real life and living manners," ," as those they pretend to amuse and instruct. At the same time, it is to be acknowledged, that we have many sensible, judicious, and elegant performances in this line, by ladies whose intellectual endowments do honour to the sex. It is perhaps to be lamented, that young ladies should apply themselves to novels at all till such times as by other more useful branches of study, as history, geography, &c. by a little knowledge of the world, and by converse in polite and intelligent companies, a foundation was laid for such reading, their minds therefore formed, and they were less liable to be misled and misinformed. A periodical publication, edited with judgment and ability, would be of infinite value here, not only towards diffusing an elegant and literary taste, but promoting real useful local knowledge and improvement; yet no such thing at present exists in the island. There were two attempts at such a thing, but they failed. Many causes contributed to render them abortive. The subscribers to the last once had some reason to complain, that the price was too high (being sixteen dollars per annum for twelve numbers) even for the most respectable work of this kind, being at least a third more than was paid for the most celebrated English magazines, postage by the packets included: they also complained, that the conditions held out in the prospectus of the work, were by

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no means fulfilled; that engravings, which were promised, were not given; that the work was not sufficiently extensive; and that the matter it contained was in general nothing more than simple transcriptions from British periodical performances, which many of its readers found they had anticipated. It is true, that the number of subscribers never was great enough to give a fair encouragement to such a work. Probably there were many who were desirous of seeing first what sort of a work it would prove, before they decided whether they would become subscribers or not. Be this as it may, there are doubtless a great number, even among the most opulent of this country, who consider a book (not an accompt-book) as a useless superfluous thing, calculated only for the idle, and view all arts and information as contemptible, that do not contribute to the production of cent. per cent.

The ardent thirst, and eager pursuit of gain, by which so large a proportion of the people of this country are more or less actuated, is a passion naturally hostile to literary pursuits and intellectual enjoyments. Sordid and selfish, it seeks its sole gratification in the narrow circle of its own efforts. It is fond of a drudging indefatigable life, and soon renders its possessors callous to every finer feeling, and alive only to the voice of interest, and the presentiment of success. The want of relaxation, by the enjoyment of rational

pleasures and elegant amusements, fosters this disposition, and renders it, in time, habitual and inveterate. Sententious, ill-natured, and cynical, it looks upon these as idle and childish-unfit for the man of business, and only suited to him "who has more money and time than he knows what to do with." We are speaking of the love of gain, when carried to excess, and degenerated into habit-when it teaches us to despise whatever embellishes life, and renders it happy and attractive. What then are the advantages which society derives from literature?—they are incalculable. It is too copious a subject to enter upon. A taste for literature lifts society from ignorance and vandalism to civilization and politeness; it aids and embellishes the arts, and strews with flowers the thorny paths of science. Literature corrects and improves the understanding, softens the manners, and humanizes the heart; it makes us gentle, compassionate, and benevolent: it converts every passion into its milder counter-part; desire into love, fierceness into courage, and revenge into generous indignation! In short, without literature, and the virtues it assists to inculcate, society would be little better than a barbarous horde, distinguished only by a sordid unprincipled contention for wealth, or a Gothic struggle for the tyranny of power.

CHAPTER XIV.

Amusements. Want of public ones.-Concerts. -Dancing assemblies, &c.-Rural sports.Convivial parties.

AS a taste for literature is but little cultivated, in this island, so neither do any of the polite and elegant amusements of life meet with much encouragement in it. There is neither countenance for the poet, nor employment for the painter, the statuary, nor the harmonious son of Apollo. Here is no classic ground for the contemplative student to tread on; and as to the muses, they are treated as vagrants. The avidity with which wealth is sought after and pursued; the lukewarmness of so great a proportion of the inhabitants, who come to the country with the sole view of making a fortune, and whose hopes and affections are centered in another country; the want of taste, spirit, or liberality in what may be called the permanent inhabitants, to encou rage generous undertakings; and perhaps the absence of the chief proprietors, whose presence and countenance would doubtless give energy to whatever would do honour to their native country, are among the causes which contribute to this vandalism of taste.

There are no theatrical exhibitions in this island. About twenty-five years ago a company of the sons and daughters of Thespis came here. They had some years before migrated from North America, terrified and proscribed as they must have been by the fierceness of civil discord. But on peace being restored to that country, they returned to it; and have not since, nor have any others, visited the shores of this island. A company of good actors might be stationary in the Country: Kingston might be considered as their head-quarters, from whence they might, at certain periods, say annually, depart on a tour round the island, in order to exhibit in the other towns.

A monthly concert is an amusement which might, with little trouble or expense, be procured for the ladies of a tolerably populous and genteel town, by such gentlemen as were amateurs in the art, combining their talents for this purpose; and surely nothing can be a more pleasing task than an effort to deserve the thanks and the approbation of the fair. In Kingston there are occasionally tolerable concerts, the principal performers in which are French emigrants from St. Domingo; these unhappy people resorting, among other expedients, to this exercise of their talents, in order to obtain a livelihood. And here, as the subject of these unfortunate wanderers has been mentioned, it is but justice to