very meagre and imperfect. From the refearches of Mr Pinkerton, ftimulated by his attachment to antiquarian and philological ftudies, we expected fome original and accurate information on this fubject; but he does not even take notice of this part of Spain. Mr Pinkerton ought to have defcribed, among the natural curiofities of the German ftates, the fubterraneous receffes in the fands of Weftphalia, in which human bodies have been preferved for many centuries, by the extreme aridity of the foil and climate, without any alteration, except that their skin is dry and fhrivelled. A very fhort and imperfect notice is given of the island of Sardinia, in a note (vol. I. p. 650). This ifland, from its fize, ought certainly not to have been paffed over in this degrading manner; and as Mr Pinkerton must have known that former fyftems of geography contain very little information refpecting it, and that it has never been defcribed or vifited by any English traveller, he ought to have confidered it as his duty, in a work which is held forth as a complete fyftem, and as intended and calculated to fupply the defects of former authors, to have given the refult of every thing which has been written refpecting this ifland. In the account of Tibet, no mention is made of the exiftence of Cretins, fimilar to thofe near Sion in Switzerland; though, as these unhappy creatures are found only in these two countries, and present an appearance at once humiliating to human nature, and interefting to the philofopher, the existence of them in Tibet ought certainly to have been mentioned.

Mr Pinkerton feems, with great justice, to doubt of the exiftence of Baffin's Bay: It is, indeed, very improbable that Baffin fhould have made, in fo high a latitude, fo many discoveries as he claimed; and it is fingular that they are all unknown to fucceeding navigators. If Baffin's Bay do not exift, it is probable that Greenland is a continuation of the new continent: from the specimens of the language of Greenland and the Efquimaux Indians given by Don Hervas, the connexion, or at least the contiguity of these countries may be inferred. In page 587, Mr Pinkerton has extracted from Dobrizhoffer, a German millionary, a very curious account of the Abipons, a warlike nation on the Rio Grande.

Mr Pinkerton's work concludes with a cataloge of maps, charts, and books. A catalogue raifonnée, if executed with judgment and impartiality, would be a very useful appendage to every work which had required from the author extenfive research. It would not only prove highly fatisfactory to the reader, by enabling him to collect information for himself, and to confirm every account of which he entertained any doubt, but it would

ferve

ferve the important purpose of faving time, and preventing its mifapplication in the perufal of improper or trifling publications. Books are now fo multiplied, that he who wishes to engage in the ftudy of any branch of literature or fcience, is at a lofs which to reject, and which to perufe; and would feel himself highly indebted to the man who would give him a catalogue, and a fhort character of the principal works in each department. Such catalogues might be drawn up without much labour, if each author, who has been employed on a work where it was neceffary to confult all that had been previoufly written, would undertake the one connected with his fubject. They are not uncommon in Germany; and there are a few in France. In the former country, Profeffor Meiners has appended to his Hiftory of all Religions a moft excellent, and at the fame time concife, account of the different books which he confulted. The catalogue of Mr Pinkerton is defective in many refpects: The titles are feldom given fully; frequently the fize of the book, and the best edition, is not mentioned; and the character is not fufficiently precife and determinate. We fhall briefly notice a few of the most important omiffions and errors.

Marshall's Journey,' &c. It is impoffible to determine what book is meant by this fhort and imperfect title. The work referred to was published in 1776; the author was W. Marshall, Efq.; he travelled through all the north of Europe, and through Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, and parts of France and Spain. The work consists of four volumes; but the fourth volume, which contains his journey through France and Spain, is feldom to be met with. We can confidently recommend these travels, as containing more full, accurate, and scientific information on the important subject of agriculture, than most works of this nature.

Ponz, Viage de Efpana, eight volumes 8vo.' There are twelve volumes of this work: the laft four were published some years after the first eight.

Kampper's Japan, excellent.' Mr Pinkerton ought to have mentioned, that the English tranflation of this work, which was publifhed by the liberality of Sir Hans Sloane, is very incomplete: and that the original entire work was lately published in French, and we believe in German, which alone ought to be confulted. The maps, in the quarto edition, which are of the fame fize, ought either to have been left out, or given on a much larger fcale, feparately, fo as to have formed an atlas, of a fize proportioned to the extent and importance of the work as they are, they add confiderably to the price, and little or nothing to the value of the book. The introduction, by Mr Vince, contains

every thing that the ftudent fhould know previously to the commencement of his geographical ftudies. The latter part of it, however, which treats of the phyfiology of plants, and fome branches of meteorology, we think fuperfluous; and it certainly is imperfect, and in many refpects incorrect. This part of the introduction, the Linnæan names of plants, and the geographical difcuffions and conjectures interfperfed in the larger work, are omitted in the abridgment: in other refpects, it seems nearly a tranfcript of the quarto edition; and, from the comparatively finall price and more convenient form, will be more generally ufeful.

ART. VII. Second Voyage à la Louifiane, faifant Suite au Premier de l'Auteur. Par Baudry des Lozieres. 2 tomes en 8vo. pp. 824.

Paris. Charles. An xi. 1803. (Mars.)

THE HE reader who fhould expect any thing like a book of travels from this title, would fall into a great mistake. These vo lumes have no pretenfions to the name; and the only reafon which influenced the author in the choice of it is, that he for merly wrote a Voyage à la Louifiane.' The prefent publication is, in every fenfe of the word, a mifcellany; and the only uniformity which it poffefles, is the perpetual egotifm of the author. Were it not for this conftantly prevailing feature, we fhould never be able to conceive, at any one page, that the book before us had not been changed fince the laft. The childifhnefs of Citizen Baudry is indeed fo exceflive, and fo various, as to become amufing; and the entertainment is from time to time heightened by the reflection, that this fingular creature is actually Hiftoriographer of the French colony department. Unconnected as the different parts of the work are, except by the prefence of the author, and large as the fubject is upon which he might have enteredthe whole colonial affairs of the republic; we believe it would be difficult to diffufe matter more thinly over fo great a space as he has contrived to fprinkle with fomething like information and reflections. His effufions are, for the most part, only valuable as affording fome curious fpecimens of the principles which feem at present to regulate the confidential fervants of the French government in their views of Weft Indian policy, and fome ftriking inftances of the total change which the laft years of the revolutionary crins have effected upon the general principles of Frenchmen. Here and there we meet with a fact of fome importance, enveloped in a cloud of rant, fentiment, and exclaVOL. III. NO. 5. mation.

F

mation. Not unfrequently we perceive traces of that natural eloquence with which the very worst of the French writers occafionally furprife us. And although the levity and inconfiftency which fo strongly mark the characters, as well as the manners of that nation, form the predominent quality of the ftyle, as well as of the matter; yet are we repeatedly confoled with a glimpse of fentiments very different from thofe which have lately been tolerated at Paris.

The motto

Si canimus fylvas, fylvæ fint Confule dignæ,'

is rather more applicable to the book than its title; for, though we find little about woods, there is a great deal in praise of the First Conful.

In the form of a dedication to thofe colonists who have been ruined by the revolution of the negrophiles,' our author contrives to give a life and character of himfelf; reminds thefe unfortunate people (ces êtres intereffans, as he generally calls them) how he used to plead their caufes for fmall fees; how he afterwards gave up the bar in order to fight for them; and how, for a fmall matter, they may fee a full account of what feats his regiment performed, by fending to Benichets the printer, No. 142, rue de la Pomme, Touloufe. All this we conceive to be the feafoning which, he begins by telling them, flattery requires in order to render it palatable. The whole flattery confifts in repeating what he has heard many Europeans fay-that, had they been ruined like the colonists, they would have died of the fpleen.

If fuch is the ftyle of the dedication, our readers will eafily imagine what must be the tone of the preface, a department exclufively devoted, by immemorial ufage, to the benefit of the author. It contains one piece of information which might well have been spared, but which is repeated at least half a dozen times, in notes, parenthefes, and introductions, that this work was written. while the printing went on. A mesure qu'on imprime, en ecrit, is indeed one of M. Baudry's favourite boafts. This worthy citizen's contentment with himself, is not more enviable, and not much more inexplicable, than his entire fatisfaction with the meafure of liberty enjoyed under the Confular administration. Under fuch a government,' fays he, we are permitted to publish every thing that is ufeful; and this amiable freedom demonftrates at once the increafing ftrength of that government, and the rifing happiness of the people.'

With an evident allufion to Jaffa and Switzerland, he tells us, (p. 2. vol. i.), that France is now governed only by talents and virtues; and, in p. 335, we learn, that the Auguftus of modern times has added Britain to his empire. The reconqueft of Canada

is a favourite scheme with our author: He talks of it as a natu ral confequence of the reftitution of Louisiana to France; fays, that it may be effected the first favourable moment; and feems to confider the right of property as really inherent in the ancient poffeffors (p. 252.) Such was the language held by the writers belonging to the Confular government, at the very time when their mafter complained of the free effufions of the British prefs as a breach of the pacific relations between the two countries!

But M. Baudry would not be fatisfied with encircling the United States by the acquifition of Canada and Louifiana. He plainly avows his opinion, that France is the natural mistress of all North America. He proposes the conciliation of the Indian tribes as a ftep equally fure and eafy towards the accomplishment of this project; and, mingled as ufual with a large proportion of abfurdity, we certainly do find, in this part of his remarks, fome matter of ferious reflection. Every one acquainted with the history of thofe favage tribes, knows how much more prone they have always been found to embrace the alliance of the French than of the English. The obfervations of Mr Burke upon this fact, are alfo well known. He afcribes it to the extreme foupleffe of the French character. M. Baudry does not fail to enlarge upon the theme, though in language fomewhat different from that employed by our great English writer. And he mentions, apparently without any idea of its importance, a very ftriking circumftance, which demonftrates the fyftematic attention of the French rulers, at all times, to aid the favourable tendency of the national manners in conciliating the Indians. In the year 1798, he met a party of thefe people near Philadelphia. Their chief fhowed him a certificate, finely written, and figned Buonaparte; adding-' You fee that I am a Frenchman, fince Buonaparte has fent me a paffport.' Our author afterwards learnt, that the chancellor of the French Confulate at Philadelphia had given the Indian this paper, on account of the enthufiafm which he fhowed for Bonaparte. This adroitness in gaining over friends, is one of the very few parts of the French policy which we fhould with to fee imitated by the governments of other nations. It may certainly be kept entirely feparate from the ends to which it has been applied by the revolutionary leaders.

We have remarked, that the work now before us has not the fmalleft fimilarity to a > voyage. We may add, that it has little or no connexion with Louifiane.' The author confeffes his love of digreffion to be irrefiftible; and apologizes for it, partly by an allufion to Montaigne, and partly by fairly telling us, that every mind, like every body, has its peculiar phyfiognomy, and that he cannot change the nature of his. Accord