where alone strangers are admitted
the other leading to the harem, to which m
but the family can have access. Women of tH
higher class are seldom seen out of doors; bi
when they do go out, they are always veile
Many of the Arab women, particularly of |
lower class, expose their faces.

Both men and women slaves are sold publu
in the Bazar. The majority of the people i
Arabs, the rest are Turks and Aroieuiaiis. T
Turks are mostly men of some conseqnen
either being officers in the army, or holding soi
other posts under government. The Armen
are the merchants, and some of them are Td
respectable. They have a cooiiderqble trij
with the East Indies, and chiefly to BeBgal.
this trade several ships are employed, the largi
of which does not exceed four hundred toiu,1
account of a difliculty in croasing the bar. u
ships from Bussora to Bombay, or Ben[^
usually receive a full cargo, tlie' greater part]
which consists of copper in small cakes,
drugs of various kinds; and the Bombay!
generally take dried fruits. It is very seldoj
however, that a vessel sails to any part of In
without taking a considerable number of ,
horses. There are many instances of ships caij
ing away silver, in bajs |^d specie, to the anH
of twenty lacks of rupees^ the specie chiefiij
Spanish dollars and Venetian sequins*. Ac

sidtfil

-^■"-> ■

when they have a considerable sum on Cand, in ord
prevent the Turks from lading hold of it, (which i>t

A JOURNRY FROM IMDIA, TOWARDS KNGT.AND.

623

•iilcrablc quantity of sugar and rice is froqiicnlly
imported tVoin India. The specie is sent here hy
(i,e Arni?nian9 to their correspondents in most

fij of ihe empire; considerable sums liLcwise
L ol'Icn sfnt from Constantinople. Those are
uiiially forwarded under the care of the Tutiirs*,
messenger!' of g"vernn»'nt, who receive a hand-
jonic prcnjinm for their trouhle. The Tatars,
Wcver, arc sometimes robbed and slain by the
waiiderini^ tribes, who in formidable bodies infest
tbe srenter part of Hie Turkish dominions in Asia.

\Vi(Ii rt'jipert to the Arabs, the most numerous
(lass of iiiliabitants, there are a few respectable
jien amongst them ; but great numbers are ex-
Iremclv poor, labouring very hard for small
naces. With a very lihlc pay, however, they
ire enabled to support their families; for their
jdrcss costs them little; and their food consists of
Idalfs, bread, and water, with which they are
[pfrfrcflv satisfied; and indeed, though their- food
Li) simple, they have generally speaking-, twice

lestrengtli of Ruropjans, and arc able to endure

ufh more fatigiie.

The streets in 'nis city arc so extremely narrow,

frequently to admit only one horse at a time;

(led to which, they arc in many parts so very

iiffli as to make it diHicult for horses to pass.

lerc is a Rom^jn Catholic Church, a tolerably

lod building; and ^hc people of that persuasion
ire not in the least molested. Every person

ears the dress of the country, particularly

usfarlics.

On tlie y.'ith, every thing having been prepared

ir their departure for Bagdad, un Arab Sheikh,

BfS tbc case) o'port it to India, where they often receiro
bclte per ci-iit. inteiVst. The interest is usually remitted
ktk in piece goods, with which they supply the greatest
■ttofllii! Turkish cmi>ire.

I' I'siially, hilt vAy impropejjy, printed Tartar. Sec
lanipLell's Journey over.land to India," and other
lorks. It is pronounced TUtur', the accent being on the
jit J) liable.

It As these boats were admirably calculated for their in.
H'u purpose, the following account of (hem may not be
ttcccptuble :

fseriptioii of the bout generulli/ called a Dunck, but some.
ttiim a Kirajfc, uted bj the Arabs upon the riven F.u.
tfliraicf and Tigris.

iThc extreme breadth is seven feet nine inches. The
■gih forly-two feet. It is built of stronsf rough timbers at
khli'in inches distance, connected by small rough pieces of
Vd. ami covered with a coat of bitumen about half an
Ih thick on the outside, • hich, .<n case of aleak, is very

Vol, II. No. CXVI.

named Abdallah Teef, a very respectable man,
engaged to conduct them safely thither; for
which they paid him one thousand three hiuidred
piastres. This sum, it is to be observed, was
only for three boats and guards, having them-
selves provided a good siock of provisions of alt
sorts, with culinary utensils, cooks, and other
servants, which cost five hundred piastres more.
'I'he clothes provided for each person -ivere as
follow: one Arab camclinc, or riding clouk<;
two under coats ; two pair of drawers; two shirts;
one cumberband; one turban; one woollen cap.;
and one pair of yellow slippers. The boats being
brought up to Margill, they went on board; two
of the boats containing the passengers, the other
boat the additional guards: Immediately after
embarking, they were dressed so as exactly to
resemble the Arabs in appearance; and their
mustaches were now grown pretty long, having
never shaved since they left India. Every at-
tention was paid to their personal safety, the
Sheikh being always in one of the boats, and his
brother, Ahniood Sollay, in the other f. These
boats usually go from iiilla down the Euphrates
to Bussora in three days, and are seldom four.
From Bagdad' down the Tigris to Bussora they
can never go in less than eight days, though the
stream is much more rapid than the Euphrates;
but it is above twice the length, on account of the
many windings, and it runs a great way to the east-
ward towards Persia. On the Arabian side, above
Margill, thpre is neither cultivation, inhabitants,
nor vegetation, except near the banks of the
river, where are a great number of camels

eabi';- -epaircd. The inside is lined with the >ame kind of
roug; i,v;ards, none above three feet long, and of very un.

equal breadths; the liumg is, of course, full of holes

Some of these boats, insteiul of boards, are covered with
basket.work, having a coat of bitumen upon it. — 'I'hey are
very sharp at each end, and sail fust. — Their oars arc rough
poles, having a piece of board tied on with a cord, '.'"liey
have besides strong timbers, which go down to the kecF,
and are about three feet above the gunwale; these are full
of notches, to which they fasten the oars with strong kya
rope; and by these means they cither raise or lower the
oar, as is most convenient. They have no tiller; but are
enabled to vteer with great a( curacy by means of a strono-
kya lope fasienod to both sides of the rudder: and they
very seldom use more than five oars at a time. In the fore-
part was a place built with briek and clay for the purpose
of dressing victuals; and this onvenienco waj of great use,
as it enabled them to provide every thing necessary wUboitt
delaying the passage by frequent landings.

'^ X grazing.

'' ft Ir < .

62 i

A JOURNF-Y FROM INDIA, TOWAUDS ENGLAND.

grazing. Here is also much game. The Per-
oiaii side of the river has a hetter appearance,
exhibiting extensive piaiitatioiis of date-trees,
and man)' viUagcs. The river is here about two
miles broad, bearing N. N. VV. and S. S. E.

On the li^Gth they arrived at Corny, (he conflux
ef the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. Here they
remained two hours, and observed that the Tigris
bore E. N E. and the Euphrates due W. A
6hip of war was moored near the middle, between
the two rivers, as a guard'ship, and to prevent
Teasels passing without paying customs. The
two rivers, united here, form an immense body
of fresh water. From this place to the Persian
Gulph is called by the natives Shat-el-Arab.
The tide has seldom any influence so far as
Corny, except at the full and change of the
moon; and even then the water is only raised a
little; the current is not * led.

Corny is supposed by some learned men to
have been the scite of the Garden of Eden. Its
present wretched appearance, however, gives it
no pretensions to the name of the Terrestrial
Paradise, as described by IMilton. It is a small
village, surrounded by a mud wall; containing
few inhabitants, with very little cultivation.
There is, indeed, a small plantation of date-trees
between the village and the river, and which
forms a very agreeable shade. Here the Arabs
sit and spend most of their time, seeming to de-
pend for their livelihood much more on their ex-
actions from passengers, than on ttieir own in-
dustry.

Leaving Corny they went up the Euphrates,
which is called by the Arabs Shat-el-Fraat. The
country here was very little inhabited, being wet,
twampy, and covered with reeds and willows*.

At sun-set several jackalls were prowling near
the banks of the river. In the evening they made
t'^eir boats fast to the western banks of the river

* I fired at a crane among the willows, says Mr. Jackson ;
and instantly after the report, a large herd of wild hogs
rushed out, some of them of such extraordinary size, that
at first sight I could scare >ly believe they-were hugs. Their
colour is a deep red. In the neighbourhood of Bussora
sume wild hogs have been killdd, whoso carcasses have
weighed ten cwt. English. As the Arabs do nut eat them,
they are permitted to remain unmolested. It is said, that
they continue growing as long as they live; and indeed the
immense size of some of them seems to sanction such an
opinion. *

t Mr. JacksoB informs us, that oa this occasion ho was

near a large tomb, where they remained all ni-.! i
but had very little riiit, the musquitocs btin . ,, '
tremcly troublesome, and the liowlinj, nl^l' J
jackalls, wolves, and other wild bcusts, in (H
nciijhbourhood, rendering their situation imi I
dismal. vl

At day-break June 27» they restmicd their voy
age, tracking up the right bank of the river Ti '
country aflordcd a pleasing prospect, uhoiuidi,,
wiHi plantations of date-trees and fields f cor I
In their passage they passed a breach in iho rjgJJ
bank of the river, which has ovordowpd (J
Great Desert for about three hundred niilc!!, an|
has alarmed the inhabitants of Bussora and t|J
neighbourhood very much. The excessive heal
of the sun, with the inunense numbers of U J
and animalcules that perish when it dries udJ
serve to putrify the air, which in general provJ
fatal to great numbers : and hence tlic Arabs cal
it the xvntcr of death. The natives, however, wc J
endeavouring to stop the breach. AtuigiutiJ
English got very little rest on accomit of ty
mus(|uitoes, and the horrible noises viade by tJ
wild beasts in the vicinity. 1

Oi) the 'iSth they reached Soke Slnie, and oj
the follovving day were treated by (he Slieikhwitl
a dinner in the Arab fashion. It consisted ofl
dozen and a half of fish, about the size »
mackarel, fryed in ghee; a dozen joiled fowlJ
and cakes made of barley flour, fresh baked, wi(j
plenty of milk. They sat upon the grouw
agreeable to the custom of the country, in agji,
den adjoining the river, under the shade of]
grove of date and fig-trees. The fish, fo»|(
and bread, were very dweet and good ; but lU
milk was sour, and not very palatable to an EJ
rop<;aa. They d'A not make use of knives ad
forks, as in Europe, but ate with (heir fing
as the Arabs do, tearing tbcifuwis and
pieces f.

much ami led by observing the dexterity of the Arab wont
in bakiu) their bread. They have a small pliue built ifJ
clay, be ween two and three feet high, haviiijj a liulcalf
bottom, ''or the convenience of drawing out tho ashi
something "imilar to that of a lime kiln. The ovcii is usual
about fifteen inches wids at top, and gradually grows wid
to the bottom. It is heated with wood, and when suflinco^
hot, and perfectly clear from smoke, having nothing I
clear embers at bottom (which continue to rdlcct}
heat), they prepare the duugh in a large bowl, and noi
the cakos to the desired size on a board* or stone placed d
the OTcp. After they have kneaded the cake to a praij

cunsistei

A JOURNEY FTJOM INDTA, TOWATinS FNGT.AND.

G'25

-yl^p.Shuc 18 R very Urgp and po|)ul()iis town,
,1 tho residence of Slicikli Twvney, ii verv pow-
l"|-,| Ariib Prince. Mr. JhcUhou walked will)
r^'glicikli tlirongli llie town, and went into (he
Ba/,ar, or market, wliich i» about a mile long,
liii opened at 8iin-risc, and continues till nine
I'llock; it is <l»en shut up, opened again at three,
Lnd continues till silu-sct. ^ .

I The Sheikh also took him into a cofree-housc,
Uherelic was treated with coffee, after tlie ( us-
lli,^ of the country. lie was also obliged to
liaioke tobacco, they presenting him with a pipe
liboiit a yard arid half long. He sat down on a
liaat cross-legged, like the rest of the company,
lidii *liey served the coffee in a small China cup
libout the size of half an egg-shell ; but he could
liot get either milk or sugar, without which the
Ikveragc was rather unpleasarit, till he became
iccu3tomed to it.
Oil the 30th they reached a village called
Gonicrcek, tht? neighbourhood of which abounds
IjDirame. Several branches of the river meet at
\\i\l place; and a Collector of the Customs is
Rationed here. The tiver, a little above this
fclace, is very broad, nearly as far as the eye can
Lch; but '" many parts it is so very shallow,
Ihat reeds make their appearance above the sur-
face of the water. Here they altered their course
lothe Eastward, and on the 1st of July, entered
[river called by the Arabs Shat-el-Degela, which
Lnimuuicates with another named Shat-cl-Ilie,
ieing a branch of the Tigris.
1 cannot quit the Euphrates, says Mr. Jackson,
irilhout taking notice of its salubrious water,
[jiich is by much the most pleasant that I ever
uted. Though very muddy when it is first
iken up, it soon becomes perfectly clear; and
: 1 could get this water, I hud not the least

jlcncc, fhcy pat It a little, then toss it about with groat

Cilorily in une hand, till it is as thin as they choose to

Vkeit. They th<!n wet one side of it with water, at the

mttime wetting the hand and arm with which they put it

jlo (lie oven. The wet side of the cake adheres fast to the

lie of the oven (ill it is sufficiently baked, when, if not

Ud proper attention to, it would fall down among the

krs. If they were not exceedingly quick at this work,

I heat uf the oven would burn the jkin from otf their

4s and ariHs ; but with such amaiing dexterity do they

tforiu it, that one woman will continue keeping three or

Lr cakes at a time in the oven till she has done baking.

lismude, let me add, docs uot require half thu fuel that is

Ide usQ pf ia Europe. .

desire for cither wine or spirits. They continued
tracking up the river nilind S!iat-rl- Dejclii till
six o'cloik, wlu'ii tlicv made their boats fu'it. to
the b;iiik«, and pitclmcl tiieir tents not far Iroin
somi! Aral) eiicainpmonts.

Tile Slieikli rcprcstinted to them, that Mils was
a very dangerous situation, anil recoiimiciulod
'thcin to keep their arms in their tenls, in case of
an attack. Thoy had eacli a gun, a brucc of
pistols, and a sabre; and the Sheikh, his brother,
and all the guards, remained uiHlcr tirms during
the night. They placed some centincis at a dis-
tance from the tents for fear of a surpri/e, and
passed the watch-word from one, to auother the
night through, but were not molested.

-Whoever travels through these countries,
ought not to put so much value on his life as
Europeans in general do whore they are perfectly
secure, exceit from casualties. This country is
in a state of perpetual warfare; many of the in-
habitants, under no controul, live in a state of
nature, and are- not susceptible of the nobler
passions. They murder and plunder, without
ieinor,se, all whom they can overpower, and arer
at war against all the world, except their own
tribe. Such is the present state of one of the most
fertile countries in the universe. No traveller is
safe, having reason to expect every moment to be
attacked by a superior ft>rce.

On tlu" 2d of July they struck their tents, and
arrived at the head of the Degela, when they
entered a larger river, which is divided into two
branches: the one running S, E. the other W*.
At twelve o'clock they entered the river called by
the Arabs Shat-el-Hie, running from the N. N. W.

The Sheikh always chose as open a coi^try as
he could find, to remain in all night, for fear of
being attacked by the Arabs at a disadvantage.

* VVhethi-r these braHchcs have been cut to water the
country, or not, is uncertain ; but it is probable they have.
The ground for about forty yards from the river is usually
three or four feet higher than it is farther inland. The
larger branches are often near a quarter of a mile broad,
and the smaller about half that distance. They make th^
country through which they pass exceedingly fettiie ; but
there is no doubt that these- different branches are much
larger than they were originally, and that they are still in-
creasing, as the Tigris, from which they arc supplied, is
much more rapid than the Euphrates, particularly at this
season, when the freshes are cooiitig down from tliu snowy
uiouutaius.

W 4

i- ,!

li.'

• ft

'(!.

'i i..

V .' ": '' " «

During

wr^i

! 1. 1':

€26

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS rNDl.AND,

Diirinj? tlie ni}jfht they were ituuIi disturbnl by
the jiK-kailt, Wfliu scciiiud very near, and luiide a
iiiosl hideous noise.

The next day they were vi'iited by some Arabs
on horsebaek. They were ahi tit twenty in nuni-
l)er, armed with spears and tolwas. As tlie
horsemen approachcil, our Sheikh, w ith a double-
barrelled pun in liis hand, walked about twenty
yards to meet the Chief of th»^ other party, who
also advanio'l before his people about the same
distance. After some conversation between the
two Chiefs, the whole advanced. The iMiief
■wai mounted oh a bcciitiful Arab mare, and it is
a general rule, that Sheikhs and men of conse-
quence arc always mounted on mares, which arc
usually valued at three times the price of horses*.
There is much jnngle ( wood) in the neighbour-
hood of this place, and lions are very numerous.
Parties of Arabs likewise frequently lie in wait
here, and the Sheikh who conducted Mr. Jack-
eon fully expected a nighi-attark ; and he there-
fore, with his brother and all the guards, re-
mained under arms all night, the Sheikh con-
etanily walking round the tents with a double-
barrelled gun in his hand. A very good look-
out, and probably the preparations which the
horsemen observed making for defence, prevented
the travellers from being molested.

The heat of the sun was so excessive on the
4th of July, that the boatmen were not able to
endure it. They were in general nearly naked,
having no other covering than a small woollen
fdp, which barely iits the crown of the head.
The rapid current of the river continues deepen-
ing the beds, and in consequence the Arabs are
rot able to water many parts of the country,
which renders it uninhabitable except on the
banks of the river. Where they cannot have
water, the excessive heat of the sun soon destroys
all vegetation, and particularly at this season.
In the afternoon they passed a village on the

♦ To those who are strangers to the I.inguac;(<, inaniicri,
and customs, of this country, it is no tfnusoful thins; to ro.
foll'-ct, Miat whenoTor a man is .mounted on a mare it may
be ilepondcd on that he is abt ve thu commo-. class Dress
cannot be relied on ; for a Sh -ikh will ofte > ha»o his mean,
f St servant dressed mwch bcttrr than himself, and will cat
out of the same dish with him , as if they were equals.

+ An instance of this sin^'ular trait in the character of
4hc Arabs occurred not long ago. A Frenchman was carry,
ing dispatches to iudia, across the Great Desert, from

western banks of the river, called Waa«iit Tl
river is here above half a mile hroiid. 'ri! |
Sheikh was particularly careful not to iro i,,"
the village, but continued trackiin; up (1^. ^"
posite banks, and made as much haste as iwissil)"
" All the inhabitants," said thij Sheikh, " A
desperate thieves, and have no mercy on di,, I
who are so unfortunate as to fall into their hitmlsJ
for they are imder no government or eoiilroul r«J
cept that of their own leaders, who are cvirvl
whit as bad as themselves." 'I

In the afternoon of July 5. they arrivpj at|||,j
town called Ilie, from which this river lukrsjtii
name. It is situated on the eastern banks; amji
the inhabitants of this town not being niuchi
better than those of Waasiif, the Slieikli imistercd
all his guards a l*ltle above the town, ainoui)tin»
to thirty men, all exceedingly well arinod, anill
tiressed in their best clothes. He spread a nnU
on the ground, and with his brother, uml aiiottifl!
principal officer, sat down, having all the gi^rdJ
under arms draw up near them. Here tlieywfJ
visited by the principal men in the town, \v)J
were treated with pipes and cofl>f. The Slieikli]
however, kept the double-barrelled gun IvinfftJ
the carpet before him, a' ready to lire in
moment; the other oflicei ' men being ('quallij
prepared. This cerem' .ust appear veri

strange to those who are wholly uiiartiuainta
with the singular manniT/ and customs of thra
people; but all this caution is perfectly nrcesjar]
till they have given the salani and ate tdjfcthen
When that has been done, there can be no rooj
for apprehension. An Arab, after heliaseateJ
or drank with another, let him be ever so great J
stranger, and of whatever religion or countrn
woultl sooner perish than suder him to receivj
the least injury, either in person or properlvj
and whoever, in distress, puts himself entirelj
under the | rotection of an Arab, may relv upoi
being defended in the most faithful inauncrf

Aleppo to Russora. He had with him an interpreter,
an escort of about eighty men, mostly on cdiiiols. Wid
about five days journey from Bussora, they wcrcadjckij
in the evening by a wandering tribe of Arabs. The nq
senger had a double- barrelled gun, with which hcsholll
Slieikh of the hostile party; but they rnshed with siirhfoij
at the first onset, that before he had time to charge osiii
he was cut down with a sabre. Most of the iiu'Escnjeij
guards being killed, they were stripped by the cunqiierM
and the messenger amonj; the rest, it betug imagiucil thit j

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENOLAND.

tf'27

H is cuJtomary for these people to lay very

i^,v contributions on vesscU and passeneers

Lj pas* this way, or plunder them when tliey

Lnot comply with their demands: and in case

[(the least resistance, they will seize the boats

J murder every person on board. In this they

Lan a(lvanta(;e over boats going up the river,

thich being obliged to track against both wind

U stream, their progress is seldom moke than

L miles an hour; but going downwards there

t,ery little danger; for the current being very

toid. and ^^^ w*"** usually blowing fresh from

Kn. \y. all vessels go at a great rate, and par-

yarlythc small doneks, which sail remarkably

Hie is a small town surrounded by a mud

' but there are a vast number of inhabitants

proportion to the size of the place.

the locusts in this country are very numerous.

Ir, Jackson caught one of a different colour

L the common locust, and much larger. Its

Iff extraordinary appearance induced him make

ilictcli of it from life, of the exact natural size.

Ly part of it is green, except the under wings,

Lch are crimson; and when flying it has a

Ltiful appearance. The eyes are very re

LUble.

|Oii the Ith, they entered the river Tigris,
led by the Arabs, Shat-el-Amaar. Nearly
Vosite, on the eastern banks of the Tigris, is a
ill town called Coote, off which several stout
mh ^vcre lying at anchor. The main body of
Miver runs S. S. E. ; and from the best ob-
hation they could make, it appeared that the
ihad been originally a canal cut to water the
intrv, but had in course of time increased to a
Ij laige river, containing much more fresh
than the Thames. The Tigris is here

Idnd. After the engagement, the Arabs lighted fires to
|e colfee and refresh themselres ; and, as is customary
1 them, sat on the ground in a circle round the fire.
[messenger's wound not proving mortal, (to though he
lone side of his face cut down, his skull was not mate.
r injured) he at length recoTored his senses ; and finding
(elf entirely naked, as well as much weakened by the
m blood, ho had nearly given himself up to despair.
I rcroiiccting to hare heard of this singular disposition
cAr&lis, he resolved to try the eipcrimcnt, as the only
I of saving his life, or putting an end to his existence.
|ookavicw of the Arabs sitting round the fire, and
1 otit iiini whom he thought most likely to be the chief,
|ing the oldest.looking man in the company. Naked as
IS, and almost covered with blood, he rushed into the
I and threw h-aisclf at his feet. Uia conjecture was

L II. No. CXVII.

above a mile broad; and, though reckoned at ita
height, on account of the snow melting upon the
mountains^ the banks were upwards of ten fee^
perpendicular above the surface of the water.
Several large droves of camels were grazing upon
its banks. The river is very crooked, winding
from N. N. E. to South. They passed a Turkish
camp pitched on the western banks, and made
their boats fast to the same banks, about half a
mile above them. The Turkish tents had a very
handsome appearance, some being red, others
green, and some white. The army consisted of
six thousand horse; and the Bashaw hud two
artiied vessels to att«qd him on the river; these
were about a hundred and fifty tons burden each,
and were built much like the Grabs in the East-
Indies. This army had been sent to punish some
rebellious Arabs in the neighbourhood, who
had murdered the Sheikh of Hilla, and several
other officers under the Turkish government.
The Sheikh dressed himself and half a do/en of
his slaves in their best clothes, and paid & visit to
the Bashaw.

On the lOth Mr. Jackson informs us he had an
opportunity of observing the progress of the hot
winds, called by the natives Samiel, which some-
times prove very destructive, particularly at this
season. They are most dangerous between twelve
and three o'clock, when the atmosphere is at its
greatest degree of heat. Their force entirely de-
pends on the surface over which they pass. If
it be over a desert, where there is no vegetation,
they extend their dimensions, with amazing
velocity, and then their progress is sometiraes to
windward. If over grass, or any other vegeta-
tion, they soon diminish, and lose much of their
force. If over water,, they lose all their electrical

right. This old man was the chief, who immediately cover,
cd him with his cloak. IIo was now at a loss for an inter,
preter; but, on ccarch being made, the interpreter was
found in a similar situation, wounded, but not dangerously.
The messenger had his clothes and dispatches returned to
him ; and the chief entered into an agreement to deliver him
safe at Bussora, on the messenger promising to pay him one
hundred Venetian sequins. Both parties performed their
agreement; the messenger arrived safe, and had engaged a
dow to take him to Muscat. This having reached the
English resident's ears, he seized the messenger with hisdis.
patches, and had hii wounds dressed by the English sur.
geon. It war. imagined that the messenger, if tiufiercd to
proceed, would not have reached India, as his wounds re.
quired much surgical assistance.

;ti !

1 ;; • i4

!1' !

Sre,

'fi..^

' I '. 5

628

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

fire, and ascend; yet he sometimes felt their
effects across the river where it was at least a
mile hroad.

On the 12th they made their boats fast to the
eastern banks of the river, and pitched their
tents near the ruins of the ancient city of Ctesiphon.
The river here takes a circuit to the southward
for about ten miles, and leav>°s niJy a narrows neck
of land, on which are still standing many lofty
walh n.rid towers, being fragments of ancfent
Ctesiphon. In their passage tiiey met with several
stout vessels, some upwards of two hundred tons
burden, laden with fire-wood, and bound to
Bagdad. Tlit y appeared to Mr. Jackson of such
a singular construction, and so ill adapted for the
purpose, that he was induced to take a sketch of
one uf them. The rudder is composed of a great
quantity of rough timbers very aukwardly put
together, and is guided by a tiller. They are
built of very coarse materials, and covered with
a thick coat of bitumen. Tiic icfty head is gene-
rally ornamented with a '.jtriety of shells stuck
into the bitumen. Tkey form aktoget'/*r a very
uncouth specimen ot naval architecture, and re-
quire twenty, and sonratimes thirty trackers; but
■when the wind blows strong, even they are not
able to move them. On enquiring the reason
why they made use of vessels so ilPadaptcd to the
purpose that a man with a very slight knowledge
of naval architcture might soon discover their
inconveniences, and observing, that a vessel built
upon a plan similar to (lio Kiiglish ware barges
would carry as nuifli cargo, draw less water,
and might be worked with one-third of the men;
the answer he received convinced him of the
danger and inutility of attempting any iimovation
among these pe-./ple. lie was told, that ihe
children invariably continued to follow the trade
of their f( re- fathers; thus the sons of a carpenter
are all CBi-penters, &c.; that their fore-fathers
had always built vessels upon the same plan, and
that it would be reckoned very prophane in them
to deviate from the custom of their ancestors.
This completely solves the problem, and shews to
what a length superstition and prejudice is carried
among them. These people have continued from

* A'.i Kiiglishman has at Bagdad a priyilegu which U not
granted to the people of any other nation. Whatever bag.
gage he may hare with him, instead of being taken to the
Cubtom.houne, is allowed to be carriecftu the plare ivhero
he ifi going to reside, and au oificor of the custumti is tent

the earliest period to speak the same languaJ
wear the same kind of dress, and v^t vMd drni
in the same manner. Their mode cf warfare;
still the same; and scarcely the slightest deviatini
has taken place in their manners ,\nd custom!
prejudices and passions; though almoiit ever
other lation has undergone a thorough revolutioi
within a few centuries.

Should a man here, convinced of a defect n
any branch of trade, offer to adopt an improv*
ment, complaint would soon be made to thl
Mufti, and the artist probably pay for his temerill
with his life.

At sun-set on the 13th ^h<;y passed Javer, oi
the western banks of the river. Though but
small town, it is much celebrated on account
a very beautiful mosque that stands in it,
nine o'clock theycrosscd the mouth of alargerJTi
running from the North, called by the Aral
Shat-el-Deaal, and at half past nine made tbt
boats fast to the eastern banks of the river, whii
were upwards of twelve feet above the surface
the water.

On the I4th they reached Ragdad. Therivi
was very crooked, being nearly round tlie coi
pass, yet from the place where they set out in 11
morning was only three hours walk hy lai
They airived at the house of Mr. J. L. Renai
(an agent to Mr. Manesty, of Bussora), whii
was very conveniently situated adjacent to
river*.

Bagdad is seated on the eastern hanks of (
Tigris. It is a large and populous city.^xtcndii
along the banks of thn river about three lui'i
and the length of the walls from the river beii
about two miles, gives it the form of un oblci
square. The houses, though very interior
the European, arc much better built than tin
of Bussora, but nearly in the same stilu, Mi
of the public buildings, such as mosqi
minarets, and hummums, are constructed
hewn stone, and make a very handsome appi
ancc. Here is also an extensive Bazar, whici
well supplied with variety of articles; but
prices in general much higher than at Bus$i
The Armenians are the principal merchants h

thither to examine It, This privilege was ohtaincd byl
solicitation of Mr. Manesty in favour of his couiitryi^
and will be at all times adv»ntagooui to tho iutcrvst as <
as the couvcuieuco of a triivuller.

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

629

^g ^gnufactories carried on are few, and those
eoaiincd to articles for immediate use, as sh'^es,
hoots, clothes, sadlery, and culinary utensils.
Tlie Armenians at Mosul send great quantities of
wpper down the Tigris to Bagdad upon rafts of
limber fastened together. On their arrival the
nfts are sold, wood being very scarce here. The
copper is afterwards shipped for Bussora on board
Ijrge dowF, which are usually about six months
ii) performing the voyage thither and back again.
The copper, is in small round cakes about six
inches broad, and nearly two inches thick in the
fiddle, but gradually sloping to the edges. It
jgof a quality nearly the same as English battery
cake copper. This trade, which has not long
iieen carried on, is fast increasing to a very great
(iteiit; for sometimes ships sail from Bussora
laden almost entirely with copper; and it is pro-
bable that it will in lime prove prejudicial to the
English manufactories. Labour being much
cheaper in these countries than in Europe, they
ifo enabled to carry it to market at a much cheap-
trrate; and this makes it very profitable to those
It present concerned in it. Though Bagdad is
Diic'. better I uilt than any other city in this part
of (he wc'lf', it is still very inferior to many cities
in Europe. Every house \v?ars the appearance
of a prison, as described in Bussora, but com-
poted of better materials; they are in general of
brick, and the timbers very good, bemg those
which are floated down the Tigris. The streets
tre very narrow and dusty. Scorpions, taran-
Hulas, and other noxious insects, are very
luineroiis. Of the former Mr. tlackson fre-
quently killed four or five in a night; Ihey are of
tlie large black kind, and their stings often prove
mortal. All persons at this season of the year
slrp nn the tops of their houses; and the people
iiinnD' with their clothes in their hands at sun-
(i>e; for as soon as it has risen above the horixon
it becomes excessively hot. Mr. Jackson soon
lenrncd, however, that even looking over t£ a
|iarapct-wall wan a deed o£ danger; for that the
iTurkH would not hesitate a moment to shoot at any

* The fullowliig Htury h rolatud uf thu late Kyu by (ho

Inerrhaiits; and many of them, much to thc-ir sorrow, arc

|(ii)lil(!d ;o vouch far the truth of it; it also proves to what

ilength iniiny of the Turkiiih Ministors and Biuhaws carry

bhrir tyra <ny and opprestlon. He wu » man (say they) of

piporiar abilities, had tho confldcnco of the Bashaw, and

ipti matt strict watch over tho conduct of all officers,

person whom they might discover overlooking
their houses. Here are many cranes, much larger
and very different from any in Europe. They
build their nests upon the tops of the minarets
and the loftiest houses, where they are never mo-
lested, and are in consequence very t^e. As
there are no canals to water the city, many poor
people are constantly employed in carrying water
from the river in skins. Some take it on their
backs, while others haveasscs and mules. With-
out the walls, to the westward, is entirely desert,
not having the least traces of vegetation, except
on the banks of the river. Behind the city, to
the northward, the same barrenness prevails;
there is no water nor any cultivation. To the
eastward, along the banks of the river, there are
excellent gardens, which extend about four
miles; and a great many houses filled with in-
habitants stand without the walls. The cit}',
however, is chiefly supplied with fruits and vege-
tables from the opposite side of the river, where
there is much cultivation. The Bashaw and
some of the principal people have country seats
in this neighBonrhood. This was the scite of
ancient Seleucia, built by Seleucus, one of Alex-
ander's generals, who succeeded to the government
of this part of the country; and several of his
coins are still to be met with in Bagdad. The
gold coin is worth about two guineas; it bears as
strong an impression of ^^le head as the ancient
Roman coins, but has. a long beard. A little
farther, towards Hilla, are still to be seen some
ruins of ancient Babylon.

Bagdad at present is supposed to contain more
treasure than any city of equal size in the world ;
and the immense quantity of specie and bullion
found in the coffers of the late Kya (or Prime
Minister) of Bagdad seems to warrant such a
conjecture. He was murdered a few months
ago by conspirators employed against hiin by the
present Kya; and when the Bashaw seized on
his property, an exact account was taken of his
treasure, which amounted in value to upwards
of three million sterling*. The present Kyj

can

civi'; and nttlitary; heaoe it was^ that so many of thTn
readily joined in tho conspiracy. Ho was withal rery
avaricious, and invented many singular methods of adding
to his treasure ; among others, tho following proved verjf
productive; he always kept spies over tho merchants in tha
Bazar; and when hu hearu of any dispute anic..^ them, ha
would first send for one of tbo parties, question him ro,

ipoctiog

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i| i

I i; i

630

A JOUREY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

can neither read nor write. He was originally a
Georgian slave boy^ and brought up in the
Haram ; but was afterwards raised to an inferior
o(Kce on the military establishment. Having
heard that the Bashaw's daughter wished to
marry him, he gained over some of the military
and civil officers^ and caused the Kya to be mur-
dered one evening as he was returning from the
Seraglio. When the Bashaw heard of it he
immediately fled for protection into the Haram,
where he concealed himself till he was informed
that no injury was intended towards him. There
was a considerable commotion in the city for a
few days, which, however, was soon settled by
orders being issued, that whoever was found in
arms in the streets should immediately be put to
death. The present Kya was soon after ap-
pointed to succeed, and married to the Bashaw's
daughter. When it became necessary to transmit
an account of the affair to Constantinople, it was
stated, that the late Minister had intended to
poison the Bashaw, which was the cause of his
being put to death. The present Kya does not
appear to be thirty years of age, is comely, and
has a very graceful figure; but in all probability
he will not continue long in office; the lives of
princes in this country are extremely precarious,
perhaps more so than in any other country in the
universe, as no less than seven have been assas-
sinated within the last twelve months.

Few Europeans transact any business at Bag-
dad, or keep any Consuls there. The English
bave no Consul, but their business is managed by
an Armenian named Coja Makell, a very respect-
able man. Mr. Jackson had letters to another
Armenian merchant named Coja Stephon Babeck,
a very worthy man, who speaks tolerably good
English, and is the only resident in the whole
city that understands a word of it. The French
at present have here a Consul named Rousseau,
Vfho is a relation of the famous writer Jean
Jaques. They do not, however, carry on much

spGCting (he matter in dispute, and, under' a plea of the
gorcrnment being in want of money, enquire how much he
Vi ould gire tu gain his causo. The sum was usually in pro.
portion to the wealth of (he complainant, and the animosity
between (he parties; sometimes so much as four or fiTe
thousand piastre*. Ho would thcu set this man aside, send
for the other party, and examine him respecting the quarrel,
and as to the sum that he would give to gain his aause.
TiiU dooe, h« would confroat Uie two parties, and decide

business here, having at present no commnn;,.
tion with India: "'

Mr. Renaud, though only a clerk to Mr I
Manesty, waited on the Bashaw for a finnan I
for Mr. Jackson, which he obtained under the!
Bashaw's seal, and having engaged a Tatar!
named Siad Ahmed Aga, to attend him, he preJ
pared for his departure. The Mookadar (or|
keeper of the seals) paid us a visit, which wai
considered as a very great honour. He earft
directions to the Tatar in my presence ( says Mr I
Jackson) to be attentive to tlii^ preservation of my
person and property, for that otherwise he should
forfeit his head. I had now for the first time ait
opportunity of observing the ceremony of perj
fuming, &c. which is usually paid to men o
consequence. But the Mookadar was an excep
tion to one very general custom amongst thj
Turks, as he did not smoke tobacco. On hij

taking leave he was complimented with an e

white muslin turban and cumberband, the artlck
most commonly presented on visits of ceremony.!

Mr. Jackson's Tatar dress being ready, as wel'j
as the trappings of his horse, he began to prepfrJ
for his departure from Bagdad. Though he n
to travel under the title of Consul, yet it was i
cessary to wear the Tatar dress, to avoid bein
insulted by the populace, as is always the cai
when they discover an Europenn, whom thej
call Fringui. . He had also his head shave
which he found to be of great service, as it kepi
him cool, and was more convenient to him id
wearing the Tatar dress. He had entered inlof
written agreement with his Tatar to give U
eight hundred piasters; five hi.ndred tobepaja
in ready money at Bagdad before his departiita
and the remaining three himdred on his safearl
rival at Constantinople; and the Tatar engag
not to take any other passengers or merchandia
under his care. Mr. Jackson took bills froij
Bagdad and Constantinople both for his Tatar]
three hundred piastres, and the money he hii

in favour of him who had given the greater sum, rcluraU
the other bis money, with some harsh censures of hiscoJ
duct. At iength this practice of the Kya was attended wiij
a very good effect. The merchants found thenialvn i
egregiously fooled and flacccd, that whcncTir aitydispnj
occurred, they wore very glad to settle it ainirubly amoi
themselves, taking all |iouibie care to prcvcut its tm'^
the «ari of th§ Kyai

providfl

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

631

»t no cotnmunica.1

a clerk to Mr.
iw for a firmauB
tained under the'
ngaged a Tatar,
end him, hepre-l
e Mookadar (or]
visit, which waii
pnour He garel
resence (says Mr.
[ireservation ofmyj
herwise he should]
ir the first time ai
ceremon)^ of per.
paid to men ol
dar was an excei
torn amongst tin
tobacco. On hij
led with anelegani
Bfband, the article!
isits of ceremony,
eing ready, as wel'j
e began to prcpri
. Though he VI
i9ul, yet it was
B8S, to avoid bei
is always the ci
)peHn, whom thei
his head shav
service, as it ke|
ivenicnt to him ii
: had entered into
1 utar to give hii
hi.ndred to be pail
fore his departiii
red on his safear<
the Tatar eng8[
ers or mcrchandr
m took bills froi
)oth for his Tatar'
the money he hi

greater sum, rcturoiij
all censures of his cod
< Kya was attended wid
ts found thcmsclTH i
tt whcneTer aiiydispi^
lettle it amicably ainin
I to prevent its reau

«,vided for the remainder of his journey. He

lalso letter* of credit on Constantinople from

if IVlan^^y> ill case he should have occasion

tniore money. His dress consisted of a yellow

bnaboiit a foot high, broad at top and almost

u but becoming gradually narrower till it fitted

/head. The lower part of the cap was cover-

jll round with black lambskin about four

ihcsdccp, the inside lined and quilted, and in

'iwper P^''* stuffed with wool extremely tight.

Ljjffljius calculated to resist ai\y weapon, it is.

,(jceilent safeguard td the head. This cap,

y, being very heavy, feels unpleasantly at

is called a Culpack, and is only worn by

■ Tatars. His other articles of apparel were,

Lovvn cloth coat trimmed with a broad black

Ibinding, wrapped quite round the body with

ft wide sleeves, and hanging down to the calf

(lie leg; blue Turkish trowsers trinmied with

k silk binding, made )i«ry wide, but button-

ticht round the small of the leg; and strong

boots to pull over the trowsers as high as the

of the log. The under-dress is a Turkish

II, with lon^j sleeves buttoning close to the

t; and a shirt without a collar. Turks of all

riptions have the neck entirely bare. The

lars wear drawers; 'but i\'lr. Jiickson wore a

Irof strong leather breeches under his trowsers,

ich lie found of great service. A cumberband

iutsi.x yards long was tied very tightly round

waist, and in this he hung a brace of pistols,

ide having a large Turkish sabre fusfoiwd

ind his middle with a belt. His Euro,

Ihes, and whatever he had not immediut. ■

ion for, he had packed up in wax cloth;

s, stockings, and other necessaries that he

luldhave occasion for on the journey, he had

into a leather-pouch, which was fastened

lad the saddle.

ing completely equipped, at five o'clock on
2i)thof July, he took leaveof his companions.
Jackson and his Tatar guide rode near a
through the Hazar, where the merchants.,
iina; been apprized when he should go, were
iliiigwith their letters. His Tatar took up-
ds of two hundred under his charge, this
igtlie only method they have of forwarding
rs from one city to another. The merchants
Tatars are, therefore, always upon very
terms; and the olUce of Tatar, as it is of
greatest trust, is also very profiluble; for, be-
kiM No. CXVII.

side their other emoluments, they receive con-
siderable presents from the merchants. The let-
ters arc not any great inconvenience to them,
giving no farther trouble than the mere carriage;
for when a Tatar arrives at any considerabld city,
the ii^erchants immediately go to the Conac for
their letters. Near the western gate of the city a
caravan was preparing to set out, several hundred
camels being already loaded. As soqn as we were
without the gates (says Mr. Jackson) we set off
at a brisk trot, the first part of our road being a
perfect desert, without the least appearance of
vegetation. Having ridden about four miles,
we overtook the Tatar's servant with three horses,
the one on which he rode had my European
clothes, a few necessaries belonging to the Tatar,
and a couple of leathern bottles with water.
The second horse had only .a cloth on him and a
bridle; being brought as a reserve, ia case of
any accident happening to the other horses. The
third was laden with two bales of merchandize, a
thing expressly against our agreement. I had
actually deprived myself of many necessaries that
I might not be enciimbcrcd; aud now finding
that my Tatar had deceived me, I thought of re-
turning to Bagdad, and charging him with his
breach of contract. Reproaching him for his
conduct, I threatened to return, which alarmed
him very much, as .such a step would in all pro-
bability have ruined him. He solemnly assured
me, that he should only take them to Mosul.
Though much disconcerted by this conduct ia
my Tatar, yet having already paid him five hun-
<l;od pia^fr(-t. I thought it better to proceed, even
lluuigh I might be deta; ed a few days. The
T'.tit then promising; to make as much haste as
possible, we continiud our journey, and about
nine miles from Bagdad arrived at the banks of a
branch of the Tigris. '" ic road was here very
rough, and full o\ stunted shrubs. We soon left
the river, and passed through the town of
Yankja. In the vicinity were several flocks of
sheep, watched by shepherds for fear of the
jackalls, which wcr'* • y numerous, and made a
most hideous iioi' On crossing a plain west-
ward of Yankja, . nit much inconvenience from
a hot and sulphureous wind. I tied a handker-
chief over my month and 'nose till it passed us>
and my Tatar did the same; but I began to ap-
prehend some danger, As those winds were so
strong even ia the night, what havowk might

7 Z they

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632

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

they not make when the sun ^vas at its height, and
the' earth at its greatest heat! We continued
our journey at the rate of about five miles an
hour till efeven o'clock, when we arrived at a
town called DoucoUa, where we slept in the
open air on a quilt and a pillow, with all our
clothes on. This place and Yankja are both
small straggling towns, every house being sur-
rounded by a separate mud wall.

On :he Slat they set out at half past four
o'clock in the morning and were soon joi ad by
a Turk with a servant and three horses. They
pas.«^d through several villages, and saw many
very fine fields of corn, with great quantities of
game. 6muU cuts that led from a large canal
supplied the country with water, and made it
very rich; the bridges over these cuts were nar-
row, 'ind sometimes dangerous for the horses to
pass, being only a few sticks laid across, auu
covered with clay. They continued their route
at the rate of four miles an hour till half past six
o'clock, when we arrived at a Conac in a small
village called Hope. A very fine stream of clear
water ran through the village, in vtliich were
large quantities of turtle. At seven they arrived
at a small town, surrounded by a mud wall, called
Massabbas, near the banks of the river Deaal.
In this neighbourhood were the remains of some
military entrenchments. Here \vore several wild
hogs, some of which were very large, and of an
extraordinary size. They crossed the river Deaal
over a stone bridge which had two very lofty
stone pillars at one end, and in the evening ar-
rived at a village called Chubuccan, where they
slept on the bare ground in the open air; and on
the next evening liicy arrived at Adanaque.

This town is situated at the foot of a range of
mountains, running East and West, and is well
watered by some clear rivulets that run from the
mountains. Though here is plenty of stoi , yet
all the houses are built with clay, and an only
one slory high. In this place cranes are so
abi'ridant, that there is scarcely a house which
has not several nests upon 'it. They are very

• There were indeed u..! • half a dozen of (hem, but (hey
were all well armed; and were ge((ing (heir nja((lilorks
ready, in case the Tatar had refused (o comply uith (hvir
demands. It requires some (line for a man (<> |>rt'j)are a
matchlock, as he has to strike a light. They are very cer-
tain at a steady mark, but iithcrwiso cannot be depended
upon. They are chiefly rilie.barreU, and the Arabs are
near a quarter of an hour in charging them.

tame, and the inhabitants never molest th
When any thing disturbs these birds, tliey niai3
a violent clatter with their Imig beaks, whj i
sometimes repeated by the others all-over ll
town; antl this noise will sometimes continue fj
several minute:?. It is as loud a« ;> v.atclimanl
rattle, and not much unlike it in sound, pr J
Adanaque they set out on fresh horses, an
ascended the mo.mtains by very narrow pajs.
Some were cut through the solid rock, o-iyjn
room only for one hor.se to pass at a time* a
the top of one of these mountains some AraU
were encamped, who exacted a few piastres fro]
the Tatar *. After crossing these mountains tha
entered an extensive vale, through whichacoi
Liderable river runs from West to East, called!
the natives Shat-el-Narin. There were seven
Arabs with their flocks on the banks of theriia
Though a considerable body of water, it is afiJ
clear stream; but has no bridge over it neartll
place f. 1

They continued their journey till they arrivJ
at a town called Karatapa. Hero the Tatar di
missed the servant he brought from Bagdat
after giving him a severe horse-whippino;. Afi]
they left Karalapa, though the road \\as ct'J
very rugged, and they h ».! sometiincs diiiiru|
enough to discern any track, they rode full gall
the greater part of the way. One servant tisuaj
leads one or two horses, and those aic whipa
by the Tatar or other servants wlio foHi
Travelling still on full gallop, they passed m
of those encani|)mcnts where (lie Arabs
stationed to exact money. As the iiijjjht
very dark, no moon being visible, and (lierosj
exceedingly rougli, there was scarcely a liol
among the party but had one or mure l'a|
though those cattle are in general very sua
footeil. They arrived at Kuppree after crossa
the river \arin over a stone bridge; and in
morning of the 23d arrived at a town call
Tuscomartee, where they rested. [

Tuscoinartee is very pleasantly situated (oj
North, at the foot of some hills, and is

+ About the banks of (his river were several very aril
animals, a species of the Jerboa is described hy llal
They burrow like rabbits, seem very tauiu, ami riinf
fast upon (heir hind legs. The (ail is extrcmiiy !on|
piiiporlion to the body, and has a largo wliitc infii
em' When sittirijj on the ground they have niiulii
pearancc of rats, but ore about twice the iuv, and^
much lighter colour.

watc

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

633

•itered by several clear streams that flow from
Itliein- I^ commands a very line prospect over an
Itxteosive vale to the South; in vrhich it should
Ijeem that in winter there is a great deal of grass^
rfire might judge from the long brown tufts that
litill remained. The sun is so very powerful at
[(bis season as to destroy all vegetation, except
iKarthe rivulets that flow from the mountains,
Ifbere are numerous flocks of sheep and herds of
Itattle. These, however, the shepherds are al-
Ifays obliged to drive to the town in the evening,
loll account of the wild beasts. Thou^^h there is
liview over this vale for nearly, fifteen or twenty
DJles, not a single habitation was to be seen.
Cniilinuing to gallop the whole of the v ay over
ibaTen country, they arrived at a town called
^aooii, which is situated on the North of the
jme extensive vale, which is about tvi'enty miles
kfcr, and has a chain of mountains on each side,
mning East and West. About four miles from
ifjook they arrived at a Tepellec, a town in the
ue vale, watered by several streams flowing
tim the mountains on the North. We did not
bop at Tcpclleo, but continued our journey,
Iding at about four miles an hour, the roads
leing rough, and sometimes intricate*.
I On (he 'i4rth they arrived at Kircook, also situ-
lied in llic vale before-mentioned. They soon
tr ascended the chain of mountains on the right.
Ii(ar the summit are several Naphtha pits.
rbcse are dug out of the rock, are about three
let deep, and into them the Naptha oozes in a
kick liquid, having a very strong smell, nearly
kftnbling that of our coal-tar, .lust above these
lits were several rocks of salt. They soon after
■und themselves among some hills shaped like
kj-cocks, which appear to have been so formed
f water, being covered with pebbles and shells,
lie those usually seen on the sides of the rivers.
toward the top of this chain of mountains, these
luiid hills were very large; but they gradually
Iminifihed for about two miles, when the travellers
fended into an extensive vale. This immense
Inge of mountains appears as if it had once form-
la barrier. Along the top are the remains of

I* The Tatars are excellent riders, beiii£[ the greater part
1 1hi'ir time on horseback; they have not, however, the
k regard fur the b' asts, but gallop up hill or iIunvd with-
pisiinctiun, and keep on till Koiiietiines the horses fall
per the fatigue, unable to go any farther. Nevertheless,
kehoricsarc much more hardy and able to endure fatigue,

a very strong wall, built with stone and cetnented
with bitumen.

Soon after descending into the vale, they
gallopped the greater part of the way, to Alton
Kuppree, which is a large and populous town,
built on an island formed by the river Alton,
which di\ Jes itself close above the town, and
uniting again a little below it, the town nearly
covers the whole island. Here is at present a
very large garrison of Turkish soldiers; and the
town may be deemed impregnable, being ditBcult
of access, and the use of artillery not known in
this country. On entering the town we crossed
the river, over which is an exceedingly high
stone bridge of one arch. The passage over this
bridge is very disagreeable, it being exceedingly
steep on both sides, and like a Gothic arch run-
ning up to a point in the center. The pavement
upon the bridge too is very bad. This town is at
present the capital of Turkish Curdistan, and a
Bashaw resides in it.

On leaving this town they crossed the other
branch of the river, over which is a bridge of
two archef. This river contains a large body of
water, and falls into the Tigris, a few miles be-
low the town.

Evrill, which is thirty-two miles from Alton
Kuppree, appears to have been formerly a place
of some importance, for it exhibits the remains of
an old castle on the top of an artificial hill on
the West side of the town, and in the vicinity
are several Naphtha pits. It is said to be the an-
cient Arbela, near which Alexander fought with
Darius, and the country for some distance round
it is an open champaign.

On the 25th they set out from Karakoosh, a
little after nine o'clock; but the sun was now
become excessively hot, the inhabitants began to
retire into the shade, and some of thorn down into
deep vaults. This part of the country is reckon-
ed tlie most dangerous at this season, on account
of the Samiel winds, which arc now at their
greatest strength, and more people are destroyed
by them than in any other way. Both my Tatar
and myself being exceedingly v/ell mounted, we

than those of Europe. The riders d.> not seem to be much
afraid of a fall, which often happen i in galloj>ping down
hill; far the cap preserve* the head, the eumberband the
body, anfl the strong boots the legs ; and the foot is very
easily disengaged from the stirrups, wi ich are iron-platus",
nearly as long as the foot.

•ti, ^ I

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'kSm

'.:.'.:• 11 J

65*

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

set out at full speed, and continued that pace
most part of the way, which is near twenty
miles; for the Samiel winds were beginning to
rise befqre we could reach Mosul, and they would
have gained strength so fast, that there is no
doubt if thoy had been an hour later, exposed as
they were, the whole party, men and horses,
would have been laid dead on the ground. They
reached Mosul at a quarter before eleven o'clock,
after crossing the Tigris over a bridge of boats.

Mosul, which is said by some of the inha-
bitants to be the ancient Nineveh, is pleasantly
situated on a declivity upon the right banks of the
Tigris. What it may formerly have been it may
be difficult to say, but it is now a very lar.'re
town, and contains many handsome buildings,
exclusive of the hummums, mosques, and
minarets, which are all built of hewn stone.
Here is not so much reserve of manners as in the
cities to the eastward, women of all descriptions
being nearly as much exposed as in Europe.

The town is very populous, and comprises men , two feet high, and shaped like the niown of

of various religions; but the great bulk of the
inhabitants are Curds, or, as the Arabs call Ihem,
Kurks. The Bazar is lar/^e and well supplied;
and most of the articles, except clothing, arc
very moderate. The people appear much more
industrious than they are in any of the towns be-
tween this place and Bpssorah. Various manu-
factories are carried on, and in s(»me they even
excel the Europeans. Their saddles and trap-
pings for horses, in particular, are very elegant.
They also make carpets of silk, with flowers
worked in them, which seem to vie with the best
of our articles. They are also very dexterous in
making edgings «nd trimmings of various kinds,
both for men and women. Their manufactories
in cupper and iron too are very numerous; and a
great variety of articles made of those metals are
sent down the Tigris as low as Bussora, ex-
clusive of the immense quantity of metal sent
down tmmauufactured; fur they get the ore in
abundance from the mountains to the northward.
The town of Mosul is surrounded by a strong
lofty wall built with hewn stone. The space

* " I here found," says Mt. Jackson, " that I could not
proceed by the usual route, on account of the tlieu tur.
bulcut state of the country. The inhabitants of Jesseera
were in open rebellion against the Turkish govcruincnt,
had killed the Basliaw, and committed laany utber excesses.

within the wall is not entirely occupied b»
houses, many places being covered with ruim I
which proves that it has once been much uiDre I
populous than at present. Directly opposite tlie
Conac where Mr. Jackson stop pod was the Court
of Justice. The trials here are very short; fot i
in less than five minutes after the prisoner is taken
before the court, if he be found guilty, be ijl
C(»nveyed to receive his punishment. The Couitl
of JtJistice is opened at sun-rise; but it docs notl
continue above two hours; for, as the reader \vi||j
perceive, they have a method of dispulejiingj
business very quickly*. There was not u iinsoiil
in the whole town that understood cither Frciiih]
or English.

Tliey left Mosul on the 26th of July, and sonnl
after they had left the town, many of (he liorsc-l
men, to give their beasts a breathing, excrri<e(l|
with their spears, which to me was one of i
linest-sights I had ever beheld. The olKcer worel
a scarlet gown and camelinc; his cup was ncarl

hat; his beard was long and black; aiidhcnad
about thirty years of age. The soldiers wcrjj
dressed in white, with scarlet caps and turbans]
and only wore mustaches. The unsellled stalJ
of the country compelled them to travel up tlJ
right banks of the Tigris. The country throu"!
which they passed is very well cultivated, prol
ducing great quantities of corn; and uearK tJ
whole of the wa^' are ruins on both sides of
river, some at a considerable distance, and ollH
close on the banks. This village where tlipvari
rived is situated on the top of an aluiust perl
pendicular cliil', about a hundred and fifty vardi
above the river. The road soon beiaine veri
hilly ard rugged but after having got tlirouj
some wry steep and narrow passes, where
cm: horse could go at a time, they again camctl
the banks of thv*; Tigris. The night wus im
and the road so very bad, that it was diilicilttj
make any progress. They then turned lo till
southward, leaving the Tigris on the right, an
joined a large caravan going to Diarbckr,
consisted of about two thousand camels, tlirej

I was also told, that it was very dangerous to go crcniftj
miles from Mosul without a strong guard. In cuiisquriiJ
of this information, my Tatar waited on the Uashan nil
(he firmaun, who immediately ordered a guard of un oitj
and liixtcen itorscmca."

thuiiiaij

i village where they arl

A JOURNF.Y FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

C3:i

IMif^ii'fl nsses and mules, and one thousand
hir'ts; llic whole hoing conducted by an Arab

Ujieikli, \vitl' a considerable number of guards.

I Tliiie are no fixed residences in this country,

L,id il \i iii'tch infested by wandering hordes of

llaiiditti.
Oiiapiiii" near to a rivulet is a lofty mound

Lfciirilij wlii'-^'b commands an extensive prospect.
Oiiilic to!) of this mound the Sheikh kept a

Lvaltli the whole of the day, to prevent a sur-

I Ilea' ^Tr- Jackson caught some locusts of an
(ntraordiiiary size, and very thick in proportion
1(0 their lciii':*'i. They have no wings, move
[jlowlv, and arc easily taken. He soon found it
|j(,fPj,i,iry to bo careful tliat they did not bite him,
|f„rh(! was priHuaded that they could easily h.ive
Ibiltcn tiis linger to the bone. He tried one with
jjlwia; aboiil as thu k as a quill, which it bit
llbrough instantly. He then dissected one, and
|cnexuniii)ing one of its grinders found it nearly
Llaro-e as a human tooth, and so hard, that he
l»as not able to make any inipression on it with
iis penknife The i','"i"ders were nearly t'-^
itoloiir of mahogany +.
Beiii;^ joined by the Diarbekr Tatars. and five
Arabs, which made their party amount to twenty
jiorse, tliev left the caravan, and pushed for-
[anl, at the rate of six miles an hour, over an
Uii desert country, in which not a habitation
m any species of ciiltivaiiion were to be seen.
Ht sun-rise on the 28th of July, they came to
me rivulets, whose banks were covered with

•Of tki-e lofty mounds of earth tlii'ie aio many in this
jociitrv, ami they are no iloiibt :ii'tlti( ial, as tlicy al\va}s
tauii sillily on cxtontivo plains. Tlicy mnst, howevi'r,
htc (■<)•>( niiicli laf)(iur, some of tlieni being extremely large,
[+ Fimiiii^ iliat they were not molestcjl by (lies ov other
Ik'cl-, and :isriibing this tircunistanec to the exee.ssivo heat
(iksun at this season, lie made an e.xperinient on one of
iw large loiusts, by exposing it to the sun, which actually
(I it ill less than an hour. He also found that Hies,
HfiHxposod in the middle of the day, fell down almost in.

utiy; and that all kinds of insects must cither get into

shade, or inevitably (lerish.
1; liiiiig exceedingly well mounted, says Mr. .laekson,
fiiKiicd them at full speed, having with mc two Arabs

Bcil with their long spears. W'c overtook them at the
liilot, when the whole herd rushed through, and ran
losi the plain, except one, \vhich attempted to Jiido Iiim>

r among the rushes. The Arabs with their spears soon
bd him out. Ho at>0!n)>teU to run across the plain after the
Im, but wc pursued closely, and turned him. I soon found
ItthcAriiii: -rture more dexterous than niyself, for they had

picdhimbefproIwnsablotogctavutatUimwithmysabre.

Vol. II. No. CXVII.

grass and rushes, growing very thick and long.
Among these were several w'ld hogs, Avhich
rushed out to the neighbouring plain. A drove
of about twenty rtm towards a rivulet, as if they
intended to cross the travellers; and all the noise
the vhole party could make was not iillicient to
turn them;];. There is no fixed residence to be
seen near this place, and the tents are only tem-
porary, to accommodate travellers who are
obliged to pass through this unfrequented route,
on account of the present disturbed state of the
country.

Continuing their route, and after travelliiJg
ten miles nearly due West, over an open country
which appears to have been once inhabited and
cultivated, though now entirely forsaken, they
came to some line streams of water, on the banks
of one of which are the ruins of a city, which
appears to have been once very exten-ilve, and
nearly in the shape of a half moon. ILtc were
many hewn stones of very large dimensions; and
among the ruins was a stone coSin, with the
lower part entire, but not any inscription either
c\. the stones or on the coflin. About this un-
frequented place no living creatures are to be
seen, except wild hogs, a few wolves, and some
eagles, the latter very tame. The streams, how-
ever, abound with fish.

On the 29th they arrived at Nissibin, which is
at present a small and miserable place; but the
many circumjacent ruins imply that it has once
been of more consequence. About six miles
westward from Nissibin are some magnificent

After he had been woiiiidcd two or three times, he l)ccame
e\ceiiliui;ly furious, and ran at our liorses, while we en.
deavoured (o keep him off with our weapons. The Arabs
had the advantage with their long spears, as I could not
cut him with my sabre till I was very near him, Througli
my inattention and want of experience, he actually touched
my horse vith hLs lusks, and I was very near bi.'ng dis.
mounted. Such an accident might have proved fata', as
the hog would soon have destroyed mo while on the ground.
JIo also touched one of the Arab's horses, but did not
greatly injure either, the horses being very quick in their
motions. Ho foamed at the mouth, and snatched at tho
spears, or any thing that rarao near him. While he had
strength we were all afraid to close upon him, and enly
wounded him as he run at ns. He soon, however, became
veak through loss of blood, and we then closed upon him,
spearing and cutting till at last he fell, I did not observo
that hu made the least noise cither during the chace or while
we were killing him. He was rather under tho middle size,
and his colour was a deep red. They defend themselTca
much longer than I could have imagined, aud whoa irritated,
no auimal can bo more furious.

8 A ruios

li I

;i';^

' ! I'i'

ilii.

63S

A JOURNKY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS F.NGT.AND.

ruins of an ancient palace, which appears to have
been very lofty, some parts of the building bcinj^
utill of a great height. Some Curds were draw-
ing water from a well in the centre of the inner
square, about forty yards deep. The water was
very cold and exceedingly clear. The wnlls of
the building are of astonishing thickness; a ?tonc
staircase remains almost entire; and some parts
of the walls, which have been undermined, are
so strongly cemented, that in their fall they still
adhere togolhcr.

About twelve miles westward of the first ruins
in anollier heap, among which a very lofty arch
remains entire. Near these ruins, and a little out
iif the road towards the mountains, were some
young Curd women milking their goats. The
features of these women were much handsomer
than those of the Arabs, and they are neaily as
fair as the women in England.

IJcing now again exposed in the middle of the
day, the excessive heat of the sun was very
troublesome. The hot winds too began to collect ;
but before they had acquired strength enough to
be dangerous, the travellers passed the village
called Arin, and ascended Ihe side of the moun-
tain towards Mardiu, when they were out of
their reach, these winds never prevail in elevated
situations ; and whenever they shape their course
towards a mountain, they soon subside*. Though
there is much cultivation and some fine pasture in
the vale below, the people are obliged to drive
their flocks towards the mountains, whenever
and so long as those winds prevail.

Mardin, situated at the top of a very lofty and
rugged mountain, is a city of considerable size,
and very populous. The greater part of the in-
habitants are Armenians, who are very indus-
trious, and carry on several manufactories.
The city is surrounded by a strong and lofty wall
built with hewn stone; and on the summit of the
mountain is a strong fort, on which a few cannon
are mounted. The city is built on the (South side
of the mountain, at a part where it is extremely
steep. The houses are well built. The streets
run East and West, and have steps commu-
nicating from one to another. The basesj of the
liouses in the upper street are even with the tops

* From near the top of tltcsc mountains, Mr. .Tackson
hnil an opportunity of observing the progress of the hot
Minds, w hich was nearly similar to what he had observed
•f thvin wJica ou the banks of the Ti'im, with thit dili'cr.

of the houses in the street below. T!io rifvl.,
very well supplied with water, and of gonj
quality. The inhabitants, who seem to be v. lioj.
pitable well-disposed people, enjoy a pure air
have as fair complexions as the people in Kii,,!!
land, and in general appear ruddy and licuhl^
Many of the women are very beautiful, audcxi
])ose their persons nearly as much as the ladies mi
Europe. Provisions, and vegetables in partj,
cular, are plentiful, good, and (heap; HipJ
have also most kinds of fruits, and of the lm>'A
quality, the climate being exceedingly hut inlhcl
valleys, and temperate on the mountains. Thijl
city, by its situation, may be said to he iinpncl
nable; and some historians aifirm, that 'ranicrLinof
laid siege to it for three years, without beiniJ
able to reduce it. Finding that it would liel
dangerous travelling to Diarbekr without prn-T
tection, the Tatar waited on t':e Bashaw \\i||,|
the firtuauu, who immediately gave orders fur a
guard.

On the 30th they left Mardin, accompanieil
by one of the Diarbekr Tatars and his atteiidanljj
and descended the north side of the mountain oi^
which the city is built; of which, though verd
steep and rocky, every little patch of fjroiml
capable of cultivation bore proofs of the indiistrif
of the Armenians, in abundance of grapes, appW
pears, plumbs of various sorts, cucumbcrJ
melons, and almost all kinds of European i'ruill
and ?getables. The Curd women here !
in tiie fields as well as the men, and rescmbl^
much the peasantry of England. Amon<r lit
hills they continued travelling for near twoiitj
miles, when they gradually diminished in tliel
descent, and cultivation re-appeared. Sou
people were sowing, and others reaping. Tlid
have cattle and horses in abundance, very fej
sheep, but a great number of goats, which scei
better adapted to the situation. The hills
general were thickly planted wiih trees.

Here are a great number of small sheds mail
of the branches of trees, having their door-wai
toward the North. The people live in tlia
in preference to houses at this season of the veal
and they were very full of inhabitants, whoaj
pearcd to be all diligently employed. Tl

cncc only, that this being a mountainous situation, .iniil
other quite level, they here lost their foree by approafhil
the muuntaiuS) and ia the other case by crossing the liia

\\m

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS KNDLAND.

637

tfonien dr^s differently from both the Arabs and
Turks. They wear a cap like that of an liu.Hsar,
seven or eight inches deep, covered with a whi'c
(loth, and bound with a shawl or handkeri liief
oimd the tbrchead. Part of the white cloth
nrolccts the neck 'from the sun; but the face
l,f|i)\v the forehead is entirely exposed. Over
their under dress, they wear a loose gown with
iliort wide sleeves, tied round the waist by a
,asli. They wear no stockings, but have yellow
Turkish slippers-. They spin with a rock and
spindle, and some of them weave. They appear
to be as happy people as exist in the world,
and, indeed, content appears in every counte-

nincc.

Among the hills in this part lions are very
Diiincrous, and dej-troy many of the Hocks be-
loiiiriifr '<' the industrious inliii'.ntanis

At Mfirdin, and to the southward of that ex-
tensive range of lofty mountains, the Arabic is
tlie prevailing language. To the northward, the
Turkish language is mure common.

On the '.Uat, after fording the Tigris, which
uas here very broad, they entered a tine level
»cll-cultivated country; and travelling at the
rale of four mile* an hour, again forded the
Tigris at Diarbekr. They had to wait till sun-
rise, however, before the gates could be opened.
Diarbekr is a large populous city, and the
capital of an extensive province of the same name.
It is pleasantly situated on an eminence upon the
lestern banks of the Tigris, and surrounded by
• strong lofty wall built with hewn stone. On
jthe land-side it has once been protcrted by three
mils and two ditches, part of which arc still to
be seen. Toward the river, which runs nearly
ye round the city, nature has strongly fortitied
it by a solid rock about twenty feet perpendicular.
lithe walls are several towers, in which a guard
constantly kept. They have also some cannon
eic, chiefly brass field pieces of a small calibre,
nd a few brass mortars; but very few of either
serviceable. The city commands an extensive
id delightful prospect over a fertile country,
nd tlie winding streams of the Tigris add muc^j
the beauty of the scene. It is well watered by
iieaiis of a canal from the Tigris, which is cut
Ural miles above, and in some places through
lery rough ground. A branch of this canal runs
11 the outside of the walls, on the western side ol'
e rity, and soou after falls intu the river. On

this branch arc several corn mills; and it being
very steep wiiere those mills are built, the water
fala upon ihc wheel, and by this means a small
body of wa.'er acquires great power. They are
something like the over-.shot mills in England.
Tli'; houses are built with hewn stone, and the
streets all paved. Many of the public edifices
are ver^ elegant. The Armenian cathedral is a
large niu\ handsonje structure, about tlie length
of VVestn.inster-hall, but not so wide. The roof
is supported by two rows of pillars, and the
whole of the floor is covered with carpets, for
even the Turks on entering it pull olF their sliocs.
The Armenian mode of worship is nearly similar
to that of the Roman Catholics; they have their
crucitixes and burning lamps. In the court be-
fore the cathedral is a very handsome founfain,
which ihrows its water to a considerable height.
They manufacture copper, iron, wool, cotton,
silk, and several other staples. Some of their
wool is very fine, and the weavers are numerous.
People of the same trade usually live together;
thus, one street contains nothiiia,- but weavers;
another street, shoe-makers; another, smiths, &c.
Their leather is very good, and they work it ex-
ceedingly well. Here are a great many dyers^
and the waters of the Tigris arc said to be pe-
culiarly adapted to the purposes of that trade.
In some branches, these people are equal, if not
superior, to many European; but the weavers are
very inferior to the English; and the cloth they
make, whether of woollen, cotton, or silk, is
always very narrow, 'i'ley entertain a very high
opinion of the British manufactures, and the
very name of an Englishman is suflicient to gain
the greatest respect. The superfine broad cloth
worn by the principal people is of English manu-
facture, as are also their watches, of which laltor
a great many have Arabic characters. People
of all descriptions seem here to enjoy much
liberty. The various sects of Christians have
their chapels and churches, and each follows his
own mode of worship without molestation.
Tlie city has two gates to the woslward, which
arc the only ones ever opened. TIhmo is one to
the castw'iird, but it is always kept shut, and
people aie in consequence obliged to gd round-
the greater part of the city, which covers about a
square mile, all the walls, except to the sdutli-
ward, being quite straight, and about a mile
long. Above the walls^ on the east side of the
. • city,

"1,1

If'!; 'M' ',

63B

A JOURNEY rifOM INDIA, TOWAnDS F,NGI-AN».

city, is a path cut tliroiigli the solid lor k, and
another U'adinp^ acioss the hill towards the river.
On the side of this path are inany holes cut out of
the rock, larg;c enougli to hold half u dozen
people, and into many of these the water falls
from the rock perpendicularly. The l()fly trees
near the rock form an airrceable shade, and roake
it a pleasant cool retreat, so that the Armenian
women and children may be frequently seen
bathinci:. The women are as fair as any in Eng-
land; but they walk much better than the fair
sex in Europe, their loose dress allowing more
free action to the body, to which Europeans are
entire strangers. Though Diarbekr is a populous
cityi provisions plentiful, good, and cheap, every
inhabitant enjoying full liberty, and that it is in
many other respects a desirable place to live in,
yet there is one thing which is both di-^agreeable
and dangerous, aad reflects great disgrace on its
government: the circumjacent country, to a con-
siderable extent, is so much infested with banditti,
that no one can travel to or from the city without
a strong military guard.

On the Ist of August they left Diarbekr, and
arrived the next day at Argeenah, which is a
large and populous town built in a mo«t extra-
ordinary situation. The mountain on which it is
founded, is much steeper than that of Mardin,
and cannot be ascended in front. There is, there-
fore, a road up each side of the monntain; and
across the front of it are little narrow (racks, so
very steep that a false step would be inevitable
destruction both to horse and rider. What could
induce the building of a town in such a situation
it is difficult to conjecture. There is un exten-
sive plain below, with plenty of water; yet this
is left wholly without cultivation, except a little
below the Argeenah mountain*. Above Medan
is a mountain which is commonly called Argeenah
Medan. It is a considerable smelting-plaee, and
bad between twenty and thirty smelting-houses at
workf. They collect from the surrounding
mountains iron, copper, and silver ore, and some
gold. These they do not dig out of mines, as is

* The mountain appears at a distance like a barren rock,
Incapable of producing any vegetation ; and, indeed, there
is no spontaneous product; but the industry of the inha.
bitants amply repairs the dcficicnry. Jn many places they
have gardens, producing F&rious iiinds of fruits and vegc.
tables, and in otherriliey even carry mould to make little
artificial gardens. They hare plenty of good water, and

the case in most countries, but collect it fiofn ji
surface. A great number of men and bo,, arp
employed in breaking pieces off the rocks; hm Ji .
mountains are so steep, that they are ()l)li(-..(| ."^
carry the ore on the backs of asses aiul inules"
There is scarcely any vegetation, 'ihe
labouring people are very numerous,
almost naked.

Having passed many dreadful precipice?, ihg
p?<th8 being frequently not more than a r,;ot |
broad, and saw several skeletons of horsis ihaj
had fallen dowu those dangerous places, (hey
came into a very pleasant valley, through whiij,
the Tigris runs. This is the most western briimli
of the Tigris, which rises among some hiil^at
the head of (his valley, and here sevcrahtieani!
uniting fon a tolerably large river.

On the other side of this valley there is a con-
siderable salt-water lake, fifteen miles lotif^anilj
about four broad. Though several small rivulelJ
run into this Jake, none run out of it. Tovvardjl
the west end of it is a small island called GiirgcikJ
from which the lake takes its name. The hUwii
is entirely covered with houses; and here grel
great numbers of boats, the inhabitants rc(civiiij
water and every necessary from the shore.

After quitting the lake they got again ainonJ
some lofty mountains, and arrived at a larifef
(own called Germilly, and on reaching (licCnimJ
they received every attention that their siliiationf
required; but as their beds were on the tDjiol
the Conac in the open air, (hey could iiof slf?|J
after sun-rise. After riding about citrlit iijilei
over a very beautiful and well cultivated coniilrvl
they reached another considerable town (allcJ
Kessireek. They remained here all dav uiidej
some trees by the side of a pleasant stream, aii
at night slept upon the ground in the opeiiaiij
While Mr. Jackson staid at (his place scvpri
people belonging to the town brought tlieil
spinning machines, and began spinning under tiij
shade of the trees, by which they made coibiiifl
able progress with a very simple machine", lij
these machines one man spins two threadi^, twiil

the mountain abounds in iron ore, in the oxlractini! f
which a great many people are employed.

+ The officer who superintends the smelliiif; hou!f
usually esteemed the most confidential scrrant in thcTurll
ish government, and is perfectly independent of the l]aAlu|
of Diarbekr, though Medaa is within his Fachiilic.

■.■■■■ '■■■'. V.'- - i!, ,'■,.

A JOURNRY FROM INTJIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

65§

(h( t^o tlireadt lie has apun before^ and turns the
,liecl at tlic same time. _

On the 5th they arrived at a large smelting-
lown, called Oaban Medan. It in extremely
Di)pulouii, and great numbers of its inhabitants
[reemployed in collecting ore from the neigh-
kouriii^ mountains, as at Argeenah Medan.
Ugre is also a very handsome mosque, and a
||jf(y miiiaiet, both built with hewn stone. The
towa is seated near the bottom of a steep moun-
taiiii a river running below it in a very deep
(bannel, which soon after joins the Euphrates.

The banks of the Euphrates are about a mile

from the Gaban Medan. The river here ran in

ivery deep channel, and the way to it was down

, narrow p:ith cut through the solid rock. They

(ben crossed in a ferry-boat, capacious enough

|i) carry iii'teeii or twenty horses. The river is

lit this place much larger than might be expected

it so great a distance from its mouth. Mr.

Iiciiiuii drank the water, and found it had a pe-

uljar taste, wholly uidike that of any other

later that he had ever tasted. After crossing

e Euphrates, they ci>!ercd a strait path between

iffo lulty mountains, by which they continued

endiiif^ for nearly two hours. On the top the

ouiid is highly cultivated. A little farther are

mt! higher mountains, on which are no signs

if culture. From these, however, there is a

lost extensive prospect. To the northward is a

hm of exceedingly lofty mountains, ranging

W. and S E having their tops covered with

ow. Running along the bases of these lofty

loiiiitaiiis, (he Euphrates receives many very

rge streams that (low from them; and this it is

at gives it the appearance of extraordinary

iiplitiide near its source. On the left, to the

uthwa.d, are many stupendous mountains

liith supply the other branch of the Euphrates:

iriii this way it receives almost the whole of its

loleittg, no large rivers joining it till it meets the

igris.

Many of the people in ibis country, during
Ciiiltry summer months, leave their towns and
68, which lie chiefly in vallies, and encamp
on tome lofty hills, taking their flocks with
em, On the mountains they enjoy a cooler
rer air, and in general appear as fair and
(Idy ai the country people in England.
Leaving this encampment, they descended
m rugged passes by a road so vory bad^ that
V«lU. Na.CXVm.

it was sometimes with much diflllcuUy they could
make their way. At length they reached a small
town called Emir, situated on the west side of
a pleasant and well cultivated valley, with a very
fine stream of water running to the Noith.

From Emir they passied a very hilly and
woody cotMitry, with seldom any track to direct
them. On this account they often lost their way;
the Tatar's guide not being well acquainted with
the country. Great numbers of peop'e were here
employed in making charcoal for the use of (he
smelting-houses at Gaban Medan. They carry
it from this place on mules in panniers, anil some-
times go fifty ur sixty in a drove. Many of the
peasantry here lix their dwellings by (he side of
a hill, the top of the house being even with (he
ground; and Ms. Jackson says, that he has often
ridden over the top of a house without knowing
it, and has with dilHculty avoided falling
through.

On the 6th they arrived at the encampment of
Hassan Chillaby; for here also the inhabitants,
having quitted the town, which was about two
miles distant, had encamped on a hill. The
people belonging to the tent wherein they rested
were very attentive. The whole of the cattle
belonging to these encampments are driven every
morning into such of the vallies as contain the
greatest plenty of water and vegetation, where
they are watched all day by two or three persons
employed for that purpose, and in the evening are
brought back again. The tents are always
pitched in a circle, and the cattle remain all night
in the centre. The people rise at dawn of day,
and the tirst employment of the women is to milk
their cows and goats, which are immediately sent
ofl* again to pasture. The women then put the
milk into a sort of bottle made of a goat's skin,
every part of which is sewed up, except the
neck; but when they are churning, the neck is
tied with a string close and tight enough to
prevent the milk running out. They then fix
three strong sticks in the ground, in a form some-
thing like what we often use in raising weights,
only on a smaller scale. From these they suspend
the goat's'skio tied by each end, and continue
shaking it backward and forward till it becomes
butter; and they easily know when it is ready by
the noise it makes. They then empty the skia
into a large vessel, skim off the butter, put hot
water ioto the ikin to clean it> and bang it up to

8B " dry,

■JtN

.1., iiii

CiO

A JOURRV FROM INDIA, TOWATlDfl ENGF.AND.

ilry. Reside this employment, tlicy Iinvc also to
baltc bread every inoriiin^ for the day's coii-
sinnptioii; for all this work is performed hy tlic
>voiiieii. The bread U baked on hirj^o iron
phites, as in many parts of Kurope; but should
uny of the women hup])en to lie htnger than
usual in the morning', »h> as not to he able to
get their work done before the sun becomes hot,
they not only have to work in the sun, but are
heartily laughed at by the better housewives.
The principal men who have many wives keep
them in tents in a particular part of the encamp-
ment.

About four miles from Hassan Chillaby, are
neither cultivation nor inhabitants, though there
is plenty of good water, and the soil appears
favourable for culture. Here they met a caravan
going to Diarbckr, which consisted of horses,
asses, and mules, camels not being able to thrid
many of the steep narrow passes with which this
country abounds.

On the 7(li they arrived at Had jec Khan, which
is a large village lying in a valley. The land is
\vell cultivated for about half a mile round it;
but the inhabitants in general are very poor, and
much addicted to thieving.

On this plain, which tliey passed over the next
day, were three encampments, pitched in a
triangle. Two of these were near the path.
When I got abreast of the first encampment, an
officer and six men from the guard came up to
me on full gallop, and said that the people in the
encampment would cut my throat. They took
Ivold of Mr. Jackson's bridle and wanted him to
return; but thinking it useless, as a part of the
guard were now in sight, he remained till the
whole of our party came up. A few men came
from the encampment and conversed with
the officer. They were remarkably strong hardy
looking fellows, but had a something in their
countenances which seemed to indicate that they
did not get their livelihood very honestly.
Having enquired who I was, says Mr. Jackson,
the officer told them that I was^n English Consul,
that being the title I bore in the firmann. The
men examined the arms of our guard very at-

* These people seem to be most violcpi: against (he
Tatars, who frcqiiciitly pass through the country without
j)aying any tribute; for, being the messengers of govern-
mcut, tliey think they ought to be exempt. The people
here (lemaudcd fifteen piastres from each Tatar, who,

tcntively, and w ishcd io lay liold of ionifi of H,.
but the guards would not snll'cr it. J „. ^'\
under the least apprehension of their (Joiiin.""'!
any pcrnoual injury, even before tji,; i„||jj"*|
came up; for in case they had attacked „j,/[l
should not have attempt< d to resist; |i,,| il
thought it prudent afterwards to keep ,',ear n, I
Tatar. On our reaching the second eiiraiii|)i„ci/|
four men, armed with sabres and pistols. stoii|||
in the way to oppose our passing; and as wirod
up, they seized my bridle, my Tatar's, aiil|
those of two other Tatars in company, \\\u) \v(fj
all riding abreast a little before the military f
was perfectly passive, not supposing that ilipd
could mean to rob us, as the military wereoiil,
a few yards behind. A scnille, however, e,
sued; but the guard coming up rescued' nicj
Ttie man who had held my bridle in one liaiid jiadt
drawn sabre in the other; but on oneo^'dicolllcoJ
telling him that I was an English Cc-iisnl, he iJ
mediately let go the bridle. I had my histoU
ready, and was prepared to have shot my op]
ponent, had any of the Tatars tired; biitldiif
not think it proper to begin, not kiiowiiicj tliejnj
tentions of these people. One of the Tatar]
cocked a pistol to shoot a young man whospfmw
to be very violent; but the military intcrlcrind
prevented him. The young man, liowcvor, co*
tinuing to threaten the Tatar with liii sihre, ilij
guard, by order of one of the offit. , . 'rrou _
ed him in such a manner with their spears ani
Siibres, that had he moved an inch he iiiihtliail
been killed In that situation wu kit tlitm]
but they soon after came up with us, atidliai
not put the young man to death as I e\[iccte(l'(
This is a very extensive uncultivated plaJ
and contains neither sheep nor cattle but wbJ
belong to these banditti. The gromid, howeiel
being favourable to tilting, and the horses wiJ
the silver travelling very slowly, onr jjiiarl
made several matches. They would soiuctiJ
draw out of the ranks half a dozen on eachsidj
and throw blunted spears, at which exercise the]
men are wonderfully dexterous, being able
pick up spears from the ground without quittioj
their horses. They have also a particulj

having such a strong guard with them, boldly rcriiscd. Tl
young man whom 1 have just mentioned as haviiii; bef
mure violeat tUan the rest, had lately had a brother Mi
a Tatar.

netliil

A JOUFINEY KHOM INDIA, TOWARDS KNGI.AND.

Lflliod of avoiding tlieir opponeiilH' spears bv
. „„i„g(|own on tho vipposKe side of the lunsc,
I odlliin expoHinp: only one foot, y«'t ul the sauic
I'l^j going on full galiop. The horsenifiii luakc-i
I fv liHlc use of the reins on these occasicms, and
lllie horH« is tjoverned by the motions of tho rider's
luv. If ^*"' \aiU't lean towards t'.ic rijfht or
ly (he horse will turn to that side, and if the
Ijiotionbc quick will gallop full speed. If the
Ifiilor lean forward, the horse {gallops straiglit on;
lindiftlic man raise his body upright, the horse,
Ihouch a* *'•"* ^''"*' "" '^"'^ speed, wlli stop in a
moment, without the rider touching the bridle.

At about six miles distance from the second

jjcainpnicnt, they approached another, the Chief

tf which came, and demanded money from the

L„jn,aiiding officer, which was refused. lie

lot however, a few piastres from the Tatar.

ThcytliPn continued unmolested till they got

jilhin about two miles of Uelectetas, when they

terved some men armed, on Iiorseback. pur-

Lyr ihcm at full speed from the second en-

LaipniPiit, where they had the dispute. The

latar^, being miu'h frightened, set out full

lillop for Delectctas, an(l as Mr. Jackson was

Ipjicd ill the same uiiinner, and thought they

(iijlit lake him for a Tatar, he pushed on with

Itm, It-aviiig the military drawn up to receive

Jem, When the banditti came up with the

lililarv, and found that the Tatars had rode oil",

lev returned. These people always keep a

innber of horses near their tents to be mounted

fa short notice, and some of them ready bridled

Ljaddli'd.

IDtlt'clttas is a small town, situated on the side
]a mountain, in a barren country, and having
jlle lultivation ab(»ut it in proportion to the
Lbtr of its inhabitants. Here is plenty of
led water; and in the middle of the town is a
Ige square stone building. Many of the in-
^ilants have stacks of corn on the tops of their
luscs. Here also were som^ stacks of hay. ,
Oh leaving Dt' jtctas, we^c ^ery rough roads
long some 8tee|» mountains covored with fir-
Bcyond these is an extensive uncultivated
[in, and on the 9th arrived at a town c»lled
L$h, pleasantly situated by the side of a river
lich flows from the mountains, and runs iiito

{ Mr. Jackson informs iie, that ho wont into the llazar
kuysuinc fruit, and foiiii^l ti)at lie could purcliasu for
iTiiluc uf a. farthing as vmch as a maa could cat of cUhcr

the river Ciisalinack. Hetween the town and
some rnoiMitains to the northward are two salt
lakes, one about three miles in circumference, the
otiier about two. From l)lla>di, in the neigh>
bourhood of which there is a great deal of culti-
vatit>n, we departed in an hour. There aro
several other lakes of the same kind on the left,
which arc easily distinguished, their shores being
crusted with salt. Shortly after they arrived at
Sivas, which is a very large populous town, and
is exceedingly well watered, having several
fountains and a great many clear streams running
through it. It is seated on the west side of a
very fertile valley, which is almost surrounded by
lofty mountains, having iiu opening except where
the river runs in and out, through a very narrow
channel between two steep hills. Here arc two
stone brid;;;cs at about a mile distance from each
other. Great quantities of corn grow in this
valley, but u(>t much fruit, excepting plums,
apples, and pears; but of garden vegetables there
is great abundance. In the middle of the town
are some very extensive gardens; and on an ar-
tificial hill is an old castle now tumbling into
ruins. Though the neighbourhood furnishes plenty
of good materials for building, the houses in ge-
neral have a very ordinary appearance, a great
quantity of unsquared timber being employed to
siipfiort an immense weight of stone and clay, with
w hich the houses are covered. The inhabitants ap-
pear to enjoy much liberty; nor are the women
confined, as in some large cities to the eastward,
Sivas is nearly as large as Liverpool, contains as
many houses, and is fully as populous. Though
most of the private houses arc but indiirorent
structures, many of the public buildings are
elegant, and some of the minarets very lofty.

On the 10th, after dcaieuding through some
narrow passes, they arrived at Tocat, which is
about the size of Sivas, but has a much better
appearance than any town in the Turkish do-
minions. Th'j houses are all tiled, and coiefly
built with wood. Here was a great abundance
of fruits, which were remarkably fine in their
kind; the grape vines, in particular, were abun-
dant and excellent*. The Armenians, who are
very numerous here, make an excellent red wine,
of a flavour something like claret, but mncli

1 2

mulberries, pears, apples, peaches, or apricots; and those^
in general, much &aet ia their kiud thaa ku cvcc saw ia
KurofCt

atro'iger.

m\.

■hl-';F.

lil-iiil

642

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOSVARnS F.NGLAND.

Ji ■III .1- 1 i» I III i I lip < I 1 1 II 1 ] ^^—

Btrongei . The town is surrounded by eminences,
and is well watered. On the top of a lofty rocky
mountain, on the west s'de of the town, are the
remains of an old castle, part of the wall of
"which has been built on the edge of a very steep
rock, and mu'^h of it has fallen down the pre<
cipice.

They set out on the 1 1th, from Tocal, and,
being nil badly mounted, and the greater part
drunk, made a curious figure as they rode
through the town. The streets being much
crowded, the Tatars roared like so many bulls
for the people to clear the passage, every one
being obliged to give way to them, as in England
to the mail coaches; and if they were not very
quick in getting out of the road, they were sure
to feel some of the Tatars long whips.

On the 12th thsy arrived at Amasia, a very
extensive town, nearly as large as Tocat, and
surrounded by many lofty rugged mountains.
The faces of some of these mountains have nearly
half a mile of almost perpendicular height; and
in one of these are several pieces ."ut iu the solid
rock, similar to a Hindc<' Pagoda, and vyhich
can only be approached by little narrow passes
cut through the rock. The river Casalmack
runs through Amasia, but cannot be seen at one
\iew for more than the length of the town,
making a circuitous course among the mountains,
and running in a deep narrow channel both above
and below the town. It is here a very large
river, but much too rapid for navigation. The
town is well watered, particularly the lower
parts, by means of large wheels, nearly thirty
feet in diameter, are turned by the stream,
having a great many large buckets fastened to
thera. As the wbeel turns round, those bncke's
empty themselves into troughs fixed within a few
feet as high as the wheel. By 'this method they
are enabled to keep up a continual stream of
vater, which is conveyed by pipes from the
troughs to the hummums, fountains, &c. The
houses in Amasia are mostly built with vrood.
but many with stone, and covered with tiles as at
Tocat. The greater part of the inhabitants
being Christians, heie is only one mosque, and
two lofty minarets, all built with be^AD elone,

* A Sivu Tatar, bsmed Suliman, who had sccompauied
01 from Sivai, attempted to ibout another Tatar who was
Teturninft from Conttaotinoijle, but was prevented by the
test laUttuing. It is io^otuble to dv'!«€ribe the cenfuiiun

'^/■.

and very handsome struct>i'''e8. The dorao af tU
mosque is covered with lea*!. The hummuml
are very extensive, and built with hewn stoneJ
Before these are some pleasant walks, with several
rows of trees, and the whole is tnirrounded bvi
lofty wall. The town can only be apprnachs
by two narrow passes, one toward tiie North
and aiiDther toward the South ; and these are si
very rugged, narrow, and steep, that they niiglJ
be easily defended by a very small fdrce. The/
make here a very good white wine, somethiij
like sherry, and very strong. With this ani
rackec our whole party again got drunk*.

On leaving Anjasii, they ascended a vervloftJ
mountain towards the northern pass, and bcl'oH
they got to the top it became \ery dark.
they came near a spring of water, tlie fj^iiide sai
that he wanted to drink. Puttinir, theictore, ||J
the tore-tiorse's bridle into the Tiirk'.i hand, t|
hold it till he returned, he availed iiimsi'irofilJ
darkness of the night to run away uiiptTccivel
They waited for hiiu sometime, but ai ianiiiii)
peeting the case, pursued the journey. tJ
Turk leading three horses, they wiih n
diificulty got to the top. Here they mimi
their road, but were fortunate enough to discovl
a light, which proceeded from a mouII i nraiiij
ment, where some of the inhubilunts of Aiu*
were employed in getting' in their harvest.

At length they got from among these dans;e|
ous steeps, and on the I3\h, de^-ended intuane
tensive uncultivated vale about fifteen miles nvg
which they crossed at full gallop, and arrivcdl
Marsiwan in the evening. * Marsiwan isaloj
nearly as large as Sivas, and situated near i
foot of sonic woody mountains on t!ie north si|
of this extensive vale. It is well watered,
abounds with cum, as well as most kinds I
fruits, which were now ripe. They have nJ
vineyards near the tow:i, and m&ke a vcr) gM
red wine similar to that of Tocat.

About twenty miles west of ]\iarsiwan ijatoj
called Ajamque, and about ten miles tartherl
Osmanjike, which town is built round a At
rocky mount, on the top of which also sof
houses have been erected, It is a tolerably I
place, and stands on the banks of the river Atoej

among these people when the^ quarrel. Upon <heilin
proTucation they ^'^re immediate recourse to (heir arail
the^ sro norer wuhcut a brr^ce of pistuls audit ilij^l
their fildtfi

A JOURNEY ^ROM TNDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

645

iTIicv ihcn cros-sed the river over a neat stone

[jo-e of fifteen arches, and continuinp: their

I route for thirty miles, over much roii';h and

floodv ground, they arrived at a small town
Ljlled Hiidjce Hamza.
On the I4th they arrived atTosia, a neat town

uilt on the side of a hill, at the foot of which is
I H fine fertile country. This stage was twemy-
lievcn miles. Quitting Tosia, they parsed several
Ivineyards, and then got into a very hilly woody
Icouiitry. In the evening they reached a small
Itoffn called Cojasate, situated in a barren hilly
Icouiitry. The next town they came io, at the
Idistance of twenty-eight miles from Cojasate,
lias Carachurin, a large straggling place, built
Ion both sides of a rivulet between two hills. The
IliMisesin general are very mean, and badly built.
iTiicy are only one story high, and have flat

Iroofs.

On the l.olh, the roads being very good, they

iirrived at Corregclar, being only twelve miles

^m\ Carachurin. This is a small and ill-built

|gmi, containing about two thousand inhabitants,

itbo are chiefly employed in cultivating the

leigiibouring j)lains. After travelling over a

iwe cultivated open country for twelve miles

Bore, they arrived at Serkecs, a small but neat

hiwn, many of the houses being built with hewn

bioiie.

Leaving: Serkees, they rode briskly over a fine

bell cultivated country, and got among some very

leep mountains, great partof ihc road over which

On the 16th they arrived at Jeredarc, which
town is an elevatftd situation, being almost at the
top of a high hill. The town is large, and has
a good Bazar, well supplied. They excel here
in manufacturing leather, and many other ar-
ticles; and there are also several topper manu-
factories. The houses have a singular appear-
ance, being in general built with large round
trees let into each other at the ends, and the
crevices filled uj) with clay. Very few houses
are tiled, being chiefly covered with deal boards.

After passing several villages both to the right
and left, they arrived at Boli at the distance of
forty miles*.

Boli is a large town in a fertile situation. It
contains, however, nothing worthy of particular
notice. The mosques, minarets, and hummums,
are ail very ordinary buildings. The public
edifices are numerous, and the town is well sup-
plied with good water.

After riding over an extensive forest for twentv-
five miles, they continued till they reached
Duchea, on the 17th. Duchea is a small village
situated in a very fertile count'-y, but entirely
surrounded by lar^;e forests. This -stage was
thirty-six miles. They departed from Duchea,
and, after travelling twenty-seven miles, arrived
at Ilindak, which is an inconsiderable town,
situated in a valley amid large forests, and con-
tains nothing worthy of particular notice.

After they left Flindak they passed upwards of
a thousand butfaloes carrying ship-timber to Con-
as so dangerous, that one false step of the horse i stantinople Horn the forests througii which they

lould have phuigcd them from the height of at
ust three hundred \ards into a river. Quitting

Itlen2;th these dangerous passes, they entered a
open country on the righf, where wus a
mall town bv the side of a river. Thev turned,

uuiuer. !

lowever, to the left, and arrived ^t
yt'ii «ta}re was eighteen miles.
iBaiiid'.r is a..'<niall town, but stands on an
nincnce, and at a distance has a very pretty aj)-
larancc. The mosrpie is an indift'orent building,
kit the minaret is very handsome andlolty; and
liouscs are chieflv built with wood.

'' About half way btttwecn Jei-t'darc aiui Holi are some
lins, uf whidi most of the itouf was iiiaibk'. .Much ,i

ppcaring to have been
lienor

cut ill a stiitt of vvorUii)i:iV-lii[i

to Turkish masonry. On one m.iible col'.iinn ;iie

Kml (ircck letters, but much dcfuceJ. Mr. Jackson

, he was able, however, to trace the word Za,-, anJ

piT'iiiidi'd, that could ho have Sjiaved iime, he uii^'lii : fccaut)'.

ke been able to ha»e made out great part of the i'lsciii) |

Vol. II. No. CXVIH.

had travelled. Some of the timbers were re-
markably fine; and the whole had been squared
and formed in the forests, where they had seen
many sawyers at work. They crossed the river
Zacharca over a wooden bridge about a quarter
of a mile long; but were obliged to dismount
and walk over this bridge; for, instead of plauks,
it was covered witli half round pieces of wood,
which frequently gave way under the horses* feet,
and it had neither parapet nor railing. After
crossing the Zacharca, they continued in a very
woody country till they reached the lake Sabanjaf,

tion. About three milii nearer ijoli, on the ri^ht side of
the road, are some mon ruins, with walls of an extraor-
dinary thickness.

I- The lake Sabanja is about six miles Iohj;, and nearly of
a Iriani^ular form. It is a rerv fnic thect of fresh water, and
is btiins situated in a woudy country, a«ids much to iti

.(! i

i''n

li ■ V

■ :^'t

whencti

•'Hi.

€ii

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

vrhence, keeping along the western shore, they
arrived at the town of the same name. This
stage WHS Ihirty-six miles.

On the 18th they left Sabanja and rode through
a beautiful country, about eight miles, when
they reached Ismit, a large town, which has a
delightful appearance from the valley before it.
The houses are not over-crowded, and the pros-
pect is much enlivened by cypress trees interspersed
all over the place. The lower part of the town
is washed by the sea. Being built on the slope
of a hill facing the South, it is very well sup-
plied with water; and on the side of the hill,
both to the East and West, arc many vineyards
and orchards, but more particularly lo the west-
ward, which is entirely covered with gardens,
orchards, and vineyards, for five or six miles.
The neatness of the town, the garden grounds,
the sea, the finely-cultivated country on the op-
posite shore, and the two rivers, with the corn-
lields in the vale before the town, form altogether
an exceedingly fine piospe.ct.

Leaving Ismit they continued near the sea of
Marmora, sometimes on the beach. About
twenty miles West from that place are some
ancient ruins close to the sea. Part of the walls,
some of which arc about ten feet thick, have
fallen on to the beach. Seven miles further
West is the town of Coushan, very pleasantly
situated on the side of a hill sloping gradually to
the sea. About this town arc many hundreds of
acres disposed in vineyards, and gardens for a
great variety of other fruits, wlr^h were now
chiefly ripe.

At Couslian they left the sea and turned north-
ward. After passing the vineyards belonging to
the town, they entered a very fine plain, through
the middle of which runs a small river that has a
neat stone bridge of three arches over it. Con-
tinuing to ride briskly they arrived at Gabaza,
which is a small but neat town, pleasantly situ-
ated on the side of a hill, from the top of which
is a very fine prospect of the Archipelago, and
part of iN numerous islands. From the town to
the sea, wbich is about three miles, is entirely
covered with gardens, orchards, vineyards, and
corn-fields.

From Gabaza they passed throuirh a \i.v\ fine
country near the sea, sometimes on ttie beach,
and arrived at a town called Muritar, where
tUey remained an hour to rcftesh; and setting

out again, reached Scutari in a few hours. Her
they rode down to the sea-beach, unsaddled the*
horses, and remained till day-break, when the"
procured a boat, put into it their baggage, and
crossed over to Constantinople to have it examined
at the Custom-house. The officer suflered it to
pass upon receiving a piastre.

Constantinople having teen so often described
by travellers, and being so well known to English
readers, the author thinks it neither expedient
nor proper to swell thi» volume by accounts that
cannot possibly possess either novelty or interest
to recommend them. His object has been ta
describe such parts as he has visited, and which
had been but little frequented by formeJ
travellers from England.

Having stayed a week at Constantinople Jjf
Jackson obtained fresh passports from the Porte]
and fr 'ii the Imperial Minister Baron Uerben'
de Ilathkaal, and set out on the 25th, accoiH'
panied by a ja»iizary, who was to bepaidthrei
hundred piastre^! to conduct him to the frontiers,
After trivveliih.r two or three miles froi
Couitantinople, they entered an open cout
try without the irr.allcst marks of cultivatioi
and not lu-aring the kast appearance of bein^ii
the vicinity of a large city. Even round tliedli
itself the garden grounds and orchards are verj
small in proportion to the population.

Continuing the route over an open barren h
country, travelling at the rate of rive miles
hour; they arrived at a small neat town cal
Chaque Medja. This town is pleasantly seal
at the head of a salt lake about fifteen miles loi
but of very unequal bread'';. The lake is abol
two hundred yards from .1 . Archipelago, bi
has communication with >i by a very narroi
channel over which is a stone bridge. Tl
ground being swampy, there is a stone caiisewaj
of about a quarter of a mile long, for the coi
veuience of passengers.

On the 2Cth they set out from Chaque
and after crossing tlie bridge and causeway at
head of' the lake, ascended some hills, whence
a very fine prospect over the Archipelago ai
the surrounding country, which hud a mo
favourable appearance than in the ncighhnui
hood of Constantinople, it being in high ciiltiv
tion and almost crowded with vill
three hours they arrived at Bcu Chaque jMcdji
which is a tolerably large town^ situated on (I

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

G45

Welt side of ft liill at the bead of a salt luke
bout four miles long, which has conimiinication
,vitb the sea. Here too is a stone bri<ige, and a
taiise-way'about a quarter of a mile ioiii>' between
the lake and the sea. Nearly opposite to Bcu
Chaque Mcdja, on the East side of a hill, is a
jinall neat town called Callitratta, behind which
are ma"}' vineyards.

Continuing their route along the beach twelve

I -jieg further, they reached a vtiy neat town

called Badns. Here is a considerable building

itanding on the beach, having part of its walls

I washed by the sea. It is a square structure and

wry lofty; the whole is built entirely with hewn

jtone, has been very well finished, and still re-

I mains almost entire.

After passing many vineyards and orchards,
I Hey arrived at Killeever, which is a large and
populous town, that has once been well fortified,
[a great part of it- being still surrounded by a
iitrongwall. Some of the mosques and minarets
lire very handsome buildings. The lower part of
lllietown is washed by the sea. Here were several
hetsels, some of about two hundred tons burden,
Itiding at anchor in a very fine bay, which ap-
Ipeared to be so well s^ieltered by the high land
ion each side of it, tLat ships might, in any
jieather, ride in safety.

From Killeever they set out on the 27tli, and

lournied about eight miles along the sea-shore,

Ltnetimcs on the beach. They then turned to the

Iright, and, quitting the sea-coast, passed over

open country, with little cultivation and few

inhabitants. The first village is Connyclue;

tfter leaving which place they travelled across a

^cry dreary country, in which not a tree nor a

llone was (o be seen. The soil is very white,

kut is neither clay nor sand ; and what little vcgc-

Wion there is, is nearly destroyed by innumerable

kuantitics of ground squirrels. The first signs

if cultivation they met with wcfre the vinevHrdg

lelonging to a town c.illed Chouroc, and which

Ire near three miles long. About eight miles

evond Chouroe they crossed a river, over which

I a bridge of fifty arches, all built with hewn

one, and neatly turned. So many arches, huw-

I * The Greeks in general liarc hanJsomo foatures-, but
lese ptrtkiilarly attrac((^d his altciitiun. Thoy, as wull
I the pua,«ttntry in general, jiad a very ridiculous custom
f tying all their treasure rouiul their necks; they some.
ucs wear three at four huuiUcd Vvnctiaa scquius pcr-

ever, did not appear by any means necessary at
present, as there was not a great body of w ater
in the river. They now entered a country pos-
sessing higher cuUivation and more inhabitants,,
and about a quarter of u mile out of the road, i»
a town called Carrasdan. In a deep narrov<»
valley near this town are three lofty stone pillars,
wlii<;h w.-^re to support nipcs for conveying water
across the valley to tl.c town. In the evening
they reached Borgas, and on the 28th they en-
tered a large forest, in vvhitti they continued for
about twenty ; tiles without seeing either habita-
tion or culture, till they reached a small village
called Assibaly. From this place to Kirklecsan,
about four miles, the whole way is covered witlii.
vineyards. This is a very large aiul populous-
town, having ten mosques and minarets, and seve-
ral huminums. All the public buildings are of
hewn stone and marble, and some of them very
handsome.

In the afternoon they arrived at a village called
Canarea, where they put up at a Greek's house
to refresh. The Greeks are a very civil and
obliging people, and the host brought out thc'
best refreshments he had in the house. In these'
small villages there are very few Turks, and
if there be one, it is almost certain that he is a
barber; but he will strut about and assume as
much consequence as a bashaw. In th" evening
they arrived at a town called Karrapoonar. The
distance from Kirklecsan to Karrapoonar is fifty-
one miles.

On the 29th they arrived at a village called
RtMilce, and stopped half an hour at a Greek's
house to refresh. The master of the house had
two very beautiful daughters*. Continuing
their journey, tbcy arrjved at Idos, a tolerably
targe town, and pleasantly situated. Many of
the houses arc built within a compound, similar
to those of the Bratnius and Nairs in India,
which inakes the town at a distance appear much
larger than it really is.

The peasantry here separate the corn from the
straw by the same method as in Asia Minor,
which is adopted in all countries wher^ the rains
.%re periodical. ^ They make a ring about forty

foratcd and fastened round ti>eir nucks »ith silk strings.
Tliis custom, however, is coiifiuod to tiie unuwrried part
of the sex, wives having no grnument ^vhatever un that
part of their personSf . ...;,.,■

,y- > .J : .'

yard*

t ii;

iil

A Si (;,■) ;,f|

<ns

A JOURNEY. FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

yards ronn3, sometimes of clay, and sometimes
paved. Tiicy then bring their corn from the
field, and throw it in a heap in the middle of the
ring. They have a sledge too, which is some-
times dfawn by bullocks, sometimes by horses,
and some of these have pieces of iron driven into
the bottom to cut the straw as it goes round;
though in others there are flint stones fastened to
the bottom. Upon the sledge is a heavy weight.
Beside the petson who drives the cattle, another
is employed with a fork in tossing the straw from
the ring if the grain is extracted, and taking fresh
from the heap in the middle. In this manner
they are enabled to continue till they have ex-
tracted the whole of their corn, wi**'" 1 being in
any danger of having it spoiled by rain. This is
much quicker, and easier too> than the mode of
thrashing in England.

On the 30th they arrived at Pravadee, which
is a large and well inhabited town, containing
many very good buildings.. It is situated in a
narrow vale running N. and S. between two steep
rocky hills. In the afternoon they reached
Chumloo, which is a very populous town, and,
though not regularly fortified, is of great natural
strength from its situation, having a steep moun-
tain l>ehind the town, forming a stmicircle, on
%vhicli the Turks have planted several butteries of
cannon*' On the western side of the mountain
is a thick forest which is perfectly inaccessible to
an army.

On the 31st they arrived at Rochuke, but
could not see the town till within half a mile of it,
being situated on the banks of the Danube at the
foot of a hill, which continues for several miles
near the river, and is covered with vineyards.
Rochuke is a large populous town about the size
of Liverpool. They refreshed at Ergnoflf, on the
opposite side of the river, and waited near two
hours for horses and carts, in which they were
conveyed to a village called Copuchen. This
was the manner in which they were to travel
through Wallachia. These post carts are light,
and run very easy upon four wheels. They have
not, either about the cart or the horses* furniture,
the smallest particle of iron or other metal what-

* During the late war a considerable Russian army ap.
pearcd in the plains before this town, and defeated the
Turkish forces. The latter retreated into the town, and
threw up a mud wall with a fussc and paling before the town,
and UP each side of the mountaiu. This temporary fortiftca>

ever. The horses are small, but rim very f <.
going, upon an average, rather quicker than ttip
mail coaches in England.

On the Ist of September they reached Bukarest
the capital of Wallachia, and the residence of th'
Hospodar. Bukarest is a very extensive an I
populous city, containing iiiice hundred and
sixty Greek churches, one RciPan and oi
Lutheran chapel, and a few convents. Here ar
no Turkish mosques, nor are they permi((e(i(„
be built in any part of the province, Genlleiucirj
carriages are here v6ry numerous, and a niiin ij
looked upon in no other light than as a servant
or a peasant, who does not keep one. A coach
with a pair of horses and a driver, may be all
kept hers for fifty pounds sterling. The caacli-
men and footmen are in general Egyptian slaves
There is much intrigue carried on in the hix'lier
classes, particularly among the married people
A man never sees his intended bride till theycx^
change rings, a ceremony that takes place a fe»
days before the marriage; for tlhe parents or
guardians of both parties make up the match
without asking the consent of either. In a vcrii
short time after the marriage ceremony the partbl
generally discontinue sleeping together,
carrying on their respective intrigues. Tht
ladies usually keep their separate carriages, a A
coach, with a proper equipage, is commonly al
part of the marriage portion. The unmarriedl
young ladies, however, ave kepi up as close as iJ
a nunnery, and are not permitted to keep cotol
pany with any men whatever until the ceremo»ff
of exchanging rings with their intended husbandl
has taken place. There are few people \aM
world, particularly among those who call tlieml
selves Christians, that make more profession ol
religion than these people, and in reality luva
less. In some of the cnurcbes here they hav^
prayers continually from morning till night, and
these arechaunted as in Catholic chapels. Thcid
language is harmonious, something rcsemblini
the Greek, and indeed has several Greek cha|
racters in it. ^ i t»»n-<>*

Wallachia poss^scs in general a rich soil, bul
is rather woody. In the greatest part ut'thi

tion still remains rniire. As the lliissian arroyapproary
the town, thu Turks played upon them from their BjltcriJ
on the mouutaiu. The Ruisiani here lost their general iij
retreated.

A JOURNEY FROM INDIA, TOWARDS F.NGf.AND.

64>r

liear

I rtvincc there is scarcely a hill or stone the
'tiiral produce of the country. Their corn is
"Jieflv maize, of which they have a great quan-
t . yet J^ood wheatcn bread is to be had in the
fleet t"""'^- Pr<>^'si»«'s "f '^'^ '^'"'^^ """^ ^^"".V
lap- »"'' * ^"*^ *^"*' "'^-^ ''^ bought for six
L£li parra, value about three halfpence
Iteilip?. ''he inhabitants in general are Greeks,
! J ihcv have not many foreigners among them.
if ,i,c larger towns, however^ there are some
jewaiida ffw Germans. They erect crucifixes
leaf Ihc roads; some of these are of stone, bui
licv arc chiefly made of wood. All, however,
ite painted; some having Jesus Christ, some '.he
I'irgiii Mary, others the Twelve Apc.biles, sc.-.uj
ibeTen Commandments, prayers, &c. depicted
them. These Crucifixes are very numerous,
i most of the country people make their
„„ience as they pass (hem. The province is
"ell watered; the bridges are all built with
ood; but they have a very ridiculous custom of
yiiiff loose pieces of half-squared timber across
e bridges, which frequently give way under the
lorsrs fVt't.

On the 4th Mr Jackson resumed his journey,
(ravelled much faster than he could have ex-
ed, and even quicker than (he mini in Eng-
, as will appear by the following distances
(owns through which he pased.

Omian Posts.

2
3
2

1|
U

Jukarest to Polontine

Florest _ - -

Giest
Gierbuoff
Fittest

Moara -

Argish . - _

Sala(rook
Perishaw

Keeneu - _ >

Rothen Thurn Pass, where he) .
performed quarantine, ) ^

He arrived at the Rothen Tliurji Pass in the
afternoon of the 5th September, when his qua-
rantine commenced. He had brought letters
from M. de Merkclius to the Director of the
l^a/aretto, howover, which proved of much ser-
vice ; for he was in consequence particularly at-
tended to, had a servant appointed to wait on him,
and was supplied with plenty of the best pro-,
visions, wine, and fruits. He performed qua-
rantine here ten days.

From the night of the 2 ')th August to the even-
ing of the 3ist, he had travelled six hundred
and seventy-two English miles, as will appear by
the following distances, given me by M. de
Merkelius, the Director of the Post.

German Postj.

From Constantinople to Rochuke on the

Danube, through Romaliaand Bulgaria 50
From Erguoii' on the Danube to Rukarest 6

56;

liich, reckoning twelve English nules to a
iMiiiaii post, is two hundred and seventy

ill's .

I which, reckoning twelve English miles to a
i German post, is six hundred and seventy-two
I miles.

I The latter has been accurately ascertained by
i the German engineers, who had the conducting
j of artillery to Erguoft' in the late war.
! On the 14th September Mr. Jackson's qua-
! rantine expired, the day on which he arrived
i being reckoned as one, because he was there
I before sun-set; and on the following morning he
' set out in the post-cart, a carriage built on pur-
, pose, and with better accommodations and more
I conveniencies than the Wallachian; though both.
\ arc very light. The road for the first six miles
; was near the banks of the river Alauta, with very
i high hills and thick woods on each side. There
I are many steep narrow passes here, but just
I broad enough for the carriage, and which have
j been cut out of (he solid rocks. At Boetzhar all
j his passports, and certificates of having perform-
ed the quarantine, were examined. After getting
\ through those passes they entered a fine opeu
'■ country, in whicl» numerous villages and some
considerable towns were to be seen, and the
greater p^rt of the whole was cultivated. At
f length he arrived at Hcrruianstadt, the capital
of Transylvania.

Tilt? abevc arc not tlic only towns tlirough which he
|t>'(!; but are specifiod as bciiis; the places appointed fur
\>.\ lioiscs, which are always kept ready on purpose to
iiviy ilu! C 01 man mails, and ate paid for that surviuo by

Vol. II. No. CXYIII. > r .

M. d(! Morkcliiis, who has great put of the management of
I forwarding the GernKin post from Coiistantiiioplc to (ho
. frontiers, and through whose h mils all t'lO Kas! India Com.
1 pany's dispatches pa»», on their \>av' to Vienna.

8 U

ilc rrmanttadt

(>;• V^

' ■! i

■H %'

' '!«. f'A:

«48

A JOURNET FROM INDIA, TOWARDS ENGLAND.

Herrmanstadt is a tolerably well built city.
The promenade is very pleasant, and they have
also a very handsome theatre. Their music is
excellent, having the advantage of some of the
best German performers. The people are very
polite, and obi(;rve much formality; for no per-
son above the rank of a servant can walk in Ihe
.streets without a sword by his side. They are
also very particular in their dresses; and a native
of the province wears a dress similar to what is
■worn in England upwards of a hundred years
ago, viz. a long coat almost reaching to the
ground, trimmed all round with fur; a pair of j
boots like those of our heavy cavalry, with a
cocked hat something like a Dutch skipper's.
People from every province are known here by
their respective dresses; and even every tradesman
is distinguished by his apparel. Whoever visits
this city, if he can spare two hours, should not
neglect seeing Baron Brukenthall's extensive
collection of the most valuable paintings, many
of which are by the first masters, Guido, Rubens,
Rembrant, &c. His antique coins, medals, and
other curiosities, also are well worth seeing.
His library is very extensive, and considered of
great value. He has likewise a beautiful garden
about half a mile out of the city, laid out after
the English taste. The Baron is almost eighty
years of age; he was many years Civil Governor
of this province, andspeaksEnglish tolerably well.

Transylvania is, generally speaking, a fine
country, but capable of much improvement. It
produces great quantities of most kinds of grain,
and flax of a very good quality, which is manu-
factured into linen. The nobility arc for the
most part very proud, and keep,their peasantry
in a state of slavery; for out of six days in the
week the peasant is obliged to labour four for his
master, having only the remaining two days for
himself. This province pays to the Emperor in
taxes of all kinds one million five hundred thou-
sand florins annually, which is chiefly imposed
upon the land, for what the citizens pay is very
trifling indeed.

On the 18th he left Herrmanstadt, and travelled
post, by day and night, till he arrived at
Temeswar, the capital of Banate, where he was
detained a few hours to have his passport ex-
amined. This being a strong fortification, the
officers were very particular in examining ail
itraogerg, and he was obliged to go before the

General Commandant, with whom he cobvum J
in Latin. When infornied that he xm t
Englishman he shewed him much attention

The Banate is a very fine province, the ercateri
part of it being level and well cultivated, excentl
on that side adjoining to Transylvania, which i!
mountainous and woody. Provisions of all kind?
are good and cheap; and their wines are ex-
cellent, particularly at a large town called Luffnj

From Herrmanstadt he went to Pest, which ii
at present the capital of the kingdom of Iluncarv
It is a large and populous city, and has hcei
much improved within the last six years, greai
part of the cUy having been entirely rebuilt
is seated on the left banks of the Danube. Qi
the opposite side of the river is the city of Offen
nearly as large as Pest, and remarkable for i(!
excellent wines, which are held in much estcci
all over the empire.

Offen is situated on the side of a hill facing tin
South, which is covered with vineyards for aboi
six miles below the city. The wine is red ar
something like port, but has a stronger body ang
is very rough.

On the river Danube below Pest, are man
floating corn- mills, which are adniirabl)' adapti
for the purpose. The vessels on which the niilli
are built are always kept afloat, and at anchor]
in the middle of the stream; the wheel isturnei
by the current.

On the 2.5th September he set out from Pf«|
and arrived at Vienna the same night. Thi
road was in general tolerably good, and b
travelled about as quick does the mail coaci
in En^lancf

12th October he left Vienna, comini
Bohemia, and remaining two davs
Prague to take a view of the city and its environ!

Leaving Prague he came on to Dresden, tlii
capital of Saxony, where he remained two dav
There is a degree of elegance in this ci»y andthi
neighbourhood, superior to most other place
TUe gallery is supposed to contain the largest am
best collection of paintings in Europe, and itlui
lately received considerable additions; for, oi
the French entering Italy, many o f the best pieci
were conveyed to Dresden, as a place of safety

After leaving Dresden, he travelled througl
Leipsic, Halle, Halbcrstadt, Brunswick-Lunei
burg, and to Hamburgh, which he reached o|
the evening of the 28th October.

England.
On the
through

END OF MR. JACKSON'S TOUR.

Ijora he coDverif J

en attention. I

'vince, the greater!
Jultivated, except!
i>lvania, whichj
visions of all kindjj
!ir wines are ex-T
own called LugoJ
to Pest, vvliicii id

;donj of Iluiigarvl
ity, and has bccj
ist six years, gread
itirely rebuilt, ij
the Danube. Oil
the city of Offenj
remarkable for jti
d in mucheslceni

of a hill facing I

vineyards for abou

he wine is red ar I

stronger body ani

w Pest, are nian<
admirably adapiei
on which the mi

aat, and at anchor!

the wheel is turns

set out from Pfilj
same night. 'M
Ay good, and hj
iocs the mail toacH

!ft Vienna, comioi
ining two davs i
ity and its environJ
on to Dresden,
remained two dmi
in this city and Ihi
most other placei
tain the largest anI
Eujopc, and itiial
additions; for, oi
ny of the best piecej
i a place of safeljl
travelled througl
Brunswick-Luneof
lich he reached o|
er.
i

"ii^

giffi

=4.1

-^Vll:s^\ 1

iVs.^* >» 1 \ (

Jitl'-^

^nr

,i\

i|»v ,

nJHMMlr/

iF* \

Kii

GENERAL GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION

.... ^■' .

Ililillll R,
i rfif

HiyJUliyJiUULiJLliLi

Oi- Tllli

WORLD,

EUROPE.

THIS part of tbe globe is the smallest in ex-
tent, yielding considerably to Africi4. From
llhe rock of Lisbon in the west, to the Uralian
jinniintains in the cast, the length is about 3,300
IBritish miles; and the breadth from North Cape
linDinish Lapland to Cape Matapan, the soiith-
lern extremity of Greece, is about 2,350. The
Itootents in square miles is about 2,500,(KX).

Limits.] On the south the continental part is
Ibounded by the Mediterranean Sea, on the west
|by the Atlantic, which contains the furthest
lEurnpean isle, that of Iceland, Greenland being
Itegarded as a part of North America*. On the
liiorllithe boundary is the Arctic Ocean, embracing
Itliereinole isles of Spitzbergen and Novaya Zeni-
llia, or the New Land. Toward the east the
lUralian mountains is admitted as a boundary.

Religion.] The christian religion prevails
llhroughout Europe except in Turkey, where
Ikwever at least one half of the inhabitants are
littached to the Greek church. Wherever the
Ichristian faith has penetrated, knowledge, in-
Idustry, and civilization have followed : among
|(he barbarous tribes in the north the progress was
lunhappily slow, Scandinavia remaining pagan
llill the eleventh century; and some Sclavonic
i on the south of the Baltic till the thirteenth;
bay, it is not above a century ago since the
Laplanders were converted by missions from

«nraark. The two grand distinctions are ca-

Ibolics and protcstants : the former in the south,

irlierc the passions arc more warm and the

imagination more delighted with splendour ; the

itter in the north, whci-e the satisfaction of the

I * In the opinion of several geographers, the Azores or
Western Isles are clearly liluropcan, being nearer to Por-

judgment predominates. This universality of the
christian religion has been followed by another
superlative advantage, that of constituting all
Europe, as it were, into one republic, so that
pny useful discovery made in one state passes to
the rest with celerity.

Ci.iMATK ] Europe is chiefly situated in the
temperate zone: if such distinctions have not
vanished from geography since modern dis-
coveries have evinced, that the climate often de-
pends on local causes; that the Alps in a south-
ern latitude present mountains of ice unknown in
Lapland : that the torrid zone abounds with
water »nd habitations, and may perhaps contain
mountains covered with snow. Yet freedoni
from the excessive heats of Asia and Africa has
contributed to the vigour of the frame, and the
energy of the mind.

Inland seas.] In a general view of Europe
one of the most striking and interesting features
is the number and extent of the inland seas;
justly regarded as chief causes of the extensive
industry and civilization, r.ud consequently su-
perior to the other grand divisions of the globe.
Among inland seas the Mediterranean is justly
pre-eminent, having been the centre of civilization
to ancient and modern Europe. The columns of
Hercules marked its western boundary; being
the mountain or rock of Abyla, now called Ccuta,
and Kaipe in Spain, the Gibraltar of modern
fame. The length of the Mediterranean is about
200{) miles to its farthest extremity in Syria.
On its northern side open two large gulfs, that of
Venice and Archipelago. From this last a strait
called the Hellespont conducts to the sea of
Marmora; and another now styled the strait of

tugal than to any other continental lanii, while the Madeiras,
for the same reason, belong to Africa.

Constan-

•.■.'II

■ * ii

I <!l

j.t t

ii'

I ' .. ' !',

Vt'

1 i

Il )

11:^1,

■ '

1 'I'l '1

650

GEOGRAPFIirAL DF.SCRTPTION OF TIIF. WOULD.

Constantinople, leads to the Eiixiiie or Rliick sea;
which to the north presents the shallow sea of
Axof, the iifmost marifimc limit of f^urope in
that quarter. This wide expanse of the Mediter-
ranean is heanlifully sprinkled with islands, and
environed with opulent coasts, ahoundin^ with
the most suhlime and picturesque features of
nature: tides arc not perceivable except in the

gulfs of Bothnia and Finland, hoth covpr 1
or impeded with ice for four or five niomji, ^,
the w inter. The greatest depth of this hoa U sil
not to exceed fifty fathoms. Swedish iiaturalisi
pronovince that it loses about four feet in ox(e,J
in the course of a century. Tides are niiknow,,
and the fish are few. '

The third and last inland sea of Europe is dn*

narrowest straits; but accordinj^ to naturalists | called the White Sea in the north of Riijj.j

there is a current along the Italiai shore from more knowu in Europe, and particularly (,' i

the west to the east, and towards the African Enfrlish eiiterprize, before the coniimrce nf

coast in an opposite direction. In the Gulf of Archangel was supplanted by that of Pctcrsbiir?

Venice the current runs north-west along Dal- Among the other maritime divisions may be

mat ia and returns h)' the opposite shore of Ital; i named the German sea, so called nccause it

The Mediterranean abounds with fish, many of | waters the- western shores of ancient Germanv

Avhich arc little known in the more northern
latitudes. The chief fisheries are those of the
tunnv, of the sword fish, and of the sea dog, a
species of shark, and the diminutive anchovy.
It is also tlie chief seminary of coral, now known
to be the work of marine insects. This supposed
plant is of three colours, the red, the vermillion,
and the white; and its greatest height is about
eleven inches. It is equally hard in the sea and
in the air; and is generally brought up by a kin
of net from the depth of (>0 to 12^) fiet. To
enumerate and ascertain shoals and rocks is the
office of the hydrographer ; but fishing banks
are of general importance, and some are found
near Sicily.

The second grand inland sea of Europe is the
Baltic, which extensive inlet opens from the
German sea by a gulf pointing N. E. called the
Skager Rack; and afterwards passes south in
what is called the Cattegat, to the S. E. of which
is the sound of Elsinore, a strait where vessels
pay a tribute of courtesy to Denmark. The
Baltic afterwards spreads widely to the \. E. and
is divided into extensive branches called the

' • Yi't this cnorinous waste iii in (he Imml of I'rovidcnce a
fcrfili! field of provisions for the human race. H<to the vast
battalions of iieriing* seem to swk a refuge from ninucrous
foes, and to breed tlieir millions in security. About the
middle of winter emergiiis from thcif retreat tht-j spread in
three divisi'ins; one towards the west, which covers the
gliores of America as far as the Chcsapcalc and Carolina,
nliile another more minute squadron passes the strait bctwecu
Acia and Ameriea, and visits the (oasts of Kamsehatka.
The moKt iu;niorable, tht; central division, reaches Iceland
about the beginning of March, in a close phalanx of siir.
prising depth, and such cxfent that the surface is supposed
to equal the dimensions of (i reat Britain and Ireland. They
tuc however bubdivided into numberless columns of five or

from the Rhine to the extremity of Jutland, ll
is now often stiled, with sufiicient iiupropriety
the North sea, a term probably adopted bv y
from the Dutch. It may be regarded as a'partj
of the Atlantic ocean, terminating at the straitjl
of Dover; whence the British Channels exlcndl
to the west. The buy of Biscay is another larw
inlet of the Atlantic. The Bristol (-Iianiiel is
rather the estuary or wide frith of the Severn.!
Between Great Britain and Ireland arc St,f
(Jeorge's Channel on the south; the Irish sea inl
the center, which leads to the North Cliaiinel.l
That part of the Atlantic which passes bctweea
Scotland and the extreme range of the wosteml
isles from Barra to Leuis has received no ilistiucti
appellation.

To the north of Europe is the Arctic OceanI
the dismal and solitary reservoir of niuiads m
miles of ice, the very skirts of which iioatin^'inl
enormous mountains crtnvned with brilhaiij
pinnacles of every hue delight the eje and appiU
the heart of the mariner*. ]

On the coast of Holland there are manybankJ
which supply excellent fish, as turbot, soalJ

six miles in length and three or four in breadth, folloitw
by numerous .sea fowl, sind perceived by the rippling of IhJ
water and a brilliant rcllexion like that of a raiuhow, M
April or May the vanguard of those allotted to lliu Uriti-lJ
dominions reaches Shetland, and the grand body arrivts iiJ
.fiinc; towards the end uf which month and through thatui
July they are in thi; greatest perfection. From Shcllanl
one divisij)n proceeds towards the e;ist as far as Varmoutli|
where they appear in October. The other brigade pasit
to the west along both shores of Ireland. A few stragglcrJ
are found at irreg\iliir periods, having proceeded bcyonf
their powers of return ; but if U generally credited tbaf
millions regain the .\rctic Ocean aiul deposit their sfaw
about the month of October,

pUicej

■4i-

ENGLAND.

051

1 1 fc &c. Further to llic north is the extensive

It*' cr-bank, stretching south-east and north-

l,'(- beginning about twelve leagues from

tiibiirough heiul, and extending neatly scvcnty-

,1, loaftiKis towards the coast of Jutland *.

Rivers and mountains.] The^chief rivers of

biirope are described under the respective coun-

Lj,5 through which they tlow, 0( the vast

FVokii tar the greater part is included in Europe:

Loaniihe is the next in fame; and is followed

L||,e DiK iper or Nieper, the Rhine, and the

llbe. 'riio most elevated mountains are the

Lsi which are followed by the Pyrenees and

feeextensive ridge which divides Norway from

iiedeii The Carpathian mountains, and the

L,i„ of Eniineh or Haemus, arc, with the

Liinines, of inferior extent and height.

[Governments.] The kingdoms and states of

luropemaybe considered, I. As despotic mo-

Lchies, as those of Russia and Turkey: 2.

Kjolutc monarchies, as Denniark, &c, : or, 3.

Liied monarchies, as Austria, kingdom of

Lat Britain, &c. Since the fall of Venice,

J the subversion of Swisserland and Holland,

jrcfily an example occurs of permanent and

y aristocracy, or the hereditary government

F nobles. Of democracy, or, "more strictly

[taking, elective aristocracy, a few cities and

Lt Swiss cantons may preserve a semblance ;

Ijiile France at the present hour is a military

^ion under the name of an empire.

ENGLAND.

Iextent.] The island of Great Britain extends
L fifty to fifty-eight and a half degrees of
Irth latitude, being about 500 geographical
ties in length. Its greatest breadth, from the
Lnd's End in Cornwall to the North Foreland in
lent, 320 geographical miles. In British miles
e length is about 580, and the breadth 370.

I» Between the Dogger aiul the Well fJank to the south
! the Silvtrpits of the mariners, which snppiy London
lllicod, a fish which loves the deep water near the banks,
iildhu Uai Gsh delight i'.i (he slialluws.
If The division of South Britain into shires is said to have
In instituted by the great Alfred. These departments are
lo styiwi counties, as having been each governed by a
•Bnl'in the Saxon times, styietl Kaldorman, and after the
kish conquest called Earl, from the J)ani»h tail, im-
Lgagrcat man. The dignity and title becoming here.
Ly, the government of the county dcrolrcd upon the

IVoL, II. No. CXIX.

England is bounded I'ti the east by the German
Ocean; on the south by the English Channel; on
the west by St. George's Channel; on the north
by the Cheviot Hills, by the pastoral river Tweed,
and an ideal line fulling south-west down to the
Firth of Solway. The extent of England and
Wales in square miles is computed at 49,450;
and the population at nine millions three huiidretl
and fnrty-three thousand five hundred and seventy-
eight, the nimiber of inhabitants to a 8(|uare mile
will of course be one hundred and eighty-eight.

England proper is divided intu forty counties,
and the principality of Wales into twelve, thus
making the whole number of counties in South
Britain fifty-twof; of which the following is a^
list, together with their respective chief towns.

Number nf In/iahltanlt

according to the

late Chief ToKns.

.enumeration.

"Northumberland
Cumberland

157,101

Newcastle

117,2,)0

Carlisle

Six northern j

Durham

160,.JGI

Durham

counties ( Yorkshire

5C,;j,'.i5J

York

Westmoreland

41,lU7

Appleby

^Lancashire

G7:i,7J1

Lancaster

■ Cheshirn

19l,7r)l

Chester

Four bordering

(Shropshire

lfi7,l".)9

Shrewsbury

on Walei

j Herefordshire

89,191

Hereford

' Monmomhshire

45,582

IMoiimoulh

"Nottinghamshire

H0,.'J50

Nottingham

,..

D'Tbysliire

101,143

Derby

SialTordshire

y.J9,15J

.Stafford

. ,

Lcicestcishirc

100,U81

Leicester

Rutlandsliiro

lC,l'5li

Okehuin

Twelve midland <

Nortlianiptonshire
Warwickshire

],M,757
208,1'JO

Northiimplon.
Warwick

Worcestcishire

lay.aw

Worcester

Gloucestershire

'.iJ0,P09

Glou'- ester

Oxfordshire

109,(ii.'()

Oxford

Buckinnhamsliire

107,444

Aylesbury

.Bcdfimishire

63,: .91}

Bedford

"I.iHcohishire

2iK*,::b7

LiiuoUi

Ituntingdonsliire

37,oG8

Huutingdnn

Cimbrirtgcshire

89,34(;

Cambridge

Norfolk

27i,M

Norwich

EigHt eastern .<

Suffolk

«IO,4.V.l

Ips-.vich

EsSrX

l."J(>,-!37

Cheliiui'ord

Hertfordshire

9 -,67 7

Hertford

_:\ri(ldlesex

6. 5'!, '-9*

London

Three south- '

Surrey

269,043

Guildford

Kent

i;07,(ix'4

Maidstono

eastern

1 .Sussex

1;)9,.J11

Lewes

Earl's depnty, the Sliire.rceve, slicrill" or manager of tlis
shire. Yorlishiro being very extensive it was divided into
three parts, called in S.ixon trithings, now corruptly called
Ridings.

It is also generally believed that Alfred fonnded the sub-
divisions of ctMinties called Hnndreils and Tythings, now
seldom montii'.ied except in le^al proceiMlings and in topo.
graphical descriptions. The Hundred probably contiincil
one hundred farms, while the Tything was restricted to ten.
* Exclusive of the capital.

Four

'! \i-

it >.

•■r

i 1 ■!„;

'' M

*! !N

652

GrOGRAPIlirAT: DT'SCRlPTrON OF TllH WOHM).

Four southern

Tliri'o south,
wisteru

(Bi'ik->hu'e
5 Wilt-hire
llI.lm|l^hi^B

K'ii»'>ir nf JiilniliilaiiLt
un nrilli:g In llii: Ma Clliff Towns.
iJnimfriiliiin.

ti
li

LI'

10 V l>

H<.Ml1il1f(

is.'i.ior

S.ili.lmry

;M',I,0jO

\Viii(ln-.t.'r

iivmi

Porilii'sit-r

i.'7J,:.'io

T.iiiiitou

.'14i,0()l

llxcllT

i«H,'-'i;'j

l.auiircstuil

■'i'.i,iiJ2

KUrit

(;o,;!.')'i

DciiljiRh

'1I,.'>21

CiUfrriiirvoii

n.},H()(i

KoauniarU

ij'.i,.'i()()

B.ila

47 07H

Mnnip'Miiory

1>.|,()'>1)

rri-sl,'ii;;i

■la.'.i.iCi

C'.ir(lii;.iii

.'iii.'jao

PiMiilirukr

Iir,.il7

('.iiTiu.irllim

oi,i;.i.)

HurkiK.ck

7l,V,!J

c'.iiTiiiir

...jniiT<el»hiro

Dinoii.hiri'

CiinnvLill

Kliiit^liiro

I I)LMibi|;h-liii<'

€>■ M .1 nr 1 J tJiriiaivoiiiliiro
S,x,Nurlh\V.lcs< ,,,^,l_.,^.y

I M?,-'incrhshirn

Mniit ;()uu;iysliire

KachiirsUiru

(.'aiiliiansliii'i!
J I'fntli.iikriliirc
RoulhWalcs.^ CairniarlhtiKliiru
■ lirc'ikiiiitkihiri!

(iUiuoigaMihirc

IIisTonuAi. KPocus.] Geography has been
styled Olio of the eyes of history, a subservience
to which study is "undoubtedly one of iU grand
objects; but it would at the same time be foreign
to its nature to render it a vehicle of history.
The proper and peculiar subjects of geographical
science are 1*0 ample, and often attended with
such diHicult research, tliat it becomes equally
rash and unnecessary to wander out of its ap-
propriated domain.

Antiquities.] The ancient monuments of a
country are intimately connected with the chief
epochs of its history, and particularly with the
revolutions it has undergone by foreign conquest
or new population. The English antiquities fall
of course into six divisions. I. Those belonging
to the primitive Celtic inhabitants. 2. Those of
the Beb'ic colonies. 3. Those of the Romans.
4. Those of the Saxons. 5. Reliques of the
Danes. (>. No^man monuments. Few of those
remains, it must be confessed, throw much light
upon history; but many of them being interesting
and curious in themselves, they deserve the at-
tention of the traveller and geographer.

Those of the fust Celtic inhabitants were pro-
bably, as usual among savage nations, construct-
ed of wood, and of course there can be no remains.
Some rude barrows and heaps of stones may per-
haps belong to the Druidic tribes, but Stonehenge,
the large Barrows or tumuli, &c. &c. more pro-
bably belong to the IJelgic colonies. Stonehenge
is situated near the capital of flie ancient Belga%
and there is a similar uiouumcnl, but said to be
of far greater extent, near Vaniies, a (own on the
Freucli coast which was possessed by the Bclgaj.

Similar monuments also occur in Denmark
Sweden, and in Iceland even the date of prcc.
is sometimes ascertained, these circles bei"
familiarly known by the name of Ihinh-r,
that is literally Doom-ring, or Circle of Jud
ment, being the solemn places where courts wen
held. Stonehenge is a noble and curious mom
ment of early times. There appear tobethn
principal circles of stones, the outer coimectei
together by an uniform pavement as it were at t|j
top, to which the chiefs might ascend aud siieil
to the surrounding crowd. A second circle con
sists of detached upright stones about live feetii
height, while the highest are eighteen. \\\
this is a grand oval, originally consistiiijr ^f |j^|
trilithons of two htigc stones crossed by aiiotbc
at the top and inclosing smaller stones, wliid
seem to have been seats, and a large flat stt
commonly called the altar, but which stieins
have been the throne or seat of judgment. Thei
is besides a very high stone, towards the nort
cast or rising stm, and near this a large flatstoi
encompassed with a mound, which is prubublj
the real altar on which human victims wercsuim
times sacrificed. There are also two other stm
at a considerable distance to the E. and W. a
(he whole seems to be in the midst of a verji;
tensive circle, marked by an earthen cnibiinkmei
almost cftayed by the lapse of years, andallordi
sufticicnt .space for all the males of the tribe
nation. The largest stones are of silicious sai
stone, but the altar, or rather throne, is a rule;
reous sand-stone. The smaller stones are
grunstcin or hornblend mixed with felspar,
its first erection the appearance must have kei
striking, the large stones being of pure white
the smaller black.

After the establishment of christianitv tl
circles of judgment, which had been polluli
with human sacrifices and other pagan ritcK, w
abandoned, and the great courts were held
what were called Moot hills, or hills of ineetini
many of which still exist in the British doinii
and in the Netherlands.

The Roman antiquities of England have beJ
repeatedly illustrated. The greatest nuinbcri
Roman inscriptions, altars, &c. has been fouj
in the north along the great frontier wall \vii
extended from the western sea to the cstniiiyj
Tync. The Roman roads were also strikiii
monuments of their power. A grand trunk,

K N G L A N 1).

65S

IK may be colleil, to antitipotc the lunjruage of

I four inland navigations, passed from the soutli

IL the north, and another to tne wrst, with

IbrandiM i» almost every direction that goiicrul

loiivenience nnd expedition could require. Whut

Lcalledthc Watling-street led from Richboroujrh

in Kent, the ancient llutupia;, N. W. through

london to Chester. The Ermiu-street passed

tftom London to Lincohi, thence to Carlisle and

Scotland, the name being supposed to be

Itorrui'ted from Herman, which means warrior,

ithe chief wars lay in the north. The Fosse

avis supposed to have led from Bath and the

eilern regions N. K. till it Joined the Ermin-

,(et, The last celebrated road was tiie Ukenild,

rlkneld, supposed to have extended from near

iorwich S. W. into Dorsetshire.

The Saxon antiquities in England are chiefly

ilices, sacred or secular; many churches remain

liicli were altogether or for the most part con-

Iructed in tho Saxon f^ riod, and some arc extant

f the tenth or perhaps the ninth century. The

milts erected by Grimbald at Oxford in the reign

(Alfred are justly esteemed curious relics of

lixon architecture. Mr. King has ahly illiis-

itcd the remains of the Saxon castles. The

Idcst seem to consist of one solitary tower,

tiarc or he.tagonal: one of the rudest specimens

Coningsburg Castle in Yorkshire; but as that

gion was fiil'ject to the Danes till the middle of

le tenth century it is probably Danish. Among

e>ma)!er remains of Saxon art may be mentioned

e shrines for preserving relics, which some sup-

loseto present the diminutive rudiments of what is

lilcd the Gothic architecture; and the illuminated

nuscripts, which often ail'ord curious memo-

ikof the state of manners and knowledge.

The Danish power in England, though of con-

lerable duratioo in the north, was in the south

ief and transitory. The camps of that nation

ere circular like those of the Belga« and Saxons,

hile those of Roman armies are known by their

uare form : and it is believed that the only

itinct relics of the Danes are some castles to the

rth of thft llumber and a few stones with

nic inscriptions.

The monuments styled Norman, rather to dis-

iguish their epoch than from any information

it Norman architects were employed, are re-

ited to commence after the conquest, and to

tend to the fourteenth century; when what is

called the rirli (loilnc he^^ifan to appear, wliicli in
the sixteenth century was siippliintcd by the
mixed; and this in its turn yi"lde«l to the (Jietiiin.
In general the Nornmn style far exceeds the
Siixon in the size of the erilkes and the decoration
of the parts. The churciie.s become more extensive
and lofty, and though the windows retain the
circular arch they are larger and more diversified;
the circular doors are festooned with more free-
dom and elegance, and uncouth animals begin to
yielJ to wreaths of leaves and (lowers. The
solitary Ii','ej) or tower of the Saxon rastle is sur-
rounded witt' a double wall, inclosing courts or
dwellings of large extent, defended by turrets ami
double ditches, with a separate watch-tower
called the Barbican. Among others the cathe-
drals of Durham and >V iijehester may be men-
tioned as venerable monuments of Anglo-Norman
architecture, and the castles are numerous and
well known. What is ca'.od the Gothic or
pointed arch is generally supposed to have first
appeared in the thirteenth century, and in the
next it became universal in religions edifices.
The windows dilluhed to great breadth and lofti-
ness and divided into branching interstices, en-
riched with painted glass, the clustering pillars of
excessive height spreading into various fretwork
on the roof constitute, with decorations of smalltr
note, what is called the rich Gothic st>le, visiMe
in the chapel of King's College, Cambridge, and
many otlscr grand specimens in this kiiigclon:.
The 8|7ire corresponds with the interior, and
begin? about tiie thirteenth century to rise boldly
from the anci-nt tower and diminish from the
sight in a gradation of pinnacles and ornaments.

UkLIGION and rXCLESIASTIC (JKOliUAPHV.]

The church of England is established upon
a peculiar basis, and characteristic of a moderate
and judicious nation. As in the political svstenj
extremes, the usual concomitants of inexperience,
are carefully avoided, and despotism or anarchy
from whatever source, monarch, nobles, or people,
prevented as far as human wisdom can devise ; so in
the church, while the papal power and other ca-
tholic chains are proscribed, the other extremes
tending to loose (lemocracyareeqiiallyavoided. It
is the only reformed church which has retained
the episcopal form in its ancient splendour; the
bishops are peers of parliament and have the style
and importance of nobility. Yet the creed of the
church uf England is rather Calvinislic tliMu

. Lut!ic»«n.

" W

*\s\

654

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCHIPTION OF THE WORLD.

Lutheran. But the <iptcia1 tenets of the English
church arc sulHcientl^ exniained in the thirty-nine
articles; and a brief idea of its government will
be more pertinent to the present purpose.

The king is the supreme head of the national
church. Next in dignity and power are the arcli-
bishops of Canterbury and York, the first being
styled Primate of all England^ and the second,
Primate of England. The archbishop of Canter-
bury precedes all persons except the royal family ;
hehasthepowerofprobdte of all testaments within
his province and of granting several dispensations
conceruing beneticfts; he has also four courts of
judicature, thsit of Arches, of Audience, of Prero-
gative, and of Peculiars, In other respects the
archiepiscopal office is rather a dignity than a
jurisdiction, and the primates rnrely interfere in
any dioceses except their own. They are ap-
pointed by the king iii the same manner as the
bishops, by what is called a Conge d'Elire, or
leave to elect.

Upon any vacancy in an episcopal see, the
iiean and chapter apply to the king, who returns
a Conge d'Elire, naming the person to be chosen.
A chapter of the prebendaries is then summoned
by the dean^ and ihcy are constrained under the
penalty of a pratnunire to eK»ct the person no-
minated. The solemnity is completed by the royal
assiient under great seal, and by the confirmation
and coniiccration performed by the metropolitan
or in his name. The prelate afterwards pays
homage to the king for his temporalities, or the
baronies connected with the see: and compounds
for the first fruits, that is, the revenue of the
first year, which is paid to the corporation for
increasing the benefices of the poor clergy. The
omission of consecration is the only difference
when a bishop is translated to another see; and
when an archbishop is nomls.ated, the king ap-
points four or more bishop.s to otru-iatc at the
confirmation.

The bishop algne may ordain deacons and
priests, dedicate chisrches and burial grounds,
a*td administer confirmation. In former times
episcopal jurisdiction e; tended to the licensin;L>;
of physicians, surgeons, and schoolmasters, and
tu the conjunction of small parishes. At present
it chiefly embraces questions of births, marriages,
deaths, and testaments, and any delinquencies of
the clergy; to which body indeed their attention
is now thidly confined, and they rarely; except
'4

in parliament, interfere in secular subjects, ' 1U
bishop of Sodor and Man has no place inna J
liament. All the other bishops arc barons a/l
peers of the realm by three different tiaiuis- i!
right to the baronies attached to their sees a1
barons summoned by writ, aad as barons b3
patent, a form which accompanies their consecraJ
tion. Their privileges approach the regal ; tlieJ
are sole judges in their own courts, and issu3
writs in their own names, not in the royal styl]
used by other courts. They can depute theid
authority, which no other judge can; andtheid
episcopal power of conferring orders, &c. maj
be exerted in any Christian country, while lad
peers are only acknowledged in the country
whence they derive their dignities. To pai
other more minute privileges; the bishop c
London, as presiding over the capital, has thj
precedence of all the others. The see of Durliaa
constitutes a county palatine, with greij
power and prerogatives: the authority anik
patronage of the bishop are of course very ejl
tensive, and even the king's judges only sit inbi(
diocese by his permission. The bisho|) of Win.
Chester is the third in dignity, but esteemed thi
first in opulence, as the large civil list of Ditrl
ham, while it adds power, diminishes revenue]
These three bishops precede all the rest, vh^
take place accordii j to the seniority of consecrni
t:on.

To every cathedral in England belong several
prebendaries as canons, and a dean, so styled,
is said (Decanus) because he anciently presida
over ten canons. The dean and chapter a
prebendaries assist the bishop inecclesiasticail'airJ
The prebendaries are so styled or pars im'bcniit
a portion of land or income allotted to them; m
with the dean, from a body, college, or corpd
ration: and they have several privileges siipma
to the common or minor canons. At the [t|
formation their salaries were mostly convtrtei
into money, but those of Durham prelV nod tU
ancient portions of land ; which havin;^ m
digiously increased in value, they are mow slyla
golden prebends, being worth from right liuJ
drcd pounds to twelve hundred poiiiuis aveij
while the bishop out of nine thousand poiiiidsl
year has to support a great and unavoidable cl
penditure. j

The next order is that of the arch-dtacoij
amounting in uU to about sixty; their ofHaisI

ENGLAND.

055

I'^mt the moveables of the churches, to reform
I, llifht abuses, and to induct into benefices.
I bf I'lP clergy in isjc'neral, the lowest order is
llliat of deacons, whose olHce formerly was to
fiiperiiiteiul the poor; the ancient donations to
I (lie church beinj:; always assigned in throe
liljyjgions, one to the poor, another for rcpiirs,
land the last for the clergy. At prest>nt <iie
I deacon 'solHcc is restricted to baptism, to reading
[in llie church, and assisting the priest at the
IcoiRiiHinion by handing the cup only. Deacon's
lordcrs cannot be canonically received before the
Jaire of twenty-three years, those of a priest require
||wciit)-four> and a bishop must be thirty. The
hnnt" IS a clergyman appointed to olliciate for
lanother, and is so named from his having the care
[of souls. If the predial or great cvHies of the
|j;arish he impropri.Ued, or converted into secular
jliaiifjs, the priest is termed a vicar, a name
lorigirallv implying that they were the liccirit, or
.. iitiiM of the rector; but if the tythes be entire,
■the priest is st\led rector*. The churchwardens
Isiipcrititend the repairs and decorations of the
Itliiirr'n. and the requisites for divine service, and
.)l!ectthe alms of the parishioners; they are an-
Iniallv elected at Easter, and have sometimes
Ijidcsincn, a kind of assistants. The sacristan,
Itorriiptlv called sexton, originally had the care
■of the furniture and plate of the cb.irch; and by

» The clercv in general I'lijoy ' iino iicriiliiir privilege?!.
iThfir ciiocii) are free from tolis ii\ fair» or iiurki-ls ; lliiy
Icaiinot be comijelleil to any o lire civil or military : they an-
lonlv ameiTiHl aerofiiiiif to tieir temporal estate: nor are
Ithfv a«!ii""!i'(l for a rohbery .'ommitled in llie biinilrcd, or
Ifar watchiiii, wanlini;, hij^liways, ice. kc.

+ Theecclesiasliral gcogiiipliy of Kugland wiay bo seen in

i:lullo\«ing table:

'V(»ii,ite vf CunUrhurt/.

I. Bishoprie of London, containing I'^sscx, MidillcaexJ
inJ part of Hertford.

i. Willi heiicr. — Surrey, Hampshire, hW of Wii;ht,
V, (Iiicrnsey. and Aldtriicy.

lati'htield and Coventry.— Stafford, Uerby, .'nd i;art
bfWarwitk and Shropshire.

4. Lincoln. — l^ineoln, l^eicester, llnntingdon, Uedf'>rd,
Biickiiijjham, and part of Hertford,

5. I.ly. — Cambridgeshire.

6. Salisbury. — Wilts and Uerkshirc. . • "- " 'i

7. I'lxetor — Cornwall and J)evon. ^ •' '••* '

8. Uath and Wells.— Sonicrsutshiro. i "■ " '

9 Chichester. — Sussex.

10. iVor-.vich. — Norfolk, SiifToIk, anil a sn)all part of
pmtriilije.

II. Worcester. — Woicester, and pnit of Warwick.

Vol. II. No. CXIX.

a still greater corruption the appellation is now
applied to the grave-digger, when it ought to
have been conferred on the parish-clerk.

Ecclesiastical courts still retain considerable
power: the convocation, consisting of the arch-
bishops and bishops, with a lower house of one
hundred and fifty members, only meets for the
sake of form; but have not been allowed to de-
liberate since the reign of Anne.

Nevt in tlignity is the court of delegates, acting
by a special commission under the groat seal; and
to whom an app<;al lit!s from the highest metro-
polifnn court. The court of arches is so stvled
because it was held in the arches of the church
St. Mary-le-bon, I>ondon, but now in the great
hall. Doctors Commons; only doctors of the
civil law are allowed to plead. The court of
audience is always presided by the archbisho[y
himself, who decides any doubts concerning the
admission to benefices and dispensation of the
banns of matrimony.

The next court is that of prerogative, whiek
judges of estates fallen by will, or intestate; the
prerogative otfice is likewise in Doctors Commons.
The court of peculiars refers to several peculiar
parishes exempt from the jiirisdiction of the
bishops, but here amenable: the judges are sole
and without jury f,

Those who diH'er in tenets or forms from the

VI. Hereford. — Hereford and part of Shropsliirc.. ..

13. Rochester. — part, of Kent.

14 0.\ford. — Oxfordshire.

1.5. l\'terl,oronri,ii. — .Northampton and Rutland. "''

10. flloncester — CMoiicestersliire.

17. Bristol The city of Bristol, part of Gloiiccstor.

shire, and county of Jiorset.

IS. LIundaii'. — C lamorgan, Monmouth, Brecknock, id
Radnor.

19. St. David's — IVmbroke, Cardigan, and Cacrmarther.

20. St. .\'^aplri!.— 1 he greatest part of Flint, Denbigh^
and .Montgomery, and s(.< iie part of Shropshire.

oi. Bangor. — The counties of Anglesey, Caernui'vonj.
Merioneth, and part of Denbigh and Rlontgomery.

Vruvinre of yorlc.

•' i.v

2*2. Durham. — Durham and Northumberland.
23. Carlisle. — (jreat part of Cumberland and Westmore.
land.

21. Chester. — Cheshire, Lancashire, Uichmondshiro
(which is part of York); with part of Cumberland and
U'estuiorelaud.

2j. Isle of Man.

Several changes have taken place in tlic number and situn.
tioiis of Ihu bishopries since Christianity was lirsf established
in this country, but these are not iu our province to describoi

8 F ctttablislicd

I ;■ III f<\

Si- 'i .'

! 1

II I

%!in

'H ''I 1 i

i-iiiMJ'

€56

GFOGRAPMICAT- DESCRIPTION OF THE WOirLD.

establislted clinrch mavj in general, be staled
Dissenters, though the term be more strictly ap-
plied to the Presbyter iaas and Independents.
The other principal classes of the dissidents are
the Papists, Methodists, Quakers, the Anabap-
tists, the Swedenborgianii, and the Unitarians;
the last class denying the Trinity, and believing
only in one God, is now intermingled with the
two first, who have considerably relaxed the
strictness of their discipline. ' The Independents
assert, that each congregation has a right to
regulate itself, while the Presbyterians unite
churches under various divisions, provincial and
national. The clerical aristocracy of the Presby-
terians was obtruded with great haughtiness upon
the English nation during the civil war in the last
century, and was rendered the more odious, be-
cause it admitted no toleration: hence the English
found that they had only exchanged one yoke for
another, or rather for slaver^^', as ten presbyters
amounted to one bishop, ;ii>d superadded the
petulance and morosene^s of individual in-
quisitors. Milton and other friends of freedom
soon began to satirize the whole sect, and to fly
for refuge to the Independents, whose benevolence
granted universal toleration. To this body
Cromwell lent an iron hand ; and after annihilating
the Presbyterian power in England, in a great
measure subver* ?d that of Scotland. The in-
tolerant spirit of the Presbyterians originated with
their apostle Calvin, whose cruelty to Servetus
^as balanced by surprising talents in clerical
polity: it rendered their power singularly adverse
to 'letters and taste; and no man of science who
had studied the literary history of this country
vould wish for the revival uf such domination.
But at present Calvin vould not recognise his
disciples, us they have abandoned their polemical
thistles, and cultivate the most elegant pro-
ductions of the literary field. The Papists used
chiefly to abound in Lancashire, Staffordshire,
and Sussex; they had potent chiefs, and were a
formidable body; but the passage from supersti-
tion to contempt is so natural, thai many have
fled to the opposite extreme. Those who retain
their faith generally display moderation, which
has been naturally increased by the late privileges
extended to ibem

The metliodistj arc extremely numerous and
respectable. They seem to allow the propriety
of the creed and goverumcut of the Church of

England ; but inculcate Arnvinian doctrines rath I
than those of the establishment. A philoson/ |
may well envy the mild creed and i(iiivei-i|
charity, or fraternal love of the Quakers; win
've must allow with a sigh that a niiion ofl
qaaker.s could not exist, excupt all nations we I
of the same persuasion. The Anabaptists diw J!|
infant baptism, and bathe the adult discing I
The Svvedenborgians derive their name from thel
Baron Swedeiborg, a nobleman, who e.xchancedl
his native country of Sweden for a residence ij
England. After having published two iolia|
volumes in Latin upon the art of exploring miuMl
he was seized with a violent fever, and with creati
difticulty recovered. In his disordered inrwimJ
tion he seemed to maintain a frequent intercoursj
with the spiritual world ; and he has publishel
twenty or more vast volumes in quarto, also ini
Latin,, replete with curious metapliysical ratiocii
nation, interspersed with visions, which aJ
sometimes narrated with high poetical spirit aiJ
elegance. His system is so much adapted toth^
stron >;e8t propensities of human nature, that hid
disci|des encreased with great rapiditv. lij]
chiei tenets are, that tlier^ is but one person oi
the Deity, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ; iha(
the day of judgment is already passed, &c. &c
but his must alluring tenets partakt'; of MuhaoiJ
mcdanism, in representing the connubial pleasured
fend the other enjoyments of a future world]
which he paints as similar to this state of txi
istence, but far exceeding it hi the gratification
of every sense whether mentai or corporeal.

GovEKNMKNT.3 It is difficult to givcabriej
idea of the English constitution, which prescnid
an infinite number of practic t ramifications]
and is ultimately connected wi.ii the spirit m
manners of the people. A mere outline must
here suffice. It is a limited monarchy, counter
poised by two senates, pne of hereditar)' pfersJ
the other of representatives, who are or ought ta
be chosen by the people. The stability and rca|
power of the House of Commons depend oni
general concurrence with the popular vu<rej
arising partly from the mode of election, a J
partly from the sympathetic gradation of ranb. i

Our lawyers pronounce that the King of Eiigj
land unites in his person the dignity of chiei]
magistrate with the sanctity of a priest; and tin
title of Sacred Majesty appears to have coiuJ
raenced vi'hea bs assumed the lanction of tieui od

r N G L A N D.

«57

gbe
jjudgel

\a( Cliurcli' So august is his person that even to

loention or intend his death is a capital offence,

Klien in all other cases the deed alone is punish-

ible. Fortescue in his old emphatic language

, described the office of the king of England

"io fight the battles nf bis people, and to

ithcm with most righteou 3 judgment." At

j'coronation he solemnly swears to govern his

^ple according to parliamentary statutes, and

,^ law of the country; to maintain the Pro-

Eeilaiit religion ; and to preserve the legal rights

privileges of the bishops, clergy, and the

Jiurcli.

'[he acknowledged prerogatives of the mo-
Hrch are chiefly to declare war and to make
see, a power upon which the whole of public
vMpcrity may be said to depend ; to form
llliances and treaties ; to grant commission for
men and arms, and even for pressing
iiriners. To the king also belong all magazines,
Bmiiiiition, castles, forts, ports, havens, and
(lips of war; he has also the special management
{[tlie coinage, and determines the alloy, weight,
lvalue. The prerogative likewise extends to
assembling, adjournment, prorogation, and
Itjolution of parliament, and to its removal to
Iv place. The sovereign also enjoys the
Uination of all officers on sea and land; of all
lagistrates, counsellors, and officers of state; of
bishops and other great ecclesiastical dig-
itaries; and is not only the fountain of honour
It of justice, as be may pardon any offence, or
litigate the penalty. As head of the church he
II) call a national or provincial synod, and with
kcoiisent enact canons either relating to faith or
ictice. The other prerogatives are more
linute and more adapted to jurisprudential
unieration. The more important exceptioi;>s
that he cannot enact new laws or impose
|w taxes without the consent of both houses of
jriiamcnt.

[This grand national council claims the next
iiidertition. Originally both the nobles and
coninions met in one house, and it is not im-
isiblethat the mere inconvenience of not finding
I large enough fur our then ambulatory par-
nents might have occasioned the division into
I houses, unknown in any other country, and

> Thr Duko ig so styled from the Latin dttx, a leailcr or
lera!; tho title of Marqiitti springs from the (tt>tliic Ian.
!<c, and implies the cuiuiniindcr of a march or fruutiur:

which in fact may be regarded as the sole
foundation of English liberty. The House of
Peers may be said to have existed from the earliest
period of our history, but concerning the origin
of the Commons there is a dispute between the
Tory and the Whig writers. The present con-
stitution of the parliament of England may how-
ever be traced with certainty to near the middle
of the thirteenth century; but it remains unknown
at what precise time happened the important
separation of the Commons from the Peers. The
latter are hereditary senators in their several
degrt 3 of duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and
baron*. The various orders of nobility have
been preserved more pure in England than in any
other country ; owing partly to the laws of
primogeniture, partly to their senatorial office,
partly to the institution of the college of heralds.
The privileges of the peers are moderate and
uninvidious, there being no exemption from taxes,
&c. as ill some countries.

The House of Commons consists of knights,
citizens, and b'' ^esses, chosen by comities,
cities, and burghs, in consequence of royal writs
directed to the sheriff. The members have cer-
tain privileges, as exemption from arrest in civil
causes, on their journey to parliament, during
*.heir attendance, and on their return; nor can they be
questioned out of the house for any sentiment there
uttered, '-'he commons form the grand inquest
of the ri.ilm, and may impeach or accuse the
greatest peers; but their chief privilege, and
upon which their whole power depends, is the
levying of money, in which they are deservedly so
jealous, that they will not permit the smallest
alteration m a money bill. Since the union with
Ireland the House of Commons consists of siic
hundred and fifty-eight members; t>ut by sickness,
important offices, and indispensable avocations,
there rarely appear above two-thirds of the
number. A Speaker or president is chosen at the
meeting of every new parliament, but is usually
continued from one to another as the office re-
quires a complete and ready knowledge of the
forms, and considerable abilities.

Acts of parliament are first presented in the
form of hills, and, after having go^.e through
various and exact forms generally observed with

the Earl and Baron arc also from the Gothic, and merely
implies eminent men: (ho Viscount is LatiO) and signiQus
the lieutenant of the count or ea.l.

great

■{ 'ill, I

f 'I-

■si' ! . '.^

iliV

:1 1-:1 1,

' I;

Co 8

GEOGRAPHICAL DFRCRIPTTON OF THE WORLD.

great, minuteness, become law on receiving the
sanction (»f llie Crown.

The attention of tlie nation is chiefly bent upon
the I*iirliamoi\tj wlien grand politietii questions
arise coneernioij; war and peace, or afiecling the
ciinstitntional liberties of the hind. On such oc-
casions the iitujost powers of eh)qnence are ex-
erted ; and specimens prodnced worthy of (iicece
or Rome. Snch trials of elocntion mav either
arise in (he stages of a bill as before described, or
by the special motion of a member for some parti-
cular object for address to the throne.

Acijournments may freqnently happen in one
session, and the. business is continued and re-
sumed; but a prorogation terminates the session,
and the bills not then passed must recommence
their whole progress. By a modern statute the
death of the king does not, as formerly, terminate
the parliament; which, on the contrary, had it
been previously dissolved, may, on that event,
resume its functions.

Such are the three grand component parts of
the English constitution; but perhaps its most
beneficial and popular ellects arise from the mode
of administering justice, and other ramifications.
For the sake of connection, however, it is proper
first to consider the Privy Council and the otlier
divisions of the government.

The Privy Council formerly possessed great
power, but at present is chiefly employed in de-
liberations on affairs of sudden emergence, on
peace and war, and special jjrovinces of the
royal prerogative. The members are chosen by
the king, and on changes of administration arc
•eldom erased, though those in opposition ii.;ver
attend. They are staled Right Ilononral.ie, and
are sworn to observe secrecy: Mie lowest at the
board pronounces his opinion first, nd the king,
if present, concludes with declaring bis judg-
ment.

Even 'at an early period, when the monarch
maintained in his own hands a great share of the
administration of justice, and of the actual ex-
orcise of authority, there were intervals of absence
or recreation in which he delegated the chief
management of business to some select person,
usually an ecclesiastic whose cultivated talents
(pialilied him for such an important trust. To
lend more weight to this substitute, he was com-
-nonl V appointed chancellor or chief administrator
of civil justice, was president of the House of

Peers, and supported the royal influencp in (],
great assembly. But in later times, \vl,e„ h
management of the House of Conunonsbecanl
the chief object of the crown, the ch.inteljor
the Court of Evchequer, as superintciidant *
the public revenue, is the odicer gonerail
considered as prime minister. The distribuli J
of fifty millions a year, joined with the mi
sup]iort, has recently carried his power to
highest elevation. Next to him in anthorilvarl
the secretaries «)f state, who arc followed In tin
chancellor, the treasurer of tlie navy, tlie nri
sident of the council, the paymaster of the forJ
the commissioners of the treasury, and othl
persons of high trust.

Judicature and la»vs.] The judicature i.
England is worthy of the highest applause «jH
regard to precision and purity; and bribes ij
frequent in other countries, being totiilly uj
known, the saving of this expcnce must be caJ
didly poised against other legal dishiirscnifnJ
The trial by jury is another glorious \h\{\\:ti
English jurisj)rudence, handed down from
Saxon times, and is justly respected as tlievej
safeguard of the lives, liberties, and proiierti
of the nation. It would be idle and rxtraiieol
here to attempt even a brief sketch of the laws!
England. The most singular usages art; wliatl
termed B(>toup:li Enp;U.\h, by which the \o>k-A
son, or, in defect of issue, the youngest bruilij
was to enjoy the heritage, as it was to be prj
sumed that his elder brethren bad learnrdiha
father's business, and that of gavel kind mel
known except in Kent. In no country aa'\»i|
so mutiJ venerated by law.

Tiie forest laws relate chiefly to ofTcncescoi
miUed in or near the precincts of the royal forcij
and were formerly regarded as a coiisidcralj
portion of the national code. But a idoI
vigorous branch of English judicature nitistii
be forgotten: martial law, or the Lex Cinimi
Artglicana, may be clearly traced to the rtipj
Henry V, who issued a cpde of milivar* sinlul
published by L'pton and Grose. The -liii
chiefly relate to sacrilege, prisoners, rohom]
merchants, &c. «&c. and refer sohily to the i
exercise of war; the pain of d< , 'i rarely oi J
except in the case of any person woo cries Inii
an expression seemingly cmuvalent to '
quarter." Martial law may be proclaimed Inl
king, regent, or lieuieuaiU-general o-. theki

«><iUivalcnt to

ENGLAND;

65!)

Join' «nJ *'^*" '" *''"® **^ peace, though the
,,erOL'ative be rarely employed except during
Lr. It i«i ID fact a dictatorial power never ex-
erted except on great emergencies. The trials
,te summary and sever ^ according to the necessity
Lf (he case. . ,

i Among the courts of law the next lo dignity to
jjjje House o.f Lords is the court of King's Bench,

called because the sovereign was understood to

J<re in person; and its jurisdiction of course

Kaii to the whole kingdom, the presiding

ludge being denominated Lord Chief Justice of

In'^land. The Court of Chancery judges causes

|j„e^quity to moderate the rigour of the law, and

Vend the hel pless from oppression, and especially

L extend relief in three cases, accident, fraud,

jind breach of trust. The Court of Common

Pb! determines, as the name imports, the com-

jjon suits between subject and subioct, and tries

yi civil causes, real, personal, or mingled, ac-

Lding (0 the precise precepts of the law. The

i;ourt of Exchequer, so termed from the ancient

node of accounting upon a chequered board,

Hecides all causes relating to the royal treasury

L revenue. There is also a court for the

Miv of Lancaster, having cognizance of the

levenues of that duchy annexed to the crown by

Henry IV.

The judges perform their circuits in the spring
Ind autumn, and in the mean while more minute
[asesare determined by the justices of the peace,
itlio may be traced to the fourth year of Ed-
►ard III. Every three months the justices of the
lounty meet at what is called the quarter sessions,
Ind the grand inquest or jury of the county is
leresiimmoned, which inqniresconccrningcrimcs,
|nd orders the guilty to jail till the next circuit or

isizes. The office of the sherifl' is to execute the
oval mandate, to impunnel juries, to bring pcr-
m for trial, and to see the sentences executed ;
jcollict fines and remit them to the exchequer,
ml In preserve the tranquillity of the shire.

There was formerly a bailiff in every hundred,
lut the office is now rare. The constablts per-
bally assist in the preservation of the peace, and
Wute the warrants of th? justices. The corooor
liquires by a jury of neighbours into cases of
Inlent death. The clc.k of the niarkcit super-
blends the weights and measures; and it were to

[•The naval power of (Jro.it liriiiin constitutes so strlUina;
IJ iniporiaiit a fuatiirn in tli» liitiuniil [lurtrait, titut il
IVoi.. II. No. CXIX.

be 'rished, for the benefit of the poor, tliat tlic
office were multiplied and strictly enforced. ,

Such arc the chief magistrates and ofiiccrs in
the country. Cities and towns are generally ruled
by a mayor and aldermen, or by similar ma-
gistrates under different appellations, whose
juridical power little exceeds that of justices of
the peace.

To enumerate ther;. ou punishments inflicted
by the laws of England would be an unnecessary
task. It has been jusUy observed that they are
too sanguinary, and that their frequency diminish-
es the intended purpose of impressing terror. If
death were only jiflicted in cases of murder, the
relaxation wouKi be found beneficial to the com-
muuity; for, as man is an animal reared with
considerable difTiculty, and may generally be ren-
dered useful, il would certainly be preferable to
send crimin?' for life to the new and distant
A'iiatic settlements, than by the waste of blood to
leiisen strength and population.

Popi LATioN.] The population of England and
Wales by the late enumeration amounts to nine
millions three hundred and forty-three thousand
five hundred and seventy-eight. That of Ireland
is generally computed at three millions, while
that of Scotland has been lately found to equal
one million six hundred and seven thousand seven
hundred and sixty.

Army."] The army during the late war was
supposed to exceed one hundred and seventy
thousand, with thirty thousand fcnciblcs, and
seventy-eight thousand militia, the volunteer*
being supposed to be sixty thousand.

Navy.] But the great rampart and supreme
glory of Cireat Britain consist in Im navy, in si/e,
strength, and number of ships, I'ar exceeding any
example on record. At the beginning of June,
1810, the following was the state of the British
Naval Force: In commission one hundred and
fifty-two ships of the line; twenty-two from
fifty to forty-four guns, one hundred and seventv-
ei^iht frigates, besides sloops, yachts, bombs, fire-
ships, brigs, &c. amounting to eight hundred and
thirty-four.

For this immense iiect the number of ■seamen
amounts from one huiiiired to one hiiiKlred and
twenty thousand, a number which no other coun-
try ancient or modern could have supplied*.

^__ ; The

merits piirticiilar ilinstMtiou. V.wn in tlw' i^nxon times we
find v-outiderablti tluuN msiKionod uf the tiiull vecsuU than

u: ■:>!:■

: ! -r

■■■II

y 'n !i

Uil^lJti!;

V i '.:«'ll.|

f^60

CKOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THF! WOni.D.

.«— ill

Tlio pprcial sTipprinfpiidimcp of the navy is com-
iniftcd fo the Fioard of Adniralty, coinposod of
admirals of known skill, and (»f peers wi)ose im-
parl iaiity generally regards merit alono in this im-
portant serviee. The recent eoiidn(t of maritime
war has been crowned with distinguished success.
IJkvknijk.] In ancient times the rowil revenue
cliiefly arose from the domains, or lands appro-
priated t<» the crown, from amerciaments civil
and criminal wliich pass( d to the fisc or treasury,
and from customs on goods imported and ex-
ported. As in war eacli soldier was obliged to
maintain himself for a cciJ.ini time, the exijendi-
ture was not much increased. Upon extra-
ordinary emergencies, it appears that a conlribu-
bution was raised by the consent of the national
ronncil. Tiflater periods subsidies were granted
to the amount of a fifteenth or a tenth of landed
income, and a proportionable rate on moveable
goods. As society advanced, taxes began to be
imposed on (lie materials themselves; and from a
small plant an enormous tree has risen, with a
labyrinth of roots, which in the opinion of some
politicians undermine the island, while others
believe that thoy only produce a more lirm con-
solidation.

The excise forms one of the most productive
branches of the revenue, amounting to between
seven and eight millions. Next stand the cus-
toms, which produce about half that sum. The
samps and incidental taxes, as they are termed,
arise to an immense sumf. The land tax has re-
cently btH'u rendered perpetual, and sold to pro-
])rietors of estates and other individuals. But
instead of the land-tax, now appear those on
sugar, tobacco, and malt, amounting to two

"ill iisr. One of the Xortliutiibriiin nioiiarrhs assembk'il a
tiimuToii!) licet near Jarro, the inonastery of IJcda, in an
fx(< ii.-ive havi'ii of Iho tiinc, now bccotiie a salt marsh.
About till' year 8S'2 wc finJ that Alfred directed a po.vrrful
floet a ,Miiist the Danish iiivadirs. The licet of Kdgar is also
f . Ii'brated, bill Hie a; iKinu'Mt of I'lhelred the seeoird in the
year \mi'.) e\e«eiled any "hicli Kii'^iand ever before had be.
fceld, probably aniomiiiML; to live hundred of ihe small shii's
<htn known. Bat the deva^talion of the Iwnes and \or.
r.iaiis oecaMoned t>uch a dedine in the naval power of I'.ng.
laud, lliat Uiehard I. wasoblii;ed lo have reroiirselo foreij;n
Tesseis for his erusade. In the rei;;n of John we, for the.
first (Irtie, finrl eiuimeMioiated a signal victory of Ihe Knijlisii
and l''lciiiint!s over the French llect of Piiiiip Aumistus,
V hich was coii![)Uted a( one thousand sevei\ hniidred sliijjs.
vr rather boats, i'be lOiiglish monarch in the pride of iiis

millions seven hundred and fifty tliousand nor ' 1
the other supplies arise from the East Indinf' ' 'I
pany, lotteries, &c. In the \f;ar 18(;j it .','1
supposed (hat the additional sums raised bvio ^l
and other methods, swelled the iiauonal V"
penditure to near eighty millions stLTJino, 'j'^j
property tax produces an enormous sutn, but il
is said to give general dissatisfaction. '

Of the permanent tuxes the greater part u p,
ployed in discharging the interest of the iiaiion i
debt, which after the American war amounted i' I
more than two hundred and thirty-nine million
while the interest exceeded nine miiiions, aJi
present. May 1810, the optional debt is about
nine hundred millions!!!. I

To alleviate this growing burthen, a sinkinn.
fund was instituted in 178G, by which a sniail
part has been redeemed. The national (Itijt
began in the reign of William, and grew into
what are called the funds or stocks, only syng.
nimous terms for the public debt.

The civil list, from which are defrayed tliel
salaries of oliicers of state, judges, ambassadors
&c. together v^ith the expences of the rovail
family, amounts to one million annuallv. ' I

Political importance and relations."' Wiiiij
such a prodigious command of national irvhurc
the political importance and relations of Greatl
Britain may be said to be diffused over the worli
for wherever money influences man, there mavl
her power be perceived. The union of Scotland
with England delivered the latter conntrv rroml
the perpetual check, exercised by politicians im-
cient and modern, of exciting an eiiemy froiai
behind, and thereby dividing the power of anj
antagonist. That with Ireland, if preserved bv

triiim))h was the first who ordered (he sahtk (n be piidjivl
foreign ressfls to the national llai;. 'J'he llert of Kn^liiiil;
theneeforlh continued to be always respeefable, ami ^du,
victorious; but the prepondi ranee of Ihe llnglish .irmaiiuiiijl
over tliosi' of I'rance only bee. one pennanieni and (liumaj
little more lliin a i entiay ago, after Ihe battle of l,.i llii;i;i',j
Spain had yii l.led the eoiitesl siin e th" di'slriirii.)ii of hit I
({real Aiin.ida. and Ihdlnid had heen K'eail y ndiui'd iiij
her nival conllicis unders CliaiK.s the See<<nil ; so liiatiiol
other rival remaii ed, and (ireat liritaiii still iiuiiu.uus ;i|
6ii)iei'iority over the ocean.

+ The stamp duty for the year eiidiiii{ (he I 5th of ,1 iieiirv,
IS 10, anioiinled to live millions one linndred and iiiiir(o'il|
(hoiisand four hundiid and MXty-scvtn pounds eiglniijl
siiillings and four poiiLC.

WIS I

ENGLAND.

661

Mliousand poii,„i,.i
le East India C„.,;|
y;ar I8(;j it ,,.J

nns raised bvlo:iix_
the iiatKii'ial ,.y|
iDiis sterling, 'l'|,yi
nnoiis sutii, but it]
action.

greater part is cm. I
rest of the national 1
in war amounted loj
hirtv-niiie millions f
nine millions. aJ
)nal debt is about

burthen, a sinkini'l
by which a small
rhe natidnal debt
iim, and grew into|
stocks, only syro-
ebt.

1 are defrayed tliel
idges, ambassadors,
ncc9 of the royal I
n annually.

) RELATIONS."' \Vil|i|

>f national (rcii'iure,
relations of (neitl
ised over the world;
es man, there uiavl
e union of Scntlandl
latter touiitry I'roml
i\ by politicians ail-
ing an enemy I'roial
the power of an
nd, if preserved bv

till' SALfTV tn be p;liilliv
■flic licet of iMi^luh!
s rcs[)i>i'ral)li', and inc.
<( (lie IOii;;listi .irmaiiitiiij
I'ltiiiuiK'iit mill ilfii ivcj
llif halllf of I..I ili);ui',
III" ilt'stnutioii of hit
hci'ii tjri'itll^ ndiici'il in
.s I 111" Sccoiul ; M) iUt no
l>ritalti btill iiuini.iiib .i|

(liiii; llic 15tli of, I iiiiury,

U' lilindi'il -wl i:i:ii'(i'''<>

r-SCJCU iJOUlllIa iig!ltaO

I, ,j loiiient measures, must als(» impart ad-

r ,1 pner"-v. The most important political

•iiierutions are those between dreat ISritam

'fiance. If <hi.s country must not be styled

natural enemy of Great IJritain, she has yet

iiiiuiy centuries been a constant and jealous

i'j Ciijjerly embracing every opportunity to

L ,' British pro3;)erity and power. Such being

L ase il has been r'jgurded as the political in-

Lt of England to balniice and divide the enmity

fFraiifC by a strict alliance with some limitane-

.,,j;i(c: but at present (1810) there is not one

I on the cflntinent of Europe in alliance with

Ireat Britain, U>e whole having been overturned

(lie ffitrantil^owcr of France. Even Russia,

Islfict alliance with the IJmperor of France,

,t, by no great stretch of oriental power,

liach an army into Hindostan, which, in all

jilitv, would overturn our opulent pos-

Liisin that quarter of, the world.

f\[ixNr.Ks AND CUSTOMS.] The Engli.sh arc

kau'd to exceed in the use of animal food ; but

ice (tic introduction of potatoes ;uid other es-

jjeat vriiclables, this position may be doubted.

L potations of heavy malt liquor, deservedly

L foreigners, as a singularity in English diet.

lea Mir tightest Ii([uors of that sort have not

apcj their remark ; for a late French traveller

iscrved, that the English commoidy drink

llitir meals a sort of medical ptisan, which they

;niall beor. Our ancestors prided themselves

Itc varietv and richness of their ales; but the

peculiar malt beverage is porter, which

r!it 10 be, sohly composed of brown or high

I milt, hops, liipiorice, and sugar; but it is

^'inics (IcbuM'd by other ingredients: that of

[r](iii is particularly famous, and is an article

nportation, being esteemed a luxury on the

[lis of the Delaware and the CTanges. The

ijIuxiB ciiiismnptiou of tea is another peculiar

lure, the use of that plant being rare in other

Vipeauconntries. The baneful cti'ects of excess

Lfitiimis liquors may be traced in the ruined

laiid morals of the people.
iiic Miiiplicity of the English cookery strikes
liriirs as much as that of tlie dre«s, which
lainonglhe great is very plain, e.\cept on the
'ftoiirt gala.
liic lioust's in England are peculiarly conuno-
k ixat, and clean!) ; and domestic archi-

\\m

tecture seems here arrived at its greatest per-
fection.

The amusements of the theatre and of the field,
and various games of sk 11 or chance, are common
to most nat.()n3. The baiting of bulls and bears,
is nearly discontinued: one i)f the most peculiar
amusenicnts of the common people is, the ringing
of long peals, with many cliaiigo^.

Prior to the middle of tin; sixteenth century,
the English and French were regarded as bar-
barous nations by the more polished Italians.
The reign and female blandishments of the court
of Elizabeth seem to have had a wonderful elFect
in civilizing the manners.

The genuine attribute of the English is in-
tegrity, vhich has carried their credit and com-
merce to an extent before unknown in the history
of nations.

Language.] Most European languages are de-
rived from the Gothic or the Latin. To the
Latin origin belong ftalian, French, and Spanish;
to the Gothic, tho Geriuan, Dutch, Flemish,
Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian. From the
situatioii of the coiuitry, and other causes, the
English participates of both those grand sources;
and unites in some degree the force of the Gothic
with the melody of the Latin dialects. The an-
cient ground, and native expression, originate
from the Gothic divisions of the Belgic, Saxon,
and Danish; but i)articularly from the Helgic,
as will appear from comparison with the Dutch
and Frisic, The languages of Latin origin have,
however, .supplied a vast wealth of words, some-
times necessary, sometimes only adopted because
; they are luore sonorous, though not so eujphatic
j as the original (Jothic. Tin; construction of the
1 English language is peculiar, and renders the
I stiuly of it very dillicult to foreigners. The
, (lermau and other Gotliic dialects present declcii-
sion-t ot' nomis, and other correspondencies with
the I atin, while in the English all such objects
are actomplished bv prelixes. Anomalies also
abound, and arc too deeply rooted, ever to be
j eradicated b\ grammatical rules.
! I'joui \TioN.] In a view of any counfrv. edu-
cation forms one of the most important topics, as
its consequences extend to the essence and weil-
heiiig of the community. The education of the
lower clas.ies in England had bccoiiK" extremely
ucglcctcdj before the bcuc\oleut iiistituliou of

the

t-:i

■ ,

■^ ;i !

''i)

'•:i litB

il : i'

nn- 111

'-'^■i:-

6C2

GF.OCn \PHTCAL DFSCHIPTION OF THF WORT.D.

the Sunday ^clioolg. The tiiitlille and higher
ranks of fc^n^lish spare no expcncc in thccdticiitinn
of their son^, by private tutors at home, or at
what are called day schools and boarding schools.
Our must eminent public schools are those of St.
Paul's, \Vei<ttninster, Eton, and Winchester; and
from them have ar!:4en some of the most distin-
gui'hed ornaments of (heir country. The scholars
111 due time proceed to the universities of Oxford
and Cambridge; foiuidations, of an extent and
grandeur that impress veneration.

Of the two universities, many minute descrip-
tions have appeared. Oxf»»rd is the more ma-
jestic; from the grandeur of the colleges and
other public buildings, and the superior regu-
larity and neatness of the streets: but the chapel
of King's College, at Cambridge, is supposed to
pxcel any single edifice of the other university.
Both of those magnificent seminaries impress
every feeling mind with reverential awe; not
only by their architectural dignity, but by a
thousand collateral ideas of ancient greatness and
scionco.

Cities and Towns.] Lonoon, the metropolis
of England, is situi'.ted in an extensive plain or
valley watered by the Thames, and only confined
on the north by a few small elevations. It now
includes Southward, a borough on the south side
of the Thames, and Westminster, another city on
the west. London presents almost every vaiiety
which divcrsines human existehcc. Upon the
east it is a nea-port, rc'plete with mariners and
^vilh tlie trades connected with that profession.
In the centre, it is the seat of numerous manu-
factures and prodigious commerce: while the
western or fahhionable extremity presents royal
and noble splendour, amidst scenes of the highest
luxury and most ruinous dissipation. The po-
pulation of London has been by some exag-
gerated to a million of souls; but by the late
enumeration it does not contain above eight hun-
dred and eighty-tive thousand tivc hundred and
leventy-scven. Its leiiglh from llyde-park Corner
on the west to Po|)lar on the east, is about six
miles; the breadth unequal, from thrt < miles to
one and 1p^»; the circumference is about sixteen
miles. The houses are almost universally of brick.
The cathedral of St. Paul is majestic to a degree
of sublunitv, but the interior is defective in deco-

ration. Westmin.ster abbey may claim the nc t
rank to St. Paul's cathedral ; being not onjv J
itielf a grand impressive edifice of the G()th3
class, but as being the sanctuary of the illusirin J
dead of all ranks, periods, and professions, fmJ
the victorious monarch down to the hutnbU
pedagogue. Adjacent are the two houses of narl
liament, and Westminster-hall; a vast room tivif
hundred and thirty feet long and seventy vijj
with a curious cieling of Irish oak, and aparW

ments on (he side, in which are held the

principJ

♦ Our limits will not piTinit uvto intor into a (Ictuilci) ,ic
^ouiit of the Uriii»h mctropolib: wc shall th(!refore coutcnt

courts of justice.

Tiie churches and chapels exceed two huiidra
in number, aud a few are of beautiful architcctiire<l

York, is next to the capital in dignity, thoue
not in extent or opulence; it is not only the cliiJ
of a large and fertile province, but maybe J
garded as the metropolis of the North of EnglanI
This venerable city is divided by the river Ousi
and the Gothic cathedral is of celebrated bcaiiti
the western front being peculiarly rich, thechj
tower very lofty, and the windows of the fine
painted glass. York divides with Edinburgh^
winter visits of the northern gentry. Ii$ Jn||J
bitants, according to the enumeration in ISO!
amount to sixteen thousand one hundred an
forty- five.

Liverpool, in Lancashire, is now much near!
to London in wealth and population: being ta
seat of a vast commerce, which has been col
tinually on the increase since the beginning i
this century, when it was merely a village.
1()99, Liverpool was admitted to the honniirj
being constituted a parish. By the cnuineraliii
in 1801 it contained seventy-seven thoiisaiidi
hundred and fifty-three inhabitants.

Bristol is still a large and nourishing cid
though much of its commerce with (he \Vd
Indies and America have passed to LivcrpoJ
This metropolis of the west of England s^raduaj
rose to eminence in the Anglo-Saxon iient
The hot-wells in the neighbourhood appear I
have been known in 1480: but the \\ater
chiefiy used externally till about the year l()?l|
when a baker dreaming that his diabetes wasi
lieved by drinking the water, he tried thcexp
riment and recovered. Since that period itsi
putation has increased, and many comMiudid
and elegant erections have contributed to recoJ

oitrsflvcs with rofcrrinj^ (he imjiiisitive reader to Ur. 1
suit's *' ]Iiktury of London aud its Lnviruiu."

uiel

T^ N G t A N D.

CG3

Ijiend these wells to invalids. In the adjacent

rocks are found beautiful crystals, wliicli, before

llie Introduction of artificial gems, weic greatly

fashion for female ornaments. The trade of

I Bristol is chiefly with Ireland, the West Indies,

LflVorlh America. Inhabitants in 1801, sixty-

llircf thousand six hundred and forty-five.

I B.iTH, in the vicinity of Bristol, is esteemed

llhe most elegant town in England. The h')(-

Ibatb. ffoni which it derives its name, were known

linthe Roman times; nor was their celebrity lost,

levciiin the dark period of Anglo-Saxon history.

iButthi! (own has been greatly enlarged and de-

IcoralcJ in tiie last century. The waters are used

Ibotli internally and externally, chiefly in gout,

lious, and paralytic cases. Situated in a vale,

iBatli is very hot in summer. The houses are

loai'riicted of white stone, which abounds in the

Liiriibourhood. Its inhabitants in 180 1 amount-

[ijlo thirty-two thousand two hundred.

Manchester, in Lancjshin^ was in the Roman

Kilned a small station; but it continued in obscurity

I the ti'neof Elizabeth, when Camden incntious

[tsmaiiiifa't'"'*' of woollen-cloths. The iiihabi-

lants liiiount to eighty- four thousand and twenty.

I{iiiiiiii2:ham, in Warwickshire, was originally

(villii^e, beloiuiiisg to a family of the same name,

lliose nioniur'-iili remain in tlie old church.

>lai)'i mentions it as u town inhabited by smiths

Uutlcrs, in the time of Henry VIII.; and by

Icnmiirs, now called bit makers. The extension

kQdi»>P>'<*>t''"('"t of Hinningham originated in a

mat(iei;rce from Mr John Ta\ lor, who intro-

iurfd the maiiufactiiie of gilt buttons, and ja-

lijiim'cl and enamelled works, The population

|*'JI, aini>unte(l to seventy-three thousand six

luiiihi'il acul seventy.

Slufiield, in the most southern part of York-

liirp. is cclebrulfd for its cutlery and hardware

Uiitii'tui'cs. In the \oar l()15, the population

ii\ amounted to two thousand one huu(lred and

Iflvtwo; at present, it is equal to thirty-one

|ii)i!>ui(l three hundred and I'oiirleen.

Edifices ] In a brief enumeration of the prin-

iiU'diliK's in England, llie royal palaces de-

laiui of ciMirse the (irst atteiitijii. Windsor

Bstk', situated on an eminence near the Thames,

ks an appearance truly grand, and worthy of

ledavs of chivalry. The view extends as far as

Ifciilhedral of St. Paul's; and the whole scene

jfiiniih iiH presses the circumstances so vifvidly

1V;>L. 11. No. CXX.

delineated in Gray's pathetic ode on Eton College.
This palace contains many noble paintings, par-
ticularly the cartoons of Raphael. Hampton-
Court is in a low situation, ornamented with
aqueducts from the river Coliie. This palace is
also replete with interesting pictures. The royal
gardens at Kew are t''uly worthy of a great and
scientific prince; the ground, through level, is
diversified with much art; and the collection of
|)lants from all tiie regions of the known world,
fills the admirer of nature with delight and sur-
prise. They are so disposed, that every plant
finds, as it were its native soil and climate; even
tho.se that grow on rocks and lava having artificial
substitutes.

Till! royal palace at Greenwich has been long
abandoned, but; the observatory does credit to
science. It is a plain ediiiee, well adapted to
astronomical observations, and at present ably
superintended b^ Ur. Maskelyne. Dr. HerscheU's
observatory, instead of containing his telescope,
is su«]iended from it in the open air, at Slough,
near Windsor, where he is continually extending
the bounds of astronomical knowledge.

Among the houses of the nobility and gentry,
or palaces, as they would be termed on the Con-
tinent, the first fame, perhaps, belong to Stowe,
the seat of the iMarquis of Bu(kiiigham; which,
for its enchanting gardens, has been long cele-
brated. The opinion of artists at the present day,
with respect to the comparative elegance of ar-
chitectural nicety and rural decoration, is greatly
at variance; one giving the preference to Stowe,
while others extol the simplicity and superb
grandeur of the architecture of Tilney Mouse, on
Ep|)ing Forest; but our limits will not permit an
enuineration of these particulars. W lien Mr.
Beckford's magnificent erections at Fonthill are
comj)lcted, that fame will be far surpassed.

Among public buildings must not be omitted,
the noble liospitals for seamen and soldiers, at
(Jreenwich and Chelsea. Many of the county
halls have no inconsiderable claim to elegant ar-
chitecture.

Bridges] The bridges are worthy the supe-
riority of the English roads; aiul a surpiising
exertion in this department, is the recent con-
struction of bridges in cast iron, an invention un-
known to all other nations. The fust example
was that of Coalbrook-dalc, in Shropshire,
erected over the Severn in 1779. This

8 li bridge

1 :

1: •

ir !■

■Ill-

■■!,! •■

€G-i

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF TITR WORLD.

bridge rests on abutments of stone-work, the
main rib consisting of two ])iec('.s, each Hcventy
feet long, connected by a do\e-tail joint fastened
>vith screws. Tiic road over the bridge is made
of cliiy and iron slag, tweiit3-rour feet wide and
onedee|); the s|)aM of the arch, a hundred feet
six inches; height from tlie base line to (lie centre,
forty feet; tlie weight of iron employed, tlirce
hiuulred and seventy-eight tons ten hundred
weight. Anotlier iron hridge lias sin'-e been
erected in the vicinity. A stupendous iron iiridge
bas been recently thrown over the harbour at
Sunderland: the height of which is one hundred
feet, and the span of the arch two hundred and
(liirty-six; it is comjioscd of detached pieces,
which, if damaged in any of the parts, may be
withdrawn and replaced by others. It is su|)-
portcd between two strong and elevated stone
piers, and the arch is surmounted at either end by
vast hoops, supporting the platform or passage of
the bridge, which is thus rendered almost level.
'\>'hcn viewed from beneath, the elegance, light-
ness, and surprising height, excite admiration, and
the carriages appear as if passing among the
clouds.

Inland Navigation.] This article is important
to the best interests of the country, and demands
particular attention. The earliest inland naviga-
tion that can be authenticated, is the Sankey
canal, leading from the coal-pits at St. Helens, in
Lancashire, to the river Mersey, .ind constructed
in order to convey coals to Liverpool. The
length of the canal is twelve miles, with a fall of
ninety feet The act of parliament passed in
17.^)13; the original intention was only to render
the rivulet called Sank-'y IJrook, navigable: but
it was found more advantageous to form a canal
along its course. The surveyor was Mr. John
Eyes.

lint the Duke of Rridgewater isjustly venerated
as the grand founder of iidand navigation: his
.spirit and opulence were happily seconded by
Mr. Briiidley, than whom a greater natural
genius in mechanics never existed. It was in
1758 that the tirst a'-t was obtained for these
great designs. The first canal extends frora
Worsley mill, about seven computed mi.'es from
Manchester, and reaches that town by a course
of nine miles. In this short spac(> almost every
difficulty occurred that can arise in similar
Bchcnics; but mountains and rivers yielded to the

genius of Brindley. There nrc snbtcrrancnmj
passages to the coal in the n)ountaii), of „,., I
mile in length, sometimes cut through the solidl
rock, and occasionally arched over with iiriikJ
with air-funncU to the top of the hill, souk, fl
them thirty-seven yards perpen(li(ul;ir. 'riii I
beautiful canal is brought over the river IrwHi I
by an arch of thirty-nine feet in height, iiiuj unilcrl
which barges pass without lowering their ninsi, I
The Duke of Bridgewater soon afterwards cxJ
tended a canal of twenty-nine miles in Imiijthl
from Longford-bridge, in Lancashire, to Ueiii|)J
stones, in Cheshire. '

After this deserved tribute to the fathers of inJ
land navigation in England, it will be eli|iri|)|,,|g
review the other canals in a geographical miiiiiierj
proceeding from the north to the south.

First in order is the Lancaster canal, cxlcndinJ
from Kendal, in Westmoreland, by Laneasler ti
^Vest Houghton in Lancashire, a .space uf aboul
seventy-four miles.

The canal from Leeds to Liverpool, directed
in a northerly course by Skipton, winds lliruucU
an extent of a hundred and seventeen niiics; aJ
from this canal a branch also extends to Ma»
Chester, begun in 1771.

From Halifax to Manchester is another con
siderable canal, commonly called that of Rncb
dale; length thirty-one miles and a half, be^uJ
in 17i)4.

Another canal extends from Manchester towardj
Wake'ield; and another called the Peak FureJ
canal, stretches from the former, south-eujt, abou|
fifteen miles.

Another joins the river Don, several mild
above Doncaster^ to the river Calder, ncar^ValiJ
field in Yorkshire.

T<» pass several of smaller note, the Chesterfitlj
canal extends from Chesterfield, in the couiitvi
Derby, to the Trent at Stock with, a course i
forty-four miles and three quarters, begun in I'

In Lincolnshire, one canal extends froiii Liii
coin to the Trent, and another from Hormaill
to Sleaford. Grantham canal reaches frol
that town to the river Trent, a cour.se of tiiitj
miles.

The grand design of Brindley was to join,
inland navigation, the four great ports of
kingdom, Bristol, London, Liverpool, and Hu
Liverpool is accordingly connected with Hiill
u canal from that long navigable rivci the Treij

E N G L A N D.

665

jable rivci- tlie Tteil

1 proceeding north to the Mersey. The canul

Lhith i"'"* these two rivers is styled the Grand

(ffoiik; tt"^ ^"^ begun in lliiCy, under the direc-

liion of that preat engineer; but was not com-

fieiedlill 1777: the length is ninety-nine miles.

Lvas iittcnded with great diiliculticsj particularly

iioassing the river Dove, in Derbyshire, where

li,,i,J9 an aqueduct of twenty-tvuee arches, the

hioiiel through the hill of Hare-castle, in Stallbrd-

jliJK is in length two thousand eight hundred

m eiKl'ty y^^*^**! *"d more than seventy yards

jtlow the surface of the ground, and was executed

LJll, great labour and cxpence. But the utility

mrrespontis with the grandeur of the design: salt

Lid Cheshire, coals and pottery from Stafford-

Le, and manufactures from various places, are

disported on this canal.

From the Grand Trunk five or six branches
lilend in various directions; among which must
loi be omitted that to the river Severn, near
jewdleVi which connects the port of Bristol with
lose of Liverpool and Hull; the length is forty-

iniiles; completed in 177'i.
[From the city of Chester one canal extends to
ie Mersey, and another to Namptwich; another
Weeds soiilh to Shrewsbury, uniting the Mer-
t» and the Severn; with north-west and south-
[stbrantiies of considerable length.

From C»)ventry, in the centre of the kingdom,
[mals extend to I he Grand Trunk; to Ashhy-de-
l-Zoudi, and to the Braunstou^ or Grand
lundioii canal.

Iwhal is called the Staffordshire canal, extends
Icinlhc Grand Trunk to the river Severn; and

nut l)v the King-Ion canal, which roaches to
liiiji;toii, ill Herefordshire, so as almost to join
K river Trent and Wye. It may be here ob-
jfTcd, that in this description the grand courses
[navigation are attended to, rather than the
linute names and divisions of the canals.
ISeveral inland navigations pass by Birmingham.
jbe Union canal completes a course of forty-
Iree miles and three quarters, from Leicester to
lorthampton, whence the river Nen is navigable
llheseit.

lAiiolher canal extends from Gloucofter to
lerct'ord ; nnd the south of Wales presents several
■vi^ratio'is ul' considerable length, p^Uicularly
Jil from iin'von, in Brecknockshire, to Nevv-
jtt, in Manmojthshire.
Tlie Scveiii ij not only joined with the Trent

and the Humber, by various coursei of naviga-
tion, but is united with the Thames, by a canal
extending by Siroud to Lechlade, a course of
near forty miles.

Other canals branch out from the Thames in
various directions: that of (Jx ford extends to the
Grand Trunk, or rather joins the Coventry canalj
after a course of ninety-two miles.

The Braunston, or Grand Junction canal,
reaches from Brentford, on the Thames, and
joins the Oxford canal at Braunston, in North-
amptonshire, after a course uf ninety miles. It
is styled the Grand Junction, because it may be
said to unite the numerous courses that pervade
the central counties, with the capital of the king-
dom.

On the south of the Thames, a canal proceeds
from Reading to Bath; and another from Wey-
hridge to Basingstoke; and a third from Wey-
bridge to Godalmin.

A small canal or two have been executed in
Devonshire. Ihe Andover canal, in Hampshire,
extends from Andover to Southampton water.
Sussex presents two canals, that of Arundel, and
that of Lewes.

Manufactures and Commehce.] The manu-
factures and commerce of England, form so ex-
tensive a theme, that only a brief account of thera
can be here attempted. The earliest staple com-
modity of England was tin, a metal rarely found
in other countries. The Phoenicians first intro-
duced it into commerce, at least five or six hun-
dred years before the Christian a^ra ; and their
extensive trade soon diffused it among the Oriental
nations. The Romans, upon their conquest of
these regions, «lid not neglect this source of
wealth ; but as Cornwall was not conquered by
the Anglo-Saxons, till the reign of Athelstan, we
know not whether the Cornu-Britons carried on
any considerable traffic in this commodity, though
it be probable that it was at least exchanged for
the wines of France. Yet even in the reign of
John, the product was so inconsiderable, that the
mines were farmed to Jews for one hundred
marks; but in that of Henry III., they began
again to yield a large profit, which has gradually
increased. Cornwall, like most countries that
abound with minerals, presents an external aspect
of desolation: a series of barren hills and bleak
heaths pervades its whole length, and the violent
winds from the sea check the vegetation of trees

1 and

,.- n

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M^ I,"

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IMAGE EVALUATrON
TEST TARGET (MT-S)

1.0

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HioiDgraptdc

Sciences

Corporation

«-

2J WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 872-4503

666

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLF/.

and shrubs. The tin mines are numerous, and
of various descriptions. This metal is either
found in the mass in what are called lucks and
jlools; or in grains, or bunchesj in the rocks; or
detached in separate stones, called shades or
strings; or in a course of such stones called the
heuherjl or living string; or in the pulverized
shape of sand. After having been pounded in a
mill, it is melted into blocks of three hundred and
twenty pounds weight. In the ore it is styled
bfack tin; and is sometimes, though very rarely,
found in a metallic state*.

Wool had been regarded as a grand staple of
England, as early as the twelfth century, but was
chiefly exported in a crude state till Edward III.
encouraged settlements of Flemish manufacturers.
Wool soon became the standard of private
property, and the prime article of commerce.
Taxes and foreign subsidies were estimated by
sacks of this commodityf . Great quantities of
raw wool continued to be exported to the Nether-
lands and Hanse Towns; but iii the reign of
Elizabeth it began to be chiefly manufactured at
borne, and the exportation of woollen cloths was
then valued at a million and a half annually. The
exportation of raw wool was at length prohibited;
and the woollen fabrics preserve great importance,
though they no longer attract such particular re-
gard, amidst the exuberance of English manu-
factures.

Id recent times the manufactures of iron
and copper, native minerals, have become great
sources of national wealth ; nor must the new and
extensive exportation of elegant earthen-ware be
forgotten. The cotton manufacture is difiused
far and wide, forming a grand source of industry
and prosperity. That of linen, except of sail
cloth, is not much cultivated in England. The
manufactures of glass and tine steel, clocks,
watches, &c. are deservedly eminent and extensive.

The English manufactures have been recently
estimated at the annual value of sixty-three mil-
lions six hundred thousand pounds, and supposed
to employ one million five hundred and eighty-
five thousand persons. Of these, the woollen
manufacture is supposed to yield in round sums,
fifteen millions, the leather ten millions, the iron,
tin, and lead ten millions, the cotton nine milliuus.

* Borlaso's Cornwall.

f Campbell's Pulitical Surrey, toI. ii. p. I5T, 153. A

Tfie other chief manufactures, which yield fro]
oue to four millions may be thus arranged
cording to their consequence; steel, plating, -
copper and brass, silk, potteries, linen and Qal
hemp, glass, paper.

The commerce of England is, at the presei
period, enormous, and may be said to extendi
every region of the globe. The trade with tU
West Indies is one of the. most important, al
that with the Eust Indies alone, would had
astonished any of the celebrated trading cities i
antiquity.

From the United States of North America, al
chiefly imported tobacco, rice, indigo, timbej
hemp, flax, irf^n, pitch, tar, and lumber: frol
the West Indies, sugar, rum, cotton, coffJ
ginger, pepper, guiacum, sarsaparilla, inanciid
mahogany, gums, &c. From Africa, gold duJ
ivory, gums, &c. PVom the East Indies aij
China, tea, rice, spices, drugs, colours, silij
cotton, Balt-petre, shawls, and other productso
the loom. From our remaining seltlementi i
North America are imported furs, timber, poi
ash, iron; and fr«m the various states of EuiopJ
numerous articles of utility and luxury. {

The annual income of Great Britain wasoti
mated in 1799 by Mr. Pitt at a hundred and tw|
millions; and including the money, of which t
estimate is far from certain, the whole capital (
Great Britain may perhaps be calculated at oil
thousand two hundrci millions.

In the year 17D7, the amount of the exporii
according to Custom-house accounts, wastweDt*
eight millions nine hundred and seventeen thoii
sand pounds, and of the imports, twenty on
millions thirteen thousand pounds, yielding, i
is supposed, clear profits on foreign trade, totbj
amount of at least ten millions. The number (
merchant vessels amounts probably tu sixtei
thousand ; and it is calculated that one hundrel
and forty thousand men and boys are employed i|
the navigation.

Climate and Seasons.] The climate of Gred
Britain in perhaps more variable than thatofanj
other country on the globe, as the vapours of lb|
Atlantic Ocean are opposed to the drying windj
Tiom the Eastern Continent. The western coasl^
in particular, are subject to frequent rains: aw

work opulent in natcrialg, but of lucst todiuua and uncoiill
execution.

tIJ

ENGLAND.

661

■uni, cotton, coffd

most tedious and uncoull

Eastern part of iL'COtland is of a clearer and
[llier temperature than that of England. The
[liuinidity of the climate, indeed, clothes the de-
licious vales and meadows with a verdure un-
Unovnto any other region: out is injurious to
[tlie health of the inhabitants, by causing colds
liod catarrhsj the frequent sources of more deadly
I disorders.

Inconsequence of the mutability of the climate,
lllie geasons themselves are of uncertain tenuur,
mi the year might more properly be divided into
jtight months of winter, and four of summer,
Ithtn into any theoretic arrangement, originating
Ijn the southern latitudes. What is called the
IgpriDg dawns in April, commonly, indeed, a mild
[iDonth; but the eastern winds, prevalent in May,
|(eein commissioned to ruin the eftbrts of reviving
Inture, and destroy the promise of the year.
Ijiioe, July, August, and September, are usually
Iwaria summer months; but a night of frost is not
Itinkoovin, even 'n August, and sometimes a cold
lEast wind will blow for three days together; nor
lof late years, are summers unknown of almost
IconstaDt rain''. The winter may be said to com-
jiiKnce with the beginning of October, at which
ItiiDe domestic tires become necessary; but there
lisieldom any severe frost till Christmas, and
iJanuary is the most stern month in the year.
lYet, as our summers often produce specimens of
Ivinter, so now and then gleams of warm sun-
liliioe illuminate the darker months. March is
Igenerally the mos', unsettled month of the year,
litterspersed with dry frost, cold rains^ and strong
|«iuds, with storms of hail and sleet.

Face of the Country.] From the mouth of

Ithe Tweed to Bambnrough, extends a sandy shore ;

liDd the most remarkable object is Lindesfarn, or

jHoly Island, divided from Northumberland by a

bcl, which is dry at low wati^r, but out of which

hhe flowing tide oo7.?8 8uddenly> to the terror and

frilofthe unwary traveller. From Bamborough

Castle, to Flamborough Head, are mostly low

klifi'i, of lime-stone, and other materials; and at

piinderland, of a peculiar stone used in building,

ad which seems the work of marine insects.

brborough stands on a vast rock, projecting

olo the wav^s; but Flamborough Head is a far

noremagniiicent object, being formed of lime-

* The Slimmer of I8(X) was remarkable for drynnss anil
Innntli, scarcely any rain falling from tho Gtli of June to

Vol. II. No. CXX.

stone, of a snowy whiteness and stupendous
height, visible far off at sea.

Hence to ihe Humber are commonly clay cliffs ;
and near Spurnhead, amber is sometimes founC.
The extensive coast of Lincolnshire is flat, and«
according to Mr. Pennant's opinion, has been
gained from the sea ; though, in some parts, the
sea has in its turn invaded the land, and the re-
mains of a forest are visible under the waves.
The county of Lincoln, and part of six others,
are the low countries of Britain ; and the coast is
distinguishable by churches, not by hills. The
shores of Norfolk and Suffolk present sometimes
loamy or clajey precipices, sometimes hillocks of
sand, and sometimes low and flat spaces. Hun-
stanton-cliff rises to the height of about eighty
feet, composed of chalk and friable stone, resting
on a base of what is called iron-coloured pudding
stone, projecting into the sea. The coast of
Esse.T is generally low; but, to the south of the
Thames, arise continued cliffs of chalk, with
layers of flint, resembling masonry. The north
Foreland is a lofty, chalky promontory; and the
cliffs of Dover are known to every reader of
Shakespeare.

It is to be regretted that Mr. Pennant did not
extend his animated description to th^southern
and western coasts: cliffs of chalk and clay are
interspersed with flat gravel, till the island of
Portland presents its bold rocky front. The
western shores abound with granite, slate rocks,
and lime-stone.

Soil ani> agriculture.] The soil and agri-
culture of England are topics which have recently
been illustrated in such a multiplicity of merito-
rious works, that the subject labours under the
abundance of the materials. A few very general
remarks must here suffice. The soil is greatly
diversified, but in general fertile; and in no coun-
try is agriculture more thoroughly understood,
or pursued in a grander style, except, perhaps,
' in Flanders and Lombardy. The intermixture of
the green crops with those of grain, the u«e of
Turnips, the irrigation of meadows, the regular
substitution of crops appropriated to the state of
the land, the art of draining conducted on scien-
tiflc principles, may be mentioned among the re-
cent advances of knoT.'ledge. Amidst such topics

the 20th of August, when a (hunder.«torm succeeded.

SI 4f

ii^i;

«68

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THK WOULD.

of just exultation, it is mortit'^'ing to reflect upon
two circumstances, the deficiency of a proper
supply of grain, and the vast extent of waste
lands in this industrious country. The culti-
vated acres in England and Wales are computed
at upwards of thirty-uine millions, while those
uncultivated are seven million eight hundred and
eighty-eight thousand seven hundred and seventy-
seven. Of these it is supposed that not above
half a milli6n is wholly unimprovable, and per-
haps a million is only (it for plantations, while of
the remainder one quarter is fit for tillage, and
three-fourths for meadow and upland pasture.

Horticulture, or i\\c art of gardening, is also
pursued in England with great assiduity and suc-
cess. The large supply of the capital in ve-
getables and fruits, and the high prices given for
early produce, occasion such a spirit of cultiva-
tion, Ihateiich acre thus employed is supposed
to yield about one hundred and twenty pounds
annually, the yearly consumption in the metro-
polis being computed at more than one million.
Of ornamental gardens, laid out with a just at-
tention to the beauties of nature, and free from
the uncouth affectations of art, England is de-
fiervcdly regarded as the parent country.

Rivers.] England is intersected by four im-
portant rivers; the Severn, the Thames, the
Ilumber, and the Mersey. The Severn rises
^rom the mountain Plinlimnion, and, after an
easterly course to Shrewsbury, bends its progress
almost south to Gloucester, whence it flows
south-west into the Bristol Channel, a progress
of about one hundred and fifty miles, navigable
as far as Welch Pool. . Itschief tributary streams
are (he northern and southern Avons, theTeme,
and the Wye.

TheThames originates in CotswoldHill8,G!ou-
cestershire; and maintains a south-easterly di-
rection, to its egress into the German Ocean, after
receiving (he Cherwel, the Tame, the Kennett,
another Wye, the Mole, and the Lee. The Mcd-
way flows into (he estuary of the Thames, as the
W^e into that of the Severn. The course is
computed at one hundred and forty miles, na-
vigable to Cricklade.

The Ilumber is a name almost confined to a
large estuary, which receives many considerable
rivers that fertilize the central parts of England.
Of these (he Trent is the most important, whici
rises at New Pool, in Staffordshire^ aud, pro-

ceeding north-east, enters the Huinbcr, after
direct course of about one hundred miles, beinii
navigable to Burton in Staffordshire. The othJ
principal rivers that issue into the Himiber ard
the Don, a navigable stream which runs by DoiJ
caster; the Aire, navigable to Leeds; and tha
Caldcr, navigable to Halifax ; the Warf, tmvil
gable toTadcastcr; and the Ouse, which riij
by York, and forms another grand branch ol'ilid
Humber, navigable to Rippon: nor must tha
Derwent be omitted, which is navigable to NeJ
Malton; nor, though last and least, the Hull I
The Humber may be regarded as the stem of
venerable oak, which, as usual with thiit trofl
spreads its chief branches in a horizontiti direct
tion. 1

Though the Mersey presents a grand eshurvj
its course is not of great extent. It arises in (J
West Riding of Yorkshire, and runs to tlil
south-west ; but the estuary bends towards tliel
north. The direct course is not above fii'iy
miles; and is navigable to Stockport: as tliel
Ireweil to near Manchester, and the Wrevertol
near Northwich, and the mines of rock-salt,

In briefly describing the other navigable riverd
of this kingdom, it may be proper to rcturntJ
the Severn, and, proceeding south-west, pursua
the outline of the coast. The Avon is navigablq
to Bath, the Parret to Illchestcr, the TonetJ
Taunton, the Taw to Barnstaple, and anutlien
branch to Biddeford: the Camil of Cornwall, tJ
Wedbric'<5e, while the Plym, Dart, and Ex, ca^
also be pcirvaded to a considerable height. An
other Avon is navigable to near Salisbury, thJ
Itchyn to Winchester, the Ann to Arundel, tti^
Ouse to Lewes: the Rother, which forms tb
haven of Rye, is yet navigable, though tallfiJ
in fame. The Stour admits boats even to Can'l
terbury; but the Medway presents p. navi;;abla
stream as far as Tunbridge.. On the north n|
the Thames, the Lee is navigable to Ilishop'i
Stortford and Hertford : (he Crouch convcjd
boats fromthe sea to Hull Bridge in Essex; tiiej
Blackwater to Chelmsford, and another brancli
to Colchester. The Stour is navigable to Sud^
•)nry ; the Orwell to Stow, the Deben to >VoodJ
bridge; the Yare andWavcney present acccsj tof
Foulsham, Norwich, and Bung&y. Next is tha
estuary called the Wash, which receives m
Ouse, the Nen, the Wclland, the Withain; al|
streams of cousiderablc navigation.

4 OJ

ENGLAND.

l> « i»«| m,t^

€39

Cn tlie north of the Humter, the Tees admits
IttsseU to Stockton; the T_yne to Newcastle. On
(he west, tlie Eden is navigable to Carlisle; the
Lun or Loyiie to Lancaster and Hornby; the
Dee to Chester; the Conway to within two miles
LfLlanrwst; the Tivey to Llanbedr. Miltord
I Haven presents branches navigable to Haverford-
„esl, and to near Wiston : and lastly, the Wye
linav be pursued as far as Hay in Brecknockshire.
Mountains.] The mountain.? seldom appear
liino'le. but'are either disposed in lines or ridges^
Lafed chains. When they can be arranged under
Itbe first form or denomination^ as the Alps, for
lejample, or the Pyrenees, they afford great
Itlearaess to geographical limits and descriptions.
Ill is not. however, to be conceived, that a chain
■of mountains forms one series, as delineated in
'! maps, for the leading summits diverge on
Hoiiisid^s into extensive ribs, gradually melting
I the champaign country. And the clusters.
If accurately surveyed, will generally be found
present central elevations, whence smaller
liranclies irradiate. The mountains of Cheviot
pav be said to form a regular ridge, running
froin the south-west, where they join those of
Balloway to the north-cast. But there is a
Knlral ridge which pervades England from north
) south, beginning at Geltsdale forest, fourteen
^il(s S. E. of Carlisle, and passing on the west
Durham and Yorkshire," where it contains
lineti of coal and lead. The chief elevntions,
^(h as Kclton-fell, Stanraorc, Widehill-fcll,
l^ildboar-fell, Bow-fell, Home-fell, Btinhill, 4&c.
ic. arise on the western limits of Yorkshire,
[luniberland and Westmoreland present many
itached mountains, Skiddaw, &c. which can
jardly be reduced to any distinct arranfjrment ;
lit thofe of Craven, in the West Hiding of
Iforkshire, as Wharnsidc, Ingleborongh, and
leimigpiit; and Pendle, on the east of Lan-
^ster, belong to the Central Chain which pro-
ds south, through Derbyshire, still abound-
b with niin«>rals and natural curiosities; but
Ve it seems to terminate, spreading a little into
liesliire. A central chain, of smaller tlevation,
lav be traced, in a zigzag line, to near Salis-
prv, with two diverging and irregular branches
itheeiisst, one towards Norfolk, another into
lent, while a third runs south-west into Corn-
el, To the tirst be'ong the hillg of Gogmagog,
Cambridgeshire, &c. to the second the hills

of Hampshire, Surrey, and Kent. Another up-
land tract of considerable elevation, called the
Chiltern Hills, extends from Tring in Hertford-
shire, to Henley in Oxfordsiiire. Malvern hills,
in Worcestershire, deviate from the central ridge,
while those of CotswoKI, in Gloucestershire,
may be regarded as a continuation of it. The
hills of Mcndip, Poldeu, Sodgeinoor, Black-
down, in Somersetshire; the Tors and Wilds of
Dartmoor, in Devon; and the hills and upland
downs of Cornwall, extend this chuin to the
Land's End : and after passing this last rocky
province, it expires in the islands of Scilly.

Wales is a country abundant in mountains,
especially the northern provinces; but their
orology remains indeterminate, and it w );ild re-
quire the actual survey of an experienced en-
gineer to reduce them to chains or groupes.
To begin with the north, Snowdon commands
the first attention, a mountain of eminent height
and fame. The top is cilled Y Widdsa, or the
conspicuous, forming almost a point, and pre-
senting a view of the county of Chester, the
mountains of Yorkslure, part of Scotland and
Ireland, and the Isles of Man and Anglesey.

The .stone that composes it is petrosilex and
argillaceous schistus, large coarse crystals are
often found in the fissures, and very frequently
cubic pyritiP, the usual attendants on Alpine
tracts. . From Snowdon, a lino of mountains ex-
tends by the sea to Pliulimmon, a boundary of
North Wales, whence issue the noble rivcrg
Severn and Wye. Of these rivers, Urrou Seth,
Caer Idris, and Moel Vadiau, are the most me-
morable. The hills on the east of North Wales
are far from attaining s;ich considerable eleva-
tion, and gradually decline to the hills of Shrop-
shire, of which the Wrekiu is one of the most
noted.

A chain proceeds due south to near*Cardilf in
South Wales; it is of far inferior height, and a
small branch diverges to the west, consisting of
Cwm Cothy, M\nydd, Carreg, Brilley, and
Cwm Kerrun Hills. On th^ east of South Wales
are the hills of Herefordshiri the Black Moun-
tain, Cusop Hill, Hargest, Stocklcy Hill, &c.

Forests.] Many of the forests were, even in
the Anglo-Saxon times, esteemed royal de-
mesnes ; but the Norman monarchs were so
much addicted to the chace, that upwards of
sixty forests at one time appertained to the

crowa;

it I'l*

■ A

■V' M

*fi

ill

^iV:.]

K' i:|

C70

tSEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

crown; of which the chief now remaining are
the forests of Dean, in Gloucestershire; Sher-
wood, in Nottinghamshire; Windsor, in Berk-
shire; and the New Forest, in Hampshire. The
royal forests constituting so large a part of the
kingdom, subject to peculiar regulations, many
grievances arose, till the Barons exacted from
Henry IH. the forest charter; in which several
despotic laws were revoked, and more equity
extended to the neighbouring proprietors and
tenants.

Zoology.] Of animals, Mr. Pennant enu-
merates twenty genera, from the horse down to
the seal and bat. The bird extends to forty-
eight, the reptiles to four, and the fish to forty
genera, besides the crustaceous and shell fish.

That noble and useful animal, the Horse, is
found in England of many mingled breeds, while
most other kingdoms produce only one kind.
Our race-horses descend from Arabian stallions,
and the genealogy faintly extends to our hun-
ters. The great strength and size of the English
draught-horses are derived from those of Ger-
many, Flanders, and Holstein ; and other breeds
have been so intermingled, that native horses
may be found adapted to etery purpose of pomp,
pleasure, or utility. Those of Yorkshire are par-
ticularly celebrated for their spirit and beauty;
and the grooms of that county are equally noted
for their skill in the management of this va-
luable animal.

The indigenous horned cattle are now only
known to exist in Neidwood forest, in Stafford-
shire; and at Chillingham castle, in Northum-
berland. They are long-legged and wild like
deer, of a pure white colour, with black muz-
zles, cars, and tails, and a stripe of the same
hue along the back. The domesticated breeds
of our cattle are almost as various as those of
our horses; those of Wales and Cornwall are
small, while the Lincolnshire kind derive their
great size from those of Holstein. In the North
of England we find kylics, so called from the
district of Kyle, in Scotland; in the South ve
find the elegant breed of Guernsey, generally of
a ligl't brown colour and small size, but re-
markable for the richness of their milk. Of late
years Mr. Bakewell, and others, have brought
the breeding of cattle and sheep to a regular
Bvtem.
" The number and value of sheep in England

may be judged from the ancient staple coramoJ
dity of wool. Of this most useful animal wJ
veral breeds appear, generally denominated fron
their particular counties or districts; those ol
Herefordshire, Devonshire, and Cotswold downd
arc noted for fine fieeces, while the LincohisliiJ
and Warwickshire kind are remarkable for thi
quantity. The Teesdale breed of the county J
Durham, though lately neglected, continue J
deserve their fume. The wool is beautiful, bui
the length of their legs lessens their value inihd
eyes of trie butcher. The mutton of Wales o3
the contrary, is esteemed, while the wool
coarse, jyet employed in many useful and salul
tary manufactures. The most laudable e\er|
tions have lately been made by the Board
Agriculture, and by individuals, for tbe in
provement of the English fleece.

The goat, an inhabitant of the rocb, hai
even in Wales, for the most part, yielded to ihi
more useful sheep; that county being, likeScoti
land, more adapted to the woollen manufaclutq
The breeds of swine are various and useful,

England also abounds in breeds of dogs, son
of which were celebrated even in Roman (iine<
nor have their modern descendants, the mast^
and bull-dog, degenerated from the spirit ani
courage of their ancestors.

Of our savage animals the most fierce anddJ
structive is the wild cat, which is three or foJ
times as large as the domestic, with a flat broJ
face, colour yellowish white, mixed with m
grey, io streaks running from a black listonllj
back; hip< alu;ays black, tail alternate l^ars i
black and white; only found in the most mouij
tainous and woody parts. The wolf has beej
long extinct, but the fox abounds.

The chief of our birds of prey are, tlwtgnldtj
eagle, sometimes found on Snowdon; theblia
eagle has appeared in Derbyshire ; the pcre^riij
falcon breeds in Wales ; and many kinds
hawks in England. An enumeration of tij
other birds would be superfluous. The nigb
ingale, one of the most celebrated, is not fuiii
in North Wales, nor any where in the north, ej
cept about Doncaster, where it abounds;
does it travel so far west as Devonshire and C'orj
wall. Our poultry seem to originate fruni Ait
our peacocks are from India; our pheasants frol
Colchis ; the guinea fowl are from Africa. Oj
smallest bird ia the golden-crested wren, wb

spoi

ENGLAND.

ittU on the highest pine trees ; and our largest

bustard, some of which weigh twenty-five

inds, and are found in the open countries of

ijouth and east. The roost useful of our

Liter fowl is the mallard, or wild duck, which

[chieflv caught in the fens of Lincolnshire; the

loberg sent to the capital almost exceed cre-

Tbe reptiles are frogs, toads, several kinds of
irds: of our serpents, the viper alone is ve-
nous.' other kinds are, the snake, sometimes
four feet in leno^ h ; and the blind worm,
jom exceeding eleven inches.
Of fish, the V/haie but seldom appears near
Eoelish coasts ; the porpoise, and others of
iioie genus, are not uncommon. The basking
i^gnpears off the shores of Wales. Numerous
; our edible sea fish. Some of the most ce-
nted are the turbot, doree, soal, cod, plaice,
lit, and mullet. The consumption of her-
and mackarel extends to most parts of the
001 ; but pilchards are confined to the
ah coasts. Our chief river fish are the
ion and the trout, which are brought from
northern parts in prodigious numbers, ge-
illy packed in ice. It is srid that not less
thirty thousand salmon r.re brought from
river, the Tweed, to Lo jdon, in the course
I season. The lamprey is rhiefly found in
Severn, the charr in the lakes of West-
apd.

he lobster is found on most of the rocky
I, particularly ofl^ Scarborough ; and the
]i oj'sters maintain their Roman reputa-
The green, from Colchester in Essex, and
juicy white, from Milton in Kent, have the
r reputation.

iNERALOoY.*] The tin mines in Cornwall

been already mentioned; and they are not

venerable from their antiquity, but arc, it

pposed, the richest of the kind in the world.

It kind of silver termed by mineralogists horn

is also found in that district; but the pro-

i secrecy observed in working it forbids any

itigation of the amount. The Huel rock

( of what is called bcli-metal ore; and uf

ttrim.

lornwall also produces copper at Redruth,
one, and the Land's End. The same metal
tund in Yorkshire and Staffordshire; but no
in such abundance as in the Parrys mcun-
foi, U. No. CXX.

tain, in the north-west of Anglesea. Instead of
descending in veins through various rocky strata,
the usual form of metallic ores, it here forms a
prodigious heap, and is worked in the manner
of a quarry. The mountain is almost bare af
shrubs or grass, and is covered with aluminous
slate, under which, in grey chert, is the ore,
being chiefly the yellow sulphuref, of very va-
riable richness. This valuable mine was disco- ,
vered about thirty-five years ago.

Lead is found in the Mendip bills, Somerset-
shire; which also produce calamine and man-
ganese. The lead mines in Derbyshire are well
known, not only for that metal, but for this
beautiful veins of iluor which accompany it,
and which is manufactured into several orna-
mental articles. In general, the northern central
ridge of mountains abounds with lead ore. The
lead mines of Alston, on the eastern verge of
Cumberland, employ about one thousand one
hundred men.

No metal is so widely diffused through the
globe as iron; and England not only contains
excellent mines, but excels all nations in the va-
I iety of fabrication. The most remarkable mines
of iron are those of Coalbrook-dale, Shropshire,
Dean-forest in Gloucestershire, with some in the
north of England, particularly near Ulverston,
in Lancashire.

Among the minor metals, zinc, in the form of
lapis calaminaris, and blende, is found in Der-
byshire, Denbighshire, Cornwall, and other re-
gions. Nickel and arsenic sometimes appear in
Cornwall; and recently, what is called raena-
chanite. But one of the most important of this
kind is plumbago, or black lead, which is found
^n the ridge of Borrodale, near Keswic, in Cum-
berland ; the mine is only opened at certain in-
tervals of time.

Gold has been discovered in various quarters
of England, but the metal has never recompensed
the labour and expence. The real gold mines
of England are those of coal, found in the
central, northern, and western parts, but par-
ticularly ill the northern, around Newcastle.
The coals of Whitehaven and Wigan are more
pure ; and the cannel and peacock coals of Lan-
cashire are so beautiful, that they are suspected
by some to have constituted the gagates, or jet,
which the ancients ascribed to Britain. A sin-
gular species of coal is found in Bovey heath,

S K Devonshire,

«7«

GEOGBAPHICAL DESCRIPTION^ OF THE WORLD.

Devomhire, resembling wood impregnated with
bituminous matter. Turf, or peat, is common,
even in Hampshire, and other southern counties.

The mines of rock salt, in Cheshire, appear
to bave been known to the Romans. Those of
Northwich are the most remarkable: at Nauipt-
wich and Middlcwich are only salt springs: and
others occur at Droitvvich, in Worcestershire,
and Weston, in Staffordshire. The immense
mines on the south side of Northwich were dis-
covered about the beginning of this century.
The quarries, with their pillars and crystal roof,
extending over many acres, present a beautiful
spectacle; the stratum of salt lies under a bed
of whitish clay, at the depth of about forty
yards. The first stratum is about twenty yards
thick, so solid as to be blasted with gunpowder;
this salt resembles brown sugarcandy. Next is
a bed of hard stone, under which is a second
stratum of salt, about six yards thick; in some
parts brown, in others as clear as crystal. The
Witton pit is circular, one hundred and eight
yards in diameter, the roof supported by twenty-
five pillars, each containing two hundred and
ninety-four solid yards of rock salt; the whole
covering near two acres of land. The annual
produce of rock salt at Northwich has been
estimated at sixty-five thousand tons; of which
about two-thirds used to be exported to Flanders
and the Baltic.

Marbles, and free-stone, or calcareous sand-
stone, of various colours and textures, also oc-
cur; the most celebrated of the latter are those
of Portland, Purbeck, &c. Fine alabaster ap-
pears in Derbyshire; fullers-earth in Berkshire,
and some other counties.

Mineral Waters.] The mineral waters of
Bath have been celebrated since the Roman
times. Next to that place may be mentioned
the hot-wells of Bristol, those of Tunbridge in
Kent, and of Buxton and Scarborough in the
' North, Those of Cheltenham in Gloucester-
shire have been esteemed beneficial in scorbutic
cases; but to enumerate the springs of inferior
note would be infinite, as chalybeat wells, at
least, must occur in almost every county, and
new waters are daily starting into celebrity.

Natural Curiosities ] Among the natural

curiosities, those of Derbyshire iiave always

been esteemed the most memorable. Hobbes and

•thers have long since celebrated the wouders of

the Peak, a mountain r.ot equal in heieWi
those of Wales, or the more northern pari
England, but perforated with such verti
chasms, and such surprising caverns, as I J
deservedly excited admiration. '

Other remarkable caverns are found in
northern ridge of English mountains. I,, m
vale of Kingsdalc, on the western extremity j
Yorkshire, is Yordas Cave, which presseiiul
subterraneous cascade. But the most noted f
Wcthercot Cave, not far from " Ingleton
is surrounded with trees and shrubs, jsinfiJ
like a lozenge, divided by an aicli of U
stone ; passing under which you behold a iJ
cascade, falling from a height of more iM
twenty yards; the length of this cave m m
sixty yards, the breadth thirty. [

The lakes of Cumberland form another gJ
scene of attraction: but it would be idle tul
tempt to depict, in a few words, beauties nlj
have been described by so many authors,
particularly by the glowing pencil of a g\
Suffice it to observe, that the three most cj
bratcd lakes are those of Coniston, Windern
and Derwent. The beauties of the first ^
been compared to the delicate touches of Claij
the noble scenes of the second, to tlinsel
Poussin ; while Derwent has much of tliei
lime mildness of Salvator Rosa: but most I
vellers esteem Ulswater the most truly sublii

The mountainous regions of Wales mayi
be supposed to present many natural curiosifl
and the Parrys mine in Anglesea is ia itsJ
.surprising object. The cataracts in Cumberl
ire rivalled by a remarkable fall of the TeesF
♦he west of the county of Durham, ovcrwl
is a bridge suspended by chains, seldom pi
but by the adventurous miners; nor mmt|
garth force, in Yorkshire, be passed insilei

The submarine relics of a forest, ontliei
of Lincolnshire, may be deservedly classed aJ
the most remarkable natural curiositie!<. OJ
N.W. side of the Mendip hills is aconsideJ
cavern, at the bottom of a deep ravine, neaj
little village of Bcrrington, or Burringtoii,
are a number of human bones, gradually iJ
porating with the lime-stone rock; there IT
a confinuul dripping from the roof and
which deposits a stalactitic sediment on the I
Several nodules contain perfect human sl|
At the farther end, where the height is

ENGLAND.

673

ifteenfeet, lliere is a large conic stalactite, which
gearly meets a pillar rising from the floor. This
(ave was only discovered about six years ago;
iiid as the matter increaHes so fast, it is con-

I jediired that it would soon have been closed up.

I jicpce it is probable that these bones are of no
femole antiquity, and may perhaps be the re-
mains of some persons who hud here taken
shelter from the cruelty of Jeffries, after the in-

I jgrrcction of Monmouth. , ,

ENGLISH ISLES.

In the southern, or English channel, first ap-
I -cars the Isle of VVight, of an oval form, about
Ittrcnty miles in length, and twelve in breadth.
This isle is fertile and beautiful, and decorated
I with many picturesque villas; the principal haven
is that of Newport. The chief mineral pro-
ducts are pipe clay, and tine white sand, for the
fabrication of pure glass; and at Alum Buy, on
the north side of the Needles, are found con-
siderable quantities of native alum. One of the
Btost remarkable buildings isCarisbrook castle,
wiiere Charles L was imprisoned. The lofty
hrhite rocks styled the Needles, seem to have
[been disjoined from the western extremity of the
by the violence of the waves. There were
[formerly three; but about the year 1782, the
[tallest, which rose about one hundred aud twenty
[ftet above the low-water mark, was overthrown,
[and totally disappeared.

At the distance of about seventy miles from

[Wight, to the S. W. arises the little isle of Al-

jderoey, off the Cape la Hogue ; which is af-

Iterwards followed by the more important isles

[of Guernsey and Jersey; Sark being a small

[isle iaterposed between the two latter. Gucrn-

iiev, the largest of these isles, is twelve miles

lou^, nine broad, and about thirty-six in circuit.

litis a verdant isle, though the soil bo hilly, and

{barren of wood. The only town is that of Port

ISt, Pierre. Jersey is about twelve miles in

|lengt!i, and six in bro;idth, a well watered and

|ferlile island, prouticing excellent butter and

boiiey. The winters are milder, but more

miy, than those of England. The northern

kidcof the island is high, but the southern sub-

liides into pleasant vtiles, covered with orchards.

riie remarkable places are the two towns of

jSl, llelicr and St. Aiibin, both standing on a

bay, openin^ii; to the south; aud the castle of

Mont Orgiieil. The inhabitants of Jersey are
computed at twenty thousand, of whom three
thousand are capable of bearing arms. In Ja-
nuary 1781, St. Flelier was surprised by eight
hundred French, under Rullicourt, who was
killed, while Major Picrson fell on the side of
the English. Aldcrney is a small isle, with a
town, anid about one thousand inhabitants iu
all. Sark has about three hundred inhabitants..

Returning to the English shore, we first de-
scry Eddistone light-house, beat by all the fury
of the western waves. This edifice has repeat-
edly been overthrown; but the present, erec-
tion, by Mr. Smealon, composed of vast masses
of stone, grooved into the rock, and joined with
iron, promises alike to defy accidental fire, and
the violence of the oce.in, though the waves
sometimes wash over the very summit in one
sheet of foam.

About thirty miles to the west of the Land's
End appear the Isles of Scilly. This cluster is
said to consist of one hundred and forty-five
isles, covered with grass or rnoss, besides in-
numerable dreary rocks. The largest isle is that
of St. Mary, which is about five miki in cir-
cuit, and has a castle and garrison: inhabitants
about six hundred. That of St. Agnes is rather
fertile: inhabitants about three hundred. The
whole inhabitants of the Scilly i^les are com-
puted at about one thousand. Ttie cattle and
horses small; but sheep and rabbits thrive well.
Considerable quantities of kelp are prepared
amid these rocks.

On turning to the north, first appears the lit-
tle isle of Lundy, situated in the Bristol chan-
nel, about three miles long, but n..>t a mile
broad, with about five hundred acres of good
land, some rivulets, and a castle. It was for-
merly a noted retreat for pirates.

Some small isles lie off the Welch coast of
Pembrokeshire and Caernarvon, such as Culdy,
Skomar, Bardsey, and others: but the isJe of
Anglesea deserves more attention : it is about
twenty-five miles in length, and eijrhtecu in
breadth. The chief towns are Newbuigl), Ruau-
maris, and on the western extremity, fronting
Ireland, Holyhead. This isle is so remarkably
fertile, that the Welsh have einphiitically styled
it the mother of Wales; and (>f la(e hui been
also productive of rich copper tomul in the
Parrys- mountain, in the N. E. part of tho island,
near Amlwch, of which an account h;;s been

^- given

i> £

674

GEOGRAPHTCAL DEgCRIPTIOK OP THE WORLD.

given in treating of the English minerals. Beau-
maris is a large town, witli a castlu built, hy Ed-
ward I. Newbiirgh is a corporation of smaller
moment. Hulvhpad, originally a fishing town,
has become of consequence, by the Irish packets
which pass daily, the average time being twelve
hours.

The last English isle worth mention is that of
Man ; it is about thirty miles in length, and
fifteen in its greatest breadth. In the midst is
a high mountain, culled Snafel. The chief mi-
neral productions are black marble, slate, lime
stone, lead, copper, and iron. Man is also
vreW stored with black cattle, and sheep; and the
population has of late years greatly increased.

SCOTLAND.

Extent.] That part of Great Britain called
Scotland is about two hundred and sixty miles in
length, by about one hundred and sixty as its
greatest breadth ; it extends from the fifty-fifth
degree of latitude, to more than fifty-eight one-
half. The superficial contents have been com-
puted at twenty-seven thousand seven hundred
and ninety-three square miles, a little exceeding
that o ' nd, and considerably more than half
that OL -land. The population being esti-
mated at oiie million six hundred thousand, there
will, of course, be only Hfty-seven inhabitants for
■every square mile, a proportion of about one-
third of that of Ireland.

Divisions.] The territory of Scotland is un-
equally divided into thirty-three counties, which,
according to their situations, we shall arrange
under three divisions: the first, or the northern,
including Inverness-shire, and the country north
of the chain of lakes and forts; the second, or
the midland division, including the territory
north of the Firths of Forth and Clyde, as far
as the borders of Inverness-shire; and the third,
or southern division, comprehending those coun-
ties that lie between the Firths of Forth and
Clyde and the English frontier ; we shall also
add to each county the amount of its population,
according to the general enumeration of the
island in the year 1^1.

Northern
Division.

"Orkney

Caithness

Sutherland

Ross

Cromarty

Inverness

46.844
2'i,()09
23.117
52,21)1
3.052
74,292

Midland
Diviaion.

Argyle

Bute

Nairn

Murray, or Elgin

Banff ^

Aberdeen

Mearns, or Kincardine

Angus, or Forfar

Perth

Fife

Kinross

Clackmannan

Stirling

Dumbarton

71.859

ll.7Ull

8.2321

2fi,765|

'Am
mm

126.3661

10,8581

JjO,82S

20.710

Southern
Division.

West- Lothian, or Linlithgow 17,8.
Mid-Lothian, or Edinburgh Viifii
East- Lothian, or Haddington '^9,<j$
Berwick - - -
Renfrew - - .
Ayr - - -

Wigton - - -
Lanark ...
Peebles - - .
Selkirk . . -

Roxburgh

Dumfries - - -
^Kirkudbright

Antiquities.] The monuments of antiquiti
belonging to the more early epochs, may b
considered in the following order. Of the fin
epoch, no monuments can exist, except those ol
the tumular kind; and it is impossible to ascetl
tain the period of their formation. The re<
mains of the Roman period in North RritaiJ
chiefly appear in the celebrated wall, built i^
the reign of Antoninus Pius, between tlie Firth
of Forth and Clyde, in the ruins of which manj
curious inscriptions have been found. Anotha
striking object of this epoch, was a small cdi]
fice on the stream of Carron, vulgarly caliei
Arthur's Oven, which seems rightly to have bei
regarded by some antiquaries, as a small tcrapltj
dedicated to the god Terminus.

The most northerly Roman camp yet discol
vered is that near the source of the river Ytbaq
Aberdeenshire; the periphery of which is;
two English miles. A smaller station has alij
been observed at Old Meldrum, a few milesti
the S. £.

RODIll

O !Mr

» C O T L A N I).

075

HooiM rotdt h«ve been traced a coniiderabie
IMV in tlM east of Scotland, aa far as the ceuniy
L Angui, affording some evidence of tlie ex-
Ucnce of the province Veapasiana; but the
^ief remain! are within the- wall. The smallec
^ainiof Roman antiquity found io- Scotland,
^ joins, utensiln, &c. are nnmeroui.

With the fourth epoch may be said to com-

ptncethc Pikish monuments of antiquity. The

lunbt it would be difficult to discriminate from

Uoie of the iirst epoch; but as the Caledonian

[inffSi when converted to' Christianity, held their

lief residence at Inverness, the singular hill in

„ vicinity, presenting the form of a boat re-

iersed, uiay perhaps be a monument of regal

iilpture. The places of judgment among the

otliie nutions, or >vhat are now styled Druidic

nlrn, are numerous ; and there is a reniark-

ile one in the isle of Lewis. Sonic of these

muroeiits are of small circuit, and such are

iftimes found at no great distance from each

ler; as they were not only erected as temples

Odin, Thur, Freyga, and other Gothic Dei-

; but every chief, or lord of a manor, having

iriidiction over many servants and slaves, such

ill courts became places of necessary awe.

The houses seem to have been entirely of wood

turf; but in some spots singular excavations

fotiml rudely lined with stone: these are

led IVccnifi, and it is likely that they Were

|way» adjacent to the wooden residence of some

liet^ and were intended as depositories of

res, &c. the roof being too low for com-

i[|able places of refuge. The stations and

imps of the natives are distinguished by their

nd form, while those of the Romans belong

Ihe 8<||uare.

Under the next epoch it would be dilFicult to

over any genuine remains of the Dalriads.

[lie houses, and even churches, were constructed

wattle-work : and the funeral nmnunients were

iron, or heaps of stone*.

To the sixth epoch may probably belong a

pel or two, 'Still remaining in Scotland ;• but

is probable that thesit sacrrdi edifices in stoiie

esoon followed by the erection of 'those rude,

od piles, without any cement, called Piks

ises; yet they may more properly belong to ' >

The seventh ' epoch, when the Danes , may

e ill the honour of the erection, for such

lices have been traced in Scandinavia. They

Vol. II. No. CXXI.

scorn to have consisted of a vast hall, open to
the aky iu the centre, while the cavities in the
wall present incommodious recesses for beds, &c.
These buildings are remarkable, as displaying
the iirst. elements of the Gothic castle: and the
castle of Conigsburg, in Yorkshire, forms a(i
eusy transition. The engravinl obelisks found at
Forres, and in other parts of Scotland, have
been ascribed to tlie Danish ravagera, who had
not time for such erections. They are, prObably«
monuments of signal events, raised by the king,
or chiefs ; and as some are found iu Scandinavia,
as recent as the fifteenth century, it is probable
that many of the Scottish obelisks are far more
modern than is generally imaigined.

To enumerate the churches and castles erected
since the reign of Malcolm 111. would be in-
finite. Sitne of the most splendid churches de-
rive their foundation from David I. in the twelfth
century.

Remuion.] Since the revolution, 1688, (he
Ecclesiastical government of Scotland is of the
Presbyterian form. The number of parishes in
Scotland is nine hundred and forty-one; conti*
guous parishes unite in what is called a Pres-
bytery, of which denomination there are sixty-
nine. The provincial synods, amounting to fif-
teen, are composed of several adjacent Pres-
byteries; but the grand Ecclcsiastictil court is
Ihe general assembly, which meets every year,
in the spring; the king appointing a commis-
sioner to represent his person, while the mem-
bers nominate their moderator, or president.
To this Ecclesiastical council laymen are al»o
admitted, under the name of Ruling Elders,
and constitute about one-third of this vcnernblt-
body. This court discusses and judges all cle-
rical affairs, and admits of no appeal, except to
the parliament of Great Britain. In general,
the Scottish clergy deserve the highest praise, as
men of enlightened minds, and moderate con-
duct; and a singular proof of>the diifusion of
talents among them has! recently ap])cared, in
the statistical account of Scotland, published by
Sir John Sinclair, in twenty-one volumes; for
there are few parishes of which the account is
not ably delineated by the clergyman himself.

As\vhatever establishment is effected in a free
country, opY)osition will always arise, the esta-
hiishmesit of the Presbyterian system was, in the
space of one generation, . followed by the.se-

8 L cession

619

GEOOUAPMICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

ceision, which took place in 173f2. The se-
ccderi being the most rigid in their Hetitimeitls,
and animated by pence utioD> toon formed a nu-
merous party.

About the year 1747, they were thcmaelves
divided into iwo denominations, called the
Burghers, and the Anti-Burghers, because the
division arose concerning the Icgahty of tiie
oaths taken by the burgesses of some of (he
royal boroughs; the former ullowing that the
oath is proper, while the lntt<<r object ; the
former are the more numerouH, the number of
their ministers being computed ut about one hun-
dred, tnd at a meciiiun each has a congregation
of about one thouxmid.

Many respectable families in' Snot land em-
brace the rpisropul form of the Church of iMig-
land. The other descriptitmS'Of religiuu!) pro-
fessions are numerous. There are but few Ro-
man Catholics, even in the rein(»te HighliHuls:
the scheme of education being excellent, ami
generally supported with liberality.

GovERNMBNT.]] The goverunieut of Scotland,
since the union, has been blended with (hat of
Englaad. The chief distinction between the ori-
ginal constitution of the two countries was^ that
Scotland hud no House of Commons, the par-
liament, consisting of all descriptions, assembled
in one hall. The most splendid- remaining fea-
ture of government in Scotland is ihe General
Assembly. Next to which may be classed the
High Courts of Justice, especially that styled
the Session, consisting of a prcsideat, and four-
teen senators. Tlie Lords of Session, as they
are styled in Scotland, upon their promotion to
oflice, assume a title, generally from the name
of an estate, by which they are known and ad-
dressed, as if peers by creation, while they are
pnly constituted lords by superior interest, or
talents. This court is the last resort in sevoul
causes, and the only appeal is to the parliament
of Great Britain.

It is to be regretted that the causes are not de-
termined by jury as tn Bugland. The justiciary
court consists of tive judges, who are likewise
Lords of Session: but, with a president, styled
the Lord Justice Clerk, as he is only understood
to represent the formerly great oiKce of Justice
General. This i> the supreme court in criminal
causes, wbich are determined by the majority of
a jury, aad not by the uoauHnity, as in Eng-

land. There is also a Court of Exchequer co I
sisling of a Lord Chief Baron, and four Bmom*!
and a High Court of Admiralty, in which tli«r?
is only one judge. The keepers of ihe n^
and privy> seals, and the lord register or kMnei
of the reoirds, may also be mentioned uiided
this head.

Laws.] The law of Scotland differn esientiul
from that of England, being founded, inamn
measure, u|>on the civil law. It partly lonsiHii
of statute law; but many of the aiiciriit statuin
never havinj| been enforced, the < hirf rule nl
this sort arises from the dcciiion» of tliegcsgiuj
which are carefully preserved and pobiiiilicd, ,„j
Bilor<l precedents, generally decuiod uijcxien
tionable. Of common law there is hardly
trace, while the civil and canon hiws mty L
said ttt forui the two pillars of Scotti.sji juJ
cature. The modes of procedure have, '!„,i
ever, the advantage of being free from aiiv
those leiral fictions which disgrace the lawn
some ether muntries. The inferior coiirls iij
thoic of the siteritls, magistrates, and justices]
the peace.

PoinJLiTiON.] The population of Scotlan
in 177.~}, was computed at one niillioii two I
dred and sixty-five thousand; nccoriiiii^ tutjij
documents furnished by Sir J. Siucluir's staiJ
tical acktoaut, the numbers in 17U8 were, gj
inilMon 'live' hundred and twenty-six thnusai]
four hiindred and ninety-two; and by tliei
vcrnmeltt' enumeration in 1801, the iiibabilai^
appeared to amount to one million five huodri
and ninety-nine thousand and sixty-eight.

Manxbks and Cohtoms.]) The manners iij
cusloniB of the Scots begin to be much asiig
lated with those of the English. In their i
ligious ceremonies,' attetidiug baptism and
riages, there arc variations arising from
Presbyterian form- which' does not admit of j^
fathers or godmothers, but renders the paretj
alone answerable for the education of the chii
The clergyman does not attend at funerals i
is there any religious service, but generally gn
decency. Among the lower classes the i^unnd
are generally far more numerously attended III
in England; nor is black an indtspensibic cok
of dress OR such occasions.
4 In the luxuries of the table the tup
clasaes rival the English ; several national dii
formerly served up at the best tables, and (

8 C O T r, A N D.

911

liitiair fr*™ *''*' P'*''^^" cooking, in the reign of

lliiry> l'B'"§^ °'^ vulgar or neglected; such at

liebBfS''' o' ''^^'''<*> cock Meekip, or a capon

lyileddoirn with leek*; crapped liendH, or hud-

1^1(1 itewfldt the heads being stuffed with n

hind of forced-meat bulU, &c. &e. The diet of

K lower claisea pugges in u gradual transition

toi (he north of England. The chief food ig

rich, or thick pottage, formed with ontmeal

jl water, and eaten uith milk, ale, or butter;

jglwrd lumpy form it is culled hrosc. With

liii the labourer is generally contented twice or

dricc in the day, with a little bit of meat for

iiii(i»y; ix^r does he repine at the bacon of the

^nrlisb poor, there being a theological anli-

Hlliy to swine, which also extends to eels, on

J(;(),u"t"f tlieir 8crp(Mit-like f<»rin.

'i'lic Bobiiety of the lower cUssch is in general

scm|)larv ; and the Scottish niuiiufiictiirer ur

bourcr, instead of wasting his weekly gains a!

jalehouse, is ambitious to appear willi his fu-

yiv in decent clothes on Sundays, and other

Mh^A- This may be regarded as a striking

liirurtRrislic of the Scottish peasantry, who

tfcr (he lasting decencies of lii'e to momentary

iliH<'s(ions. To this praise niav be added, that

|lint«;llii>;ei)ce, arising'frnm the ditfusion of educa-

{(11, which is such, that even tiie miners in the

uili possess a circulating library.

I The dress of the superior elaises is the same

[ithtbat of the English. Tho gentlemen in the

ghlauds, especially in the time of war, use

'peculiar dress of that country. Among the

|licr classes, the Scotish bonnet is now .rarely

irccived, cxcc|)t in the Highlands; it was the

ual covering for the head all over Europe, till

irards (he end of the sixteenth century, v hen

I bat, formerly only worn in riding or hunting,

ne into general use.

iTheamuseminits of the rich arc on a parallel

|lb those of (he English; but those of the pea-

itry have several diversities, which the reader

fj, perhaps, best learn from tlie poems of

i. That of rtH'/iVtg consists in rolling large

DCS, with iron handles, upon the ice, towards

liied mark, a favorite; and healthy diversion in

t winter. The English quoits arc supplied by

^tystauef, round flat stones, which are tossed

bhe same manner.

t!(GUAaE.3 The Scotish language falls under

diviaioos, Uiut of the I«owlaudt consisting

of the ancient Scandinavian dialect, blended with
the Anglo-Saxon; and that of the Highlands,
which is Irish or Erse.

EnijoATioN ]'Tlie inndo of education pursued
in Scotland is highly laudable, and to judge from
its rH'ects is, perhaps, (lie best practical system
pursued in any country in Europe. The plan
which is followed in the cities is nearly similar
to that of England, cither by private teachers,
or at large public schools, of which that of
Edinburgh is the most eminent, and may bo
traced from the sixtt'enth century. But the su-
perior advantage of tlu; Scotish education con-
sists in every country parish possessing a school-
master, as uiiiforuily as a clergyman; at least
the rule is general, and (he excepiiiuis rare.
The schoolmaster has a small salary, or rather
nit(ance, which enables him to educate the chil-
dren at a rate easy and convenient, even to in-
digent parents. In the Highlands the poor chil-
dren will attend to the (locks in iho summer, and
the school in the winter.

UNiVEHbiTiF.s [] The universities of Scotland,
or rather colleges, (fur an English university in-
cludes many colleges and foundations. ) amount
to no IcsH than four, three on the eastern coast,
St. Andrew's, Aberd>vn, and Edinburgh; and
one on the western, that of Glasgow.

Cities AND Towns.] Edinburgh, the capital,
is comparatively of modern name and note, the
earliest. hint that can be applied to it, occurring
in the Chronicon Pictorum, about the year 1)55,
where mention is made of a town called Eden,
as resigned by the English to the Scots, then ruled
by Iiidulf. Holyroud lluusu was the foundation
of the Hrst David.

The population of Edinburgh, includ'iig the
port of Leith, was, in 167S, computed at thirtyr
live thousand five hundred ; in 1755, at seventy
thousand four hundred and thirty; and in 1791,
at eighty-four thousand eight hundred and
eighty-six.

The houses in the old town of Edinburgh are
sometimes of remarkable height, not less than
thirteen or fourteen (lours, a singularity ascribed
to the wish uf the ancient inhabitants, of being
under the protection of the castle. This part of
the city stands on the ridge of a hill, gradually
descending from the lofty precipice on which
the castle is situated, to a bottom, in which
stands the palace of Uulyrood Uouso, Adjacenjt

^-(\

GEOGRAPIIICAI. DF.SCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

4o this edifice, is a park of considerable extent,
replete with rocuntainous scenery; for the ba-
saltic heights 01 Arthur's seat, and Salisbury
^crags, are within its precincts. The new town
'Of Edinburgh is deservedly celebrated for rc-
igiilarity and elegance, the houses being all of
'fr«e-stone, and some of them ornamented with
pillars and pilasters. _

Inland Navigation.] The most remarkable

-inland navigation in Scotland, is the excellent
and extensive canal from the Forth to the Clyde,
-commenced in 1768, from a survey by Smeaton
-four }ears before. " The dimensions of this
canal, though greatly contracted from the ori-
ginal design, are much superior to any work of
the same nature in South Britain. The English
canals are generally from three to five feet deep,
and from twenty to forty feet wide, and the
lock gates from ten to twelve feet; but they
answer the purpose of inland carriage from due
town to an(»tber, for which alone they were de-
signed. The depth of the canal between the
•Forth and Clyde is seven feet ; its breadth at
the surface fifty-six feet: the locks are seventy-
4ivc feet long, and their gates twenty feet wide.
Jt is raised fVom the Carron by twenty locks, in

-A tract of ten miles, to I'le ama/ing height of
one hundred and tit'tv-five feet above the me-

« dium full sea mark. At the twentieth lock be-
gins the canal of partition on the summit, be-
tween tlie east and west seas; which canal of
•partition continut^s eighteen miles, on a .level,
terminaling at Hamilton Hill, a mile N. W. of
the Cl\de, at Glasgow. In some places the
canal is carried through mossy ground, and in
others through solid rock. In the fourth mile

' of the canal there arc ten locks, and a line aque-
duct bridge, which crosses the great road lead-
ing from Edinburgh to Glasgow. At Kiikin-
tullock, the canal is carried over the water of
Logie, on an aqueduct bridge, the arch of
which is ninety feet broad. There are in the
"whole eighteen draw-b/idges, and fifteen aque-

. duct bridges, of considerable size, besides small
ones and tunnels." Tiie gu|>plving the canal

: wi(h water, was of itself a very great work.
Oiie reservoir is above twenty-four feet deep,
and covers a surface of fiftv acres, near Kilsyth.
'Another, abo^it seven niilos north of Glasgow,
consists of seventy acres, and is bunked up at a
■luice, twenty-two teet.

t.i

The distance between the Firlb.s of ClyJe
Forth, by the nearest passage, that of the p'^tj
land Firth, is six hundred miles, by ihU J^j
scarcely one hundred. On the 28th of Jn'i |
1790, the canal was completely open from 3
to sea, when a hogshead of the water of Po!^
was poured into the Clyde, as a symbol of the]
junction. The length of the caiial ig piccigeJ
thirty-five miles, and no work of the kind
be more ably finished.

The general commerce of Scotland, (houe
on a smaller scale, and with smaller capitali; i
in most respects similar to that of England an
shares in the national prosperity. That of (R
capital, through Leith its port, has been ettl
mated at half a million yearly. The chief ei
ports are linen, grain, iron, glass, lead, woolM
stuff's, soap, &c. &c. The imports are wim
brandy: and from the West Indies and Ameria
rum, sugar, rice, indigo. Glasgow exnoi]
cottons of all kinds, muslins, lawny, gauzes,!
glass, stockings, earthenware, cor(ln<rp, ,
candles, soap, iron, leather, &c. &c. Thechl
import.^ are tobacco, sugar, rum, and cotttT
from the West Indies; Irish beef, buttrr, tl
linen; wines from Portugal, and other cod
tries. The fisheries of Scotland, if carried td
proper extent, would furnish a very considd
able store of mercliandi/e.

The chief manufactures of Scotland are lin
of various kinds, to the amount, it k said,
about seven hundred and fifty thousand pouJ
aiMiually. Of woollens, the Scotish carpi
seems to form the chief branch. The ironi
nufactures, particularly that at Carron, drscij
also to be enumerated among the chief nutioi
advantages.

Cllmatk ani> Seasons.] The clinialeof Sci
land is such as might be expected in a latiti^
so remote, and a country so mountainous,
the eastern parts, there is not so much humidj
as in England, as the mountains on tlic
arrest the vapours from the Atlantic. Oni
other hand, the western countries arc dclii|
with rain, an insuperable obstacle to the
gress of agriculture. Even the \> inter is nil
distinguishable by the abundance of snow, tl
by the intensity of the frost; but in stimiiier|
heat of the sun is reflected with great puwerl
the narrow vales between the mountains. T
observations chiefly apply to the north undt

SCOTLAND.

\. ?-if r.»xi

^79

I igfije east and south the climate diflers but little
from that of Yorkshire ; and corn sometimes
ripens ia the vales of Moray, as early as in
iotbian.

Facb of the Country.] The face of the

country is in general mountainous, to the ex-

mt, perhaps, of two-thirds; whence the popu-

IlitioD is of necessity slender, in comparison with

IiIk admeasurement. But the name of High-

llinds is more strictly confined to Argyleshire, the

Iwest of Perthshire, and of Inverness; and the

Iglire counties of Ross, Sutherland, and Caith-

In proceeding from the south-east, the

otunce into the Highlands near Dunkcld, is

Kfv impressive, there being a considerable tract

Lf plain, jus^. before what may be termed the

ilet of the mountains. Even the eastern parts

Jite little of uniform flatness, but are sweetly

Hvenified with hill and dale. The rivers in

leoeral are remarkably pure and transparent,

I their course rapid.

Rivers.] Tbe three chief rivers of Scotland,

I the Forth, the Clyde, and the Tay. Next

I consequence and io fame, is the Tweed, fi,

lutifiil and pastoral stream, whicb> receiving

iTevoit from the south, near Kelao, falls into

E sea at Berwick. The Scotish Tyne is an in-

isiderable river, which runs by Haddington.

JLuES.] Among the lakes of Scotland, the

ef in extent and beauty is that of Lomond,

ded with romantic islands, and adorned with

Lres of tbe greatest diversity. The isle? nre

jpposed to form part of the Grampian chain,

kicb here terminates on the west. The depth

[this lake in the south, is not above twenty

oms; but the northern creek, near the bot-

of Ben Lomond, is from sixty to eighty

lioms.

}d the east of Lomond is an assemblage of

[ious lakes, the Ketterin, or Cathiu, the Con

Cbroin, the Ard, the Achray or Achvary, the

acher, theLubnaig; exhibiting singular and

hresquc scenes, called by the Highlanders the

>:Achs, a word signifying rough, or uneven

ds.

I: Levcn, in Fifeshire, attracts Observation
ills historical fame. There are lakes in the
I of Perthshire, and to the east Loch Ern,
I Tay, and those of Rannoch, Lydoch, and
lit. That of Tay, in particular, is a grand
loL. II. No. CXXl.

and beautiful expanse of water, of such length,
as rather to resemble a noble river.

Loch Ness rivals Loch Tay in extent and re-
putation. The depth is from sixty to one hun-
dred and thirty-five fathoms, the tish excellent
trout. Its great depth is the cause why it never
freezes. It is remarkable that the bed of this
lake and in general of the watery chain which
extends to Loch Linney, is filled with puddiug"-
stone, hills of which occur near Dunolla and
DunstaiTnage, on the western shores of Argyle.

In the western division of Scotland Loch Awe,
in Argyleshire, is the most considerable lake, it
is about thirty miles in length, and from one to
two in breadth; and is studded with many small,
woody isles, one of which bears the ruins of a
monastery, and another those of an ancient for-
tress, the residence of the Campbells of Lochawe,
afterwards Dukes of Argyle.

But the chief distinctive feature of Scotland
consists in its numerous mountains, which in-
tersect the country in various. directions; so that
to attempt a particular description of them would
be foreign to our plan.

Forests.] The forests of Scotland are very
rare, in the proper acceptation of the term ; and
tbe Sylva Caledonia has long since vanished.
The whole county of Selkirk was formerly de-
nominated Ettric forest. There was also a con-
siderable forest, that of Mar, in the west of
Aberdeenshire, where now remains the forest of
Abernethv, extending to Cairngorm. In the
county of Sutherland was the forest of Sletadale,
on the north of Dunrobin, the seat of the earls
of Sutherland ; and in the north of the same
county, are marked Parff-forest, between Ashir
and Dunan; to the south of which were Reay
forest, or that of Dirrymore; with those of
Dirrymore, and Dirrymena, on the north and
south of Loch Shin. No other forest occurs till
we reach the county of Argyle, which contains
lioachiltive forest on the north.

ZooLouY.] The small horses of Galloway
seem to have been a primitive breed, and, iii
diminutive size, are exceeded by those of Shet-
land. The cattle in Galloway are often without
horns, a defect which it supposed to be recom-
pensed by the superior quantity and quality of
the milk. The kylies, as already mentioned, are
a middle-sized breed from the province of Kyley
8 M and

r-M.vi

«80

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF TWE WORLD.

B' ■

and other disiricd of Ayrshire and Gallowaj.
On the east are found large cattle of various
breeds. The sheep are smaller and shorter than
those of England; those of Shetland are re-
markable for the fineness of the wool, which is^
however, interspersed with coarser piles. Goats
are not so numerous in the Highlands and Isles
as might be expected.

Scotland abounds with fish of all kinds, and
contributes great supplies to the English market,
particularly in lobsters and sahnou. Pearls are
jbuad io the rivers Teith and Ythan, in a large
kind of mya or muscle. Many beautiful zoo-
phites, on the northern shores, have been found
. MiTfERAtoGY ] The small quantity of gold
found in Scotland has been procured from the
J^ead hills, which are mostly composed of coarse
slate. . The silver' found ia Scotland has hitherto
been of little account:' the chief mine Was that
At Alva, which has since only afforded cobalt
Copper has been found at Colvend, in Gal-
loway; at Curry, in Lothian; at Oldwick, in
Caithness; and Kissern, in Ross-shire. But the
chief minerals of Scotland are lead, iron, and'
coal. The ^hief mineral is coal, which has
been worked for a succegsion of agei. • Popo
Pius II. in his description of Europe, written
about 1450. mentions, that he beheld with wonder,
black stones given as alms to the poor of Scot-
land.

Mineral Waters.] The mineral waters of
Scotland are numerous, but none of equal fame
-with those of England. The chief are MoB'at
wells in the south, and those of Peterhead in the
north.

Natural Curiosities] Scotland, like other
mountainous countries, abounds ^ith singular
icenes, and natural curiosities. The beautiful
falls of the Clyde, near Lanark, have excited
much attention.

SCOTISH ISLES.

Tbe islandft that belong to Scotland are nu-
merous and important, and fall naturally into
three grand divisions: tbe Hebudes, or Wt^stern
Islands; the Orkoejfi; aud the islands of Shet-
land.

On passing the conic rock, called AiUa, to-
ward* the uoftb» two beautiful iflaodi adorn the

Firth of Clyde, those of Arran and Siite. Ti,
first is about twenty-three miles in length h'
nine in breadth, and has* seven thousuntJ jnh "
bitants. The chief place is the village of Ran? •
and Brodis castle is memorable in history, 'ri,'
exports are black cattle and barley. It j^
inountainons region : and Goatfell is near thrn
thousand feet in height. The southern partsi
the islitnd present low and cultivated grounds

Bute is about twelve miles long, h- fj,„j
broad; inhabitants >about four thousand; M
chief town is Roth'^ay, and in the vicinity
Mount Stuart, thd* residence of the Marqursi
Bute. ■ '

To the west wf Guntife, b^^io the Hebude
or Western Islands, property so called. Jk
first iAilay, about the shm^ length &% Arrad
but nearly eighteen mlleft in breadth. Hay nJ
duces i.-'any black^ eattli^j ^hich are expnrttj
and sometimeH pass as far'as England. But||d
sheep are rare; small horses are much used,
the country is not very 'mountainous Inhabl
tanti about seven thousand. Lead iniim yi^
here discovei'ed in tha stand stone, 1763; tli{
lead is, as usual, mingled with silver.

Jvkk is divide froM the last by a narrll
sound: it is about twenty miles long, buttl
breadth seldom more than five. It is one of ||
most rugged of the Hebudes, which, in
neral, are monnlainous regions. The paptj
Jura, a Mae of conic hills, present a $in^||
appearanee; they 'are on the western sidroft
island, and alinoi»t bare of vegetation. The I
crops are potatoes and barley ; and (he islecti
tains abundance of peat. The cattle are !niJ
but the sheep excellent. The noted giilphi
whirlpool of Brcoan, or Corryvrekan, ison(
northern extremity of Jura.

To the west of Jura are the isles of Oral
and Colonsa; and the strait between (lu'ral
dry at low water, they may be considered as^
island, about ten miles in length. The soiil
light and arable.

The next isle of any consequence is tli3l|
Mull, one of the largest of the Hebudes, i
surrounded with smaller inlands. It is abi
twenty-eight miles long, by a medial breadtlj
about eighteen. Its population is about
thousand.

Stafiii, about six miles to the north of M

SCOTLAND.

681

ii to the north of Hji

fcolm-kflt, has heautiful basaltic columns,
1 one of the most surprising objects of na-
* (he vast basaltic cavern, called Aii-ua-viiie,

either from

ture>
Of the

a nie-

harmonious grotto,
yious sound, produced by the perciifsion of
Ae waves at the furthest extremity, or from the
«Bct order in which the columns are disposed,
iijjglit of the entrance fifty six feet, breadth
Ajfty.five, thickness of the exterior vault twenty.
The depth, or length of the cavern is no less
Han one hundred and forty feet.

Skcy is the largest of the Hebudes, being

jboiit forty-five miles long, and twenty-two

|)roa(l. Inhabitants about five thousand two

tinndred; chief exports black cattle and small

horses: the land, as usual in the Mbbudcs, rough

indliilly- The houses are chiefly turf, covered

withcjrass. The face of the country wild, heathy,

in'i deluged with continual rains. In Canna is

Compast Hill, which strongly all'ects the needle.

Leuis, the principal island of the western

tbain, is about fifty miles long, by twenty

Jiroad. The face of the country consists of a

lealhy elevated ridge full of raorasiys from the

loutb-west to the north-east; but near the shores

e sereral verdant vales capable of cultivation.

he Harris, or south end of this isle, is still

ore mountainous, and presents what is called

forest, because some deer are there found.

amesVI. attempted to introduce industry into

e Hebudes by planting a Dutch colony at

;ornaway, in Leuis; but it was soon extirpated

lytlie inhabitants. Stornaway is, however, now

.considerable and flourishing town, with an ex-

ellent harbour. The seasons in Leuis arc op-

resscd with rain, as usual in the western

ighlands and isles; but there is a considerable

iihery.

South of Leuis ts North Vist, about twenly-
0 miles long, and seventeen broad. The face of
e country corresponds in general with that of
f Leuis. Westerly winds, with rain or fog,
lurp two-ihirds of the year.
The Orkneys form a numerous group around
leMain Land, whi«h is about twenty-five miles
ng, by thirteen broad. Kirkwall, the chief
wn of the Orkneys, contains about three hun-
ted houses; and has a stately cathedral de-
lated to St. Magnus. The thief exports of
irkwall arc beef, pork, butter, tallow, hides,
itlf 8ldna> rabbit nkias, salted lisb, oil, feathers.

linen yarn, and coarse linen cloth, kelp, and
in fruitful years corn. The chief imports are
,wood, flax, coal, sugar, spirits, wines, tobacco
and snuff", flour, and biscuit, soap, leather, hard-
wares, broad cloth, printed liryns and cottons.
In most parts of the Main Land the soil is good,
though shallow, with a calcareous bottom. The
horses are small, but spirited; and the cows,
though also small, yield excellent milk. The
Norse language has yielded to the Erig-lish, and
the manners of the people are singularly civi-
lized for so remote a region. The inhabited
islands of Orkney are computed at twenty-six,
and the people at twenty-three thousand and
fifty-three; the base is chiefly sand stone, as ap-
pears from Mr. Jameson's recent Mineralogy of
the Scotish isles. ■ i.^

The islands of Shetland present another gronj*
similar to those of Orkney ; with a main land
or chief island in its centre. The main land is
much intersected by the sea: and is abOnt fifty-
seven miles in length, by about ten or twelve
miles of medial breadth. The other isles arc
generally small, yet- twenty-srx are said to be
inhabited. " On viewing these islands in ge-
neral, a wondjrful scene of rugged, bleak, and
barren rocks presents itself to our view. No
tree or shrub is to be seen, to re!;.-ve the eye in
wandering over these dreary scenes. Sometimes,
however, a few scanty portions of culliva'pd
ground catch the eye of the Iravfller, exciting
emotions of pleasure, and forming a striking
contrast to the barren heath-covered mountains
which skirt them. The western part presents
many scenes as wild and sterile as can well be
conceived; grey rocks rising from the midst of
marshes or pools, and shores bounded by awful
sea-beat precipices, do not fail to raise in the
mind ideas of desolation anr! danger. The coasts
are in general rugged and precipitous, present-
ing in maiiv places scenes (rulv i>-ra;id and uip":-
niHcent; vast rocks of various heights, dread-
fully rugged ar ' broken, onjiosing tlicir rude
fronts to all the fury of a tempo-fMOtis ocean;
which in some places has formed great detached
pillars, in others has excavated grand natural
arches and caverns that mock all iiiiman mag-
nificence; and strike the beholder with that auc
and wonder which must affect every one on
viewing these amazing wrecks of nature*." The
climate of the Shetland isles is variable, and
„...:.;,;.. - , disturbed

.«*

R'>i I

1 I

'-1, i

'. t

•>! i:

'* Jamcson't Mia. p. 2, 3. Svo«

I J

082

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

disturbed ^vilfa rains and thick fogs. The frosts
are seldom severe, and snow rarely continues
long on the ground. The inhabitants are in-
deed sufliciently wretched without additional
evils; and a benevolent government ought to pay
a particular attention to those distant prisoners.
The corruscations of the Aurora Borcalis il-
luminate the long gloom of winter, and delight
the inhabitants, who call them merry dancers.
The arable land is mostly near the coast, and
produces a coarse kind of oats t^nd bigg. Po-
tatoes have lately formed ao addition of sin-
fular advantage. The chief food of the ia-
abitants consists of fish, and various kinds of
sea fowl, which cover the rocks: the captors
of the last shew singular skill and intrepidity,
and often meet with a violent fate amidst the
stupendous precipices.

The chief eitports of Shetland are fish of
various kinds, chiefly herrings, cod, ling, and
torsk, or tusk. The inhabitants of the Shet-
land islands in 1798 were computed at twenty
thousand one hundred eighty-six, which is more
than the country can well support. In this dis-
tant region there are neither roads nor bridges,
which may be pronounced the first steps in any
country towards the progress of industry. The
same deficiency occurs in the Orkneys, and even
in the northern extremity of Scotland; where
however a road has been recently opened be-
tween Ullapool and Dornoch *.

i . .:\,-: J'.,. S

IRELAND.

Extent.] This large and fertile island is
about three hundred miles long, and one hun-
dred and sixty at the greatest breadth. The
contents in square miles are about twenty-seven
thousand four hundred and fifty-seven; and the
population about thre" millions.

Kkligion,] The legal religion of Ireland is
that of (he cnurch of England; but it is com-
puted that more than two-thirds of the people
are Catholics; and of the remainder the Pres-
byterians are supposed to constitute one-half.

There are four archbishoprics, in themselves
an evidence of the great number of churches
formerly existing ; and eighteen bishoprics.

Under the archbishop of Armagh are the

* Pinkcrton.

+ Goiigh'8 Camden, iii. 487. The primacy is worth
eighty pounds a year, Deny scren thousaud pounds; the

bishops of Meath, Kilmore, and Ardagh n
more, Cloglier, Raphoe, Downe and c'onnl"*
Derry. — Under the archbishop of Dublin KM
dare. Ferns and Laughlin, Ossory.—Under tM
archbishop of Caahel, Waterford and Lismor I
Limeric, Killaloe, Cork and Ross, Cloyne *i
Under the archbishop of Tuam, Elphin, CloviT'
Killala and Achonry f . ^ **j

The Catholics have also a hierarchy ncarl 1
similar, but the metropolitans and bishops ar I
considered by the Protestants as merely titula*!
The Presbyterians being here Dissenters, the[rl
form of ecclesiastical government necessarily an.
proaches that of the Independents. ^'

Government.] The government of Irelandl
was constructed upon the plan of that of Eng.j
laud, being vested in the House of Coniiijonj|
and another of Peers, while the King was re'l
presented by a Lord Lieutenant or Viceroy. Bull
no act of importance was considered as va
till it received the sanction of the King and!
Council of Great Britain. At present Ireland!
being united to England, tbe form of goverQ.]
ment is of course identically the same. TbetJ
are some minute variations betwern the statulj
and common laws of Ireland and those of EnpJ
land. ^P

Civil Divisions.] Ireland is primn-ily di-l
vided into four provinces, viz. Ulster to IM
north, Connaught to the west, Leinster to tbJ
east, and Munster to the south. The subdil
visions are counties, of which the following \I
a list :

:, ',

'Donnqgal

'Louth

*"%''

Londonderry

Muath

, >

Antrim

Longford

Tyrone

\VesinicatIi

Ulster

Feniiaiingb

Dublin

IMonaghati
Arniaglj

•■-^'^KlSr""

Down

Queen's-comity

Cava 11

W^'hw

^Leitritn

Carlo w

1 Slipo

Kikcnnv

Connaught ■<

Mavo
1 Oalway

•

.Wexford

/'Clare

'^Roscommon

1 Tippcrary

/Cork

I ^ Kerry

other bishoprics from four thousand to two thousand poiindil
Young, ii. 18!^.

ArmyJ

I 11 E L A N T).

685

Armt.I Besides large contributions to tlie
i-jjjjl, army, Ireland in 1780 raised upwards
If forty thousand volunteers, and has recently
1° jpped a considerable militia and yeomanry.
Ilfwe suppose every eighth person capable of
I Ireland might raise a force of more than
Lee hundred thcmsand men. Of mariners Ire-
land contributes an inadequate proportion, and
Jcrior in skill to the British.
Revenues.] The public revenues of Ireland
■ere computed by an intelligent traveller* at
Lul one million sterling, or six shillings and
Mt-pc»ce a head, when those of England stood
tone pound nine shillings.
PoiJTicAL Importance, &c.] The political
uportance and relations of Ireland are great,
[intimately blended with those of England;
biiilelicr western position imparts singular ad-
Mh^ei in the commerce with America and the
Vejit Indies.

1 jIanners and Customs] The manners of the
^perior classes of people iu Ireland now nearly
LoAcI) to the English standard, except that
[ceil in wine, unfashionable in England, con-
nues to prevail too much in the sister island,
tel^sh gentry are also seldom addicted to li-
Ltture or the arts ; but amuse themselves with
Lgting and other robust exercises. Hence an
Mow of health and spirits ; aiid the obser-
[tion of an able writer, that Ireland produces
e stoutest men, and the finest women in Eu-
[pc, must not be confined to the inferior classes.
I common people of Ireland still retain too
jtiiy features of national manners. A funeral
(joiiied by all the men and women of the vi-
^itv, and is accompanied with dreadful howls,
other barbarous ceremonies. Their diet
insists chiefly of potatoes and buttermilk; and
le rural cottage is a wretched hovel of mud.
it favourite liquor is usquebaugh, or the
tier of life; but more properly the water of
jitli, being an ardent and pernicious distilla-
|ii ffom corn.

The English language daily gains ground in
(land, and might, if proper attention had
III bcRtuwed on the national education, have
\me, ere now, the general idiom of the
liiitry. The ancient Irish is a dialect of the
Otic intermingled with many Gothic words,
borled by the Bclgic colonies, by ttie Scaudi-
[vm, and by the English,
Wll. NO.CXXI. :.— .—'•-

Education.] In no quarter of the British
dominions, has education been conducted upon
a more solid and rational plan than in Scotland;
and no where has it been so much neglected as in
Ireland. It is to be hoped that one consequence,
and not the least important, of the union, will
be the introduction of parochial education into
Ireland, a sure mean of preventing the ebulli-
tions of ignorant discontent.

Universities.] With four archbislioprics
Ireland only possesses one university, that of
Dublin. This institution was first projected by
archbishop Leech, about tl.e year 1311; but
death having interrupted his design, it was re-
vived and executed by Bicknor his successor,
and enjoyed moderate prosperity for about forty
years, when the revenues failed. In the rergn
of Elizabeth the university was refounded by
voluntary .contributions, under the auspices of
Sydney the Lord Dcpu* ". It consists of a Chan-
cellor, Vice-chancellor, Provost, Vice-provost,
twenty-two Fellows, and thirteen Professors of
various sciences. The number of students is
commonly about four hundred, including seventy
on the foundation. The building consists of two
quadrangles, and it contains a library of some
account, and a printing oflicc.

At Kilkenn" there is an endowed school, or
what is calle-, a college; but its institutes sccai
little adapted to the quiet of an academical life.

The Dublin Society for the improvement of
Agriculture and Manufactures was instituted by
the eflbrts of the patriotic Dr. Samuel Madden
in 1731, being the earliest of the kind now ex-
isting in Europe.

Cities AND Towns.] Dublin, the capital of
Ireland, continued little known till the tenth
century, when it was mentioned in the Saxon
Chronicle; and in the beginning of the next
century, we have coins of Canute struck at
Dublin. The situation is delightful, in a bot-
tom, between ranges of hills on the south and
north. It is pervaded by the river Lift'y, and by
some rivulets. The inhabitants have been esti-
mated at one hundred and fifty thousand; this
capital beina: justly accounted the second in the
British douiinions. The circumrcrciiceof Dublin
may be about ten miles, being about two miles
and a quarter in length, and as miicli in breadth.
The harbour is incommc;dious, being impeded
with two banks of sand, called the north aud

S N south

!:;*

f !l

i» m ■•

!!i.!ii;

5* t' Vi

m .!ii

* Young's Tour in Iri'IiUiil.

et4>

CEOGBAPHICAL DKSCIIIPTION OF THK WORLD.

BOu<h bulls, which prevent ships of large burden
from passing the bar; but some improvements
have been made, and others might be carried
into execution. A mole has been constructed
four miles in length: and the quays are spacious
and beautiful. There ure six bridges, the chief
of which is that called Essex The castle was
founded about the your l!;i(X), and continues,
though in great part rebuilt, to be the sanctuary
of the publir records, as it formerly was the
residence of the Viceroy, The parliament house
is a superb building, erected at considerable ex-
pence. 'J'hc church of St. Patrick is the ca-
thedral, a venerable building, which was begun
in liie end of the twelfth century ; but the
slccjilc, the highest in the cLy, was not erected
till (he year 13/0. The Royal Exchange was
completed in 1779. Dublin has an ample sup-
ply of native provisions ; but coals are imported
from Scotland and Cumberland.

Roads. 3 Though the turnpike roads in Ire-
land be rather neglected, yet the cross roads are
admirable; and Mr. Young has explained at
length the priuciples upon \yhich they are con-
structed.

Inland Navigation.]} The advantages de-
rived by England from inland navigation soon
attracted the attention of Ireland ; and, not
many years after the example set by the Duke
of Bridgewater, a grand canal was begun from
the city of Dublin to the river Shannon, and
was actually carried on to the bog of Allen, at
the ex pence of seventy-seven thousand pounds.
But the engineer's want of ability occasioned
great errors in the original plan and survey; and
the work was interrupted in 1770. Nor, un-
happily, have proper means been adopted to
execute the plan, which remains imperfect, after
an expenditure of half a million; and an able
writer informs us, that even the design was
absurd, as the country through which the' canal
passes is one of the least productive 'or the
Dublin market.

A canal is completed from the town of Newry
to the sea, which was, however, intended to
have passed that town towards the collieries of
Drumglitss and Dungannon. This attempt, how-
ever, to supply Dublin with Irish coals, has hi-
therto been only successful in part, though the
beds of coals are said to be \ ;ry abundant.
• Manl'factures and Cummcrcc] Though

§\

we find, as has been already nienttoned, that
Ireland was distinguished at an early period f 1
her manufacture of woollen stuffs, yet the spirt
of industry made little progress, and the chief
Irish niiiiiufactures are of recent institution i
But the linen manufacture was not unknown in]
Ireland in more early times, as appears from t||«]
acts of parliament in the reigns of Henry Vi|i I
iind Elizabeth. The annual produce of the]
linen manufacture is computed at about twol
millions sterling.

But a grand portion of the commerce of lre.L
land arises from her abundant stores of blackl
cattle, the moisture of the climate rendering (bel
pasturage remarkably luxuriant.

Climate.] Ireland lying nearly in the gams
parallel with England, the difference of climald
cannot be supposed to be very important, 'fy
mean temperature of the north is about 48^
the middle 50'': of the south 52<» of Furenhcit]

Face op the Country.] Ireland forms
striking contrast to Scotland, being mostly Jevejl
fertile, and abundant in pasturage. The chain
of hills, for they can hardly aspire totlieoaa
of mountains, are few, and unimportant.

Soil and Agriculture.] The soil and a^rii
culture of Ireland are topics which have beei
ably illustrated by an intelligent writer,
observes, that the quantity of the cnltivalei
land exceeds, in proportion, that of Englanit
The most striking feature is the rocky nature o|
the soil, stones generally appearing on the surl
face, yet without any injury to the fcrtilitij
The stones, are for the most part, calcareooi
and appear at no great depth, even in the m
tlat and fertile parts, as Limerick, Tipperar^
and Meath. The climate being more moist (hai
that of England; the verdure never appear]
parched with heat. Tillage is little undersiow
even in the best corn counties; turnips and clovej
being almost unknown: the wheat sown upoj
fallow, and followed by several crops of sprini
corn. Tiie farmers are oppressed by tlie slioclj
ing system of middle incn, who rent farms froJ
the landlords, and let them to the real occi{
piers; who, as well as the proprietors, fdi
greatly by this strange practice. Linie-sloi
gravel is a manure peculiar to Ireland ; havini
on uncultivated land, the same wonderful ci]i'C|
as lime, and Oii all soils it is beneficial.

Ill vers] '..mong the chief rivers of Irelad

IBUf

IRELAND.

685

ijt first be mentioned the Sbannonj which

I'nini ii)i^^ ^^'■^'^ "t' Alien, and passing through

ottu'C large lakes, Lough Kee, and Lough

'„ afterwards extends before Limerick, into

vast estuary or firth, about sixty miles in

.^tli, and from three to ten in breadth. This

ible river is, almost through its whole course,

«i(lu and deep, as to utVurd easy navigation.

Jojte informs us, that the celebrated Earl oi

Llibnl designed to remove a rock, six miles

flve Limerick, which forming a cataract, im-

jfj the intercourse between the upper and

Lwcr parts. The whole course of the Shannon

Iibotit one hundred and seventy miles.

; The lakes of Ireland arc numerous, and same

[them extensive. The term Lough, corre-

noding with the Scotish Loch, is sometimes

[plied to an estuary, or to an inlet of the sea,

'h as the Swilly, the Foyle, that of Strang-

J Duwn, &c. The chief lake of fresh

uter is that of Earn, which exceeds thirty

Litisb miles in length, and twelve in its greatest

adth; it is divided by a narrow outlet from

southern part into the northern, of about

L miles in length.

[Jjcit in magnitude is Neagb, about twenty-
It miles in length, and twelve in breadth,
loth these lakes are studded with small inlands;
the latter is said to possess a petrifying

lality.

[The lake of Corrib, in the county of Galway,
jibout twenty miles in length, and from two
[five wide. Those of Rce and Derg are less
liiderable in size; and there is a smaller lake
) named Derg. in the N.W. which was re-
^rkable in superstitious times for a little island,
Waining what was called the purgatory of St.
llrick.

[Among the lakes of the second magnitude
hstbe Hrst named the beautiful and interesting
Lgh of Killarney in theS. W. abounding with
nantic views, and fringed with the arbutus,
Iwhcre else a native of the British dominions.
lis is almost the only lake in the south of
iland; and the observations may be extended
jthe east. On the N. W. are the lakes of
Frierty, Mclve, Maniean, and Gill,
kat of Allen, as already meutioncd, is a chief
Ircc of the Shannon, into whiih the Gara
lltoy also pour their waters. Further to the
lit are two considerable lakcs^ the Cuuu and

the Mask; nor must those of Corrasin be for-
gotten. .1,

Mountains. 3 The monntaihous chains in Ire-
land are neither niiiiiproii.s nor imp.ortant ; but'
an upland ridge divides tiic country from tlie
N. E. to the S.W. givin!» birth to several of
the rivers. The Iri^h hills generally form short
lines, or detached groups. One group of con-
siderable height appears on the west and south
of Lough Lane, or what is called the lake of
Killarney: of these Mangerton is two thousand
live hundred feet above the sea. A small line of
hills extends on the north-west of Bantry Bay,-
and passes to the east, under the name of the
Shehy mountains. To tho north of this is the
line of Sliblogher and Nagles, followed by the
Galtee mountains; and towards the east, arc
those of Knockendown, which bend southward
towards the bay of Dungarvan. A small chain
also appears to the south of Tralee, which, with
a group to the N. E. may be said to complete the
enumeration of the mountains of Monster.

In Leinster is the mountain of Lcinster, the
line of Slieb-loom on the S. W. and a consider-
able group to the south of Dublin, styled the
Kippure mountains, or those of Wicklow. The
extent of this group is about thirty EriglisU
miles in length, by about twelve in breadth.

In Ulster is a small group, called the moun^
fains of Mourne, in the S. E. corner of the pro-
vince: one of them, Donard, is said to be about
the height of Mangerton. The hills of Slieve-
croob (in the Irish language slicbh, signifies a
mountain), form the centre of the county of
Downe; and several hills are sprinkled over the
eastern half of Antrim. On the north-west of
Loughneagh arc those of Slicvegallan and
Carntogher. Sieve Snagh* is a considerable
mountain N.W. of Loughfoyl, whence other
lines and groups extend down to Loughern.

The eastern part of Connaught presents nu-
merous marshes; but few mountains, except
those of Baughta on the south. The extreme
western peninsula, is one of the most moun-
tainous regions in Ireland. Among other names
may be mentioned. Mount Nephin, in the county
of Mayo, a solitary hill of two thousand six
hundred and forty feet, and one of the most
considerable in the island. That of Croagh Pa-
trick, on the S. E. of Clewbay, a cone of two
thousand six hundred and sixty-six feet; the

Fernamour

Hf'

I lit

i^ I 'It

>■ 'i

''.i1 m ■

ii"

iJ! h

689

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

Ti'.--- iTi

Fcrnamoor mountaim to (he M'est of Lough-
uiaok ; and the Twelve Pins, a line of so many
small puks in Ualiinahinch; with others to the
■onth of Loughcorrib.

Bogs.] The bogs form a remarkable feature
of (he country. Boatt; divides them into se-
veial genera and species, forming an eluborutc
scale of sterility. The dry heaths are generally
confined to the mountains. The bogs he sub-
divides into four descriptions: I. The grassy, in
vhith the water being concealed by herbage,
Ihey become extremely perilous to travellers:
some of these are dry in the summer. 2. The
pools of water and mire. 3. What he terms
hassocky bogs, or shidlovr lakes studded with
tufts of rushes, which are chiefly found in (he
province of Leinstcr, especially in King's and
<i}ueen*s counties. 4. The peat moors. Orna-
ments of gold and other relics of antiquity, have,
from time to time, been discovered iu (he bogs
at great depths; and there are other indications
that they are of comparatively recent furnitt(ion.
It is hoped that the hand of induiitry will, in
time, remove many of these blemishes; and one
of the greatest improvements of modern agri-
culture is that of reclaiming peat nioors, by
means of ciilcareous manure.

The Iriih bogs diller from the English mo-
rasses in being rarely level, but rising into hills;
and there is a bog in Donnegal that is a perfect
scenery of hill and dale. The plants are heath,
with some bog niyrtle, and a little sedgy grass.

M1NEUALOGY.3 The mineralogy of Ireland
has been recently ennobled by the discovery of
considerable masses of native gold, in (he county
01 Wicklow, to the south of Dublin. These
were found in a brook, running west to eart, to
the river of Avonmore, where it is joined by (he
river Aghran; and on a declivity of the moun-
tain called Croughan Kinshelly, about seven
English miles west of Arklow, and six south-
west of (he noted copper mines of Cronbane.
It is said that a jeweller, who lately died in
Dublin, often declared, that gold from that spot
had passed through his hands to the value of
thirty thousand pounds,, the secret being re-
tained for many years, and some pieces weigh-
ing to the amount of seventy or eighty guineas.
It is now worked for government, ami it is said
Ihat a very utassy vein has been recently disco-

vered, which, it ii hoped, will greatly bcii(>fj
the country; for mines have, '" all ages, um ■ J
and moilern, enriched and in; proved the co 1
tries where they were found, and the cxcoDii"
if such, of Spanish America is to bo assigiicj?'
causes of a dillereot nature. '^

The silver foimd in the Irish mines drsfncil
more attention. I'oatc nientions a mine of il
metal, intermingled with lead, which y,-
wrought in the county of Antrim, and viclJcdl
a pound of pure silver from thirty pounds ^
lead. Another, less productive of silver «-
found near the harbour of Sligo, in Connmiirli
and a third in the county of Tipperary, (weli
miles from Limerick. ■ The ores of (his i,.,
were of (wo kinds, most generally of a reddiv
colour, hard, and glittering; (he other, whi,
was (he richest in silver^ resembled a blue marl
The works were destroyed in the Irish insurrcc.
tions under Charles I.

Copper has been recently found in thecound
of Wicklow, and at Muccross, in Kerry.

One of the chief mineral productions of Ire,
land is iron, the mines of which were little kiioyfi
till the time of Eli/abeth.

The beds of coal to be seen in various recioi
of Ireland have not yet been explored (n ihe
proper extent. That of Kilkenny, fomij
Castleconier, is dcst;rvedly celebrated anion"' mi
neratogists as the purest which has yet becDlnicei
in any quarter of the globe.

One of the most beautiful marbles of Irclai
is found near Kilkenny, and others havehcrnij
covered in various parts of (ho island. Slate,
various kinds, is also abundant.

Natural Curiosities.] The lake of Kilhr]
ncy is an expanse of water about ten milc<
leoijth, and from one to seven in breadth: it
divided into three parts, called the upper, limci
and jyiuckruss lake; and is surrounded bv
aniphithcatrc of mountains, clothed with irei
whose verdure is contrasted with interveiiii
rocks. Cascades, and other features of run
beauty, are not wanting.

What is called the Giant'f Causeway nni
distinguished among the most remarkable ufil
curiosities of Ireland. When we recollect itj
a similar production, the celebrated isluiid 1
Staifa, remained unnoticed till within thca-lliil
years; we shall be the less inclined to \vunil|

will greatly benefit,
in all ages, mckJ
improved the couii-j
, Hiid the cxcoption^i
I 18 to be assigned id

Irish mines doner
itions amine of tlijJ
lead, which \,j^
Antrim, and jicldi
)in thirty pounds on
H'tive of silver, wai
Bligo, in Connmiglit]
»f Tipiicrary, iwcKJ
he ores of this iJ
encrally of a reddi^
g; the other, wliiii
isemblcd a blue inatlj
in the Irish insurrcc]

' found in the countj
ross, in Kerry.
il productions of IrcJ
lich were little kuovtl

een in various rogioii
■en explored (o theij
Kilkenny, found
cclcbralcd anion;; mi
licb has yet been UaceJ

'ul marbles of Irclan
i others have been diil

the island. Slate,
idant.

] The lake of Killij
ler about ten miles i
icvcn in breadth: iiil
ailed the upper, lowcj

is surrounded bv
ns, clothed with irea
isted with inlcrveiiiiij
ther features of tw\

int's- Causeway nniilli
most remarkiiblc of i
,Vhcn we recollect ti!|
le celebrated ishuiii i
id till within these tl
less inclined to \vu

1 ■

. 0' f I 1,

h H.

■our

Wtf:

FRAN C E.

CS7

thittbe Giaot'i Cauieway !• an object of recent

observation. The first account is tliut given by

Sir R. Butsklcy, in a letter to Doctor List«:r, 16\)'J.

Thii lurprisin^ collection of baiialti^; pillars ia

ibout eight niilc> N. B. from Colerainc. The

idjaccnt coait ii verdant, but prjecipitpug; and

' f„)iTi it the Cauieway projects into the sea^ to an

unknown extent. The part explored is about

j lix hundred feet in length ; the breadth from

two hundred, and focty , ^Q . one hundred and

twenty; the height from sixteen to thirty-six

feet above the level of theatrand. It, consists of

Liny thousand pillars, mostly in a vertical po*

Uitiun; some pC tbein high, others broken, and,

for a considerable space, of an equal height, so

I as to form a pavement. They are closely com-

Ipartcd together; though the form be various,

|trig>)hal, tetragonal, pentagonal, hexagonal, and

heptagonal ; the most numerous are tl^e pen-

Itagunal. The pillars are rarely composed of one

^n'ire piece, but mostly consist of short or long

lioiDti, either plain or alternately concave and

Lnvrx. The pillars are from fifteen to twenty-

Vour inches, 6r more, in dianietcr. Towards the

E, is what is called th« organ, in the side of

hill, consisting of fifty pillars; that in the

middle is forty feet high, the other gradually

kliininishing. Similar pillars are also found a

Lie and a half inland, four miles to the west of

|(iK'm( Pnn'nnt,
mile Fnn^oine.

mdle.

Dtpartmiult,

Non«.

l>it« de-C«late. .

Somine.

'Seine IiiMrieuMi

Calvadoi.

MmicIm.

Orne
_Kure.
JSeine.

Vseme and Oiie.
^Oiiie.
/ Aime. : '
^ Seine And ftlarn^i

SMarne.
Ardennes.
Aiibe.
Haute Marnd,
lU. N0.CXXII.

He Fnnct.

ppigne.

Chief TouiH,
Duuai,
Arnu,
Amiens.
Hoiicii.
Caen.
CoutancM.
Aleiicon.
Evraux.
Parii.

Versailic*.
Beautais.
I'«on. I '
Mciun. ^
Ohitons-iu'r-Mame,

'IroTes.
C'luiiiiuvat.

I • The bualt of the Gianl's Causeway is of »rttj com.
ict texture, and the angles of the pillars hare preserred

ririharpnesSy though exposed to the sra for perhaps two
(three thousand years. The same shore also presents ho.

4nial and bending pillars, like those of Stalfa ; the at.
kiilmt minerals are zoolite in the irregular basalt, steatite,
hd bits of agate, red ochre, and iron ore.

1 1 iy the conquests made by France since the commence.
)(iit uf the j-evolulioa its inhabitants njay 6u estimated at

hiiit eighty millions. .

h The fullowing table eihibits a ?iew of the divisions of
laace unilur the Louis's, and the modern departments :

the Giant's Causeway, and at the cnpcs of Bou<
gore and Fuii'bcud*.

FRANCE.

: Extent. 1 The extent of France, before the
recent acquisitions, was computed at one hun-
dred and forty.eight thousand eight hundred and
forty square miles; and supposing the then po-
pulation to be twenty-six millions, would render
one hundred and, seventy-four, inhabitants to each
mile square. The boundaries were, on the west,
the Atlantic Ocean; on the south, the Medi-
terranean and Pyrenees; on the east. Savoy,
Swisserland, and Germany; on the north, the
Austrian Netherlands, the Geriuan Sea, and En-
glish Channel. It extends from about the forty-
second to near the fifty-first degree of north la-
titude; from about the seventh degree of lon-
gitude west frpni Paris, to about the fifth oa
the east; being in length, north to south, about
six hundred British miles, and in breadth, west
to east, about five hundred and sixty f.

Divisions.] Previous to the revolution, when
France was under the ruling power of the Ca-
petian dynasty, that country was divided into

Erovinces; but by the recent alterations wbick
ave taken place in France it is now divided into
departments;]:.

Anti^uitiei...

Antimt PrmHueti.
Lorraine.

Alsace.
BreUgne.

Maine and Perehe.

Anjoii.
Touthine.

Orleuiols.

ber'fi.- ; ■''■■'
Nivernoii,

Bourgogne,

Franche-Compte. '
Pelctou.

Marche.

JMpartmtnti,

5rMeuse.
IMosrlls.
jMturthe. '
Haut-Rhin.
Bas-KUin.
rh\e and V'ilaine.
1 C6te(-du-Noid.
< Jinisterre.
I Morbihan.
(.Loire Infeiieure.

iSatthe.
M.iyrnoe. J

Maycnne and Loire,

Indre and Loire,
C,Lairel.

< Euro and Loire.
(Loire and Cher.
•JliWre.
■VCI»er.

NiAyre.

Yonne.

C6te d'Or.

Haone and Loiic

Ain.

Hatite-Saftne,

Doubs.
_Jur«.
r Vendue.
J Deux-Sinci,
£>Vienne.
JHautc-Vicnncs
5«>inprising pait of
^Limosin.
(Ctsuze.
80

Ckitf Tntni,
Bar-aur-Otnain.
Metz.
Nancy.
Kpinal.
Colniar.
Stnbbonr{.
Itcnnes.
St. Brieiix.
plumper.
Vanncj.
Nanu«.
Le Mans.
Laval.
Angcri.
Tours.
Qrleaiu.
Chart re$.
Blots.

CliiiteauroUK.
Boiirjes.
Nevcri.
Auxerre.
I)iji»U.
Macon.
Boiirc;.
V«ouI,
Ucsan(^n.
Lons-le-Saunier.
Fiiitenay- livPcupIe,
Niorl.
Poitiers.
X.imogc,

1>»!.Jm4

■>w<i

- w»

.-r»

in.

' Hi

Cutrct.

JycU^

eti

GEOGRAPHICAL DMCRIPTION OF THR WORLD.

Antiqitities.'] Sevpral moniinienti exitt in
France which ate. exceedingly ancient. The
Greek colony at Marheillea ieem§ to have im-
parted some degree or civilization to the coun-
trv, and the rude Gallic coini are evidently an
iniitalion of the Grecian model*.

The Roman antiquities in Prance are nu-
meroutj and some of thenn in excellent preser-
vation. Those at Nismes are particularly ce-
lehruted, consisting chiefly of an amphitheatre,
and (he temple called La Maison Carr^.

The monuments of the Carlovingian race are
very numerous, and Roman mosaics have il-
lustrated the fame of Charlemagiie. Of the

Mchnl PnmMU.

f Corrixe,

J cnrnprUing part of-

^ Upper- Vioiina.

Allicr.

Buurbonnoii.
S«ini(>nt!e, comprising

Aunis.
AngMiimnis

comprwiiig part of^Charcntt.

Samtonge.

Auvcrgne.

Charente-Inftrlcura.

I-ronnoii.

f ortt ft Be«u]oloi«>

Paupbiot'

Gvyenne, compre-

Pny de AtxMt

Caiital.

RhAiie,

Luire.
_ Wte.

Kaiitci-AliXi'
; Dr6ine.
'Onfdogne.

Giruiule.

Lot and Garonne.

Lot.

kenduig Gascognc. S Aveyron.
Gen:

B«m.

Cointfcde-Foix.
RouMilloa.

{.angocdoa

frovenee.
Coniea.

I I^ndei.
LHautC) Vjitniai.

JBassos-Pyrtniei.
Arriege.

Pyr«n6e<i-OrientalCf.
rHaute- Garonne,
I Aude.
I Tarn.
J Garde.

I Ardcche.
I ffaulf Ix>lre.
VHiraut.

Bouches du-Rhone.

Basses Allies.

Var,

Golo.

Liamonc.

Ch^f Tnnu.

Tulle.

MouHni.
Sainlce.

AngouUmw.

Clermont.

St. Flour.

Ljon-

Montbrlioa.

GreitoMf.

Gap.

Valmea.

Perlgiwux.

BorilealiK.

AgLTJ.

Cahon.
Hhbdei.
Attch,

Momde-Manu.
pirbe.
Ku

Tdiascon.
K-rpignan.
Touioune.
Circaisonne.
(^41 res.
Niines.
.'Bf'xde.
iVivas.
Le Piijr.
MontpvUier.
Aix.
Digne.
Toulon.
Ihitia.
AJaccio.

The abov« are the modem departments of old France ; the recent
conquests hare also been muuldi^ loa similar ftrni, under the name of
te-united departments} these are the folloiring;

Atcient Namu. Re-uniteH Vepartmnf.

Territory of Avip- f VaucI,,.,., with the
non, coomy "f j Bouches du Khone.

J Mont Blanc.
VThe Maritime Alps,
V Mont Terrible.

Vena'siin.
District of Apt.
Sat'jy.

County of Nice.
BUhot ric o\ Basle. ^
Austrian HaiiiauU. ' Jemraapet,
Wetiein part of JLy*.

Atttlrian FUuden, \ "

Ch'nf Twfu.

Avignoa.

Chamtttrr.

Kke.

P»rmitiuy.

iti*^

later periods the monumAnfg are in mimernu
that it would be vain to attempt to eniimpraS
them. One of the most singular is (hr Mttit fl
tapestry, which was preserved in the ca(|,e,| "
church of Bayeux, in Normandy, rrproseniiiJ I
the beginning and termination of the ^r,„„(j ^^^
test between William and Harold, which led"
the conquest of Englnnd by the Norman, U
is said to have been the wtirk of IVlHiilda, vl\
of William: and bears every mark of that re-
mote antiquity.

Religion.] The religion of France ij \\A
Roman Catholic ; but the Gallican clinrfli, ,ii„J
its re-establishment, has been considerably mo.

Jt»-tt»iU4 DefoTlimmU,
t F.icaul,

Detix NMhea,

kMeuM Infirleur*.
> Gunh9i

C'l'/ Tmu.

Gawl.

An»eh.

BruKvllct,

Maestrlcht.
LK'ge,

Rimbre and Meiyft
Foritj.

. SarrB*. .

Anritnt Xam»t.
F.a<tcrii part of

Flanders.
Eastern part of

Brabant.
Southern |>art of

Brabant.
Part of tbe Country

of Llrne, and uf

Guoldmaiidt
Part of the counfriei.

(if Li*fe, and of.

Limbauff, with

the prineipalltles ol'

Straveio A Malraedi, '
County of Namur.
I>U«hy of Lniem-

liourg.
Part of the Archbi-lo... .„ „

shoptle of Tr#T.^. \ »""•• «* >««»>«••
'^afl of the ArchW-)

sliopric of Ti<yes,

and of the Ducliy

tt Deux Ponii, )
PaH «(f the ancient I.

Archbithnjiric ofJ

Maycncc, and of\ Mont Tonoerr*.

the Duchrot'DeuxV

Poms. J .

Part of the Archbi-'V

shopric uf Coliiiine, i

vf the Duchy of I

Juliers, <if Protkiaii *"Ocr.

Giiuldi'iland, of I

Cletei, Mrurs, lev J
Of the Territory of.^

Geneva, of theV

Diilricts of GexA Lemaa.

Laruuge, ThonunA

&c. J

To t|>e«e vast acquisition! mu*tabo tit added, the recent annexil
of the whole of Piedmonl, the isle of KIba, Ac. tec. and iliekir^l
of Hullaiid, which lait was annexed to thuKiencb empiieoiiiLcnl
of July, IblO.

• III Picartly, aad other parti posiestrd by the foJ
there art! circl*;s, and other nioiiumciitB of the kindwlT
we call Pruidic. Nt-ar the town of Carnac, uti tluioJ
Vanncs, in Bretagnu, there is a grand monmmiitoff
kind, far exceeding Stonchonge, if the accuunt he noil
aggcratcd, which says, that there about four iho
stones, many as high as eighteen or twtnty feet, <ll^f
ia the fw/ffi tff a taiucuBZ of deVen ruws.

Namnr.
Luxtmburgh,

Coblenia.

Trl»e«.

Mayencu

Aix-b-Chifelle,

0«n6T«.

.'li'-Vn^.i.^'f*

lire 10 numeroui,
impt (o eniimprate
tiUr ii thp Ntiit of I
i in Hie CHlliedral
isndy, r»'prf!(enii„g I
I of the Kiaiid (Oil.
irold, whitli led to I

the Normans lt
k of Mntilda, wile I
y murk of thut re-

I of France is ihJ
uUicaii clinrrli.simol
n considerably inu>

n»U. CMtf r«uai.

C«Ml.

Antm.
Bruxvllci.

Manuteht.

LU'p.

gf^ K*mnr.

Luxtml>ur|li.

!U«. Coblentt.

TlltM.

Mtjenctt,

Aix-ta-Chi[i«lIa.

0«nivi.

iliaaMed, the ttxm* annoii
r F.\b«, Ac. tec. and ilie kir.fl
10 ibu FiencU emiiiie on \U

,rt» po8«o»«ed by the M
jiiumciitg of the kiniiwi
( II of Carnac, on llu' loul
s a grand monuuicni o(r
;e, if the account lio m'
there about four ihui
tccu or twtnty feet, iiiii«
^leiren ivws.

.axrt

r »

)) i^

Hcca

*• n A N C E.

«8i$

hifie(i> ^^^ rendered wholly independent on Rn-
I, influence. The general division of France
lui) »rchl)i»hopric8 and bishopries remains much
same as before the rev«lnti«)n; but the re-
lifiuies and power attached to these ecolesiaslical
I gj^pg are now only sutticient to render them re-
Ledal'le. hut not formidable.
I Government.] The present government of
iFrancc we are not able to describe. At present,
lliowcter, it seems to approximate to a Miilitary

Iforni.
PopuL/iTioTj] The population of Franc -.^ was

Ifnrmerly computed at twenty-six millions, but

■the recent acquisitions would swell it to the for-

nidable extent of near eighty millions. At all

vents, France is a country teeming with popu-

liilion, and quickly resumes her vigour after stu-

Iprndous losses, as Europe has repeatedly cx-

jpcrienced.

1 Coi-oNiEs.] The French eolom'es are at pre-

Ut unimportant, notwithstanding the additinr.

of the Spanish part of St. I>omingo. The best

Itfthein have been convulsed and ruined for a

asoii by intestine commotions

Army.] The political convulsions which have

itated this unhappy country, the enthusiasm,
od yet more the despotism, of freedom, have
iccasinnally, within these few years, swelled the

rench armies to the amazing computation of
ipwards of a million. But it may sately be
loubtfd whether the real amount at any time
iceeded six hundred thousand effective men,

e French having swelled their own numbers to

itimidals their enemies.

Of the revenues and the political importance

d relations of France we are unable to speak

ith precision: it will therefore be better to
lefer uur observations on those particulars till

e close of the present war, when information

lav lie had on the subject.

Manneus and Customs.] The French have

mg been considered as full of vivacity, gaiety,

itciirss, a singular disposition towards social
injovments, and that hjippy art which enables

e adept to dispose of his occupations and ploa-
iires in an agreeable succession, free from list-

siiess or fatigue.

The ancient and rooted enmity between France
ind England nourished many prejudices against
'e French character, which have since very

operly disappeared in the reports of more

candid authors. Yet, with frnrpllftrs arrus-
tomed to the eleirance of Ei)fjlish life, many of
the French manners and customs cannot be re-
conciled t(» ideas of physical purity ; and the
looseness of morals, in regard to the sex, had
become proverbial.

Language ] The French language is the most
universally diffused of any in Europe, perhaps
in the world. In variety, clearness, and pre-
cision, and idioms adapted to life, business, and
pleasure, it yields to no modern speech ; but it
wants force and dignity, and t3t more, subli-
mity. The critics and academicians of th" se-
venteenth century enacted such severe laws of
purity, that, like gold reduced to the utrtioxt
fineness, it has become soft and almost inca-
pable of deep impressions. The French lan-
guage is a well known corruption of the Ro-
man, mingled with Ccll.c and Gothic words and
idioms. Even in the tenth century it continued
to be called Romance; a name which afterwards
passed to the poems and tales of chivalry, as-
being composed in this dialect. The epoch of
classical pvnty of the French languap-e com-
mences with the reign of Louis XIV. but the
recent revolution has introduced such exuberance
of new words and phrases, that a neological dic-
tionary is required to explain them.

Literature ] The literature of France has,
in modem times, excited great respect and ad-
miration. In the bold exertions of inventive
genius, and even in profound productions of
philosophy, France may be said to vie with
Italy or England; and in the pleasing and beau-
tiful paths of invention, and in bonks of elegant
learning and exact science, she remains almost
unrivalled.

Education.] The state of education in all the
Catholic countries was very defective till the
Jesuits acquired great estimation b^. their atten-
tion to this important department; to which, if
their exertions had been solely directed they
would have proved a most useful body of men.
National educati(m has justly attracted the at-
tion of the new rulers, and their success ap-
pears to have been commensurate *o their laud-
able intentions. " ■ ;.

Universities.] France forttierly boasted' of

twenty-one universities; in the north Douay,

Caen, Paris, Rheims, Nanci, Strasbourg; ini

the middle provruces Nantes, Angers, Poietiers,

4 Oilcans,

W'¥

'.'M'

'.n u

690

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THF WORLD.

Orleans, Bourges, Dijon, Besan^on; and in the
iouth Bourdeaux, Pau, Perpignan, Toulouse,
Montpellipr, Aix, Orange, Valence. Of these
the Sorbonne of Paris was the most celebrated :
but it shewed an irremediable tendencj' to pro-
long the reign of scholastic (heology. The aca-
demieo aud literary societies were computed at
thirty-nine. Those of Paris, in particular, have
been long known to the learned world, by ele-
gant aud piofoiind volumes of dissertations on
the sciences, apd on the Belles Lettres. Nor
have public institutions of this kind been foreign
to the consideration of the new government.

Cities and Towns.] Paris, the capital, rises
on both sides the river Seine, in » pleasant and
healthy situation, with delightful environs. It
is divided into three parts; the town, ville on the
north, tlie city in the middle, and that part
called the university on the soutlu Tiie inha-
bitants probably amouRt to between six and seven
hundred thousand. The houses are chiefly built
%vith fjree stone. The banks of the Seine present
noble quays I and the public buildings are not
only elco^ant in themselves, but are placed in
open and commandini^ situations. The Louvre
is arranged among the best specimens of modern
architecture ; aud the church of St. (jSenevieve,
aiuw the' P.nntheon, is deservedly admired; nor
tnust the Thuilleries. the Palais Royal; and
Hospital of Invalids be forgotten. Paris, no
<loubt, exceeds Loudon in magnificence, but
yields greatly in cleanliness and convenience; and
the streets, generally without accommodation for
foot passengers, loudly bespeak the inattention
uf the government to the middle and lower
classes of men. The recent revolution has little
impaired the beauty of Paris; on the contrary,
the rapine of several provinces has enlarged and
adorned the public collections; and, by en-
riching numerous individuals, has enabled them
to increase their favourite city with new aud
beautiful ^''reets.

Edifices.] Several of the most noble edifices
of France are in Paris, and its vicinity. To
those already mentioned must be added, the pa-
lace of Versailles, rather remarkable, however,
for the profusion of expence, than for the skill
of the architect ; the parts being small and un-
harmonious, and the general effect rather idle
pomp thaii true graqdeur. The bridge of Neuilly,
A league from Paris, is esteemed the most beau-

tiful in Europe, consisting of five >Ti(le arcU
of equal size. The ancient cathedrals aiSl
caslles are so numerous that it >VQ,uld be idle i I
attempt to enumerate them: and the Frenfi*!
nobility were not contented, like those of SpaLj
with large houses in the cities, but had mndl
chateaux scattered over the kingdom, to whidi I
however, they seldom retired, «xcept wheiicoin^
pcUed by formal banishment from the court.

I.VLAND Navigation.] The inland navigaiioj
of France has been promoted by several capitall
exertions. The canal of Briare, otherwise sUledl
that of Burgundy, was begun by IknrvIVj
and completed by Louis XIIL opening a comJ
munication between the Loire and the Seine, oJ
in other words, between Paris and the wesierd
provinces. Passing by Montargis it joins M
canal of Orleans, and falls into the Seine near
Fontainbleau. This navigation of fortr-two
locks, is of great utility in inland commerce.

The canal of Picardy extends from the Sonitnft
to the Oise, beginning at St. Quintin, and forml
ing a convenient intercourse to the provinces iJ
theN.E. '

But the chief work of this description is ||iJ
celebrated canal of Languedoc, commenced anj
completed in the reign of Louis XlV,^ y
Riquet, the engineer, under the auspices of tlia||
able minister Colbert. Fifteen years of laboui
were employed, from 1666 to 1681, and M
mechanical ignorance of the period was sum
prised at a tunnel near Bezieres, of on!) »cvcj
hundred and twenty feet, lined with fiec-stonJ
This noble canal begins in the bay of Lao]
guedoc; and at St. Ferrol is a reservoir of fivd
hundred and ninety-five acres of water : it enicci
the Garonne about a quarter of a mile bolu
the city of Toulouse. The breadth, incliidinj
the towing paths, is one hundred and forty-fotii
feet; the depth six feet; the length sixty-foud
French leagues, or about one hundred anJ
eighty miles The expence was more than Lai
a million ster.mg.

The other canals in France are vrry nti<j
raerous; but, though of supreme utility, m
too minute to enter into this general view of
kingdom.

Climate and Seasons.] The climate of i
extensive country is, in general, far more clo;
and serene than that of England ; but M
nor'he(n provinces are exposed to heavy rami

vliicf

'j( five ATide arclie^,
nt cathedrals audi
it y/quM be idle J
: and tlie Frencl,!
like those of Spain f
ic8, but had granjl
tingdom, to whid, I
, «xccpt when coiu-l
from the court. I
le inland navigation!
;d by several capitall
are, otherwise 8t\leij
gun by IlcnrjlvJ
III. opening a com]
e and the Seine, or
iris and the wcstera
intargis it joins th^
into the Seine ncai
ation of forty-tvto
niand commerce.
nds from the Somra«
, Quintin, and form-]
to the provinces iq

bis description is tliJ
loc, commenced anJ
•f Louis XIV,. bj
the auspices of tliaU
teen years of laboui
S to 1681, and thd
he period was suh
zicres, of only scveJ
ined with free-stonej
a the bay of
is a reservoir of fivd
;s of vrater : it enteij
ter of a mile Mm
B breadth, inchidii
id red and forty-fntit
tie length sixty-foud
one hundred mi
was more than ialj

'fia^\

-■ f -

•"!«*«■'■ ""

''h

A \ t.

ranee arc very
lupreme utility, arJ
i general view of \

The climate of I

lernl, far more ckaJ

England ; but \\{

losed to heavy rainl

wliiclr

IIM.Jiil

FRANCE.

€91

IfMch however produce beautiful verdure and
Iricb pastures. France msiy be divided into three
Icliinatesj the northern, the central, and the
liouthern. The first yields no wines; the second
loo maize; the third produce wines, mai'/e, and
lolives. These divisions proceed in an oblique
lliiie from the S. W. to the N. E. so as to de-
Imonstrate " that the eastern part of the king-
I is two nnd a half degrees of latitude hotter
I the western, or if not hotter more favour-
to vegetation." One great advantage of
llie climate of France arises from its being
jdaptcd to the culture of the vine, whiih flou-
Lhes in spots that would otherwise be wastf^.

Face of the Country.] The face of the
ItouDtr)' is generally plain; and the only moun-
Itios are found in the south, in AuVergne and
anguedoc, Dauphine and Provence. Brit-
hnv corresponds greatly with Cornwall, and
Ibounds in extensive heaths. In Lorrain are
Ihe mountains of Vosges, far inferior to the
Southern elevations^ For beauty the Limosin is
lerhaps superior to any other province of France :
jelmuch of the country is finely diversified with
ill and dale, and the rivers, particularly the
W, are often grand and picturesque.
jSoiL AND Agriculture. J The N. E. part
lom Flanders. to Orleans is a rich loam. Fur-
ler to the W. the land is poor and stony ; Brit-
kny being generally gfavel, or gravelly sand,
■ith low ridgrs of granite. The chalk runs
Ifougli the centre of the kingdom, from Ger-
py by Champagne to Saintonge ; and on the
.of the mountainous tract is a large extent of
jnvel, but even the mountainous region of the
butli is §renerally fertile, though the large pro-
nce formerly called Gascony present many
iflrf«, or level heaths.

In some of the provinces, the plans of agri-

likure correspond with the natural fertility of

:soil; and others display a most laudable in-

Nry. A striking instance of the latter is the

ttiliciai fertility conferred on some of tlio bar-

mounlains of the Cevennes. As the waters

liicli run down the sides carry considerable

lantitics of earth into the ravines, walls of

be stones are erected which permit the waters

pa?s when they are clear; but when turbid

pirload of earth isgradually deposited against

wall, and affords a space of fertile !<oil.

tesive ramparts are thus erected to the vcrv

W. II. No. CXXII.

top of the mountain; and the water, having no
longer a violent fall, only serves to nourish the
crops, which are moreover protected by planting
fruit trees at certain intervals, so as to lend se-
curity and conjtistence to the new acquisition.
By another process calcareous mountains, which'
generally rise in shelves, are rendered produc-
tive by cutting away the rock behind the shelf^
which supplies materials for a low wall around
the edge. The interval is afterwards filled with
earth, and the barren mountain is crowned with'
luxuriant terraces.

Rivers.] The principal rivers of France are,
the Seine, the Loire, the Rhone, and the Ga-
ronne. The first is one of the most beautiful -
streams of France, rising near Saint Seine, in
the modern department of Cote D'or, a portion*
of ancient Burgundy ; it pursues its course to>
the N. W. till it enter the English Channel at
Havre de Grace, after a course of about two-
hundred and fifty English miles.

The Loire derives its source from Mont
Gerbior in the N. of ancient Languedoc; and'
after a northern course turns to the west, enter-
ing the ocean a considerable way beyond Nantes,.
after a course of about five hundred miles.

The Rhone springs from the Glacier of Fulca, ■
near the mountain of GrirascI in Swisserland ;•
and after passing the beautiful vales of V^allais,
and the lake of Geneva, bends its course to-
wards the south, and enters the Mediterranean.
The course about four hundred miles.

The Garonne rises in the vale of Arau in the-
Pyrenees. The course of this river is generally.
N. W. It extends to about two hundred and
fifty miles. After its junction with the Dor-
dogne, it assumes the nauie of the Gironde.

MoiiNTAiNs.] Those of Britanny are granitic
and primitive, but of small elevation. They
divide into branches towards Brest and y\len90ii.
The Vosgcs, in the department of that name,
in the S. of ancient Lorrain, arc supposed to bo
connected with the mountains of Swisserland.

Mont Jura, a vanguard of the Alps, forms a^
boundary between France and Swisserland. If
Mont RIanc he admitted {»-iong the French
mountains, the other Alps ciinnot rival its su-
preme elevation. The ancient province of Dau-
jihine displays several Alpine branches, which,
also extend through great part of Provence.
Ti»e grand chain of the Cevennes passes f/omi
8 P N to

!i^ ■''

'i''i 111;.

!■} H

I ; :: li

V :

i' If

Iff : I 1

Q.9^

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCIUPTION; OF THE WORLD.

N. to S. and sends out branches towards tho E.
iuid W. In the modern dopartnieuts of the
itppoc Loire and Cantal, are appearances which,
in the «ipiaion of eminent natiuralists, iudicatq
iinciout volcanoes. The northern part of this
branch i« sJiyled the Puy de Duaie, while the
southecn is called that of Cantal. The Monts
<1 'Or form the centre, and are the highest moun-
tains in France. The chief elevation is that of
the Puy de San8i> which rises about six dhou-
saod three hundred feet above the level of the
sea, while the Puy dc Dome is about five thour
sand, and the Plomb du Cautal, the highest of
that part, is about six thousand two hundred
feet.

The Pyrenees form a vast chain, and may be
considered with equal justice as belonging citlier
to France or to Spain; but as the most produc-
tive and interesting parts arc on (he side of
France, and her literati have exerted themselves
in the description, it seems at least proper to
introduce the delineation here. To the surprise
of naturalists, the Pyrenees have been found to
present calcareous appearances, and even shells
and skeletons of animals, near or upon their
highest summits, which are in the centre of the
chain. Moot Perdu is considered as the highest
elevation of the Pyrenees, ascending above the
sea one thousand seven hundred and fifty-one
French toises, or about elevea thousand feet
English. Other noted heights are Marbore, the
Pic de Midi, the Niege Veille, &c. The Py^
renean chain appears at a distance like a shaggy
ridge, presenting the segment of a circle front-
ing France, and descending at each extremity
till it disappear in the ocean and Mediterranean.
Thus at St. Jean de Luz only high hills appear,
and in like manner on the east, beyond the
summit Canigou, the elevations gradually di-
minish. The highest summits are crowned with
perpetual snow. To the S. and W. the Py-
renees present nothing but dreadful sterility, but
on the N. and E. the descent is more gradual, and
affords frequent woods and pastures. Besides
the <lreadful fall of rocks, undermined by the
waters, they are exposed to Lavanges, or the
.•npetuous descent of vast masses of snow, called
Avalanches in Swisserland, and have their glaciers
and other terrific features of the Alps.

Forests.] The forests of France are nu-
merous and extensive; and as wood is the ge-

netal fuel, attention toi theifl gr<v\vtU Uecomi
dispensable. Two of the WOSit reinaubbli
those pf Onloaas, and ArdieBrtes, the fonue
extent and the n\iqi«rouH t«oops of banditti
UB9d to infest its precincts: the latter for an
fame and events of chivalry. The fore
Ardenpcs extended irom Rheiras to Tou
and on the N. K. to Sedan in the present de
iiiient. of the Ard^eiuiea. To these names n
be added ttw: fere&t of Fontainbleau, and i
others. . .

MiNERAi,o«y.] GoW mines anciently c>
in, the S. of France, and some of the tn
still roll dowu particles of that metal. Th
cient Gallic coins are however of a base
mingled with silver^ being the metal at}le
the ancientsi eleotrum. France can, how
boast of the silver mines at St. Marie-aux-I^
j in Alsace, aud at Giromagny in the depart
of the Upper Rh.inB, near the niimiitaii
Vosgcs, also Hi part of ancient Alsace,
same district contains mines of copper, a i
not unfrequent in the departments of the.
and (hose of the Loire, the Lozere, and
Ardeche. The duchy of Deux Ponts, a
luable acquisition of France on the west o
Rhine, is celebrated for mines of quicks
The mountains which contain this nietall
brace a district of ten or twelve leagu
length, S. to N. from Wolfstein to Cruz
and seven or eight leagues in breadth, bci
a reddish brown or grey sand-stone. I
territory, among numerous mines of quick
are those of Stablberg, and Donnersberg,
have been explored for many centurLs.
that most important and universal of met
found in abundance, particularly in some
northern departments.

The coal mines of France were at th(
time estimated at four hundred, con
wrought; and two hundred more cupu
being wrought. C? these coal mines
occur in the provinces which formerly be
to Flanders, and in the departments o
logne, and La Manche. Coal is also i
frequent in the centre and south of
Nearly allied to coal is jet, an article foriil
great consumption, chiefly in Spain, mI
was made into rosaries, crosses, buttf
black dresses, &c. France was from til
memorial in possession of this branch,!

NRTHERLANDS.

61913

^ tlicifl gT(vwtli Ueromcs ir
( th^ W^4 rciTutkable arj
I Ar4eBttes, the formei fa
oua tBOops of banditli >vhj
sincts: the latter for ancicn
chivalry. The fortut nl
from Rheims to TourDayl
Sedan in the present depar^
lea. Tq these names oiigli
of Fontainbleau, and mau

roW mines anciently exi^ti,
i, and some oi the tivulci
cles of that metal The ai
are however of a hase gol
V being the metal slykd I
nm Prance can, howevi
nine* at St. Marie-aux-Mii.
iriromagny in the tlepartmei
inp^ near the nuruutaiiM
rt of ancient Alsace. Tl
ins mines of copper, amel
the departments of the Al[^
Loire, the Lozere, and ll
uchy of Deux Fonts, a t1
of France on the west of if
;ed for mines of quicksilvi
hich contain this metal t\
{( ten or twelve leagues
from Wolfstein to Cruzna(
leagues in breadth, being
or grey sand-stone. In tl
umerous mines of quicksilvt
)erg, and Doonersherg, whil
2d for many centurLs. M
ut and universal of metals,
;e, particularly in some of

i-nts.

s of France were at ttic si
it four hundred, constat
vo hundred more capable

C these coal mints mi
inces which formerly bcloni

in the departments ot m
lanche. Coal is also not •
centre and south of Fra
oal is jet, an article formctlyl
{,0, chiefly in Spain, whcri'
rosaries, crosses, buttons
^. France was from time
session of tiiia branch, w

ycenicred in three villages in the department

k^ Aude, in the S. W. of ancient Lauguedoc.

tBeiinics oxccUenft freestone, the environs of
li) contain abundance of gypsum. Alum is
Jill considerable quantities at Avcyron. The
IJnees in particular supply beautiful marbles.
jiMsaAL Waters.*] The chief mineral wa-
itre those of Barrege, Bagnere, Vichi, and
jibieres. The warm baths of Barrege, in
licuUCf at the foot of the Pyrenees, have

^long celebrated. The baths of Bagncres

jintbe same neighbourhood.

[KATUBAr, CuHiosiTiES.] Among the natural
fiosities of France, the most worthy of no-
tis the plain of La Crau, which liea in Pro-
je, not far from the mouth of the Rhone.

Lis the most singular stony desert that is to

jfound in France, or perhaps in Europe,
(diameter is about five leagues, and the con-
Is from twenty to twenty- live square leagues,

[ibout one hundred and fifty thousand English
It is entirely composed of shingle, or
I gravel, some of the stones as large as the
I of a man, and the shingle of the sea shore
lot more barren of soil. Beneath is a small
iture of loam with fragments of stone.

NETHERLANDS.

Extent.] Those provinces of the Netber-

jiii which were formerly subject to the house

(Austria, have been recently annexed to the

ch dominions. Their length, computed

I the eastern limit of Luxembourg to Ostend,

Ixuitone hundred and eighty British miles;

[about one hundred and twenty in breadth,

the northern boundary of Austrian Bra-

tc the most southern limit of Hainault.

I extent is computed at seven thousand five

dred and twenty square miles, with a popu-

lonof one million nine hundred thousand.

Reugjon, &c.] The religion of the Nether-

lis is -the. Roman Catholic; and, till the

inch revolution, the inhabitants were noted

jbigotry, a great part of (he wealth being in

|bnds of ecclcsiiistics. The metropolitan see

the archbishopric of Mccliliu, or Maliues.

[bishoprics were those of Bruges, Antwerp,

kilt, &c. in number nine or ten. The go-

Liuent and laws had some features of free-

); but the decline of commerce having les-

sened the consequence -of tlie cities and bur-
gesses, this liberty became the monopoly of (liei
nobles and clergy, who often opposed the will
of the sovereign, when exerted in the most be-i
nelicial manner for the good of the ('omniuuity.;
The Joj/euse Ejitr^e was iheMagna Charta of the
Netherlands^ a constitutional bond of i!<vtiouul
privileges.

Manners and Customs.] The manners and
customs of the Netherlands partake of those of
their neighbours, the Dutch and iM-ench, the
phlegm of the one being tempered by the vi-
vacity of the other. The lower classes were
fond of religious pageantry, and much addicted
to the superstitious observances of the Catholic
system. The Flemish language partakes of .he
German and of the Dutch.

Education.] Education was neglected as in
most Catholic countries, where the Jesuits in
vain attempted to bring it to a level with that of
the Protestant states. The universities, which
in no country arc of equal importance with the
schools, were, however, numerous, considering
the extent of the country. Exclusive of Tour'-
nay, which has been long subject to the French,
there were others at Douav, and St. Omer,
which was much frequented by the English
Catholics; and one of still greater celebrity at
Lou vain.

Cities and Towns.] The three chief cities in
what were called the Austrian Netherlands, are
Brussels, Ghent, and Antweip. The capital
city of Brussels contains about eighty thousand
inhabitants, and is beautified by a noble square^
one side of which is occupied with a vast guild-
hall; and by numerous churches and fountains.
It is situated on the small river Sen, or Setme,
which runs into the Dyle and the Scheldt. It was
known as early as the tenth century, and in the
fourteenth was surrounded with walls. The im-
perial palace, the wonted residence of (he go-
vernor of the Netherlands, displays considerable
taste and magnificence.

Ghent contains about sixty thousand souls, and
the circumference of the walls is computed at
iifteen miles, as it is built on a number of little
islands formed by four rivers and many canals,
and includes gardens, and even fields. Some of
the streets are large and well paved, but only a
few churches now deserve attention.

The inhabitants of Antwerp are computed at

I ul

Sf M'ij!

'1!;

( m

69^

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCZIIPTION OF THE WORLD.

fifty thousand, the sad remains of great popu-
lation and prosperity. This city being placed
upon the noble estuary of the Scheldt*, and
formerly the chief mart of Flemish commerce,
possesses a strong citadel, erected by the san-
guinary duke of Alva. The harbour is ex-
cellent, and the supposed impediments found to
be fabulous. The streets, houses, and churches,
arc worthy of the ancient fame of the city.
The exchange is said to have afforded the pat-
tern for that of London.

SuA-PoRTs."] The sea-coast of Flanders, the

maritime province, consists chiefly of sandy hills

and downs, and has few inlets, as most of the

rivers flow into the Scheldt. There are, how-

T ever, two ports which deserve particular no-

<f; tice. The Sluysf, called by the French L'Eclus,

V derives its name from the sluices, by which the

^ circumjacent country may be laid under water.

Guicciardini says, that the haven of Sluys was

capable of containing 6ve hundred ships. The

port and population now yield greatly to those of

Ostend. Many English faniiiics were settled

here before Ostend fell a p/'cy to the French.

Edifices.] In general it may be observed that,
even at the present day, every traveller is im-
pressed with surprize, not only at the number,
but the great extent of the Flemish cities, towns,
and even villages; in which respect the Nether-
lands exceed every country in Europe, only ex-
cepting the United Provinces. The chief edifices
arc the cathedrals, churches, and monasteries.

Inland Navigation.] Idle would be the at-
f(;mpt even to enumerate the canals which in-
tersect these provinces in all directions.^ Some
of them date even from the tenth century, and
the canul from Brussels to the Scheldt is of the
sixteenth. Other important canals extend from
Cilicnt, Antwerp, Ostend, and other cities and
, towns, especially in the western districts; but,
under the Austrian dominations, these impor-
tant means of iotercourte were shamefully ne-
glected.

Manufactures amd Commerce ] The nia-

* In tlic year 1809, one of the most formidable boilirs of
1,111(1 and sea forcos that ever sailctl from the shores of Kn^.
1 iiul, went on an expedition to the Scheldt, with a riew to
di'stroy the French tieet at Antwrrp. They destroyed the
Naval Arsenal at Flushing, \mt could not etlVct the grand
flhjoct of the expedition. In the island of VValchcrcu tlic
Britiiih troops suti'crcd so severely from disease, that il

nufactures and commerce of the Netlierland
for a long period superior to any in the west of]
Europe, have suB'ered a rfadical and total dc f
clinc, owing partly to the other powers enterinej
into competition, and partly to the establiih!]
ment of freedom in the United Provinces, whence]
Amsterdam arose upon the ruins of Antwern f
What little commerce remains is chiefly inland i
Germany, the external employing very few na^
tive vessels. The East India Company
blished at Ostend was suppressed by thcjealouTrl
of England and other powers ; and the clijefl
commerce was afterwards carried on by the LaT
glish established in that city.

Climate and Seasons, &c'.] The climate
the Netherlands considerably resembles that
the south of England, and is more retnarka
for moisture than for warmth; yet the ducliy
Luxembourg produces some wine, which pi
bably has the austerity of tho Rhenish, witlii
its spirit. The face of the country is in gcnd
level, and the semblance of hills can scarcely)
discovered, except towards the "ast, where a I
elevations relieve the eye from ihe general
iiess of the other regions. The soil is in genS
rich sandy loam, sometimes intcrsjiorst'd
fields of clay, but more .often with larfrcspil
of sand. Such has been, even in disLiiit ad
the state of agriculture, that the Netlieila
were long esteemed the very garden of Eiiroi
a prai.se which they still share with Loiubai
and fi^ngland.

Rivers. I The Netherlands arc watered bjl
many rivers and canals, that it will be sullicl
to mention only a few of the chief streams.
Rhine, the Mcuse, or Maas. The chief ril
is the Scheldt, which receiver two other sireal
the Lvs, and the Scaipe, the latter near iMl
tagne, the former near Ghent. All these t\\\
arise in the county of Artois, from no consid
able elevation; and the whole course of
Scheldt, cannot be comparatively estimatedj
above one hundred and twenty milts J.
Dyle rises not fur to the N. W. of Namur,

is said not more than unr-third ever rctiirncil to Ki|
lauil.

+ Sluys bi'lonRcrt to the IJnitod PrOTinrrs, Iiiit 1*1
mentioned, considerii^jj the Netherlands to the Rliiiioiij
appendage of France. [

^ The .Srheldt properly rises about eight miks N. o(S
Quinlin, in the modern department of the Ax^w.

)f the Netherlands I
[> any in the west ofl
dical and total dc-I
her powerB enteringi
\y to the establigh-l

sd Provinces, whence)
5 ruins of Antwerp.]
ns is chiefly inland t
loj^ing very few na^
idia Company estaJ
essed by the jealousyl
ivers; and the cliiefl
rried on by the LiiJ

fee'.] The climate
Ay resemblcg that

is more reraarka
lb ; \et the duchy
nc wine, which pi
tlio Rhenish, witlii
! country is in genfl

bills can scarcely!
the "ast, where a r
rom ibe general
The soil is in genjj
nes interspersed
"ten with larj;c spa
even in distant a^
that the Nctlierla
!ry garden of Euro
share with Lomba

nds are watered bJ
at it will be sutlicil
,he chief streams,
[aas. The chief ril
ivcs two other sIreaJ

the latter near Ml
hcnt. All these riv|
ois, from no cousidl

whole course of
(aratively estimatcdj

twenty nult^J.
N.W/of Namur,

ird ever returned to Ei|

lited Provinces, luit is I
therlands to the llliincJJJ

i about eight miles N. olSj
tncnt of the AL^nc.

I 1

'111

1 1 '

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lift// ////.

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,ir

RUSSIA IN EUROPE.

ddS

lioiiu ific Sohelilf, above Niel, after receiving
ILiii i''<^ ^''- ^l'*' Dernier, <he Nctte, or ?»etlie,
Iffonitlie N. and tlie Sonne from the S.
I Mountains, &c.'] Though there be little
Itidiii'^ of hills in the counties of Namur and
hyxiMiibonrg-, the traveller iiuist proceed to the
Idiilaiit bank'5 of the Rliine before he meets with
Lv elevation that can deserve the name even of
liiniall mountain. There are, however, several
lironils even in the centre of Flanders; and in
[);'iit is the forest of Soigne. Further to the
|E, ami ^. a«'e iniiuense forests, which almost
Ipcrvadc Hainault and Luxembourg", from Ya-
lleiKieinies to Treves, forming striking remains of
llif ancient forest of Ardennes.

Mini:iiai.oc:y7| Coal is found in several dis-
llrids, and the iuj^enuity of the French has been
IfvrU'd in an improvement of the operations.
Ill) the county of Namur are also found lead and
|(0|ipcr; and Hainault ailbrds iron and blate.
JFrom its iron woiks T.uxembourg derives its
Itliut' wruidi; and (in; forest of Ardemics is still
JkiiowikhI for the metal of war. Marble and
i.'iDabler .uc also found in the eastern districts.

RUSSIA IN EUROPE.

ExrF.NT.] The Russian empire is, perhaps, the
io>t extensive that ever existed; the leii<;tli be-
liii.; about nine thousand two hundred English
InnKs iiDtl tl>^ breadth two thousand four hun-
Idrod,

BoiJNDAHiFs."! By the finil partition of Po-
[iuiil, European Uussia extends IVoiu the river
l)iii<'«(er to the Uralian mountains, that grand
hlmiii which iiatufall\ divides Europe from Asia,
a liiigth of uliout one thousand «i\ hundred
ir:i!(s; and in breadth above one thousand En-
glish miles. The extent is computed at about
lone million two huiidred thousand square miles.

PuoviNCES.] The principal sub-divis: nis of

lEiiropean Ru»sia are into military govermncnts;

wliicli, though they are often changing, and are

lloui nu'titioued by any except native geo-

ij...i|)licis, it has not been thought right entirely

iitomit. To the n(irth is the e.\tensive govern-

inoiit of Archangel, stretching from the borders

|(' Sweden to the C(uilines of Asia. South of

(Ills i.loiig the Asiatic frontier are the govern-

I mollis of Vologda, Perm, Viatka Kazan, Siin-

\\ibsk, Saratow, arul the territory of the Don

Vol.. 11. No. t XXil.

Ki/Acks, each succeeding the other in a regular
progress to the sea of Azof. The government
of Ecaterinoslav, with the kingdom of TauriJa,
is the southernmost province, and contains Litlle
Tartary, with the recent con([ue3(s fii>m the
Turks. On the west extend the acqui'^itioiis by
the division of Poland. The government!* of
Riga, Revel, Petersburgh, and Vihorg, are si-
tuated along the Gulfs of Riga and Finland;
and the government of Olonetz on the Swedish
frontier completes the circuit. The midland pro-
vinces are the following: Novogorod, Tver,
Kostroma, and Yaroslav, for the most part to
the north and east of the Volga; Polotsk,
Pskov, Smolensk, Mosqua, ^'^ladimir, Nizney
Novgorod, Moghilev, Calouga, Toula, Riazun,
Tambov, Penza, Simbirsk, Orel, Sievcrskov,
Tchernigov, Koursk, Kiev, Charkov, ^'^oronctz,
princijially to the west of the Volga.

Antiqlitils.] Of ancient monuments, Russia
cannot be siqiposed to afibrd great variety."
Sometimes the tombs of their Pagan ancestors
arc discovered, containing weapons and orna-
ments. The catacombs at Kiow were perhaps
formed in the Pagan period, though they he
now replete with marks of Christianity. They
are labyrinths of considerable extent, dug as
would appear, through a mass of hardened day,
but they do not seem to contain the bodies of the
monarchs.

Rkligion.^ The/eligion of Russia is that of
the Greek church, of which, since the fall of
the Ryzantiiie empire, this state may be con-
sidered as the chief source and power. The
patriarch of the Russian church had usurped ex-
traordinary powers, to the great injury of the
Imperial prerogative; but the spirit of Peter t.
broke these ignominious bonds, and the Pa-
triarchs have since become comi)laisant instru-
ments of the court. The clergy are very nu-
merous, and have several privileges, particu-
larly exemption from taxes. They have been
computed at siixty-seven thousand, secular and
regular. The Greek religion permits tlu nur-
riage of the secular clergy. 'I'lii cathedrals and
parish churches in the empire are C('i!i[uileil at
eighteen thousand three lu-.ndred and til'tv; the
monasteries at four hiuuhed and eighty; nun-
neries seventy-four; monks supposed to be Keveii
thousand three hundred; nuns hree thousand.
The monasteries hu\e not been such favourite

8 Q rc^ortj

''!H I

%4 ' ^'

$ ill!

ti;

*i ■ I

69Q

GKOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

resorts since Petnr I. and Catherine II. opened
the sources oT industry. The bishoprics ainouiit
to about thirty.

Government.] Thegovernment of Russia ap-
pears to have been always despotic, there being no
legislative power distinct from that of the sove-
reign. What is called the senate is only the su-
preme caurt of judicature. The whole frame of
the government may be pronounced to be mili-
tary ; and nobility itself is only virtually estimated
by rank in the army.

Laws.] Immediately on the fall of the Roman
empire, wc find the Gothic tribes sedulously col-
lefting and publishing their peculiar codes of
laws, but it would be difficult to discover any
Sclavonic code till the sixteenth century, when
they emanated, not from the national council, but
from the arbitrary will of the monarch. The
first Russian code dates from the reign of Ivan IV.
and the late empress had the merit of drawing up
a new code with her own hands.

Population.] The population of Russia is
so diffuse, and spread over so wide an extent of
territory, that very opposite opinions have been
entertained concerning it. By most writers it
v^as only estimated at about twenty-five millions ;
and it was at the same time supposed that the re-
cent acquisitions in Poland might add five mil-
lions to the amount : but in 1783, more exact
estimates were prepared ; and, by the most mode-
rate estimate, the population of the Russian em-
pire at present appears to be thirty-six millions,
one hundred and fifty-two thousand.

Of this populatiot. Mr. Tooke assigns only
about three millions and a half to Siberia, or
Asiatic Russia, which contains the five govern-
ments of Perm, Vfa, Kolhyvan, Tobolsk, and
Irkutsk; but Perm is itself situated on the Euro-
pean side of the Uralian mountains, so that we
might, perhaps, allow even thirty-three millions
for the population of European Russia.

Navv.] The Russian navy consists of several
detached fleets, employed in the itemote seas on
which the empire borders at different extremities.
The chief fleet is of course that of the Baltic,
which consists of about thirty-six ships of the
line. That in the Euxine, or Black Sea, at the
harl)()urs of Sevastapol and Kherson, was conc-
puted at twelve ships of the line, but not of a
high rate, as the Euxine affords no great depth
of watet ; but there are many frigates^ galties.

chebecks, and gun-boatg. The fleet of gajli,,.
in the Baltic is estimated at one hundred anM
ten.

Revenues.] The revenues of Russia arc sun
posed to amount to about fifty millions of rublcsl
which, valuing the ruble at four shillings, wilif
be equal to ten millions of pounds sterling. 'r|,.
national debt is supposed to amount to little or
nothing.

Manners and Customs.] As the Russian.
empire comprises so many distinct races of uicnj
the manners of course must be various. TiJ
Russian is extremely patient of hunger andtliirui
and his cure for all diseases is the warm balii, oi
rather vapour bath, in which the heat is abov^
one hundred degrees, of Fahrenheit's therinomel
ter. Dr. Guthrie has shewn that the Russjanj
retain many manners and customs derived frnn
their Pagan ancestors, and has given some ru4
rious specimens of their songs and music, whid
seem to be very pleasing. He has also com j)ai
their dances wjth those of the Greeks ; anj lindj
in one of them a considerable resemblanc of ih]
wanton Ionic, while another resembles the Pyrrhic
He observes that the country girls dres& in tlJ
scraphan, resembling the ancient stola, am) binj
up their hair with the Icntn, a ribbon like tlieinl
cient vilta. They tinge thejr cheeks with (J
juice of the echium Italicum. When aiiiarriiJ
is proposed, the lover, accompanied by a IVijiiJ
goes to the house of the bride, and sa\s {o iJ
mother, " shew us your merchandize, -.ve harl
got money," an expression which is ilmiight J
refer to the ancient custom of buying a wife. Till
Russians show great attention to their nursfs.aiJ
are so hospitable that they ofTer to every straiii;/
the Khlch da sol, or bread and salt, the %\\\m
of food, lodging, and protection. At a repasl
some salt fish, or ham, and a glass of braiiay, aij
presented in the first place ; and, after diniiel
cakes made with honey are usually served;
common drink iskvass, an acid, thin, maltli(|uiii
the houses are ornamented with stoves, and umoiij
the rich, by flues conducted into every rooij
which is at the same time guarded with doi
windows. In several instances the Russians fori
a curious junction of European, and Asiatic nuj
ners ; many of their ceremonies partake of Asiilj
splendour: the great are fond of dwarfs;
some opulent ladies maintain female tellers I
tales, whose occupation is to lull their mi>)tr<>-!|

s tlic Russian

t races of u

various. Tli^

iigcr and lliirit;

warm balli, oi
e heat is abovq
leit's tliermomeJ

at the KussianJ
ns derived fron
given some cu^
id music, whif
as also com |)aiL
recks ; an J liiid
seinbliiuc ' of tlij
iblestlic I'urliic
rirls dress in thj
t stola, aiu! biiiJ
ibboii like (he ml
cheeks with ti|
When auiarriif
allied by a frijim
>, and sa\s ',ol
handize, we havj
lich is ilii'ught t|
uyini^ a wife. Till
to theiniursesaiJ
r to every iinm
\ salt, <iie ssiiibj
ion. At !» rfpasl
lass of branay, ai|
and, after dimi«|
isually served;
, thin, inalt liipj
I stoves, and ainonf

into every rooij
larded with doiibl
s the Russians Ui
n, and Asiatic nui
!8 partake of Asiitj
lid of dwarfs ;
n female tellers |
lull their inistrH

^^*ei

4»

,r^

i'l

■■>.

« Ih

!".;')

f§

v^,.

.»*■

H "

'>«,:

m-:-

..j^ji^,.

;> j's^".

■;cw*r.'

■^''

i !

J 'i'

i>.

^■:4

t.;' :5

'ill

■» ,

■l1 i'

' :i'l ' ^'U 1

•#

tl *■

.,_^_^; - — «~»

|.i!|

ill

ili

I(]iiaya

InlaiI
limprovfl

lign of I
Jtween
he V(
Irud, &(|
loftlic
jlatc er
lor ai \\
Icliief li
Nil.

-..». fiitm.at.^_..^ ..*^.,

RUSSIA IN EUROPE.

691

iilecp, by stories resembling those of the Arabian

Language] The Russian language is cx-
Ilreniely tlKKcult to pronounce, and not less diflii-
(ult (0 acquire, as it abounds with extraordinary
\0nii, and anomalies of every kind. The cha-
Ljcters amount to no less than thirty-six ; and the
Itoniinon sounds are sometimes expressed in the
Icreck characters, sometimes in characters quite
Iplikfi those of any other language. Among othor
(liniriilarities there is one letter to express the sch,
\sA the latter a sound hardly pronounceable by
lint human mouth.

Univkrsities.] The university of Petersburg,

Ifoiiiuicd by the late Empress Catharine 11. is a

[oblc instance of magniKcence, and it is hoped

liill escape the fate of the c«)lleges founded at

Jlosrow, by Peter the Great, which do not seem

10 have met with the deserved success.

Cities and Towns.] Iu considering the chief

(itiej and towns of Rusita, Moscow, the ancient

(jpital, attracts tlie first attention. This city is

jf very considerable extent in population, tho'.igh

.. iired hv a pestilence in 1771. Prior to this

(Dortitiity the houses in Moscow were computed

It twelve thousand, five hundred and thirty-

(i^ht, and the population at not less than two

hundred thousand, Moscow is built in the

Asiatic manner, in which cities cover a vast space

of ground. Petersburg, the imperial residence,

ii said to contain one hundred ana seventy thou-

iind inhabitants ; and is the well known, but sur-

prisinp; erection of the last century. It stands in

I marshy situation on the river Neva, the houses

bfiii^ chiefly of wood, though there be some of

briik, ornamented with w liite stucco. The stone

buildings are few ; and Petersburgh is more dis-

lingiiished by its famr, than by its appearance or

opulence. The noblest public works are the

(liiays, built of perpetual granite.

Inland Navigation.] Among other laudable
improvements, Peter the Great formed the de-
"isn of establishing an intercourse by water be-
tween Petersburg and Persia, by the Caspian Sea,
the Volga, the Mesta, and the lake of Novgo-
rod, &c. but this scheme failed by the ignorance
of the engineers. During the long reign of the
late empress many canals were accomplished,
or at least received such improvements that the
ef liuiiour must be ascribed to her adrainistra-
[tioii. The celebrated canal of Vi&huei Voloshok
1

was in some sliape completed by Peter, so as to
form a communication between Astracan and Pe-
tersburg, the coiuso being hiefly airordod by
rivers, and it was only ncces.sary to unile the
Twertza running towards the Caspian, with the
Shlina, which communicates with the Bultic.
The navigation is performed according to the sea-
son of the year, iu from a fortnight to a month,
and it is supposed that near four thousand vessels
pass annually.

The canal of Ladoga, so called not because it
enters that lake, but as winding along its margin,
extends from the river Volkof to the Neva, a
space of sixty-seven miles and a half, and com-
municates with the former canal. By these two
important canals constant intercourse is main-
tained between the northern and southern extre-
mities of the empire. Another canal leads from
Moscow to the river Don, forming a communi-
cation with the Euxine; and the canal of Croa-
stadt forms a fourth.

Manufactures and Commerce.] By these
means the inland trade of Russia has obtained
considerable prosperity ; and the value of her ex-
ports and imports have been long upon the in-
crease. Several manufactures are conducted with
considerable spirit. That of isinglass, which is
H proparatio.'i of the sounds, or air bladder of the
sturgeon, flourishes on the Volga, the chief scat
also of that of kaviar, consisting of the salted roes
of large fish. The manufactories of oil and soap
are also considerable; and Petersburg exports
great quantities of candles, besides tallow, which
abounds in an empire so well replenished with
pasturage ; nor must the breweries and distille-
ries be forgotten. Salt-petre is an imperial traffic,
and some sugar is refined at Petersburg, There
are several manufactures of paper, and of tobacco,
which grows abundantly in the southern pro-
vinces. Linen is manufactured in abundance;
the best comes from.the government of Archangel.
Cotton is little wrought, but the silk manufac-
tories are numerous: coarse cloths, carpets, and
hats, are also made in Russia, and leather has
long been a staple commodity.

Russia produces vast quantities of flax, which
is, however, generally exported unbleached ; nor
are there wanting fabrics of earthen wareand por-
celain. Iron founderies abound ; nnd in the
northern government of Olon.tz is a grand foun-
dcry of cannon.

The

^iii! '

f-.li' i'r 1

■ '.:! .Ill:

I "•■

fli:'

Ml ^ii

^ IJlr

I- • I

i'\ M ■ ' iii

■'il!(

008

GKOonAPHinAf, Di::«?rmpTioN OF titf; wonr.D.

The commerre of Russia was known in the
niiddlu ai;;0' bv the connection between the IIimhc
towns, in the. north oC Geriniiny and Novtiorod,
cstablir'hod ab(»nt Vl'id. So wide is now this em-
pire, thai it maintains a commerce of the most
remote descriptions, on the Baltic and the White
^cii, the Eiixine, and the Caspian, with Persia,
aval with ('iiina. Rnssia is supposed to export
by t!ie Ualtie grain annually to the value of one
hundred and seventy thousand pounds, and hemp
riid (lax, raw and manufactured, to the amount
(if a million and a half sterling.

The commerce of the Euxine or lilack Sea, is
of inferior moment, its chief exports being furs,
salt beef, buKcr, cordage, sail cloth, kaviar,
corn, with iron, linen, and sonic cotton stulfs.
Import.^, wine, fruit, coffee, silks, rice, and se-
veral Turkish commodities.

The Russian harbours in this sea are Astracan,
thr- chief .seat of the Caspian commerce, Gurief,
and Ivisliar. From Astracan are exported many
European maufacturcs ; and the chief imports
are raw silk, riie, dried fruits, spices, saffron,
sulphur, a:id naptha. The Hindoo merchants
occasionally bringgold, and precious stones. The
annual trade is computed at one million of rubles.
Of two hundred thousand pounds. That of the
Euxine is not above one third of this value.

Russia likewise maintains some commerce by
land with Prussia. That with Persia is of little
moment : the chief imports are silk. There is a
considerable trade by land vith tlio Kirguses,
who send horses, cattle, and sheep, in return for
woollen-cloths, irt)n, and European articles.
That with China, is nearly on a par ; each coun-
try transmitting to the amount of about two mil-
lions of rubles, ( four hundred thousand pounds.)
Rnssia exchanges her precious Siberian furs for
tea, silk, and porcelain.

The internal commerce of Russia is very con-
siderable ; and Siberia is said to a(f )rd in gold,
silver, iron. copper, salt,gems, &c. tol'iieamount of
twelve millions of rubles, (two millions, four hun-
dred thousand pounds, ) that between the southern
and northern provinces is also of great e.\tent and
value. The coin current in the empire is sup-
posed to amount to nbout thirty millions Stirling,
the paper monev to about twenty millions of
pounds. The Siberian gold aiid silver supply an
important addition t-j the national currency.

CuMATK AND Skasons.] Tlje climate of Russia

in Europe, presents almost every varlcfv rrnm I) 1
latitude of Lapland, to that of Italy. Rut « i,„,"|
maintains the chief sway at Peterslnno-, tlieca i [|
tal, and the Neva is annually frozen°iVonj N„"
vcmber to March or April, the climate aionmil
the Frozen Ocean, and the last European ii^k- i|.,.l
on the N. that of Novaya Zemlia, or (he JSoJ
Land, is of noted severity, the northern side bo.
ing encompassed with mountains of ice, and \y\
sun not visible fronj the middle of Octoher tiljl
February; while it never sets durinjr June aiidl
July. Taurida presents, on the conti;'.r\, alldiel
luxuriance of the southern year, while ti ,- iniddlcl
regions are blessed with the niHd seasons of Ger-
many and England.

Fa( K OF THi: CoiNTRY.] In so wide an em-
pire, the face of the country nuist aUo be e\.
tremely various; but the chic! feature of Euro-I
pean Rnssia consists in plains of a prodigious tx-j
tent, rivalling in (hat respect the \ast deseils i.fl
Asia and Africa. Li the south are some eMin.!
sive sicppcfi, or dry and elevated plains, siuji asl
that abovf the sea ol' A/of, in length about t'oiirl

nil-

Inuidred 1'2nglk.-h miles. The nninerou-* iiiid
jesfic rivers also constitute a distinguishing Ici-
ture of this empire

Soil. AND A<;kici.i.tiri:.] The soil is of fonrtej
also extremely diverge, from t!ie chilling niar.slifjl
which border tlu; Whiteand Frozen Seu-i, to the!
r' '; and fertile plains on the Volga. Tlie iiicsi
fertile is that between the Don and the V iili;a,l
from V orfuietz t(» Simbirsk, consistiiiii,- nf' a liluckl
mould, strongly iin))reunated with salt letrc;!
that is, a sod forn\ed from succesaiv fyar* of
vegetable remains. In l-ivomaand Fsthoiiia, ihel
medial returns of harvest are eight or ten l'old;[
and the latter is generally the produce of the ritlij
plains near the Don, where the fields are ncvcrl
manured, but on (he con'rar> are apt to swell tliel
c'un into too much luxinianee. Pasturage is sal
abundant that the meadow^-i are little regariKil,!
and the artificial production of grasses is scarttlvj
known. Some of the nu'adows are watered, andl
produce large crops of hav, the dry pastures yiclilj
a short bui, nutricious produce, and in a lew ofl
the slippts the grass will attain the heiglil. of a|
man, and is seldom mown. Agriculture is hardly
known in the northern parts of the governintiilsl
of Olonetz, and Archangel ; but in the ceiitrall
parts of the empire has Iwen pursued from tiiDfl
iiuracmorial. . ...,,, ^ .

RlVER:^

RUSSIA '

r>99

RiTERs.] The maJMlic Volga forniSj through
1 1 long space, the bouudary between Asia and
Europe, belonging properly to the latter conti-
gent, in which it arises, and from which it de-
,i(e] its supplies, till at Tzaritzin, about two
bundrcd and fift)' miles from its mouth, it turns
U, K. into Asia. This sovereign of European
rirert derives its sources from several lakes in the
pountaiiis of \a.\day, and government of Tver,
between Petersburg and Moscow; and bends its
(bief course to the S. E. ; near its junction with
tbe Kama, an important river, fed by many
Lreams from the Uralian chain, it turns towards
IbeS. W. till it arrives at Tzaritzin. Its compa-
ritive course may be computed at one thousand
Kvcn hundred miles. This noble river, having
L cataracts, and few shoals, is navigable even
to Tver. The tributary rivers of the Volga are
(biefly from the east, the Kama, which rivals the
Vol^a at their junction, rising in the government
lofViatka, and running N. VV. afterwards due E.
Iigd then S. On the west the chief stream which
IniDi into the Volga is the Oka, which rises in the
Irovernment of Orel. Next to the Volga, on
Itlie west, is th( Don, or Tanais, which rises
Ifrom a lake in the government of Tulan, and falls
lioto the sea of Azof, after a course of about
liight hundred miles. The Neiper rises in the
Imernment of Smolensk, about one hundred and
lifly miles to the south of the source of the
IVoign, and about one hundred to the S. E. of
Ithat of the Duna, or Duina, which flows into
Ithe Baltic, by Riga: and after a course of about
lone thousand miles through rich and fertile pro-
rimes, falls into the Euxinc. The Bog, or Hy-
Ipanis, a far inferior stream, falls into the Liman,
lor estuary of the Neiper. The Niestcr, derives
[iti source from the north side of the Carpathian
Inountains, and falls into the Euxinc at Akcr-
Iniaii, after a course of about six hundred miles.

Lakes.] The chief lakes of European Russia
are situated in the N. W. division of the empire.
There is a considerable lake in Russian Lapland,
khat of Imandra ; to the south of which the go-
Wnmont of Olonetz presents many extensive
pieces of water, particularly the large lake of
Onega, which is about one hundred and fifty
nilcs in length, by a medial breadth of about
Ihirty. The islands and shores of the Onega are
picfly calcareous, and contain some valuable
narblcs. To the west is the Ladoga, about
Voj,. n. No.CXXIIL

one hundred and thirty miles in length, by
seventy in breadth, being one of the largest lakes
'}n Europe. As it has mauy shoals, and is liable
to sudden and violent tempests, Peter the Great
opened a canal along its shore, from the Volk to
the Neva. The fishery of this lake seems of little
conse';|ucnce; but the northern shores produce
thebe.\utiful Finnish marble, which is much used
at Petersburg. On the S. W. we find the lake of
Peypus, about sixty miles in length by thirty in
breadth : the northern part of this lake is styled
that of Ishud, the south that of Pzcovc. From
the Peypus, issues the river Narova, or Narva.
To the east is tbe lake Ilmeu, on which stands
the ancient city of Novgorod. The Deilo, or
White lake, is so called from its bottom of
white clay.

Mountains.] It has already been mentioned
that European Russia is rather a plain country,
though some parts of it be greatly elevated, such,
as that which sends forth the three rivers of Duna,
Volga, and Nieper. This region which is passed
in travelling from Petersburg to Moscow, is by
some called the mountains of Vald2y, from the
town and lake of Valday, situated on the ridge :
but by the natives it is styled Vhisokay Plostchade
or elevated ground. In this quarter the ground is
strewn with masses of granite, but the bills arc
chiefly marl, sand, and clay ; and what nre called the
mountains of Valday seem to be a high table land,
surmounted with large sand hills, and interspers-
ed with masses of i<;d and grey granite: near
Valday is the highest part of the ridge, which
seems to be in a N. E. and S, W. direction. Mr.
Tooke computes the highest point of the Valday
at only two hundred fathoms above the level of
Petersburg, about one thousand two hundred
feet above the sea : the height is inconsiderable,
and gives a striking impression of the gentle and
plain level, through which such extensive riven
must pursue their course. The woods on the Val-
day are chiefly pine, fir, birch, linden, aspen, and
alder ; the soil in the vale is fertile, mostly clay
and marl.

The most important chains of mountains in
European Russia arc those of Olonetz in the
furthest N. and those of Ural, which separate
Europe from Asia. The chain of Olonetz runs
in a direction almost due N. for the space of fif-
teen degrees, or nine hundred geographical miles.
In the centre, between the mouatains of Olonetz

8R and

.' B" ■<■

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III ■ : ij'

III'

700

GFOGRAPHICAL Dfl!SCRlPtIdt^ OF THE WOULD.

811(1 those of Ural, there 8cems to be a consider-
able chain extending from the E. of Mezen to the
Caiiin Nos, a bold promontory whirh rushes into
the Frozen Occito. The immense Uralian chain
extends from about the iiftiuth to near the sixty-
seventh tiegree of N. latitude, or aboiit one thou-
jiand a;cosi;raphical miles in length, and has by
the Russians been called Scmeuoi Poiiis, or the
girdle of tlic world, an extravagant appellation,
when we consider that the chain of the Andes ex-
tends nciir five thousand miles. Pauda, one of
the higliest mountaiii><of the Uralian chain, is re-
ported by Ciineliu to be about four thousand five
hundred and twelve feet above thelevel of the sea.

Forests.] European Russia is so abundant
in forests that it would be vain tO' attempt to
enumerate them. There arc prodigious forests
between Petersburg and Moscow, and others
between Vladimir and Arzomas. Further to the
S. there seems to have been a forest uf still greater
extent.

MiNEUALOoY.] The chief mines belonging to
Russia are in the Asiatic part of the empire, but
a few are situated in the European, in the moim-
lains of Olonet/. ; and tlierc was f(»rmerly a gold
mine in that reejion, near the river Vyg. About
ll^it) the rich uunes began to be discovered in the
Asiatic part of the empire. In 17.'Ji) gold was
first observed in the chain of Olo'netz, as already
mriitioned ; and the mines of Voytzer near the
Yvm;- were opened, but with little 9ucces.8,

•MiNF.RAi. >\ Ateus.J The most celebrated is
ne;ir Saiepia, on (be Volga, discovered in 1775.
Tlic .'ipriiigs are here nuuvrous and copious, and
stiiin>^!v iinprffgnatcd with ir<»n. lu the district
of IVrekop, and on the isle of Tanian, belong-
iii2,' to the gov(;rnment of Taurida, there arc
npiings of Naptha.

■ , ^ ,„ RUSSIAN ISliES.

The snrall i>le of Crnnstadt, in the gulph of
Finl.ind, is onlv reiTiarkablc for an excellent
li :\cn, strongly litrtiliril, the chief siaticMi of the
Rds.'iian fleet. In the liaitie, Russia also pos-
sesses the island of Oesel and Dago, which are of
Vi considerable s-i/e, but full of rocks, the marble
of the first island, is however beautiful. Both
ij-les arechieflv peopled by Eslhoniaiis.
• There are several i^lcs iicailbesliore of Ku?fian

Lapland, and in the White Sea, but generally
barren and uninhabited cocks. Novayu Zuiiili;i ■
or the New Land, is also uninhabtted, and is initiii I
to consist of five isles, but the channels between
them are always filled with ice. Seals, wulriises
arctic foxes, white bears, and a few rein deer *
are occasionally bunted by the people of Me/eii'l
To the south of Novaya Zemlia is the sea of Carii,
(Karskoe) in which the tide flows about two feet I
nine inches.

The remote and dreary islands of Spitzberacnl
have been taken possession of by the. llussiiiHs.
The main land of Spilzbergen extends about tlirrel
hundred miles from the south t-'upe, lat. geveiit\.|
six de;.' es, thirty minutes, to Vcrlrgan llo(»k, Jatol
citrhty degrees, seven minutes, in un ailjacentl
small isle are said to be basaltic columns, fidinl
eighteen to twenty inches ni diameter, and moMly
hexagonal. The moimtains are of granite anii
grit; the highest not exceeding four tlii iisandl
feet : for mountains in general decline in \mn\]^
towards tlu* poles. About the first of No\enilM|
the sun sets, and appears no more till the be^nn
ning of ['Vbrnary ; and after the begiiinuiir ofl
May it never sets till .\ugiist. The onl\ shnil»l)y
plant is the Lapland willow, which riMs (o (h(
height of two inches. Mere are found pola^
bears, foxes, and rein deer, with walruses and
seals. There are a few kind of water fowl; buj
the whale is the lord of these shallow seas. Tj
Russians from Archangel maintain a kind uq
colony.

AUSTRLVN DOMINIONS.

The dominions subject to the lumse of .Vustrii
embraced, till its late wars with Franee, un;)
ancient kingdoms and slates, which, for 'lie-, J
of perspicuitv, are here brought under one poiii
of view; it haxiog been urg*'d as a reproaiu id
modern geograpli\, that by the ob»tiiiaU: n; iil
tion of anticpiated di\isiims, and the coi.fi-rl
minuteness -of separate descriptions, it has >
made ati uniform progress with modern iii> r
and politics, which it ought to illustrate. Ihi:(i
to use the present inslance, many an i i ij
imagine that the power of the house of AniiriJ
is chiellv founded on its bearing the H!i;iri/
title, whereas, it reduced to the regal -"i'oi
Hungary, its hurcduury Uumuius cutillc it iJ

iiial

' ' « « ♦ »

.'• ?«?'*:•' AUSTRTAN DOMINIONS.

701

but generally i
uviiva Zeiriliii,
ed, and \» mi I
iinnels l)ct\\(Tn
vaU, walrusci),
i»!\v roiu liter,
i)l)le (if Mt:/i'n. I
tlie sea of Cara,!
i about two tectl

of Spit'/.brrgcM
y tlir. Russiaiis.I
I'lids about tliieel
)C, lal. 9evi'iit\-
I'sran Hook, liilol

111 uii Hdjueiitl

columns iVtiiil

flcr, and mo>.tlyj

(»r jrranitc iiui

four till liMuidl
di'iliiic ill hfijihi
rst (>r No\('nilit'i
re till the bij;iiH
be bt<i;iiiiiin;: oj

be onU shrnlttiy
liicli riM's to ilia
arc foiiod |)ol;ia
ill) waliusos and
water IonnI ; bull
lallow s(M«. 'I'ha
iiituiu a kind ufl

[NIONS.

> house of Austri^
itb Frame, im
bicli, for 'lit' •
lit under (iiie jiuiiil
t as u ropioaiu id

IC obntllMtC U'lillj

uiul tbe co„i .>fj
plioiis, it liai !
:li inoderii lib r\i
illustrate, ll.'fi
111 any hk' i
: bouse of Amiri
iriujj: tbe iui;.iiil
the rei?al >"''><' ol
;tuiu3 eutilk- it i

iui

.II J-

riiik ii^ong the cliief Europeiiu powers, boastiiiji^
I p^ntiiatinu of not lesK tbtin twenty luillioiis ;
llmt by tbe recent ronquestd uf Frunce, it bun
Uni fijreiitly circumscribed.
I Rr'i.imo'*] Tbe preponderant relijrion of tbe
li,iiiiriaii dominions is tbe Roman Calbohe, but
I l,,,ii,j(.d witii a considerable dejxi'ce of toleration.
|priil("<tai)ts of various sects are found in Ifolieiuia
linil Moravia; nor arc Lulberans unknown at
Ivipiina, tbougb tlioy cbiellv abound in Transyl-
Iniiia: nav, in IliuiiCi^ary it is believed tlial tlie
Ipriiii'staiits are equal in nniiiber to tbe Catholics.
IVieniiii did not becmne a niotropolilan see till the
I tear \'i'a '• <''e artbbisliop is a prince, of the holy
|ll„nian Empire. ",/.,;..

I ({((VKRNMKNT 1 Tlio fomi of government is
linlirrcditary nionareliy, and approaching to ab-
lioliile power. For though lluiig:ary retain its
limicnt states, or r-itber an aristocratical senate,
iTrtthe doinini(ui8 bein^ so various and extensive,
IliiJihe military force wbollv in tbe bands of tbe
|iovert'ii>:n, no distinct kiiii>:doni or stale can witb-
liliiid bis will. Even Austria lias its states, con-
Lsling of four orders, clerf^y, peers, kni^bls,
|bur!;i'"'<es : tbe assembly of Fjower Austria beiiij;
PHd at Vienna, and that of tbe L'|)per at Lin/,
hut those local constitutions can little avail
ligiiiiist tbe will of a powerful monarch, supported
Itii a numerous army.

' L.vws.1 The laws vary accordingly to the difle-
Irciit provinces, almost every state having- its pe-
culiar code. The lluiiu;arians in particular have
ii,ormislv defended ibeir laws, tbounb in many
li,times,''illaudable, tbe peasintry btini; in a
llale of \illana«;e till 178."». hi 17S() J.isepb II.
ifler suppressing vill«iia>>;e in U diemia and Mo-
tjiia, extended tbe like freedom t(» Hungary ;
liid tbis decree remains uiieaneelled, tliou).'.b

Baiiv of tbe laws of that weli-ineaiiiiia; but iii-
iidirious monarch expired with their aulbor.

itt tiie boasti'il freedom of lluiiiiarv is rallier
Ihat of a powerful aristocracy, than of tbe people
It larjie. lu gtineral tbe laws tuay be regarded as
liild iuid salutarv ; and tlie Auslrians in partir.r-
Ir are a well-regulited and coiileiiled piujple,
[lull! the lluiijiarians arc otten dissalisiied, and
Liii iiiiuli of their ancient animosity against the
Bcrmtiis.

Mannkus and Customs.] Various arc tbe

J* III till' IliiMn.ini 1. lliis.ir iniplits tho' tVeiKieih, be
Ljc iwciity i)ca«ram» arc obligod lo furuish ouo horscmau

manners and customs (tf (he numerous kinp^dom»
and pro\inccs subject to the bouse of Austria.
Vienna, the cnp.tal^ presents a^ it were an as-
semblage of nations, in their various dresses. In
Austria Proper, tbe people are much at their
ease: and tbe fannerH, and even poasnntry, little
inferior to those of England, rravcllers have
remarked tbe abundance of provisions at Vienna,
and the ( onsequent daily luxury of food, accom-
panied with great variety of wines. Tlie Austrian
manners are cold, bdt civil; tbe women elegant,
but dev(»id uf mental accomplisbinenls. 'i'he
youth of rank are coujinonly i^nmrant, and of
coiir.ic haiigbtv, being entire strangeis to the cul-
tivation of mind, and condescension of manners,
to be found among the su|)erior ranks of some
other countries, a circumstance more striking to
the English traveller in particular from the vio-
lence of tbe contrast. An Austrian nobleman or
gentleman is never seen to read, and hence polite
literature is almost unk'.iov, 'i and uncultivated.
In consequence of this ignorance, the language
remains unpolished ; and tbe Austrian speech in
one of the meanest dialects of the German, so
that polite people are constrained to use French.
Tbe lower orders, are, however, little addicted
to crimcii or vices, and punishinents rare : rob-
beries arc seldom comiuitted, and murder little
knovim. When capital punishment becomes un-
avoidable, it is administered with great solemnity,
and accompanied with public prayers, an c.v-
ample worthy of universal imitation.

'i'he next people in estimation, and the first i it
numbers, are the Hungarians. Their manners
are now considerably tinctured by those of the
ruling CJerniaiis, but they remain a spirited people,
and allect to despise their masters. Tbeir dress is
well known to be peculiar, and is copied by our
hussars *. This dress, consisting of a tight vest,
mantle, and furred cap, is graceful; and tbe
whiskers add a military ferocity to tbe ap|)car-
ance. Tbe .Morbus, and other inl.iiid tribes of
Dalmatia, are bone;4 and sincere barbarians ;
and the dress of the Vaivods somewhat resembles
the I Umi;arian. Dalmatia being di\ ided between
the Greek and Catholic religions, they have graft-
ed many superstitions upon both.

F.^.\X(;i; VGi:.] The languagessjjoken in these ag-
gregattui dominions are numerous and discrepant.

V .M

.^:

to tlic cavalry. Uuscti. iii. 5(i.

Thcjr

* i ',

ioi

CFocTT \rjnr AT. t^fspt^t'tiov of the world.

Thcv hflonfr rTiirfly <o tlie tliicppinid divisuHiH,
<l(»f'vr >*i (ier'iMii of llu* rtiliii^ riaUon, ihr
FLumic of the Pi'lfs, |i,irt of the Hiiii«;«rians,
llic l)ali)i;ktiaii<i, &c. niui aho the nniriciit speech
UHcd ill Hdheiniii and Moraxia: tiiid luHtly (he
lluii^arianProper, which has been coiiisidercd aa
a branch of (he Fiiinir.

Univkrhitiks.] Tlie imi versifies, like Ihose
in other t'ntholic countries, htile promote the pro-
gress r solid knowledge. The sciences taught
with the greatest care are precisely those which
nre of Ihc smallest utility. The University of
Vienna has, since the year I7."»2, been somewhat
improved. It was founded in I2.'{7, and that of
Prague in 1.S47 ; that of Inspruck only dates
from 1077, and that of (Jrat/ from 1585. Ilun-
f^.iry chiefly boasts of Buda, though the J^^uits
instituted academies at Kaab and Caschau. A
late traveller informs us that the university of
Tliida, by the Germans called Often, possess an
income of about twenty thousand pounds sterling,
only four thousand ui which are applied to pay
the salaries of the professors. " Besides the
usual chairs which exist in every university,
there are those of Natural History, Botany, and
Kconomy. The collection of instruments for
Natural Philosophy, and the models of machines,
are good ; and the museum of Natural History,
which contains the collection of the late profrssor
Pillcr, besides that of the university, may be
ranked among the fine collections of Europe."
There is a Calvinist college or university at Dc-
bretzin : and the bishop of Eriau has recently
established a splendid university at that city.

INlANrFACTLHEs AND COMMERCE ] Manufac-
tures do not seem to be cultivated to a great ex-
tent in any part of the Austrian dominions.
Vienna perhaps equals any other of the cities in
manufactures, which are chiefly of silk, gold and
silver lace, cloths, stutfs, stockings, linen, mir-
rors, porcelain ; with silver plate, and several
articles in brass. Bohemia is celebrated forbeauti-
fiil glass and paper. But the commerce of the
Austrian dominions chiefly depend* upon their
native opulence; Austria Proper and the southern
provinces producing abundance of horses and
cattle, corn, flax, sallVon, and various wines,
with several metals, particularly quicksilver from
the mines of Idria. Bohemia and Moravia are
also rich in oxen and sheep, corn, flax, and
hetup; in which they are rivalled by the dis-

♦•inbereU provinces of Poland. The v»ide a a\
marshy plaum of Hungary often present excelUt
pasturage for numerous herds of cattle; and tlie
more favoured parts of that country prodiira
corn, rice, the rich wines of Tokay, and tobacco!
of an excellent flavour, with great and celchratcdl
mines of various metals and minerals. Thi> \„.
trian territories in general arc so abundant in tlml
various necessaries and luxuries of life, to bsl
found cither in the north or south of Europe I
that the imports seem to be few and inconi
siderable.

Climate and Seasons.] The climate of Auu
tria Proper is commonly mild and salnbrioun
though sometimes exposed to violent winds, audi
the southern provinces in general enjoy delightrull
temperature, if the mountainous y^iU be except^
ed. The more northern regions of Bohemia p.nJ
Moravia, with the late acquisitions in Poland
can likewise boast the maturity of the grape, an(
of gentle and favourable weather. The nuinerom
lakes, and morasses of Hungary, and the pro.
digioiis plains, are supposed to render the lii
damp and unwholesome, the cold of the nighl
rivalling the heat of the day ; but the blasts froa
the Carpathian mountains seems ir< lome measun
to remedy these evils, the inhab .'ant being ittbi
remarkable for health and vigour.

Face op the Countrv.] The appearance o|
the various regions subject to Austria is rathi
mountainous than level, presenting a striki
contrast in this respect to Russia and Prusti
Bohemia and Moravia are almost encircled hyn-
rious mountains, which on the east join tlie vai
Carpathian chain that winds along the north am
east of Hungary and Transylvania, divided fro
each other by another elevated ridge : tiie d
membered provinces of Poland, though in tl
south they partake of the Carpathian heights, v
afford the widest plains to be found within the
niits of the Austrian power.

This ample extent of country is also diversilid
by many noble rivers, particularly the inajestij
Danube, and its tributary stream the Tiefs, whici
flows through the centre of Hungary ; and scarci
ly is there a district which is not duly irrigat
The general face of the Austrian dominions m
therefore be pronounced to be highly varirgai
and interesting ; and the vegetable products
both the north and south of Europe unite
please the eye of (he traveller.

4 Soi

-AUSTHIAN nOMIN'IONS.

703

Sotr, AND Aanirijr,Tt'HK. J The Hoil is upon
{l),e whole <>\tr*'iiiKl)' tVrtilc and proddctivc, in
Lpilc (»r the neglect of industry, which lia*; per-
Lgiileil intinv parts of Hungary, v<nd of tlie Poiiijh

.roviiitc»< to piisH into wide t'orrals Hnd niurshi-s.

(vere ikill and hibour to u^Hunie tlio axe luitl
Lpide, those very purls luijrht display the greatest
Lsulierrtncc of fertility. The stale of ap;ri("iiltiiro

ig>Ioruviii is superior to the rest, /leing improved
||„Flenn»h farmers.

'|;AM:h.1 The lakes in the Anstrian dominions
jtrMiiiiiierotis, and some of them of con.-.iderahli;

(ize. Bohemia presents u few small picecs of wu-
Lr towards its southern boundary : hut on enter-
Lf Austria HrojHir, the lake of Tratin, the Khern-
JKe, and others, are of greater extent, t'arinfliia
Unlains a large central lake not far from Clagon-
Ifurt; and Caniioln another, the C'irktiit/ See.

Mot'NTAiNs.] Upper Austria, or the western
Ipirtof this province, contains nianv eoii.sidcrablc
Loiintuins, the highest of v\hi(-li is in the maps

called PricI, but the |)r(t|)er nume is (of^^enberg.

Towards the N. Austria is divided from Ho-
lliciiiia l>v a ridge of con<iideruhle elevati«Mi which
\me% to the N. K. of Bavaria. On the N. W .
JBiilicmia is parted from Saxony by a chain of
Lflallir mountains, called the Ertzeberg, a
Uiirdthat implies hills containing mines. On the
hv. of the river Eger, near its junction with
lllieKlbe, stands the mountainous groupc of Mi-
l|r»s«ii, supposed to be the highest in the pro-
Ifime. On the N. E. the Sudetic chain which
aiirlies from the ('arpathian, divides Bohemia
lind M->ravia from Silesia and the Prussian du-
Iniiiions.

The Carpathian moiuitains, that grand and e.\-
llen^ive chain which bounds Hungary on the N.
lind K. have been celebrated from all antiquity.
IBv the Germans they are stiled the mountains of
IKrapak, ^ -.ibably thev«riginal name, which was

offened by the Roman eni:nciation: the Hunga-
kiiiiii, a modern people, call il^em Tatra. This
jenormons ridgeextends in a semicircu'iar form from
Ihe mountain of .favornik S. of Wilesia towards
m N. \V. But ut the mountain of Trojaska,

he most northern summit, it bends tc the S. E.

thecontines of the Buckovina, where it sends

forth two branches, one to the E. another to the

K. of Transylvania, which is also dk ided from

I'alachia by a branch riHining 8. W. &nd N. E.

the whole circuit mav be about five hundred
Vol. II. No. CXXill.

miles Tlic higlicst Miinmits of the^r mountain*,
according- to l)i Towiison, tlo not exi ccd eight
or nine tiioiisaiul feel, and ihev are for the most
part composed of grumte and primitive lime-
stone.

FoitK.HTs.] To eninneratc the forests in tho
Austrian dominions would lie a ta.»k atonee la-
borious and fruitless. Siillice it to obsrrve, that
numerous and extensive loicsis arise in every di-
rection, particularly along tlir Cirpathian moun-
tains, and in the provinces acquirtd from INth.Md.
Even Boliemia was formerly remuikabie fof a fo-
rest of great extent, a rnnain of the llercvnia
Svlva of antiquity, which extended from tlu^
Rhine to Sarmatia, from Cologne to Poland.
The Gabreta Svlva was on th«' S. W. of the sbhk;
country, rvlieie a chain of hills n<vw divides it
from Bavaria.

'/ooi.ociv.J The donifstie animals in the Aus-
trian dominions are connnoiilv excellent, particu-
larly the eatllc. INlanv of the native horsies run
wild, and are .sold in great numbers at the fairs,
before thev have stillered a\\\ subjection. The'
breed of tattle is mostly of a singular colour, a
slaty blue ; and the ijungarian sheep resemble
the \Vnlachian in their long erect sjiiral horns',
and pendant hairy ticeee. In the western parts of
the Austrian sovereignty the animals do not kvvm
to be distingtii.slied from those of other parts of
Ctermany. 'I'he large hr.-ed of wild cattle, called
l^rus or Bison, is said to be found in the Carpa-
thian forests, as well as in those of Lithuania and
Caucasus. Amoiig the wild quadrupeds may also
be named the bear, the boar, the wolf, the cha-
mois, the mart:H)t. •••d the beaver. The Danube
boasts of some fishes seidoin found in other rivers,
among which is a small and delicate sort of
salmon.

MiNKRAioov.] There is scarcely a province
in the Austrian dominions which cr^nnot boast of
advantages in the mineral kingdom ; and as it
were by a destiny attached to the nouse of Austria,
even the acquisitions in Poland contain one of the
most remarkable mines in Europe, the saline ex-
cavations of Wielitska. Tho mines of Bohemia
have been celebrated from ancient times. Silver is
fokind at Kuttenberg, and at Joaehinsthal, on tho
western frontier, towards Saxony, probably a
continuation of the veins of that •. ouiitry, and
gold has been discovered at Kconstcck. One of
the most singular products of this provi.uce is tin,-

8S whioUi

'm ii

1 ' . '

< ■ H .1.

■ .m.

ii 1

•klii

; 'mil

70i

GKOCRAPIIICAL DESCRIPTION OF TFIF! WORI.P.

which is found at Zinwald (that is the tin forest),
and other western distr-cts of Hoheinia : where is
also found, at Dreyhucken, a mine of very pure
copper. Lead occurs at iJIcystadt, in the same
fiuiirter. The jjarnets of fJohcmia are among
the most beautiful of the kind. They are chiefly
found in clay, njinp;led with mica, at xMfronitz,
in the mountain of Stiefelbera^, whence they are
carried ^.o Bilen. The women wash the clay in
which the garnets are found ; after which they
are sifted and arranged according to size ;. and
sold hw the pound weight from ahout three to ten
shillings. Many workmen are occupied in cutting
and piercing them, for necklaces, and other orna-
ments : they are polished in facets, with emery
on a piece of freestone, and pierced with a small
diamond. This branch of commerce is of great
antiquity at Carsbad, and at Wulkirk in Suabia,
where twenty-eight mills are occupied iu this
article only. The iron of Stiria supplies the finest
steel ; there are conoiderable lead mines near
Pegau, on the river Mohr, yielding n:bout five
thousand tons yearly. St"<ira also affords coal
at different places ; not to mention minerals of
mere beauty or curiosity, among which may be
named the singular blue granite, which is found
near Krieglach, iu Stiria.

The quicksilver mines of Idria arc celebrated
in natural history, poetry, and romance. They
were discovered in the year 1499 ; and the hill of
Vogelberg has annually yielded more than three
hundred thousand pounds weight of mercury.
The common ore is cinnabar ; but sometimes pure
i.]uicksilverruns through the crevices.

About forty miles to the S. of the Carpathian
hills are the geld mines of Crcmnitz : and twenty
English miles further to the S. the silver mines of
Schemnitz : cities which have arisen solely from
these labours, and thence called mining towns.
Schemniiz is esteemed the principal.

The salt mines acquired from Poland are situ-
at VVielitska, eight miles to theS. of Cracow, be-
ing excavated at the northern extremity of a
branch of the Carpathian mountains.

PRUSSIA.

This kingdom, whicii only commenced with
the eighteenth century, by gradual accessions be-
came so extensive, as de<:orvedly to rank among
the first powers of Europe. The dominions of
Prussia were su.all and scattered, till the acquisi-

tion of Silesia, and afterwarui of a third part of
Poland, gave a wide and stable basis to the new!
monarchy. But this powerful monarchy wajl
completely overturned by the French emperoil
Napoleon, in the year 1806, but ils Kiial destiiiyl
does net appear to be yet determined. I

Religion] The ruling religion of Prussia ii|
the Protestant, under its two chief divisions ofl
Lutheran and Calvinistic. But after the recent!
acquisitions in Poland, it would seem that tlicl
greater number of the inhabitants must be UoniRnl
Catholic. The universal toleration which hasi
been wisely embraced by the Prussian monarclis I
has had its usual effect of abating theological cn'I
iivity, and the different sects .seem to live in ner->l
feet concord, Of the present form of government I
the state of the army, and its revenues, nothinijl
can be said till its destination shall be dctermincdf
by the emperor of the French.

Manners and Customs.] Travellers have rc-l
marked, that, in comparison with t!ie Saxonj,]
who are a lively and contented people, the Prus-I
sians ap|}ear dull and gloomy ; a character wiiicli|
they impute partly to the military government,!
and partly to the general anxiety which must have I
been excited by the repeated dangers to which]
their country was exposed, whenc<uitending with}
the powers of Russia and Austria. As to the
Poles, they seem full of life and action, huttheiri
features and general appearance are rather Asiaticl
than European. " Men of all ranks geiieraliywearl
whiskers, and shave their heads, leaving only al
circle of hair upon the crown. The dress of the]
higher orders, both men and women, is iincoin-|
nionly elegant. That of the gentlemen is a vvai§t-
coat with sleeves, over which they wear an upper I
robe of a different colour, which reaches duwiil
below the knee, and is fastened round the waist
with a sash or girdle; the sleeves of this upper}
garment are, in warm weather, tied behind the!
shoulders; n sabre is a necessary part of their
dress, as a mark of nobility. In summer the robe,
&c. is of silk, in winter of cloth, velvet, or sluif,
edged with fur. They wear fur caps or bonnets,!
and buskins of yellow leather, the heels of which}
are plated with iron or steel. The drcasofthe
ladies is a simple polonaise or long robe, edged |
with fur."

Language.] The ridiog language of Prussia}
is the German, which it is probable may in time
supplant the Polish, in those parts which are}
subject to Prussia and Austria.

Ukiversities,]}

PRUSSIA,

705

UNIVERSITIES.] There are, however, several
ffliiversilies, such as that of Frankfort on the
Oder, founded by Joachinf), elector of Rranden-
lurg, in the year 1516. Koningsberg^ in Prussia,
lasfoiin^'^d in 1544. Of the Polish Universities,
Poniiaor Posen became subject to Prussia.
Cities and Towns.] Among the chief titios
([Prussia must first be mentioned Perlin, situated
(J (he banks of the river Sprey, and regularly
drtified. It was founded in the twelfth cen-
j^v, by a colony from the Netherlands, and
(ontains one hundred and forty-two thousand in-
liabitants, being about four miles and a half long
nd three wide ; but within this inclosure are
gsny gardens, and sometimes even fields ; the
iDinber of houses is six thousand nine hundred
0(1 fifty. The city is more remarkable for the
elfsance of the building* than for its wealth or
ioJiistrv, many beautiful houses being let in
jtories to mechanics. Next to Berlin may be
gentioncd Kunigsbcrg, of which the population
iiconipiited at about fifty-two thousand. This
(ilv was founded in the thirteenth century, and
ii well fortified. It maintains a considerable
trade bv the river Prcge!, which flows into the
julpli of Dantzick.
Manufactures and CoMMERcn.] If we ex-
(ept the linens of Silesia, the manufacture? of
llie Prussian dominions arc of small importance.
Yet they afford, for home consumption, glass,
iron, brass, paper, and woollen cloth ; and Fre-
derick II. introduced a small manufacture of silk.
If we except the ancient staple of grain, so
undant in the level y,\a'\n» of Poland, the com-
rcc of Prussia is comparatively of but little
nscquonce. Amber is by nature constituted a
iiopoly of the country, but fashion has ren-
rcd this branch of commerce in ^gnificant. Yet
mig the considerable experts may be named
(xllent timber of all kinds, skins, leather, flux,
hemp : nor must the linen? of Silesia be
leo <n silence, many of which are sent into
iolland, and sold under the name of Dutch ma-
facture. In return, Prussia receives wine, and
her products of more southern and favoured
ountries.

Climate and Seasons.] The climate of the
*ru»sian dominions is, upon the whole, cold and
aoiit. Prussia Proper, which, as Busching in-
brmius, has about eight months of winter, tht"!
atuauw being often deluged with raiis. The

northern part of Poland, which fell under the
Prussian sceptre, abounds with forests and
marshes, which cannot be supposed to render
tbe air salubrious.

Face of the Country.] In considering the
general appearance of Prussia Proper, we must
observe that it formerly abounded in woods, and
displays superior fertility, a character which may
be also extended to Prussian Poland,

Soil and Agriculture] The space between
Berlin and Potsdam resembles a wilderness; but
that of Prussian Poland is loamy and fertile.
Agricultural improvements, however, are little
known; but Prussia Proper displays every kind
of grain and esculent plant that can flourish un-
der such a latitude; yet the wine is of inferior
quality.

Rivers.] Among the chief rivers of the
Prussian dominions may be first mentioned the
Elbe, which rises in the S, of Bohemia,
and pervades the duchy of Magdeburg. The
Spree, which passes by Berlin, falls into the
Ilavel, a tributary of the Elbe. The Oder, the
Viadrus of the ancients, may be regarded as a
river entirely Prussian: it rises in the mountains
of Moravia, and, after watering Silesia, Bran-
denburg, and Pomerania, Joins the Baltic, after
a course of aboiit three -hundred and fifty miles.
\ext appea"- another noble stream, the Vistula,
which, rising in the Carpathian mountains, passes
Warsaw, and joins the sea near Dantzig, after a
circuit of about four hundred and fifty milea.
The Pregel, passing by Konigsberg, springs
from some lakes and marshes in Prussian Poland;
and the Memel, a superior river, now forms in
part the Prussian boundary on the east.

Lakes.] The lakes in the Prussian dominions
are numerous, especially in the eastern part,
where among others may be mentioned the Spcld-
ing See, which, with its creeks, extends more
than twenty British miles in every direction.
That region contains many other lakes, which
supply the sources of the river Pregel. At their
estuaries the rivers Oder, Vistula, and Memel,
present singular inland sheets of water, in the
German language called Hqffs ; that of the^
Oder being styled Grass Half; that of the Vis-
tula, Frisch Hafi' (with another inland creek
called the lake of Drauaen ) ; and that of the
Memel, Curisch Haff. The Frisch HaflT is
about seventy miles in length, and from three to

tea

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70e

GF.OGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF TITE WORLD.

ten miles broad, being separated from the Baltic
b^r a long slip of land, said to have been thrown
up by tbe tempests and wave» about the year
1190. The lake, or bay, is of small depth, and
will not admit vessels of much burthen.

The Curisch Haff, so called from its situation
in the ancient duchy of Conrland, is about sixty
British miles in length, and about thirty in its
greatest breadth. A similar ridtrc of land divides
it from the Baltic; and it is full of ditugerous
shelves, and infested by frequent storms.

Mineralogy.]] A peculiar mineral production
of Prussia is amber, which is chiefly found on
the Samland shore of the Baltic, near Pillau, on
a neck of land formed by ihe Frisch Half, which
ccems to have been the chief seat of this mineral
from the earliest ages. l,t is found at the depth
of about one hundred feet, reposing on wood
coal, in lumps of various sizes, some five pounds
in weight, uud is often washed on shore bv tem-
pests. It adds about iivc thousand pounds yearly
to the royal revenue.

Mineral VV-.4TEKS.] Silesiaprescnts one spring
of hot water at Warmbrun, near Hirscliberg,
which is believed to be the only mineral water
worth notice in the Prussian dominions.

WlVy

SPAIN.

ExTKNT.] Spain lies between the thirty-sixth
and forty-fourth degrees of north latitude; its
western extremity is about nine degrees in lon-
gitude W. from London, and its eastern extre-
mity ab'jut three degrees. The greatest length
from W. to E. is about six hundred miles; the
breadth from N. to S. more than five hundred;
thus forming almost a compact square (if we
include Portugal in this general view n\' the
country ), and surrounded on all sides by the sea,
except where the Pyrencan chain forms a grand
natural barrier against France.

DiYisioNS.^ The most recent subdivisions of
Spain te'-e into the following provinces:

On the Bay of Biscay

€n the Freoch frootier

/'I. Galicia.

I i. ARturias, including OtIciIu
— < and Saiitillana.

i 3. Biscay, including B'scay,

V. (tuipiiscoa and Alata.

f4. Ni
— <S. Ar

10. Ca

ipii
«l<ivarrc.
krragon.
Cataluniik

■^fcj^r)* i.

On the Mediterranean coast

On the entrance to the f
Straits of Gibraltar — (

On the frontier of Portug

L 9.

10.

Alidland

- f

Valencia.

Miirda. ,

Granudui

AndalHsia, includin-; Sel

Tillo. Cordova, and J lonl
Kstremiidura. "j

Leon, including Leon, Pa I

leucid, Zamora, and Sa

lanianca.
OidCastill(,,ind,ulingi5„^i

go.v Avila, and Sngoria.
New Casiillc, in?|„d^

1 oledo or Algania, Cu

ITuZct. '""'' »"^

Antiquities.] Of the first epochs it caa
hardly be supposed that any remains shomd
exist, except a few tumuli, and other rude mon
numents. Nor are there any certain relics of (h^
Carthaginians in Spain, except coins, whiii
have been foun'J in considerable nunibei.s.

The Roman antiquities are, on the coiijrarvj
so numerous, that to enter into defaila on the
subject woul. be prolix, and foreign to tlia mj
ture of this work. The aqueduct at Seiroyj^ j
oue of ihe noblest of the Koman edifires. MofJ
viedo, the ancicni Saguntum, prosiMits inaiiv ciJ
rious remains of antiquity. Tarragona, the ;ij
cient Tarraco, also contains several intcrcitino
moiHimenIs, °

The Visigothic kings haTe left few relics, cxJ
cept their coins, which are struck in gold; j
metal then unknown to the other EurojiuaJ
rasnts, and seemingly native. The churclips, &cl
of that period were probably destroyed by ili<
Moorish conquest. ' i

Numerous and splend><- are the monuiuent:?o(
the Moors in Spam. The mosque at CordovJ
was begun by Abdurrahman, the- lirst klialill
The second khalif of that name reared llio \vj||(
of Seville. But these princes vyerc fir e.vcodti
in magniii;:cnce by Abdurrahman III. uho biiilj
a town tfiree miles from Cordova, which \\l
called Zebra, after the name of one of Imk y
male favourites; and ordered a palace to hv. coiij
structed by the most skilful architects oi CoiiJ
stantiuople, then the chief abode of the arts hhiJ
sciences (A. D. 950). In this palace wore rciv
koncd one thousand and fourteen coIuuiiih oj
African and Spanish marbles: while Ilalv had
supplied nineteen, and the Greek emperor had
transmitted ooo hundred and forty of surpri^iiJ

beuutjl

lie monument' o(
iquc at Cordov]
tlic- iitst kiiulili

reared the wallj
rerc f;ir exccdtiil
111 ill. will) bt
(lovtt, which
it' one of liiii t'eJ
palace to bt; coin
cbitocts oi (oii-J
le of llie arts m\\

palace were rci;.
teen coUiiiiiH o|

vi'liile Italv hail
eek empci'ur liaJ
irty of surprising
iv rt... ' beuutyl

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Vol.

SPAIN.

707

beiuty* The hall' vim decorated with marble
iiid massy gold ; and in the midst of- the ceiling
fiii Ininfi^ the fiimous pearl which the ('mprror
I,P() liiid sent to tin; kUalif. The pahice ot" Zebra
iiii)^ars to have been aniiihiiatcd in the barbarous

,n(| fanatic wars of the middle ages: and Gra
nuiia, the last Moorish kingdom, having been
siilidued after the arts and MMeiires began to re-
vive, it is ivitiiral there to expect the best pre-
jerTcd remains of M«re8(|uc antiqnity.

The <^'hri8tian antiq<iitio9 of the middle ages
consist of nnn)erous chmcheH, e?itleSj p.nd wo-
ii!i«terie«, as usual in other Eur(,,»eftn co.i.itries.

KfifioioN.] The religion of Spain is the Ro-
itiaii Catholic, which in this country and Por-
t()<ral, has been carried to a pitch of fanaticism
uDknown to the Italian states, or even to the
pspil territory. The inquisition has, in these
niihappy kingdoms, lu^eu invested with cxor-
liilaiit [Atwer, and has prodiKed the most ruinous
tftcfts, and though the evil has been recently
jiihdued, one fanatic reign would suttice to re-
vive it.

GoTER?<MENT.] Thc present state of Spain
will not permit un to say any thing concerning
ihC'^vernmont: the war carried on m that cono-
Irv, and thc detention of the king, aflford little
doubt of Spain becoming shortly subject to the
empffor Napoleon.

PoniLATioN.l Tlie population of tbi« king-
join is computed at little more than ten million;
but in consequence of the war now carrying on
with Franre even that number has been greatly
iiminished.

CoioMiES 3 After the discoveries of Chris-
lov»l Colon, railed by writers in L.itin Chris-
topher Columbus, the Spanish colonies sov)n be-
nmc nnmerotifi and extensive, in the West

mlics, South America, and various isles in the
Pacific Ocean. No nation ran in this rcsptxt

vjI Spain. But thc superior advantajies of
jEn;,'laMd, in relii';i<)n# and political frecdoiii, have
looii replaced tlie population thu»» withdrawn,

hile ti» Spain the wound lias !)een incurable, as

lif causes of depopulation have always in-

Mannf.hs ani> Cuf^TOMs.l To spcakiu-; of the
iirion of Spain, one of the vnost striking of
llie national cnstonw and manner f is thc common
radirt'of udnltery, under the nu.sk of religion,
his disgrace, which is continod to thc catholic
Vol. U. No. CXXIII.

svstem, is- said to have been transplanted from
Italy. But the Italian cicinhei are more com-
monly gentlemen; while in Spain they are monks
and ecclesiastics; and thc vice becomes more
flagrant, as it is practised by those verv men
who ought to exhibit e.Miinplcs of pure mo-
rality.

Exclusive of this vice, the Spanish character
is highly respectable for integrity and a long
train of virtues. Con»cions of an upritrht and
noble mind, the respect which a Spannird would
pay to those qualities in others, is ofien centred
in himself, as he is intimately .sensible that he
po?.i*e8ses them. This self-respect is nenily allied
to pride; but it is the pride of virtue, which
certainly ought not to humble itself beft^re vice
and folly. Temperance is a virtue which the
Spaniard shares in common with other southern
nations. In these countries the body is so much
exhausted by the inducnce of heat, that the
siesta, or short sleep in the middle of the day,
becomes a necessary resource of nature, and is
by habit continued even in the winter.

The thief defect in the character of the Spanish
nobility and gentry is, their aversion to agri*
culture and commerce. Instead of those beau-
tiful villas, and opulent farms, which enrich the
whole extent of England, the Spanish archi-
tecture is almost confined to the c;ipital, and a
few other cities and towns; and till ;arni-h()iises
are scattered over the kingdom, it will be ab-
solutely impossible for agriculture to tlourish in
Spain. To import German colonies, as has been
done in the Sierra Morena, is to begin at the
wrong end, and to suppose that the poor can set
an example to the rich. An intimate coi .'lexion
and intermixture of ail ranks of men, and their
mutual respect for each other, form a liberal
source of (he wealth and power of the liriti^h
dominions ; but Spain, perhaps, despises ttie eK-
umplc of heretics.

Since the accession of thc house of Bourbon,
a slight shide of French manners has been
blended with the Spanish gravity. But fushioiH
have here little sway; and the prohibition of
slouched hats and long cloaks led to a serious in-
surrection. The houses <»f tlia great arc lurga
and capacious; but the cottar.) s and iiiii» are, on
the contrary, miserable. The, Jress and man-
ners of thc lower classes vo:y much in dilVerent
provinces.

8 T The

'IN

^'if

708

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

The annisements of people of ruiik cliietly
ronsiiit in dancing and cards ; but the combats
'\vilh bulls in tlie amphitheatres have justly been
Trgarded as the most striking feature of Spanish
and Portuguese manners. The chief actors in
the bull-feas(sare the picadors, who arc mounted
on hursebuc'k and armed with lances, and the
chulos on foot, who relieve and sustain the
former; but the chief personage is the uiaiador,
•wh'} enters amid the profound silence of the
whole assembly, and coolly dispatches the furious
animal by a blow where the spinal marrow Joins
the head. The death is bloodless and instan-
taneous, and deserves imitation, as humanity
would wish to save pain to the animals slaugli-
tered fur food. Sometimes the bull is pierced in
various parts with lances, to which squibs arc
fastened, which being set on fire, the maddened
animal stands pawing the ground, while he
draws in and exhales volumes of smoke: some-
times an American is introduced, who, after the
manner of hunting the wild bull in his own
country, throws a rope round the horns, and
entangles the quadruped as in a net, then kills
him with perfect safety.

Lanulaue.] The Spanish language is one of
the three great southern dialects which spring
from the Roman ; but many of the words be-
come diliicult to the French or Italian student,
because they are derived from the Arabic, used
by the Moors, who for seven centuries lield do-
minion in this country. The speech is grave,
sonorous, and of exquisite melody, containing
much of the slow and formal manner of the
Orientals, who seem sensible that the power of
epoech is a privilege.

Univeksities.] The nnivcrsitien, or rather
academies, in Spain, are computed at upwards
«)f twenty : of which the most noted is that of
Salamanra, founded iii tiie year 1200 by Al-
phonso IX. king of Leon. The students bave,
at former periods, been computed at sixteen
thousand; and, even now the reign of Aristotle
in logic and natural philosophy, and of Thomas
Aquinas in tlioology, continues unviolated, so
that a student of the >ear I81X) may aspire to as
much ignorance as one of the year l.'JOO. In
1781) the number of stiulents was computed at
one thousand nine hundred and nine.

Cities and Towns.] Madrid, the royal re-
fiidencc, is esteemed the capital of Spain. Phi-
3

lip U. first established his court at Madrid, and
the nobility, in consequence, erecting numerous
palaces, this formerly obscure town began to
assume an air of grandeur. The centrical posi-
tion seems the chief advantage, for the environs
can boast of little beauty or variety. The river
Man^enares is .in winter a torrent, but dry in
summer : over it it an elegant bridge, which oc-
casioned a sarcastic remark that the bridge should
be sold in order to purchase water. This me-
tropolis contains about one. hundred and fortv-
seven thousand three hundred and fifty jnlij.
bitants. The convents are' sixty-six ; and there
are fifteen gates of granite, many of which are 1
elegant. The chief is the Puerta de Alcala, of
three arches, the central being seventy feet in I
height. The churches and monasteries contain
many noble paintings, and the royal palaces dis-
play considerable magnificence. The new pa-
lace presents four fronts of four hundred and!
seventy feet in length, and one hundred in hei^htj
enriched with numerous pillars and pilasters.
The foundation was laid in M'.iT, three vearsl
after the ancient palace had fallen a sacrifice tol
the flames. The audience-chamber is dcservedlyj
admirrd, being a double cube of ninety fcct,|
hung with crimson velvet, and adorned wi
sumptuous canopy and painted ceiling.

Gibraltar, so called from a Moorish or Arabicl
denomination, signifying the mountain ofTurik,!
who conducted the INIoors into Spain, standi oq
the west side of a rocky mountam called Calpel
by the ancients; and to the west of iihetowiiisl
a large bay. In 14r)2 it was taken from tb^
Moors ; and in 1704 fell int(» the hands of thd
English. The siege during the American war la
of iVesh and celebrated memory. The inliabn
tants of the town are about five thousand; aiij
the garrison generally amounts to as innny. Th<{
number and strength of the military works, ad
the vast galleries opened in the calcareous ru(J
excite admiration. There is a stalactitic rave]
that of St. Michael, and bones are found iiiiliej
rock, which seem to have fallen into the caritie^
where they are enveloped in the exuding petreJ
faction. The fortre.ns, in the opinion of uioif
military men, is absolutely impregnable.

Climate and Seasons] The climate of SpaiJ
has been deservedly praised, as equal if not sul
perior to that of any country in Europe ; hutil
the southern provinces the heat is iusulubrioui

S P'A I N.

?o;i;y

109^

I md malignant fever* sonietimca sweep off f^reut
number!). 'I'lc chains of mountainR \vhich per-
Tiilc Spain ^at ditlorcnt intcrviik from cast tu
jj( siein to temper the climate, and supply
(Oolii'K breezes. In the south the sea bree/e, be-
Ignin^ abont nine in the morning, and contiiiu-
Lfftill five in the evening, agreeably diversifies
llie warmth of the summer ; and in the northern
provinces the severity of winter is allayed by the
Lximity of the ocean, which generally supplies
Lies rather humid than frosty.

FaceottueColntky.] The fiicc of the coun-
Ly is in most seasons delightful, abounding with
escellent and fragrant pasturage, vineyards, and
proves of orange trees ; and tbc hills clothed with
vild thyme and other odoriferous plants. The
rivers and streams are numerous, and the chains
Lf mountains aflord a grand variety to the
prospect.
Soil and Agricultuhf..] The soil is gene-
rtlly liglit< and reposes on beds of gypsum, or
pbtcrof Paris, itiielf an excellent manure. In
Ihe Diore southern provinces the land is almost
equally fcrti 1*2 : and the sugar-cane is cultivated
fjtb success near Granada. Agriculture is
Uvatly impeded in Spain by the superior atten-
tion paid to the large flocks of sheep, which are
lutiiorized by a special code, the mesta, to tra-
vel from one province to another, as the season
presf'its pasturage in the vales, or on the inouii-
tiins. The Merino sheep, or flocks, thus privi-
le^d, arc computed at Ave millions ; and one
oobietnan has sometimes forty thousand. The
Ifleece is esteemed double the value to that of other
liheepibut the cliecks givcntodgriculturoby suih
Iprivileges, unknown to all other countries, are
liacalculablc.

Rivers."] Among th«^ chief rivers of Spain
Ire the Ebro, which anciently conferred an ap-
Ipellation on the country. This noble stream rises
liDthe mountains of Anturias, in a small vale E.
lof Reisona, and pursuing its course to the S. E.
Itnlers the Mediterranean Sea, after having run
libout three hundred and eighty geographical
Imilcs. The other rivers runnuig to the east are
less importance, as the Guadalaviar, the
Uicar, and the Segura, which enlivens the fer-
kilu vales of Murcia. Towards the \Y. occurs
Ihe Guadalquivir. This river originates in the
Sierra Morena, and flows into the gulf of Cadiz,
kter a Course of ucar three hundred geographical

milfes. The Guadiana ri^ in tlic N. side of the
Sierra Morena ; pursues a part of its course
through Purtuifal, and falls into the gulf o£
Oadi^, after a circuit nearly equal to that of the
Ebrb. i But the :chief river of Spain and Portu-
gal is the Tajo, or Tagns, which rises in the
west of Arragon, near Albarracin, in a spring;
called Abrcga, and holds a course of about four
hundred and fifty geographical miles. I'iie Uouro
springs near the ruins of ancient Numantia: and
its course may be computed at thtee hundred and
fifty geographical miles. The Minho rises in
the mountains of Galicia ; and is more remark-
able as forming a part of the boundary between
that province and Portugal.

Mountains.] The Spanish mountains are
arranged by nature in several distinct chains. The
most northern is regarded its a continuation of
the Pyrenees, passing on the south of Biscay
and the Asturias in Galicia. This chain is distin-
guished by difl'erent names, as the mountains of
Biscay, the Sierra of Asturias, and the mountains
of Mondonedo in Galicia. It must be here ob-
served that the term of Sierra, peculiar to Spain,
implies a chain of iiuuntains whose succtssive
peaks present the resemblance of a saw. The
gyp!<eous and ar|;illaceous mountains of this
coiiutry rarely exhibiting any supreme elevation,
liko. those in the granitic chains, naturally sug-
gested this singular appellation. The second
chain of Spanish mountaiiii^ extends from near
Soria on the N. E. and pursues aS. W. direction
towards Portiii^^al. This chain is called that of
Urbia or Giiiularaina ; and also the JMoiihs Car-
penlariui. The third is that of Toledo, running
nearly parallel with the last. These two central
chains contain great quantities of granite. Next,,
towards the S. is the Sierra Morena, or Brown
Mountains which are followed by the most
southern ridge, that of the Sierra Nevada.
On the east there is a considerable chain, which
connects the central ridges, and advances towards
the Mediterranean in the north of Valencia.
There are also severa; considerable ranges of hills
in this part of the kingdom, generally running
from N. to S.

A remarkable solitary mountain, not far from
Barcelona, must not be omitted. At a di.><tance
jNIontserrat appears like a sugar loaf; but on a
vearer approach seems jagged like a saw with
pyramidical rocks ; it is composed of limestone

and

^^\lm

I '

' i3 !

'lii. 1.

710

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OP THE WORLD.

and grave1> unit«d hy eklcttraom oMnent t and »
«>r luch a height thaA fron i(9 Bvmmit msj bs
discerned th« islands of Majorca and Minorca* at
the distance of fifty leagaes. No* far from Mont-
serrat, near the village of Cknloim> is a hill throe
miles in cirCumferHice, which is one mass of rock
salt, wed id the dry climate of Spain for vaaes,
snulf-boxes, and trinkets, like our Derbyshire
«J)ar.

The Spanish side of ithe Pyrencea Ima aot been
accwrately etamined ; and as the French ininera-
Jogrsts hate amply illustrated the part beloug^
ing to France, an account of these mountains has
been giveti in the description of that country.
According to Townsead, the aurtbernaide of the
Pyirenees is chiefly «al<arcoufi, surmoui^ed with
argillaceows schisttn ; ■ but the soutiicro is granite,
and of «owfse barren. The hills to the somth of
Gerona are also granitic. The highest ridce ii>
Spain, near Daroca, whence originate the Tajo
and Ebro, seems composed of argillaceous schiatos
and freestone, probably rest ii^ on granite. Neat
Anchuelothemofintaina are liflheatone, with slifcirsf
and sometioies contain beds of red g^-psnm, with
erystals of tho same colour. In general gypawaa
il as abundant in Spain, as chalk is in England.
The mountains on the north of Madrid, forming
]Hirt of the central chaia, are granite. Those to
the north of Leon chiefly laarMe or limestone, «d
a basis of argillaceous scbiatiM, riving in bold and
rugged rocks which aflbrded a barrier to tlw re-
mains of Spanish liberty. In returning (owarda
the 8<tu(h, the soil of La Mancha is sandy, the
rockgypaum. The higher regions of the Sierwi
Morena are granite; the lower argillaoeoua
schrstas, with gypsum and limestone. The gra-
nite is of two kinds, the red aodthe white.

Near 0<»rdova the highest hills are covered
wi*h rounded masses of granite, grit, and lime*
fttone. Near Malaga are branches of tlve Sierra
Nevada, or «nowy chain, an appellation which
might uUo beextendod to the central range k«-
tween Old and New Castille, >*hich, according
to Mr. Towwiend, might at some times be visible
at (he distitnce of one hundred miles; these
branches present limestone and mjirble, sur-
mounted by argillaceous schistus. Near Alhama,
S. E. of the city of Granada, are found rocks,
which -on a basis of shingle t>r rontid gravel,
present shnditdne with shells, aurmounted with
podding-atoiie, but is gjeaeral the rocks are g^-p-

* Lib. xxxiii. cap. tU

ttoo^ #itli strata of the m^m nibitanee crygiai.l
Kacd. The S. B. part of Spain aeema calcaieon."
and the cathedral of Murcia is built with a rmJ
of freestone reeembling the roe of figh. ])„!|
near Capo de Gata the failb aeem to have been
volcanic aa French mineiralogists have inferred
from tlie singularity: of its productions.

FoBBiTa.J Spain contsioa many forests, partial
arising from the waipt of cultivation, partly re-
served Air the rwjal pleosarca of the chase; a,
that of the Purdo, which eiteads near thirty
miles i« length ; some of the forests are haunti d
by simogiglers and banditti, who raise c«ntribii.|
ta<iu!i from the unwary travellers ; and even mur-
ders are not unfrequent.

ZooMMY.] The glory of the SpaniHfa Koo]o|;y i
is the horse, which baa been famous in all atrn,
piiobably originating firooi t|ic barb, or beautifui
and spirited steed from the north of Africa, (be
immeiliatc offspring of the Arabian. The Spanish!
mules are also eiGallent, and ^tbe ass is here no I
i^obie animal; (boueh ■ ahk equal to that ofl
iurabia. The brctid -ot oheepj has been long colf-f
brated'laii perhapa siiperiar to any in tite world, I
for the dcUoacy of tike ainttonj and the beauty ofl
the fleece. Tbe purity of the air, and aroniaticf
pasture, ao dmdit cootribute to both qualitiet,!
which it is to beautpected wmild degenerate on |
traaaportation.

Mifie«iAM>CT.^ The mineralogy of Spain wu I
aodratly of aaore smpiorlance than in iiiuduinl
tiases. Piiay *, after obaeriring that silver wail
generally foand with galena, ar lead ore, pro*!
eeede to state that tlw fairest of all silver wul
found ill Spam, wliere the pita, begun by Hiui-|
nibal, lastcid io his time, being kmiwn bytiiel
names of their original discuvereis. That rtiiedl
Bebelo had yielded to Hannibal three hundndl
piiunds weight a day, a mouatain being pierrrdl
for a mile and a half, through which the work-
men diroeted large streams of water ; so tiiat tlifj
plan pursued acorns to have bwn that called bii.'.
i«g by modern writers. Strubof informs iisllutl
the prnriace nf the Turdituni, modern Andulusia,!
wa« tbe nsost productive of precious metuls ; andl
gold, silver, brou, and iron, were no wherti
found more abundaat, aor of better quuliiy:!
gold was found in the sands of the rivers ao ltor-[
rents, a known attribntc of the Tagua. Poiybiuil
iafovHta (US QOiicermng the laiocs of silver narl
Cartbfgopa, wbicb ■ocaipiod « auiufaer of woM

meoj

t Lib. Hi.

paniHfa Koolo|ry
lOVB ill all &jn%,\
rb, orbi'tutiful

of Africa, (he
>D. The Spanish I
le 888 is here no [
ual to that of I

boen long ceie-{
y in the world, 1
nd the beauty of I
ir, aiid aroniaticl

both quaiitieij
Id degenerate oaj

it^f of Spain was I
tlMD in iiiuduinl

that silver wtil
r lead ore, prchl
if aii silver wu|

bcf^iiii by Hwhl
g Loown bvUiel
:is. Tbat raili!d|
1 three bund re J I
tin being pierrrdl
vrhicb the work-l
•ter ; no tliat tlie|
that I'tf lied bmh
"f* informs iistli:ill
widern Andalusia,!
;iout inetuls ; anill

were no sviiorel
' better qu:ililv:|
:he rivers aollor-[
TagiUR. Poi3biui|
ics of silver nnrl
aiMuber of woik'l

1 '11

: \i i

ifi;

!! Vh

■: t ^r .

■i

ur'

' 'i

MJi

i 1

: ' 'I

H'i ••■ill

'■V. \.

■I

TURKEY IN Eunorr.

801

|-(n, «n"l yielded to the Romans twcnljr-fivc
lliousiind drachms daily. Other mines of silver
,erc (ouiid near the sources of the BaUis. This
juiellijrciice becomes of the more importunco, as
Britain and other rcpons of the west certainly
Ljirivcd tlicir gold and silver from Gaul and
Mipaiii, in return for cattle, hides, and other pro-
jllict!). At present almost the only silver niii.cN
Spain arc those of Guadalcanal, in the Sierra
I )lor('im. At Almaden, in La Mancha. are valu-
jlile mines of quicksilver, which are chiefly re-
iiiittid to Spanish America, and employed in re-
tiiiiii"' the more precious metals, Calubine ap-
irs near Alcavas, cobaltin the Pyrenees; anti-
gH)iiv in La Mancha ; copper on the frontiers of
PorUigal * ; tin in Galieia : and lead is common
J jnmuny districts. The iron of Spain is abundant,
ind still maintains its high character; and coaN
ire found in the district of Villa Franca, inCata-
iDnin, where also occur gold, silver, copper, and
leiil f. Amber and jet (in Spanish Azabache)
ire found together i^^ the territory of Belonria in
the AHturias. The other minerals are rather cu-
riou') than important, such as the beautiful crystal-
liied sulphur found at Conilla, not far from
Cidi/, the elastic marble of Malaga, and the
rrcri marble resembling the verde antico, found
|iK<irC>renada.

Mineral WxtEns.] Spain contains many mi-
Ural waters, but few are celebrated. The hot
ipriiiirs of Rivera de Abajo are situated not far
fromOviedo ; and bear some resemblance to those
of Bath. Near Alicant arc the baths of Buxot,
Iwirm springs of a chalybeate nature, rising like
[the former, among calcareous hill».

SPANISH ISLES.

The chief circumjacent islands belonging to
|>pain are Majorca, Minorca, and Eviza; or,
iccording to Spanish orthography, Mallorca,
Meimrca, Ibiza. Majorca is about Hfty-five
Kiiglish miles in length, by forty-five in breadth.
Tiie N. \V. part is hilly ; the rest abounds with
rultivatcd land, vineyards, orchards, and meadow;
Ithc air is temperate, and the honey highly esteem-
led: there is generally a considerable military
I force in the isle. The capital, seated on a fair
Jbay, is an elegant city, and is supposed to con^
(tain ten thousand inhabitants. Majorca was re-

' SceJ)ilIon, l!)."), for an account of the copper-miuc
|tif Lii Platilla, near Molina.

Vol. II. No. CXXIV.

i:on({(i*:red from the iNIoors by James I. kiiip; of
Arrugon, in hi'^l). IMajorca is generally in too
strong a state of defence to admit of an easy con-
quest, but Minorca has lu'cn repeatedly sci/cd
by tiie English, to whom it prcscnlH an advan-
tageous station for (lie Meditcrriuicau trade. It
is about thirty miles in length, by about twehc
of medial breadth. The air is moi«t, and tlid
^oil rather barren, being cliiedy calcareous, with
lead hod fine marble. The wine is prniscd ; and
the ipjiabitants retain a share of their nnciont
repi'.iution as exce'lent slingers. Cittndclla, the.
rupitai, has a tolerable haven, but the papula-
tion and fortifications arc of little co<i«c-quence.
Port Mahon, on the S. E, has an e.xcellcnt har-
bour, and received its iiame from Mago, the
Carthaginian general. Eviza is the nearest to
Spain, about fifteen miles long, and twelve
broad. It is remarkable for its fruit!*, and
abundance of excellent salt. \. «•' '

TURKEY IN EUROPE.

The Turkish empire, once so formidable to
Europe, has lately sunk before the power of
Russia. Turkey in Europe is computed to
cont'iin one hundred and eighty tw(.> thousand,
five hundred and sixty square miles; an extent
which exceeds that of Spain, or even France
under the ancient r<ionarchy. It embraces many
ancient lungdoms and republics. I. Moldavia;
2. Rudzac, or Ressarbia ; 3. Wallachia ; 4. Bul-
garia; 5. Romelia; G. The Morea; 7. Al-
bania; 8, Dalmatia; 9. Servia; iO. Bosnia;
and 11. Turkish Croatia.

In recent times Turkey has lost the province!
of the Krini, and New Servia. which, with seve-
ral Asiatic districts, have become subject i<i
Russia; and on the west, Transylvania, Scla-
vonia, with the Buekovina, part of Moldavia,
and a great part of Croatia, have fallen under the
power of Austria.

Extent.] Turkey in Europe extends about
eight hundred and seventy miles in length, from
the northern boundary of Moldavia, to Cape
INIatapan in the Merea. The breadth from the
river Unna to Constantinople is about six hun-
dred and eighty British mites. Tlie eastern and

i Towas. ill. 341, St.'i.

southern

::^ll

;'}■•■■

q; i
U

! 'i

\il.S

! ' ' I

I i' I ' i I

I J

m^'-'

i ',

802

gko(;raphi(;al description of tfie world.

soutlicrn boundaries pro lormcd by the Eiixiiic
or Black S'-a, the Sea of Mannoruj tlio Archi-
pelago, and the jNIt'diterraneaii. The utmost
northern liujit is now the river Dniester : but the
western often consists of ao arbitrary line, and is
sometimes supplied by ri\ers or rnountaiiis.

ANTiQuiriES.] The ancient nu)nunients of
European Turkey arc well known to exceed in
number and importance those of any other coun-
try. The reniitins of ancient Athens, in particu-
lar, formerly the choscp. seat of the arts, Ijavc
attracted the attention of many travellers, and
hHve been repeatedly described. A venerable
monument of antiquity, the church dedicated to
the divine wisdonj, or vulijarly Sancta isophia,
by the eniporor Justinian, in the sixth century,
has been fortunately preserved, by being con-
verted into a moscpje. The interior is/idorned
with a profusion of marble columns, of various
bean'.iful descriptions, the purple Phrvgian, the
iSpurtan green, the red and white ('arian, the
African of a sallron colour, and many <)ther
kinds. Tho other aniiquitiis of Constantinople
and Europea". Turkey, would occupy many
pages in the bare cuumerition. Suffice it here
to observe^ that the French have recently dis-
covered the remaius of the ancient soa-port be-
longing io Sparta, near a barren promontory,
which projects from the south of the Morea;
and that the antiquities and geography of that
part now styled Albani;;, still present a Held of
research to the enterprising traveller.

RELIGION.] The religion of the Turks is tlie
Muhaninu'dan; but of their subjects, in thisdivi-
tion of the empire, it is probable that two-
thirds arc Greek Christians. The religion of
Mohammed has been recently cleared from many
erroneous representations: but its pernicious
efi'ects are suHicicnlly visible in the destruction of
art and industry, wherever it has made its ap-
pearance. The e.xdusive attachment to the
Koran, the rigid fanaticisu),! and the contempt
for profane knowledge, conspire, with the de-
vout hatred against all unbelievers, to prevent
any intccourse with other sects, and thus to
erect u barrier against every branch of science
and industry. While the MohauMuedans regard
fill other nations as dogs, (to use their own ex-
pression), it is no wonder that they themselves
should sink into an ignorance and apathy truly
brutal. The mufti, or >Iuhumuicdan pontitf, prc-
2

sides at Constantinople; but his po;vcr has sc^-l
dom intK-rfered with the. civil governraeut. N\.j,t|
to him in rank are the moulahs, wlw, thoughl
-"steamed dignitaries of the church, , are in fi^A
rather doctors of the law, while thei^|||toran ij
also a code of civil observance. From flio kiou-
lahs are .selected the inferior muftis or jud"ej|
throughout the empire, and the cadeles(niieic I
or rhief justices.

GovEriNMENT.] Tlic sultan is a dcsp(v(ie so-
vereign ; but he is himself strictly subject t(i thel
laws of the Koran, which, iuciudiug also iliel
national religion, raise such obstructions to lusi
absolute will, that an intelligent traveller piu-
nounces many Christian sovereignties more ilc-l
spotic. Henc6 it appears, that the power of tliej
monarch is balanced by a religious aristt)('ru(\
which, together with the mutinies of ilif Jaii;.|
zarics, and the insurrections of the provinciall
pachas, has greatly weakened the sovereigit au-l
thority.

The Turkish laws arc contained in the Koran;]
but to supply the defects of this work, suc-
cessive moulahs of high reputation, usili;i: the]
Koran as n kind of text, have constructed coiu-l
mentarics which have acquired the t'orce ot'l
laws. The Turiish empire is chiefly guided byl
those of Aboil Hauife. As a due skill in tlieici
commentaries require considerable study, cccIm-
astics versed in this science became in some de-
gree a distinct body from those merely dcilicaU(l|
to the priesthood.

Foprr.ATiON.] Turkey in F.uropf has boeiii
computed to contain eight millions of iiilial;t
ants; but it is probabl.: that this nuuibor raiht-i*
exceeds (he truth, when it is considered nvd\
these rgions arc intersected by manv mtnii-
tauious and barren tracts, and that the popuU-
tion even of the best provinces impresses Ua\c'l-|
lers with a striking deiect.

Revenues.] I'lic revenues of the wliolel
Turkish empire are computed at aboi-t 7,(K)(),lilifll
sterling, while the usual expcnce do-'s notcMadl
five. This revenue is partly derived from tliej
capitation tax on unbeliever^, and fromtliL':(
clutt, or customs; but principally from tiu' taxi
on land, amounting to about six shiliintf;s aiiarro,!
and which is called the Jizie. 'i'lie sultan is iilsol
supposed to possess a considerable jjrivaU- tna-
"urc ; V, hich, -.vhen calle*' (orlh b\ the cMiicii-
cics of the state, will probably be found <ii u|

^ »•!«

TURKEY IN EUROPE.

J I ' I » .T I

803

small account as the treasures of similar fame,
flliich feJl' i»to the hands of the French. A
ii]irc rCil' treasure may be cxpectecl from itlie
arbilrariJ«x'actions from thi; rich, ptinficuliirly
(lie GWiitiBns. •: ■>

Manners and Ccstoms.] The manners and
fiistoiiis of (lie Turks are dislinguishcd by the
iiiTuiiarity of (ht-ir relipfion from lliose o I' other
Iviifopeiin nations. On the birth of a child (he
father himself <;ives the name, putting at the
same time ai grain of salt, into his mouth. Mar-
rime is only a civitcontracti whieh eitl.fr party
niav break, and is managed by fcinalG uicdialioo,
(he youth sehlora seeing his Ln.ic till atUr tiie
lorcinony. The burial-ttrounds are nciir Ui«,hij>li-
vtiY», and stones arc often placed at the head of
ihepraves, with carv«d lurbuns dcuotiof:' the sex.
As tlicy never intrench upon-albrmer gravti (he
cemeteries are very extensive. In diet the Turks
ifc extremely moderate, .and their meals are.dis-
Datclied with trrcat haste. Riie is the favourite
idod, an<l is chirtly drt'ssed in! three ways; the
pilau, boiled with mutton or fowl ; the lappa,
or mere boiled rice; and the tehorba, a kind of
broth of the same vegetable. The meal is usually
t|)read on a low wooden table, and the master of
till' house pronouucv '. " shcfft prayer. The frugal
repast is fulljwed by faiits aud cold water, which
ire succectied 'bv hot colfee, and pipes with
tobacco. The ho ises of the Turks are seldom
essenjive ; aiwl t'/e chief furniture is the carpet
winch covers the floor, with a low sofa on one
side of the room. In regard to dress, Tourne-
lort observes thaf the us«* of the turban i.s un-
hcalthv. Jecause the cars are exposed, and its
lliitkiies!? prevents perspiration, 'llie shirt is of
idlico: and the loose r(d)e is fastened by.a girdle,
111 which is stuck a dagger; while the tobacco
box, pocket book, &c. are worn in the bosom.

I The robe is generally of European l;r(»adcloth,
trimmed with various lurs. The shoes, or rather

Klippers, are i^light, and uotit for much exer-
fisc. Th«> dress of the women ditVers little from

[lliut of the men, t!ie chief distinction being the
lirad-dre.ss; that of the fair sex consisting of a

Ibiiinet, like an inverted basket, formed of paste-
board, covered wiib cloth of gold, or other ele-
Hiiit materiitls, with a veil extending to the eye-
brows, \^liilc !i Hne handkerchief conceals the
iiiider [.trtof the face. The personal cleanliness

U( both sexes iv highly laudable ; but the Ei^

ropean eye is not pleased with the female cu.stom
of staining the nails with ii red tincture. The
amusements of the Turks partake of their indo-
lent apathy, if we except Iuiiitii)g, and those of
a military description. To recline on r.u elegant
carpet, or in the hot season by the side of a
stream, and smoke the delicate tobacco of Syria,
may be regarded as their chief amusement. With
opium they procure what they call a kief, or
placid intoxication, during which ilie fancy
i'orms a thoui^aud agreeable images, but when
the dose is too potent, these are succeeded by
irritation and ferocity. Chess and draughts are
fiivourite games ; but those of chance arc consi-
dered as incompatible with strict nuiruls. The
coft'ec-houies, and the baths, furnish other
sources of amusement ; and the bairam, or festi-
val which follows ihcir long lent, is a season of
universal dissipation.

liANGtAOE.J The Turkish language is of far
inferior reputation to the Persian or Arabic,
being a mixture. of se\era! dialects, and possess-
ing ueither the force, elegance, nor purity of
those two celebiaterl oriental tongues.

CAPn'ALCirii-.s.l The chief city of European
Turkey, and of the Turkish empire, is Constan-
tinople, so called because founded by Constaii-
tiiie. The advantages of the situation fi'n liardiv
be exceeded, and the aspect from the sea is pecu-
liarly grand ; but on a nearer approach, the
wooden hovels and narrow streets disappoint llitv
splendid expectations of the sp; (tator. Tlii^ capi-
tal forms an unequal triangle, resembling a harp,
being about twelve or four<ecn I'^nglish inih;n in
circumference, indoscd by wails, and o!i two
sides bv the soa nnd the harliour called the tiojdeii
Horn. The inhabitants are computed ai four
hundred thousand, including the four suburbs,
(ialata, l*era, Tophaiia, and Scutari. Oftlie;-^
two hundred thousand are Turks, one hundred
thousand C^rcek, and the remainder Jcvys, Arme-
nians, and Franks. The most celebrated edi-
fices are the Seraglio, which comprizes a hirgo
space crowded with various briildmgs of mean
architectiMo; and tlu; mo.sque ol Sancia S:.p!iia.
The principal entrance of the Seraglio is si vied
Capi, or the I'orte, an appellation which has
passed to the Turkish court.

Ci.iMATK AND ScAsoNs ] The cxtensivo re-
gions com|)rised witliin tiie liiijifs of Enrcpeaa
Turkey enjoy, in general, a delirious climate,

pure

'!il: I

If:

UMi

1, 1

80*

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCHIPTION OP THF! WORLD.

pure air^ and regular seasons. Ovid> who was
banished to modern Bulgaria, has written many
elegiac complaints on the eevcrity of the clime;
anu it seems an undoubted fact^ that the seasons
have bccoiue more genial since Europe has been
stripped of these enormous forests, which diffus-
ed humidity and cold. The climate of Moldavia,
which Ovid would have painted like Lapland,
is now little inferior to that of Hungary, though
the western part be mountainous, and the easterii
present many uncultivated deserts. In Walachia
the air is so temperate that vines and melons pros-
per. In the mountainous parts of the more
-southern districts the temperature must partake
of the cold, universal in such elevated regions ;
but the products of Macedonia and Greece, rice,
vines, and olives, -shew th.t the climate retains
its ancient praise.

J<'ace of the Countrv.] The general ap-
pearance of Turkey in Europe is rather moun-
tainous, but abundantly interspersed with deli-
cious plains and vales ; and to the N. W. of
Constantinople there is a plain country of vast
extent, while the shores of the EuxiuepresMt
many level des<>rt9. Besides the grand stream of
the Danube, luany large and beautiful rivers in-
tersect these provinces, and the numerous gulphs
of the Archipelago and Mediterauean diversify
r.:id enrich the country.

Soil an« AiiRicui/rnuF,.] The soil is gene-
rally fertile, the northern parts producing wheat
and rich pasture, the middle and «so'ithern abun-
dance of rice. i)ut agriculture, like every other
art and science, is neglected by (he Turks ; and
that soil must be t'uly fertile which, under their
«way, can support its inhabitants.

Rivers.] Among the rivers of Europ'an
Turkey must first be named the Danube, which
from Belgrade to Orsova divides Scrvia from the
Banat, and afterwards becoj.es a '''urkish strc; <n.
The Maritz, which rising in a chain of mcun-

* In its soiithern part, abunt a m\\c and a half frdiu tlio
sea, risog a rugged cavern, with sonic ancient inbcriiitions.
After procecuing ahoiit twenty paces, a|ipcars a dark uiid
low passage, whence the traveller, bning provided witii
ligiits, descends by a rope, and afterwards by a ladder
placed by the side of deep abyssi^s. The path how becomes
more easy, and conducts to another deep precipice, which
is descended by aauther ladder. After much faligue, and
some danger, the traveller at lt:n;;tb arrives in the grotto,
which is supposed to be about nine hundred feet from the
<list opening. Tournefort estimates the ht-ight of the grotto
at about forty fathoms. The stalactitic marble huna,^ fioni

tains anciently called Htemiu, and running to.]
wards the E. and S. falls irto the ./Egcan Sea

Lakes.] Budzac «nd V^alachia contain some!
lakes of coi(8iderableeKtent, as those roui;d Istnail I
and that to the E. of Surza, which conununi-l
cates with the Danube, or -forms a part of thnti
river.

MouNTAiUB.l The chains of mountains are I
numerotts and extensive. To the W. of INIoldavia]
and the Buckovine runs N. and N. W. forflbouti
two hundred miles, part of the grand Carpathian [
chain. Besides these, tiiere are other . .ikigo ofl
mountains of great extent. i

Zoology.] The zoology of European Turkey
presents few peculiarities. Tbejackall, frequent |
in Africa and Asia, is not unknown in these]
regions:; and among the beasts of burthen must]
be classed the cai^el. The Turkish horses arc]
celebrated for spirit and form : and those of ^Va-
lae) ia deserve particuUr praise. The breeds or|
qualities of their cattle have been little explained.
The sheep, distiaguished by the name of Wa-
lachian, liave spiral horns of singular elegance;]
but the fineness of the fleece would be a more]
useful distinction.

Mineral \yATERs.] The mibenl waters are]
iitdo known or celebrated ; and the'lbatural cu-
riosities in the northern parts, and around mount]
Hvmus, remain undescribed. Of those in the]
south, the principal is the grotto of Antiparos,!
one of the islands of the Cyclades to the Mcst ofl
Puros. The whole isle is a ro :k of fine oiarbk,]
about sixteen miles in circnmf: ence *.

ISLANDS

BHLOXGING TOTUBRKY IS EUROl'E.

The numerous islands in the Archipelago arci
by geographers considered as belonging to Eu-
rope, except a few ^hich approach the AdutiV
shore, as Mytilene, Scio, 8amos, Cos, niiiil
Rhodes.

■ rrrtrr -.i --i- -iri-

thc roof io the moiit elegant and picturesque forms ; an. oni
the floor are lar,'{o masses of stalagmite, brownish und K-*|
pure, f>rodiircd by the liquified stone dropping froui uboK,
A great distinction between this grotto and others of a siiiii'
lar kind in F.ngland, and other countries, is the purity «' I
the material, being marble eff a snowy whiteness, umi il>el
finest calcareous spar. The marUlc of Pares t>a<> Iki!
known and celebrated for many ages, iM-the most pure lUt j
(he sculptor can employe but some prefer that of Camn,
as of a fioer and closer grain, and more obedient to tlioj
chissci, th«(>reciao having a large crystalUue graiu, it|iti)|
eli k 0 fl' mure largely thaa required.

Tliel

)d vutming to-
^gean Sea.
a contain aomej
lerouiid Ismail,!
lich coa»!Tjuiii-j
a- part of tiist

moontains arei
V. of Moldaviaj
i. W. for about!
and Carpathian I

other .iugci of

iropean Turkej '
ackall, frequent j
cnovrn in tlieiel
f burthen must]
kish horses arc I
nd those of ^Va-l

The breeds or)
little explained. [

name of Wa-
^ular elegance;!
ould be a morel

reral waters arc I
the^atural cu-
id around mount I
Of those ill the]
o of Antiparoi,
es to the Most of |
k of fine niacblc,
ince *«

N EUROl'E.

Archipelago arr|
ilonging to Eu-
larli the Xm\\(
MOx, Cos, and |

'squc farms ; an. on I
f, brownish ami btj
ropping from aljoTf.l
and others of a siini-
Ties, is tho inirity ufl
f whitcneu, mxl (''^l
of Paros l>as IhhiI
IS -the most piirctUj
ofer that of (>»rrar3,
lore obt'dieut to tin]
atalUae grain, aiit'»|

Tliel

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ri\ :

[:,,

7'i-i b

^\-:'U

:\ m I

• j

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r',

'I^¥

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■t-f'

'".i 1

1 -.vJ

I in ami

la pco

Jbdundii

pellati(
III was
I the nail

bdldcr
jrious
IThis
llhp k
iFfcnch

|f.iKiiii
'ini (
\1jS3,

• Th.

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|li/ Ihe

Vol

HOLLAND.

SOS

The islands of ancient Greece have been so rc-
ncatedly described, that little more than an eau-
nieratiun may suflicc. The largest is that of
Crete or Candia, which isabont one hundred and
eighty British mWea in length, by forty as its
(rreatest breadth. A chain of high mountains,
(\lled tlie White Mountains, from the snow,
jitrvades a great part of its length. The inha-
bitants are vigorous and robust, and fund of
irchery. This isle abounds with cattle, sheep,
jwine, poultry, and game, all excellent; and the
\me is balmy and luscious. The siege of Candia
bv the Turks in the middle of the seventeenth
century, is remarkable in modern history, as
hiving continued for twenty-four years, 1646 —
lt]70. This island had before flourished under
the Venetians.

Next is Negropont, anciently called Euboea,
about one hundred British miles in length, by
t»rnty in breadth, a large and importai:t island,
^tliicli also belonged to the Venetians to a late
period *.

The other isles are generally of a diminutive

I size, among which are Lemnos, Skyro, and

Aiidro. It must not be omitted, that in 1707 a

I Dew island arose from the sea, with violent

Tolcnnic ex|)losioDs, near Santorine, about a mile

in diameter. . ' .

HOLLAND.

Names.] The Seven United Provinces were,
lin ancient limes, chiefly possessed by the Batavi,
a people highly celebrated by Tacitus: but the
boundaries being modern,' there is no ancient ap-
pellation which particularly denotes this country.
It was lately staled (he republic of Holland, from
Itlienaaic of tli€ chief province: but since (he stadt-
jhdldcr was driven from his country by the victo-
jrious French, it has been erected into a kingdom.
IThis happened in 179o; but on .Inly 9. 1810,
Ithc kingdom of Holland was annexed to the
|Frrnch empire.

Religion. J The protestant religion, in the
IraUiiiistie form, prevails throughout the king-
dom of HoUaiul. The states of Holland, in
]j83, proposed that no other form of worship

The isles of Corfu, (Vf.ilonia, and Zantr, on the
>'hor side of CJrectc, wen', on the fall of Venice, soizid
^/ the French, but now constitute au inJepcDJc4it r«pub.

Vol. H. No. CXXIV.

should be tolerated; but this resolution was
wisely rejected ; and every religion is permitted,
on condition that it do not oppose the funda-
mental laws, or teach any doctrines subversive
of the state.

PoruLATioN.] The population of this king-
dom has been recently computed at two million
seven hundred and flfty-eight thousand, six hun-
dred and thirty-two. The population of Hol-
land, the chief province, is calculated at nine
hundred and eighty thousand.

Colonies.] The Dutch, being, for a consi-
derable time; the chief maritime power in En-
rope, their colonies were numerous ; besides
some settlements on the coast of l^lindostan, and
an important establishme.it in Ceylon, they held,
and still retain, the Spice Lslands, Batavia, in the
island of Java, the Cape of Good H(»po, Suri-
nam, and other considerable establiishmcnts.

Arm*.] The array was computed at about
thirty-six thousand, but it is now incorporated
with that of France. The navy, which used to
consist of forly ships of the line, has by the
events of the last war almost totally disappeared.
The Dutch are, however, forming a powerful
fleet at Antwerp, which was intended to be de-
stroyed by the English in 1809: to eflect which,
the most powerful and best appointed armament
that ever sailed from the shores of Britain was
sent ; but, alas ! the fatal eflects of the Walche-
ren fever destroyed so many of our troops, that
orders were at last dispatched for the speedy re-
turn of the remainder to England. This discom-
fiture of the English forces was made a subject
of parliamentary enquiry in 1810.

Manneks ANn Customs.] On visiting Hol-
land, a stranger is surprized at the extreme clean-
liness observable in the houses and streets ; even
hamlets, inhabited by poor fishermen, displaving
a neatness and freshness, which forms a striking
contrast with the squalid appearance of the Ger-
man villages. The air being always moist, and
commonly cold, the Dutch dress is calculated
for warmth and not for elegance. The people
are of a phlegmatic temperament; and their
courage at .sea is rathar obstinacy than ardour;
while from the same cause, their labour i« rather
slow perseverance, than impetuous strength, ,ike

lie, nmlcr the protection of Rn^sia ; a curious experiment
on the gcDtus vf luudcra G rrcci^

that

■\ \

■ '' '

!;H

IM,

.39;

ii!

% ■ h 1

80(3

GEOGRAPHICAL l>ESClUl*TION OF THE WORLD.

uliat of the English. In former times their
I<no\v ledge was chiffly restricted to two chan-
nels ; affairs of slate, on which even the viilg;»r
would converse with propriety ; and the arts of
ge'.ting money. But the hitter at length sup-
planted every noble thought and generous feel-
ing. This striking characteristic has impressed
every spectator, from the days of Ray the natu-
ralist, who visited Holland, in 166.'^, even to the
present hour. A late amiable traveller observes,
that " the infatuation of loving money, not as a
ineiin, but as an end, is paramount in (he mind
of almost every Dutchman, whatever may be his
other disposition and qualities; the addiction to
it is fervent, inveterate, invincible, and universal
from yot'th to the feeblest old age *." The
Dutch are commonly low in stature, and the wo-
men are talltr than the men. Their dress is little
affected by fushion. The opulent merchants
delight in their villas, thickly planted among the
niiinerous canals ; and the smallnoss of the gar-
dens was compensated by the richness of the mi-
niature selection, in which perhaps one tulip root
might cost fifty guineas. In the winter, skat-
ing is a favourite amusement, and the canals are
crowded with all ranks, from the senator to the
milk-maid with her pail, and the peasant with
his e<;<;s. But the chief amusements, in so moist
a cliiurtte, are under the shelter of the domestic
Toof, in large and expensive collections of paint-
ings and prints, which also have become an
article of commerce and avarice.

Ii4N(Ji'AOE.] The Dutch language is a dia-
lect of the German.

Education ] The mode of education pur-
sued in these provinces seems to have been
greatly interior to that used in England. The
Dutch youths being chielly allotted to a seafaring-
life, there was not indeed opportunity for nume-
rous parochial schools, and consequent diffusion
of common knowledge The most celebrated
Latin schools were at Rotterdam, Treda, Mid-
dleburg, Grt)niiigcn, &c. The universities are,
Levden, Utrecht, Harderwvck, France ker, and
Groningen : with two inferior colleges at Am-
sterdam and Deventer. There is an academy of
sciences at Haarlem.

Cities and Towns "] Amsterdam, the chief
city of Holland, upon the small river Amstel, is
first mentioned in the thirteenth century ; but in
the fourteenth was reckoned among the com-

mercial towns of Europe. About the miJdic of
the seventeenth century, during the higliesi pros.l
perity of the republic, it was ertlarged by iiboiitl
<Mie iialf. The haven i» not distinguished \,A
natural advantages, but has been improved m,jl
secured by art : and the wide forest of masts ini-
pressed every traveller with amazement. The
population is computed at about two hundred]
and twelve thousand. The streets are prenerallv
narrow, and the canals feculent. The chief'
edifices arc the state- hod'se, founded on piles atl
an immense e.x pence ,' the exchange, and die]
post-office ; but some streets along the chief
canals display houses of uniform grandeur. Here
is the famous Delft Gale, which may be cnnsiJ
dered as a curiosity. :

Lcyden is esteemed the next city in pnpulaJ
lion, containing about fifty thousand souls. fH
is the Liigdunum Batavorum of antiquity, and
is distinguished by its univerwty. Here the anJ
cieut Rhine almost expires in a number of sma||
channels, which arc passed by so many bridgeiJ
that the nvimber has been computed at niura
than one hundred. The meadows and gardcnj
around Leydcii arc remarkably pro(lucli\c,
there is a daily intercourse, by canals, with the]
other chief cities and provinces. The fair is still
much frequented; but the university has declined!

Inland Navigation.] To enuineiate
canals of the United Provinces would be inliniicj
for they equal the roads in other couiitrits; aiii[
the advantage must be the more perceived dirJ
ing the interruption of maritime cunnncrcc,
the increase of the iilfimd trade with GcrnmnvJ
the southern Netherlands and France.

Manufactures awd Gommehce.] The rlijej
manufactures of Holland are linens, minv off
which, however, are made in Silesia, pdltcrvi
and painted tiles, especially at Delft, IcalherJ
wax, snuii", sugar, starch, paper, besides soma
of woollen, cotton, and silk. But the mosj
precious branch of commerce consisted in spirfj
and drugs, brought from the settlements ir, ilii
East Indies ; and the Dutch East India (Mni{
pany was, for a considerable lime, the ijrcaid
mercantile firm in Europe, The fishery in i^
Northern Seas, and even on their owiiai'dilt
English coasts, was also an object of greitconij
mercial importance. Latterly, perhaps, tic tii
advantage was derived from Holland beiiiir lli
grand dciH)8it of coiunierce between Great nrij

till

• Mrs, lUdclillf, vol. i. p. VS*

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lyENMARK AND I^OllWAT.

hot

{bin and ttie continent, particularly Germany and
France. The inland trade with Germany, by
(he canals and tha Rhine, ia almost the only
^aneh which has escaped the ravages of war *.

Climate And Seasons. Humjdity and cold
ire the chief characteristics of the climate of
Holland. The ^neral face of the country is
that of a large marsh which has been drained;
the can&ls, and ev«n the bca, looking pale'arid
discoloured by mud; but the numerous and. im-
portant cities' and toMms excite adtniration, and
thrmo^t dignified ideas Of the wonderful powers
of industry, which seems to haye selected a chief
leat annidst the greatest natural disadvantages.
And even among these marshes the eye is re-
(jeved by the groVes, gardens, aAd meadows;
.,id to the eaftt of Utrecht the woods and hills
l^tly swell tcrwftrds <3erraany. Yet the east of
Dutch Brabant is «tiU disfigured by the large
iDorass of Peal, extending about thirty British
miles in length : Over-Yssel, so called from its
irestcrn boundary of the Issel, which received
ihe canal led by t)rusds from the Rhine, is al-
noH wholly composed of enormous marshes and
heaths; and the morass of Bourtang rivals that
of Peal in extent. The nprthem provinces of
Friesland and Groningen pYesent towards the S.
and S. R extensive heaths ; while the parts to-
wards the sea rival the morasses of Holland.
Thus the whole country may be said to display
in intimate combination of land and water; and

I thefew elevations commonly consist of barren sand.
Soil AND AgricultdiIb.] The agriculture of
inch provinces cannot be expected to be con-
siderable, the land being mostly under pastu-
rage, excetit a few crops of madder, and to-
bacco, whi<;h are cultivated ^ith great predi-
lection. The pasturages in the north of Hol-
land supply such quantities of excellent butter,

! u to become a staple article of commerce. The
eows seem to have been originally from Holstein,
and the utmost attention is paid to warmth and

I cleanliness^ so that even in summer the animals

I q)pear in themeadov^s clothed with ludicrous Cafe.

* Of this the B^oit rctnarlftble feature consists ia the vast
j floats of timber, which arrive at Dort from Andornach, and
other places on the Rhine, whose copious streapi reccjvcs
the trees of the German ioreCts. Th<i length of these rafts
is from seven hundred to otfe thousand feet, the breadth from
£ft/ to ninety : and fi?e hundred labourers direct the float-
hj island, which is crowned with a village of timber huts for

RiTBRS.1 The chief rivers of the United Pro- "
vinces sire tne Rhine and the Meuse ; the hitter
here receiving at its estuary the Aa, joined with
the Domel (Vom theS.; and from the N. that
great outlet of the Rhine called the Waa}^: anil'
neo.r Inrty British miles farther to the W. the
second grand outlet of the Rhine, called the
Leek, joins the Meuse, after which but a small-
stream passes by Leyden to the Gertnan ocean.
The principal river falling into the Zuyder Zee
is the Issel, 'which ftses not far to the S. W. 6^
Munster, and a'PKtt receiving the canal of DrusuS-
near Duisberg becomes a considerable stream;.
On the N. of this is the small estuary of Wecht,.
which rises to the N. of Munster.

■M*

DENMARK AND NORWAY.

These countries having been already described^
(see above pp. 477, 489, ) it would be improper
to mention any thing in this place that has beeiv
before noticed. We ahair therefore advert to<
only a fevf^ particulars.

Divisions.] The territories subject to the-
crown of Denmark are divided into the following,
provinces: Denmark Proper, T.Jutland, 2. Isle
of Fuhcn, 3. Isle of Zeeland, 4. Slcswick,^.
Holstein.— Norway ; 6. CHristiansand, 7. Ag-
frerhuus, 8. Bergen, 9. Drohtheim, 10. Nor-
land, 11. Finmark.— 13. The Isle of Iceland.
13. Isles of Ferroe.

Antiquities.] The ancient monuments o^
Denmark and Norway are chiefly \vhat are called
Runic ; though it he not clear at what period th^
use of the Runic characters dxtehd«fd so far to th^
north. Circles of upright atones are Conimoo^
in alt the Danish dominions; in Icelatid their
origin is perfectly ascertained, as some were-
erectcd even in recedt times of the Icelandic re-
public, being called Domhring, or Circles of
Judgment. Monuments also occur of the othei'
forms imaii^ined by our antiquaries to be Druidic.
The churclies of Bergen ..ad of Drontheim werS

their reception. The narigation is conducted with the-
strictest regularity: and on their arrirai at Dart the sale ot
one raft occupies several months, and frequently produces
more than thirty thousand pounds sterling. The other'
branches of inland trafllic are numerous; and th^ Rhine
may be said to supply Holland with insular advantages, se-
cure from the destructive inroads of maritime war.

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808

GEOCRAP!!ICAL .DF:SCnH»TION OF THE WORLD.

both biiilt of stone in Uie eleventh century. The
residences of the chiefs appear to have been ge-
nerally constructed of wood, for there are few
ancient castles to be found in Denmark or Nor-

AnMY, &c.] The army of this kingdom is
computed at seventy thousand men, of which
Denmark supplies about forty thousand, and
Norway the remainder. The navy, prior to the
late engagement with the English off Copen-
hagen, consisted of thirty-three ships of the
line, manned by about eleven thousand seamen,
and five thousand marines.

IIEVENUE.3 The annual ifi\eiMie is computed
«t about one million and a half sterling, ^eiog
superior to that of Sweden. Denmark contri-
butes five hundred and focty'Uirce thousand five
hundred and fifty-four pounds; Norway two
lu.ndred and ninety thousand pounds; Sleswick
arjd Holstein three hundred thousand pounds;
the West Indiau islands two hundred and sixty-
two thousand pounds; the toll levied upon «hips
passing the Sound one hundred and twenty-two
thousand five liundred and fifty-four pounds;
Altona three thousand one hundred and fifty
pounds. The expences of the state amount an-
nually to about one million and fidty thousand
pounds ; and it is bur^hened with a debt of two
million six liundred thousand pounds.

Manners and Customs.] The manners and
customs of the superior Danes differ little from
those of the same classes in other parts of Eu-
rope. The peasantry contiwie in a state of vas-
salage; except those of the crown, who have
been recently delivered by the patriotism of the
heir apparent, and a few other instances. They
are of course idle, dirty, and dispirited. In
Norway, on the contrary, every peasant breathes
the air of freedom, except those of a few noble
estates near Frederickstadt. The Norwegian
peasants are spirited, frank, open, and undauat-
ed, but not insolent ; . in the comforts of life
they seem to yield to none, except some of the
Swiss : their usual dress is of a stone colour,

* This sinfTQlzr race of men Is of a small size, generally
about four feet, wUh short blade, hair, narrow darX eyes,
large heads and high check bones, a wide :jiouth and thick
dps, and a swarthy complexion. In the southern part of
Finraark they arc mingled with Norwegians; but the
,porthcra wilderness is wholly their owq. They call them.

with red button^holes, and while metal buttons-
and the women oifteu appear only dressed in a
petticoat and shift, with a close collar round
their throat, and a black sa^h. Their usuul
bread, like that of the Scottish peasantry, consists
of fiat cakes of oatmeal : which in times of great
scarcity is mingled with the wbite inner rind of
trees. , .

Laplanders.] At the farthest northern ex-
tremity of Norway is the region of Finmark, or
more prop(:<ly Lapmark, being a large province
possessed by the Danish Laplanders*, and ex-
tending even to the east of Cape Nord, towards
Russian Lapland.

The sun is here absent for seven weeks; yet
from ten in the forenoon to one in the afternonn
there is a kind of twilight even in the shortest
days, so that one may read without a candle:
but the stars are very visible, and the moon, whea
apparent, shines ail the day. In return, the
sun never sets for seven weeks of summer; but
his beams are dull and remiss in the night, when
he assumes a ruddy hue. The rivers supply
salmon, and other fish, a considerable part of
the Laplandic food ; but at a festival are seea
mutton, or rein deer, and mead. The men wear
conic red caps, lined with fur, and a kind of
robe of cloth or skin ; the poor sometimes using
that of salmon, which appears like a white
shagreen. Till recent times they were immersed
in paganism, regardiog^ particular mountains and
rocks as holy: their chief god was Radien, who
dwelled in the starry heaven ; in the lower aerial
regions were Beivi, or the sun, with Ilorangalis,
or the thunderer, and other divinities. Amidst
the conversion of the northern nations to Chris-
tianity, the Laplanders have been unaccountably
neglected ; but since the missionaries have ex-
erted themselves with great success.

The people of Iceland, being of Norwegian
extract, have few peculiar manners, but retain
more of the ancient dress and customs of their
ancestors. They are constrained to prepare flour
from various plants described by VonTroil; aud

selrci Samef their speech Same.gielf and their country
Same Edna, being probably of the same race as the Sa.
moides. Towards the shore they build kuts ; and on thu
mountains use tents of a flatly conic form, and diridcd by
seTcral rude partitiogs into apartments for themselves, their

servants, and cattle.

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e race as (he Sa.
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DENMARK AND NOR^TAY.

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(heir chief animal nutriment is dried fisli; tiie
connHon beverage is syra, or sour whej^ licpt in
eaib and left to ferment, beer being scarce,

iNtAND Navigation.] The chief inland na-
vigation of Denmark is the canal of Kiel, so
cslled from a considerable town in the north of
Holstoin. This canal is intended to unite the
Biiltic witlt the river Ejdar, which flows into
the German sea. The extent of this important
canal is about twenty British miles and a half;
(he breadth one hundred feet at top, and fifty-
four at bottom; the least depth is about ten feet,
10 as to admit vessels of about one hundred and
twenty tons. It was begun in July 1777, and
yiii finished in 1785.

Forests. 3 'Fhere are somew^ods in the Danish
isles and forests in Jutland. The NorweglHU
mountains are generallv clothed with pines and
firg; and almost the whole country may be re-
garded as a forest, which supplies Europe with
masts and other large timber

Zoology ] The Danish dominions being of
luch great extent, and variety of climate and
tjpect, there is a great diversity in the animal
productions. The horses of Norway and Ice-
land are as remarkable for diminutive size, as
those of Holstein are for the contrary quality.
Among the more peculiar animals may be first
named the rein-deer*, common in Fiiimack and
throughout Laplnnd..

The elk. is a more southern animal, and some-
times appears in Nqrway, which is infested by
the bear, the wolf, and the lynx. The lem-
ming, or Norwegian mouse, proceeds from the
ridge of Kolen, and sometimes spreads desola-
tion, like the locust. These animals appear in
vast numbers, proceeding from the mountains
towards the sea, and devouring every product of
the soil : it would seem that after consuming
every thing eatable in their course, they at last
devour each other. This singular creature is of
a reddish colour, and about £ve inches in length.
Norway also boasts of eagles, and its falcons are
reckoned the boldest and most spirited of any in
Europe. The salmon supplies a considerable

* This animal retembles a stag, but is stronger; and the
deep division of his hoofs is adapted to tread on the snow,
being suited by ProTidence to a cold climate, as the camel is
to the hot desert. Tb« untlers of the rein-deer are longer
and more branched than those of the stag, and tbey also do.

Vol. II. NcCXXlV.

part of the Laplander'! food ; and vast numbers
are transported on rein-deer from the shores of
the Tana^ Hares are also common in that re-
mote region, as well as the bear, lynx, and fox ;
nor are the glutton and the beaver unknown.
About Roras in Norway the latter animal it
sometimes found white.

MiNKRALOGY.] In gold Norway yields ffreatly
to the Swedish mines of Aldcnfors, and only
claims the superiority in silver; the mines of
Konigaberg, about forty British miles to the
8. W. of Christiana, having been long reputed
the richest in Europe ; and one mass of native
silver in the royal cabinet weighs four hundred
and nine marks, being worth three thousand rix-
dollars,or six hundred pounds. The veins of metal
are (ran half an inch to more than two feet in
thickness. These mines were discovered in 1623
by two peasants. They are worked by thirty-
six shafts, and used to yield about seventy thou-
sand pounds annually. They supply the mint
with currency, the largest coin being of eight
Danish skilliiigs, or four-pence sterling; and it
is esteemed a peculiarity of this mine, that it
may be little productive during a year or two.
when suddenly a rich vein is- discovered wbiob,
amply repays the loss of labour..

Norway also possesses olbee silver mines, at
larlsberg in the same region^ about thirty milea
to the N. E. discovered in 1726, but of small
account.

The important copper mines of Roras, about
sixty-eight British miles S. £. of Drontheim, w^e
discovered in 1644. They are in the southern
slope of the chain of Dofira, in a rock of what
the Germans call hornschiefer. The veins are
from six inches to six ells in thickness ; and the
ore of a pale yellow. In' general the mines of
Roras are very productive, and a source of con-
siderable revenue. Other copper mines are at
Quickne and Selboe, about fifty miles to the east
of Drontheim, and at other places.

The mines of cobalt at Fossum, a recent dis>
covery, must not be passed in silence. This metal
yields smalt, or powder blue, used in painting

corate tho brows of the female. These animals arc still
nnmorous in a wild state, though the Laplanders have re.
claimed great numbers, which supply the place of horses
and cattle.

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810

GEOOnAPIHCA!. DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

pottery, and porcelain, and in cololiring starch ;
and the mine is supposed to produce a clear
annual revenue to the crown of about j^ 15,000.
Near it is a rich vein of quartz, containing large
masses of talc.

But the iron mines of Norway are esteemed
the most profitable. They are chiefly situated
not far from Arindal, in the southern province of
Christiaosand ; and' near Skeen, between Arindal
and Konigsberg. Lead appears in the vicinity
of Konigsberg; and there are alum works near
Christiana. In Iceland are found many volcanic
productions, particularly black obsidian. The
jsles of Ferroe produce agate, jasper, and beauti-
ful zeolites. The magnet is also found in Nor-
-way : with curious garnets, especially the green,
•which are little known in other regions.

Natural Curiosities.] The Moskostrom,
or Malstrom, is a remarkable whirlpool oilf the
shore of Norland, which will involve boats, and
«ven ships: nay the bellowing struggles of the
whale have not always redeemed biui from the
idanger ; the bottom is full of craggy spires, and
the noise truly tremendous. On the south of the
Ferroe isles there is another dreadful whirlpool.
The volcanoes of Iceland may also -be classed
among the grandest features of nature *. The
boiling springs of Iceland present a singular phe-
nomenon : that of Geyser, to the north of Skall-
holdt, is the most remarkable, rising from an
aperture, nineteen feet in diameter, and spring-
ing at intervals to the height of fifty, or even
ninety feet. About twenty miles to the north of
Bergen, the rocks abound with singular petri-
factions. The mountains are sometimes split
and engulphed by subterranean waters, of which
Pontoppidan relates some instances, more to be
credited, as a similar event recently happened in
the south of France. The farm of Rorre, in the
province of Christiana, was in 1703 swallowed
up with all its buildings, and there now remains
only a chasm full of ruins and saiid.

DANISH ISLANDS.

The prime seat of the Danish monarchy hav-
ing ever been in the isles of Zceland, Funen^

* Amonff these, Mount Ili-kla is the most remarkablf,
beiiiK situated ia the southern part of (he isluiul, about
twoiity Br tish miles from the ken, above which it rises to
4he heiffht of about five tiiousaud feet. The summit is co.
ycred with mowj except some fpots where the beat pre-

Liiland, Fulstcr, and the others of thnt i^rntuu
they have been consideied in the gcntrul (l('ii(7in!
tion of the monarchy, In the casl, the furthest
isle belonging to Denmark is that of Uornlidlni
a small but fttile spot, conquered by the Swpdeg
in 101.5. and surrendered to them iiy'tlie (rcalv
of Iloskild, 1658 ; but the inhabitants revolted
the s;inic year, and restored their isle (o the
Danish domination, under which it has since con-
tinued.

Otr the west coast of Jutland are the isles of
Nordstrand, Fora, Sylf, Rom, Fanoa, and others,
which with Ilelgeland, were known to the Ro-
mans; and the writers of that n^.tion appear
often to have confounded them with some of
the Orkneys, and even with the isUnds in the
Baltic.

The Norwegian coast presents one continued
series of small and unimportant inlands, most of
them indeed uninhabited. Among a few worthy
of mention may be named Karm, Boiumel, Tar-
tar. Hitteren, and others at t!ie entrance of tlie
pulph of Dronthcim: the Vikten or Viktor
islands are followed by those of Lotfoden, the
most numerous and extensive, and noted fur the
whirlpool of Malstrom.

For many years the Norwegians held the isles
of Orkney and Shetland, which last was staled
by them the Land of Ilialt, from an adventurer
so called, whence the corrupt names of Zetland,
Yctland, and Shetland., The Ferroe isles remaio
an appanage of thtf^anish crown : they arc se-
venteen in number, and not unfertile, prodticing
some barley, and abundant pasturage for sheep.
Small junipers, stunted willows, and birches,
alone bear a diminutive image of trees. They
were discovered prior to Iceland, in the ninth
century ; and export feathers, eiderdown, caps,
stockings, salted mutton, antl tallow. The in-
habitants do not exceed five thousand.

The large and celebrated island of Iceland
may be regarded as two hundred and sixty
British miles in length, from the most western
cape to the most eastern^ and about two hundred
in breadth, from N. to S. but iiic inhabitants do
not exceed fifty thousand. The go\'ernment was

dominates. The craters ara p-.>nierouk, I':.t iIic cruptioim
rare; there having only ber.i ten from the year 110-4 to
1693, after which it rciraiaed ^uiet till 1765, wh«a it
omitted flamci auti lava.

8 w E n f: n.

••«

811

uy|ristocra(itfirepub1Ic for. about three hundred
1^ eighty seven years, till in 1261 it submitted
to Norway, t

SWEDEN.

The kingdom of Sweden baving been geo-
graphically described above, p. 495, tvliich see,
ve shall content ourselves with a very brief ac-
count of it.

Naktes.] Sweden, in tbe native language
Suitheod, and more modernlySweireke, appears
1o be a very ancient appellation,' aiid is said, by
the northern antiquaries, to imply, a country whose
woods had been burnt or destroyed. '

Modern Divisions.] The provinces of the
Swedish monarchy may be arranged in the fol-
lowing manner:

Sweden Proper contains, 1. Upland, 2. Suder-
manland, 3. Nerike, 4. Westmnnland^ 5. Da-
Urne, or Dalecarlia. 6. West Gothland. 7. East
Gothland. 8. South Gothland.

West Norlarid contains, 9. Jemtlaud, 10. An-
ffcrnianland, 11. Medelpad, \2. Halsingland,
1^. Gastrikland, 14. HerjeaO.alen, 15; West
Bothnia.

Swedish Lapland contains, 10. Ascle Lapp-
mark, 17. Umea Lappmark, 18. Pitea Lapp-
mark, 19. Lulea Lappmark, SO. Tornea Lapp-
mark, 21. Kemi Lappmark>

East Bothnia contains^ 22. Uleaburg, and
23. Wasa.
' N Finland contains, 24. Kuopio Karclen, or
Carelia, 2!). Tavastland and Nyland, 26. Abo
and Bjorneborg, *27. Kymniengard, 28. Swedish
Pomerania, in Upper Saxony.

Antiquities.]. The ancient- monuments of
Swedep consist chiefly of judicial circles, and
olhcr erections of unhewn stone, followed by
the monuments inscribed with Runic characters,
flome of which are as recent as the fifteenth cen-
tury, and none of them caa safely be dated more
&ncirntiy than the eleventh. Not far from Upsal
is the n nrasten, or stone on which the king used
to he enthroned, as the old Scottish monarchs were
at Scone. The ancient temples, called Skior, or
Skur, were- of wood, and have consequently \v?.-
rished. Soitte of the old castles, erected since
the use of stone, are remarkable fur their re-

semblance ti> what are called Pictish casiles iu
Scotland.

Hblioion, Ecclesiastic Oeocuaphy] The
religion of Sweden is the Lutiieran, and this
kingdom has retained an archbishopric witli
thirteen prelacies. The parishes amount to two
thousand five hundred and thirty-seven. The
priests are computed at one thousand tliroc hun-
dred and seventy-eight ; with one hundred and
thirty four vicars, and one hundred and ninety*
two prepositi, or inspectors. Some of the pa-
rishes are very extensive, as that of Eastern
Bothnia, which is about one hundred and lifty
miles in length, by forty-eight in breadth; and
another parish in Lapland is still larger.

Population.] The population o( the king-
dom is thought to exceed three millions.

Army.] The Swedish ai-my consists o/f nar
tional troops and of foreign infantry, the latter
being computed at about twelve thousand. TitQ
total amount of the army may be forty-eight
thousand: and the soldiers are of didinguished
valour- and hardihood, and elated with the
former fame of the Swedish arms.

Navy.] , So fatal were the naval operations of
1792, that the Swedish fleet, which consisted of
thirty ships of the line, cannot nowdi^^play above
half that number. In the Baltic, which is full
of low coasts and shoals, gal lies of a flat con-
struction are found more serviceable than ships
of war, and of course great attention is paid to
their equipment by SwedCQ as well as Russia.

Manners and Customs.] The manners and
customs of the superior classes in Sweden are ad
tinged with th6se of , the- French, that no strike-'
ing peculiarity can be observed, and even the
peasantry have so much vivacity and address,
that they have been stiled the French of the
north. The complexion, which in the northern
latitudes is generally fair, is here much diversi"
fied, being in some provinces extremely brown.
The men are commonly robust and well formed,
and the women slender and elegant. The nativet
of tbe western province of Dalecarlia retain many
ancient customs, and have been distinguished for
their courage and probity, since the time thai
Gustaf Wase issued from the minesof that country
to break the yoke of Denmark. The Finlauders,
on the east of the Bothnic Gulph, are now little
distinguishable fconi tbe Swedes; and any re-
markable

!S J, 1;

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tit

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD,

-* " ' --" " " -^ — — ■ - - ■

markable peculiarities of manners and customs
must be sought i.< Swedish Lapland. Danish
Lapland, however, being more remote, less
known, and more recently described ; an account
of this singular people is given under the article
of Denmark.

SWEDISH ISLANDS.

The Swedish isles have been before described.
8«e above p. bOi!.

PORTUGAL.

> The reader who wishes for a further account
of Portugal than is here given, is referred to
Link's travels in that country, given above,
p 345, &c.

Extent. 3 Portugal extends about three hun-
dred and sixty British miles in length, by one
hundred and twenty in breadth ; and is supposed
to contain about twenty-seven thousand two
hundred and eighty square miles, aifd a popula-
tion of one million, eight hundred and thirty-
eight thousand, eight hundred and seventy-nine.

Religion.^ The religion of Portugal is the
Roman Catholic ; and a strict observance of its
duties forms one of the national characteristics.
There are two archbishoprics, and ten episcopal
sees: and there is besides a patriarch. The num-
ber of parishes approaches four thousand.

Government. J The present situation of Por-
tugal precludes our observation on its govern-
inent ; for in all probability it will shortly expe-
rience the fate of other European nations. The
population is estimated at two millions.

CoT.oNiEs,] The chief colony from Portugal
is that established in Brasil * ; and they still re-
tain Madeira and many settlements on the coast of
Africa, with Goa and Macao, in the East Indies,
the relics of great power and territory.

Language.] The Portuguese language is
more remote trom that of Castille than might be
expected from the circumstances. As the royal
race was of French extract, it is supposed that
many of the words are derived from the Llmosin
and other dialects of the south of France. It is
a grave and solerni speech; but would have

been little 'known among foreigners, had it not

■' ' ■-'— - •

4 Ib consequence of the present war carrying on in Por>
tugal, tlw I'riacc itcgcut aud the Uuceu deserted the throuc,

been diffused by the fame of the Luiiad of
Camoens.

Manufactures and Commerce.] The Por-
tuguese manufactures bre few and unimportant:
hats and paper have been lately fabricated at
Lisbon ; but the chief manufactories are those
of woollen cloth at Covilham, Portalegrc, and
Azeitao.

CiiMATE AND Seasoni] The climate of For-
tugal is familiarly known to be most excellent
and salutary. At Lisbon the days of fair weather
are computed to amount to two hundred in the
year; and those of settled rain seldom exceed
eighty. The medial beat is generally about
sixty degrees.

Rivers.] The rivers of Portugal have bcea
already enumerated in the description of Spain.
The Taj o is liere a noble stream, and its cstiiarj
near Lisbon affords a capacious haven, from two
to nine miles in breadth. Amoiiff the native
streams may be named the Montfego, whicli
passes by Coimbra ; the Soro, which runs into
the Tajo ; and the Cadaon, which forms the har-
bour of Shuval. Scarcely a lake can be traced in
the map o'/ Portugal.

Natural Curiosities.] On the north bank
of the river Douro is a high massy clifl', vith
engraved letters or hieroglyphics, stained with
vermilion a^nd blue; beneath which is a grotto,
supposed tQ. abound with bitumen.

SWISSERLAND.

Names.] The provinces known by the col.
lective name of Swisserland, were, in ancient
times, distinguished by several appellations. By
the Romans they were regarded as a part of
Gaul ; and the chief possessors were the Hclvetii
on the west, and the Rhaeti on the east. After
the fall of the Roman empire, this country may
be considered as possessed by the Aleinanni on the
east ; and on the west, as a part of Burgundia.
Divided among several lords, secular and spi*
ritual, the inheritances of the former at length
chiefly centered in the house of Hapsburg, after-
wards the family of Austria ; and, on its emanci-
pation, in the beginning of the fourteenth cen-
tury, first appeared the modern denomination of

and flew to the UtmlSf vhich U now made the "at of go.
TcrnmcnU

Swisserland,

^*.

S W I S S E R L A N D.

'80!)

g;wUserlaad> or Switzerland, eitlior derived from
the canton of Schweitz, distiriguislicil in that re-
volution, or from the general name of Schweitzers,
given by the Atistrians to this alpine people.

Extent.] In length, from east to west, Swis-
sdrland extends about two hundred British uiilcs;
and in breadth, from north to south, about one
hundred and thirty.

Divisions.] The Swiss league, before the
French invasion, ronsisted of thirteen indepen-
dent confederated cantons, and their subjects and
allies*.

The dissolution of the Swiss confederacy by
the French invasion took place in 1798.

Religion.] The religion of the Swiss coun-
tries is in some the Roman Catholic, in others
the Reformed. Of the former persuasion are
IJri, Schweitz, Underwalden, cantons which
founded the liberty of the country, with Zug,
Lucerne, Friburg, Sololhurn, part of Glaris,
and Appenzel. The reformed cantons arc of the
Calvinistic or Presbyterian persuasion, being the
rich and extensive canton of Berne, with Zurich,
Basil, or, according to the French enunciation,
Basle, Schaffhauseu, the greatest part of Glaris,
and some portions of Appenzel. The coimtry of
(he Grisons is chiefly Protestant : and Vallais, an
ally of the thirteen cantons, has been the scene of
atrocious per.secutions on account of its disatlec-
tion from the Catholic faith ; hut the inhabitants,
to the amount of about one huudrcd thousand,
DOW profess the Roman Catholic system. In ge-
neral the two persuasions live in the most amiable
unity and moderation.

Government.] The government of Swisser-
land has been a fertile theme of discussion. The
most powerful cantons of Berne, Zurich, Lu-
cerne, and P'riburg, had retained much of the
feudal aristocratic form ; and the insurrection of
the peasants, in the middle of the seventeenth
century, unites, -with repeated discontents, to
convey no high practical eulogy on the constitu-
tion, as these simple and honest vassals were not
ihfluepced by theories of sedition, but acted
solely from their own feelings of oppression. In
the eye of the roost candid observers the aristo-

• Thn followlnat h ii list of them : — I . Canton of Berne,
with the I'ays «tc Vaiitl. 'i. C'anton of Friburg. 3. (•;m.
ton of Basil. 4. Canton of Soteure. H. Canton of Schair.
Iiauson. G. (^anton of Zurich. 7. Canton of Appunzol.
H. Canton of Lnccrnc. 0. Canton of Zug. 10. Canton
of Sohwcil/. tl. Canton of Under wakt. l*!. Cantuu of

Vol. II. No. CXXV.

cracy had degenerated into a venal oligarchy,
more intent on procuring the lucrative govern-
ment of the bailliages than on the promotion of
the general advantage. The other cantons were
more democratic : but the recent subversion of
the government by the French, has reduced Svvis-
scrland to a dependent province, with new divi-
sions and arrangements. The laws of cour'-n
^ partook of the nature of the government of each
canton; and under the aristocracies were sutH-
ciently jealous and severe. Yet Swisserland was
one of the happiest countries in Europe, and re-
commended itself to the most intelligent ob-
servers equally by moral and physical grandeur
and beauty. tc^s

Population.] The population of this country
is computed at two millions. But a large portion -
is uninhabitable. '

AnMY.] The military force was reckoned at
about twenty thousand ; but in the late struggle
with France, this force appears to have been di>
vidcd, and little eflfectual.

Political Importance and Relations.] The
political importance and relations of Swisserland
arc immerged in those of the French empire.

Manners and Customs.] Amidst the general
corruption of manners, thuse of the Swiss have
long excited applp.-ise, from their moral uni-
formity, and frank independence. The houses
are generally constructed of wood, in the mostr
simple form, with staircases on the outside; yet
their appearance singularly coincides with the
picturesque character of the country. The dress
of the lower ranks is little subject to the laws of
fashion, and in many cantons there are regula-
tions to prevent idle ornament. Among the su-
perior classes the manners may be considered as
partly German, and partly French ; but it may-
be imagined that at present the latter preponde-
rate. In general the Swiss are remarkable for an
intense attachment to their native country; and'
there are few who do not return there to termi-.
nate their existence. This impression is almost .
irresistible, and liable to be uwakened by the most '
minute circumstances. Hence in the French
armies the tunc called the Ranees des Vachcs,

UrI. 13. Canton of Glaris. 14. Princi;>aIityof Ncufchatct
(lately subject to Prussia). 15 Bishopric of I'asle. 18.
County of liadcn. 17. Tho free Bailliages. IS. Turgovia.
1!). Tokcnburg. 30. The Rhinthal. '>\. Lands nf (he
Abbey of St. Gal. SW. Country of Grisons. 23. Valtu-
line. 24. Italian Bailliages. ?5. The Vallais.

8 Z often

u;:; I

1 • i'

(il^ii; :

'.!"

' "t

810

GEOGRAPHICAL DP.SCRIPTION OF THE WORLD,

often sun;^ by the Swiss milkiiiuidg^ when they
went to the pastures, was carefully interdicted^
hecuuse it melted the rough- Swiss soldier into
teurs, and seldom failed to produce desertion.
This unconquerable passion seems to arise in part
IVora a moral sensibility to the enchanting ease
and frankness of the native manners, and in part
from the picturesque features of the country, the
,verdaut hills contrasted with Alpine snows, and
delicious vales watered by transparent streams ;
^cene8 no where else to be discerncdWn such pcr-
I'cction, and which must powerfully aftcct the
imagiDation,tlic parentof the passions. The modes
of dress adopted by the Schweitzers are better de-
scribed by our plates than theyconid be by words.

Language.] The language of Swisserland is
a dialect of the German ; but the French is
much diffused, and is often employed by their
best authors. In the most southern parts, border-
ing on Italy, the Valteline, and other territories
acquired frum Milan, the Italian is the common
tongue. Among the Grisons in Engadina, and
in some other parts, is spoken what is called the
llomauesli, which seems immediately derived
from the Latin. The Vallais, or that part of
Swisserland watered by the Rhone, has also a
particular dialect: and at the city of Sion the
French begins to be spoken, .is it is also the pre-
valent language in that beautiful part of the can-
ton of Berne called the Pays do Vaud. The
language called the Vaudois, appears to have
been confined to the valleys of Piedmont. .

Education.] Travellers into Swisserland tes-
tify their surprise at the knowledge generally pre-
valent among the peasantry, so that there is
reason to infer that this useful province is not
neglected. There is an university of some repu-
tation at Geneva, and another at Basil; with
colleges at Berne, Zurich, and Lucerne.

The chief cities and towns have been described
before, in Count Stolberg's Travels, see above,
p. 401.

Commerce and Manofactuues.] Commerce
and Manufactures do net much ilourish in this
inland region. Cattle constitute the chief pru-
djice of the country ; and some of th(( cheese
forms an export of luxury. The chief linen ma-
nufactures were at St. Gal. Printed cottons and
watches, also form cousidcrable articles of sale,
nor are silk mauufacturesuiiknown in Swisserland.

Climate and Seasons.] The climate of Swis-

serlaiid is deservedly celebrated as laliibriuus anj
delightful. Frum its southern position considcr-
rable heat might be expected ; but this, thouirh
suilicient to mature the grape, is attempered br
the cold gules from the Alps and glaciers. Whoa
the sun descends beyond Mount Jura, on a sum-
nier evening, the Alpine summits long reOetttlie
ruddy splendour, and the tal;cs for near an liotir
assume the appearance of burnished gold. Tiie
winter is however in some parts extremely severe ;
and the summer heat, in the deep vales, sonie-
tinies opprciisive.

Face of the Country.] The face of (he
country is generally mountainous, the most level
parts being the Thergau, and a part of the can-
tons of Basil, Berne, Zurich, Schaffhausen,
Solcure, ;iJ Friburg. Even these present what
in some countries would be called mountiiiiM,
from two thousand to two thousand five hundred
feet above the level of the sea. No country in
the world exceeds Swisserland in diversity of ap-
pearance. The vast chain of Alps, with enor-
mous precipices, extensive regions of perpetual
snow, and glaciers chat resemble seas of ice, are
contrasted by the vineyard, and cultivated lield,
the richly wooded brow, and the verdant and
tranquil vale, with its happy cottages and crvstui
stream. Count Stolbcrg, however, as iibove re-
ferred to, gives an animated description of tlii.4
country, insomuch that little remains to be said,

Zoology.] The horses of Swisserland are
esteemed for vigoui and spirit ; and the r.ittle
attain great size. Among the animals peculiar
to the Alps, may be first named the ibex, or rock
goat. This 'animal resembles the common goat ;
but the horns of tlie male are extremely long and
thick. It is more common on the Italian tbun mi
the Swiss Alps. The hair is long, and ash ro-
lonred, with a black list along the back. The
ibex will mount a perpendicniar rock of fifteen
feet at three spring-<r, bounding like an elastic
body struck against a hard substance. In the
day he seeks the highest summits, but in the night
the nearest woods, brousing on aromatic plants,
and dwarf birch, and in the winter on lichens.

Another singular animal is the chamois, which
is commonly seen in herds of twenty or thirty,
with a ccntinel, who alarms them with a shrill
cry. The colour is yellowish brown ; but they
sometimes occur speckled. The food is the lichen,
with shoots of pine or fir. The marmot is coni-

OlOO

A u s T n I A.

811

mAis in ll>e Swiss mountains. In summer they
Iceil on alpine plants, and live in societies, digging
dwcilittgs in the ground for summer, and others
for winter. About the beginning of October,
having provided hay, they retreat to their holes,
trhere they remain torpid till the spring. The
(kin of this little animal is used for furs. The
nsrinot may be tamed, and shews considerublu
docility. The size is between that of tlie rabbit
tnd the hare Among alpine birds may be
named the vulture, called also the golden or
bearded tulture. tt inhabits the highest alps,
forming its nest in inaccessible rocks, and preying
on the chamois, white hare, marmot, and some-
times on kids and lambs.

MiNERAtoGV.] The mineralogy of this inter-
pittng countri is not so important as we might be
led to infer mim its mountainons nature. Some
of the streams wash down particles of gold.
Copper and lead are also found: but the chief
mines are those of iron, in the county of Sargans.
In the carrton of Heme there are valuable qnar-
ries of rock salt: and it is said that coal and na-
tive sulphur arc not unknown. But the grand
stores of minerals are in Piedmont and the
I southern sides of the Alps. Rock crystal forms
perhaps the chief etport of Swisserland, being
sometimes found in such large pieces as to weigh
seven or eight hirndred weight. The calcareous
parts of the Alps often present beautiful marbles ;-
and good slates arc not uncommon. As to gra-
nite and porphyry, the country may be said to
consist of them. Among the Alps are also found
serpentines, asbestos, with jaspers, agat«i<, and
various petrifactiont. Among the mincralogic
curiosities may be named the adularia, or glassy

• Nay, tlM mAontainf tbcmsclres will somctitnos burst,
Md overwhelm whole town*, as happened in the memorable
instance of Flours, near Chiavana, hi which thousands pc.
rishi'd, and no' a vc!>tigc of a building wiis left : nor aru re.
i\'tit in»fti'. jc«, thortgh lu!M tremcmlons, wholly nnknown.

+ As an example, the account which Uouriit (>i»e!* of
tkat of the Rhianu, nay be selected. " At Icui^th wu per.
cuivcd throu);ii the trees a mountain of ice, as splendid as
tli(3sun, and Hashing a similar light on the environs. This
first aspect of the glacier of tiie llhono inspired us with
(tttt fxiwctaUon. A moment afterwards this enormous
mats of ice having disappeared behind thick pines, it suun
aftir met our sight between two vast blocks of rock, which
formed a kind of portico. Surprised at the n)a<;Hiticeiice,of
this'spectacle, and at its admirable contrasts, we beheld it
wiih rapture. At length wc reached this be' iiliful portico,
bpyond which we were to discover all the glacier. We ar-
Inred: at this light one would suppose uucsclf in auoUier

felspar, on the mountains of Adula, and the trc-
molite, so called from mount Trcmola, near St.
Gothard.

Mineral Waters.] Of mineral waters, the
most remarkable are those of Leuk. To the
S. E. arc the baths of Alvenew, which are sul-
phureous, and resemble Harrowgate water.

Natural Curiosities] To enumerate the na-
tural curiosities of Swisserland would be to de-
scribe the country. The Alps, the glaciers, the
Tast precipices, the descending torrents, the
sources of the rivers, the beautiful lakes and ca-
taracts, arc all natural curiositie<t of the greatest
singularity and most sublime description. Of
late the glaciers have attracted particular atten-
tion ; but those seas of tee, intersected with mi'-
merous deep fissures, owing to sudden cracks,
which resound like thunder, must yield in «ubli-
mity to the stupendous'summits clothed with ice
and snow, the latter often descending in what
arc called avalanches, or prodigious balls, which,
gathering as they roll, sometimes overwhelm
travellers, and even villages*.

The vast veservoirs of ice and snow give birt^
to many important rivers, whose sources deeply
interest curiosity f.

fi'*

J pi*!

itrntli-'i '->- in}!. AUSTRIA.

Austria has hitherto been considered as' tt part
of Germany, but by the late wars on the con-
tinent between the emperor of Germany and the
French, the German empire has been much cuf^-
tailed and dismembered, insomuch that but little
remains under the dominion of the former id

world, so ranch is the imaginatioa impressed with the na*
tureand immensity of the objects. To form an idea of this
superb spectacle, figure in your mind a scallolding of trnu.
sparcnt ice, Clliiig a space of two miles, rising to the clouds,
and darting flashc of light like the sun. Nof were the sr^
veral parts less maguiticeitt and surprising. Om mii^lit $e«
as it Were the streetfi and buildings of u city, erected in the
form of an amphitheatre, and embellished with pieces of
water, cascades, and torrents. The effects were as prodi.
gious as the immensity and the height; the most beautiful
aeure, the most splendid white, the regular appearance of
a thousand pyramids of ice, are more easy to be imagined
than described. Such is the aspect of the glacier of th^
Rhone, reared by nature on a plan which she alone can
execute: we admire the majestic course of a river, without
suspoctint; that what gives it birth niid maintains its waterf
majr bo still more mi^cstic and inagniticcut."

comparisoa

V. ''i\

k ll* ■ ;'IJ

812

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

conTpariiion of his vast territory before those
.commotions. Bavaria, AVurtemberg, Westpha-
lia, and Saxony, have been made separate king-
doms: the title of emperor of Germany was dis-
continued by order of the French emperor; and
the sovereign of Germany vfai compelled to take
that of emperor of Austria. By the last war
.even the remains of royalty were threatened with
dissolution, and there does not appear to be a
shadow of a doubt but that the whole^of his do-
minions would have been wrested from hini, had
he not timely made a peace with the emperor
Napoleon, who has since espoused the daughter
of the emperor of Austria. The absolute limits
of his present dominions, circumscribed as they
are, have not yet fully reached us; the principal
part, however, seems to be contained in Bohe-
mia, Moravia^ Austria, Hungary, Transylvania,
and a part of Poland.

ITALY.

. THE country of Italy has been so repeatedly
described, that it has become familiar even to the
common reader: this description shall therefore
be restricted to very narrow limits. Italy being
now made a separate kingdom, of which the
emperor Napoleon is sovereign, we shall con-
sider it as one nation, without regard to its former
divisions.

Boundaries, &c.] The boundaries of this
country are deeply impressed by the hand of na-
ture ; in the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas, and
the grand barrier of the A4ps, which divide it
from France, Swisserland, and Germany. The
length of Italy from mount Rosa, the highest
summit of the Italiai^ Alps, to the Cape di
Lucca, is about six hundred and seventy British
miles; while the medial breadth between the
Adriatic and Mediterranean is about 'one hun-
dred; but from the Adige, the recent limit of
Austrian power, to the eastern frontiers of the
new French departments of Liman and Mont
Blanc (formerly Savoy), the breadth is about
two huiiJred miles. The religion is the Roman
Catholic. The present population of Italy, with
the islands of Sicily and SaHinia, is about thir-
teen millions. The manners, customs, and dia-
lects arc various and discordant, though the ge-
neral language be the Italian, esteemed the purest

in Tuscany, while the enunciation is most perfect
at Rome.

Face of the Country.] Italy is decorated
with noble architecture, and venerable remains
of antiquity, amidst a climate generally serene
though liable to violent rains. In the north the
sublime scenery of the Alps is contrasted with
the fertile plains, through which many streams flow
into the Po. In the centre there are many
marshes and standing waters, which occasion
what is called the vml aria, or a pernicious dis-
temperature of the air; but the varied ridge of I
the Appenines, and the beautiful prospects of
Florence and Tivoli, excite admiration. A
great part of Naples is mountainous ; but the
country beautiful ; yet in addition to the fiery
eruptions of Vesuvius and Etna, it is exposed to
the terrible effects of frequent earthquakes, and
the enervating sirocco.

Rivers.] Italy is intersected wiih rivers in
almost every direction, of which the Po is by
far the most large and extensive. This noble
river, descending from the centre of the western
Alps, passes to the N. E. of Saluzzo, by Ca-
rignan, to Turin; receiving, even in this short
space, many rivers, from the S. and from the ^.
The other southern rivers are of far less conse-
quence, but among them may be named the
Trebbia, the river of Parma, and the Banaro,
which joins the Po at Stellato, on the western
frontier of the former territory of Ferrara. The
course of the Po may be comparatively esti-
mated at about three hundred British miles. The
bed of the Po has in modern times been con-
siderably raised, so that in many places banks of
thirty feet in height are necessary to preserve the
country from inundation. In the middle ages
maritime combats took place on the Po, be-
tween Venice and some of the inland powers.
The other rivers of the north of Ita.y, are the
Adige, the Brenta« the Piavi, and ^be Taglia-
mento.

In the centre first appears the Arno, which
rises in the Apennines, and flows by Florence and
Pisa into the gulph of Genoa. The Tiber is by
far the most considerable in the middle, or south
of Italy, rising near the source of the Arno, and
passing by Rome, to the Mediterranean, which
it joins after a course of about one hundred and
fifty British miles.

Lakes.] Italy contains 'many beautiful lukcs,

particularly

ASIA.

817

nartioularly in the northern part. The Lago
Maggiore, Greater Lake, or lake of Locarno,
is about twenty-«even British miles in length, by
three uf medial breadth; and the shores abound
with alpine beauties, receiving the waters of
gome other lakes, among which miut be men-
tioned that of Lugano on the east. Stili farther
to the east is the lake of Como. which is joined
by that of Jjecco: the lake of Como is about
tliitty-two British miles in length, but the me-
dial breadth not above two and n half. Yet
I'trther'to th^^east'is the small lake of Isco, which
jj followed by the i^oble Lago di Garda, nn ex-
panse of about thirty British miles in length by
eight in breadth.

Mountains.] The most important mnuntaioH
of Italy are the Alps, already described by Count
Stolberg, in a former part of this work.

Naples a«d Sicily.] This division comprises
what Wits the kingdom of Naples and Sicily ;
but Naples having been subdued by the f rench,
is considered as part of the kingdom of Italy : Si-
cily, being an island, is at present under its former
sovereign, who has fixed his court at Palermo.

The isles of Malta and Gozo arc of far more
coiK°3quencc. They are rocky and barren, not
producing grain sufficient for half the cousump-
tioa of a thin population ; but may in the hands
of the English prove a valuable acquisition.
Malta is about fifty British miles in circum-
ference, and is supposed to contain sixty thou-
sand inhabitants. The isle of Gozo is about half
the extent, and is rather fertile, the population
being computed at three thousand.
I The central part of Italy comprehends what
was called the Dominions of the Church, (but
the pope is now dethroned), and the grand
duchy, now Jciugdom of T'.iscany; with a few
diminutive states. The territory belonging to
the pope reached from near Pesaro to beyond
Terracina.

Tuscany has long been celebrated for the arts;
and Florence is regarded as the Athens of mo-
dern Italv. Tuscany is about one hundred ari
twenty British miles in length by ninety in
breadth ; but in consequence of the French
ascendancy in Italy, a prince of Spain wields
bis tributary sceptre of Etruria under the pro-
tection of the French empire. Tuscany is one
nf the most beautiful and fertile regions of
Italy, with a temperate and healthy chmate. It
Vol. II. No. CXXV.

abounds in corn and cattle, and produces ex-
cellent wines and fruit. The manufactures of
silk and velvet vrere formerly celebrated, and
still maintain reputation. The mountains in the
Siennese, or southern part of Tuscany, contain
valuable ores of antimonv, copper which is
wrought at Massa, and other metals, with slate
and yellow marble. The serpentine of Im-
pruncta, seven miles south from Florence, pre-
sents beautiful varieties used in ornamental ar-
chitecture. The Florentine marble is remark-
able for picturesque reprcentations of ruins, &c.
caused by the infiltration of iron between the
lamina\ The Arno receives many small streams;
and the Ombrone is a considerable river which
pervades the Siennese.

ASIA.

Extent.] This great division of the earth
extends in length from the Hellespont to the
East Cape ; that is from twenty-six degrees east
from London, to near one hundred and ninety
degrees of east longitude; being no less than
(taking the degree at a medial latitude) six
thousand fi' ": hundred geographical miles. From
the southf . n cape of Malacca to the cape of
Cevero Vostochnoi, on the Arctic Ocean, (he
breadth extends from about two degrees of
northern latitude to about seventy-seven degrees,
or nearly four thousand five hundred geogra-
phical miles. If, for the sake of a rude and
merely comparative calculation, one sixth part
be added for the dift'crence between the statute
and geographical mile, the length of Asia in
British miles would be about seven thousand iive
hundred and eighty-three, and the breadth five
thousand two hundred and fifty.

Asia is limited, on the east, by a strait which
divides it from America, and which, in honour
of the discoverer, is called Beering's Strait.
The northern and southern boundaries are the
Arctic and Indian Oceans, in which last many
large islands, particularly that of New Hol-
land, now styled by some Australasia, aflords a
vast additional extent to this quarter of the
globe.

Original Population.] The population of
Asia is allowed to be primitive and original; if
»ve except that of the Techuks or Tchuktchi,

i) A who

ill

M' i

Ir '.

'. > :.''l! ! i

I 'I

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geoghapfhcal description of the world.

-who are supposed to have passed from thn op-
posite coast of Amctica. A few colonies have
migrated from Russia to the northern parts, as
far as tlic see^ of Kamchatka; and there are
viell known European settlements in lliudostan
and the isles to the S. E. ; but the lirst serious
attempt to colonize what is esteemed a part of
Asia vi'as the recent settlement at Port Jackson.
^Vith these and other triQing exceptions. Asia
presents a prodigious original population.

After the discovery of America and the Cape
of Good Hope, the maritime parts and islands
of Asia were successively disclosed. Yet the
recent voyages of the Rus<;iau navigators, of
4)ur immortal Cook, and ot the unfortunate La
Pcrousc, evince that much remained to be done;
and concerning the interior of Siberia scarcely
any solid information arose, till Peter the Great,
ai'ter the battle of Pultowa, sent many Swedish
prisoners into that region; and Strahlenberg, one
of the oOicers, published an account of Siberia.
This knowledge was greatly improved and in-
creased by the well known genius of Pallas, and
others. Yet our knowledge of Asia is far from
being perfect, especially in respect to Daouria,
and other regions near the confines between the
Russian and Chinese empires; not to mention
central Asia in general, Tibet, and some more
southern regious; nor had even the geography
of Hindostan been treated with tolerable accu-
racy, till Major Reunell published his map and
memoir.

Seas.] Asia is washed by a part of the Me-
diterranean, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and
gulph of Persia; the bays of Bengal and
Nankin ; and other gulphs, which diversify the
coasts.

The Red Sea, or the Arabian gulph, consti-
tutes the grand natural division between Asia
and Africa; but its advantages have chicHy been
felt by the latter, which is entirely dost' '-16 of
other inland seas. The Red Sea extends about
twenty-one degrees, or one thousand four hun-
dred and seventy British miles.

The Persiiin Gulf is about half the length of
the former, being the grand receptacle of thobe
eclebrated rivers the Euphrates and the Tigris.

The Caspian Sea, which is entirely inland,
extends about ten degrees, or seven hundred
miles in length, and is from one hundred to two
hundred in breadth. To the cast, this remark-

able sea is supposed to have extended, at no very
remote period, to the lake of Aral; the deserlj
on that side presenting the same features as those
to the north, though there be now an elevated
level between the Sea of Aral and the Casjiian.
The northern shores are low and swampy, often
overgrown with reeds ; but in many other parts
the coasts are precipitous, with such deep water
that a line of four hundred and fifty fathoms will
not reach the bottom. This sea is the receptacle
of many important rivers.

About one hundred miles to the east of the
Caspian, is the Sea or Lake of Aral, which h
about two hundred miles in length, and about
seventy "miles in breadth, receiving the river Sirr
or Sihon, and the river Gihon, the Oxus of an-
tiquity, both streams of considerable course,
flowing from the mountains of Belur Tag, or
Imaus. The Sea of Aral, being surrounded
with sandy deserts, has been little explored; but
it is salt, like the Caspian, and there are many
small saline lakes in the vicinity. I

Another remarkable detached sea is that of I
Baikal, in Siberia, or Asiatic Russia, extending [
from about the fifty-first to the fifty-fifth degree of I
north latitude, being about three hundred and [
fifty British miles in length, but its greatest
breadth not above thirty-five. The water is
fresh and transparent, yet of a green or sea|
tinge, commonly frozen in the latter end of De-
cember, and clear of ice in May. The Baikal I
is, at particular periods, subject to violent and
unaccountable storms, whence, as terror is the
parent of superstition, probably springs the
Russian name of Svetoie Mor(^, or the Holy Sea,
There are many seals, and abundance of tish,
particularly a kind of herring called onmli. Se\e-[
ral islands appear, and that of Olchon has sul-
phureous springs. The chief river flowing inio
the Baikal is the Selinga, from the south, while
from the north it emits the Angara, which joins |
the prodigious stream of the Yenisei.

Of the other Asiatic seas a minute account I
would be superfluous ; but a few observations
may be offered on the remarkable strait which
divides Asia from America. This strait, which
was discovered by Beering, and afterwards by
Cook, is about forty miles in breadth. Beerin^r,
a Dane, was employed by Peter the Great, in
17^8, and actually passed this strait, probably [
in the usual fogs of the climate, without dii^

covering I

TUKKEY IN ARIA.

,')

819

covering land to the cast ; but our great navi-
ga«or gave the name of the Danish adventurer to
(licse straits, when he afterwards explored them
vith his usual accuracy. On the Asiatic shore is
the East Cape, and on the American that called
Prince of Wales. The depth of the strait is
from twelve to thirty fathoms. To the north of
these straits the Asiatic shore tends rapidly to the
westward ; while the American proceeds nearly
in a northern direction, till, at the distance of
about four or five degrees, the continents are
Joined hy solid and impenetrable bonds of ice.

TURKEY IN ASIA. \

Extent.] Asiatic Turkey extends from the
jhores of the Egean Sea, or Archipelago, to the
conlincs of Persia ; a space of about one thousand
and lifty British miles. The boundaries towards
Persia are rather ideal than natural, though
somewhat marked by the mountains of Ararat
and Elwend. In the north the 'I'urkisli territo-
ries are now divided from the Russian by the
river Cuban, and the chain of Caucasus ; in the
south they extend to the junction of the Tigris
I and the Euphrates, which last river, for a con-
liderable space, divides the Turkish possessions
from those of the Arabs. From the river Cuban
to the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates, is
about one thousand one hundred British miles.

Divisions.] This extensivA territory is di-

Uided into nine or ten provinces. Natolia, the

most westerlv, is followed by Karaman in the

suiifh, and Roum, in the north-east. To the

iDinili of Armenia arc Guria, or Guriel, Min-

plia, ami the Ahkhas of Caucasus, the ancient

Circassians. Armenia is also styled Turcomania ;

jiu the south of which are Kurdistan, and Irak

lArabi, a part of ancient Persia around the ccle-

Ibratcd capital, fiagdad. The ancient IVlesopo-

Itamia, between the Tigris and the Euphrates,

Idow partly corresponds with the province of Al-

Igezira ; and the classical name of Syria, or Soria,

lis still allotted to the celebrated countries along

|lhe eastern extremities of the Mediterranean.

Antiquities.] The most splendid ruins are

Jthose of Palmyra, or Tadmor in the Desert, about

lotic hundred and fil'ty miles S. E. of Aleppo, at

Ihe northern extremity of the sandy wastes of

Vrabia.

Baibec, the ancient Heliopolis, is about fifty
miles to the N. W. of Damascus, the most re-
markable ruin being that of a temple, supposed
to have been dedicated to the sun.

The Turkish empire in Asia is estimated at
four hundred and seventy thousand, four hun-
dred square miles, and the population at ten
millions ; which, allowing eight for the Eu-
ropean part, will render the total eighteen
millions.

Manners and Customs.] In general the
most striking feature of manners and customs, in
the Turkish empire, is, that half the people may
be considered as somewhat civilized, wliile the
other half are pastoral wanderers, ranging over
extensive wastes. This laxity of government
renders travelling in Asia Miii(»r very unsafe, and
has proved a great impediment to any exact
geographical knowledge of these regions. Under
a prudent government, the wandering iiordes of
Turcomans and Kurds woxild be expelled ; and
regular troops and garrisons maintained on the
frontiers; when industry and the arts might again
visit this territory.

Climate and Seasons.] The climate of Asia
Minor has always been considered as excellent.
There is a peculiar softness and serenity in the air,
not perceivable on the European side of the Archi-
pelago. The heat of the summer is tempered by
the numerous chains of high mountains, some of
which are said to be covered with perpetual snow.
Face or the Country.] ^.The general appear-
ance of Asiatic Turkey may be regarded as
mountainous; but intermingled with large and
beautiful plains, which, instead of being covered
with rich crops of graii, are pastured by the
numerous flocks and herds of the Turcomans.
The soil, as may be expected, is extremely va-
rious ; but that of Asia Minor is chiefly a deep
clay; and vvlieat, barley, and durra, form the
chief products of agriculture. But excellent
grapes and olives abound ; and the southern pro-
vinces are fertile in dates. In Syria the agricul-
ture is in the most deplorable condition. The
peasants, though not sold with the soil. Like
those of Poland, are, if possible, yet more op-
pressed; harley bread, onions, and water, form-
ing their constant fare.

Rivers.] The principal river of Asiatic
Turkey is the Euphrates, which rises fr(..n the
mountains of ArtncMia, a few miles to the N. I?,"
of Erzeron : and ciucfly pursues a S. W, dir.;c-

tion

I'l

i:.\ i

I '4

I ir

820

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTIO'N OF THE WORLD.

(ion to Scmisat, where it wotild fall into tie Mo-
ditcrraneKi), if not pre\^enle.rt hv a high ixi^e of
iiioMutftins *. At Seiuisat, the unciunt Samosata,
this noble river assiinioH a southerly direction;
then runs an extensive course to the S. E.
and aftor receiving the Tigris, falls bv two or
three mouths into the Giilph of Persia. The
comparative course of the Fjiiphrat«'s may be esti-
mated at about one thousand four hundred Bri-
tish milrs.

Next in imporfancc is the Tigris, which rises
to the north of the Medan, about one hundred
and fifty milts south from the sources of the
Kuphralcs, and pursues nearly a regular direc-
tion S. E. till it joins the Euphrates below
Kornn, about sixty miles to the north of Das-
sora ; after a comjiarntive course of about eight
hundred miles. The Eu|)hrtttes and the Tigris
arc both navigable u considerable distance from
the sea.

TIk; third river in Asiatic Turkey is thet called
by the Turks Kizil Iriuuk, rising in mount
Taurus, not far from Erekli, but by other ac-
counts uumo to the east, and pursuing a winding
■course (o the north, nearly across the whole of
Asia Minor^ till it joins the Eiixinn Sea on the
"west of the gulf of Sansoun. The river Sicuria,
the ancient Sangarius, or Saugaris, rises about
fifty miles to the south of Angora, and running to
the N. >V. joins the Euxine, about seventy miles
to the easit of Conrtantinoplc.

Lakes.] Asiat^Turkey also contains nume-
rous lakes. ThatW Van,- in the north of Kur-
distan, is the most remarkable, being about
eighty British miles in length, from N. E. to
S. W. and about forty in breadth : it is said to
abound with fish.

In Syria what is called the Dead Sea, may be
regarded as a lake of about fifty miles in length,
and twelve or thirteen in breadth. The lake of
Rarkuma^ to the south of Hilla, and the ancient
Babylon, is about thirty miles in lengthy and
liows into the Euphrates.

Mountains.] Many of the mountains of
Asiatic Turkey deserve particular attention, from
their ancient celebrity. The first rank is due to
the Taurian chain of antiquity, which was con-

* In this part of its course tlio Euphrates is joined by
the Morad from the cast, a stream almost doubling in
length tliat of Euphrates; so that the latter river might

sidered as extending from the neighbourhood of
the Archipelago to (he sources of the Ganireg
and the extremities of Asia, so fur as diHcuvcrej
by the ancients. The Caucatiian mountains lia\c
been well delineated by the Russian travclleis, uJ
forming a range from the mouth of the river
Cuban, in the N. >V. to where the river Kur|
entcrsthe Caspian, in the S. E.

Towards the east of Armenia is Ararat, a dc-l
tached mountain, with two summits, the liighrsH
being eternally covered with snow. In one of the
ilanks is an abyss, or precipice, of prodigious!
depth, the sides being perpendicular, and of a|
rough black appearance, as if tinged with snidke.
This mountain belongs to Persia, but is hercl
mentioned on account of connexion.

In Syria the most celebrated mountain is tliatj
of Lebanon, orLibanus, runniiigin thesouthrrlyl
and northerly directionofthe Mediterraneun shore,!
and generally at thedistanceof about thirty or i'ortyl
miles. The Anti-Libanus is a short (ic^nchedl
chain, running nearly parallel on the cast. 'Yhaa
mountains are of considerable height, the suniJ
mits being often covered with snow.

F0REST.S.] The numerous mountains in Asiaticl
Turkey arc often clothed with immense fu;cdjOB
pines, oaks, beeches, elms, and other trceJ
The southern shores of the Black Sea also preseull
many gloomy forests of great extent. The uhuud-l
auce of timber supplies the inhabitants with fuen
nor has pit coal been explored in any part o|
Asiatic Turkey.

Zoology ] The best horses in Asiatic Turkejl
arc of Arabian extract, and arc sparingly fed willj
a little barley and minced straw, to accuiitoi^
them to abstinence and fatigue ; but mules am
asses are in more general use.

In Asiatic Turkey appears that king of fe|
rocious animals the lion : yet he rarely roamsti
the west of the Euphrates : but Tournefort obj
.^'rved many tygers on Mount Ararat. He iiiiii
mean the small tyger, or perhaps the leopardj
for the royal or large tyger seems to be restriclj
to the wastes of Llindostan. The hya;pa andlU
wild boar arc known animals of Asia-Minoi
together with troops of jaokals, which rail
dreadful cries in the night. The cities and ti|

more justly be said to spring from mount Ararat, alK
one hundred and sixty British miles to the cast of thci
putcd tiouroo.

laa

TURKEY IN ASIA.

821

Itrres svrarih with dogs, which are allowed to
grander, as ai conitant deienoe against strangers
or f nfniics.

The ibex, or rock goat, appears on the suin-
oiits of Caiirasus. The common antelope is also
,1) inhabitant of Asia Minor, with numerous
(jeers and hares. The partridges are generally of
llie red legged kind, about a third larger than
the common European.

ISLANDS BELONGING TO ASIATIC TURKEY.

The chief islands in the Archipelago, con-
sidered as belonging to Asia, are M} tilene, Scio,
Saraos, Cos, and Rhodes.

Mjtilene, the ancient Lesbos, is the most
northerly and largest of these isles, being about
forty British miles in length, by twenty-four at
iU greatest breadth. The mountainous appear-
ance of this i«le is agreeably diversified with
buys and inlets of the sea, and plantations of
olives, vines, and myrtle. There are hot baths
issuing from clifl's resembling those of St. Vin-
cent near Bristol, and which indicate the isle to
[ be chiefly calcareous. The climate is exquisite:
ind it was anciently noted for wines, and the
I beauty of tht* ■*>omen. > il : •

Scio, the ancient Chios, is about thirtyrsix
British miles in length, but only about thirteen
I ill medial breadth. The Chian wine is celebrateu
by Horace, and retains its anrient fame. The
town of Scio, on the cast side of the is!e, is
bandsome and convenient. The Greeks here
enjoy con»iderabki freedom and ease; and dis-
play such industry that the country resembles a
garden. This particular favour arises from the
cultivation of the mastic trees, or rather shrubs,
for they are small evergreens which supply the
giini,|r80 acceptably to the ladies of the seraglio.
The whole isle is mountainous. Opposite to Scio,
on the Asiatic shore, is Chesme, where the
Tui^ish fleet was destroyed by the Russians, 1770.
The inhabitants'of Scio are supposed to be about
(lixty thousand.

Saraos is about thirty miles long, and ten
Ibroad. This isle is crossed by a chain of hills,
land the most agreeable part is the plain of Cora.
iTournefort con»pute« the inhabitants at twelve
thousand, all Creeks with a Turkish Aga or
Lilitary ofticer, and a cadi or judge. The pot-
VoL.lI. No.CXXV.

tery of Samos was anciently excellent; but at
present most branches of industry are neglected.
Pitch is prepared from the pine trees in the north
part of the island, and the silk, honey, and wax
are esteemed. Most of the mountains are of
white marble, and swarm with game of various
descriptions. The best haven is that of Vati to
the N. ^V. Some remains are observed of the
celebrated temple of Juno.

Cos is about twenty-four miles long, by three
or four broad ; but has been little visited by
modern travellers. Pliny styles Cos a most noble
isle ; and from it was first derived the name and
substance of the whetstone. It is now covered
with groves of lemon trees. Its chief trade is in
oranges and lemons ; and Cos is the residence of
a Turkish Pasha.

Rhodes is about thirty-six British miles in
length, by fifteen in breadth, an isknd cele-
brated in ancient and modern times. It is fertile
ill wheat, though the soil be of a sandy nature.
The population is computed at about thirty
thousaiK'. The city of the same name,.in which
no Christian is now permitted to dwell, stands
in the north end of the isle; and was anciently
noted for a colossus in bronze, about ope hun-
dred and thirty feet high. -

Along the southern shore of Asia. Minor there
are some small isles, among which is that of
Castel Rosso, S. £. of Patira. But they are of
no moment when compared with the large and
celebrated island of Cyprudjivhich is about one
hundred and sixty British iJnles in length, and
about seventy at its greatest breadth. The soil
is fertile, yet agriculture is neglected. The
chief products are silk, cotton, wines, turpen-
tine, and timber. The wine of Cyprus is de-
servedly celebrated. The oranges are excellent;
and the mountains are covered with hyaciiitha
aiiU anemonies, and other beautiful flowers.
Cjprus is supposed to have derived iU name
from the abundance of copper ore ; and it is
said to have produced gold, silver, and emeralds.
What is called the Paphian diamond is a rock
crystal, found near Paphos ; and there is a
quarry of amsanthiis, while several hills consist
chiefly of talc. The other mineral productions
are red jasper, agates, and umber. The Cy-
priots ate a tall and elegant race; but the chief
beauty of the women consists in their sparkling
eyes. To the disgrace of the Turkish goverrt-

9 B yeramcQt

");1 U

imk t

j'im\

82S

GEOGPAPHICAL DESCRIPTION Of THE WORLD,

\ktntaent (fie ftbpiiltftibri of ih'n extemive island
u computed at fifty thiiusund souU! Cyprus is
pervaded by A cbbin of mountains, ainon^ which
IS a third Olympus, some priiiiitive name, which
seems tu have been general fur a mountain of
great height. Thcrd is not one river in the
island that continues its course in the summer ;
but there are many ponds, lakes, and ferts, pro-
ducing a damp and malignant air. Thte chief
cities are Nicosia, the capital And rcsidiebce of
the governor, and Famagusta;

ASIATIC RUSSIA.

E'XTEiJT,] This large portion of the globe
extends almost the whole length of Asia, from
about the fiflty-seventh degree of longitude east
of London to more than one hundred and ninetj
degrees. As the northern latitude is very high,
the degree shall only be assumed at thirty miles,
and the length may thus be computed at about
four thousand geographical miles. The greatest
breadth from Cape CeVero Vostochnoi, to the
Altaian chain of mountains on the south of tife
sea of Baikal, may be twenty-eight degrees or
one thousand six hundred and eighty geogra-
phical miles. In British miles {\it length may
be roughly cOidpAted at four tbousat^d fiVti hun>
dred and. seventy ; and the breadth at one thou-
sand nine hundred^nd sixty, an ektcnt vrbich
yi\\\ be found tO exiMd that of Europe.

Boundaries.] Th6 farthest eastern b6und«ry
is that of Asia, and the seas of Katnchatka and
Ochotsk; while the northern is the Arctic Ocean.
On the west the frontiers correspond wftIV thdSe
between Asia arid Europe. The river Cuban,
part; of the Caucasian cl^ain, and airi ideal line,
divide the Russian territory frora.Tutkey and
Persia. The boundary then ascend)9 along the
north of the Caspian through the stepp or de-
sert of Issira, and the cistern shore of the river
Ob, to where it issues from the Altkian moon-
fains, when it meets the va'st cmpirt of China ;
and proceeds along that chain to the sources of
the Onon, where it includes a considerable re-
gion called DaOuria, extending about two hun-
dred miles in breadth, to the south of the moun-
tains called Yftblonny; the limit between Russia
fend Chinese iTatary being partly aa ideal Une;
1

and partly the river Argoon, which, joined Avjth
the Onon eonttitates (he great river Amur,
Thence the boundary returns to the mountaii)ou»
chain, and follows a branch bf ii to a proinou-
tory on the north of the mouth of (he Amur.

Antiquities.] The most curious antiquities
seem to be the stone tombs which abound in
some stepps, particularly near the river Y'enesei
representing in rude sculpture human facts'
camels, horsemen with lances, and other ob-
jects. Here are foumf, besides human ixmes,
those of horses and oxen, with fraguicnlg of
pottery and ornaments of driess:

Religion.'] The Grecian systenq of the Ckris-
tian faith, which is embtaced by the Rnssians,
has made inconsiderable progress in their Asiatic
pomessions. Many of the Tatar tribes in the
S. W. are Mohammedans; and others follow tlio
superstition of Dalai I^iBa. But the more
eastern Tatars are generally addicted to the
Shaman religion, a system chiefly founded m\
the self-etistencb of matter, a spiritual world,
and the general restitution of all things.

Population.] The population of Siberia can-
not be computed at afaove three millions and a
half; so that Europe can in future have little to
apprehend from tne Tataric awarms. Small
Russian colonies have been estftbUshed in several
of the di^,.int) provmcet and islea. <

MAit^SRt And Customs.] The manners and
customs of Asiatic Rinsia vary with the nu-
merous tribes by whooi that extensive region it
peopled. The Tatars, properly so called, are
the most numerous, not only remaining in their
ancient kingdomf of Sibivy but eonsiitutiug inaay
other tribes in (be west, as the Nogays, the
Kirguses or Kaizaks, the Bashkirs, and other
tribes as far as the sources of the river Ob.
Next in importance are the Monguls, of whom
one tribe, the Kalmuks. arc found to the west uf
the Caspian ; while the otliers, called Bursts,
Torgnts, &e. are ehicfly around tlie sea of
Baikal. Yet farther t» the east are the Mand-
shurs, or Tunguses. Such are the three ttr
dically distinct divisions qf men, whom former
European ignorance classed umler the general
name of Tartars.

The manners of the Tatare^ who are the same
people with the ancient Huns, are minutely de^
scribed by those authoi*t who have delioeated the I

fall

ASlATtC RUSSIA.

82»

kli of the R(^rd«ii empirei prior to v»hich pe-

rjod they fleein to have been absolutely unkiiot^n.

I The manners of the Monq^uls of the RuMian

Ifnp'nf, vrho are wholly Nomadic, nnd their

l^rdt consist df horses, camels, oxen, sheep,

jind goats. The women tan leather, dig the

Llinarv roots, {irepare the winter provisions,

Lried oV sailed, and distil the koumiss, or spirit

Igf marc's milk. The men hunt the numeious

IbeiitR Artd game that roam through tho vast

Ivilds. Their tents are formed of a kind of

Ifell, and in some parts they erect liHle temples,

lind the priests have also wooden hovels arotiiid

Ijlie temples. The Kalitiuks are divided into

llbree ranks; the nobility, whom they call white

iDTieg; the common people, who are bond-men,

jad termed blAck bones; and the clergy, de-

Kctiding from both, who are free. In like

naiiacr the noble ladies arc called white flesh,

ud the common people black flesh ; but the

digrees are only reckoned by the bones. The

Dvrer of the Tnidnhn, or chief prince, con-

jiitsinthe number and opulence of his sjubject^,

irritory bciYig of no estimation in so wide a

ie»ion. These snhjycts form an Oluns, divided

|it9 imftA'*, from one hundred and fifty ttt three

tindred families, each linak bving commanded

IV a Saissun, or mible. If there be a great

Ln, or emperor, the jirinces are only guided

him iu uHairs of general importance. The

Ifibiite is about a tenth part of the cattle and

Wr property; but, on the first summons, every

Lin must appear on horseback before the prince,

(bi) dismisses tbo!>e who are unfit for the fa-

ifues of war. The weoiprtns ate bows, lances,

sahres, and su*metime!< (irc-arnis; and the

|rh warriors are clothed iu mail of interwoven

bg!, hke that used in Europe till the fifteenth

knlury. But they cannot oppose regular ar-

m, and are apt even to disorder those of their

lies

[The iVfonguls are rather short in stature, with
visace, "mall (»bli que eyes*, tliick lips, and
I short chin, with a scanty beard; the hair
Buk, and the complexion of a reddish or
Icllowish brown ; but that of the women is clear,
hd of a healthy white and red. They have sur-

I* The eye ascending towards the templet, like the
uoew, seems a peculiar feature of the Mooguls and

prising quickness of sight and apprehension, and
are docile, hospitable, beneficent,, active, and
voluptuous. Industry is a virtue entirely female,
yet great, and accompanied with perpetual cheer-
fulness. Their religious books are in the dialect
ofTangut, or Tibet, and there is a schoolmaster
in every imiik, who imparts moro knowledge to
tho boys than would be expected. Animal food
is abundant, and sometimes mixed with vogcfable,
while the general drink is water ; but they some-
times indulge in sour milk, prepared after the
Tatarian manner, butter-milk, and koumiss ;
but mead and brandy are now greater favourites.
When pasturage begins to fail, the whole tribes,
strike their tents, generally from ten to fifteen
times in the year, proceeding in tho summer to
the northern, and in the winter to the southera
wilds. The hordn, men, wpmen, aud children,
form a regular procession, and are followed by
the girls, singing with harmony and spirit. The;
amusements of these jovial wanderers consist in
ruuninu; races on horseback, in which even the>
girls excel ; archery, wrestling, pantomime, dances,
and the songs of the younp^ women, generally ac-
companied by the lute, viol, and pipe, the themes
of their ditties being gigantic tales of chivalry,
and amorous adventures and sentiments; but the
melody is harsh and dismal. Cards are not un-
known, but chess is the favourite game.

Lawodage.] The languages of all these origi-
nal nations are radically different ; and among
the Tunguses, Mongols, and Tatars, (here are
some slight traces of literature : and not a few
manuscripts in their several languages.

Cities and Towns.] In Asiatic Russia the
principal city is Astracan, at the month of the
Volga, which is supposed to contain seventy
thousand inhabitants. Astracan is built on seve-
ral small hills, that rise amid the meadows of
the Volga. The fortress on the west is triangu-
lar, but the walls of the city are neglected. The
wooden houses have exposed it to frequent con-
flagrations, and attempts have been vainly made
to enforce the use of brick. The Armenians,
Lutherans, and Papists, have their places of
worship ; and even the Hindoos have been per-
mitted to erect a temple. The chief trade o^

Mandshurs. The Tatar eye is small, but strait, or hori.
zontal.

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GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIFTIOM OF THE WORLD.

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Aatracan it tnifttt anH fitli, particulirly ttuffgeon
and kvviar,! fcom tbe Votgai ; tod it alio attracU
■orae portion Jof oriental commeice.

M idvuFACTVRRs.] There are loine nMOufac-
turet, particularly in leather, at Astracan ; and
■alt ia prepared there, and in teveral other placet
in Aiiatic Russia. Iiinglau is chie6y manufac-
tured on the shores of the Caspian, from th«
sounds or air bladder of the sturgeon, and (he
beluga. Kaviar is the salted roe of large fish.
There is a considerable fabric of nitre, about
forty aailes to the north of Atitrncan. The T atars
and Bashkirs make felts of a large size, some of
vhich are exported. .The Russia leather ia
chiefly fabricated in the European provinces, be-
ing tanned with willow bark, and afterwards
atained. Shagreen is prepared from the hides of
horses or asses, but only a particular part of the
back is fit fur this purpose; and the grain is
given with the hard seeds of the greater orach,
pressed into the leather while moist. Pitch ia
made by the boora from the pines of Siberia.
Near the Uralian mountains are several manufac-
tures in iron and copper.

Climate and Seasons.] Through the greater
part of Siberia, the moat southern frontiers being
about fifty degrees, while the northern ascenda to
seventy-eight degrees, the general climate may
more Justly be regarded as frigid than temperate;
being, in three quarters of the country, on a
level with that of Norway and Lapland, untem-
pered by the galea of the Atlantic. To the south
o£ the sea of Baikal the climate parallels that of
Berlin and the north of Germany* at^ that the
finest and most fertile regions in middle Asia be-
long to the Chinese. The chains of high moun-
tains, which form the southern boundary of these
provinces, also contribute to increase the cold;
and the sea of Baikal is comntonly entirely frozen
from December till May. The finest climate in
these eastern parts seems to be that of Daouria,
or the province around Nershinsk ; and the nu-
merous toVvns on the Amur evince the great supe-
riority of what is called Chinese Tatary, which
it comparatively a fertile and temperate region.
The cbange of the seasons is very rapid ; the long
ivtnter ia almost instantaneously succeeded by a
warm spring, and the quickness and luxuriance
4if the vegetation exceed description.

Boil and Agriculture.] Many parts of

Siberia are totally ia€ap*bl««r. •grirultiirc : but I
in the «outbern and weatera diklricts the soil j, j
remarkably fartile. Toward the north of Koly.
van barley generally yields nare than tweh.; fold
and oats commonly twtsnty fold. Buck wheat, la
thia black light mould, is apt to run intu itulk
but aown in the pooreat apota, yielda fruui twelve
to fifteen fold.

Rivers.] Some of the largest rivers of Atia I
belong to the Russian empire, nearly equalling
in the length of their course any others uii ihe
globe. The Ob, including its wide estuary, may
be said to hold a comparative course of one (liou-1
sand nine hundred British miles, while that of
the^enesei is about one thousand seven hundn 1 1
and fifty, and that of the Lena oue thousuad five]
hundred and seventy. In the su ne mode of men*
suration the Hoan Ho of the Chinese will, in jul
wandering progress, exceed the Ob ; while the]
Kian Ku, pervading the centre of China, mavl
be traced, if the Purticho be included, for A
length of about two thousand three bnndrcdl
luilea !

Lares.] In the north of Siberia the most con- 1
aiderable lake ia that of Piazinsko. In the gonthl
the aea of Baikal ia freah. Between the river Obi
and the Irtish is a large lake, about halftliel
length of the Baikal, or oqe hundred and scvcntyl
miles in length, divided by an island into two partsf
called the lakes of Tchany and Soumy. In ihid
ouarterthere are man^v amaller lakea,and o(hir«to|
the north of the Caspian, some of which arc salt,!
, particularly that of Bo«lo. I

Forests.] Asiatic Ruuia is so abundant ia]
forests, that particular; names have not beca
assigned to so vast an extent. On the v/ed oA
the government of Irkutsk an enormous darkl
and marshy forest of resinous trees extendH to tliej
river Kan. .The northern and eastern parts off
Siberia are bare of wood ; the Norway iir iiotl
being fuiind farther north than lat. sixty degrmJ
while the silver fir does not exceed lat, fiftyei;.'lit|
degrees. In Europe, on the contrary, the Sor-T
way fir forms extensive forests in Lapmark, vm
in the arctic circle.

Stepps.] These are extensive level plains, m
appearance of nature almost peculiar to AsiiJ
and some parts of European Russia : but smiie]
what similar to the sandy deserts of Africa, Tin
stepps are- not so barren of vegetation^ beioj

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THF. CHINESE EISIPIRE.

825

BOstly only sandy, with scattered patches of Ihin
rrais, and at \vide intervals a stunted thicket.
Between the mouths of the Don and Volga is a
gtepp which resembles the bed of a sea; with
ipots of salt, and saline lakes, being entirely
destitute of fresh water and wood.

On the eastern side of the Volga begins an
extensive stepp, which reaches about seven hun-
dred British miles from E. to W. ; and, in-
cluding Issim, nearly as far from N. to S. but
on the N. of the Caspian the breadth does not
eiceed two hundred and twenty.

This stepp of Barabin, N. W. of Omsk, is
about four huadred miles in length, and three
kundred in breadth, containing a few salt lakes,
but in general of a good black soil, interspersed
trith forests of birch.

Mineralogy.] The mineralogy of Siberia
displays many singular and interesting objects.

The chief gold mines of Siberia are those of
Catherinenburg, or Ekaterioenburg, on the east
of the Urnlian mountains, about lat. fifty-seven
degrees, where an oflicc for the management of
tbe mines was instituted in 1719. The mines of
nrious sorts ezteod to a considerable distance on
Ihe N. and S. of Catherinenburg ; and the foun-
dries, chiefly for copper and iron, are computed
at oae hundred Mid five. But the gold mines of
Beresof, in this vicinityr were of little conse-
quence till the reign of Elizabeth. The mines of
Nemhinsk, discovered in ITOl-, are principally of
lend, mixed with silver and gold ; and those of
koiyvau, chiefly in theSchlangenberg, or moun-
tain uf serpents, so called by the German miners,
begun to be worked for the crown in 1748.

The &:old i»8ometNnes found native, but gene-
rally niiDglcd with various sifbstances> particu-
larly silver.

Besides the copper mines in the Uralian moun-
I tains, there are also some in tliose of Altai.

The CHINESE EMPIRE.

THE utmost extent of the Chinese empire may
Ibe considered as four thousand nine hundred
1 British mUes \ong, and nearly twa thousand and
|thirty British miles broad.

China Proper extends from Ihe Great "Wall
\in the north, to the Chinese Sea in the south,
about one thousand one hundred and forty

Vol. II. No.CXXVI.

geographical, or one thousand three hundred
and thirty British miles. The breadth, from the
s'liores of the Pacific to the frontiers of Tibet,
may be computed at eight hundred and eighty-
four geographical, or nearly one thousand and
thirty British miles. In square miles the con-
tents hiave been estimated at one million two hun-
dred and ninety-seven thousand nine hundred and
ninety-nine, and in acres at eight hundred and
thirty millions, seven hundred and nineteen thou-
sand, three hundred and sixty. Ou the east and
south the boundaries are maritime, and to the
north they are marked by tbe Great Wall and the
desert of Shamo.

Antiquities.] Among the remains of Chi'
nese antiquity may be mentioned the pagodas, of
ornamented towers, sometimes erected in com-
memoration of great events ; many temples,
which are low buildings of a diOerent construc-
tion from the pagodas; and some triumphal'
arches, which boast considerable antiquity.

But tin: chief remain of ancient art in China-
is that stupendous wall, extending across- the
northern boundary. This work, which is de-
servedly esteemed among tbe grandest lahour» of
art, is conducted over the summits^of high moun-
tains, some of which rise to the height of five-
tbousand two hundred and twenty-five feet, across
the deepest vales, over wide rivers by means of
arches; and in many parts is doubled or trebled
to command important pa8ses> and at the dis-
tance of almost every hundred yards is a tower or
massy bastion. The e&tent is computed at one-
thousand five hundred miles;, but in- some ports-
of smaller danger it is not equally strong nor
complete, and towards the N. W. is only a ram-
part ofearth. Near Koopeko the wall is twenty-
five feet in height, and at the top about fifteen^-
feet thick : some of the towers, which are square,
are forty-eight feet high, and about fifty feetr
wide. The stone employed in the foundations,
angles, &c. is a strong grey granite ; but th&
greatest piirt consists of blueisb bricks, and the
mortar is remarkably pure and white.

Religion.] According to Du Halde the an-
cient Chinese worshipped asupreme being, whom^
they stiled Chang Ti, or Tieu, which is said to
imply the spirit whi6h presides ever the heavens ;
but in the opinion of others, is only the visible-
firmament. They also worshipped subalteriv
spirits, who presided over kingdoms, provinces,
9 C citie9>

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926

GFOGUAPHICAL DESmiPTlON OF THE WORLD.

■cities, rivers, and mountains. Under this sys-
tem, which corresponds with what is called Sha-
manism, sacrilices were oU'ered on the summits
of hills.

About A. D. 65, the sect of Fo was intro-
duced into China from Ilindostan. The name
was derived from the idol Fo, (supposed to be
the Boodh of Hindostan, ) and the chief tenets
are those of the Hindoos, among which is the
metempsichosis, or transition of souls from one
animal to another. The priests are denominated
Bonzes, and Fo is supposed to be gratified bjr
the favour shown to his servants. Many sub-
ordinate idols are admitted ; but as the Jesuits
found the followers of Fo the most adverse to
Christianity, they have absurdly enough called
them Atheists.

Population.] The population of China has
been a topic of considerable debate ; but it is
probable, from the calculation in NeuhofT's Tra-
vels.that the population isabout two hundred and
thirty millions ; and not three hundred and thirty
three millions, as calculatedbv Sir GeorgeStaunton.

Manners and Customs.] In visiting the sea
ports of China, foreigners have been commonly
impressed with the id«aof fraud and dishonesty;
but it is to be supposed that these bad qualities
are not so apparent where there are fewer tempta-
tions. The indolence of the upper classes, who
are even fed by their servants, aud the nastiness
of the lower, who eat almost every kind of ani-
mal, iu whatever way it may have died, are also
striking defects, though the latter may be occa-
sioned by necessity in so populous a country. To
the same cause may be imputed the exposition of
infants. On the other hand, the character of the
Chinese is mild and tranquil, and universal affa-
bility is very rarely interrupted by the slightest
tincture of harshness or passion. The general
<|rink is tea, of which a large vessel is prepared
in the morning for the occasional use of the fa-
mily during the day. Marriages are conducted
aolely by the will of tiie parents^ and polygamy
is allowed. The bride is purchased by a present
to her parents, and is never seen by her husband
till after the ceremony. H is not permitted to
bury in cities or towns, and the sepulchres are
commonly on barren hills and mouatains, where
there is no chance that agriculture will disturb
the bones of the dead. The colour of mourning
!• white, that personal ocglect or forgctfulness

may appear in its squalor ; and it ought on solcmi
occasions to continue for three years, but Hgldooi
exceeds twenty-seven months. The walls of the
houses are sometimes of brick, or of hardened
clay, but more commonly of wood; and tlicv
generally consist only of aground tloor, Ihunirh
m those of merchants there be sometimes a .second
story, which forms the warehouse. The houses
are ornamented with columns, and open gal-
leries, but the articles of furniture are few. Tlic
dress is long, with large sleeves, and a ilowinir
girdle of silk. The shiK and drawers vary ac-
cording to the seasons, and in winter the use n[
furs is general, from the skin of Hie'sheep to that
of the ermine. The head is covtred with a siuall
hat in the form of a funnel, but this varies among
tJic superior classes, whose rank is distirignished
by a large bead on the top, diversitied in colour
according to the quality. The dress is in general
simple aud uniform ; and on the audience givni
to Lord Macartney, that of the emperor was only
distinguished by one large pearl in his boaiiet.
The chief amusement of the Chinese seem to be
dramatic ;e:i^hibitions, 6re-works, in which tiicy
excel all other nations : and feats of deception
and dexterity.

Language.] The -language is esteemed the I
most singular on the face uf the globe. Almost
every syllable constitutes a word, and there m
scarcely one thousand five hundred distinct
sounds ; yet in the Written language there arc at
least eighty thousand characters, or diilercnt
forms of letters, so that every sound may havi
about fifty senses. "The leading characters are de-
nominated keys, which are not of difficult, acqui-
sition.

. Cities and Towns.] The chief cities ofl
China are Pekin and Nankin, or the northerni
and southern courts, the former being the Cam-
bula, or city of the Chan, in ivritings of tiiej
middle ages, the capital of Cathay, as NankinI
was of Mangi. Pekin occupies a large space ofl
ground; butthe streets are wide, and the houses!
seldom exceed one story. The length of what ill
called the Tatar city is about four miles, and tliel
•suburbs are considerable. By tliebost infornuT
tion which the receipt embassy could procure,
population was competed at three millions. Th«|
bouses indeed are neither large oor numarous;!
but it is common' to find three generMioDs> ^i'l'
all their wives aud cbildreOj uuder one roof,

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TFIF CHINESE EMPIRE.

827

lliey cat ia common, nnd one root' coiituin§ miin}'
bedii. The neiiititess of (liu houseii, and VAriotis
repletion of tlic shops, delight tlte eye of Ihu
visitor.

Nankin, which was the residence of the court
till the fifteenth century, is a yet more extensive
city than Pekin, and is reputed tlic largest in the
empire. The walls are said to he about seven-
teen British miles in circumference. The chief
edifices are the gates, with a few tcntples; and a
celebrated tower clothed with porcelain, about
two hundred feet in height. Such towers were
•tylcd pagodas by the Portuguese, who supposed
tlicm to be temples ; but they seem to have been
chiefly erected as memorials, or as ornaments,
like the. Grecian and Roman columns.

Edifices.]] The most striking, and peculiar
edifices iti China are the pagodas or towers, al-
ready mentioned, which sometimes rise to the
height of nine stories, of more than twenty feet
each. The temples, on the contrary, are com-
monly low buildings, always open to the devout
worshippers of polytheism. The whole style of
Chinese architecture is well known to be singular,
and is displayed with the greatest splendour in
the imperial palace nt Pekin.

Inland Navigation.] The canals of China
have long excited the wonder of other nalions.
As the two grand rivers lloanho and Kianhu
bend their course from west to east, the chief
object was to intersect the empire from north to
south; which was in a great measure accom-
plished by the imperial canal. This wonderful
work, which in utility and labour exceeds the
enormous wall, is said to have been begun in the
tenth century of the Christian era. thirty thou-
sand men having been employed fur forty-three
ycar^'in.its cpmplction. .

To enumerate! the other canals of China would
be infinite, as there is a large cunal in every pro-
vince, with branches leading to most of the
towns and villages.

IVIanu)>cture8 and C0MMEUCE.3 The ma-
nufacturesr of China aro so multifarious as to
embrace alaiost every article of industry. The
most noted manufacture is that of porcelain, and
is followed in trade by those of silk, cotton,
paper, &c. The porcelain of Chipa has been
celebrated from remote ages, and is chiefly pre-
pared from a pure white clay called kaolin;
while the petunsi is understood to be a decayed

feUspar. Borne writers add soap, rock, and
gypsum. ' flh, i i/,-;

The internal rommctce of China is immense,
but the external trade is unimportant, consider-
ing the vastncss of the empire ; a scanty inter-
course exists with Russia and Japan : but the
chief export is that of tea, wliicli is sent to
England, to the value of about one million yearly.

Mineralogy.] Among the metals, lead and
tin seem to be thu rarest. China po.ssesscs mines
of gold, silver, iron, white copper, common
copper, and mercury, together with lapis lazuli,
jasper, rock crystal, load stone, granite, por-
phyry, and various marbles. According to some,
rubies are found in China; but others assert that
they come from Ava.

Jh many of the northern provinces coal is found
in abundance. The common people generally
use it pounded with water, and dried in the form
of cakes. Pekin is supplied from high mountains
in the vicinity, and the mines seem inexhaustible,
though the coal be in general use.

Mines of silver are abundant, but little work-
ed, from an apprehension of impeding the pro-
gress of agriculture. Th^ gold is chiefly derived
from the sand of certain mountains, situated in
the western part of the provinces ai Sechuen and
Yunnan, towards the frontiers of Tibet. That
precious metal is seldom used except by the
gilders, the emperor alone having solid vessels of

golfl-

Tutenag, which is a native mixture of zinc and
iron, seems to be a peculiar product of China,
and in the province of Houquang there was a
mine which yielded many hundred weight in the
co.iTse of a few days.

The copper of Yunnan, and other provinces,
supplies the small coin current' through the em-
pire; but there is a singular copper of a white
colour, called by the Chinese 2>i-'toiig, which de-
serves particular notice. This metal must not he
confounded with the tutenag, an error not un-
frequent. It is indeed sometimess mingled with
tutenag to render it softer.

•TJ ■» '1

CHINESk ISLANDS. " '

Numerous isles are scattered along the southern
and eastern coast of China, the largest being tliosc
of Taiwan, alao called Formosa, and that of Hainan.
Formosa is a recent acquisition of the Chinese in
the latter endof tbeaeventceoth century; tlienatives

being

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B*28

CrOGRAPHICAL DRSTRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

being by the Chinese accounts little better than
savages. It is divided from north to south by
mountains, and the chief Chinese possessions are
in the western part-

The southern part of Hainan is mountainous,
but the northern more level, and productive of
rice, in the centre there are mines of gold ; and
on the shores are found small blue fishes* which
the Chinese esteem more than those which we
call gold and silver fish ; but they only survive a
few days when confined to a small quantity of
water.

CHINESE TATARY.

Extent.] This wide and interesting portion
of Asia, which has repeatedly sent forth its
swarms to deluge the arts and civilization of
Europe, extends about three thousand one hun-
dred geographical miles. The breadth, from the
northern frontier of Tibet, to the Russian con-
tines, is about oae thousand and eighty geograpbi-
cnl miles.

Religion.I The religion most universally
diffused in this part of Asia is what has been
called Shamanism. The kalkas were accustomed
to acknowledge a living Lama.

Manners and Customs.] The Mandshurs
are little distii^nisbable in their manners from
the MoDguls. By the account of the Jesuits they
have no temples, nor idols, but worship a Su-
preme Being, whom they style Emperor of Hea-
ven. But probably their real creed is ShamaDism,
or a kind of rtltional polytheism.

Languages.! The three languages of the
Mandshurs, Mongufs, and Tatars, riidicjiny dif-
fer from each other ; the former of whi<it» appears
to be the most learned and perfect of tbe Tataric
idioms.

Climate.] Though the parallel of centra)
Asia corresponds with that of France, atid part
of Spain, yet the height and snows of the moun-
tainous ridges occasion a degree and continuance
of cold little to be expected from ether circum-
stances, lo climate and productions it i» bow-
ever far superior to Siberia.

Mountains.] The vast ranges of mountafnv
which intersect central Asia have never been sci-
entificallv described, and few of them have even
received extensive iuid appropriate appellatioos.

On the west the great chain called Imaui bj ihr
ancients, the BeTar Tug. or Dark Moautains of
the natives, runs from N. to 8.

MiNEnALOGY.] The mineralogy of crntrsi
Asia has been little explored. Gold U found
both in the eastern and western regions, and (he
former are also said to produce tin. As Russian
Daonria exhibits so many valudiile substances, it
is reasonable to conclude that they equally abound
in the Chinese territory, if similar skill and in*
dustry were exerted rn their detection. The mi-
neral waters, and nncomnion appearances of na-
ture, have been little investigated.^

TIBET,

The account of this interewting toantry imii(
unfortunately be limited in the topics, as the ma-
terrain are far from being anspKe. The recent
narrative of Captain Turner's journey shall be se-
lected as the most authentic : but it only embraces
a small part, and for the general geography re-
course must be had to more antiquated authori-
ties. Tibet, with its numerous independencies,
may in fact be still arranged araon|( the undis-
covered countries in the centre of Asia.

Extent.] According to tbe most recent maps,.
Tibet may be about ouc thousand three hundred
and fifty geographical miles long ; and its breadth
maybe about four hundred and eighty geographi-
cal miles. The orieinal population has not been*
accurately examined ; but as the people of Boo-
tan, which is regarded as a southern province of
Tibet, are said to differ essentially and radically
from the Hindoosy and somewhat to resemble
the Chinese, it may perhaps be concluded I hat
they belong to that grand race of men which ap-
proaches the Tataric, though they cannot be re-
garded as Manshurs, Mooguls, or Tatars Proper.

Religion] The religion of Tibet seems to be
the schismatical offspring of that of the Hindoo<<.
It is reported to have received its earliest admis-
sion in that part of Tibet bordering upon India,
( which- from lience became the seat of the sove-
reign lamas ; ) to have travcnied over Mantchieux
Tatary, and to have beets ultimately disseniioated
over China and Japan. It still beats a very close
aflniity with the religion of Brahma in many im-
portant particulars, but differs materially in i(»
ritual, or ceremonial worship. Tibetians assemble
in cfaupels, and unite together id prodigious
numbers to perfbnn their r^igious service, which

they

THE CllINRSE EMPIRE.

82»

^f chaunt in alternate recitative and chorus,
iccompanied by an exteniiivc band of loud and
powerful instruments. There are also uumerous
gionuteries, coutaining crowds of gi/longs, or
I ponks, with a few annecs, or nuns.

Character, &c.] Mr, Turner represents the
character of the 1 ibetiuns as cxtrctnely gentle
I ind amiable. The men aregencrnliy stout, v^ilh
looething of the Tataric features, uud the wo-
men of a ruddj brown complexiou, heightened
like the fruits by the proximity of the s.un, while
I (be mountain breezes bestow health and vigour..

The ceremonies of marriage are ueither tedious
I gor intricate in Tibet. Their cuurt»>liips are car-
ried on with little art, and quickly brou^^ht to a
conclusion. The priests of Tibet, who shun the
locicty of women, have no share in these cere-
Lonies, or in ratifying the obligation between the
parties, which, it seems, is formed indissoluble
I for life.

It is a remarkable characteristic of the country,
I that polygaii^y here assumes a difl'erent form from
that of other orient&l regions: the women being
iadulged in a plurality of husbands, instead of
the reverse. It is the privilege of the elder
brother to select a wife, who stands in an equal
relation to his other brothers, whatever may be
I the number.

Such is the respect paid to t\i<.: lama, that his
I body is pceservud entire in a shrine ; while those
of (he inferior priests are burnt, and their ashes
preserved in little hollow images of metal. But
in general the dead bodies are exposed to the
beasts and birds of prey, in walled areas ; and an
annual festival is held, as in Bengal and China,
I in honour of the dead.

A curious idea of the manners and customs of
hheTibetians may beforuH'i from Mr. Turner's
account af his interview with the iuma, then an
infant not capable of speech ; for in the spirit of
the eastern metempsychosis, they suppose that
the soul of the lama passes from his late body
into another, which they discover by iufallible
I marks.

Upon the whole, the Tibetians appear to have
[made a considerable progress in civilization; but

■ the sciences continue in a state of imperfection;
the year, for instance being lunar, and the month

■ consisting of twenty-nine days.
Cities and Towns.] Of the cities and towns

|of Tibet little is known. The capital is Lassa ;
Vol.11. No.CXXVI.

and several other names in the soutTiem part
assume thecharactcr of towns in the maps, though
probably mere viiluges. There being little com-
merce, there is no middle class of people ; but
the transition is rapid, from the miserable hut to
the stone palace or monastery.

Climate.] The cliniiite of Bootan may be
said to bo temperate, when compared with that
of Tibet Proper ; yet the winters are very severe
even in the former country. The spring is mark-
ed, from INTarch to May, by a variable atmos-
phere; heat, thunder storms, and occasionally
with refreshing showers. From June to Sep-
tember is the season of humidity, when heavy
and continued rains fill the rivers to their brim,
which run oil' from hence with rapidity to assist
in inundating Bengal. From October to March
a clear and uniform sky succeeds, seldom obscured
either by fogs or clouds. For three months of
this Reason a degree of cold is felt, far greater
perhaps thau is known to prevail in Europe.
Thus the distinguishing characteristic of the cli-
mate is that extreme dry, and parching cold
which, under the latitude of twenty-six degrees,
rivals that of the Alps in latitude forty-six
degrees.

RivEiis.] The chief river of Tibet is, beyond
all comparison, the Sampoo or Burhampooter,
which rising in the western region, from the same
lofty mountains that give source to the Ganges,
proceeds in an E and S. E. direction for about
the space of oce thousand English miles, to the
confines of Tibet and Asam, where it bends
S. W and Hows into the estuary of the Ganges,
after a farther course of about four hundred Bri-
tish miles.

Lakes.] These Alpine regions contain, as
usual, many lakes, the most considerable being
represented under the name of Terkiri, about
eighty British miles in length, and twenty-five
broad.

Mineralogy.] The mineralogy is better
known from the account appended to Mr. Tur-
ner's Journey in 1783, from which it appears
that Bootan does not probably contain any metal
except iron, and a small portion of copper; while
Tibet Proper, on the contrary, seems to abound
with rich miner}*)^. Gold is found in great quan-
tities, sometimes in the form of dust, in the beds of
rivers, sometimes in larger masses, and irregular
veins. There is a lead minCj two days journey

9D from

Iiil

i, „ :

'Nil

m ill

i '!•

■I

8;'.o

geoghaphical description cv the world.

fi-oni . Tcshoo Lumboo, the
Cinnabar, rich in qiiicksilver,
there arc strong indications of
is another product of Tibet,
metals cannot be worked, as
deficiency of fuel ; and coal
precious than gold.

ore being galena,
is alao found : and
copper. Rock salt
But in general the
there is a complete
would be far more

<te

JAPAN.

The Japanese islands may in pomc measure be
compared with Great Britain and Ireland, form-
ing a grand insular ])»\vei' near the eastern ex-
tremity of Asia, like that of the British isles near
the western extremity of Europe.

Extent.] The length of Kiufiu from N. to
S. is about two dcgreos, or one hundred and
forty British miles ; the greatest breadth about
jiinetv. Sikokf ii about ninety British miles
in length by about half the breadth. The
grand isle of Niphon is in length, from S. to
N. E. not less than seven hundred and fifty Bri-
tish miles; but is so narrow in proportion, that
the medial breadth cannot be assumed above
eight}, though in two projecting parts it may
double that number. These islands are divifleU
into provinces and districts, as usual in the most
civilized countries.

To the N. of Niphon is another large isle,
thatof Jesso, or Chi(ha, which having received
some Japanese colonies, is generally regi.rded as
subject to Japan ; but being inhabited by a savage
people, is r.iiher considered as a foreign conquest
th:ni as a part of the civilized en' )ire.

Remgion.] The established religion of Japrn
isapohtheisin, joined with the acUnowledgme it
of a Supreme Creator. There are two principal
serfs, thai oi Siiitoand that of B.idsdo. The first
acknowUge a Supreme Being, fa • superior to the
lilile cl.iims and worship of men, whence they
ddoic the inferior deities as mediators, the idea of
a uii'diator beuig indispensable in almost every
firm of rtiigion. They abstain from anin)al
food, detest "bloodshed, and will not touch any
Uoad body.

Tiic |jriests are either secular or monastic; the
latter iloiie biiug entrusfct «iih the masteries.
'J"lie festivals and modes ot worship are cheerfo',
and even o-t v ; for thev regard thn g-ijs as beings
»ho solely delight in Uispen^ing happiness. Be-
<»

sides the first day of the year, and three or four
other grand festivals, the first day of the month
is always kept as a holiday. There are several
orders of monks and nuns, as in the Roman Ca-
tholic system ; but human nature is every where
the same.

The sect of Budsdo was imported from Hin-
dostan, being the same with that of Budha or
Budh, reported to have been in Ceylon about
one thousand years before the birth of Christ.
Passing through China and Corea it has been |
RHiigled with foreign maxims, but the tenet of I
the m tempsychosis remains ; wi-ked souls beinn-
supposed to migrate into the bcKlies of animals,
tdl they have undergone a 6iw purgation.

Laws.] 'I'lie superiority of the laws of J.ipan
over those of Europe has l)een loudly proclaimed
by Ka'mpfer. The parties theniselvi-s appear,
and the cause is determined without delay. Tliun-
berg informs us that the laws are few, but rigidly
enforced, without any regard to persons, par-
tiality, or violence. Mo.st crimes are punished
with deiilh, but the sentence mu.st be signed by
the privy council at J(ddo Parents and relations
are made answerable for the crimes of those whose
moral education they ought to have superin-
tended. The police is excellent, there not only
being a chief magistrate of each town, but a com-
inissarv of each street, • lected by the inhabitants
to watch over property and tranquillity. Two
inhabitants in their turn nightly patrole the street
to guard against fire. The best proof that the
laws are salutary is that few >jrimes are com-
■iiitted, and few punishments arc inflicted. The
brief code is posted up in every town and village,
ill lai «e letters, in a spot surrounded with rails.

M.^N'iEHs AND Customs.] The people of this
UKtiun are well made, active, i ee and easy in
their motions, with stout I'mbs, althou^^h their
strength '3 not to be compared to that of the
northern inhabitants of Europe. They are uf a
yellowish colour all over, sometimes bordering
on brown, and sonieiimes on white. Ladies of
distinction, who seldom go out in the open air,
vvithout being covered, are perfectly while. It
is by their eyes, like 'he Cbinese, these people
are distinguishable. 'These organs have not (hat
rotundity which those of other nations exhibit ;
but are oblong, small, and are sunk deeper in the
head, in consequence of which these peo'^le have
almost thu appearance uf bei»g pink eyed. Tiieir

eves

MALACCA.

831

eyes are dark brown, or rather black ; and thu
eye-lids form in the great aiiiilo of the eye a deep
fiirrow, uhich makes the Japanese h)()k as it
lliey were sliarp 8ij»;htrd, and discrim nates them
from other nHlioiis. The eyebrows are also placed
gomcwhat higher. Their lieuds are in general
large, and their necks short ; their hair black,
tbiik, and shining, from flie use they make of
oils. Their nones, though not flat, arc }ct rather
(liick and short.

This highly civili/cd people display great di-
versity of charack'r, but the virtues far preponde-
rate over the vices : and even their pride is useful,
as it prevents them from stooping to the mean
Iritks ol the maritime Chinese. The ilapaiiest;
use great varieties of food and .-iaucej. The master
or mistress of the house is not harassed with the
trouble of carvin;r. the meat being previously
cut into small pieces, served up in basons of por-
celain, or japanned wood. The general drink is
jacki, or beer made of rice : which last article ;iIso
tiipplics the place of bread. They use many kinds
of vci'iitables and fruits. The use of *.ca is also
universal ; but wine and spirituous liquors are
unknown.

The houses of the Japanfs'5 are of wood, co-
loured white, so as to resemble stone ; and though
roomy and commodious, never exceed two stories
in height, t'se upper serving for lofts and garrets,
and seldom being occupied. l']ach house forms
but one room, which may be divided \uin apart-
ments at pleasure, by movable partitions sliding
ia grooves. They use neither chairs nor tables,
H'ting on straw mats, the meal being served
apart to each on a small square wotxlen salver.
In Jeddo the houses are covered with tiles ; but
the genera! fabric is a frame work of wood, split
bamboos, and clay.

The dress consists of trowsers : and what we
call night gowns, or loose robes of silk or cotton,
are universally worn by both sexes. Thes<? are
fastened by a girdle ; the number being increased
according to the coldness of the weather. Stock-
ings are not used ; and the shoes arc commonly
of rice straw. The men shave the head from the
forehead io the nape, but the hair Oii the .\.e.s is
turned up, and fastened at the crown of the head:
conical hats made of grass are worn on journies,
but the fashion of wearing the hair forms the t;co-
nomical covering of the head.

Climate and Seasons,] The heat of summer

is in Japan extremely violent, and would be in-
supportable, were nut the air cooled by the sea
breezes. Equally severe is the cold in the w inier,
when the wind blows from the north or north-
east. The weather is changeable throughout the
year ; and there are abundant falls of rain, espe-
cially in the'satsaki, or rainy months, which be-
gin At midsummer. This copious moisture is the
chief cause of the fertility of Japan, and its con-
se(|ucnt high degree of population.

Volcanoes.] Near Firando there is u vol-
CLsic island, nor are others unknown in the sur-
rounding seas. In the province of Figo there is
a volcano which constantly emits flames; and
another, formerly <t coal mine, in the province. of
Tsikuser.

THE BIRMAN EMPIRE,

COMPRISING TIIK KINGDOMS OF AVA AND PEGU.

BEFORE the appearance of a recent inte-
resting publication, scarcely any thing was known
;;oncerning this new empire ; and geographers
were constr}.i"ed to detail the old accounts,
which are little satisiac*.»ry ; but since we have
given an account of Mr. Symes's embassy above,
p. .'<47, nothing remains to be said in this
place. The Birnian empire derives its name from
the liirmahs, who have been Ion,; kiiviwn as a
wcrlike nation in the region foruieil, iityluH India
BEYON.T TiiK Ganges ; the capital ciiy of tl;eir
kingdom being Ava. Pegu is by tli.; natives styled
Bagoo ; being the country situated to the south
of the former, and justly inferred to have b.-cti
the Golden Chersonese of the ancients. - •

MALACCA.

THE peninsula of Malacca i'j situated on the
south of the Birman empire. The Portugue-e
arc regarded as the first discoverers of it, in
lii09, to which they were led by the vain idea
of finding the golden Chersonese of the aiuients.
In 1511 the Portuguese conquered the |ieninsuhi.

Extent.] Malacca is about iivo hundred
and sixty British miles in length, by about <ine
hundred and fifty miles of medial breadth, a ter-
ritory sulliciently ample for a |iu\\erful mon^irchy,
had its nativ( ^iroductions corresponded with its
extent.

Language.] The Malayan language has hern

r.'ii

■■! -1i

v',;fi I'

.ip|ti

83«

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

justly called the Italian of the east, from the nie>
lody of frequent vowels and liquids. The Arabic
character is made use of; and an influx of words
of that 'language has foliowed the adoption of
ihe Mohammedan religion. They write on paper,
using ink of their own composition, and pens
made of (he twigs of a tree. The purest Mulay
is still supposed to be spoken in the peuinsula,
and has no inflection of nouns or verbs

Character.] The Mala3s,are restless, fond
of navigation, war, plunder, emigration, colo-
nies, desperate enterprises, adventures, and gal-
lantry. They talk incessantly of their honour
and their bravery, whilst they arc univers^.lly
considered by those with whom they have inter-
course as the HK.st treacherous, ferocious people
on the face ol' the globe ; and yet they speak the
softest language of Asia. This ferocity is so well
known to the European companies who have set-
tlements in the Indict, that they have universally
agreed in prohibiting the captains of their ships,
>vno may nut into the IVIalay inlands, from taking
on board any seamen of that nation, except in
the greatest distress, and then on no account to
exceed two or three. It is nothing uncommon
for a handful of these savages sudde''y to eta-
bark, attack a vessel by surprize, poignard in
hand, massacre the people, ant! make themselves
ittasters of her. Malay barks, with twenty-five
or thirty men, have been known to board Eu-
ropean ships of thirty or forty guns, in ordor to
take possession of them, and murder with their
poignards great part of the crew. The Malay
history is full of such enterprises, which mark the
desperate ferocity o( these barbarians.

SIAM.

Extent and Boundari'zs.] THE extent of
the Siamese dominions* has been recently restrict-
ed by the encroachments of the Rirmans, nor can
Horac of the limits be accurately defined. The
length of the kingdom is about seven hundred
British miles; but uf this about one hal( is not
above seventy m't^f.i in medial breadth.

Religion.] The religion ofthe Siamese, like
that of the Birmans, resembles that of (he Hin-
doos ; and the transmigration of souls forms an
essential part of the doctrine; but they inwtate
the Chinese in their festival of the dead, and in
■•ome other rites of that singular nation.

Navy.] The navy is composed of a number
of vessels of various sizes, some of which are
richly decorated. Hence, as ia the Biriniui his-
tory, sdval engageineu.s are not uncnuunon'
and the large rivers of exterior India are often
reddened with human gore. Both: tbe Birman
and Siamese vessels frequently display a singular
fantastic elegance.

Manners and Customs.] There is a consi-
derable similitude in the manners and customs of
all the stales between ilhe vast countries of China
and Hindostan. The women are under few re-
straints, and are married at an earl}- age. The
espousals i.re concluded by femile mediation;
and on the third visit the parties are contiidercd
as wedded, after the exchange of a few presents,
without any further ceieiMOi;y civil or sacred.
Polygamy is allowed,: bu >■ rather practised
from ostentation than t \ ■' motive, and one
wife is always acknowleiigcd as supreme.

The Siamese funerals considerably resemble
those of the Chinese. The body is inclosed in a
wooden bier or varnished coffin ; and the tnon'ks
called Talapoins, (perhaps from th' 'r ialapan,ot
peculiar umbrella,) sing hymns in the Bali tongue.
After a solemn procession ^'le body k burnt 0.1 a
funeral pile of precious woods, erected near some
temple; and the spectacle is often rendered more
magnificent by the addition of theatrical exhi-
bitions, in which the Siamese excel. The tombs
are in a pyramidical form, and those of the kings
large and lofty. Mourning is not pref :riiied by
the laws, as in China; and the poor aie buried
with little ceremony.

The common nourishment of tlie t e con-

sists in rice and fish, both whi I' ."J'- are
abundant. They also eat lizards, rats, .r 1 £>cve-
ral kinds of insects.

The houses are small, and constructed of bam-
boos upon pillars, to guard against inundations,
so common in this country. They are 8pe«dil\
<lestro}ed and replaced ; and a conflagration, if
a common, is at the same time a slight calamity.
Even the palaces only exceed (he common hubila-
(ions by uctupying a more ext'^^ioive spacc^ and
being constructed of timber, w.^ a fcW orna-
ments; they are also of a giO'.* * height, but
never exceed one floor.

Produce] The productions of tl»e country
arc prodigio!i!< quantities of grain, cotton, benja-
min ; sandal, uguallo, and sapan woods ; anti-
mony, tin, jfiJ, iron, ioad-stoue, gold, and

•ilvcr;

>d of a number
of which are
he Biriniui his-
ot uncoiuinon;
India are often
Dlh; tbe Birman
play a singular

iere is a consi.
and customs of
jntrics of China
e under few re-
early age. The
11 1q mediation;
i are considered
' a few presents,
civil or sacred,
rather practised
iiiotive, and one
uprenie.
erably resemble
^ is inclosed in ?.
and the monks
tb; "T ialapan.ot
1 the Bali tongue.
)dy k burnt on a
rected near some
:a rendered more
theatrical cxhi-
cel. The tombs
bose of the kings
lot preecriJied by
poor sie buried

the ' . .«• e con-
Ill i! , ."'J*' are
s, rats, .'P « itve-

istructed of bam-
linst inundatioiis,
I'hey are speedily
conflugratiou, it
I slight calamity.
J common habita-

*ri.'«ive spacCj

and

a few orna-
Ki*"* height, but

iH of the country
in, cotton, benja-
pan woods; anti-
stoue, gold, and
silver;

%h¥

II I N D O S T A ^I.

833

^Ivcr ; sapphires, emeralds, agates, crystal,
marble, and tombac.

Climate and Seasons.] Tlie two first months
of the Siamese vear, which correspond with our
December and January, form tl)e whole winter
of this country; the third, fourth, and fifth, be-
long to what is called their little summer ; the
seven others io their great summer. Being on
(he north of the line, their wiirter of course cor-
responds with ours ; but is almost as warm as a
French summer. The little summer is (heir
spring; but autumn is absolutely unknown in
(heir calendar. The winter is dry ; the summer
\i moist; the former is distinguished by the
course of the wind, which blows almost con-
stantly from the north, refreshed with cold from
(lie snowy mountains of Tibet, and the bleak
wastes of Mongolia.

Rivers.] The grand river Meinam, which
signifies the mother of waters, reigns supreme
among the Siamese streams. H is very deep and
rapid, always full, and, according to K.Tmpfcr,
larger than the Elbe. He adds, that the inha-
bitants suppose its source to be in the mountains
which give rise to the Ganges, and that it
branches through Cambodia and Pegu. The
inundations are in September, after the snows
have greatly melted in the northern mountains,
and the rainy season has commenced. In De-
cember the waters decline, and sink by degrees
to their former level. The water, though ratiddy,
is pleasant and salutary.

The other states of exterior India, are Laos,
Cambodia, Siampa, Cochin-China, and Tun-
quin ; countries unimportant in themselves, and
concerning which the materials are so very im-
perfect, that no European could give a just

account of them.

• 1^:1 :■. i.l '^ili.

HINDOSTAN.

Name.] THE native name of this celebrated
country is said to be, in the ancient Sanscrit lan-
guage, Bharsta. That of llindostan seems to have
oeen imposed by the Persians, and derived from
the great western river, with the Persian termi-
nation Stun, which signifies a country *.
— - ^ - • — - '••

• The term Hindostun, however, seoms to be wholly
Pcmian ; for Hindoo, in that language, signifies Black; and
iVrtH, a country ; so that, if this dciivatiou be exact, lUn.

Vol. II. No. CX.XVL

Boundaries.] This portion of Asia extends
from Cape Conioriu, in the south, to the moun-
tains of Caslnuir, in the north ; being nearly
equal to one thousand eight hundred und ninety
British miles. From the river Araba, on the
west of the province of Sindo, to the mountains
which divide Bengal from Cassay and the Bir-
man dominions, its breadth is about one thousand
six hundred British miles.

Religion.] The religion of the Hindoos is
artfully interwoven with the common offices of
life; and the different casts are supposed to ori-
ginate from Brahma, the immediate agent of
creation under the Supreme Power, in the follow-
ing manner : Brahmm from the mouth ( wis-
dom): To pray, to read, io instruct. The
Chehteree, from the arms ( strength ) : To draw
the bow, to fight, to govern. I'he Brice, from
the belly or thighs (nourishment) : To provide
the necessaries of life by agriculture and traffic.
The Soodcr, from the feet (subjection) : To la-
bour, to serve.

Population.] The popuKtion of this exten-
sive part of Asia is supposed to amount (o sixty
millions, of which the British po«=i( ions may
now perhaps contain a quarter, especially as fre-
quent recent conflicts have thinned the popula-
tion in many other parts of Hirn'ostan.

Mannehs and Customs.] The manners and
customs of the Hindoos are intimately blended
with their religion, and are universally similar,
with !i few cxceijtions in niountainous and otlier
districts. One of the most singular begins to
expire, that of giving the living widow to Ihesame
flames with her husband's corpse. Tiie ancienfs
represent the Bramins as accustomed to terminate,
their own lives on funeral piles lighted by thcm-
sf^lves. But by what refinement of cruelty this
custom wan extended to involuntary and helpless
females has not appeared ; perhaps the cause was
(o enforce the preservation of their husband's
health by making their life depend on his.

As sOon as a child is born, it is carefully re-
gistered in its proper cast, and astrologers are
consulted concerning its destiny ; for the Hin-
doos, like the Turks, are strict predestinarians.
A Bramin imposes the name. The infant thrives
by what we would call neglect ; and no where

Uostan signifies The Corntry ofUlttcks; wliicli porfoctly di--
scrilius the people, especially if coiupaixd with the nativeg
of Persia. , __

9E m%

I i!

I '}

,:•

;

1 '■

1 )

1
ij

! " '

Tr >

ill i

il'. r

f''V

t5i

Gi':o(;inpni( Ai, TirscniPTioN of the wonr.D.

arc scon more vigour and flegunce of lorm. Tlio
boys arcgenenilly tuii^rht reading and \vri<iog bv
ISruminSj but (lie girU ure coniined at home till
tbcir twclftii year. Polygamy is practised, but
one wife is atkn()wl('(la;cd as supreme. It is well
known that the Hindoos are extremely abstemi-
ous, and wholly ab>((ain from animal food and
intoxicating liquors; vet if we judge from the
fanatic penances, suicides, and other supersti-
tious frenzies, no where on earth is the mind so
much disordered. The houses are built of earth
or bricks, covered with mortar, and someumcs
with excellent cement, having small apertures,
which serve for windows. There is generally
only a ground floor, inclosing a court, with a
small gallery supported by slight wooden pillars.
The amusements consist of religious processions ;
but though dancing girls abound, yet theatrical
exhibitions do not seem so common as in the coun-
tries farther to tlie east.

Languages.] The general ancient language
of Ilindostan is believed to have been the San-
scrit, an original and refined speech,^ compared
by Sir William Jones with the Greek and Latin.
The more common dialects are chiefly the fol-
lowing : 1. That of Kandi, in the interior of
Ceylon. 2. The Tamulic, used in the Deccan.
.'>. The Malabar language. 4. The Canarin.
5. The Marashda langu!>ge. G. The Talenga.
7 The IJengallee ; a wretched dialect. 8. The
Devanagaric or Hindostanee. 9. The Guzaratic.
10. The Nepaulic.

Manufactures.] The manufactures of Ilin-
dostan have been celebrated from early antiquity,
particularly the muslins and other fabrics from
•otton. Piece goods, as we call them, are men-
tioned by the author of the Periplus, and other
ancient writers, who praise the manufacture and
and the beautiful colours with which it was dyed.
The Hindoos, in the time of Strabo, were also
noted for elegant works in metals and ivory.
Nor is Hindostan celebrated at this day lor any
manufacture, except those of muslins and cali-
coes, the other exports consisting of diamonds,
raw silks, with a few wrought silks, spices, drugs,
&c. The shawls of Cashmir are also deservedly
esteemed ; being there woven from a material
chiefly supplied by Tibet. PaiDting is in its in-
fancy ; and they are strangers to shade and per-
spective. Sculpture is as little advanced as paint-
ing, the design and execution being alike bad ;
2

yet the temples are sometimes majestic and so-
lemn. In most trades very few tools are emploicd.
The simple loom i^ reared in a morning under a
tree, and carried home in the evening.

Climate and Seasons] The climate and sea-
sons are considcrubly divcrsilied by dillerence of
latitudt; and localsituation. Yetiiigcneral, th()U'>-li
the northern Alps of Tibet be covered with per-
petual snow, there is some similarity of climate
through the wide regions of ilindostan. In lien.
gal (he hot, or dry season, begins with March
and continues to the end of May, the thcrniunir.
ter sometimes rising to one hundred and ten de-
grees: this intense heat is sometimes interrupted
by violent thunder storms from the nordi-west,
the seat of the grand Alps of Asia. The rainy
season continues from June to September : the
three last months of the year are generally plea-
sant : but excessive fogs often prevail in January
and February. The periodical rains are also fcJt
in Sindetic Ilindostan, except in Cashmir, where
they seem to be excluded by the surroutuling
mountains. In the rest of Hindostan they ulmosit
deluge the country, descending like cataracts
from the clouds, and the Ganges and other rivers
spread to a wide extent, the inundation ceasing in
September. By the latter end of June the Gauges
has risen fifteen feet and a half, nut ofthirtv-
two, which is the total of its overflow. In tie
piountainti the rainy season begins earlyin April;
but rarely in the plains till the latter end of June.
By the latter end of July all the lower parts of
ISengal, contiguous to the Ganges and Ilurram-
pooter, are overflowed, and form an inundation
of more than one hundred miles in width;
nothing appearing but villages and trees, except-
ing very rarely the top of an elevated spot (the
artificial mound of some deserted village) ap-
pearing like an island.

In tlie southern division, the chain of the
Gauts, or mountains of Malabar and Coromaii-
dcl, supporting the high table laud in the centre,
intercept the great mass of clouds ; and the alter-
nate S. W. and N. £ winds, called the Mon-
soons, occasion a very rainy season on one side of
the mountains only, that js on the windward side.
Yet it appears that during the first part of the
rainy monsoon, in May and June, on the coast
of Malabar, a considerable quantity of rain falls
in the upper region, or table land of Mysore.
The monsoon is from the N. E. frona October to

April;

II I N I) O S T A N.

835

Ipril; and from May to September in the oppo-
jilc direction. The riiiciy season on the coast of
Coromandel is with the N. E monsoon; and on
that of Malabar with tlie S. W.: in general,
March, April, May, and June, are the dr}
nionths. llonce, in the whole extent of Hindos-
tji), except in Cashniir, tlicre can hardly be said
to be a vestige of winter, except the (hick fogs of
our November ; and excessive rains, or exces-
sive heats, form the chief varieties of the year.

Rivers. 3 The Ganges must be considered as
the sacred sovereign oT the Hindoo ri\ers, an
attribute not infringed by the recent discovery of
the Burrampooter. It receives such a nnntber of
important tributary streams, that its magnitude
exceeds what might have been cxjjected from the
comparative length of its course; which may,
however, be estimated at about fourteen hundred
British miles, while the Iloan ho of ('hina has
been computed at two thousand, and the Kian
kii^at two thousand two hundred. The source
of the Ganges remains a curious object of investi-
jration ; nor can much reliance bo placed on its
delineation in the map of Tibet by the Chinese
Lamas, published by Du Ilalde, and followed
by all succeeding geographers. Tieflenthaler has
lain down the latitude of the noted Gangoutra,
or Cow's mouth, in hit. thirty-three degrees, be-
inij a celebrated cataract, where the

Ganges

Slid to pass through a vast cavern in a mountain,
failing into a large bason which it has worn in
the rock. At lludwar, about two hundred and
eighty miles to the south of the Cow's month, ( if
this last be not a dream of the fabling Hindoos),
the Ganges enters the wide plains of Hindostan;
and pursues a south-east direction by the ancient
city of Canogc, once the capital of a kingdom,
by Allahabad, Benares, Patna, &c. till dividing
into many grand and capacious mouths, it forms
an extensive delta at its egress into the gulf of
Bengal. The extreme mouths of the Ganges are
intersected with isles, called the Sunderbunds,
overgrown with tall bamboos and other luxuriant
vegetation, the impenetrable haunts of the royal
tiger, and other beasts of prey. On tht western-
raost outlet of the Ganges, called the Hoogley,
itands Calcutta, the capital of British Hindostan.
This, and the most eastern, which receives the
Burrampooter, are the widest and most important
branches.
The noblest ttibutary stream of the Ganges is

the Burrao) pooler, being the Sampoo of the Ti-
betans. The course of the river, and its junction-
with the Ganges, was first asiertaiiied by Major
lit nnell. This noble river runs for four hundred
miles through (he British territory ; and for the
lust sixty miles before its junction with the
Ganges is from four to five miles wide. On their
union before Luckipour, they form a body of
running fresh water, resembling a giili)h of the
sea, interspersed with islands, some of which
rival in size and fertility our Isle of \"V ight. la
the mouths of (he Ganges, and the Burrampooter,.
the sudden influx of the tide will rise instanta-
neously to the height of from five to twelve feet.

The Indus is by the natives called Sindch. It
is also called Nilab, or the Blue River. The
source, like that of the Ganges, remains un-
known.

The Kistna, a sacred river, rises at Balisore
not far to the south of Prona, and forms a delta
near Masulipatam, after a course of about five
hundred British miles. This river rivals any In-
dian stream in the fertility dilluscd by ..^ inunda-
tions ; and the richest diamond mines in liie world,
arc in the neighbouring hilU to the north. The
chief tributary streams in that quarter are the
Bcema ; passing near the diamond mines of Visia-
pour, and the Muzi, or Moussi, by those of
Goleonda.

Mountains.] The mountains chiefly cele-
brated by the llindoos may be said to bj only
visible from their country, being the northern
chain of the Tibetian Alps, covered with per-
petual snow. Hence they are called Iliramala,
from a word denoting;^now.

The sandy desert of Agiraere, on the east of
the Indus, extends in length between four and'
five hundred British miles, and in breadth from
sixty to a hundred and fifty.

FouESTs.] Of this extensive portion of Asia a
great part remaining in primitive wildness, therff
are large forests in difi'erent quarters, particularly
near the mouth of the Ganges, and in thewide un-
explored regions on the west of the Sircars. These
forests surpass in exuberance of vegetation any
idea which Europeans can imagine; creeping
plants of prodigious size and length, extended
from tree to tree, forming an impenetrable gloom,
and a barrier, as it were, sacred to the first myste-
ries of nature.

Zoology.] The numerous cavalry which

foraii

! ;

ill.M

f-r

«3€^

tSEOGnAPIIICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

form lliR armies of the Hindoo princes un\>\y
groat mitnbers of horses ; and the breeds most
celebrated are tliose of Lahore and Turkistan,
but the [rrnndecs are supplied from Persia and
Arabia. The inferior brerds, though ugly, are
active. The horsas of Tibet, generally pyed,
are often used in Gangctic HindostHn. The ani-
mal called the wild mule, and the wild ass, some-
times pass in herds to the northern mountains^
from the cent'-e of Asia, and the desort of Gobi.

The Arabian camel, or that with a single
liunch, is not unfrcquent about Patna. The ele-
phafit'bas been frequently described ; the usual
lieigfit oF this intelligent animal is about ten feet.
ApeH and monkeys abound in various regions of
Hindostan; and the orang outang is said to he
found in the vast forests on the west of the Sir-
cars. The other animals are wild boars, bears,
\volve84 fo^es, jackalls, hyenas, leopards, pan-
thers, lynxes-: in the north, musk weasels, and
:n)any other quadrupeds of inferior size.

The royal tiger of Bengal is a far more ter-
rible animal than the stoutest lion. Such is their
size and strength that they are said to carry off
bullocks, the height of some being said to be five
fed, ami the length in proportion *.

Mineralogy ] The mineralogy of Hindos-
tan may be opened by its most distinguished and
..peculiar product, celebrated in all ages of the
'world, that of diamonds, which arc indeed also
found in Brazil, but of far inferior quality f.

The chief and most celebrated diamond mines
are those near Visiapour and Golconda, both
near streams that flow into the Kistna, Golconda
being in the territory of the Nizam, while Visia-
pour belongs to the Mahrattas J.

Next in value to the diamond are the sapphire
and the ruby, which are chiefly found in the Bir-

* Parties of ptuasui-e on the isius at the mouth of the
Ganges, have often been shockingly interrupted by tlio sud-
<den appearance of the tiger, prepared for his fatal spring,
vhich is said to extend a hundred feet, notimprobablu whi-n
compared with that of the cat. Such is the nature of the
animal, that if disappointed in this first leap, ho couches his
tail and retreats.

+ This substance is the most hard, transparent, and
brilliant of all minerals; and is commonly colourless, but is
found occasionally of a citron yellow, grey brown, or black.
It is found in beds of torrents, or in yellow ferruginous
.earth, under rocks of quartz or sand stone.

^, Colore, another diamond minr, is on the southern
^ank of the Kistna, not far from Condavir.

fj (( Generail^r speaking," says Major lleaneli, " the de-

man territories; but the ruby also occurs in
Ceylon, which likewise produces an inferior
kind of sapphire, the topaz, and other precious
stones.

Among the metals gold is found in the rivrrs
which flow from Tibet iiito the Ganges and
Indus; but no gold mines seem ever to have
been known in Hindostan, which has rather been
celebrated for attracting this metal in commerce
from other countries.

Cities and Towns. ] The chief city of Ren-
gal, and of all the British possessions in Hindus-
tan, is Calcutta. The latitude is 22'' 33' north,
and the longitude 88° 28' cast from Greenwich §.

In Calcutta, the quarter inhabited by the Eng-
lish is composed entirely of brick buildings, many
of which have more the appearance of paluco
than of private houses ; but the remainder of the
city, and by much the greater part, is built as
described in the note. Calcutta is the cuipo.
rium of Bengal, and the seat of the Governor-
General of India. It is a very extensive and po-
pulous city, being supposed at present to con-
tain at least five hundred thousand inhabitants.
Calcutta is situated on the western arm of the
Ganges, at about one hundred miles from the
sea; and the river is navigable up to the town for
the largest ships that visit India. It is a modr.rn I
city, having risen on the site of the village of Go-
vindpour, about ninety years ago. The citadel
is superior in every point, as to strength and cor-
rectness of design, to any fortress in India; but
on too extensive a scale to answer the useful pur-
pose intended, that of holding a post incase of ex-
tremity. In this grand capital of British Asia the
mixture of people and manners presents a pictu-
resque and interesting scene. The black Hindoo,
the olive-coloured Moor or Mohammedan, con- 1

scription of one Indian city is a description v( all ; tlioy l)c.
ing all built on one plan, with exceedingly narrow, coiirin. I
0(1, and crooked streets; with an incredible miuiberor tatt.
Toirs and ponds, and a great many gardens interspersed,
A few of the streets are paved w ith brick. The hunsos ara
variously built, some of brick, others with mud, and ii still
greater proportion with bamboos and mats : and those dif.
foriuit kinds of fabrics, standing intermixed with each othi;r,
form a motley appearance: those of the latter kind are in.
variably of one story, and covered with thatch. Thu^oufl
brick seldom exceed two floors, and have flat terraced I
roofs. The two former classes far outnumber the List,
which are often so thinly scattered, that llres, which oHenl
happen, do not sometimes meet with the obitlruction ofa|
brick houM through a wbel« street."

trastcdl

inAN OR PERSIA.

837

(raited with the fiiir nnd florid countenances of
(he Englisii ; and tho churnis of the European
damiel receive a foil from the dark Hindoo henii-
(ies. I'o the Itixnries of the Asiatic are added
the eleg;ancc and science of the English life.

Patni is the capital of the province of Bahar,
(itiiated about four hundred miles N. W. from
Calcutta.

Benares is a rich, popuh)Us, and compact
ri(y, on the northern bank of the Gauges, about
four hundred and sixty miles from Calcutta.
Benares, anciendy called Kusi, wan the most
early seat of Hraininical knowledge in the north.

Allahabad, in the province so culled, at the
confluence of theJunima and (he Ganges, a city
belonging to the Nabob * of Oude, but of little
consequence. Not far to (he S. W. of Allahabad
are (he diamond mines of Penna, in the small de-
tached province of Bundelcund.

Lucknow if the present capital of Oude, hav-
ing superseded Fyzabad, a city on the Gogra.

The chief city of Giizerat is Amedabud.

ISLAND OF CEYLON.

Extent and Name.] This island approaches
to the size of Ireland; being about two hundred
and si-vty British miles in length, by about one
hundred and fifty in breadth ; hut in the wide
continent of Asia, territory is on so large a scale,
(hat wha<, in Europe would constitute a king-
dom is here scarci ly a province.

Thi» island is important in a commerciu'.
view, from its celebrated products of cinnamon
and gems. The harbour of Trincomalde on the
east, is to us of great consequence, brcause there
is none on the eastern coast of Hindostan : and it
has even been suggested that in case any revolu-
tion should expel us from the continent of Hin
dostan, this island might afford an extensive and
grand asylum, where the British name and com-
loerce might be perpetuated.

Manners and Customs.] The natives of

• The term Nc.boli is a corruption. Naib is a viceroy,
in the singular : naxtaub is vicerojfs, in the plural.

f Thu Tillage of Coiidatchey is then crouded with a mix.
ture of thousands of people of different colours, countries,
rosts, and occupa>'.ons ; M^ith numerous tents nnd huts, and
bazars, or<ihops ; while the sea presents many boats hasten.
ibg to the banks, ur returning with the expected riches.
The divers are chiefly Christians or Moslems, who descend

Vol. U. No.CXXVU.

Ceylon, called Singalcsp, either from a native or
Portuguese term, are not so black as thosic of
Malabar, and have a lew manners and custom:)
distinct from other Hiudoos. It is said that seve-
ral brothers may have one wife in common, but
the polygamy of males n also allowed. In gene-
ral chastity is little esteemed in the oriental coun-
tries ; and the morality of many nations is so lax
in this respect, that the intercourse of the sexes is
considered as far more indilYcrent than the use of
certain foods. The language is rather peculiar ;
but some of the natives understand both the Tu-
mulic and that of Malabar.

Towns.] The native town Kandi, in the centre
of the isle, seems to be of small size and conse-
quence, and probably only distinguished by a pa-
lisade and a few temples.

Climate.] The climate and seasons corres-
pond in some degree with the adjacent continent ;
yet the exposure on all sides to the sea renders the
air more cool and salubrious. High mountains,
prodigious forests, full of aromatic trees and
plants, and many pleasant rivers and streams di-
versify this country, which by the Hindoos i»
esteemed a second paradise. The vales arc of a
rich fat soil ; and, when cleared, amazingly fer-
tile in rice, and other useful vegetables.

Mountains.] The chains of mountains run
N. and S. They seem granitic; and arc pecu-
liarly rich in precious stones, imbedded in primi-
tive <]uartz. What the Mohammedans have
termed Adam's Peak, is esteemed the highest.

Pearls.] The pearl fishery commonly begins
on the N. \V. shore about the middle of Febru-
ary, and continues till about the middle of April>
when the S. W. monsoon commences f .

IRAN OR PERSIA.

Name.] The general name of Persia spread
from the province of Pars or Fans ; but the na-
tives, both in ancient and modern times, have
termed their country Iran, under which deno-
mination were included all the wide regions to

from five to ten fathonM, and remain under water about t\vo
minutes, each bringii g up about a hundred oysters in his
net. These i>carls arc always formed like thu coats of an
onion, around a grain of sand, or some other c.\traueou»
particle. The yellow, or gold coloured, are most cstecnied
by the natives ; and some are of bright red lustre, but tho
dull grey and biuckuh ard of no value.

III !

fi\

;^;i

ill I
ilii

f:m 111''

the

S.13

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

Hie S. and W. of the river Oxus, or Jihon, the
Amu of the KusHi<tns and Tatars ; while the
eoiintries subject to Persia beyond tliat celebrated
rivrr were in antient times styled ^niran.

Extent.] Persia extends mure than one
thouHund two hundred miles in length, and about
one thousand in breadth.

PiioviNCEs.] 1. Georgia, or more properly
Gur^rslan, in whivh may be included Dughistan
a4id Shirviin. 2. Krivun. .'i. Aderbijun. 4. Ghi-
lan. 5. Ma'/enderan. (>. Irac Ajomi. In this
province is Ispalian, the modern capital of Persia.
7. Kushestan. 8. Pars, Furs, or Persia Propt-r.
!). kerman. 10. Laristan. 11. Mekran. 1%
Segistan. IS. Khorasan *.

AsciENT MoNu.MENT8.] Of thcsc the ruins of
Persopolis are the mn'* lebratcd and remark-
u4}le. They are situated at (he bottom of a
mountain, fronting S. W. about forty miles to
the north of Shiraz. They command a view of
the cxlcoiiive plain of Mcrdattbt* and the moun-
tain of Itehumut encircles them in the form
of an amphitheatre; the nature of these ruins
may be s(;en in (lie plates ; and it would be an
idle attempt to degcribe in few words (he gr»nd
jHirtuls, halls, and coluinus, aud niuneroiif. re-
lievos and devices. There are many, iiiscrip-

* nosiilcs tll<^sp pruvinrc£, and exclusive of Asiatic Turkey
an the W. the ancient I'crsiiui empire cumpri^'U iiac'riiwia |
or IJalk, which may be Uu-iiieU a wide and wrU-watcrcd j
Kiii^donj of between ihreu hundred and four hniidred Uri. [
fish miles sqti.ire ; aud on the other side of the Oxns, Sog- ]
iliana, or the eoiintry on the rifcr Sogd, whicJi passes
by inodcra Saniarkaiul. Tlii» ]irovincc adjoiqed oi^
till! west to KJuiwarcMU, uitii the small territory of.
Khiva.

+ Of the Parsccs, or ancicn,t worshippers of fire, there
rem to be n<; reiiiaiiis in Persia, except perhaps a few visi-
irs .' the fiery crtiptioDS of iaphth» o^ar Ual(ii, on the
\». stern shoies of the Caspiaji. These iuftoeejit idolators
have been almost extirpated by Mohammedan fanaticism,
\vhicli has propagated every scandal that malice could in rent,
represcntiiig^tbenva* dt^vourcf; ^f cjiil^fefb ajj^l fAiruiwr with
Mthcratrucitlcs. Mr. Hua.way infurm»,u&tlia,t t]w»in(>ucher$»
or infidels, particularly worship (he cverjastin^ fire near
Il.iku, an in Idem of Ormuzd, or the Supreme Ineffable
Creator ; while the evil principle, bclicTcd to hare sprung
from matter, was styled Ahriman. But the chief jvorship.
pers of the fire of Daku came from Hindostan, to which the
I'arsecs retreated when Shah Abbas expelled them from hit
empire; and they still abound near Bombay, where their
singular mode of sepulture excites attention, as they ex.
pose their dead in inclosed areas to be dcvdnred by birds of
])rcy, a custom which hat been propagated to sotnc other
itriuj^tal nations. Mr. Ilant^ay says that there were stUl

tions in a character not yet explained, the letters
of which resemble arrow heads, disposed in va-
rious directions; and althour;h we be abltn
make out the Peraepolitan alpbtibct, yet (he Ian.
guage of that remote period appears to be locked
up in impenetrable obscurity.

RELuaoif] The religion of Persia is the Mo.
hammeduii, which wa8 introduced by ti.e sword
and has been fi)llowcd by its usual effects, the
destriiclion and depopulation of (he country.
Yet the Persians adopt a milder system of this
creed than is followed by (he Turks and Arabs f.

The priests of the Mohammedan religion, ot
M,iillttS, are in Persia ot'len styled ^tkundi, which
signifies readers: and they nut only preach in
(ho musks, but are often 8clioolmas(er8. The
Pechiminas are superior Mullas, or vicars of the
hnams %. The Fakirs and Calenders are wan-
dering monks, or rather sturdy beggars ; who,
under the pretext of religion, compel the people
to ntnintain thcMt in idleness.

Mannkh^ ANn Customs.] TIic manners and
customs of (he Persians, in the seven(een(h ccn-
(ury, have been BiH|>iy detailed by Chardin.
Thevenot, Sanson, anil other travellers. More
modern ideas of Persian manners may be derived
froa^ the^ truvicU of Ga\eliu ip GImI^ji §.

Marriuges

". . ~i • "'^'"
some worshipprrji of 'fire at a |iliicc thence st)led Gnebcra.
biid, near Itpahi^n ; and (hat there arc still tire worshippers
in (he neighbourhood of Sg rat is clear, froin Anqueiil du
Perron, whuxe instructor in the Zend, and lV;hlavi was a
person of that description,

X T1\0. chwf prelitte i^jJtyled Sheikas Sqlhaum, or head
of the faith; also Sa'!.i, Cassa, or High Priest.

§ The IHsrsians stili pridt; themselves in unkersal polite,
ness, and ar* hoKpitat>le, not however wilbuut the cxpcc
tMiQn of;prpsp»i(s iu return,. TVy sevw to cop>iifer them.
seirvji, as more wihe a/i4 s.-iga9ipMs,th.!fn,othf,-r. nations, yet
are passionate ; and the recent commotions have iinpurted
a tajn^ of cruelty to the national character. Of a sanguine
tcmporancnt, both- ricii and poor, are generally |;ay : ami
immuder ,t« ujrtli will succt^^c) Iht;, mo^ vM^leiM; qii^rrdi..
Tht\y,art cj^trcmcl}- attaclir't '». (b(f,fair spx, vl\\i\ not averse
to wine. The general con^pl^xioii is fair, spip9what tiiigeil
with olive , but thai^e in, the south aboii't Shiraz of Cauda.
har, and the provinces toward* India, are of a dark- brown.
They arc commonly fat, with black hair, high forehe.id,
aquiline nose, full cheeks, anda large chin, the form of tlic
countenance being frequently oval. The men are generally
strong and robust, and inclined, to martial excrriseo, but
they arc particularly tubjectto disorders of -the eyes. Tkcy
genorallv shave the head, and wear high crimson bonnets;
but the beard is sacred, and tended with great, care. They
often wear throe or four lighi drosses, one^bove the other,'
fiutttoed with a belt and sash i aud Utcy are fond of liirirc

c.luaki

Pd, the letters
sposcd ill va-
c be ubito
. .yet (be lau-
i to be locked

»ia is the Mo-
by tLe sword,
il effects, the

the country,
ystcni of this

and Arabs f .
n religion, or
thvndfi, which
nly preach in
lasters. The
p vicars of the
dqrs arc wan-
eggars; who,
pel tbc people

« manners and
vcntcenth ccn-
by Cbardin.
sellers. More
twy be derived

Marriages

0 staled Giiel)cra<
It liru worshippers

froin Anqiivlil du
nil IVhUvi wu a

Sqlhaum, or head

riest.

n iinkersal polilr.

«ilbuut the cxpcc.

til con^ifcr them,
jthpr. nation!), yet
uiiH have iiiipurtcd
■r. Of a sanguine
r.iierally gay : anil

vv^leHl; quarrels.
i!X', a{\(i not averse

1 $9ip9what tinged
t Shiraz of Canda.
i of a dark- brown.
ir, high forehrnd,
in, the form of the
: men arc generally
tial excrrise.0, but
of ithc eyes, 'i'iicy

I crimson bonnets;
gru'at, care. They
lu^hoTfi the other,'
are fiuuL of hirue
cloaki

'■(.,

'•M

■*>

..~-»^"'±.

IRAN OR IMlRSf A.

Marringos are conducted by temalc iiiedin-
tioii; and (lie l)Oui|) und cercniuiiiet somuwiiat
rcicmlHc tlio Russiiiii. Polygamy U allowed ;
but the first niarri(!d is (he chit^f wife. The
tombs of tlic ricli arc often grand, as arc thi;
cenotaphs of the twelve Imams, or vicars of the
prophet, regarded by the Cliias as his only law-
ful smcccssors.

LwciUAOKj The languai^e of Persia is per-
haps the most celebrated of nil the Oriental
titngucs, for Htrcngth, beanty and nu;lody. In
general the Persian literature approaches nearer
to th^ luiropcun in solid good sen.se, and clear-
ness of thought and expression, than that of any
other Asiatic nation.

CiTiM.] The capital city of modern Persia
is Ispahan. Including the snburb.s, its circuit
is computed by Chardin at about twenty-
four miles, and t)ie inhabitants at si\ hundred
thousand. The walls arc of earth, and ill
repaired, with ciglit gales, and the i-trcct^ nar-
row, devious, and badly paved. The suburb
of Vulfa, is \cTy large, and pos .sscd by the
Armeniuus.

The second city, at least i it fame, is Shiraz.
This capital of Farttiiitan is situated in a, fertile
valley ; tl>e circuit of the city is. about four
miles, surrounded with a wall twenty- five feet
high, and ten tliick, with round towers at the
distance of eighty paces. The city is built of
brick. The musk of the latQ Kcrim KJiao is
splendid but unfinished. The climate of this
celebrated city is delicious, particularly in the
spring, when numerous (lowers perfume the air;
and the llulbul. or oriental nightingale, the
gold-tuich, liiuipt> aiwl. other warblers, delight
the ear.

The celebrated Bersiap gnlph has been, always
more reiuark^-ble for the Uctories of foreigners,
than for; nuj^ivc establishmcuts. Bender Abassi
was a,pj[)rt oppos^tq tp the isle of Ormus; or
rather on the coast between Ormns and (v'sliaiisb,
or K^bfn^^ an^ is lu^w. luore commonly known
by tbeniimeof Gombropq.

Cliaiajciu. J Persia has been said to bq a coun-
try of three climates ; but even in the south the

cloaks of.thjck clot>). 'tlic m omcD wr^ip around their heads
pLces of silk of diflereiit colours ; iiud thoir rolicii arc
rather shorter thau those of the ineu. The Pursiaus eat
twice ortlirice,ad»yy dining iilHtut noon, but the chief re-
past is thc,SM{))}Qr, Th<; must usual dttili is boiled rice va>
riuiisly prqiarudi The meat is boiled to c.vccss, and the

z c.vtrcme

high mountains contribute to alloy t'
heat.

Rivr.ns.] The noble streams of the Kn-
ph rates ** and the Tigris can scarcely at uny pe-
riod be consitlered us strictly Persian, thougti
Clcsiphon, the capital of the Parthian mo-
narchy, and Selcntia, .stood on the latter river.
The river of Ahwax rises in the mountains of
I'jlwcnd, and pursues a southern course till one
branch enters the Tigris above its junction with
the Euphrates, while the main struaiu flows into
the estuary oftIie.se conjunct rivers.

In the N. E. the large river of Jihon, rather
belongs to Independent Tatary, with its nume-
rous tributary streams.

ZooLociv.] According to Chardin, the Per
sian horses are the most beautiful even in the
east; but in speed they yield to the Arabian,
which are less distinguished by elegance of form.
The Persian steeds are rather taller thau the saddle
horses in England ; the head small, the legs deli-
cate, and thq body well proportioned ; of a mild
disposition, very, laborious, lively, and swift.
The camel is also common, but not admitted into
the province of JNIazcnderan, where they eagerly
eat the Icayes of box, though to them a rank
poispn. The Persian cattle resemble the Eu-
ropean, except towards llindostan, where they are
marked by thc,luu)Cih on the shoulders. Swine
are scarce, save in the. N. W. provinces. Of thi
large tailed sheep . that appendage sometimes
weighs more than thirty pqund£« enlarging at the
bottom iathe.form of a heart.

Natuhal CtuiosiTitb.] Among the chief
natural curiosities must be named the fountains
of naphtha, or pure rock, oil, in thc.neighbour-
hood of Baku, on the western coast of the Cas-
pian, particularly in the adjoining promontory
of Ashbcron. The land is dry and rocky, and
there arc several small ancient temples^ in one of
which, near the altar^ a large hollow cane is
fixed in the ground, and from the end issues a
blue flame, seemingly more pur.e and gentle than
that produced by ardent spirits. From an hori-
zontal gap in an adjoining rock there also issues a
similar flame.

me.il is cnlarfjed with pot-herbs, roots, and fruits, cakes,
hard egps, and above all sweetmeats, of which they arc ex-
tremely fond. Thtiy are, remarkable for cleaaliness, butU
in their persons and habitations.
* The l''orat of the Arabians and l*ersi;uis,

INDEPENDENT

I I

Hi il

:|;'

$39

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WOULD.

INDEPENDENT TATARY.

Name.3 The title of Independpiit Talary is
now contined to the bounds of UzbcKs and Kir-
guses; for their country must still be regarded as
independent of the great neighbourin<^ powers,
China, Russia, and Persia.

ExtENT.] The extent of territory possessed
by these triLo* inay be measured from the Cas-
pian Sfea to the mountafns of Belur, a space of
not lesfe than eight hundred and seventy British
miles. From the mountains of Gaur, in the
south, to the Russian boundaries on the north
of the desert of Issim, may be near one thousand
five hundred British miles ; but of this length a
great ^lart is desert.

Religion.] The prevailing religion is the
Mohammedan, for the Kalmuk conquerors,
though they retained their idolatry, were tolc.-int.

Manners and Customs.! They are said to
be polite and benevolent, ''^hc drtss of the men
does not reach below the calf of the 1*"7, with
girdles like the Polish. The female raiment is
similar, with long ear-rings; the hair is a^so
T'orn in ver*' long tresses, decorated with rib-
bons. They tinge their nails with hinna. Both
flexes wear trowsers, with light boots of Russia
leather. The head-dress resembles the Turkish.
The houses are generally of atone, decorated
■with Chinese artii-i's. They are cleanly in their
food, which often consists of minced meat : and,
like the Russians, they preserve their victuals
frozen for a considerable time. Tea h the gene-
ral drink. The wives are purchased ; and the
ceremonies of marriage, &c. diiler little from
those of other Mohammedans, the mullahs or
priests having great infltience. They have small
copper coins ; but weiglv gold and silver like the
Chinese. They are not warlike, but use the
lance, sabre, and bow, while the rich have coats
of mail. The country is very productive of
many kinds of frnits and particularly wine.

KiRGUsEs.] About one half of Independent
Tatary is occupied by the Kir^uses in the north,
a people of undoubted Tataric origin, and the
IJabcks in the south. They are considered as
faithless, pusillanimous, yet restless; but the
Great llord, defended by mountains on the S.
and E. a^iscrted their independence in repeated
rontests with the Kalmuks of Soongaria. The
Middle aad Little Hords have acknowledged the

Russijin sovereignty ; but this suhjectirn is mere-
ly noniinul, for the Russians are obliged to fortify
themselves against these allies.

The manners of the Kirguses art; common to
the Tatars. Their tents are of a liind of felt ;
their -trink kumiss, made of acidulated marc'ii
milk. They lead a wandering life, from the
borders of the Upper Sirr, or Syrt, near Tash-
knnd, to the stcpp of Issim.

As the Kirgusians regard each other as
brethren, they are obliged to employ slaves, be-
ing captive* whom they take ^n their incursions.
Their dre&.i is the common i'ataric, with large
trowsers, and pointed boots. The ladies orna-
ment their heads with the necks of herons, di!>-
poscd like horns. They appear to be Moham-
medans, though rather of a relaxed creed.
They are extremely fond of the Kalmuk women,
who long retain their form and charms ; and
often marry them if they will adopt the Moham-
medan reli[cion. There is an annual festival in
honour of the dead.

KuwAREZM.] This country extends from the
Jihon or Amu, to the Caspian Sea, bounded on
the N. and S. by wide deserts, the chief town
being now Khiva. I'his country is about three
hundred and fifty British miles in length and
breadth, and in the time of Jengis Khan, was a
powerful kingdom, but at that time included
Khorasan, and a part of Great Uucharia. {A,t
present this state is almost restricted to the' dis-
trict of Khiva, the circuit of which may be per-
formed on horseback in three days : but there arc
five walled cities, or rather to:wns, within half '-i
day's journey of each other.

Great Bokhara.] By far the mo^t impor-
tant part of Independent Tatary, is comprised
under the name of Great Bokhara, generally
supposed to have originated from the city of
Bokhara, the first which the Persian merchants
entered on visiting the country. It is part of the
Touran of the ancient Persians.

Extent and Boundaries.] Great Bokhara
extends more then seven hundred British miles
in length, from N. to S. by a medial breadth of
about three hundred and fifty.

Religion. The religion of the Uzbeks and

Rokharians, is the Mohammedan, of the Sunni

sect, and the government of the khans is despotic.

Manners and Customs.] The manners and

cuitoms of the Usbeks are similar to those of the

other

ARABIA.

839

other Tatars : but tbey are suppoaet'i to be the
most spirited and industrious of these barba-
rians. Though many reside in tents in the
giiinmer> yet in winter they inhabit the towns and
villages.

Cities.] The chief city of Great Bokharia is
Sainarkaitd. on the southerri bank of the river
Sogd, which, at the distance of above a hundred
miles, after washing the walls of Bokhara, passes
tbroui'h a considerable lake, and is supposed to
join the Oxus.

Climate.] The climate in general appears
to be excellent, the heat even of the southern
provinces being tempered by the high moun-
taius capped with perpetual snow ; and though
situated in the parallel of Spain, Greece, aud
Asiatic Turkey, the proximity of the Siberian
(]i:3crts, and the lofty alps, render the summer
more temperate.

Lakes.] Tlie most considerable lake is the
sea of Aral, or of eagles. The lake Tengris,
Balcasb, or Palkati, is near one hundred and
forty British miles in length, by half that breadth
heic^r the largest lake in Asia, after the sea» of
Aral aud Baikal.

ARABIA.

Boundaries. The boundaries on the W. and
S. are marked by the Red Sea, or Arabian Gulf,
and the Indian Ocean : while the Persian Gulf
extends a considerable way on the E. and this
boundarv is considered as continued by the de-
serts to the west of the Euphrates. The northern
limits are Lss strongly marked ; but both in an-
cient and modem times rise to an angle about one

* This early civilization will excite the less surprise,
when it is considered that even the modern Ai.bians are a
most sagacious and inteliif?ent race of men, r niarliabie also
for spirit and valonr, whose country alone has never been
subdued by any invader, and who alone, of all A.siatic
nations, have preserved the sacred (lame of freedom, which
their progenitors kindled in their iiiacccsi»ible mountains.
In comparatively modern times they have vindicated the
fame of their ancient pre-eminence, by giving religion and
laws to half of Asia and Africa, and a great part of Ku-
rope. The Arabian khalifs in Spain, Africa, and I'-gypt,
as well as at IJaghdud, cultivated thf arts and sciencos; and
shewed a gri-at suiKiriorily to the birharous powers of Ei-
ropc at tiiat period. From Saniak.iud to the cntrc of
Africa, the Arabian language and inanucrti are held iu TC
ueraiion.

Vol. II. No. CXXVII.

hundred miles to the E. of Palmyra, wb'ch is not
included in Arabia. Thence the line proceeds
S. W. to the S. E. angle of the Mediterranean,
a northern boundary of Arabia Pctrflea.

From the cape of Bab el Mandeb to the ex-
treme angle on the Euphrates, the length is not
less than one thousand eight hundred British
miles ; while the medial breadth is about eight
hundred.

Population.] The population is original
and indigenous, the Arabians being the same race
with the Assyrians of remote antiquity, the pro-
bable fathers of the Syrians, Egyptians, and
Abyssinians, whose languages are intimately al-
lied, as is that of the Hebrews ; being totally
different in form and structure, from that of the
Persians, their powerful neighbours in the E.
By all accounts, sacred and profane, the Assy-
rians were the most ancient civilized and com-
mercial people *.

Religion.] The religion of Arabia is Mo-
hammedan. Besides the Sunni.s, there is here a
considerable sect called the Zeidites, who in
most p(»ints agree with the former, but seem
rather more lax in their faith and practice.

Manners and Customs.] The manners and
customs of tht' inhabitants are for the most part
similar to thoseof the other Bodouins.so frequent-
ly described by the numerous travellers. Those of
the country of \ emeu have been accurately deli-
neated by Niebuhr ; and this province will pro-
bably, after the utmost discoveryj continue to
be regarded as the most interesting portion; re-
presenting the Arabia Felix of antiquity. In
Yemen murder is punished with death, but more
often left to private revenge, which occasions
family feuds, that pest of society f.

_ _ DttESS.]

+ In politeness the Arabs vie with the Persians, anil
there are still remains of their ancient hospitality. The
common salutation isjhe Salam Alckuin, or Peace be with
yon : in pronouncing wliicli words they rais^ the "-ight
liand to the heart, but this form is seldom ailurossed to
Chrisiians. On meeting in their wide deserts, the saluta-
tions are multiplied : and the liiind of a Miperior is kis.tcd
in token of re.ipect. The honsts, though uf stone, are
meanly constructed ; the apartments of (he men being in
front, those of rhi! wouhmi behind. Of a middle stature,
thin, and dried as it were by the sun, the Arab is moderate
in his food, tiie common people sel 'om exceeding a repast
of bad bread made from durr.i, a kind of milk t, mixt'd with
camel's milk, oil, butter, or grease, the only diink being
water. This bread of duria, custom has taught then to
prcl'w to tl'.ai of barley, which, though picasanf, they

» a tliiitk

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840

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

Drf.ss.] The dress, like that of the Turks
and Hindoos, is long, ofU'u with large trowscrs,
a girdle of embroidered leather, and a knife, or
dagger. Over the shoulder is worn a large piece
of line linen, originally designed to keep oifthe
sun. The head-dress seems oppressive, consist-
ing of several bonnets, from ten to fifteen, some
of linen, others of cotton and woollen, the out-
most bein^ often richly embroidered with gold;
and around this multitude of bonnets is wrapped
what they call a sash, being a large piece of mus-
lin, with fringes of silk or gold, which hang
down behnid. The women stain their nails red,
and their feet and hands of a yellowish brown,
with hiniia : the eye lashes are darkened with
antimony, as inmany other oriental countries ; and
e very art isexerted to render theeyebrowslargeand
black. Polygamy is confined to the rich ; and
throughout the whole Mohammedan regions,
is far less general than is commonly supposed iu
Europe.

Language.] The language of the Arabs was,
even in ancient times, divided into several dia-
lects, as may be suspected from its wide diQ'usion.
Even in Yemen there are subdivisions; and po-
lite people use a diilcrent enunciation from the
vulgar. The language of the Koran is so dilfe-
rent from the modern speech of Mecca, that it is
taught in the colleges th'>re, as the Latin is at
Rome.

Cities and Towns ] The most celebrated
cities are Mecca and Medina ; but being sacred
ground, the infidels are not permitted to ap-
proach ; and we are obliged to trust to the inac-
curacy and exaggeration of oriental writers.
Mecca has not, in the most flourishing period,
exceeded thesize and populousness of Marseilles.
The government of this holy city is vested in a
sheref, who is a temporal prince; and his re-
venue is increased by the donations of Moham-
medan sovereigns.

Medina stands about two hundred British
miles N. of Mecca, being, as well as the latter,
about a day's journey from the shores of the Red
Sea. It is, according to Niehuhr, a small town,

tliink iinsubstaiiliul. Meat is little used, even by the ricli,
v lio ilecni it uiihciiltliy iu a hot ciiniato. Tlie orioiilais in
general beiii^ water-drinkers they are very fond of pastry.
'I'he rouiit noted drink is cutt'ee, Mhieh they prejiare like the
Turks, by burning it in an open pan, and then bruisinf; in
a stone or wooden mortar. In Venicn it is rarely used, as
iu thuir opiuiua it heals tliv bluud ; but of tb« sliulU, or

surrounded with a paltry wall, little remarkable
except for the tomb of Mohammed.

Edifices.] Among the chief edifices of
Arabia must be named Kaaba, or temple of
Mecca, which is an open st^uare, encompassed
with a colonade, and ornamented with minarets.
In this open space there are five or six houses of
prayer, or chapels ; while in the centre u a small
square edifice, peculiarly styled the Kaaba, in
which is fixed a black stone, the early object of
Arabian adoration.

Climate and Seasons.] In the mountains of
Yemen there is a regular rainy season, from the
middle of June to the end of September: but
even then the sky is rarely coverrd with cloud*
for twenty-four hours at a time ; and durisig the
remainder of the year a cloud is scarcely to be
seen. At Maskat, and in the eastern moun-
tains the rainy season extends from the mid-
dle of November to the middle of FebruHry;
and in Oinon there is rain from the middli; of
February to the middle of April. In the plai.is of
Yemen rain is sometimes unknown for a a hole
year; and in July and August the thermometer
will be 98^, while at Sana in the mountains it is
8.'>". In general the wind from the sea is mo:«».
and that from the interior deserts is dry, in the
iiorlhern parts of which are chieily perceived the
disastrousetlectsoflhe burning wind called yamicj.

Ri\eus.] In the defect of rivers stricflv h.;-
longing to Arabia, the Euphrates and Tigris,
which pass through Irak Arabi, have beea
claimed by some g^'ographers ; and the Euphrutci
may be considered as an Arabiuii river. But iu
Arabia Proper what are called rivers are mere tor-
rents, which descend from the mountains during
the rains, and for a short period afterwards. The
most important river is probably that which rist*
near Sana, andjoins the Indian sea below llarjiah.

Mountains.] In the division called Arabia
Petrea, is the celebrated Mount Sinai, which
presents two sublime summits of red granite.

Deserts.] From Omon to Mecca, the greater
part of Nejd in one prodigiouB sandy desert, in-
terrupted towards the frontiers of Ilejaz and

hi'sks of the colfee, (hey prepare a liquor !n the manner of
tea. Spirituous liquors, though forbidden, arc not abso.
ludly unkno»vn ; and they sonietimes smuak a plant, re.
teinblinjr hemp, whirh prudiiees inloxieation ; noristobaero
neglected, which is smoukcd either ia the Turkish or
Persian manner. , .

Yemen

ASIATIC ISLANDS.

8il

Yemen by Kerjo, containing the district of
Surfa, and some fertile spots and towns. The
JJ, W. part of Nejd presents ahnost a continued
desert^ a prolongation as appears of the other,
^ith an oasis Ared on the VV. of Lahfa, includ-
ing Jabrin, and some other places mentioned by
the same author. In this desert there is also the
ufl«.s of mount Schamer.

Zoology.] The horse is the glory of Arabian I
/oology. According to Zimmerman this animal
is found wild in the extensive deserts on the N. of
Hadramaut. They are here divided into two great
fltsses, the Kadishi, or common kind, whose ge-
nealogy has not been preserved: and the Koch-
Imii*. or noble horses, whose breed has been
ascertained for two thousand years, proceeding,
as they fable, from the stalls of Solomon. These
\s\\ bear the greatest fatigues, and pass whole
(lay!* without food, living on air, to use the
Arabian metaphor. There is also in this country
a superior breed of asses, approaching in form
and qualities to the mule, and sold at high
pritci. There arc also antelopes, and wild
oxen, with wolves, foxes, and wild boars, and
the large and small panther. The tiger seems
utterly unknown ; and the lion only appears be-
yond the Euphrates. A little slender serpent,
called baetan, spotted with black and white, is
of a nature remarkably poisonous, the bile l)eing
instant death.

This region, or Africa, seem* <> the native
country of the camel, emphatically -i v led by the
orientals the ship of the desert; bo. •^-, by the
expansion of its feet, the faculty of bearing tlurnt
and hunger, and oihcr qualities, peculiarly
adapted by the Author of nature to perambulate
the sandy wastes which would otherwise remain
impassable.

Isi.Ks.] Socotra, abcut two hundred and forty
British miles tVoni the southern coast of Arabia,
appears in all ages to have belonged to that
country, and to have been celebrated for the pro-
duction of aloes, still esteemed superior to a.iy
other. The inhabitants are clearly of Arabian
extract. There are two bays, and some secure
harbours; and the isle is also said to produce

frankincense, while ambergris and coral are found
in the neighbouri.ig seas.

The isle of Ba'irein is in the Persian gulf, near
the Arabian coast, and remarkable for the great
pearl iisliery in its neighbourhood.

• The Kochlani are ni-ither liirgii nor beautiful, nor is
their figure at all regarded ; .heir rare and hen^ditary (tua-
litiee being the solo objects of estimation. They are chielly
reared by the Ucdouiiis, in the northern deserts between
I'criiia and Syria. The preservation of the breed is carefully

ASIATIC ISLANDS.

THE ISLES OF SUNDA.

Sumatra is a large island, being about
nine hundred and fifty English miles long, and
two hundred broad. The EngUsh settlement of
Hencoolen, in the S. E. part of this island, is a
valuable possession. A chain of mountains runs
through the whole island, the ranges being in
many parts double and treble; but their height
is not so considerable as to retain snow. Mount
Ophir, immediately under the equinoctial line,
is thirteen thousand eight hundred and forty-two
feet above the level of the sea. There seem to be
many mines of gold, though mostly neglected ;
and the copper is mingled with that metal. There
are excellent ores of iron and steel ; and that rare
mineral, tin, is one of the chief exports, but prin-
cipally found near Palimbang. The gold found
near Bencoolen is of inferior quality. Mr. Mars-
den says, there are inland races, of whom the
Googoo, are covered with longhair, and are little
superior to the Ourang Outangs of Borneo. The
most abundant articlt of trade is pepper, the
object of the British settlement; it is produced
bv a climbing [liaut resembling a vine. The
white pepper is procured by stripping the outer
husk frou the ripe grains. Laws are unknown,
the chief ri'iidoring judgement arcording to cus-
tonv Most c 'uos are compensated by money,
murdiT not exttptcd. The kingdom of Acheen,
in th' \. \V . extremity of the island, carries on
a considerable trade with the coast of Coro-
mandel.

Java is '^utut six hundred and fifty English
miles 111 > and one hundred broad. This island
is rcma ...ible for the city of Batavia, long the
capital cf the Dutch possessions. Batavia is
strongly fortiticd with walls, and a citadel to-

and authentioal'y witnesi>ed ; and the oflspring of a Koch-
lani stallion with an ignoble niare, is reputed Kadinhi. The
Arabian steeds arc sometimes bouglit at e.xcesiiire rates by
tha EngUilk at Mocha.

\vardt

'i^M

I' i I-

Hi §■

.ii

S42

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD,

wards the sea. The town is large and well
built. In this town arc an assemblage of people
of all nations. The air is extremely unwhole-
some from fetid fogs and other causes ; so that
d}'sentries and putrid fevers destroy prodigious
numbers. The existence of the Upas, or Poison
Tree, is now sufhcicntly refuted.

BoiiNEO, long reputed (he largest island in
the world, is about nine hundred miles loi":, and
six hundred broad. The interior parts of this
greoi islano' arc but little known, and the greater
par* of (he northern side next the sea, consists of
swamps cohered with forests of [trees of number-
less species and great sizes, which penetrate for
scores of miles towards the centre of the island.
The natives in the interior are blacks, with lung
hair, of a middle stature, feeble and inactive ,
but tbtir features are superior to those of negroes.
European settlements have heen unsuccessful, the
ad\enturcrs having generally been massacred.
Popper abounds in the interior, with the gum
called Dragons hlood, camphor, ^nd sandal
wood. Gold is found in this island, and also
diamonds, but these are inferior to those of Gol-
conda. The Ourang Outang abounds. The
natives, who bring the golddustdowntothecoast,
are tatooed blue, with a small wrapper about the
loins. The chiefs extract one or (wo of the fore
teeth, substituting others of gold; ahd strings of
the teeth of tigers, a real badge of courage, are
worn round the neck. The town cailcd Borneo,
on the N. \V. consists of about three thousand
floating houses. The Chinese frequent this town
for the sake of trade.

THE MANILLAS, OR PHILIPPINE ISLES,

Were discovered by Magelhaens in ir/21 , who
called them the Archipelago of St. 1 i/aru^ they
were afterwards styled Philippines, in honour of
Philip II. of Spain.

LtzoN, the largest, is about five hundred
miles long, by one hundred broad. Spanish jea-
lousy has hitherto pre\ ented much knowledge of
this island. Gold, copper, and iron, are among
(he certain products; and (he soil is repor(ed to
be uncommonly fruitful. The natives, who are
of a mild character, are called Tagals, and s?cm
of Malay origin. The houses are of bamboo,
covered with palm leaves, rai.sed on pillars to the
height of eight or ten feet. The chief food is rice
and salted liDh. There are several volcanoes, and

earthquakes are not unknown. The city of
Manilla is well built and fortified. The Manilla
ships, or galleons, were formerly of great size.
but latterly smaller vessels have been used.

Next in size is Mindanao, a beautiful and
fertile island, of large extent.

Theotherrhit ; Philippines are Pulawin, Min-
dora, Pani, Buglas, or isles of Negroes, Zebu
Lcita, and Samar.

THE CELGBEZIAN ISLES.

Celebez is about six hundred miles long, but
on account of its various indentions cannot be
reckoned above sixty miles broad. This island
i') lofty and mountains ; and the natives, callr'!
Macassars, often degrade themselves by acts uf
piracy, attacking vessels with surprising des-
peration.

the spice islands and the Moluccas:

GiLOLo, the largest of the Spice Islands, ig
about two hundred and thirty miles long, but
variously indented by bays of (he sea, so tliut its
breadth seldom exceeds forty miles. The hrcHcl-
fruit tree is frequent here, together with the jago.
The natives arc industrious, particularly in
weaving.

Ceram is about one hundred and ninety milps
long, by forty broad. Here are vast quantities
of clove trees, and whole forests of jago, wbicli
form a considerable article of export.

BouRo is about ninety miles hmg, and fifty
broad. The interior mountains are so lofty hs to
be sometimes descried at the distance of twenty-
eight leagues. Green ebony, and a kind of iron
w(K»d, are mentioned among (ho trees. The oilier
Spice Islands are Mortray, Mysol, and Oubi;
but of (hcse little is known.

The ^Moluccas, strictly so called, are in the
western extremity of this gronpe, and Ambo\na
and Banda in (he south. The Moluccas are
Ternat, Tidore, Motir, Makian, and Batchiiiii.
The Dutch and English formerly shared the pro-
duce of these islands, the former having two-
thirds, and the latter one-third of the trade; hut
the Dutch, not liking a competitor in the bene-
tits ;iri-iiiig from the sale of the commodities,
forged a plot of the English against their livea
an! liberties, and put them to death by the most
exquisite tortures that hell itself could invent.
The clore abounded in Makiao) but the growth

was

NEW HOLLAND.

Si'S

«gg afterwards confined by tlie Dutch to Am--
boyna. The islands of Amboyna and Banda
^vere taken without resistance in February and
IVlarcb, 1796, by the English admiral Rainier;
vfhen it was found that the annual produce was
aboutonehundredandsixty.threethousandpounds
of nutmegs, and forty-six thousand pounds of
Mace *.

NEW HOLLAND.
This amazingly large island, if it be so, is
about two thousand seven hundred and thirty
English miles long, from E. to W. and one thou-
jaod nine hundred and sixty miles broad, from
N. to S. The eastern coast having been care-
fully explored by Captain Cook, and justly ap-
pearing of great importance, was formally taken
possession of in the name of the king of Great
Britain in 1770. On the close of the American
war, it being difficult to select a proper place of
transportation for criminals sentenced to that pu-
nishment by the laws of their country, this new
territory was at length preferred, in 1786, and
the first ship sailed from Spithead, on the ^Oth of
January, 1787, and arrived on the 20th of the
same month in the following year. Botany Bay
being found to be a station of inferior advantages
to what were expected, and no spot appearing
proper for the colony, it was immediately resolv-
ed by Governor Philip io transfer it to another
excellent inlet, about twelve miles farther to the
north, called Port Jackson, on the soiith side of
which, at a spot called Sidney Cove, this settle-
ment is now fixed. Port Jackson is one of the
noblest harbours in the world, extending about
fourteen miles in length, with numerous creeks or
coves. Difficulties with regard to subsistance,
and some unexpected misfortunes, attended the
new colony, the sheep being stolen, and (he
cattle wandered into the woods. A space of
about fifty miles around the colony had been
explored, and two rivers called Nepcan and
L'awkesbury, and some mountains, had been dis-
covered, 'the cattle were found grazing in a re-
mote meadow, in 1795, atller they had been lost
fur seven years, and had iiicreased to a surprising
degree. The most recent accounts seem to au-

* From 179G to 1708, the Englihli Kast>India company
impurted eight hundred and seventeen thousand three hun.
(]r«l and twelve pounds of clorci, ninety-three thousand
scTcn hundred and thirty.two pounds gf nutmegs, and

Vot. n. No.cxxvn.

thenticate the flourishing state of the colony.
The mode ofcultivation has been improved, coal
and rock salt discovered ; and there is room to
expect that this vide territory will not be found
deficient in the usual riches of nature. From the
account of the various navigators, there is room,
to infer that this extensive tract is peopled by
three or four races of men, those oberved in the
S. W. being described as different from those in
the N. and both from those in the E. with whom
alone we are intimately acquainted. These arc
perhaps in the most early stage of society which
has yet been discovered in any part of the globe.
They are merely divided into families, the senior
being styled Be-ana, or Father. Each family or
tribe has a particular place of residence, and is
distinguished by adding gal to the name of the
place ; thus the southern shore of Botany Bay is
called Gwea, and the tribe there Gwea-gal.
Another tribe, numerous and muscular, has the;
sirigular prerogative of extracting a tooth from
young men of other families, the sole token of go-
vernment or subordination. No religion what-
ever is known, though they have a faint idea of
a future existence, and think their people return
to the clouds, whence they originally fell. They
are of a low- stature, and ill made; the arms,
legs, and thighs being remarkably thin, perhaps
owing to their poor living on fish, the only food
of those on the coast, while a few in the woods
subsist on such animals as they can catch, an4
climb trees for honey, flying squirrels, and
opossums. The features of the women arc not
unpleasant, though approaching to the negro.
The black bushy beards of the men, and the bone
or reed which they thrust through the cartilage
of the nose, gives them a disgusting appearance ;
which is not improved by the practice of rubbing
fish oil into their skins, as a protection from the air
and muskitos, so that in hot weather the stench is
intolerable. They colour their faces with white
or red clay. The women are marked by the loss
of the two first joints of the little finger of the
left hand, as they were supposed to be in the
way when they coiled their fishing lines. It is
however not improbt\ble that this practice, and
the extraction of a tooth from the boys, may be

forty-six thousand seven h mdrcd and thirty pounds ot
mace, besides private trade, amounting to about a third
pari of the above statement. .■ . -

mere

y* ,H

• i\\^

■r|t"

41ii'

844

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCttlPTlON

OF THE WORLD.

mere initiations, rude lessons, that they may learn
to bear pain with apathy, The children are sel-
dom disfigured except by accidents from fire;
and their sight is surprisingly acute. Some are
nearly as black as African negroes, while others
exhibit a copper or Malay colour, but the hair
is long, not woolly like the African. Their noses
are Hat, nostrils wide, sunk eyes, thick brows
and lips, with a mouth of prodigious width, but
the teeth white and even.

Other large islands are Papua, or Nkw
Guinea, about one thousand two hundred miles
long, and three hundred broad ; Nkw Biiitain,
New Ireland, the Solomon Isles, New ('ale-
ponia, the New IIkrkidks, New Zealand.
Besides these are, 1. The Pelew Isles. 2. The
Ladrones, so called because the natives manifest
great propensity to thieving. 3. The Cabo-
MNEs. 4. The Sandwich Isles. 5. The Mar-
^uisAs. 6. The Society Isles, so called in ho-
nour of the Royal Society of London. H. The
Friendly Isles.

AFRICA.

This Continent is, after A sia and America, the
third ill size; but in political estimation, is the
last and meanest of the four great divisions of the
earth. From the southern extremity to the Me-
diterraiK^an, are about four thousand two hun-
dred geographical miles, and the breadth, at the
equittor, is about four thousand one hundred and
forty geographical miles. The actual population
of Africa does not, according to the most au-
thentic accounts, exceed thirty millions. In the
central parts on the south, the population ap-
pears to be indigenous and peculiar, these being
the native regions of the negroes, whose colour,
features, and hair, distinguish them from all the
other races of mankind. In the northern parts
the Egyptians and Abyssinians are of Arabiau
extract. The original inhabitants of the northern
parts appear to have been, in all ages, radically
distinct from the negro race, from whom they
were divided by the Desert of Zaara ; and in the
eastern parts the latter were still farther repelled
by the Arabian colony which settled in Abyssinia.
Africa has the Mediterranean on the N. the Red
Sea, and the Indian Ocean on the E. and the
Atlantic on the W.

The chief river hi'hcrto discovered is the Nile
which rises in the Jeoel el Keemr, or mountains
of the Moon, in a district called Donga, N. lat
8^. Its comparative course is about two thousand
British miles. In its course the Nile forms some
considerable cataracts, the principal being that of
Geanadil in Nubia, before it gains the level of
Egypt, after passing some rapids to the S. of
Sycne. The water is muddy; when it overflows
of a dirty red ; and cloudy even in April and
May. The river begins to rise about the iy(h of
June, the Abyssinian rains having begun in
April, and it ceases in October. It abounds with
fish. The crocodile is at present resiricttd to
the south of Assiyiit. The other chief rivers are
the Niger and the Gir, the course of each being
about one thousand Englisli miles. That of Se-
negal is also considerable. In the southern parts
Zuhiror Burbela of Congo, and the Zambezi
of Mocaranga, are the most considerable yd
kuowu.

The mountains of Atlas attracted the particu-
lar observation of the ancients, who fabled that
they supported the firmament; and derived from
them the celebrated appellations of the Atlantic
Ocean, and the Atlantic Isles. From the accounts
of some French mineralogists, who have visited
the Atlantic range, the structure is granitic and
primitive. The mountains of the Cape of Good
Hope seem principally of blue slate, siliceous
sand-stone, and granular quartz, interspersed
with large masses of granite.

But the most striking feature of Africa con-
sists in the immense deserts which pervade uiaiiv
parts of that continent. Of these the chief is
that called Zaara, or the Desert, and stretches
from thf; Atlantic Ocean, with few interruptions,
to the confines of Egypt, a space of about two
thousand five hundred geographical miies, bv a
breadth of seven hundred and twenty.

The, principal states of Africa have been de-
scribed in a former part of this work*; so that
little remains, but that we give a description of
the Cape of Good Hope, the islands of Mada-
gascar, BourboD, Mauritius, and a few others.

THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

Little was known by the English of the extent
of the territory belonging to this colony, till
their recent conquest of it, when it was found
to be five hundred and ftfty Engjish miles long,

and

* Sec Sonioi's Trarcls, toI. i. p.. 1, and those of Mu 'irk, p. 73.

m^,mm'iPtivifi»t'-n-K^-:'-r'ttrtft-v.*'r^' r-v

t Africa con-
pervade mail}
e the chief is

and stretches
interruptions,
of about two
J allies, bv a
ty.

lave been de-
•rk*; 80 that
description of
ds of Mada-

a few others.

I of (he extent
I colony, till
it was found
h milea long,
and

•tKvtT**! ^•'^fAtH'l'^--—

lis the Nile,

)r mountains

"ga, N. lat.

wo thousand

3 forms some

beingrthatof

the level of

o the 6. of

it overflows,

n April and

tthciyihof
»g began ill

bounds with

restricted to

ief rivers are
)f each being

That of Se-
)uthern parts
the Zambezi
siderablc yet

the particu- | 'j|

0 fabled that
derived from
■ (he Atlantic

1 the accounts
) have visited

granitic and
Z!ape of Good
late, siliceous

iii(ersperscd

fi i

Loaana ruKummtl vefj. (A9 fi-j.ttral

). ■•

l»

:1 li

' ■ I .i;

('',

■I L

E »t

i»y.

AMERICA.

845

f.iiri ^tt^r

ind t^o liundrpd and lhirt)-threc broad. To the
§. E. of Cape Town arc suinc small vineyards,
which yield the noted wine called Conbtantia ;
and even in remote districts there arc plantations
of various kindK: but large tracts arc irrecovera-
bly barren. The country is more fertile towards
the Indian Ocean, than towards the Atlantic, a
character which seems to apply to Africa in ge-
neral. The chief resorts of trading vessels are
False Ray, on the S. and Table Bay, on the
N. W. which opens to Cape Town. There arc
ioine wolves and Hyenas, and various kinds of
antelopes; and, among birds, eagles, vultures,
kites, crows, .turtle doves, &c. Mtirc inland are
kII the '^.vild and ferocious animals of Africa, and
hippopotami abound in the rivers.

MADAGASCAR.

This noble island is about eight hundred and
forty geographical miles long, by about two hun-
dred and twenty broad, being esteemed one of
the largest islands in the world. The scenery is
strikingly grand and picturesque, diversified with
precipices, cataracts, and immense forests. Many
of the most valuable minerals occur, among
wliich are beds of pure rock crystal, often used
for optical purposes, and erroneously called Bra-
zil pebble; and it is said three kinds of gold ore,
with topazes, sapphires, emeralds, and spotted
jaspers, commonly called blood stones. The French
settlement of Fort Dauphin is in the S. E. extre-
mity of the island, and the French are chiefly
acquainted with the southern part. Almost all
the villages arc built upon eminences, and sur-
rounded by two rows of strong palisades, within
which there is a parapet of earth, four feet in
height, and sometimes there is a ditch, ten feet
broad, and six deep. Their chiefs arc only
known by their red caps, worn by the common
Moors. Their authority is inconsiderable, yet
they are sometimes regarded as proprietors of the
land, and receive a small quit rent. „ .,,\ _ i

MAURITIUS, OR ISLE OF FRANCE.

The island of Mauritius, long known as a

* An Ice Island was seen from the ship tEoIus, at
.*? I'.M. July 9, 1809, in lat. 51" 36'. S. and Ion. 130".
W. The island was between two and three hundred feet
above the level of the sea, and about three nules in circum-
ference. Although at the time it blew a Tioleat gale of
3

French settlement, is situated io tlie E. of Mada-
gascar, and is well known in the commercial
world. It has a tolerable port, and is the centre
of the oriental force and commerce of the French.
It was first possessed by the Dutch, who aban-
doned it in 1712, and the French settlement be-
gan to acquire some stability under Bourdounais,
in IT.'M. There arc two crops every year of wheat
and Indian corn, but manioc is the food of the
negroes.

ISLE CP BOURBOX.

This island, colonized in 1054, is likewise on
the E. of Madagascar, and is about one hundred
and fifty miles in circumference, of a circular
form,risingto high mountains in the centre, There
is a noted volcano, diiticult of access, at thcsuiu-
mitofamountainaleag'Ue from the sea : the erup-
tions are frequent and continual. It produces
sugar canes, and the cattle arc numerous. In
176G, M. Poivre was governor of the isles of
Mauritius and Bourbon: he was of great benetit
to the settlement, by the introduction of the
bread-fruit tree, and also of the nutmeg aiid cin-
namon. The isle of Bourbon was, since the
French Revolution called Reunion; but of late
has been called the Isle of Bonaparte. This
island was taken by the English in July, 1810,
with one hundred and twenty pieces of cannon,
besides a large quantity of shot, shells^ cartridges,
and powder.

> -iv

AMERICA.

The length of America, from the 72d degree
of N. latitude, to Cape llorne*, the southern
point of land in Terra del Fuego, or the 56th
degree of S. latitude, is a space of one hundred
and twenty eight degrees, or seven thousand six
hundred and eighty geographical miles, or about
eight thousand eight hundred and ninety-six
English miles. The breadth of North Aaierica
is about three thousand eight hundred and forty
geographical miles, or four thousand four hun-

wind, with a tremendous hollow sea, it seldom broke over
the lowest part of it, the island was therefore .ibout five
hundred feet under the water. It had a grand, thougli
awful appcaraucc.

.!■• .'ii:'->' I . s'l .'/' .1 .' •.> ,; ;. .. •. > .1 drcd

845

GEOCnAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

dred and fifty English miles; and that of South
AoiMica is about two thousand eight hundred

* The first discoTcry of America is generally ascribed to
Christoval Colon, or, as he is commonly called, Chrlsto>
pher Culiimbus. In 1402 he sailed from Spain, in quest
of (ho new world, on Friday the 3d uf August. Ou the
Ist of October he was, by his reckoning, soTcn hundred
and seventy leagues W. of the Canaries, llh men began to
mutiny, a>>d he r is forced to promise to return in three
days, if land did ..ot appear. Fortunate presages arose,
a.s land birds, a cane newly cut, a carved piece of wood,
and the branch of a tree with fresh red berries. These and
other symptoms induced Colon to order the ships to lie to in
(he evening of the 11th of October, in the certainty of see.
ing land on the approach of day>light. The night was
passed in gating expectation ; and a light having been ob.
served in motion, the cry ot land! land! resounded from
the hcad.most ship. With tho dawn of Friday, October
\% a beautiful isle appeared, two leagues to the north.
'J'e Deiim was lung with shouts of exultation, and every
wark of gratitude and veneration to the admiral. Colon
"was the first who landed, to the great amazement of the na.
tivcs, who regarded their visitors as children of the sun,
the astonishment on both sides being indescribable. Thi»
first discovery of Colon he called San Salvador, but it is
now better known by the native name of Guanahani (the
Cat island of our mariners) being one of tho groupe called
the Hahama isles. Colon soon afterwards discovered Cuba
and St. Domingo. After visiting the Azores on his return,
hoarrived at Lisbon on the 4th of March, 14U3.

140.'>. The second voyage of Colon, 25th September.
Steering more southerly, he discovered several of the Ca.
ribbce islands, founded a town in St. Domingo, being tho
first European settlement in the new world, and did not re.
turn till 1490.

1498. Third voyage of Colon toward the south-west,
ivhcre he expected to find the Spice Islands of India. On
the Ist of August he discovered an island, which he called
Trinidad, not far from the mouth of the river Oroonoko.
From the estuary of this river lie judged that it must (low
through a country of immense extent; and he landed in
several places on the coast of (he continent now called Paria.
Ho then returned to Hispaniola, or St. Domingo ; and in
October, l.SOO, was sent back to Spain in chains !

1490. Ojeda, an ofiic^r, who had accompanied Colon in
his second voyage, sajis to Auierica with four ships, but
discovered little more than Colon had done. One of tho
adventurers was Amerigo Vespucci, a Florentine man of
science, eminently skilled in navigation, who perhaps acted
as chief pilot. On his return, Amerigo piiblish«d the first
description that had yet appeared of any part ol the new
continent: and the caprice of fame has assigned to him an
honour above the renown of the greatest conquerors, that
of indelibly impressing his name upon this vast portion of
the earth.

ISOO. On his voyage to the East Indies, Cabral, the
Portuguese admiral, discovered Brazil.

15U2. Fourth'Voyagoiof Colon, in wbicli he discovers a
great part of thu continent, and particularly the harbour of
Porto-bello.

1513. Vasco Nugnez de Balboa descried, from the moun-
tains of tbe isthmus, the grand Pacific Oceaa; and he after.

and eighty geographical miles, or three thousand
three hundred and forty English miles *.

NORTH

wards waded into the waves, and took possession of it ji,
the name of the Spanish monarch. Thii discovery seems ti>
have terminated the vain expectation that America furmcd
part of Asia.

It scorns unnecessary to trace with minuteness the otiicr
epochs of discovery in this quarter. In 1515 the cuntiMi!nt
was explored as far as llio do Plata ; but even in 1518 liith;
was known concerning its western parts ; and twenty. .sin
years had elapscd'sincc tho first voyago of Colon, before the
cxistcnco was rumoured of the empires, or kingdums of
Mexico and Peru. Hispaniola and Cuba still cuniinm-d to
be the chief scats of the Spanish power. In 1519 Cortiv,
with eleven small vessels, containing six hundred and se.
ven teen men, proceeded to the conquest of Mexico, ^liidi
was accomplished in 1521. Magalhaeus, :> tho same time
having explored the Pacific Ocean, theilisoovery (if tliu
western coast of America became a nccessaiy couscqiunco.
After many reports concerning tho riches of Peru, llmt
country was at length visited in 1526 by Pizarro, in a ves.
sol from Panama. In 1530 the conquest of Peru was be.
gun by Pizarro, at the head of thirty>six cavalry, and one
handred and forty.four infantry; and in ten years that cm.
pirn was divided among his followers. In 1543 thu first
Spanish viceroy appeared in Peru.

In North America the epochs of discovery were more
slow.

1497. Giovanni Gaboto, a Venatian, calud by the Fug.
lish John Cabot, who had received a <'om vjssiun fruio
Henry VII. in 1405, in the view of traciiii, a nearer pas.
sago to India, discovered Newfoundland, so called by hU
sailors ; and inspected tho American shore as far as Vir.
ginia : but, this land forming merely an obstacle to his
wishes, be returned to England.

1500. Cortcde Real, a Portuguese captain, in search uf
a north. west passage, discovered Labrador.

1513. Florida was discovered by Ponce, a Spanish
captain.

1534. Francis I. sending a fleet from St. Maloes, to
establish a settlement in North America, Cartie (he com.
mandcr, on tho day of St. Laurence, discovered the great
gulph and river, to which he gave the name of that saint,
In the following year he sailed about three hundred leagues
up this noble stream to a great cataract^ built a fort, and
called the country New France.

1578. Sir Humphrey Gilbert obtained a patent for sctliin;
lands in America. In 1583 he discovered and took posset.
sion of the harbour of St. John, and the country to the
south, but was lost on his retnrn.

The voyage of Drako round the world served to kindle
the enthusiasm of the English ; and Raleigh obtained :i pj.
tent similar to that of Gilbert.

1584. Two small vessels dispatched by Raleigh unfurtu.
natcly bent their course to that country now called North
Carolina, instead of reaching the noble bays of Chcsajifak
or Delawar. These vcisels returned to England, with tw»
of the natives; and Elizabeth assigned to this region the
name of Virginia, an appellation which became lately ap-
plied to the British settlements in North America, till it
was confined to a differeqt country from the original
Virginia.

683. Raleigh

NORTH AMFHirA.

8i7

TTur—

f were more

NORTH AMERICA.

THE UNITED ST^^TES.

The territories of the United States are classed
under three grand diviti) its, the Northern, the
Middle, and the Soutlicrn. — The Northern
States are, Vermont, New Hainpahire, Mussa-
rliutettst Connucticut, and the small province of
Kliode Island. The district of .Main, in this quar-
ter, belongaito the plrovinceoClMussachusett's Bay,
—The Middle States are, New-York, New Jer-
sey, Pennsylvania, Dclawnr, and the tc'iritoryon
the N. VV. of the Ohio.— The Southern States
arc, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, North Ca-
rolina, Georgia, and Tcnnussee, or the country
south df Kentucky. — Louisiana is now regarded
as a part of the United States.

The United States are bounded on the E. by
the Atlantic Ocean, and oh the W. by the Missis-
sippi. On the N. an ideal line, pervading the
^rcat lakes of Canada, is continued along the
liver St. Lawrence to lat. 45". not fUrS. of Mon-
treal, when it passes due E. and follows a chain
of mountains N. E. and afterwards diverges S. E.
to the river St. Croix. On the S. an arbitrary
line, about lat. 31". divides the United States
from West and East Florida. The greatest
length of th^ United States, (not including Loui-
liana) is about one thousand three hundred Eng-
lish miles, and its breadth about one thousand.
The square acres are computed at six hundred
and forty millions, and those covered with water

■ ■ — -

15h3. Raleigh sent a sinull colony, under the command of
Sir Ricliiun C«rcn»ille, who settled In the isle of Roanoke,
a most incftmmodlouk ahd useless station, ^vhencc they re.
tNrned in 1.088. Raleigh made several unsuccessful attempts
to eolunizo the country, and afterw.irds resigned his patent
ro some nivrchsnts, who were contented with a petty
traffic. At the death of Elizabeth, tG03, there was not
one Hnj,'"'!nian settled in America; and the Spaniards
and Por< :gursc alone hau .^•irmed any establishment on that
taut contt.ient.

The Teiiorable Hakluyt, anxi.'us that his countrymen
thoiilii partake, of the bunctit of ruiuiiii.:, procured au usso.
cialioii of men of rank and talents for thi^ purpose; and a
patent was granted by Jan'iVs I. April 10, IWO.' Thii bay
of Chesapcak was discovered in l(j:>7, and the first lasting
settlement was founded at Jamis'J'pw n^ in utudem \ irginiu.
Captain Smith, w ho afterwards published v*\ account of his
voyages, displayed reniarkablts spirit and enterprizo; yet
the colony was about to return to Knglaii ' when I^ord Uc.
lawar arrive<lin 1610 ; and tliungh he rcnir.> ind ouly a short
(4ii)«>, yet his prudent conduct firmly estabii'^hcd the settle.
went, "

fn 15R5, Jnhn Davis, an experienced naTi>;ntor. visitrd
(fan westiTii coast of (ireculand, and tHplotcd U41' oanu't

Vol.. H. No. cxwin.

being supposed fifty-one millions, so that (lii*ri>
remains five hundred and eighty-nine millionb of
»,crcs of land.

The religionofthe United States is Christianity,
and every sect is universally tolerated, ft wotild
be useless to enumerate the various denomina-
tions ; but about four-fifths are nioderale inde-
pendents. .

The government, by the constitution of 1780,
is vesteu in a president and two councils. 'J'he
president is chosen for the term of four year.'< ;
and the senate or superior council consists of tuo
senators from each state, chosen every six years.
The president commands the army and nuvy,
and can pardon oflrcnces, except in cases of im-
peachment.

The population was estimated in 1790, at three
millions nine hundred and thirty thousand, ex-
clusive of the inhabitants N. W. of the Ohio,
supposed to be then twenty thousand. The po-
pulation is supposed to be doubled every twenty
years, in which case it now (1810) amounts to
upwards of seven millions.

Their manners and customs differ little from
those of their British ancestors, except in a few
particularities. They are, however, generally
reserved .

The language of the United States is English,
with the admixture of some words from other
languages, brought in by people who have mi-
grated from different countries. The America n
writers sometimes adopt expressions and idioms

sea, called Daris's Strait. On another Toyago he proceeded
as far north as the island jf Disko, and tjie opposite shores
of (irecnland, wh'.cn no '.lamcd London coast. He also dis.
coTcred Cumberland Strr^it; aud upon tho whole the thre*
voyages of this navigator are of great consequence. His
farthest point of disicuvcry appears to have l>ecn Sander-
son's Uopc, lat. 7*2' ; whence turning to tho west, he wan
imi)c>!fd by lieUls of ire.

In 1SU7, Hudson made his first voyage ; and is said tw
have proceeded along the coast of Greenland as far as ial.
82°. On the voyage of ItilO Hudson discovered the Straits
which bear his name; and that inland sea, which has bees
cdlled Hudson's Day.

Iti I'CIG some public spirited gentlemen sent Captain
Hilot to attempt a N. W. passhgc. William BufTin sailed
with him as pilot: and this voyage it one nf the most !>iu.
gular in the whole circle of geography. Far exceeding the
utmost stretch of Davis, they discovered Horn Sound, Cap*
Dudley Diggs, Hakluyt Island, Sir Thomas Smith's Sound,
Caxy's Itlanils, Alderman .Jones's Sou;. d, and Sir James
Lancaster's Sound; all of them totally unknown tu any
preceding or succeeding navigator; so I'int •>'.> was suspe ct.
»:J tu beau iuipostur.

9 1

unknONVii

)\\

Ini

■J 'I

! !■'

jfl

848

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCttlPTION OP THE WORLD

unknown to the British classics ; and it is sup-
posed that in the course of eighty or one hundred
jears, it will be adifleren* language.

The manufuctnres of the United States may be
considered as <4ti)l in their infancy, as the people
were accustomed to be supplied from Great Bi'i-
tain ; but the recent commotions in Europe have
driven many able manufacturers to- America^
where machinery is particularly valuable, as the
price of labour is very high, it is presumed they
are rapidly advancing in the arts.

The climate is remarkable for sudden transi-
tions from heat to cold, and the contrary. In
the northern states the winter is longer and more
severe than in England> but the summer heat
more intense.

There are scver.\l large rivers, particularly the
Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, Uisconsin, Chi-
pawy, St. Croix, the Great and Little Miami,
the Wabash, the Great Kennaway, the Ken-
tucky, the Green Riv^fj the Cumberland, the
Tenassee, the Penobscot, Kehnebee, S ;Co, Me-
rimac, Connecticut; the i>.'Iaware. the Susque-
hanna, the Chesapeak, the Potomac, and James
River.

There are many great lakes, particularly those
which form the noftliern boundary : and several
of less extent. The forests arc so numerous and
large, that they do not appear to have distin-
guished them by particular names.

in the province of Vermont is a curioiw stalac-
ti(ic cave, in which, after a descent of one hun-
vlred and four feet, there opens a spacious room
about twenty feet in breadth, and one hundred
HI length, with a circular hall at the farther end,
at the bottom of which boils up a deep spring of
clear water. Near Durham in New Hampshire,
is a rock so poised on another, as to move with
oneiiiiger; a natural remain of a ruined hill,
though in England it would be called Druidicai.

In the province of New York a rivulet runs
under a hill about seventy yards in diameter,
forming a beautiful arch in the rock ; and there
is a st^lactitic cave, in which was found the pc-
trcfied skeleton of a large snake. In the territory
on the N. W. of the Ohio, the savannas, or rich
plains, extend for thirty or forty miles without
any tree ; they arc crouded with deer, wild cuttle,
and turkeys, and often visited by bears and

* Rhode hlnnd, which gives name (o the state, is about
t)urt«cu Diitiis (u length, by fuur in breadth, witli a con*

wolves: but this district is chiefly remarkable for
a number of old forts, of an oblong form, widi
an adjoining tumulus or tomb. As the Mexicans
have a tradition that they passed from the north
these forts may perhaps be remains of their first
residence, or of some nation which they subdued.
The n.itural bridge is a sublime and striking curi-
osity, being a rock covered with soil and trees
across a chasm, appearing to have been opened
in the course of ages by a brook, which now runs
between two and three hun<^red feet bencatli.
The breadth of this bridge is about sixty feet ;
and the thickness of the mass about forty.

The chief islands belonging to the United
States are Long Island, (the province called
Rhode Island, being continental, with two or
three small islands attached *,) and a few insular
strips of land near the shores of North Carolina.
The others, scattered along the coast, and in the
various bays and lakeSj are of little consequence.

Gritish Possessions.

These are Canada, New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia, Cape Breton, Newfoundland, and tlic
Bermudas.

Those parts of North America which still be-
long to Great Britain, are extensive, and of con-
siderable importance, though so thinly peopled
as not to contiain above two hundred thousand
souls, of which by far the greater part are
French' and nalives, and in such a disadvaii-
tageeif" 'jlilnate, that they sink into insignificance,
whon compared with the Spanish colunic<i, or
with the United States,

Canada is computed to be o^e thousand two
hundred geographical miles long, by two hun-
dred medial breadth. Its capital, Quebec, v/u
conquered by Wolfe, in I?.')!), and Canada was
ceded to Gicat Britain by the treaty of Paris, in
1763. The manners and customs of the set-
tlers in Caniida are considerably tinctured with
the French gaiety and urbanity. The priiicipul
exports, are furs and peltries, with some fish,
potash, and American gimcng. Coal abounds
in the island of Cape Breton, but this valuable
mineral has not been discovered in Canada, 'llie
chief natural curiosities seem to be the grand
lakef, rivers, and cataracts. Among the latter,
the celebrated I'alls of Niagara are chicHy ou

sidcrablc town called Newport: before (he American war
it was a beautiful and higlily cuUivatcd district.

■' '•-,> , ;. ., ■. . •?.-. ■(.'■ \H\ I ,T IK', J . . .,.i . the

imarkable for
ig form, with
the Mexicans
ova the nortli,

of their first
Ihey subdued,
striking curi-
soil and trees,

been opened
^ich now runs
feet bencatli.
ut sixty feet ;

forty.

) the Uni<ed
ovince called

with two or

a few insular
orth Carolina,
tst, and in the
consequence.

nswick. Nova
land, and the

which still he-
re, and of con-
binly peopled
Ired thousand
!ater part are
h a disadvan-
insignificnnce,
I colonies, or

) thousand two

by two huu-

Quebec, was

id Canada was

ity of Paris, in

ns of the srt-

tinctured with

The principal

ith some fish,

Coal uboundii

it this vuluahle

Canada. The

be the grand

long <hc latter,

are cliiclly ou

the American war
istrict.

the

. 1 , •

I: If I

%■

'*)

I'- *,

f ! !|fi

NORTH AMERICA.

84»

tbc side of Upper Canada, the river beio^ there
I ii% hundred ^ards wide, and the fall one hun-
dred and forty-two feet. A small island lies be-
tween the falls: and that on the side of the
United States is three hundred and fifty yards
wide, while the height is one hundred and sixty-
'tbree feet. From the great fall a constant cloud
iscends, which may sometic. ^s be seen at an in-
credible distance ; and the whole scene is truly
tremendous.

New Brunswick formed part of Nova Scotia
till 1784, when that province was divided into
(wo parts, of which New Brunswick was the
largest portion. The river of St. John aiTurds
navigation for vessels uf fifty tons, about sixty
miles, and for boats about two hundred. Its
capital is Frederick-town. The chief products
are timber and fish.

Nova SfcoTiA, is about three hundred miles
long, by eighty of medial breadth. There are
levcral considerable rivers, among which that of
Aunapolis is navigable fifteen miles for ships of
one hundred tons. The bay of Fundi, between
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, extends fifty
leagues inland ; the ebb and flowing of tide be-
ing from forty-five to sixty feet. The capital is
Halifax, on thci Bay of Cheburto, well situated
for the fishery. During a great part of the year
the air is foggy and unbealtby ; and for four or
live months intensely cold.

The Island of Cape Breton, is attached to
the province of Lower Canada, though divided
from Nova Scotia by a strait of one mile in
breadth. It is about one hundred miles long.
The climate is cold and foggy. The chief towns
are Sidney and Louisburg; and the number of in-
habitants do not exceed one thousand upon the
whole island. The fur trade is inconsit!<;rabIe,
but the fishery very important, this island being
esteemed the chief seat; and the value uf this
trade, while in the possess'DU of the French, was
computed at 1,000,0001. sterling.

The Island of St. John is at no great distance
from Cape Breton, being about sixty miles long,
and thirty broad. It is attached to Nova Scotia.

Newfoundland, an island discovered by Sebas-
tian Cabot, in 1496. It is about three hundred
aud twenty miles long, by as many broad, and

* On the coast of Vcragaa u Conception Bay; where
uic druses of the iiiliabitants are light and airy ; tiic women
wearing large bell boops^ form a cuilous contrast between

as scarcely been penetrated above thirty miles
from the shore. The great fishery on its banks
begins about the 10th of May, and continues till
the end of September. The cod is either dried
for the Mediterranean, or barrelled up in a
pickle of salt for the English market. The
fishery is computeij to yield about three h'indred
thousand pounds per annum, from ihe cod sold
in the Catholic couutriw.^. The chief towns are
St. John, in the S. £. with Placentia in the S,
and Bona.'ista in the E.

The Bermudas, or Somer Isles, are four in
number, viz. Bermuda, St. George's, St. Da-
vid's, and Somerset, with several islets, and nu-
merous rocks. The inhabitants are chiefly occu-
pied in building light ships of their cedars, in
which they trade to North America, and the West
Indies. They are also frequented by whale fishers,

Spanish Dominions in North and Soute|
America.

The extent of the Spanish possessions in North
America is very great, being about one thousancT
nine hundred and twenty geographical miles
long, by about four hundred of medial breadtbv
Of this wide empire the chief part is distingniah-
ed by the name of Mexico, of New Spain ;
the provinces, in ascending from t^e south to the
north, being Veragua*, Costa Rica, Nica-
ragua, Honduras, (with the Musquito shore,
claimed by the English, ) Guatimala, and Vera-
paz, Chiapa, Tabasco, and the peninsula of
Yucatan, Guaxaca, Mexico Proper, New Gal-
licia, Biscay, and Leon. The provinces farther
to the north are Cinaloa and others on the gulf
of California, with that large Chersonese itself.
Louisiana t and the Two Fluridas complete the
chief denominations.

The Spanish possessions in South America are
of prodigious extent, from the Caribbean Sea to
the most southern promontory, according to the
Spanish Geographers ; but the English do not
allow them so great an extent; so that what re-
mains to the Spanish governmen., is about three
thousand three hundred and sixty geographical
miles long, by about nine hundred medial
breudth. The vhnle length of the Spanish
possessions in America may therefore be com-

tiic females of Old and Now Spain.

f Loiiisiumi was lately restored to France ; and bj
Franco transferred to the United States.

puted

iii

i^^i

I-
'I

850

GEOGRAPHICAL DKSCKIPTION OF THE WORLD.

putcd at more than five thougaiid geographical
miles. The grand divisions are^ the viceru^'alty
of Buenos Ayrcs ; .that of Peru, vshich inciu'lcs
Chili; and that of New Granada, ii> ihe nortb.
The number of mines at work in the viccroyally
of Buenos Ayres alone, amounts to thirty of
gold *j twenty-seven of silver f, seven of copper,
two of tin, and seven of lead X-

The ancient Mciicans worshipped the sun,
but they had no image of that luminary in their
temples : they had, however, a great many idols,
among whom Haloch, or Tescalipuca, held a
distingnislied place. He seem" **>■ '.avc been their
god of war. They are said to nave oftered human
sacrifices to their idols; and the dress of their
chief priest was a long robe and a crown ; and
w4ien about to perform a sacrifice, he was always
accompanied bya priest of an inferior order.

At the commenccoient of a century the Mexi-
cans manifested the greatest joy; and dances were
exercised all over the country, in which the re-
joicings exceeded every thing that the Europeans
were acquainted with.

The Peruvians acknowledge! one Almighty
Being, whom they called Pactia-Camac; but as
they did not see him, they seldom erected temples,
or offered sacrifices to him : they worshipped
Jiim in their hearts as the unknown God. They
offered sacrifices to the sun ; and these sacrifices
ronsisted of lambs, and other sorts of cattle,
fowls, and corn, and even their best and finest

* The cHcbratcd moiiiiUiti of Potosi has presented, for
two centuries and a half, inexhaustible treasures of silver ;
while the gold seems thinly scattered by nature, and has no
■where been discovered in snch enormous masses. This
mountain, of a conic form, is about twenty Knglish miles
in circumference, and perforated by more than three hun.
drcd rude shaf's, through a firm yellow argillaceoHSschistiis.
There are veins of ferruginous quartz, interspersed with
what arc called the horu and vitreous ores. Of a peculiar
dark reddish colour, this mountain rise« vuid '„>f all vegc(a>
tion, blastod by the numerous furnaces, which ii the night
/orni a grand spectacle. This surprising mine was discover,
fd 1545, by Ilualpa a Peruvian, who in pursuing some
champis jgoats, pulled up a busii, and behi:ld under the
root that amazing vein of silver afterwards eiilleJ /« riat, or
the rich. He shitrcd this discovery with his friend iluanca,
who revoaled it to a Spaniard his master ; and the mine was
formally registered 'Jlst April, l.^>i5.

-f Another celebrated mine is that of mercury, indispcnsa.
btc in amalgamating the precious metals. While Mexico ii
supplied from Spain, Peru has the native product of (luaii.
cavelica, a district and town nut far to the S. W. of Lima,
Bear the great bend of the old Maranon. The cinnabar had

cloathes ; all which they burned in the place of
incense. One of their great feasts, called Raymi
was held in the month of June, immediately after
the summer solstice. This was also held in com-
memoration of their feasi Inca, called Mar.'-ii
Capac, and Coya Mama Ocla, bis wife and sister
At this festival all the viceroys, generals, gover-
nors, and other officers, were assembled, and the
emperor, or Inca, officiated as high priest. So
fond were the Peruvians of consecrated vessels
that the Inca never drank out of a vessel vliicli
had not been presented to the sun, and wiistlnij
supposicd to have been blessed by that luminary ;
the p'lrrorraancc of the ceremony of consecratinf;
the .^nca's vessel being attended with great so-
Icmnity.

PoiiTUGUEsn Possessions.
The dominions in South Amerira held bv llic
Portuguese, extend from the frontier of l)utch
Guiana to Port St. Pedro, a space of two thou-
sand one hundred geographical miles ; and the
breadth, from Cape St. lloque to the fa^the^t
Portuguese settlement on the river of Amn/ons,
called St. Paul de Omagua.s, equals that extent.
This vast territory, rivaling the empires of anti-
quity, is still more unknown than the Spanish
possessions, partly from the want of scienre and
curiosity, partly on a'.:count of the thick forests
which cover the extersive plains of the Muranon,
and its auxiliary streams. Though long in nl-

been used by the Peruvians as a rod [Mint; and the quuk.
silver was first delected about 1567.

+ Plalina is chiefly found in the mines of Choco and Bar.
hacoas, in the vice royalty of New Grenada. Tin, accord.
ing to Helms, is found at C'hayanica and Paria ; and there
arc also several mines cf copper and lead. I'he cliief cup.
|>er mine was at Arou ; but the colonics are m(>:>lly supjilirJ
from the mines at Cuba. In the time of (he Incas, can'.
raids were also common, chiefly on the coast >f M:iuta, and
in the guvornment of Ataeames, where i': is said that tliirr
arc mines which the Indians will nut reveal, as they mih'.
encounter the labour of working them. The river of l',\m:
raids flows from the Andes to the north of Quito; aiil
others of inferior quality are found near Santa Fc Je liu.
guta, . where are the chief modem mines of Peruvian nne.
raids, justly preferred to all otticrs, since those of Ki!y|it
have been neglected. Those found in thv tontbs are workid
into sphoroi, cylinders, conci, and other Itgures, aiij
pierce«l with ntc^t precision; but in what manner this w.is
accomplished remains unknown. According to lllloa,
rubies hare alio been observed in the jurisdictluu uf
Cueofa.

liance

n the place of |

called Raynii,

mediatelj after

10 licid ill com-

callcd Manca

wife and sister.

inerals, gover-

nibled, and the

'gh priest. So

iccrated vessels,

a vessel \\\u^^\^

, and was thin

that luminary ;

of consccratitnj

with great so-

ONS.

ica held by the
ntier of l)utch
ce of two thou.
niles ; and the
to the farthf.st
erof Amazons,
lals that extent.
impires of anti-
an the Spanish
I of science ami
he thick forests
)f the Maranon,
gh long in al-

nt; ami thu quick.

of CItoco find Bar.
Jcfii. Till, acnnril.
I Paria ; ami ihcrf
d. 'I'he cliicf co| .
irc mostly su[)|ili(J
of (lie Intjis, cnic.
oast >f Miiiila, and
U is Ruid that there
BToal, as they miu:

Tlio river of V.im:
rth of Quito; iint
r Santa Fc dc liu.
» of I'eruvidii oine.
cc those of l\ijy|it

tombs are workiil
Dthor figures, anj
tt maniter this w.is
curdiog to Ulluu.
he jurijdictiuii uf

%■

liance

11'

fii ;,'

!#«-«l*'>

m *■

!!■

'.' I

>il

I li!

r«J#-

;;ii

«:

vW^

> /

11;

■i

I -

if'.

1 /

1 i

|.i.

''i.

WEST INDIAN ISLANDS.

851

liance with Portugal; we. have little precise
knowledge of Brazil, and still less pfthe interior
country t lied Amazonia. The chief city of
Brazil was formerly Bahia, or San Salvador,
which has since yielded to Ilio Janeiro *.

"West Indian Islands.

These islands, so import;ant to comraerce, arc
Cuba, St. Domingo, Jamaica, and Porto Rico,
all of considerable extent; and followed by the
distinguished groupe called the Antilles, Ca-.
ribbce, or. Leeward Islands. To the south of
this groupe is Trinidad,,. a recent English acqui-
sition^ In (he N. E. ar^ the Binhama IsUnds,
which are narrov and barren strips of land, for-
merly frequented by pirates, till subjected by
England.

Cuba, is not less (hnn seven hundred E nglish
miles long, but the medial breadth does not ex-
ceed seventy. Such is the fertility of Cubu, that
it may be regarded as a most important and flou-
rishing possession. The quantity of sugar is con-
siderable; and the tobacco is esteemed of more
exquisite flavour than that of any other part of
America. Among the products must also be
I eckoned ginger, long pepper, mastic, cocoa,
manioc, and alofs. There are mines of excellent
copper, and gold is not unknown in the rivers.
The forests abound with wiild cattle and swine;
and among the trees are green ebony and raaho-
j;;any. Ilavanna is the capital.

St. Domingo, or Hispaniola, or Hayti. This
island is about four hundred English mil^s long,
by one hundred broad. Under the name of His-
paniola, it wus^he first Spanish settlement in the
New World. The French colony derived its
origin from a party of buccaneers, mostly natives
of Normandy, towards the middle of the seven-
tc<^ntli fcntury: and the western part was for*
uiutiy ceded to France by the peace of Ilyswic.

* To IhiH place the ro^al family of Pprlngal, assisted by
tlie Knglish, migrated, when the French niadu thrir a-p.
pcarancu in great force at Lisbon, at the close of 18U7.

'J'hc harbour of Riu Janeiro is ca|iaciou8 and excellent;
and surrounded by a fertile country. It is protected by the
castle of Santa Cruz, erected on a huge rock of granite.
Oil the Mest is the city of St. Sebastian, commonly called
Kio di- Janeiro, built on a tongue of land, tiic hills and
iocUk bcliiiid being crowned with woods, coiiveuls, hDUsry,
and churches. On a •iraall isle are a dock yurd, magazine!!,
and naval 8tore-hou<e« ; and there are seveial other isles
hi the harbour behind the toWii. 'I'hc streets are generally

Vol. II. No. im

, So flourishing a state was the Fi-ench colony in
! before the Revolution, that its exports amounted
to four millions seven hundred and sixty-Bve
thousand one hundred and thirty pounds sterling.
The National Assembly of France passed some
decrees coo ci Jug the mulattoes, or people of
colour, which gave them great offence; and af-
ter many ah?urd struggles between the whites
and the mulattoes, three thousand negro slaves,
supported by the mulattoes, entered the city of
Cape .r'ra!i9ois, on the 21st of June, 1793, and
perpf rated an universal massacre of the white
men, women, and children. At h.-ngth the people
of col )ur obtained so great advantages, that they
proc'iimed the island the em.pire of Hayti, and
Ch istophe has been declared emperor; hut at pre-
be;jt, ( October, 1810, ) the afFair isnot terminated,
and Petion is still master of a part of the island. *
Jamaica, the third island m sizein this archi-
pelago, is about one hundred and seventy Eng-;
lish miles long, and sixty broad. In 1653, dur-
ing the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, it was
taken by the English, by whose industry it has
become one of the most flourishing of the West
India settlements. It is divided into three coun-
tries, viz. Cornwall, in the W. Middlesex in
the centre, and Surrey in the E. St. Jago, or
Spanish Town, is regarded as the capital ; while
Kingston is the chief sea port. The principal
exports are to Great Britain, Ireland, and North
Aiuerica, in sugar, rum, coflec, indigo, ginger,
and pimento, valued in 1787 at two millions
sterling. The climatf, though tempered by
the sea breezes, is lAiromely hot; and the days
and nights are nearly pf equal duration. What
is called the Blue Mountain Peak, rises seven
thousand four hundred and thirty-one feet above
the level of the sea; and the precipices are in-
terspersed with beautiful savannas. The bread
fruit tree has been introduced by the cxertious of

s(raii(ht and woll paTcd. Water is sup(4ied by a'l aqueduct
on the KomH:; plan. Yet the situatitm of t:a-< beautiful
city is said to *>" i.nhealthy, owing to the exhijatKinb from
the primitive i.iUnd forests. Theij are manufactories of
sugar, rum, and cochineal; and several districts proUueu
cotton, indigo, ciJtlee, cacao or cliocolnte, rii-.-, pepiier,
and'the noted Itra/ilian tobacco. The red or VikaiXX wuod,
is the property of the crown. The natural history ha*
been little explored; the circitnij:icent roeks are granitic,
w hite, red, or deep blue, the last being of a close and hard
texture.

IT -

.,f

852

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

Sir Joseph Banks, than which none can be more
beneficial, or worthy of applause.

Porto Rico is about one hundred and twenty
English miles long, and forty broad. It is a fer-
tile, beautiful, and well watered island ; the prin-
cipal trade of which is in sugar, ginger, cotton,
hides, with some drugs, fruits, find sweat-meats.
In the northern part are said to be mines of gold
and silver.

The Caribbee Islands. This range extends
from Tobago, in the south, to the Virgin Islands,
in the north. The Caribbees are of remarkable
fertility and commercial advantage. Their names
are, Barbadoes, Antigua, St. Christopher's, St.
Vincent, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Ne-
vis, Martinique, Guadaloupe, St. Lucie, To-
bago, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John, St. Bar-
tholomew, and St. Eustatius. The products and
exports of all these islands are similar, consist-
ing, generally, of sugar, rum, coffee, cocoa,
indigo; and cotton. "■.■■■-■

The Bermudas, or Somer Islands.
• THESEislands are situated in thirty-two degrees,
twenty minutes, north latitude, andsixty-tive de-
grees, west longitude from London. Their dis-
tance from the Land's End in Cornwall, is com-
puted at one thousand five hundred leagues ; from
the Madeira's, about one thousand two hundred ;
and from Carolina, in North America, three hun-
dred. They are difficult of access, being, as
Waller says, " walled with rocks ," they lie in a
flustor, nearly in the shape of a shepherd's crook,
and contain about twenty thousand acres. No
part of the world enjoys a purer air, or raoretem-
])erate climate, or is more remarkable for health,
and for plenty of flcHh, fish, poultry, fruits, herbs,
and roots. This groupe of islands received their
name from John Bermudas, a Spaniard, who dis-
covered them in iJO.'i; and were afterwards call-
ed the Somer Islands, from Sir George Somers,
w ho lost bis ship on tiieir rocks, in the year 160U,
in his passage to Virginia.

The Lukayo's, or Bahama Islands.

The Bahama Islands arc situated to the south
of Carolina, between seventy-three and eighty-
one degrees of west longitude, and twenty-one and
twenty-seven degrees of north latitude. They arc
very numerous, and twelve of them arc pretty large.
These'were the. first lands which Columbus dis-
covered in America, in the year 1492. Some of
them, however, are mere rocks.

The island of Providence has been planted and
fortified by Great Britain some years, and is situ-
ated in the seventy-eighth degree of West longi-
tude, and the twenty-fifth degree of North lati-
tude: it is two hundred miles east of the conti-
nent of Florida. None of the other islands are
inhabited; but the English have plantations up-
on some of them. The soil exactly resembles
that of Carolina.

These islands, as above-mentioned, were the
first fruits of Columbus's discoveries; but the
English were unacquainted with them till Cap-
tain Seyle was driven among them, in his passage
to Carolina, in 1667. He then gave his own
name to one of them; and when he was after-
wards driven upon it a second time, he called it
Providence. Ihis island, for a long time, was
the resort of American pirates, after the En«lish
had made a fruitless attempt to plant it, and the
rest of the Bahamas, in the reign of Charles II.
In 1718 these pirates were dislodged by Captain
Woodes Rogers, who was sent out by govern-
ment, and who erected a fort, and made a settle-
ment in Providence, which has since improved
very considerably. The Bahamas were taken by
the Spaniards in the American war, but were re-
stored to the English at the treaty of peace, in
17S3. Before the articles, indeed, were signed,
Colonel Deraux had fitted out two privateers at
his own expcnce, and had exerted himself so vi-
gorously, that be compelled the islaod to sur-
render. The returns of his captures were five
gallies, eighteen pieces of artillery, and five or
six hundred troops.

Brief

BRTKF VIEW OF VOYAGFS, &r.

til

Brief Vie to of Voyages of the fnincipal J^avigators not already mentioned.

AS we have before, p. 846, given an account
uf tits voyages of Christoplier Columbus,
we refer our ieaders to that page, and shall pro-
ceed with

Sebastian Cabot's Voyage to Ai^erica.

Sebastian Cabot, who was born at Bris-
tol, in 1467, was employed by Henry VII.
of England, together with his brother John, to
make a voyage for the discovery of a-N. W. pas-
sage to India. They sailed from Bristol in the
Spring of 1494, and saw Newfoundland, to which
they gave the name of Prima Vista, or First Seen.
Gomu ashore on a small island on the coast, they
gave it the appellation of St. John's, from its be-
ing discovered on the day dedicated to St. John
the Baptist. They then returned to England
with three of the natives on board, made a re-
port of their discoveries, and met with a gracious
reception.

Sebastian Cabot set sail again on the 4th of
May, 1497, and sailed as high as 6T* SCy N. la-
titude, proceeding from thence down as low as
56", and then explored the coast of America as
tow as SS'*. This part of the continent, he ex-
pressly says, was afterwards named Florida. His
provisions beginning to fail him, he sailed back;
and, touching at Newfoundland *, returned to
England with a full cargo of the productions of
the countries he had visited.

Voyage of Ameuicus Vesputius. .

Americus Vesfvtils was born at Florence,
in 1454, and was employed by the king of Spain
to sail on a voyage of discovery. He set sail from
Cadiz on the 20th of May, 1497. He arrived on
the coast of Paria, and sailed along it as far as
Terra Firnia and the Gulf of Mexico : and, after
an absence of eighteen months, he returned to
Spain. Claiming to himself the honour of having
discovered the continent, he gave name to the New
World, which o\' right belonged to Culumbas.

After a lapse of some montlis Vesputius sailed

• Newfoundland was certainly the first of the English
plantations ; and the spirit of enterprizc, to which the dig-
coveriet of Cahot uare rise, pavod tho way to the naral
power, the commerce, and thu glory of this kingdom.

t The iohabitaati of tliis blauU were small ia stature, ilU

on a second voyage He proceeded f o the Anf ille
Islands, and theme to the coa°fs of Giiiiina and
Veuezuela; and returned safelv to Cadiz in No-
vember, 1500; bringing back w'th him tnanjK
precious stones, and other valuable commodities,
discovered in the course of this vnvuge. He was
ungratefully treated by the Sp!tiii<^h court.

Emanuel, king of Portugal, afterwards took
him into'his service, and Vesputius set sail from
Lisbon in May, 1501. In this voyage he dis-
covered the Brazils, and explored !'ie coast as fac
as Patagonia to the south. He then returned to
Lisbon, after a voyage of sixteen months.

His Portugueze majesty was so elated with
this success, and so grateful to its author, that
be gave him the command of six ships, and sent
him again to prosecute his discoveries. His in-
tention was to find a passage by the west to the
Molucca Islands, but being detained five months
on the coast of America by contrary winds, and
his provisions beginning to grow short, he was
obliged to return to Portugal. He died at Ter-
cera, in 1514.

Voyage to the East Indies, . , )
By Vasquez de Gama.

Don Vasquez de Gama, a Portugueze noble-
man, was employed by the king of Portugal to
sail on a voyage for the discovery of the East
Indies. He therefore sailed from Belem on the
8th of July, 1497. After encountering various
storms, in which they frequently despaired of be-
ing saved, they entered a large bay on an island,
to which they gave the appellation of St. Helena,
from its being discovered on the day dedicated to
that saint f.

From St. Helena they sailed on the 16th of
November, and in two days came within sight of
the Cape of Good Hope, which they doubled on
the 20lh. Having run seventy leagues beyond
the Cape, the admiral entered a bay, to which
he gave the name of Angra de San Bias. The

favoured, and black. Whcu they spoke, thpy fetched their
breath as it were sighing ; they were clothed in the skins of
wild beasts ; and armed with stakes ^hardened ia the fire^
and poiated with tho horni of beasts.

country

I'i

II.

ii- 1

-U--

if;'l

854

GROOnAPHICAL DRSCRIPTION OF THE WOULD.

coiinfry '\n (lie vicinil^ of (his bay appeared very
fcrti'o/ and abounded with elephants and but-
falot's.

On leaving this place, they.wcre soon over-
taken by a violent 6torm. On Christmas-day
thoy saw land, to which (hey gave (he name of
Terra de Natal. They then proceeded to a river
flailed De los Reyes. They proseouted their
voyage along a low flatr-oast, covered with large
ftnd lofty trees, as far as Cape Corientes ; roilsing
a sight of Soful-, which lay in their way; On
the 2Hh of January they visited the country now
called Guama : to a large river on (he coast, he
ga\T (he name of the River of Good Signs; be-t
oanse from the calico they produced for .sale, he
apprehended he should soon reach the treasures
of (he Ea&t. Prosecuting their voyage about a
month longer, they discovered four islands, the
inhabitants of which spoke Arabic ; they inform-
ed him that their island was called Mosambique,
and wtls subject to the king of Quiloa ; and that
it contained a town peopled with merchants who
fraded to India, and imported its valuable pro-
ductions. After encountering various dangers,
from the treachery of the Mohammedan natives,
lie arrived at Mclinda, where hv found some
Christians, and met with a more favourable re-
ception. On the 'i2nd <>f April he left Milinda,
and instead of sailing along the coast, as he Jiad
liithedrto done, resolved to trust himself to the
ocean. lie crossed a s^ea of seven hundred
l<'dgu*s in twenty-three days ; and; on the 17th
of May the coast of India opened Jo his view.
Thifc wis the graiid object of his pursuit ; and the
hills of Calicot wei^e pointed out l)y the pilot;
De (iama was soon introduced to the /amorin of
Calicut, and a good understanding prevailed be-
tween them for some time, and a treaty of com-
m'^rce was on the point of being agreed upon;
but by the machinations of (he Moiiammedans the
scheme was frustrated After this he was visited
by ft person who «aid he was an Italian, and
Spoke (he Italian languaare. This person being
ri*pre«!enti*d as a pirate, De Gama ordered him
(() be whipped, in order to obtain a confession of
his situation and intentions. This punishment
having no cfl'ect, lie inhumanly ordered him to
be hoisted up by a ptilly, tn a most indecent and
excruciating form. After he had been lifted up
id (his maniH^r the fourth time, he confessed that
tie was a Polish Jew ; and that Sabay, the sove-

reign of Goa, meditating an attack on the Portu-
gucze ships, liad sent him to learn their strength
and jnode of fighting. He then carried him to
Portugal, and he afterwards rendered essential
services to the Portuguese.

On the 5th of October, De Gama left the coast
of India, and directed his course for Melinda,
where he experienced the same friendly reception
as he.had done in hiv passage i>ut. Nothing hap-
pened worthy of remark (ill (he 26th of April,
when (hey again doubled (he Cape of Good
Hope, (hat grand barrier which had hitherto
been regarded as the ;u jilus ultra of navigation,
peGama at length arrived safely at Relem in Por-
tugal, in, September, 1499, after a long voyage of
two years >ind (wo- months, witli the loss of more
(ban half his men. On his landing, every mark
of honour was paid him, every demonstration of
joy attended His discoveries : he was permitted to
qua^tei- the royal arms, and had an annual pen-
sion Of three thousand ducats assigned him. ,

til..' o . f ...

i»H'>ij)i; <i UUir

;»*nu lirM;-'

}, t!

De Cabral's Voyage to the East Indies.

Pedro Alvarez de Cabral was shortly after
cm plowed by the king of Portugal to undertake a
voyage to the East Indies, the way by sea being
now discovered by De Gama. Accordingly, on
the 9th of March, laOO, he set sail from Porlu-
g-al with a fleet of thirteen vessels. Prosecuting
his voyage, (o avoid (he coast of Guinea, he
sailed towards the Rrasiils, where he staid a short
time, and (hen sailed towards the Cape of Good
Hope ; but in his passage had the misfortune to
be overtaken by a violent storm, by which he lost
four of his vessels, and all hands on board. On
the 13ii of September he cast anchor near Cali-
cut, The admiral De Cabral, on his admission
to the zamorin, was seated in a chair next his
majesty, which was (he highest honour that
could be shewn him. He then delivered his let-
ters of credence, written in Arabic, which being
read, he next communicated his message, im-
porting, that the king of Portugalwas anxious
to cultivate a friendship with the zamorin, and
to be permitted to settle a factory at Calicut,
which should be constantly supplied with Eu-
ropean commodities ; and requested that, either
by way of exchange, or for money, he might be
allowed to lade his ships with spices. The terms

.^/l.*.. T-< Hv

BRIKF VIEW OF VOYAGES, &c.

855

of ttiis embassy appeared liighly flattering to the
zanioriD ; and he informed the admiral that his
niaater should be ^welcome to whatever big city
supplied. In consequence a factory was establish-
ed, and the Portuj^'ieze flag, by the emperor's
direction, was plucad on fhe top of it. In conse-
quence of the jealousy of the Arabian merchants,
however, hostilities commenced, and many lives
'Aerelost. De Cabral then left Calicut, and pro-
ceeded to Cochin, a city nineteen leagues south
of -Calicut, wbcre bis ships were laden with dis-
patch. Leaving Cananorej he proceeded to cross
the sea that separates India from Africa, doubled
the Cape of Good Hope on the 22nd of May, and
arrived at Lisbon on the 31st of July, 15U1.

De Cabral, on his return to Europe, impressed
the king with an idea, that without the applica-
tion of force, it would be impossible to form
settlements in India: the king, therefore^ sent
out three squadrons in March, 1502 ; the first of
these consisted often ships, and was placed under
the guidance of Vasquez de Gama; the second
of five, under Vincent de Sodre ; and the third
of as many, under Stephen de Gama. The three
flee''', however, were to be under the command
o'' V asqucz de Gama, to whom the king delivered
the flag with great solemnity in the cathedral at
Lisbon, and conferred on him the title of Ad-
miral of the Eastern Seas. Having been joined
by the other vessels, and bnvmg reached the coast
of India, he fell in with a large vessel belonging
to the sultan of Egypt, which was richly laden,
and had many principal Moor» on board, who
were going on a pilgrimage to Mecca *.

After committing many depredations on the
shores of India, and destroying the town of Ca-

• This ship he attacked, and took after a vigorous resist,
ance ; and on going on board, commanded the Moors to
produce their merchandize, on pain of being thrown into
the sea. They pretended that all their elftcfs were left at
Calicut ; but one of them having been bound hand and foot,
and thrown overboard, the rest were so intimidated at this
dreadful example, that they produced their property. The
children were then carried info the admiral's ship, and the
remainder of the plunder distributed among the soldiers.
Notsali><ied with this, the vessel, with all her passengers,
was ordered to be set on firo. But the Moors having
broken up the hatches, under Vhich they were confined,
and quenched the llames, wliich began to rage around them,
Stephen de Gama was ordered to lay them on board. Despe.
rate with (he imminence of their danger, the passengers rc-
ci ived him with great resolution, and even attempted to burn
the other sliips. Night coio'-' j on, gave a respite to the
work of horror; but so i teratc was the rage ofDe

Vol. U. No. 128.

licut, De Gama obtained a house for the erection
of a factory at Cananore ; and having regulated
the price of spices, according to the standard
fixed on at Cochin, he left twenty-four men to
supcrintei <l the trade. He then sailed for Eu-
rope, leaving De Sudre with six ships to assist
the kihi; of Cochin, in case the zamorin of Cali-
cut mtidc war aguinst him. De Gama arrived at
Cascuis oil the Ist of September, and was gra-
ciously received by king Emanuel, who conferred
on him the title of Count Videgueyra. Thus w«
perceive, that it was by treachery, piracy, war,
and cruelly, that the Portugueze first gained a-
settlement in India.

Voyage op Magelhaens round the World.

TiiEvoyage of Ferdinand Magelhaens round
the world deserves to be particularly noticed. He
was a native of Portugal, boro a gentleman, and
bred a soldier ; in which capacities he had been'
employed in those expeditions which succeeded-
De Gama's discovery, and which terminated at
length in the reduction of Majacca, Goa, and
Ormuz, under the dominion of Portugal. Co-
lumbua went in search of a passage he never
found, and found what he little expected. The
passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean
was still a desideratum in navigation; and Vas-
quez de Nunez de Balboa having discovered the
last mentioned sea from the mountains of Panama,
Magelhaens conceived the idea of the circumna-
vigation of the globe, which at that period was
not generally allowed to be round. Not meeting
with sufficient encouragement at the court of
Portugal, he applied to Charles the Fifth, king

Gama, that he ordered the ship to be closely watched, that
none might, by the favour of the darkness, escape to the
shoie, and elude his vengeance. During this dreadful night,
the poor Moors, with unavailing prayers, invoked tlie as.
sistanuc of the prophet. The morning found the Admiral
relentless and unpitying. His brother boarded the vessel,
and setting fvre to it, drove the Moors, who still made an in.
ett'bctiial struggle, into the poop. Some of ttie sailors disdain,
ed to quit the ship till she was half consumed, and the Moors,
when the tlamcs were rapidly approaching them, leaped info
thesea with hatchets, and swimming, attacked their inhuman
pursuers. To finish this melancholy tale, of three hundred
persons, among whom were thirty women, not one escaped
the fire, the sword, oi the waves. Can humanity read this
without a tear ! can Christianity hear it without a blush !
Vet by such cruel and base transactions did the Europeans
first gain their settlements ou the shores of Hiudostan.

^ :"

!i^''

tse

GKOGUAPIIICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

of Spain, who, entering into his views of discover-
ing the Randii and Molucca IsliiudB by a western
navigation, ordered a squadron of 6ve sliips to
be tiUcd out, with the utmost expedition, and
gave the coQimand of it to Ferdinand Magel-
haeiis. He set sail from Cadiz on the i 0th of
August, 1517, and after touching at TeneriflTe,
be sailed for Rio Janeiro, on the coast of Brazil.
While on the coast of Brazil, he met with some
chagrin from the dissatisfaction of some of his
officers; but by an act of severity he allayed the
mutinous disposition of the crews, and proceeded
on his voyage. At length he iell io with the
passage he had been so long io search of, in lat.
62" S. and entered those straights which will
make bis name immortal. In a transport of joy,
be named the point of land, from which he had
bis agreeable prospect, Port Desire. Much was
now accomplished, bpt much rieras.med to be
done. It required all his caution and skill to
Bail through the newly discovered passage, and
before they could enter the ^reat South Sea,
whirLi wab on the 28th of December, one year,
four months, and eighteen days had dapsed,
since their departure from Spain. On this amaz-
ingly wide ocean they wandered between three
and four months, without seeing land, except
two desert islands. Here they were reduced to a
state of famine, and driven to the miserable ex-
pedient of eating the bides that covered the ships'
rigging. From the gentleness of the breezes,
and placidness of the sea, they gave it the name
of the Pacific Ocean. On the 6th of March,
they fell in With the Ladrones, or Isles of
Thieves. Leaving the Ladrones, they landed at
Zamul, about thirty leagues distant ; from which
place they sailed to Humuna, a pleasant island,
inhabited by a humane race of people. After
sailing among several islands, the fleet arrived at
Zubut on the 7th of April. Leaving Zubut, be
proceeded to the isle of Matban. From the two
kings who governed this island the Spaniards de-
manded tribute, wbicl. was justly refused, and
an open rupture ensued. Magclht^ens was
wounded by a poisoned arrow, and pierced in the
head with a lance, which terminated his life and
exploits: even his body was never recovered.
After the death of MageHteens, they held on their
course towards the Moluccas, of which the ad-
miral bad received some intelligence before his
catastrophe. The y then proceeded to Borneo :

thence they proceeded to the Moluccas, and
reached Tiridore on the 8th of November. Thus
one object of the voyage was accomplished, to
sail to the Moluccas by th« west. At l(>t)gtli
they reached the port of St. Lucar, on the 7ih of
September, under the conduct of John Sebastian
Camo, after circumnavigating the globe in three
years and thirty-seven days. Of the whole squa-
dron, only one ship returned to Spain, and of
two liundred and thirty-four officers and seameq,
the complement at setting out, only thirteen
Spa;tiards reached their native land.

VOVAGE ROUND THE WoRI.D,

Bv Slit Fbancis Drake.

Sir Francis Drake was the firstfngliah cir-
cumnavigator. Having once had a pro.tpect of
the great South Sen, he formed the project of
sailing round the world, but h was not till the
year 1577, that he bad collected a fbrce sufli-
cient to man five tvessels, and, by a pretended
royal authority, appeared as admiral of the squa-
dron. The fleet consisted of the Pelican, the
flag sliip, of one hundred tons burden; the Eli-
zabeth, John Winter, vice-admiral ; the Mary-
gold, commanded by captain Thomas ; the Swan,
of fifty tons, captain John Chester; aiid the
Christopher, of fifteen tons, which was com-
mitted to the charge of one of bis carpenicr;.
Tliese ships, partly fitted out at his own risk, and
partly at theexpence of others, and manned with
one hundred and sixty-four chosen seamen, sailed
from Plymouth on the 15th of November, 1577.
On the .5th of April, 1.578, they descried the
coast of Brazil, and sailing southwurd, he entered
the Straights of Mage llueps on the 20th of Au-
gust. In this intricate and dangerous naviga-
tion, they discovered an island, to which they
gave the name of Elisabeth, in honour of the
queen. On the 6th of September, after a pas-
sage of sixteen days, Drake entered the greut
South Sea, ii>tending to hold his course towards
the equinoctial line. At length, atler having
sailed to different parts of (he Pacific Ocean, and
taking a great deal of plunder, be espied the
Moluccas on the 3d of November. Tlie desires
of the people were now for returning home, and
he was compelled to steer for the Cape of Good
Hope, which he doubled ou th« 15tli of June,

and

«niF.F VIKW OF VOYAOkS, ka.

nr^'i

and entered Plymouth harbour on September 26,
IpSt). Drake bad spent Iwo ycarit, (en nionthg,
Biid a few days, in this undertaking, uad returned
with iiumense riche«. Tbe queen paid him a
visit OD board his ship at DcptCord, and con-
ferred on him the houour of knighthood *.

Voyage round the World,
By Thomas Cavendish.

Captain Thomas Cavendish was the second
English circumnavigator. Cavendish fitted out
three ships, and having procured her Majesty's
commission, left London on the 10(h of July,
1586 ; he embarked at Harwich, arrived at Ply-
ro<Tuth on the 18th, and three days after sailed on
his intended voyage. Cavendish, like Drake,
was a voyager of fortune; but as it is not within
our plan to relate the numberless piracies com-
ntitted by our etfrly navigators, we shall content
ourselves with remarking only the principal dis-
eoveries they made. He entered the great South
Sea on the S-kh of February, 1587, and then
sailed from one part of the western coast of' Ame-
rica to iinother, committing innumerable acts of
piracies on the seas, and burning the towns, and
plundorin<» the inhabitants on the shore. Having
coasted along Manilbi where he found it im-
practicable to carry on his predatory excursions,
he sailed for Java, and obtained some information
relative to the policy, manners, and customs of
the people of that island. He left Java on the
16th of March, 1588, and sailed for the Cape of
Good Hope. He made St. Helena on the 8(h of
April, where he took in wood and water ; after
which he set sail for England, and arrived at
Plymouth on the 9th of September, 15SS.

Not satisfied with the riches he had acquir-
ed by plunder, Cavendish meditated another
vovai^c, in which he hoped to amass greater
wealth. AccordinglyMie again set sail from Ply-
mouth on the *^6th of August, 1591, and held
his course towards the Br.izih ; here he did much
r'ainage on the coait, without much benefit to
liii.ivelf, and then proceeded .owards the Straights
of iMagelhaens. On attempting a passage through
tiip straights, they experienced all the calamities
cf I'oUl 'and hunger; and while the passage re-

♦ This ship was pieservod many years at Doptford, a?
a singular curiosity ; uud whrn almost ontirely decayed, a,

mained doubtful, all the sick were put on siiore
in the woods, to remove useless incumbrances,
an instance of inhumanity that would have re-
flected di«grace on savages, The general voice
of tbe seamen was now to return to Brazil ; and
Cavendish ivas compelled to submit to their de-
sir^. One calamity now followed another in
quick succession. He lost several of his ships,
and thirty of the crew of one of them going
ashore, were attacked by the Porluguezc and In-
dians, and massacred to a man. He afterwards
thought of taking the town of Spirito Sauto, but
found several obstacles: his men, however, land-
ed, and went forward to attack tbe town in the
face of an enemy well prepared for their recrp-
tiun. Disgrace and defeat were inevitable, and
captain Morgan, with two-thirds of the party,
were put to death. He then set sail again, still
wishing to visit the South Seas, where he had
comioitted so many robberies on his first voyage ;
but the men declared they would sail for Eng-
land ; whither it appears Captain Cavendish
never reached. ,, / ;j

Commodore Anson's Voyage
World.

ROUND THE

Towards the close of 1739, a war with Spain ap-
pearing inevitable, the English government wisely
conceived, that the most efl'ectual step it could take
to distress the enemy was to attack them in their
distant settlements, and thus cut off 4heir supplies
of money, which are the principal sinews of war.
Accordingly George Anson, Esq. was appointed
commodore of the intended expedition, and set
sail from St. Helen's on the 18th of September,
1740. The squadron under his command con-
sisted of the Centurion, of sixty-four guns, and
four hundred men, (seorj^e Anson, Esq. com-
mander and commodore; the (iloucester, af fifty
guns, and three hundred men, captain Korria;
the Severn flfty gnus, and three hundred men, the
hon. captain Legg ; the Pearl, of forty guns,
two hundred and fifty men, caiptain Mitchel ; the
Wager, twenty-eight guns, one hundred and
sixty men, captain Kidd ; and the Tryal sloop,
of eight guns/ and one hundred men, the hoo.
captain Murray. Two victuallers, one of them

chair was made out of its matcriaiv, and presented to the
uniTCi'sity of OxfortI, whor(' it is still to be seoii.

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858

GEOGBAPHICAL DESCRlPTiON OF THE WORLD.

of four hunJrecf, and the other of two hundred
tons, attended them.

He reached Madeira in thirty-seven days,
where he remained about a week, taking in water,
wine, and other refreshments. Sailing westward,
they discovered the coast of Brazil about the
middle of December, and two days after anchor-
ed otr the island of St. Catharine/ On the 18th
of January, 1741, the expeditibn proceeded
from the last amicable port it was intended to
touch at, to encounter the danger of' boisterous
seas. On the 4th of March they came in sight
of Cape Vii^in, and on the 7th began to open
the Straights, when Statenland appeared in view.
It seemed entirely composed of inaccessible rocks,
terminating in ragged points, rising to an amaz-
ing htiight, and every where enveloped in snow.
Here they experiented.the most dreadful tempests,
which were rendered more mischievous from the
manner of their approach; for, ifatanytimea
momentary calm tempted them to spread their
sails, io sudden was the ceturnof the wind, that
it tore the sails to pieces before they could be
furled. To increase the calamity, great quan-
tities of. snow and sleet generally accompanied
these storms, whith freezing on the rigging,
made the coidage brittle and insecure; at the
same tiine that the liinbs of the seamen were
numbed by the intensity of the cold, and not a
few had their toes and fingers mortified. After
encountering a variety of violent storms, in which
the fleet suffered materially, they reached Cape
Noir, though they imagined they were ten degrees
more westerly. Thecurrents had deceived Uiem
BO much, that they had nut advanced more than
half the way they reckoned. They then steered
to the southward, and again had the mistnrtune
to encounter the most dreadful storuis. Three
days betbrc the discovery of land, the Severn and
Pearl had separated, and were never seen after-
wards ; whence they concluded they must have
dashed on the shore in the night. On the t^4th
of April, the wind again blew a perfect storm,
and four other ships of the squadron separated,
nor did any of them rejoin the commodore till his
arrival at Juan Fernandez. In this tempest the
Centurion had her sails rent to pieces, and most
of her rigging broke.. Their evils seemed to be

* When the ntiser4ble vietiins of disoaco sa>r the rcfpcta.
birs and water, for which thoy panttd, within their view,
it is impossible to dftcribo thu transputts they expressed.

increasing till the 22d of May, when the fury oi'
all the storms they had hitherto experienced,
seemed to be united, and to huve conspired for
their destruction. A boisterous sea gave her
such a prodigious shock, that the ballast and
stores shifting, threw her on one side, and they
were in dread of imniediately foundering; but
the wind abating, they were driven ashore on the
island of Chiloe. This was the last storm they
met with in this climate. At length they again
saw the island of Juan Fernandez, but there were
not more than ten foremast-men in a watch that
were capable of doing their duty. Between
seventy and eighty men tell martyrs to. this pro-
tracted course at sea ; and it was jvith the utmost
difficulty a sufficient strengUi coiild niq ipustered
to bring the ship to anchor. Three months be-
fore, the Centurion had between four and five
hundred men in health and full vigour; but, by
the distresses they had undergone, scarcely enough
remained to man the ship *.

It was not long after the Centurion^ had been
secured in her destined station, before they dis-
covered the Tryal sloop, and the commodore
sent some hands to assist her in coming to anchor.
Her commander informed him, that he had lost
thirty-four men out of his small complement, and
that only himself, his lieutenant, and three men
were able to stand by the sails. He now erected
tents on shore fur the reception of the^ick, when
one. hundred and sixty-seven persons were landed,
besides twelve or fourteen who died in the b«>ats
before they could reach the shore. For the first
ten or twelve days, they seldom buried fewer
than six daily. On the 26th of June die} de-
scried the Gloucester, and as there could be no
doubt of her distressed situation, a boat laden
with refreshments, was sent to her assistance.
Never, indeed, wus a crew in more forlorn cir-
cumstances. Already had they committed to the
deep two-thirds of their complement, and scarcely
one was capable of duty, save the oiUccrs and
servants, The captain was undor the necessity of
detaining the boat's crew, as he had not sufficient
strength to navigate the ship ; yet, with all their
exertion? they were a. fortnight in attempting to
come in, without being able to fetch the road.
On tlie 9th of July she was observed sailing to

Even grass was oow estvciucd a delicacy, and eagerly
devoured.

the

BWEF VIEW OF VOYAGES, &c.

8^y

f and eagerly

(heeast/and did not a^ain appear for a week, and
it was apprehended she had foundered. On the
16th she was again seen making jignalii of distress,
'when the long boat was sii.c oft' with water and
refreshments, with positive orders to return im-
mediately ; but the weather proving stormy, it
was three days before they had a sight of her
again, when with difficulty she was towed into
harbour by the cutter. The commodore now re-
ceived the affecting news (hat the Gloucester had
scarcely a man in health on board, except the
few he had sent at first sight of her, and that the
mortality was extreme. The Gloucester, how-
ever, was unable to fetch the bay, and slie once
more disappeared. At last, on the 33d of July,
she was seen advancing towards the bay with a
flowing sail ; when the commodore dispatching
all his boats to her assistance, she was within an
hour anchored by the Centurion. Her crew was
by this time keduced to eighty, and the greater
part of those 'A'ere deplorably ill.

On the 16lh of August, after giving her wholly
up for lost, the Anna Pink, their victualler, was
discovered coming in. Each ship's company was
immediately restored to a full allowance of bread,
which had been suspended, from a presumption
that they had no resources of this kind to expect.
Only three ship? were now missing, the Severn,
the Pearl, and the Wager store-ship. The
Wager was wrecked.

On the 12th of September, a sail came in sight,
which proved to be the Nucstra Senora del Monte
Carmelo, laden with sugar, cloth, cotton, and
tobacco ; besides some trunks of wrought plate,
and a considerable quantity of specie in dollars.
This -;vas captured by the Centurion on the first
fire. On the 25th, the Centurion saw two sail
to the eastward, and givin;; chace, came close up
to one, and hailed the chace in Spanish, on
which Mr. Hughes, lieutenant of the Tryal, an-
swered in English ; and informed him that this
vessel was a prize to the Tryal, taken some days
ago; that she was about six hundred tons bur-
den, and had nearly the same kind of lading as
the Carmelo. The Tryal sprung her main-mast,
and was in other respects in great distress. The
Tryal beiv.g looked upon as incapable of being
repaired, her crew was put on board the Spanish
prize, and the stores and valuables being like-

* Paita was uefcndcd by an iticonsiderablo fort, and a
garrison, which consisted of only .one weak company;

Vol. II. No. 129.

wise put on board her, the Tryal wa» scuttled
and sunk. This new accession to tbti squadron
was called the Tryal 's Priie.

On the 5th of November, they captured th&.
Santa Teresa de Jesus, a vessel of three hundred
tons, bound from Guiaquil to Callao. Her cargo
was not valuable to the English. On the lOth
of November, the commodore being off Lobos,
saw a sail, and sent Lieutenant Brett ta attack
her: she struck on the first volley. of small shot,
and proved to be the Nuestra Senora del Carmin,
deeply laden with steel, iron, cedar, pepper,
cinnamon, and other valuable commodities, th^
prime cost of which was more than four hundred
thousand dollars. From the passengers they
learned that a considerable quantity of radney
was in the custom-house at Paita, which was to
be shipped and sent off with all expedition. He .
therefore determined to surprise that place the
same night *. He selected fifty-eight men to aci
against the force the Spaniards might bring to
oppose them. Having landed, they marched to
the governor's house and fort ; and the vocifera-' ■
tion of the sailors, the noise of the drums, and
the darkness of the night, all served to make the
enemy think their force much greater than it was :
they therefore sought refuge in flight; and the
English sailors, in less than a quarter of an hour
from their first landing, were in possession of the
place, with the loss of only one man killed, and
two wounded. The next morning some of the
treasure was sent on board the Centurion, and
every exertion was made to collect and secure the
whole. Many warehouses were likewise filled
with rich commodities, which could not be re-
ceived on board. On the fourth morning thejr
conveyed the remainder of the treasure on board,
together with several valuable effects ; after which
lieutenant Brett set fire to the town, and retired
with his detachment on ship board. The com-
.raodore immediately prepared for sailing. At
coming out of the bay he found six of the ene-
my's vessels at anchor, one of- which being re-
puted a prime sailor, he resolved to take with
him. The rest were scuttled and sunk. The
command of the new vessel was given to Mr.
Hnghes, the lieutenant of the Tryal. The squa-
dron, now augmented to six sail, weighed and
stoou out for sea. The wrought plate and

and the town was not able to arm above three hi ndrel
meo.

9M ^ v coin

flii-

hi'

, I

800

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

coin amounted to thirty thousand pounds sterling,
besides rings, bracelets, and jewels, whose value
could not be dctermitird. The plunder that be-
came the property of the immediate captors, was
also very great; and, en the whole, this was the
inost important acquisition they had made. Soon
after they fell in with the Gloucester, wbose cap-
tain informed them, that during his absence he
had taken only two prizes, one of which had
about seven thousand pounds in specie on board,
while the other, though no more than a launch,
carried treasure to the amount of twelve thou-
sand, in double doubloons and dollars, curiously
concealed in cotton.

.J, After this they resolved to proceed to the north,
io cruise for the Manilla galleon, which was
known to be at sea, which they did not doubt of
being able to intercept. Two of the prizes which
bad been added to the squadron, proving heavy
sailors, were ordered to be stripped and burned.

Commodore Anson left Quibo, where he took
in wood and water, on the 9th of December, and
pext day took a small bark, laden with rock salt
and oakum. The squadron then endeavoured to
get to the northward of the harbour of Acapulco,
and at ten at night, on the 28th of January, the
Tryal's Prize made a signal for seeing a sail ."^ but
this proved an illusion. He likewise learned that
the Manilla sh'p he bad been in quest of, was
got into harbour at Acapulco on the ISth of Ja-
nuary, but that her departure was fixed for the
14th of March. Some time afte**, the Gloucester
having lost her main-mast, sailed so heavily, that
it was found impossible to keep her company
without risking the lives of all. It was there-
fore determined, to transfer her crew and treasure
on board the Ceqturion, and then set the former
on fire. She blew up when ihe commodore was
about four leagu.es distant, and with her rn im-
mense quantity of;va1uable goods was lost, which
could not be carried off^

At length, after encountering the most irami-
oe:nt dangers from storms, and various other cir-
cumstances, for many nionths, they discovered
Cape Espiritu Santo, on the 20th of May in the
following jear, near which it was the commo-
dore's intention to cruise, in expectation of uieet-

"* This Taluable prize was named the Nostra Scnora do
GabaJonga, commandcil by Dun Jcroiiimo do Mnntc.ro, a
Portiiguexu officer of skill and courage. Sho carried five
hundred and fiFly men, and thirty-six gunii, mounted for-
acUon, besides patcrcrocs. In the action she liad sixty.

ing with the Manilla ships. He crnised on (his
station for about six week: without being able to
discover the object of his search; however, on the
first of July, at sun-rise, a sail was descried fFom
the mast head. The Centurion immediately
stood towards her, and, to the commodore's sur-
prize, the galleon did not change her course, but
bore down upon him. At one in the afternoon
they were within gun-shot of each other, when An«-
son,perceivingthattheSpaniardshad not yet finish-
ed clearingtheshipsforaction, immediately order-
ed'some of the chace guns tubefired, to. interrupt
them in their engagements. The galleon return-
ed the fire, and on the Centurion's making some
dispositions for boarding, the Spaniards, by way
of bravado, did the same. They were now with-
in pistol shot, when the engagement commenced
in earnest ; nor did the galleon shew the least
symptom of fear. Soon after, the mats, with
which, she bad stuffed her netting, taking fire,
and blazing violently, filled the enemy with
the utmost terror, and also alarmed the commo-
dore, lest the should be consumed. The Spa*
niards, however, at last, tumbled both the flam-
ing netting and mats into the sea, to escape the
horrors of a general conflagration. This acci-
dent had a fatal effect on the galleon's crew, and
in the mean time, the English plying them from
their tops with small arms, which did amazing
execution, killing or wounding most of the ofii-
cers, they began i j fall into confusion, and to
desert their quarters; and the officers having in
vain tried to rally the crew, at last submitted*.

At the very moment of exultation, the co«;imo-
dore was seci'etly informed by one of the lieu-
tenants, that the C«>nturion wa; on fire near the
powder-room ; and without apparent emotion,
he gave orders for preventing the dreadful catas-
trophe, and providentially the fire was got under
without n)aterial damage.

He then proceeded to Canton in China, where
he victualled his ship, and Ihcii sailed for Macao,
where he sold the galleon for six thousand dol-
lars. On the 1.5th of December, the Centurion
got undc sail, and after wooding and watering
at Prince's Island, they stood for the Cape of
Good Hope, where they anchored on the llih

seven men killed, and eighty-four wonnded ; while the
Centurion only lost two, and h((d a lieutenant and sixteen
men wounded, all of whom recovered', except one. Tho
property on board tliis ptizo amounted to a million and a
half of dollars.

BRIEF VII5W OF VOYAGES, &«.

861

of March. Leaving the Cape in the beginning
of April, they caine in sight of St. Helena on the
19th of that month, and did not land, but conti-
nued their voyage, and cast anchor at Spithead
on the I5th of June, 1744. Thus, after a scries
of the most extraordinary adventures, and dread-
ful scenes of distress, they completed the circum-
navigation of the globe in three years and nine
months.

The treasures taken by the Centurion were
conveyed in many waggons, adorned with Spanish
flags, from the sea coast to the metropolis, and
safely lodged in the Tower, attended by the loud
acclamations' of the multitude. The commodore
was loaded with honours, and the humblest sailor
was enriched.

Voyage of the Honourable Commodore
John Byron round the World.

His present Majesty, George the Third, havr
ing, early after his accession to the throne,' shown
a love for science, and a zeal for discovery, an
expedition was projected for the latter purpose
to the South Seas ; and Captain Byron was se-
lected as a' proper person to conduct it. This
gentleman was appointed to the command of the
Dolphin ship of war^ in quality of commodore;
and the Tamar frigate. Captain MouaU, was
commissioned to attend him. Those vessels be-
ing equipped, ^et sail from the Downs on the
Istuf June, 1764; but before they cleared the
Channel the Dolphin ranagruund, without, how-
ever, receiving any material damage; so that the
commodore was able to prosecute his voyage by
the 3d of July. He then shaped his course for
Madeira, and anchored in Fonchiale Bay on the
30th; which plaoe he left on the I9th of Au-
gust, and anchored in Port Praya on the 30th of
the same month. Hk afterwards sailed to Rio
Janeiro, which he quitted on the 16th of Octo-
ber, and a few days after, explained to the crews
the nature of their voyage, and the objects in
view, of which they had hitherto been ignorant *.
A violent storm overtook them on the 29th, dur-

* As' a reward and a Uimulus to good bchaTioiir, such as
distinguished themselves were, by order of the lords of the
admiralty, to receive double pay, and other emolumuuts.

f Among a variety of birds that ihey killed, was one
that had aa eagle's head) with a large comb on it, and a

ing the fury of which they were obliged to throw
four of their guns overboard. On the 1 1th of
November they had to encounter another violent
storm, which nearly overset the Dolphin, and
damaged the Tamar.

After this tjiey steered for Cape Blanco, which
they came in sight of on the 17th, lind in four
days more entered the harbour of Port Desire.
Proceeding higher up the harbour, they came to
aniiUnd where they killed fifty seals, trnd found
some of them nearly as heavy as English oxen f .

On the 20th of the same month they ran close
in shore to Cape Virgin, and came to anchor.
Next day they sailed again, and observing a
smoke on the shore, they came to an anchorage
nearly opposite to it, at the distance of two miles
from the beach. Here they descried a number of
men on horeseback, riding to and fro, and wav-
ing a white ensign, which was construed into an
invitation to land ; and as he was anxious to have
some intercourse with the natives, the commodore
went in « boat, well armed, while the first lieute-
nant followed in another. When they ap])roach-
ed the shore, they calculated that the horse and
foot aiaounted to about five hundred; but though
they did not appear to have any weapons, nor to
be hostijely disposed, the commodore thought it
prudent to make signs to them to withdraw a
little, while the party was landing, which they
readily understood and complied with. The
English being mustered on the beach. Mr.
Byron singly advanced, and made signs to the
Indians, that one of them should do the same.
Accordingly one of their chiefs came forward, who
was nearly seven feet high. One of his eyes was
encircled with a streak of black paint, and the .
other with white ; the rest of his face was paint-
ed of various colouA; and the skin of a beast,
with the hair turned inwards, depended from his
shoulders. The commodore and Ihe Indian hav-
ing made their respective compliments; which
were mutually unintelligible, they walked to-
gether towards the main br dy of the natives, few
of whom were shorter thau . e chief, nor were
the women of inferior proportion. Mr. Byron
made signs for them to be seated, which being

white ruff like a tippet round its neck. The plumage on
the bark was of a glossy blackness ; the legs and talons
were like those of an eagle, and the expansion of the wings
was twelve feet from one extremity to the other.

«dohej

iit

Mi:

i li!

862

GEOGBAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

done, they chaunted in a most plaintive and me-
lancholy tone. The commodore distributed some
yvhite and yellow beads among them^ which they
gladly accepted. He then took a piece of ribbon,
and putting the end of it into the hands of the
first Indian, continued it along the line, as far as
it would reach. This done, he cut it between
every two with a pair of scissars, and tied the
portion of each round his head, which no one
attempted to remove. And though the presents
were insufficient to allow each a share, no one
attempted to press forward, or seemed to envy
the superior good fortune of his neighbour. The
inoflunsive Patagoniaiis wished the commodore
to go with them to their huts, but he pointed to
the ship, intimating that he must return ; where-
upon they appeared greatly concerned; and
when he took his leave, not one rose or offered
to follow him.

On the 23d of December they entered the
Straights of Magelhaens; and on the 25(h, saw
a j»()int of land near St. Qeorge's Island, which
they named Porpoise Point. Having cast anchor
here, the commodore went in quest of wood and
•water, which they found in abundance. A fine
champaign country lies over the point, the soil
of which appeared to be very luxuriant. In a
walk, however, of twelve miles, they found no
place proper to land a boat, on account of a
strong surf. On the 26th, they steered for Port
Famine, and next day anchored close to the
shore. Here they discovered drift wood enough
to have supplied a thousand vessels. The com-
modore pr'oceeded four miles up the river, when
he found his course impeded by trees that bad
fallen across the stream. The banks of this river
were clothed with the nobljpt trees, which were
sufficient to supply masts for the whole British
navy. Some ^)f them were so large, that four
men, joining hand in hand, could not grasp
them.

On the 4<h of January, 1765, both ships hay-
ing taken in their wood and water, sailed in
quest of Falkland's Islands ; but the wind dying
away, they were obliged to stop till the 6th. No
sooner had they again set sail, than the Dplphia
struck on a bank ; but it being a perfiiU calm,

* This harbour is represented as one of the finest in the
^Torld, and stifficicDtlf capacious to contain the whole navy
of England in perfect security : every part of it supplies
fresh water; and many cheico species of wild fowl occupy

they fortunately got off with the return of the
tide. On the 14lh they discovered a flat island,
covered with large tufts of grass : and the next
day explored a most commodious harbour : soon
after this they entered anothor harbour, to which
Mr. Byron gave the name of Port Egmont *, in
honour of the nobleman who then presided at the
board of admiralty. The commodore took pos-
session of the iiarbour and the surrounding
islands, for the sovereign of Great Britain, under
the appellation of Falkland's Islands. On the
27th of July they left Port Egmont, and the
same day saw a remarkable head land, which
they distinguished by the name of Cape Tamar;
and soon after they passed a rock, which they
called the Eddistone, near another point, deno-
minated Cape Dolphin. The distance between
the two capes is about eight leagues, and forms
the northern entrance of the straight between the
two principal islands. The commodore com-
puted the whole circumference of Falkland's
Islands to be little less than seven hundred miles.
On the 6th of February they arrived at Port
Desire, at the mouth of which they anchored,
where they had the pleasure to find the Florida,
an expected store-ship from England. The mas-
ter of the Florida going on board the Dolphin,
acquainted the commodore with the bad condi-
tion of his ship, on which it was resolved to at-
tempt unloading her in the harbour. The follow*
ing night proved very tempestuous; the Tamar
and Florida were both driven from their moor-
ings, and made signals of distress. As the har-
bour was found inconvenient for unloading the
store-ship, all hands were set about repairing
her, that she might proceed to the Straights of
Magelhaens. On the I3th, th6 Florida being
pre4)ared for sea, was ordered to make the best
of her way to Port Famine, and next day the
Dolphin and Tamar followed. The three sue-
. ceeding days they observed a strange vessel pur-
suing the same track, at an equable distance; a
circumstance that occasioned much speculation.
Byron being obliged to lie by for the Florida,
imagined the stranger would speak with him, and
therefore made the necessary dispositions to give
her a proper reception. But when he came to

the 'coasts. Indeed it is not unusual for the sailors io
knock down seventy or eighty geese at a time with stones;
so that they wore almott surfeited with deUcacie* of this
kind.

BDchor,

BRIEF . VIEW OF VOYAGES, 4c. '

HGS

anchor,

onchor^ she did ihe game. Next morning she got
under way, and approaclied the Dolphin, on
which the commodore ordered some guns to be
got ready. Neither party shewed any coh>urs ;
but the Florida uhuut this time rutiniiig aground,
the strange vessel hoisted French colours, and
dispatched two boats to her assistance. Tlie
commodore now sent two cf his boats to the re-
lief of the store-ship, with orders to make proper
acknowledgements for the stranger's civility, but
on no account to suffer them to board her. Ttie
fitore-ship being gc if, they proceeded till night,
when they again cast anchor, and the French
ship did the same; but in a situation that shewed
her ignorance of the channel. On the i9lh they
proceeded on their voyage, the French vessel
following them. On the 'JOth they reached Port
Famine, and having taken out of the Florida as
much provision as they could stow, they im-
mediately dispatched her for England, and de-
termined to navigate the other ships through the
Straights of Magelhaens. On the SSth they
passed the French ship as she lay in a small cove ;
and it was not till the commodore's return to
England that he found this suspicious vessel was
the Eagle, commanded by M Bougainville.

The commodore was seven weeks and two
days in sailing through the Straights of Magel-
haen&, and then bore away f')r the island of Ma-
sasueco, but could not elfect a landing by reason
of the violence of the surf. They, however,
found a bank where they might anchor, and as
the island abounded in goats, they killed a great
number, whose ile:>h they deemed equal to the
finest venison.

On the 9th of Jime they discovered a low-
lying island, covered with various kinds of trees,
among whith was the cocoa-nut. The shore was
begirt with a rock of red coral. The natives hav-
ing first kindled large fires, ran along the shore
armed in vast multitudes. The vessels now
brought to at a small inlet, opening into a salt
water lake of some extent. The ships advancing
to the mouth of the inlet, some hundreds of the
uatives, preceded by un officer, carrying a pole,
with a piece of mat instead of a flag, ranged
themselves up to the waist in water, making a

* These Tcsscis coiisistod of planks sewed together, with
a strip of tortoise-shull fixed over each scam ; tliuir bottoms
were sharp and narrow ; and being double, they were fas>
tcned with timbers so as to leave a space of six feet be*

Vol. II. No. 129.

hideous noise ; while a tiumber of c/nnes were
brought down from the lake. Two boats having
been sent out in quest of soundings, the nutivea
approached, and attempted to draw them oa
shore, though the crew3 made every demonstra-
tion of friendship. Several of (he Indians swana
towards the 8hi|)s; one of them sprang into the
Tamar's boat, and snatching up a jacket, imine-
iliately jumped into the sea: another attempted
to steal a hat, but lost his prize through igno-
rance, pulling it downwards instead of upwards.

They then sailed westward, and soon discover-
ed another island, distant four leagues. The In-
dians pursued their course in two double canoes,
each carrying thirty armed men, and as the ships'
boats were greatly exposed to their insults, the
commodore made a signal for them to begin tbo
attack, when the natives instantly rowed away,
being pursued by the English. They then armed
themselves with stones and clubs, asif determined,
like brave men, to defend their country against
invasion; but the boats' crews firing, killed two
or three of them, one of whom did not fall till
he had received three balls through his body<
The boats then brought oif the two canoes ai
trophies of their victory *.

On the l!^th of June they sailed from this in-
hospitable island to another ; and as they coasted
along it, the natives in arms observed their mO'
tions. The boats being near the beach, the crew
made signs that they were in want of water, on
which the natives pointed farther along the shore.
When they arrived at the spot, they saw a number
of houses, and many rndians. As the boats were
close in with. the shore, atid the ships at a small
distance, a venerable old man, with a white beard,-
advanced to the beach with a young attendant.
Having made a signal for the other Indians to
retire, he came forward, prcssiiig his beard to his
breast with one hand, and extending the branch
of a tree in the other. In this attitude he began
a kind of musical oration, during which the
people in the boats threw some trifling presents,
which he would not deign to touch till he had
finished his harangue. This being done, be
threw the- branch towards the boat's crew, and
then picked up their presents. Most of the na-

tween the two canoes; while a sail, formed of a mat,
reached between a mast fixed in each. The cordage ap.
pcarcd to be composed of the external covcriDg uf th«:
Gouoa-nut, and was exquisitely made.

9N tiVet

h i

h\v.i,\

Hl^

.ii

; Hi!

i6i

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

tives havin^^ consented to lay down their arms,
oneofllie iiiidshipnien swam on shore, where he
was soon surrounded by the Indians, who ad-
mired his dress, and seemed particularly pleased
with his waistcoat. To gratify them, he made
one of them a present of it ; but another untying
his cravat and runniiig away with it, he thought
it prudent to retreaf The natives soon followed
him in an amicable manner, bringing each a
cocoa-nut, or some water in a shell. Both this
and the laat-mentioned island, the commodore
named, out of: respect to bis sovereign. King
George's ItiMulii i :

Tl«e noB^ilKfiitbey discovered another island,
which vtas well peopled, and appeared beauti-
fully verdaiit and fertile ; but a violent surf beat
on every part of the coast. This they named the
Prince of Wales's Islan^. On the 34th of June
they discovered another island, which they named
the Duke of York's. This island had a most
alluring aspect, but appeared to be uninhabited.

Oo'the 2d of July they discovered a low flat
island, abounding with cocoa-nut and other trees,
and aflbrding a most agreeable prospect. To this
place the ofliceri ^ave the name of Byron's
Island, in honour of the commodore *. On the
S8th of July they came in sight of Saypan, Ti-
nian, and Aguigan ; and about noon on the last
day of that month, anchored at Tinian, in the
same station Anson had done before. Saypan is
larger and more pleasant than Tinian. He left
Tinian on the^^h of September, and anchored
off Timoan on the 5th of November, which is in-
habited by Malays. He next came to anchor iii
the harbour of Puio Toupoa. On the 19th he
fe\i in with an •English snow, bound from Ben-
coolea for , Malacca and Bengal. By this time
their biscuit was rotten and filled with worms,
and the beef and pork were putrid. The master
of the snow being apprized of this misfortune,
■cnt the commodore two gallons of arrack, a
turtle, twelve fowls, and a sheep, which it is
conjectured was half his stock, and he generously
refused to accept the smallest return. The same

■ i> i~ ~"" ""
* Above sixty canoes adf^t\ai/i from this island, and
formed a circle roand tlie ship, which after thsy had lei.
SHrely siirTcyed, one of the Indians jnmppd out of his boat,
•warn to the vessel, ran up its side, and having gained^he
^deek, liegan laughing most violently. He then set about
pilfering whatever he could lay his hands on ; bift was
hiadered from carrying on his disigo. Bulng dressed in a
jacket and trowsers, be played as nany antic tricjLs at a

day they dropped anchor in the road of Sumatra
and on the ^7tb reached Batavia; the inha-
bitants of which are a m'utley group of Dutch
Portugiieze, Chinese, Persians, Moors, Malays^
Javanese, and others. On the 10th of December
he directed his course to Prince's Island, where
he staid a few days, and then sailed for the Cape
of Good Hope. On the 7th of March lie left
the Cape, and crossed the equinoctial line on the
25th. An accident happening to the rudder of
the Tamar, the captain was ordered to sail for
Antigua. The Dolphin nov? proceeded to Eng-
land, and anchored in the Downs on the 9th of
May, 17G6; having ciroumnaviffated the globe
in about one year and ten months.

The

Voyage op the Honovrabib Captain
Phifps towards the North Pole.

The Honourable Constantino Phipps, in the
Race Horse, and Captain Skeffington Lutwych,
in the Carcase, set tail from Sheeroeas on the 3d
of June, 1773, for the purpose of sailing to-
wards the North Pole, that they might discover
whether there were a possibility of reaching the
North Pole, or whether the regions adjoining it
were land or water. On the 15th they reached
Brassey, one of the Shetland Isles, and. purchased
some fish from the Shetland bo^tsat a^ery cheap
rate. On the next day they sailed from Shet-
land ; but were soon enveloped in a fog of pitchy
darkness, during the continuance of which guns
were fired and drums beat, to enable the Carcase
to keep company, while the consort ship was
obliged to repeat the signals, lest, in the deep
gloom, they should run foul of each other. When
the mist vanished, they found themselves, by
observation, in sixty deg. fifty-two min. north
lat. and immediately steered a N. E. course.

Being arrived in latitude sixty-five deg. nine
min. north, the cold began to be very sensibly
felt, and additional clothing was delivered out to
the officers and men. On the ^b they pursued

monkey ; and at laat swam off with the habit with which
he had been furnished. He devoured some biscuits with
great eagerness, and upon joining his com|iaBions, others
were induced, from the reception he had met with, to
come on board, and shewed the same disposition to theft,
by seising on some petty pvize, with which they made off
by their dexterity in swimming.

their

BRIEF VIEW OF VOYAGEfl, &c.

%6i

their course to the eastward ; they were now
within the Polar Circle; at midnight they had an
observation of the sun, and found they werie in
latitude sixty-six deg. fifty-two min. north*. On
the 2Sd, being io the seventieth degree of north
lat. the weather began to be piercing cold ; and
the rain fell down in torrents, and froze as it fell,
and the air was thick and unpleasant. On the
l^h, the commodore changed his course to the
E. N. E. and amidst fogs, gales, sleet, and pierc-
ing cold, they advanced till they were in lat.
seventy-four deg. seventeen min. N. On the
37th they had light airs from the south wtird^
and felt it much warmer than the preceding
day f. On the 29th, being in lat. seventy-eight,
deg. N. and Ion. six deg. twenty-nine min. E.
they came in sight of land ; when a consultation
was held concerning their future course. The
appearance of the land lay from E.S. E. to N. E.
Falling in with the Marquis of RockinghaOi,
Greenlandman, she presented each of the ships
with some venison, which was found very ^ell
flavoured, but not burthened with fat. By this
ship, which bad just come from the ice, they
learned, that three whalers had the day before
been crushed to pieces by some floats of ioe sud-
denly closing on them. Pursuing their course
next morning, they saw Black Point, tio called
from its dark appearance, bearing east^yard, dis-
stant seven or eight leagues. Soon after, stand-
ing to the E. they sounded, and found ground at
one hundred and fifteen fathoms depth.

On the 1st of July they had light breezes and
clear weather at midnight, the sun shining as
bright as at noon. Early this morning they made
Charles's Island. Next day they lay to and took
the altitude of a mountain, which they named
Mount Parnassus. It was found three thousand
^nine hundred and sixty feet above the level uf the
tea, wholly covered with sAow, and at a distance
resembled aii antique building, crowm;d with a
lurrct. Here they shot some sea-fowl, which
had a very 'oily taste. July 3d, they doubled
Cape Cold, anchored about three miles from the

* Here the Race Horse sounded nitli a lead of one hun.
drcd weight, and a line of seven hundred and eighty rathoiu!!,
to which was appended a thermometur of lord George C'a>
Tcndiih's conitrnction. They found no bottoni; hut it was
.i6ccrtained, that the water was eleven degrees colder at that
depth than on the surface.

f The vicissitudss of heat and cold are much more frc.
quont here thaa in the more southerly latitudes. It often

land, and sent the boats ashore for water, which
they found in abundance, pouring from the rotks.
The 4th, by observation, the latitude was seventy-
nine deg. thirty-fmir min. N. and the longitude
eight deg. 10 min. £ Ttie thermometer stood.'
at forty-seven. On the 5th a dreadful orackling
was heard at a distance, which prove(I to be^th^
dashing and grinding of loose pieces of ic£ against
each other; the report of which is conveyttd
from a great distance. Next da^y the island of
ice began to appear ; by altering their coi»rse they
lost sight of it ; but the next momiiig descried
it again. On the 10th they sailed between num-,
berless pieces of ice ; and it was the opinion of
every officer on board, that the discovery of a
passage to the Pole, in that direction, was im-
practicable. Next day, the mass of ice extended
as far as the eye could reach from the mast head.
Early in the morning they saw land, which prov^
ed to be Cloven Cliff, in lat. seventy-nine deg.
fifty-six min. N. At noon on the 13th, 4bey
found themselves in lat. eighty deg. two min. N.

On the 14th, they came to anchor in Smearing-
burgh harbour, where they remained several
days, to taka in fresh water. The country is
described as awefully romantic^ and full of
mountains, precipices, and rocks ^. The plants
in Spitsbergen arrive at maturity in a very short
space. Till the middl^ of May the whole coun-.
try is locked up in ice; about the beginning of
July, the plants are in blossom, and by the latter
end of that month, or the commencement of the
next, they have perfected their seed. The water-
fowl are so numerous as sometimes to darken the
air when they rise in flocks, ^nd they screa^ so
horribly, that the rocks ring with their noise.
The other tenants of this country are white bears,
deer, and foxes. It is seldom that the air conti-
nues clear many days together in this climate.

The ice began to set in apace, yet the weather
was hot. The thermometer from fifty-six in the
cabin, rose to ninfly in the open air. It was still
ten degrees higher on the top of a mountain to
which it was carried. Having watered, and

changes from temperate to severe cold almost in ao instants
J Of the ice hills formed iu this country, the Seven Ico,
burjrhs attract particular notice. Whuu tiie sun shines fvil
upon them, the prospect is inconceivably brilliant, assu.n.
ing all the various hues and tints that the reflection 'of tha
solar orb on their rude surfaces can convey. Their lustr*
is too dazzling for the eye, iuid the air is filled with astonish,
ing brightness.

finished

]
i'-'C

%9e

GEOGRAPHICAL DfiSCRlPTfON Olf THK WORLD.

finished aotne astronomical observathiat, mkkh
^vere made on Marble Island, the H\u\i<i prepared
todvpart; On the tOth, tbc commodore maae the
signal to weigh ; and at tMO in the afternoon the
iliips were under sail. ' At three the)' tacked and
steered northward, and before four were again
entangled in loose-ice, through which they saiU
ed, directing their course along the main bodj,
■which la^ from N. W. to S. S. E. Next day
they coi\tmued tjieir course alone the ice, but
coulfi dfscover no opening, though they searched
every creek, and \eH no bay or turning unex-
amined *. On the 21st the severity of the
weather increased. They now ezpecienced the
rigours of this northern climate in all its horrors,
loose pieces of ice closed about them in all direct'
tions; and notwithstanding the most uor,entitted
exertions of the crews of both the ships, they
were utterly unable to extricate themselves from
their icy prison f. At length, by the changing of
the Vrind, the ice beffan to separate with a noise
like the loudest thunder. On the 12th of August

* This day they observed whijt tho sailorrcall a mock sua,
• phenomenon weU enoagh known in this climate. ■

f While the cr -)e boat, (en in number,' with their

officer at their hea i eiaminiog Muffin's Island, on the

S0th of Jbty, after i... ig sonnded the shores, they obteiVeil
two white bears making towards thcni, one upon tho ice, the
other in the water. The ofBcer^ who it seems was not dis-
tinguished for his courage, seeing tho bears approach Tcry
fastf especially that which came in the water, ordered his
men to fire, while yet tho enemy \ras at a distance, as he
did nut think it prudent to hazard tho lives of his little com.
pany in close fight. All of them pointed their muskets,
and some uf the party obeyed orilars ; but the greater part,
judging it safec to depend upon a reserved fire, when they
hail seemingly discharged their pieces, pretended to retreat.
The oommAider being Tory corpalcnt, endeavourotl to
waddle after his comiuwions ; but being soon out of breath,
and seeing the bear thatcameinthe water, had ja&t reached
the shore, thought of nothing now butfalling the first sacri.
fice. His hair already stood on enB, and looking behind him,
he saw the bear a^no great distance, with his nose in the air
minfiing the scent. He had all themason in tiie world to be.
lieve it was him that he scentcti, andj^o had scarcely breath
eqpiigh left to call to his men to halt. In this critical situ,
atiou be unfortunately dropped his gun, and in stooping to
rcijovcr it he stumbled agalnsta goose.nest, fell squash upon
liis belly intoit) and iMd vretlnigh smothereil thedum upon
dereggs. Before ho could rite, the enraged gander came
Aying to the assistance of hjs h^If smothered contort, and
making a dart at the eye of the assailant, narrowly missed
his nark, bat di^barged his Utf upon the commander'^

they cleared the ice, and bore away for the har-
bour of Smearingburgh, io whiefa they had be-
forecast anchor;);.

On the i9th ' of August the ships unmoored,
and next day dloifrinl the harbour, with a view to
return home. Ot the 22([ tltey Awere in lat.
eighty deg^ fourteen mitt. N. loo. Bvedeg. forty^
four mi n. E. Next day the Cardase lost siglit
of the commodoiie, but rejoined on the evening,
and they- pursued their voyage. tiU the lUh uf
September, when a violent galo idparkted them,
and they did not come iii sight of each other till
they arrived oA* Harwich. In this storm, the
Carcase was in itnminent datigiir, And the Rare
Horse lost her boa(», irad was obliged to throw
all_ her guna overboard, save two. Both ships
anchored safely at Dcptford September the 80th.

Thus ended a voyage, which seems to have
determined the aiiestion concerning the naviga-
tion to the Nbrtti Hole, and to have proved the
iinprarti^ability of finding a paMage into the
South Sea iki that dMcfioti.

lists

UiAiUi

ttrjti

nose. The dangav- being row presa^ng, and the battle te.
rious, tlie bear |iear, and the gander. ready for a second
attack, the men, who had not fled far, thought it high time
to return to the rolipf of their leader, Overjoyed to see
them abbut him, but frigjitened at tho bear jnsc beh'iad him,
he bad forgotten the gander that wasover bis head, againit
whii:^ one of the men having levelled his piece, fired, and
ho fell dead at the major's feet. Animated now by (ho death
of one enemy, hel ' recovered .his gun, and fsccd about to
assist in (he a((ack of the secfoud. By (his time the bear
was scarcely ten yards from him, and begintiing (o gruMl
the uilcer dropped his accontl-umeuts, and full ^ck. Tiio
crew in an instant had brought down the boar, and now it
was time for their loader to do something great. Having re.
co^orctl Ills arms, and seeing tho poor b'cust grovelliiiij on
thegroiirid^atid. growling out hi* last, he thrust his laueo
fuU four ffet deep into the dying boar's belly. Tlie
cowardice of (ha chief .was very entertaining to his party;
he took to the boat, while a few of them remained to dis.
patch the other bear.

+ Here they foMd fon^ Dutch Gr -^MkadMen lying in
readiness to duitatt. These Dalcbmen acquainted (ho com.
inodoro, that all the English fishing sHips set sail, on the 10th.
of July, tho day to which they are obliged, by contract to
stay, to entitle their owners (o receive th&boupty.rooney
allowed by parltamient for (he eucouragement of that fishery.
The Dutch vpssols, however, take U by turns to wait till
the severity of the weather obliges theaa to return, in order
to pick up such men a* may b^ accident bare lost their ships
in the ice; anfl wbo^ notwithstandhig, may have had the
good fortune to savelbirtr Hvas by means bf their boats.

ilH 1 tt^jfejj .

mmm&imm'^

mtimmm

"•^i^BpHpilPiPPW^iP

e liar*
ad be-

oorcd,
'iew tft
in lat.
, forty-
it Aig\)t
vening,
ilth of
I them,
ther till
in, the
le Rare
> throw
lb ships
le 30th.
to have
naviga-
[)ved the
into the

) battle te.

r a second
: high time
red to see
ehiiid him,
id, againit
firtid, and
Y the death
3d about to
a tlie bear
g t© growl
Mck. Tlie
and now it
Having re.
'ovelting on
ist hi<t lanco
dly. Till

0 his party ;
incd to dis>

i«n lying in
ted the com.
en the lOth.
r contract to
upty-money
' that tishery.

1 to wait till
ra, lo order
)st their ships
lave had tha
eir boats.

II!

t**^.

3-:

l!M'"

. r

-KMbBe:

BRIEF VIEW 07 VOYACra, &«,

«&7

TRAVSts IN Lower and Upper Egypt, during
THE Campaigns of General Bonaparte.

By Vivant 1)enon.

M. Denon accompanied general Bonaparte in
his expedition to Egypt, together with several
other gentlemen, at the desire of the.French go-
vernment, for the purpose of making observa-
tions, and of gaining information relatiro to that
country. They departed from Toulon on the
I5th of May, 1798. and took Malta on (he 13th
of June. The Frfcnth fleet escaped, in a fog,
the English squadron under the command of
admiral Nelson. They landed in Egypt, near
Alexandria, ontheSd of July, which they took,
and aflerwardsfought a battle, called the Battle
of the Pyramids, on the 22d of the same month.

than is at present remaining: but frotn the exami-
nation which M. Denon made of it, that does
not appear to be the fact. He says, that the pro-
portions are colossal, the outlines of which arc
rather docile than pure: the expression of the
head is sweet, gracious, and tranquil, the cba>
racter.of an A^ican; but the mouth, whereof
the lips are at a distance, has a softness in the
movement, and a fineness of execution trUHy
admirable: from a distant view it has the
piarance of being clothed with 'flesh, puid endow
ed with life : and from twu exquisite wpckman-
ship, it appears that the art of sculpture.was in
a high degree of perfection at the remote period
when this monument was erected. '

Speaking of Esne, the ancient L^atopolis, M.
Denon informs us, that it was a port or quay on
the banks of the Nile, but that it is now in a

afr*

M. Denon gives a description of the naval action at most deplorable state. He says, that there is in

Aboukir, which happened on the 1st of August,
and. afterwards prosecrted his travels in the
Delta, fVom the 11th till the S3d of September;
on which day they arrived at Cairo, where an
insurrection took place on the ^d of October.
In November 'be prosecuted bis researches in
Upper Egypt, and on the 25th of January, 1799,
made a visit to Tent^ra ( Dendera) ; on the 27th
be had a view of Thebes ; on the 29tb be went to

the town the portico of a temple, which he be-
lieves to be the most perfect monument of ancient
architecture. It is near the market place, in a
fine situation, and would be an incomparable
ornament, if the inhabitants were susceptible of
its value: but, alas! it is falling fast into ruins.
The portico is extremely well preserved, and is a
monument < < the finest sculpture : it is composed
of eighteen columns, which are ornamented

Latopolis, and on the SOth to Apollinopolis. I with hieroglyphics, that have a fitfeeflTect; among

On the 25th of February they visited the cata-
racts; and on the 3d of April, made a fresh
journey to Thebes, which they again explored on
the 29th of June, and made several discoveries.
They quitted Upper Egypt on the 5th of July,
find returned to Cairo on the 20th: on the 26th

which are the principal productions of the coun-
try, such as the lotus, the palmyra, the vine, &c.

Gebel Silsilis, which is among the mountains
that border the Nile on both sides of the river,

situated between Edfou and Ombos. Here

are innumeralble monuments, the receptacles of

of which month they fought a battle against the ! the dead, which are covered with hieroglyphics.

Turks at Aboukir. On the 24:th of August, they
left Alexandria on their return to France, and
arrived at Frejus on the 1st of October.

In the progress of his travels, M. Denon has
favoured the wOrld with a description of the
Sphinx, which he took great pains ill examining;
and madte a profile drawing of it, which was
certainly'the best point of view in which he con' 1
iexliibit it. The Sphinx, which, M. Denon says,
merits a particular description, stands near the
pytafbid*, but'it is.rapidly falling t6 decay, for
only the h«ad and shoulders appear, and these
are^ibout'thirty fiaet high. Some have imagined
-that it twM^bewnout of the rock on which it
stands, ioid Ibtt (there never \va8 any more <uf it

Vol. II. No.CXXlX.

representing all the oblations of bread, fruits, li-
quors, poultry, &c. On one of them is the
figure of a woman in the attitude of sadness; she
represented a widow wlio had survived bcr
spouse, and who 'had come to the place of his
interment to bewail ber loss.

The temple of Hermontis, (which town is at
the present day called Ermente,) was built with
extremely large and ponderous stones, as appears
from the ruins which remain of this stupendous
religious edifice. The rdpreseatation whicb M.
Denon has given of 'this temple is a' side view,
taken from ah ancient bason, which received the
wAters of the Nile, at the time of an inundaCioo,
or overflowing of its banks. The sanctuary is

9 0 at

' Ml

■■

868

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

at present in a state of prescrvatibn, but the
other parts of the building, are now in ruins.
The pannels of the whole edifice are filled with
hieroglyphics.

Groenland, or Greenland.

This novthern country is divided into East
and West Greenland. West Greenland is sup-
nosed to be joined to the continent of America.
The coast abounds with inlets, bays, and large
rivera, and has innumerable islands of different
dinaensions about it. The principal river, called
Baal, falls into the sea in the 61t.h degree of
N. latitude, where the first Danish !odge was
built in 1721, and has been navigated above 40
miles up the country. West Greenland was first
peopled by Europeans in the eighth century. At
that time a company of Icelanders, headed by
one Ericke Rande, were by accident driven on
the coast. On his return he represented the
country in such a favourable light, that some
families again followed him thither, where they
soon became a thriving colony, and bestowed on
their new habitation the name of Groenland, or
Greenland, on account of its verdant appearance.
A considerable commerce was carried on be-
tween Greenland and Norway, and a regular in-
tercourse maintained between the two countries
till 1406. From that time all correspondence
has been cut ofl; and all knowledge of Greenland
has been buried in oblivion. It is supposed the
colony was destroyed by the natives called
Scbrellings.

Greenland is seldom visited by thunder and
lightning, but the Aurora Borealis is very fre-
quent and bright. At the time of new and
full moon, the tide rises and falls upon the coast
about three fathoms .■•'and it is worthy of notice,
that the springs and fountains on shore rise and
fall with the flux and reflux of the ocean. Toe
soil of Greenland, like all other mountainous
countries, is extremely various. The hills are
▼ery barren, beinf frozen throughout the year ;
but the values ana low grounds, especially near
the sea, are rich and fertile.

The people who now inhabit the western

coast of Greenland, and who, V-Uhout doubt,

. are the descendants of the ancient Scbrellings,

who exterminated the first Iceland colony, bear

a near resemblance to the Samoiedei. and Lap.
landers in their persons, complexions, and way
of life. They are short, brawney, and inclined
to corpuhitcy, with broad faces, flat noses,
thick lips, black hair and eyes, and a yellowish
tawny complexion. They are for the most
part vigorous and healthy, but remarkably short
lived. They are subject to a weakness in tli«
eyes, occasioned by the piercing winds, and the
glare of the snow in the winter time. The le-
prosy is known among them, but is not con-
tagious. Those that dwell in the northern parts
are miserably tormented with dysenteries, rheums,
and pulmonary disorders, boils, and epilepsy.
In their dispositions the Greenlanders are cold,
phlegmatic, indolent and slow of apprehension;
but very quiet, orderly, and good-natured. They
live peaceably together; and are said to have
every thing in common, without strife, envying,
or animosity. They are civil and hospitable,
but slovenly beyond even the . Hottentots them-
selves. All the Gr^nlanders hitherto known,
speak the same language, though difierent dia-
lects prevail in different parts of tbe country.
They are employed all the year ii. fishing or
hunting. At sea they pursue whales, morHcs,
seals, fish for eating, and sea fowl. On shore
they hunt the rein deer in different parts of the
country. Their canoes are rather stroi^ly built,
and they manage them with great dexterity. The
country is but thinly inhabited. In winter the
people dwell in huts built oT stone or turf; but
in summer they dwell in tents made of long poles
fixed in a conical form, covered on the inside
vrith deer skins, and on the outside with seal
skins, dressed so that the rain cannot pierce
them. The inhabitants clothe themselves in (he
skins of beasts, which serve in a great measure
to counteract the rigorous effects of the climate.

The Grecian Archipelago

Consists of a great number of islands, some
of which deserve a particular description. Their
names are,

I. Negropont, the ancient Eubcea, a very
fruitful island ; where it is observed, that the
tides between this island and the continent in the
Euripus, are very uncommon; for from the
three last days of the old moon, to theeighth day

and Lap-
and war
id inclined
iat noses,
yellowish
the most
ably short
ess in the
Is, and the
. Thele-
8 not con-
tbern parts
es, rheums,
1 epilepsy.
rs are cold,
prehension ;
J red. They
id to have
e, envying,
hospitable,
Dtots them-
ito known,
ifferent dia-
be country,
fishing or
lea, morses.
On shore
parts of the
rongly built,
xterity. The
[n winter the
or turf; but
of long poles
ID the inside
de with seal
srnnot pierce
iselves in the
;reat measure
the climate.

islands, some
iptioo. Their

ibcea, a very
ved, that the
jatinent in the
for from the
theeigbtb day
of

fr=T=r=-=_

ti=:==^

{iiii 1

HI 1

BRIEF VIEW OF VOYAGES, kr.

B69

o( tbe teyf mocn, iliey are regular ; but on the
ninth day they begin to be irreguhir, and flow
twelve, thirteen, or fourteen times in twenty-
four hours, and ebb as often.
'2. Leninos, or Stalimene, famed for a mineral
earth called Terra Leuinin. The poets feigned
that Vulcan fell from lieaven into this island.

3. Tenedos is a very small island.

4. Skyrns, orScirio, has a rugged and uneven
surface. Here stood the famous temple of Pallas,
some ruins of which still remain.

5. Lesbos, or Mytelene, a large island, fa-
mous for being the birth place of several of the
ancient sages and poets; but its inhabitants led a
life of debauchery.

6. Scio, or Chios, is another large island,
which is well inhabited. The women are
reckoned tbe greatest wits, as well as beauties,
in this part of the world,^ and are subject to no
control.

7. The island of Samos is celebrated for the
numerous remains of antiquity, which abound
in it. The temple of Juno, who was patroness
of this island, was much celebrated.

8. The isle of Patmos lies south of Samos, and
is celebrated fur the convent of St. John, about
three miles south of Scala. The hermitage of
the Apocalypse, which depends on the convent,
has a very meain appearance. The chapel is about
eight paces long,' and five broad. On the right
of it is St.. John's Grotto, which has a square
pillar in the middle.

9. The islands of the Cyclades are very small,
and are about tifty in number.

10. Delos, the center island of the Cyclades,
is not above six mile^ in circumference ; out it
was the birth place of Apollo and Diana, to
whom magnificent temples were erected. The
island is now destitute of inhabitant.^ and is only
remarkable for its noble ruins.

11. The island of Paros is one of the least of
the Cyclades. It was anciently famous for its
extraordinary white marble and celebrated statu-
aries. The valuable monument of antiquity,
called the Chronicle of Paros, which was pur-
chased by the earl of Arundel from M. dc Pei-
resc, in 1627, was styled the Arundcliau marbles,
as having been presented by that nobleman to the
university of Oxford in 1067. There are still
many remains of antiquity in this island ; the in-
habitants of which are remarkably fond of danc-

ing, and indulge themselves frequently in that
exercise. Tl)'> Romeca is their favourite dance.

12. Ce'rigo, or Cytherea, is a mountainous
rocky island, and is remurkable only for being
the birth place of Venus and of Helen, who was
the occasion of the famous siege of Troy.

13. Santorini, the ancient Caliste, that i9>
Beautiful Isle, the inhabitants of which are prin-
cipally Greeks, and though subject to the Grand
Signior, ehuse their own magistrate. Their chief
trade is in wine; and while their husbands are
abroad on commercial affairs, the women culti-
vate the vineyards at home. The dress of the wo-
men is extremely neat and decent, and gives them
an elegant appearance.

14. Rhodes is a large island, being about fifty
miles long, and twenty-five broad. It abounds
in good wine, fruit, and provisions of every kind
butcorn, which is imported from the neighbouring
islands. At the mouth of the harbour of Rhodes,
said to be fif^y fathoms wide, Ktood the Colossus'
of brass, esteemed one of the wonders of the
world. One foot was placed on one side of the
harbour, and the other foot on the other, so that
ships passed between its legs: the face of this
figure represented the sun, to whom the image
was dedicated. .The height of it was seventy
cubits, that is, about one hundred and thirty-
five feet. It held in one hand a light-house, for
tbe direction of mariners.

15. Candia, the ancient Crete, is about two
hundred miles long, and sixty broad: it is re-
markably fertile. The Turks invested Candia in
1645; but the garrison did not surrender till
September, 1669, when they obtained honourable
terms. The Venetians lost eighty thousand
men, and the Turks one Jiundrcd and eighty
thousand, during the siege.

16. Cyprus is a large isfand, being one hun-
dred and fifty miles lung, and seventy broad. In
time of peace, its trade is very considerable, as
consuls from almost every European nation reside
here. It had formerly eight hundred or one
thousand villages, but at present it is so thinly
inhabited, that half the lands lie uncultivated.

17. The island of Nio is in the neighbourhood':
of Santorini, and is about thirty-five miles in cir-
cuutt'crence. It is well cultivated, and is not so
steep as the generality of the other islands of the
Archipelago. The wheat of this island is excel-
lent, but oil and wood are scarce. Tbe inha-
bitants.

■•*-

GEOGBAPHrOAT DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLO.

-1)itants areTer^ personable men; and the women,
as iKcll as those of Santorini, are remarkably
ihandsORiu; 'their dress is extremely neat and
•ahoWyi The ancients pretend that the Grecian
poet Hom«r died in this fsluad^ and^assert that his
tomb uas erected liere.

18. Argeiitierra, or Kimoli. The French
-give it the name of Argeuticrro, from the silver
mines discovered in it; but these have been long
shut up, and the nutives deny all knoM'ledg'.'. of
<8uch metal being in the island, from anapprehen-
sioN that the Turksmight compel them to labour
in the mines. It isa barren spot, destitute of all
•water but what can be saved in cisterns, and has
but one village in it, the babitations of which are
an assemblage of miserable cottages. Tbedressof
lower class of women is inconceivably ridiculous,
-consisting of an enormous load of linen, which
they wear till it is extremely dirty. The better
(ort, however, are a little more tasty, and set off
their persons to the lest advantage. Their under
petticoat is only their short shift, embroidered
Avith red, that leaves their leg^ exposed; the
thickness of which is esteemed a principal article
of female beauty : those ladies, howeyer, whom
nature has not bestowed this mark of handsooie-
ness upoo, endeavour to supply the deficiency by
three or four pair of thick »toc|(iDg8. When the
leg is so uniformly thick all the way as tq be
truly perfect according to their standard, som?
of the ladies add a pair of half-boots of cut
velvet, frequently decorated with some small
silver buttons.

19. The island of Cephalonia is about eighty
miles long, forty broad, and one hundred and
thirty in circumference. This island was sub-
dued b)' the I'hebans, under the conduct of Am-
phitryo, who is said to have killed Pterelas, who
I hen reigned in (he island. At this time, accord-
jog to ancient story, one Cephalus^ a mao of

great distinction at Athens,' having accidenlally
kiiied his wife Procris, in shooting at a deer, fled
hither to Araphitryo, who pitying bim, not only
received him kindlv, but made him governor of
,the island, . which hcnceforfh was called Cepha-
lonia. It fell iu time under the power of the Ma-
cedonians, then of the ^tolians, and was at
length reduced by M. Ful. Nobilior, who, mas-
tering the metropolis after a four months siege,
sold all the citizens for slaves, and added the
island to the demesnes of the AoroaD republic.
This island is agreed on all hands vto be very fer-
tile, especially in red wines, excellent muscadine
raisins and currants, and fine ail; in all which
the people here carry on a very advantageous
commerce. It is chiefly inhabited by Greeks. Its
bishopric is subject to the metropolitan of Corfu,
and united to that of Zante. The island is di-
vided into twenty districts, and is altogether
mountainous, there being scarcely a plain of any
extent." It is situaited between the island of St.
Maura on the N. and Zante on the S. about
twelve milei from the former, and twenty from
the latter, and not above twenty-four from the
coast of the M orea. The chief town, Cepha-
lonia, is a small city and fortress, andis situated
on a bill about six miles from Argoatoli, the
principal port of the island,, and residence of the
governors; which said port is large and well
sheltered on all aides ; but tb^ anchorage is not
very. good. At its' entrance is a large village,
where the raisin merchants mostly reside. There
are two other ports, one at Pescarda, another at
Lucksuri,the former for small, the latter for large
vessels. Another fortress is called Asso, which,
with Cephalonia, are the only iplaces of strength.
The other islands are small, and, not being re-
markable for any thing, do not merit a particu<
lar description.
3

FINIS.

INDEX.

im^

■1

•■' ..

"'•^il

' '*'■#'-,.

^^J%

-■"i*^. .,.■.■; -•■?:■' '/'vr.

^..^ .-, ■.*!.", ».,

'11

'Ml

INDEX.

VOL. II.

ABU-Shehr, town of, 597.
Acre, city of, 289;— its bay, 290.
Admiralty lalands, 76, 98 ;— dishonesty of

the natives, 99.
Adventure Bay, 122.
Minn, Mount, explored, 445.
Africa, its extent, boundaries, population,

rivers, mountains, 844.
Agreda, town of, SOS.
Alcalade Henarcs, city of, 309.
Alcoba9a, city and monastery of, 370.
Algarve, province of, 384.
Alemtejo, province of, 348.
Aleppo, pachalicof, its extent, 281.

city of, 283.

AlexandretU, city of, S83.

Alexandria, city of, S45.

Alicant, city of, 339.

Almazan, district of, 308.

Altona, city of, 481.

Altorf, town of, 413.

AniaMa, town of, 642.

America, voyage to the North-west coast of,

193.
Amsterdam, city of, 806.
Ancona, town of, 440.
Andaman Islands, 5A1 ;— the natives, 652.
Antioch, city of, 283.

Antiparos, grotto of, 804, n.

Apamea, or Farmia, in Syria, 296.

Appenzcl, canton of, 407.

Arabia, its boundaries, population, religion,
&c. 299, 626, 839.

Arab'i, Egyptian, 249 •.—Syrian, 270.

Ararijuez, palace and gardens of, 314.

Archipelago del Espiritu Santu, tee Hebri-
des.

Arenenberg, town of, 408.

Arimathea, or Hainlat, in Palestine, 298.

Armenia, trav(?l9 in, 641.

Arraii, Isle of, OSO. j

Aslidod, see Azoliis. '

Ashkeloi), or A/kalan, 200.

Asia, its extent, limits, and original popu-
lation, 817;— seas, 818.

Islosof. 841.

Asphaltitos, [.ake, 266.

AsKumptioii, Isle, i?!).

Astracan, city of, 823.

Atooi, Isle, visite<l by capt. Portlock, 274.

AvH, kingdom of, 8J1 ; — embassy to, 547.
— Iiistory of, 548; — cities, towns, &c, 558;
— extent of tiic empire and rivi'is, 687.

Aveiro, city of, 376.

Ausarians, a people of Syria, their tribes
and country, 274.

Austria, arcliducliy of, 811.

Austrian dominiuns, their extent, and im-
portance, 700; — religion, laws, manners,
customs, language, &c. 701.

Azotus, orEzdoud, 2y9,
Vol. 11. No. 130.

B. ■ ^

Badajoz, city of, 334.

Bagdad, city of, 629.

Bagnara, town of, 441.

Baking among the Arabs, 633.

Balbec, city of, 290.

Barcelona, cit^ of, 341.

Bassharrai, village of, 286.

Batavia, Isle of, journey into the interior,

142;— insalubrity of its marshes, 144.
Bath, city of, 663.
Bats of Madagascar, 237.
Bayonne, 307.

Bears, natural history of, 532.
Beavers, natural history of, 533.
Bedouin Arabs, 249, 271, 278.
Beer made of sweet root, 220.
Berlin, city of, 705.
Berne, Canton of, 414 ;— historical sketches

of, 416; — ^vemment, 417.
Berytes, orBairout, in Syria, 287.
Bieler, Lake, 419.
Bilbao, or Bilboa, town of, 324.
Binnan empire, 547, 566, 573, <3I.
Birmingham, town of, 663.
Biscay, lordship of, 321.
Bligh, capt. sent from England to procure

the breadfruit tree from the Society

Islands, and driven from his ship by his

mutinous crew, 79.
Boa constrictor of the Island of Batavia,

144.
Bohemia, travels in, 450.
Bokharia, Great, its extent, &c. 839.
Bologna, city of^ its population, 4t8.
Bombay, harbour and Island, 595.
Borneo, Isle of, 842.
Born holm. Isle of, 810.
Bougainville's Island, 95.
Bouka Island, 95-
Bourbon, Isle of, 845.
Bouro, Isle of, 140,842.
Bouton, Strait, 140;— village, 141.
Hrieiiz, I^ke of, 4 14 ; — town, 4' .,
Brinn, or Rrunn, town of, 450.
Bristol, city of, tJ02.
Uruvlisal, town of, 405.
Bucharest, cidv of, 040.
budwcis, town of, 453.
Buifaloos, tlx'ir antipathy to red or scariet

colours, 564.
Bulgaria, travels in, 045.
Biiigli, the native place of Will. Tell, 413.
Burgos, city of, 319.
Burrainpootcr, or Sanipoo River, 835.
Bussora, citv of, 018, 022.
Bute, Isle of', 680.
Byblos, ancient town of, 386.

Cadiz, city of, 337.
Calabria, province of, 441.
A

Calcutta, town of, 838.

Caledonia, see New Hebrides, '

California, tee Monteny Bay.

Calinasse, Isle of, 65.

Canary Islands, 6. ' '

Caparroso, plains of, 308.

Cape de Gat, 335.

Carayners, a people of India, 565.

Caravans in Syria, 293.

Carietein, a 1 urkish village in Syria, 294.

Carniel, Mount, 265, 290.

Carteret's Harbour, and surrounding coun-
try, 96.

Carlhagena, province of, 338.

Castille, kingdom of, journey through, 309.

Castries Bay, 47.

Cavite, port, 34.

Cazalla, mines of, 332.

Celebes, Isle of, 842.

Cenis, Mount, 423.

Ceram, Isle of, 842.

Ceylon, Island of, 837.

Chamberry, town of, 423.

Chamois goats, natural history of, 535.

Chaux de Fond, valley uf, 419.

Chica, Isle of, 51.

Chili, its fertility, 0 ;— inhabitants, 10.

Chinese empire, its extent, boundaries, an*
tlquities, religion, &c. 625.

Cintra, village and mountains of, 365.

Cocoa-nut Island, 66, 07.

Coiinbra, city and university of, 373; — its
environs, 373.

Cologne, city and cathedral of, with the
picture of St. Peter's crucifixion, 404.

Columbus's voyage of discovery, 846.

Company's Island, 52.

Conception Bay, its situation, &c. 9.

Constance, Lake of, 407 ; — city, 408.

Constantinople, city of, 803.

Contraries, Island of, 138.

Cook's River, 205 ; — small colony of Rus-
sians at its mouth, 206.

Copenhagen, city of, 487.

Copts, thair origin and present state, 250.

Corea, coast of, 39, n.

Corn-mill on sliip-board, 10, n.

Curposanto, nppearance of, at sea, 7, ii.

Cos, Isleol, 821.

Cox, Kev. W. his travels in Poland, 467.

Cracow, city of, 407 ; — university and pa-
lace, 408;— tombs, 470.

Crete, or Candia, I^le, 805.

Crillon, Haie dc, 5 1 .

Croatia, travels in, and general description
of, 464.

Cronstadt, Isle of, 700.

Curdistan, travels in, 270, 619.

Cui'tis's Islands, 123.

Cyprus, Isle of, 831.

Dagelct, Isle of, discovered, 39.
Dair Mokalles, a Syrian convent, 288.

3 Dair-el-

INDEX. VOL. ir.

Dair-el-Kamar, town of, 9S7.

Damascus, pachalic of, it extent, govrrn-
ment, and military establishment, UM,

• cityof,'i»3.

Darmstadt, 405.

Dead Sea, 205.

"Da Brie's travels In Moravia and Bohemia,
449.

Delta of Kgypt, 247.

Denmarl< and Norway, their divisions and
antii)uities, 807 ; — army, revenues, man-
ners and customs, — Laplanders, 808.

— Mm of, 810.

Denmark, travels in, and general descrip-
tion of, ViG.

D'EntrecuHleaux, admiral, his voyage in
search of La Perounc, t)0.

■ f Port, 85, 98 ;— <xci:rsion yp

the country, 121.

Deserts of Palestine, or Syria, 390.

Diarbekr, city of, 637.

Dieme n's Land, *jO ; — various transactions
with the natives, 1 1 d.

Dillon's travels through Spain, 306.— ^re
Spain.

Druzes of Svria, their history, ST7.

Dublin, city of, 683.

Dtiero, river, 306.

Dusseldorf, picture gallery at, 401 ; — floats
ontheRhiHC, 403.

Dutens' travels in Upper and I^wer Hun-
gary, 453; — in '1 ransylvania, 4C0;— in
b'clavoni.'i, 463; — in Crotia, 404; — in
Morlacbia, 466.

£.

Easter Island, visited by La Perouse, 1 1 ; —
its inhabitants, and tneir habitations, cus-
toms, &c. 12.

Kbro, river, 306, 308; — its source, 321.

Ed<lystone Light-bouse, 673,

Kdin, village of, 3fi6.

Kdioburgh, city of, 677.

Kglissau, town of, 400.

Kgmont Island, or SantaCruz, 136; — disho-
nesty and violence of the inhabitants,
137; — a sailor killed by their ari-uws, 138.

Kgra, city of, 453.

Lgypt, travels in, 244; — of Uie country
ill general, and the city of Alexandria,
245;— the Delta, Nile, &c. 247.

F.lberfelde, valley of, 403.

Kl-Tell, in Palestine, 298.

Elvas, city of, 344 ; — environs, 347.

Emessus, remains of, 2f»j.

iMieland, its extent, Ixmndaries, and di-
vision, 6JI; — aiiti(|uilies and historical
epochs, 052 ; — religious and ecclesiasti-
cal division, tij;J ;— government, 650 ; —
population, army and navy, 059; — re-
venue and political importance, O'tiO ; —
mauiicrs and tustiinis, lanL;uage, and
eilucation, 6U1 ; — cities ami towns, 662;
— t'ditices ar.d bridges, 663 ; — canals,
6o4; — manufactures tuidconnnerce, 665 ;
— fate of the country, soil and agricul-
ture, 667; — riven, 668; — mountainsand
forests, 66!); — zoology, 670; — minera-
logy, 67 1 ; — mineral waters and natural
curiosities, 672.

.. Isles of, 673.

Looa, Isle of, 123.

Emi, town, and mineral waters of, 405. "

Estaign, Bale dc, description and natural
hisiory of, 46; — manners and customs
of the inhabitants, 48 ; — natural history,
50.

Estrainadura, province of, 330.

Estrella, mountains of, 386.

Evora, town and ancient university of, 400.

Euphrates, river, 623, »iy.

Europe, its extent, limits, religion, climate,
seiis, 6l!»; — rivers, mmmtains, govern-
ments, and states, 65 1.

Falkland's Islands, 197.
Fanfoue, Isle of, 65.
Faro, city of, 3U6.
Ferroe Isles, 810.

Feeuou, a chief of TongaUboo, 124.
'ilabres. Mount, 336.
/ins, the, 514.
FischerV tour through Spain and Portugal,

306.
Floats on the river Rhine, 403.
Florence, city of, iti picture gallery, inu-

seum, &(:. 42y.
Formosa, Isle of, 36, 827.
Four Brothers, Isle of, 52.
Foxes, singular instances of sagacity in, and

nieth'M of entrapping, 530, n.
France, its extent and divisions, 687; — an-

tit|uities and religion, 688 ;— government,

population, army, manners and customs,

literature, tmiversities, &:c. 689.
— — — Isle of, 845.
Frankfoiton the Main, 405
Franklin, \V. Es<i. his tour fram !)cngal to

Persia, 593 ;— rruins of Persepolis^ 613.
Friendly li-lands, 67, 123; — customs and

persons of the inhabitants, 130.
Frien, Island of, 485.
Fur-trade, 195.

Gaeta, fortress of, 342, 437.

Ganges, river, 835.

Garden Island, 223.

Gaza, in Palestine, ruins of, 209.

Geneva, city and territory, history of, 420 ;
— government, manners of the' people,
population, S:c. 4i.'2.

Genoa, historical sketch of, 425 ; — tcrrito-
toiies, manufactures, palaces, Sec. 426 ;
— its annexation to the French empire,
426, n.

Gercz, mountains of, 37.0.

Germany, travels in, 101 ; — Dusseldorf,
and its picture gallery, jV^.-^floais on tiie
Rhine, — valley of Llbert'eUle,— cavern of
Leuchtenberg,-- and monks of La 'I'rappe,
403 ;— Pempelfoit, 404 ;— lake of Con-
stance, Morsburgh, and the Tyrol, 407.

Giant's Causeway, 686.

Gilolo, Isle of, 842.

Gibraltar, town and fortress, 70S.

Girgenti, port of, 443.

Glaciers o( Swisserland, 415.

Glaris, canton of, 407.

Glatz, city of, 452.

Gluttons, natural Iristory of, 533.

Goa, city of, 595.

Goat, CaucasaD> description of, 381.

Good Hope, Cnpe of, 77, 844 ;-varlout
excursions to the mountains in thevicinity
of the town, and remarks on the naiur^a
history, productions, and natives, go

Gothland, Island of, 501.

Gottenhurgh, city of, 500.

Gozo, Me of, «l'3.

Granada, kingdom of, 336.

Grandson, town and bailiwic of, 419,

Grodno, city of, 479.

Grotta del Cane, in Naples, 4 10.

Guadahpiiver river, 306;— its source, ami
the environs, 343.

Guadarrama, mountains of, 317.

Guudiana, river, 306.

Gucbres, worshippers of fire, 838, a.

llama, in Syria, 296.

liambuigh, city of, 480.

Ilanning^s Bay, 221.

Hebrides, the, 680.

~ New, tee New Ilebridei.

Hebron, ruins of, 297. .

Heidelberg, city of, 405.

Heliopolis, ruins of, 290.

Ilerculaneum, ruins of, 440, n.

Hermit's Islands. 101.

Herrings, shoals of, 650.

Hindostan, its name, boundaries, religion,
pouulation, manners and customs, 833 ;
— languagi-s. manufactures, climate and
seasons, 834 ;— rivers, mountains, forests,
and ziK)logy, 835 ;— mineralogy, cities,
and towns, 836.

Hogs, wild, in India, 635.

Holhuid, its provinces, religion, popula-
tion, colonies, army, manners and cus-
toms, &e. 805.

Holland, New, ace New Holland.

Holyhead, Island of, 673.

Horeb, Mount, 299.

Hungary, travels in, and general descrip-
tion of, 453; — cities and towns, 455 — tUO,

Huon, captain, sails with Admiral D'En-
treca-iteaux, in search of I^ Pcrouse, Oi> ;
— <lies and is buried at New Caledonia,
134.

Uuon's Islands, 136.

It'c Island, 843, n.

Iceland, Me of, 810.

Iglau, town of, 4jO.

Indian desert, journey acrosg,,619.

Indus, river, .'>35.

Iran, tee Persia.

Ireland, its extent, religion, government,

divisions, Sec. 6S2.
Ispalian, city of, 839.
Italy, its boundaries, extent, population,

fate of the country, rivers and lakes,

812;— niountain>, and divisions, 813;

—travels in, 422.

Jackson, J. Esc). his journey from India to-
wards England, overland, tiirough Cur-
distan, 619.

Jack-witii-a-lantcrn, at sea, 7, n.

Jamnia, or Yabna, or Palestine, 299.

Japan

INDEX. Y 0 L. II.

igion, popula-
iiicn and cus-

encral descrip-
iviis, 455 — ^liio.
kdiniral D'Eii<
a Pcrouse, (i<J ;
cw Caledonia,

, government.

t, population,
-'rs and lakes,
i visions, 813;

from India to-
tiirouglt Cuf

Japan Islands, 3l»;— tlielr extent, religion,
laws, manners and cuvtonia, 830; — cU-
niate, i>eaM>n!t, and volcanoes, 83 1 .

Java, Isle of, 841.

Jeco, We, 41, u.

Jericho, ruins of, 207

Jerusalem, present stale of, 290.

Jcsso, Isleot', 41, n.

JfKjtsi-sima, IsliMif, 41.

Jordan, river, 200, SI'JO.

Jura, Uleof, 080.

Juste, convent of, the retreat of the empe-
ror Charles V. 331.

Kaniptschatka, travels in, 1 10; — government
of, 53, 58 ; — thenativis, their villages and
habitations, 148, 151, 100.

Karlsruh, town of, 400.

Kava, method of preparing, 125.

Kesraonan, country ot, 280.

Khwarexm, country of, 839.

King George's Sound company, 196,

Kirguses, a Tatar tribe, their country, man-
ners and customs, 839.

Kislna, river, 8Ja.

Koningratz, city of, »52.

Koriacs, a tribe of the Kamptscliatkadales,
170, 175; — singular mode 6f courtship and
nuptial ceremony, 171.

Kumi Island, 38.

Kurile Islands, 52 ;— Russian government,
of, 57.

Labillardierc, M. 'sails with admiral D'En-
trecasteaux in search of La IVrouse, 0!); —
taken prisoner at Balavia, by the Dutch
governiir, 113; — sent to t'ran'cc, 145.

Lagos, city of, f.iiS.

I A Manclia, 313.

Lemr.noh, Peak, 43.

Langle, M. cic, appointed to the command

• of the Astrolabe, 5 ; — and sails with La
Perouse, 0;— murdered by the islanders of
.Maouna,

Ixnplandcrs, 803.

Latakia, town of, ?8.").

l^aTrappe, monks of, '103.

Laticiibtrg, town of, 4'i3.

Liusaiine, town o(', 4'JO,

Lebanon, Mount, COS.

U'igli's islanil, !>7.

Lcg^iSpin, town of, 3'.'0. . '

J.egrand's Bay, 111.

Leone, Isle, 05.

Lijisops, M. his journry fi;om Kaniptschatka
to Pelersburgh, 140—194. — ike Kanipts-
chatka.

I^uchteiiburg, cavern of, 403.

Leuis, Isle of, 08 1 .

I^y<len, city of, SOS.

Ijniver, vale of, 413,

Link's travels in Portugal, 345.

Lisbon, city of, 351; — its environs, 354;
— cli^iiate, 355 ; — provi:.ions, 35<i ; — po-
lice, 357 ; — the natives, thoir character,
dress, &c 358; — amusements, 359; —
public institutions, 300 ; — villages in the
neighbourhood, 303.

Lithunia, duchy of, 478 ; — manufactures,
481.

Liverpool, town of, C62.

Locusta, in India, 035.

' swarms of, in Syria, 200.

Lodi, town of, 4'.'7.

Lombardy, plains of, 423.

London, city of, 00'-'.

Loretto, town and church of, 445.

Lot's will-, 8upposi;d memento uf, '^00, n.

Loudd, or Lydda, a town^of Palestine, 3;)8.

Louisiade, Im, the inhabitants, 138.

Lut erne, cantun and town of, 4 1 '2 ; — itscon-

* siitution, 413; — peasantry and depen-
dencies, 414.

Luconin, Isle of, 35,

Luminous appearance ol the sea, 75, 70.

Lunar rainbows, 77, 04.

Lundy hie, 073.

Luzon, Isle of, 842,

M.-
Macao, road and town, 3 1 ,

Ma(higascar, 845 ; — voyage to, 235 ;— si-
tuation and (leNcri|)tiun of the couiilry,
ib. — natives and tlieir tribes, 230.

Madeira, Island of 0.

Madriil, city of, 312, 708; — the royal ca-
binet of natural history, 313.

Madura, coast of, 141.

Mahometan religion, 3U1.

Majorca, Isle of, 801.

Malacca, peninsula of, its extent, and lan-
guage, 831 ;— cl iracteristics, 832.

Malaga, 335.

Malta, Isle of, 813.

Mambedj, town of, 284.

Mamelukes of KgypI, history of, their mili-
tary constitution, accoutrements, educa-
tion, &c. 252.

Man, We of, 074.

M..nciioster, 003.

MancNhines of Kussian Tavtarv, 515.

Manilla Isles, 34, 842.

Maouna, Isle of, 01 ; — description of the
country, 02.

Marao, mountains of, 379.-

Marcckan Island, 52.

Mar-Haniia, aS\rian convent, 288.

Maiivella, lslan<rot','33.

Marcmites, a people of Syria, history of, 275.

Marlawan, village of, 28 1.

Mar iniio, iiHiiuitainsoC, 394.

Marlorel, town of, 311.

.Mauritius, Islo of, 815,

Mecca, city ol. 810.

Medina, cit\ of, 810. " "

Mentz, city of, 105.

Merino slieep ;\ii(l wool, 309 ; — annual ex-
portation of, from Spain, 311.

Mcrk.ih, town of, 2i;."i.

Mesmia, in Pale-iline, 298.

Messina, city of, 142. ^ ' *' '

Mew-stone rock, 81.

Nlilan, cHy, (ulhedral, and library of St.
■ Ambidsio, 427.

Mileto, lo\Mi of, 110. ^ -

Mills on board ships, 10, n,

Minorca, Isle of, 801.
Miiilio, river, lOti.
Modeiia, city and duchy of, 423.
Molucca Islands, 842.
Mongoles, the, 511, 823.
Monneron, Isle of, 50.
Montague Mand, 221,

Monteleene, town of, 440.

Montery Bay, description and natural his-

tory of, 23 ;— iuhabitauti, S(i ; — luission*,

25, n,
Monti Uay, 10.

Moiitsetrat, 341. * -

Moravia, travels in, 4M.
Morlachia. travels in, and chief towns of,

406,
Morse-catching, 537.
Moscow, city of, 097. j

Mosul, city of, 004. ,

Motonalis, a neople of Svrw, 279.
Moulin's island discovered, 94.
Mowee, Isle of, ils appearance at sea, I'l. '
Mull, Isle of, 080.

Music admired by the savages, 95, n.
Mytileuc, or Lesbos, Isle of, i2L ,

N. '.

Nankin, city of, 827.

Na|)les, kingdom of, 813 ;— city of, 437 j —
tlii-La/aroni, i/i. n.— Vesuvius, 439.

Nasra, or Nazareth, 290.

Natolia, travels in, 043.

Natron lakes in Kgy pt, 248.

N'avarre, kingdom ol, journey through, 307.

N.ivigators Islands, 00 ;— llieir names, 65,

Neapolis, or Nablous, city of, 290. ' ;

Necker's Isle, discovered, 29. ',

Negropont, Isle of, 805.

Nelherlancls, their extent, religion, mSn-
ners and cusloiiis, education, cities, and
towns, 093;— ,ea-ports, mineralogy, and
nioimtains, 095.

New Caledonia, 93, 132 ;— description of
tlieinlubitants, 105.

Guinea, 102.

Hebrides, 1)3, 131 ;—thc natives, 133.

Holland, \ovage along the coast of,

loy ;— Briiisli settlements, £cc. 843,

Zealand, 123,

Nile, river, 247. ' *■' . l

Norloik Island, 67,

Norway, travels in, and general descrip-
tion of, 489.

Nolo, Cape, 40. ,' , ; J

Nova Zenibla, 700. ■' ■'' ■ )

Nowel, Thos. Esq. his travels in Den-
nuu-k, 470;— in Norway, 489,— in Swe-
den, 495. ' ' ' >r

Obidos, city of, 309. . • .,.. .Ci

Okotsk, town and inhabitants, 181. ^

Okn-Jesso, Isle of, 5 1 .

Oiieehow, Isle of, visited bv captain Port-
lock, 203, 217.

Opoito, city of, and its environs, 377 ;—
climate, 37S.

Opoun, Isle of, 05.

Oppido, town of, 440; — earlluiuake, 44!.

Orkneys, the, 081.

Ossamo, Isleof, 05. , •

Out'ia, Isleof, 05.

Ounque, battle of, 393. , ., -(j

Owhyhee, island of, 13, 200, 233. li,

Oyolava, Isle ol, 61 ; — pupulalion, &c. OT.

P,
Padua, city of, 447.
Palermo, city of, 442.

Palestine,

Palntine, its extrat, climate, toll, govern*
iiieut. 2U7 ;— citiet, &c. f08.

Palmyra, niins of, 'JM.

Pampeluiw, citv of, 307.

Parliament of England, 657.

Parm-j, duchvof, 4'J8.

Paneeii, worshippers of fire, 838, n.

Pamportain Portugal, 301.

Pastoril or wandering tribe* of Syria, 270.

Pavia, city and univertity, 4iS9.

Pays (le Vaud, 430.

Pearl fishery, 837.

PegiK, iiingdomof, 831 ; — city of, 558.

Pekin, city of, 8'^6.

Penipelfort, town of, 404.

Penances during I'assion-week atManilla,35.

Peroiise, La, bis voyage round the world, 5;
— uncertainty of Ills fate, 68— 71, 08.

Perstpolis, ruins of, 013.

Persi 1, or Iran, 837 ;— its extent, provinces,
ancient monuments, religbn, manners

, and customs, 838 ;— travels in, 597.

Pesaio, town of, 448.

Pescadore, or Pong-hou Islands, 38.

Philippine Isles, 843.

Pied nont, travels in, 423 —See Italy.

Pig'r^ins of Aleppo, formerly used at cou-
riers, 383, n.

Pil(p images to Jmisalem, 206.

Phia, city of, 429 ; — its inclined tower, 430.

Placenza, or Placentia, town of, 332, 427.

Plicti Polonica, a disease of Poland, 475.

Poland, travels in, 467.

Pol vgldt Bible, the tirst printed, 300.

Pnrk, method of preserving at sea, 204.

Port des Frangais, 17 ; — accident at, 18.

Portlock, capt. his voyage to the North-
west coast of America, 105.

Portugal, 512;— iu frontiers, 345;— Por-
tuguese military, 346.

Posilipo, hill and grotto of, at Naplen, 438.

Poula, or Pola, Isle, 65.

Pozzudii, city of, 438.

Prague, citv of, 451.

Prince William's Sound, 226; — the inlm-
bitants, their manners, customs, i'uud,
cooking, weapons, implements, 227.

Printing-press in Syria, 288, n.

Prisons in Portugal, 391.

Prussia, its extent, religion, manners, cus-
toms, language, &c. 704.

Puppies, suckled by women, 217, n.

Pyrenean mountains, 306, 70!^.

Quiclpaert, Isles of, 30, n.
Quelus, palace at, 364.

Rangoon, town of, thepeopig called Ca-
rayners, the temple of iihoedagoii, 565.
— 'The Birinans and Hhahaans, 566.

Raveiisburgh, town of, 407.

lleggio, town of, 428.

Reicdnau, abbey of, 408.

Reindeer, method of taking, 163, — natural,
h'storyof, 534.

Rbotles, Isle of, 821.

Rhimini, city of, 446.

Rhahaans, a religious fraternity in India,566.

Roclion's voyage to Madagascar, 235.

I N D B ^. y e L. II.

Rocky Bay, 1 1$ ;— excursioiw into the inte-
rior, and various transactioiu with the na-
tives, 116.

Romagna, province of, 446.

Rome, 430 ;— Tlu-rm* of Oioclcsian, Fon-
tana del Aqua Felice, church of Sta. Ma-
ria Maggiore, &c. ib,

Romelia, travels in, 644.

Kosenburg-h, town of, 453.

Rnssia in Europe, itt extent, boundaries,
pn>vjnces, antiquities,'religion, &c. 605.

— bles of, 700.

■ ' ' • ill Asia, its extent, lioundaries, an-
tiquities, religion, population, manners
and customs, ftc. 822.

Russian empire, general view of, and divi-
sions, 5()j; — climate, 507; — soil, and face
of the country, 500 ; — boundary and in-
land seas, 510; — tribes, 512.

Saidc, or Acre, pachalic of, 2S6.

Si. Catherine, Isle, its produce, inhabitant*,7.

— Idlefon.^o, royal seat and j;ardea of, 310.

— Ja^o, Cape de Verd, 107.
•— Paul's Island, 84.

— Peter and St. Paul, Bay, S3.

— Petersburgh, city of, 607.

— Vincent, Cape, 395.

— Ube's, town and port of, 367.

Salt, its preponderance in thesoil and climate
of Egypt,

•= — mine of Valtierra, in Spain, 308.

Salting meat at sea, 204.

Samaria, remains of, 206.

Samiel or hot wind of Egypt and Syria, 348.

Samos, Isle of, 821.

Samoyedesof Russian Tartary, 510.

Santlwich Islands, 08, n.- -visited by La
Perouse, 13 ;— by Portlock, 200 ;— revo-
lution in the government of, 203;— chiefs'
names, 203.— fee 233.

San Marino, town of, 446.

Santa Cruc, dresses and manners of the inha-
bitants, produce of the island. Ate. 71,74.

Savoy, travels in, 423. — Su Italy.

Schalfhauseii, town of, 409.

Schweitz, town of, 413.

Sciglio, or Scylla, roclu of, 443.

Scilly rocks, 673.

Scio, or Chios, Isle of, 881.

Sclavonia, travels in, 463 ;— Possega, Cscr-
nak, ib. — Eszeg, Semlin, Brodo, 464 ; —
tlie natives, 513.

Scotland, its extent, divisions, and antiqui-
ties, 674 ; — ftiligion, 675 ; — government,
laws, population, manners, customs, 676.

. ■■■ Isles of, 680.

Scurvy, on board ship, iPO, n.

Sea bears, natural history of, i;41.

— cows, 542.

— dogs, 530.

— eleptiants, 108, n.
-I— foxes, 530.

— lions, 108, 542.

— otters, 543.
Segovia, city of, 316.
S^pach, town and lake of, 414.
Seville, city of, 333.

Siara, 'kingdom of, 833.

Siberiani, th«Ur origin, manncn, ke. Sll
Sicily, travels in, 443.— liifc Italy,
Sinai, Mount, 300.
Slate mountains of Portugal, 347, n.
Sour, the ancient Tvre, Ascription of, 389,
Spain, travels in, 306, 700,
— — Islet of, 801.
Spice Islands, 843.
Spitabergen, Islet of, 700.
Stockholm, city of, 501.
Stolbera't L-avels in Germany, ke. 401.
Storm Bay, 84 >- explored, 88, 115.
Sugar mills in Spain, 335.
Sumatra, Isle of, 841..
Sweden, travels in, 405f. 811.
Swedenborgians, their rise and tenets, 656,
Swisterlano. travels in, 407, 813.
Symes, M. Esq, his embassy to llie king-
dom of Ava, 547.
Syracuse, city of, 443 ^-buildings, 444.
Syria, traveu in, 3044

Tabaria, lake, or Sea of Galilee, 300.
Tabor, Mount, 200 ;— town of, 452.
Tartaiy, its extent, divisiom, kc. 828.
Teneriffe, attempt to explore itt tuminil,

71.
Thibet, iti extent, religion, 8cc, 833.
Tombs in Persia, 003.
TVamylvania, travels in, 460, 64S.
I'ripoli, pachalic of, itt extent, 384.
Troya, remains of, 368.
Turin, city of, its origin, &c. 423.
l'urk(7in Europe, 801.
I'urka, their ongin, 850.
Tuscany, kingdom of, 813.
Tyre, ruintof, 380.

V&U.

Valencia, city and environi of, 339, 312.

Valladolid, city of, 318.

A'enice, city of, 447 ;— public buildings, 418,

Vesuvius, Mount, explored, 439.

Vevay, town of, 420.

Vienna, city of, 448, 450.

Villagorda, 343.

Villa Real, town of, 307.

Uist, Isles of, 681.

Ulm, cathedral of, 400.

Volney, M. his travel* through Syria, 314.

Wall of China, 885.
Wallachia, travels in, 640.
Warsaw, city and palace of, 473.
Wine-trade of Portugal, 385, n.
Wirtemberg, duchy of, 406.

Yafa, a sea-port of Palestine, 308.
Yverdun, town of, 410.

Zealand, Island of, 486.

2^g, town and country of, 413.

Zurich, canton and town of, 4Q0.

Printed 'jy W. Stratford, Crown-Court, Temple-Bar.

manncn, &c. Hi,
He$ lUly.

ugal, 347, n.
oeKriptionof, 389,
00.

00.

THMny, tee. 401.
red, 89, 115.
i.

i«e and tenet*, 0513.
407, i\a.
oibassy to llic king-

—buildings, 444.

r Galilee, 300.
4own of, 452.
riiiom, ice. 828.
explore iu tuininit,

gion, &c. 8S2.

I, 400, 648.

« extent, 284.

n, tec. 423.

>0.

, 813.

tU.

lironi of, 339, 313.

tt.

public buildings, 418.

)k>red, 439.

450.

97.

)e.

It through Syria, 314.

IV.

646.

lace of, 473.
al, 395, n.
of, 400.

'alestine, 308.

kl9.

486.

try of, 412.

own of, 4Q9.

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