ftrand, we were obliged, in our way to them, to pass through the water up to our waifts; and in fo doing feveral of the foldiers wetted their arms. It was in this critical fituation that the horrible fcene began which I am about to narrate. Scarcely were we in the long-boats, when M. de Langle gave orders to fhove them off, and to weigh the grapnel; but this feveral of the most robuft iflanders oppofed, by laying hold of the rope. The captain, witnefs of their refiftance, feeing the tumult increase, and perceiving the ftones reach him, tried to intimidate the savages, by firing a musket in the air; but, fo far from being frightened, they made it the fignal of a general attack. Immediately a flower of ftones, hurted with equal force and celerity, came pouring upon us; the fight began on both fides, and foon became general. Thole whofe mufkets were in a fervicable state brought feveral of the infuriated Indians to the ground; but the others were by no means difmayed, and feemed to combat with redoubled vigour. A part of them came close up to the long-boats, while the reft, to the number of fix or feven hundred, continued to ftone us in the most dreadful and murderous manner." Befides the twelve perfons who were killed, twenty others were wounded, none of them dangerouf ly. M. de Lamanon, naturalist, was among the flain. During the two following days, M. de la Péroufe remained off Maouna, in fearch of anchorage, but could not find any near enough to the fhore to protect the boats in an attempt to land for without the fupport of the remaining boats (the launches being both loft) were not fufficient to carry, at one time, a party large enough to make good a landing, if oppofed. On the 14th, they flood towards Oyolava, another ifland, in fight of Maouna, to the W. N. W. As they approached, great numbers of canoes came to the thips, bringing provifions for exchange. Thele people had the fame partiality for glafs beads, that had been maniteded by thofe at the island of Maouna. The natives of the Navigators Islands refemble, in many respects, the Friendly Iflanders. The custom of cutting off two joints of the little finger, M. de la Péroufe favs, in one part of the narrative, is utterly unknown at the Navigators" Ilands: but in a preceding part. he had faid, in the islands of Navigators, I only perceived two individuals who had fuffered that ope ration.' The language he obferved to be a dialect of the fame, and derived from the Malay.' 6 The unfortunate transaction at Maonna occafioned a flight alteration in M. de la Péroufe's plans. Ot leaving the Navigators' iflands, he determined not to anchor any where until he arrived at Botany-Bay, where he propofed to put together the frame of a new long-boat, which he had brought with Lim from France. They now pafled in fight of Traitor's ifland, of the Friendly islands, and others; and the commodore fettled the pofition of fome which were not before well afcertained, but had no intercourfe with the natives, except that a few ca noes vifited the hips. At Norfolk ifland, the furf was too great for his boats to land. On the 23d of January, 1788, he made the coaft of New New Holland, and on the 26th anchored in Botany Bay; at the very time that governor Phillip, with the whole colony embarked under his direction, was failing out of the bay, in order to occupy the prefent ftation of the fettlement at Port Jackfon. Here finishes all that has been received of the Journal of M. de la Péroule but from extracts publifhed from his correlpondence with the minifter of the marine, and with M. Fleurieu, we may collect the plan which he propofed to purfue on leaving Botany-Bay. In a letter, dated September 21, 1787, from Avatfcha, he writes that his purpofe was to be at New Zealand by the 20th of January, 1788: thence to fail to the northward, to vifit New Caledonia, the Terre des Arfacides, and other iflands. At the end of July, (fays he,) I fhall pafs between New Guinea and New Holland, by a different channel from that of the Endeavour; provided, however, that fuch an one exift. During the months of Auguft, September, and part of October, I fhall vifit the gulph of Carpentaria, and the coaft of New Holland, but in fuch a way that it may be poffible for me to get to the northward, and to arrive at the beginning of December, 1788, at the Ifle of France.' In a letter of a pofterior date, having received orders from France, he fays that he fhall make no other alteration in the before-mentioned plan, than that of going to Botany Bay in New Holfand, inftead of going to New Zealand. From Botany Bay, in February, 1788, he wrote, that the misfortune at Navigators' iflands fhould occation no change in the plan of the remainder of the voyage. I have ftill (fays he) a great many interefting things to do, and very mifchievous people to vifit. I fhall fail from Botany-Bay on the 15th of March, and fhall take care to lofe no time till the month of December, when I expect to arrive at the Ifle of France.' There is little probability that it will ever appear to the world, how much of this plan the unfortunate officer was permitted to execute, after his departure from Botany Bay. The latter half of the 3d and last volume is occupied by fupplementary memoirs, which confift of detached papers on various fubjects, that had been tranfmitted home by the commodore, and by different fcientific men who accompanied him in the voyage. Of thefe, are written by M. de la Péroufe, befides his correfpondence, a memoir concerning Manilla and Formofa; and one concerning the fur-trade. What is faid concerning Manilla is principally defigned to demonftrate the great eafe with which it might be taken from the Spaniards; and the following curious fact is ftated in this memoir: It is computed, that Luconia contains no more than 1200 Creolian or European Spaniards; and it is remarkable, that not a fingle Spanish family has lafted four generations, whilft the population of the natives has increased fince the conqueft.' Refpecting Formofa, M. de la P. writes with the fame views. He thinks that the English would derive the greatest advantage from making themselves mafters of that ifland; and that it would give them great influence over the Chinefe; whereas, confidering the prefent ftate of our teatrade, he fays, I fhould not be furprifed to fee thefe Europeans (the Ii 4 English) English) in a fhort time reduced in China to the fame condition that the Dutch are in Japan.'-Formofa is garrifoned by ten thousand Tartars, who are not fo inferior to Europeans in courage as in their mode or fighting.' The memoir on the fur-trade contains the following remarkable information: that it is the plan of the viceroy of Mexico, to referve to government the exclufive trade of otter-fkins; and in a letter addreffed to the minifter of the marine, he ftates, that the moft northern of the Spanish factories furnishes ten thousand fea otter fkins yearly; and if they continue to be fold advantageoufly in China, it will be eafy for Spain to procure as many as fifty thoufand, and by that means to give a mortal stab to the trade of the Ruffians.' The fmall remainder of these fupplementary memoirs contains defcriptions in botany, and other parts of natural history; accounts of chymical experiments; geograpical and political remarks on the places at which the thips touched during the voyage; and various other scientific matters, rendered of less consequence than it would otherwise have been, by the fubfequent voyage of captain Vancouver. If fome part of what M. de la Pérouse discovered, during the fhort time which he pafled on the American coaft, has efcaped the obfervations of his fucceffor; yet, in this part of the voyage, where dif ferences appear in the accounts, it must be prefumed that in most cafes the preference ought to be gives to that of the English navigator; whofe labours, for three fucceffive feasons, were directed to the fingle object of examining the American coaft. We have already noticed that the plan of inftructions given to M. de la Péroule kept him in a continual ftate of hurry, having always more in contemplation than he had time to perform; notwithstanding that, in feveral instances, he made free use of the difcretionary power allowed him, to vary, as he should fee occafion, from the plan chalked out. Parts of the plan were directed to objects of no great impor tance; fuch as visiting Eafter ifland, the Society and Friendly iflands; places already well known, and at which M. de la Péroule thought it fo little neceflary to touch, that in one of his letters he expreffes his fatisfaction that in The reader of these volumes will fee, among the other valuable qualities of M. de la Péroufe, a mildnefs of character without affectation: yet there is fometimes occa-fo large a voyage, he fhall have no fion to remark, that he speaks of his intentions with the confidence of certainty, making no allowance for the probabilities of difappointment from accidents: perhaps it is not very unfair to fay of this fanguine manner of fpeaking, that it is a national characteristic. As a navigator and a difcoverer, his character will always ftand high: though the vifit which he made to the weft coaft of North America has been occafion to put in at those et erafting Society iflands.' In one of the more interefting objects of the voyage, that which refpected Japan, the alteration made by M. de la Péroufe, of infpecting the western inftead of the eastern coaft, which latter was recommended in the inftructions, was perhaps the realon why the moft material part of that article was not accomplished.— "With regard to Japan," fay the inftructions, inftructions, "he will endeavour to reconnoitre and infpect the northeaft and the eaft coaft, and go on flore in fome of its ports, in order to fatisfy himself whether its government in reality oppofes any invincible obftacle to the introduction of commerce or barter with Europeans, &c. Perhaps the prohibitory laws of this empire, which all the accounts of this country speak of as fo fevere, are not in force on the coafts to the north-east and east, with fo much rigour as at Nanga faki and the fouth coaft, places too near the capital to expect any relaxation in them." To which it may be added that the western coaft is probably more populous, and better cultivated, if not more civilized, on account of the nearnels of communication with the Chinefe, than the eastern coaft; which has for its boundary only an immenfe open sea. The difcoveries of this highlylamented navigator on the eastern coaft of China, and in the feas between that and Japan, are juftly entitled to be confidered as entirely new, and as forming a moft yaluable acquifition to geography. On the whole, indeed, it may be pronounced that few accounts of voyages can be ranked with this in entertainment and intereft, and that still fewer are fo replete with valuable information. May no other ever have fo melancholy a termination! Travels in the interior Diftri&ts of Africa, performed under the Direction and Patronage of the African Association, in the Years 1795, 1796, and 1797; by Mungo Park, Surgeon. With an Appendix, con taining Geographical Illuftrations of Africa, by Major Rennell, 4tv. 1799. HE tract of land in which Mr. Park purfued his laborious journey is not very extenfive; it is bounded by the parallels of latitude 12° 20′ N. and 15° 10′ N. and the meridians 16 30′ and 1° 30′ weft longitude; the moft diftant point that he arrived at from the western fea is nearly 1100 English miles from Cape Verd. If we compare the magnitude of this tract of land with that of the whole continent, our expectations may be difappointed; but, as here are the bounds of Moorifh ferocity and Mahometan fuperftition, as well as of the knowledge which the ancients poffeffed of Afri ca, the travels, confidered with a view either to the state of manners in half-uncultivated minds, or to a better idea of the knowledge of the ancients than fome are inclined to entertain of it, are highly interefting. My inftructions (fays Mr. Park) were very plain and concife. I was directed, on my arrival in Africa, "to pals on to the river Niger, either by the way of Bambouk, or by fuch other route as fhould be found moft convenient. That I should afcertain the courte, and, if poflible, the rife and termination of that river, That I fhould ufe my utmoft exertions to vifit the principal towns or cities in its neighbourhood, particularly Tombuctoo and Houfla; and that I fhould be afterwards at liberty to return to Europe, either by the way of the Gambia, or by fuch other route, as, under all the then exifting circumftances of my fituation and profpects, profpects, fhould appear to me to be moft advisable." : These inftructions were not completely fulfilled, but the miffion of Mr. Park is not therefore to be deemed fruitlefs. Thofe who fent him were aware that many difficulties were likely to attend the undertaking but the obtiacles of penetrating into Africa might poffibly have been exaggerated, or a fortunate combination of circumftances might diminish them; in which cafes, the adventurer muft be provided with inftructions to direct his farther researches. Tombuctoo and Houffa were, if poffible, to be vifited: but, if that were impracticable, the undertaking was not to be fuppofed to have failed: They were rather propofed as terms or limits to the expedition; fufficiently diftant indeed under the most fortunate union of circumftances. Of the rife, courfe, and termination of the Niger, the courfe only has been afcertained; and a most important determination it is, confirming the affertions of ancient writers, and preventing all farther controverfy. The narrative of Mr. Park is fimple: he feems to have defcribed things as he faw them, and to have confulted his fenfes rather than his imagination; he is unwilling to glut credulity by the narration of won. ders; he draws no exaggerated picture of his fufferings and dangers; nor does he afcribe to his own fagacity any event which refulted from chance or accident. The manners, difpofitions, and cuftoms of the people are detailed fully and (we be lieve) faithfully: for if what is detcribed be not real, at least that which is invented is probable, fince we difcover no remarkable devia tion from the manners which have been obferved to prevail among other people in like circumftances: they are what we fhould have fuppofed them to be, from the light which former travels afford. Human nature, in its general characters, is nearly the fame in all times and in all places; admitting modifications from the influence of climate, and from arbitrary regula tions, which it is the bufinefs of the traveller to note; and which Mr. Park has noted. Thofe readers, then, who feek in the prefent work for what is marvellous and anoma lous, will feek in vain. The author found, on the borders of the defert and on the banks of the Niger, what has been found in all countries, a mixture of good and evil; he faw no people exempted from the infieence of paffion, and folely guided by a predominating reafon; no con fummate polity and pure religion: but forms of government, weak, imperfect, or oppreffive; the wildeft fanaticifm and the moft debating fuperftition. The inhabitants of Africa, poffeffing few arts, could have few of the conveniences of life; and without books, they muft be without any ftories of imagery, principles of fcience, and compre henfion of knowledge. Their wants were found to be few, yet their means fcarcely adequate to fupply them; and their vices and virtues were grofs, fimple, and circum fcribed in their operation. Ther fchemes of invention, and their fcenes of happinets, are beneath the envy or the imitation of an European. Human nature is fhewn in Africa nearly in its lowest fcale; and, after having learnt what its inhabitants think, enjoy, and can de |