from the Baltic and the Cafpian at a great expence, might be encouraged either in this peniníula or on the banks of the Kuma, and Terek; and by fome obvious improvements in the prefent breed of sheep, woollen manufactures might be puthed in the Crimea to a great extent. The impediments to the profperity of the Crimea are, the flothful and favage character of its Tartar in habitants, their difaffection to a Chriftian government,-the deficiency even of fuch bad population as the Tartars might afford,the injudicious conduct of the Rullian government in making the grants of the Crown lands the inftrument of court favour and intrigue, rather than the incitements to induftry, and increase of numbers;-to which caufes is to be added, the great infecurity of landed property, from the inaccurate fpecifications of the Crown grants, and the tricks and chicanery to which that inaccuracy has given birth.

The feafons in the Crimea are very irregular. In 1795-6, in the beginning of February, all the fpring flowers were every where feen in full bloom, though during the remainder of the month they were buried under a deep fnow. The fevere winters of 1798-9 and of 1799-1800, continued from the end of October till April, with various degrees of cold, accompanied by dreadful hurricances, fuch as to fink the thermometer 18° below the freezing point. During the last of thefe winters, the Sea of Azof, the Bofphorus, great part of the bay of Kaffa, and several creeks of the Euxine, were completely frozen over. The winds are very variable, bringing from the four cardinal points the fame fpecies of temperature as with us. The climate, however, is fo unfettied, that the barometer often varies fix or eight times in 24 hours *. The fummers are not lefs inconftant than the winters. The most falubrious of all feafons in the Crimea is the fpring, which generally continues from March till the end of May. At that feafon, every thing in the vegetable world which is grateful in fmell, or beautiful in colour, lends its aid to gratify the fenfes. The weather then is generally fettled and ferene, the heat moderate and refreshing: numerous flocks of theep are feen moving in every direction, at the fame time that village flocks are scattered over the paftures. Amid fuch peace, and freshness, and tranquillity, mere existence is a pleasure; and the mind loathes thofe ftudied enjoyments which it reK4 forts

The Profeffor would perhaps confider this uncertainty of the climate as capable of being remedied, by an increase of cultivation and population. He firmly believes, that the temperature of a country is materially altered by the number of fires which are lighted in it. This appears to us to be rather too fine a fpeculation.

forts to at other periods for amusement and fupport. The most unhealthy feafon in the Crimea, is the autumn; at which time, bilious fevers, remittent, or intermittent, prevail to a great extent*. With the exception of thefe fevers, this country might be confidered as one of the moft healthy in the world.

The frequent failure of crops would (but for the careless style of cultivation) be a fact totally unintelligible in a country which paid fuch ample tributes, and fent fuch magnificent gifts of grain at the earliest period in which we are acquainted with its history t The Crimea has erroneoufly been confidered as the granary of Conftantinople; an opinion which muft in a great measure be attributed to the conftant importation of corn from Little Ruffia by carriers who take falt in exchange for fuch commodity. If the native wines of the Crimea were encouraged by the impofition of protecting duties on foreign wines, all the interior governments of the Ruffian empire might, in the opinion of the Profeffor, be fupplied from that province; and the fum of one million and a half of rubles, now paid for foreign wines, be deducted from an unfavourable balance of trade. The growth of filk has been but faintly attempted in the Taurida, though Profeffor Pallas thinks it is not only capable of that product, but of the growth of fugar alfo. In this latter opinion, however, Profeffor Pallas appears to us a little too fanguine; it is very inconfiftent with all he has previously faid of the inftability of the climate. The affertion may be true partially, as we fay grapes will grow in England, or apples in Scotland-courteously inferring, that what is true of a few felect and funny fpots, is true of the whole climate.

By the emigration of the Greeks and Armenians, industry, which had not been very remarkable in Crim-Tartary, under the government of the Khans, was almost extinguifhed; and though this country has been fubject to the dominion of Ruffia above fifteen years, there is a deficiency of the most neceffary artifans, as well as of manufactures. Among the latter, that of Morocco leather is the most important; of which the red and yellow fkins are in no refpect inferior to thofe of Turkey. The cutlery of the Taurida is much efteemed for its excellent temper. Since the year 1795, fome Greeks have employed themfelves in burning foda.

*The Profeffor wifhes to lay the prevalence of the Itch upon the climate; but this diforder, we have fome reafon to think, is by no means confined to hot climates.

Profeffor Pallas advances occafionally fome very fingular opinions: he fpeaks of the earth being manured in the Crimea by fnails crawling upon it. We would not rafhly deny any thing advanced by fo great a naturalift; we only beg leave very humbly to doubt."

foda. To thefe articles of exportation are to be added, butter, falt, wheat, hides, and fome coarfe linen. The principal imports are raw and manufactured cotton, filk ftuffs of various patterns, the wines of the Archipelago, brandy, dried fruits, and leaf tobacco. The value of exportations amounts to from 400,000 to 500,000 rubles. The importations fall fhort of that fum by 100,000 rubles; and the balance is principally paid in the bafe Turkish filver coin which is extenfively circulated within the Peninfula. The foreign bankers, indeed, are eager enough to avail themselves of the high estimation in which the Tartars hold a genuine Mahometan coin; fo that, even after its value had been raifed 22 per cent. under the prefent Sultan, it ftill maintained its fuperiority over the Ruffian filver money, the intrinsic value of which exceeded that of Turkey in the above mentioned propor

tion.

Such is the general account which Profeffor Pallas has given us of this celebrated country; which, though now of fmall importance, except as a military station, may hereafter become one of the richest appanages of the Ruffian empire. It is poor and diftreffed at prefent; because it has not yet recovered the fudden and violent change from a Mahometan to a Chriftian government, one of the moft ftriking and complete viciffitudes which it is poffible for any country to experience; a viciffitude which has banished the greater part of the inhabitants of the Tuurida, and rendered those which remain, incorrigibly difaffected to the Ruffian government. What the progrefs of its profperity may be, when the remembrances of this revolution are foftened away, muft depend, of course, upon the wildom and liberality of that policy which the Ruffian government adopts in the management of its colonies. It must be notoriously deficient in both these points, if it can prevent that aggrandizement which Nature has done fo much to produce.

We are under the neceffity of faying little of the merits of Profeffor Pallas; becaufe no writer of travels is better known to, or received by the public. With his talents as a naturalift, every body is well acquainted: he is extremely accurate; and yet, though we are perfuaded that he tells nothing but the truth, it is probable that his official fituation under the government has prevented him from telling the whole truth. Thefe fcientific envoys must have known, as well as if they had read it in their inftructions, that they were to being back no dif coveries unpleasant to Imperial ears. We rather pity than blame them; and are convinced, in the inftance of Profeffor Pallas, that he has struggled hard to be as dutifully tame as he ought; and that he has a spirit abhorrent of injustice and political abufes. A

certain

certain tameness in style, and prolixity in topographical relation, appear to fit upon him a little more naturally. Through fome chapters of his book, not much more is to be learnt, than that he went up a hill in this place, and down it in that; that the first part of the road is woody, and the fecond is not woody. Here there is a large pond, and there a fmall pond; and, in a thire place, no pond at all. The most valuable topics are all difcuffed in a few feparate chapters; fo that the plums and sweetmeats are all crowded into a small space, and the larger portion left infipidly plain. Pallas, however, is not of that defcription of travellers, who profefs to amufe by anecdotes about waiters and chambermaids: his object is to make the world minutely and thoroughly acquainted with the country which he is fent to explore. If he is dry, he is perfpicuous and accurate; if he is unamufing, he is authentic: and, long after many witty pamphlets, called books of travels, have perifhed, the works of Pallas will be ftudied as genuine and valuable defcriptions of the countries through which he has paffed.

ART. XIII. An Hiflorical View of the English Government, from the Settlement of the Saxons in Britain, to the Revolution in 1688. To which are fubjoined, fome Differtations connected with the Hiftory of the Government, from the Revolution to the prefent time. By John Millar Efq. Profeffor at Law in the University of Glasgow. Four Volumes 8vo. London. Mawman. 1803.

Ac

THIS is a pofthumous publication, and does not complete the plan that was announced by the author in his lifetime. cording to that plan, the hiftory of the English government was to have been brought down, in the concluding part, from the Revolution to the prefent times. The manufcript of this portion of the work, however, we are informed by the prefent editor, was not left in fuch a finifhed and correct ftate as to be laid entire before the public. The Hiftorical View, therefore, is only brought down to the Revolution in 1688; and a felection from the materials for the fubfequent period is given in the form of feparate differtations. The two first volumes contain that portion of the work which was formerly publifhed in 1786, includ- · ing the history of the government previous to the acceffion of the houfe of Stuart; and the two latter the hiftory and differtations that belong to the fubfequent period.

The reputation of Profeffor Millar, we are inclined to think, ftands fomewhat higher with his pupils, and thofe who had the benefit of his acquaintance, than it is likely to do with thofe who may merely perufe his publications. The conftant alacrity and

vigour

vigour of his understanding, the clearnefs and familiarity of his illustrations, and the great variety of his arguments and topics of difcuffion, together with fomething unufually animated and impreffive in his tones and expreffions, gave an interest and a fpirit to his living language, that can fcarcely be traced in his writings. All that vivacity and facility of statement, all that dexterity of reply, and power of picturefque illuftration, that delighted in converfation, and fafcinated in his lectures, appear to have evaporated as foon as he took the pen into his hand. In his ftyle and manner of fpeaking, there was fomething very characteristic and peculiar. The compofition of his writings is of a very ordinary defcription, He writes indeed with great clearnefs and folidity; and is never for a moment either trifling, loquacious, or abfurd; but he is not often very captivating in his manner, and makes us feel the weight of his matter rather too fenfibly in his ftyle: it is a tyle, in fhort, that is fomewhat heavy, cold, and inelegant; and his works, though abounding in good fenfe and forcible expreffion, are apt to fatigue the reader, from the want of that variety and relief, of which his fpoken language afforded fo eminent an example.

The ftyle of converfation, indeed, in which most of his lectures were delivered, is not very easily adapted to the purposes of publication. The great merit, and the great charm of this style confift in its varying and judicious adaptation to the tafte and fituation of the hearers, and in the facility and animation with which every thing is communicated and explained. In addreffing the public and pofterity, however, no adaptation of this kind can take place: a greater referve must be affumed: our pofitions muft be fortified with greater care, and our conclufions enforced with more authority. In the deliberation and anxiety that neceffarily accompany thefe operations, the fpirit of our first conceptions, and the colouring of our original language, are apt to fly off: We are afraid to commit our dignity among trangers, by the use of a familiar or a ludicrous expreflion: We put our ideas into a dress of ceremony, and feel the oppreffion and conftraint of it the more, for having been accustomed to the ease and the lightness of a lefs cumbrous drapery.

But though, for thefe, and for other reafons, the written style of Mr Millar be certainly inferior in force and effect to his converfation, the character of his genius is very clearly imprinted upon both and though it must go down to pofterity with fome diad vantage, from his contempt or unfkilfulness in the art of compofition, his writings will long continue, we have no doubt, to command the refpect and admiration of his readers.

The diftinguishing feature of Mr Millar's intellect was, the great clearness and accuracy of his apprehenfion, and the, fingular fa

gacity