European ftates. Mr Pinkerton therefore confiders, in a connected and feparate point of view, the Auftrian dominions, and their principal component parts, the arch duchy of Austria; the kingdoms of Hungary and Bohemia; the grand-duchy of Tranfylvania, which, with the Buckovina, may be regarded as part of Hungary; the dominion towards the Adriatic, with the acquifitions of Venice and Dalmatia; and, laftly, that part of Poland which has fallen under the Auftrian fceptre.'

In the third rank of European powers, are included the German and Italian states. Mr Pinkerton differs very confiderably from former geographers, in his manner of claffing and defcribing each of these. He firft gives a general defcription of Germany; and afterwards, in two diftinct chapters, enumerates and defcribes the several states to the north and fouth of the Mayne. This mode of exhibiting the minute and complicated geography of the German states, is certainly attended with many advantages. It prefents to the mind a picture, in which the principal objects are more diftinctly feen, and more clofely grouped; and in which more attention is paid to keeping: but we are inclined to think, that the common divifion of Germany into its circles, with a general enumeration of the states contained in each, ought also to have been given. Although Mr P.'s method is best adapted to give a clear and diftinct view, yet the conftant reference to the different circles, which we meet with in hiftory, ought to have induced him to have admitted the old divifion. After a general description of Italy, he confiders it as divided into three parts, the fouthern, central, and northern; each of which he treats fully and accurately. In the Appendix to the first volume, is given, the value of coins ufed in common calculations. This table is very properly confined to those coins which are frequently mentioned in books of hiftory and travels; and it is thus rendered lefs prolix and obfcure than the tables appended to other geographical fyftems.

The fecond volume commences with Afia. We refer the reader to the progreffive geography of this divifion of the world, as exhibiting a favourable fpecimen of our author's induftry in refearch, and extent of information, (Vol. II. p. 2-8.) In his arrangement of the Afiatic Ifles, as they are improperly termed, he follows the learned Prefident de Broffes, who, nearly half a century ago, proposed that the countries to the fouth of Afia, namely, New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, &c. fhould be styled Auftralafia; and the numerous ifles in the Pacific, Polynefia. In order to arrange the different iflands under these two divifions, with clearness and accuracy, Mr P. endeavours to fix fome limits between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

As the continent of America divides the Atlantic, or Great Weft

ern Ocean, from the Pacific, or Great Eaftern Ocean, (both fo termed in relation to the old and civilized world); and as Africa divides the Atlantic from the Indian Ocean, fo, by parallel ufage and deduction, what is called New Holland may be confidered as the fixed divifion between the Indian and Pacific; thus claiming with justice the authority of a continent, washed by the Indian Ocean on the weft, and the Pacific on the east; while a line drawn from the most prominent central capes, in the north and fouth, may be regarded as a boundary of these two oceans. The fouthern extenfion of this imaginary line is of little moment; but in the north, it must be confidered as a divifion of great importance to precife difcuffion, as the ifles on the weft must be confi dered as ftrictly Afiatic, and intimately connected with the defcription of Afa; while thofe on the right belong to Auftralafia and Polynesia. This divifion must naturally and unavoidably depend on the obfervation of the wideft channel between the Molucca islands, and Papira or New Guinea; and the degree of longitude, 130 from London, feems nearly to amount to a boundary. Hence Amboyna belongs to the Afiatic ifles, while Timor-laut belongs to Auftralafia. The meridian of boundary pales through Ceram; but the proximity of that ifle to Amboyna, may properly connect it with the Afiatic ifles; with which Myfil may alfo be claffed. From the N. W. extremity of Papira, or rather fome fmall islands lying at that extremity, a clear line may be drawn, following the fame meridian, and leaving Gelolo among the Afiatic ifles on the W., and thofe of Pelew, among the Polynesian, in the Pacific. This line, then, bending N. W., would include the Philippine iflands and the Bafhees, paffing to the S. of Formofa ;-the other limits and appellations being fufficiently clear.

Such may therefore be the affumed boundary between the Indian Ocean and the Chinese Sea on the W., and the Pacific on the E.; and between the Afiatic ifles, and Auftralafia and Polynefia. The boundary between the two latter great divifions may be traced, by regarding what is called New Holland as a continent, or great leading ifland,. with which thofe most adjacent must be regarded as connected. Hence Papira belongs to Australasia; and a line drawn in the latitude of threeor four degrees to the N. of the Equator, and then paffing S. in the meridian of 170° E. from Greenwich, fo as to include the New He brides; thence in the parallel of 30° S., gradually ftretching to 175° W. from Greenwich, including New Zealand, and the ifle called Chatam, will prefent the natural and precife boundary of Auftralafia.

That divifion called Polynesia, by far the most extenfive, adjoins the W. to the line above drawn around the Afiatic ifles; thence it afcends about lat. 18° long. 128° E., in a N. E. direction, fo as to include the ifle called Rica de Plata, long. 161°; and thence curving S. E. and encompaffing the northern Sandwich islands, where our great navigator fell, and the Marquefas; and extending to 120° W. from London.

There are other Sandwich ifles, lat. 59° S., or beneath the parallel of Cape Horn. Such is the perplexity of the received nomenclature.

London. Any ifles to the N. E. or E. of this line of demarkation, may be regarded as belonging to North or South America.

The fouthern boundary of the Afiatic ifles may be confidered as fufficiently ascertained, by the wide channel between them and New Holland; while the N. W. extremity of Sumatra may present a meridian of feparation on the W., between the Afiatic ifles, eminently fo ftyled, and thofe in the Indian Ocean. The fame western boundary may be affigned to Australafia.

The fouthern limits of the laft, and of Polynesia, alone remain ; but as few or no islands have been discovered to the S. of New Zealand, the parallel of 50° S. lat. may be laftly affumed as the boundary of both.

• Polynesia will thus extend from 50° S. lat. to about 35° N. lat., that is, 85°, or 5100 g. miles; while the breadth_taken from long. 170° E. from Greenwich, to 130° W. upon the Equator itself, will yield 60°, or 3600 g. miles.

• The length of Australasia may be computed from 95° of the fame longitude, to 185°; that is, 90°; in lat. 30°, or nearly 5000 g. miles ; while the breadth, lat. 30° N. to lat. 50° S. will be 3180 g. miles.

• Even the smallest division, that of the Afiatic ifles, which has been called the Oriental Archipelago, is of great extent, from 13° S. lat. to 22° N. lat.; that is, 35°, or 2100 g. miles; while the length, from 95° E. long. to 132°, yields 37° not far from the Equator, nearly corre fponding with the breadth.'

In perufing Mr Pinkerton's work, we have obferved several omiffions and errors: more in number, and, in general, of greater confequence, than we fhould have expected from an author fo long habituated to minute and laborious investigation. The principal of these we shall lay before our readers, and also our reasons for differing from Mr Pinkerton in fome of his fpeculations and conjectures. Sunderland, Paifley, and Kilmarnock, towns which have rapidly increased in population, trade and confequence, within these few years, are either paffed over in abfolute filence, or barely mentioned, and claffed with places of comparatively trifling fize and importance. We are afraid, that the unfounded and unaccountable prejudice of Mr Pinkerton against the Gentle Shepherd, induced him to omit the name of Allan Ramfay in the lift of Scotish poets. In vol. I, p. 146, where he treats of the antiquities of Scotland, we were surprised and disappointed not to find the vitrified forts defcribed, or even noticed. They are fuch well known and fingular remains of antiquity, and have given rife to fo many various conjectures refpecting the object, mode, and time of their conftruction, that the omillion betrays great carelessnefs and inattention. Mr Pinkerton fuffers his fondnefs for hypothefis to pervert his judgement, in p. 252, where, fpeaking of the ftone monuments at Carnac in Brittany, he infers

that

that they were erected by the Belgic Gauls, and not the Celts, because the Veneti, who inhabited that country in the time of Cæfar, were Belgæ; but, according to Mr Pinkerton himself, they were not the original inhabitants, but the Celts. His defcription of those curious monuments is imperfect and incorrect. He appears to be ignorant that many have, not improbably, fuppofed them to be part of an entrenchment of Cæfart. He is entirely filent refpecting that work, of ftupendous labour and incalculable utility, the Levé on the banks of the Loire. As this structure, so far as we recollect, is not even mentioned in the generality of the defcriptions of France, we fhall present our readers with the following account of it, taken from a recent tour through France.

We now entered upon the Levé, in my opinion the moft ftupendous work which France, or almoft any other country can exhibit. Compared with it, the utmost exertions of the kind which I have elfewhere feen, are infignificant and pigmy productions: if it is any where outstripped, it must be in Holland and in China. The parts of Anjou, Tourraine, and the Orleannois, which border on the Loire, are perfectly flat; and, in the earlier ages of the world, muft have formed a vaft morafs, of not lefs than 100 miles in length, and from 20 to 40. miles wide. So fays tradition; and it appears highly probable.

The Levé is an immenfe bulwark, raised by human hands, to exclude the river from this wide, extended tract of country, and confine its waters within its banks, and extends from Angers to Orleans, perhaps farther. Its bafe may be about 40 feet wide; its elevation is nearly 25 from the adjoining level; and its upper surface, which is paved with large ftones, like the ftreets of London, juft capacious enough to admit of three carriages abreaft. My inquiries concerning the date of its origin, and by whom executed, were unavailing.'*

Mr Pinkerton agrees with Mr Townfend, in the causes which he affigns for the defect and decrease of the population of Spain. This is computed at 11,000,000, or 74 to a fquare mile; while France yields 174, and England 169; and the kingdom of Naples is computed at 201. The expulfion of the Jews, after the conqueft of Granada; that of the Moors by Philip III.; the contagious fevers frequent in the fouthern provinces; the inceffant inteftine wars carried on for feven centuries against the Moors; the emigrations to America; the vaft number of unmarried clergy and monks, and the want of detached farms; are the principal caufes affigned by Mr Townfend. We are very much inclined

+ Nouvelles recherches fur la langue, &c. des Bretons, par Mr L. T. D. C. (Mr De la Tour d'Auvergne Corret). '

Hughes' Tour through feveral of the midland and western departments of France in 1802, p. 124.

clined to doubt the operation of several of thefe affigned caufes, at least to any extent, or for any length of time; and are of opinion, that others not mentioned by Mr Townfend, particularly that bane of agriculture, the Mefta, and the taxes called Alcavalla and Millones, have been more general and predominant and lafting in their influence.

We are furprised that Mr Pinkerton, whose researches on the fubject of language, where it is connected with the antiquities of a country, or illuftrative of the origin and relationship of nations, are well known, fhould have paffed over in filence that spoken in the Banhat of Timefwar, which, from the account and fpecimens given of it by Ferber in his letters to Baron Born, is more fi milar to the Latin than any other modern tongue is, and confirms the tradition, that the prefent inhabitants of that part of Tranfylvania are defcendants of the ancient Romans, most probably of fuch as fled from Italy at the invafion of the Goths. Mr Pinkerton is filent also respecting a fmall tribe who inhabit part of Dalmatia near the fea, and who, from the account of Fortis and a recent traveller *, ought to be placed, in the fcale of human comforts and of intellect, far below the favages of Terra del Fuego, or Van Diemen's land. Nothing but the extremity of hunger can compel them to use any exertion to procure food; and in this employment, they discover no skill or ingenuity; fo that, if any thing obftruct them in their accustomed ftupid method, their refources are at an end: they ceafe to labour, and refign themfelves to torpid inactivity and famine.

It is well known, that the north-weft corner of Spain is inha bited by a race of people totally diftinct in manners, difpofition, and language, from the other inhabitants of that peninfula. Their language, in particular, prefents not the most diftant refemblance in its original and genuine words, or in its grammati cal structure, to any of the languages of Europe. It is probably more pure than any other modern tongue. Their manners and difpofition also seem not to have been changed or modified by their vicinity to France and the other parts of Spain. In whatever refpect the Biscayans are confidered, they may justly be deemed a fingular race, well worthy the attention of the philosopher and philologist. Don Hervas, who has lately published a catalogue of all the known languages, is inclined to the opinion, that the people of Georgia in Afia are defcended from a Basque, colony, from the close and general refemblance between the languages spoken in Georgia and Bifcay. The accounts which are given by Baretti and Fischer, of the manners and language of Biscay, are

* Voyage pittorefque en Dalmatie, &c.

very