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rumental in faving the life of a Moor who had bought him, and who was attacked by four Arabs, he was from that time ufed with the utmoft civility, and even friendship. The brother of the Moor, one of the richest individuals of the country, offered him his fifter in marriage: but finding him difinclined to this connexion, he caufed him to be conducted to the chief of Glimi, that he might be forwarded to Morocco. By this time, the European merchants at Mogador having received intelligence of the diftrefs of M. SAUGNIER and his companions, had entered into measures for their relief, and they accordingly prepared with joy for their journey to that town. The interference of the merchants had, however, difpleafed the Emperor of Morocco: but his anger was of fhort duration: the unfortunate voyagers were kindly treated by him, while they remained in the country, and were fpeedily forwarded to France, where they arrived in the month of October 1784.

To this detail of M. SAUGNIER'S voyage, are added fome account of the manners of the people by whom he was enflaved. Their religion is Mohammedan: they pray three or four times daily, fometimes more frequently, but never publicly, unless a priest happens to be in the horde. One principal occupation of the priests is, to attend to the education of the children; in inftructing whom no force is ufed; they are never corrected; it would be a crime to ftrike a child, who, according to the received opinion, is incapable of knowing the right from the wrong:-on the fame principle, they pay every attention to idiots, to perfons who are deaf and dumb, and to madmen. At the age of nine or ten years, the children are circumcifed; their heads are alfo fhaved, leaving only four feparate locks of hair; one of which is removed in confequence of any commendable action of the child, and the removal of all confers on him the rank of manhood.-In Saara, hofpitality is practifed in its greatest extent: the mafter of a tent will fupply the wants of a stranger, though, in order to do it, he himself fafts.-The Mongearts, or inhabitants of Saara, contrary to the practice of their neighbours, tolerate all religions except the Jewish. The refpect paid to old age is extreme: the aged people, together with the chiefs of the horde, are the judges of the nation.-Wars between different nations are not frequent; the difputes between individuals of the fame country being fufficient to prevent much increafe of population:-the whole fociety confifts of robbers. Women are better treated by the Mongearts than by their neighbours. Polygamy is authorized, yet few Arabs have more than one wife: in cafe of difguft between the parties, the wife retires to her relations; nor is fhe obliged to return to her husband, unless with her own APP. REV. VOL. VIII.

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confent: a husband is thought to give the greatest proof of his affection when he chaftizes his wife; in fuch a cafe, it is almoft a certainty that no feparation will take place. The conftancy of the women is not to be fhaken.-These customs are not only obferved among the Mongearts, but are common to many nations inhabiting the country to the north of the Niger. -The people of Saara, as well as thofe of Biledulgerid, acknowlege one chief of their religion. He is called Sidy Mohammet Mouffa, and his authority is unlimited.

Such are a few of the obfervations made by this intelligent and unfortunate traveller.-In a fubfequent voyage, for his fortitude was not overcome, he penetrated up the country of Africa, from Senegal to Galam, on the banks of the Niger, an expedition full of fatigue and danger. His remarks concerning the various people whom he vifited, and his information refpecting articles of commerce in that country, are particularly valuable: to attempt to abridge them would be ufelefs, but we ftrongly recommend thofe, who are interested in the concerns of the African trade, to confult them in the original. Such readers as are unacquainted with the French language, have an opportunity of availing themselves of a tranflation of this work, united with the voyages and travels of M. Brisson, juft published by Meffrs. Robinfons; of which we shall take farther notice hereafter.

ART. XVII. CAROLI LINNEI Flora Lapponica, exhibens Plantas per Lapponiam crefcentes, fecundum Syftema Sexuale, collectas in itinere impenfis Soc. Reg. Scient. Upfalienfis, Anno 1732 inflitute. Additis fynonymis, et locis natalibus omnium, defcriptionibus et figuris rariorum, viribus meditatis et economicis plurimarum. Editio altera, au&ta & emendata, fudio & curá JACOBI EDVARDI SMITH. 8vo. 12s. Boards. White and Son, London. 1792.

T

HE republication of works of real excellence ought to be received with all poffible favour; because it enables the lefs fortunate to receive the pleafure of poffeffing them, to which furely they are fo juftly entitled. When works of value become scarce, the price is raifed enormously:-Nor is the bookfeller to be blamed. Why is precious gold fo eftimable? Why is the jewel of Golconda the envy of the world? From their fcarcity, and from the difficulty of procuring them. Why then is not the golden gem of literature to receive proportionate honours? When fuch enormous accidents happen, let the rich, who can afford it, remedy them.-Here, however, we need not wait for riches. The induftry of Meffrs. White, and the learning and good-nature of Dr. SMITH, have

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joined to restore to us, at an easy rate, one of the prime Linnéan valuables. They are entitled to our beft thanks, and we wish them an abundant fale.

It will not be expected of us to fay any thing of the original merit of Linné in conftructing this firft of Floras; of the beautiful preface, defcriptive of his perils and difficulties in the attempt to explore the wide Lapland waftes; of his furmounting them all of his recital of the fimple life of the Laplanders, and their bleft innocence; of his happy fuccefs and return; and of the plants which he has fo well defcribed, and enriched with fuch varied anecdote; they are already well known: it is more to our purpose to exhibit the excellencies of the prefent edition, in comparison with the former.

In the first place, we may obferve, that the entire contents of the former edition are comprehended in this-the letterprefs, the notes of reference, and the plates-even the frontifpiece, with its fimple reprefentation of the path of the arctic fun.-In addition to all this, we have the Linnéan name given to every fpecies throughout the whole.-This could not take place in the former edition, for it was publifhed before the Linnéan nomenclature was fettled. All thofe fpecies, likewife, are inferted, which peregrinators, fince Linne's time, have discovered to be natives of Lapland; to the honour of Linné's confummate accuracy and diligence, they are not a very large number. Several errors, alfo, into which that great naturalift, from the accidents and imperfect knowlege of the time, had fallen, are corrected. These corrections are made partly from Linné's own MSS. and partly from the fagacity of Dr. SMITH, and the examination of his invaluable herbarium.

The botanical world, we must repeat, is much indebted to our bookfellers, Meffrs. White, for their publishing this edition in fo accommodating and ufeful a manner; equally fo indeed with the original one. Their edition of Browne's Jamaica was another inftance of the fame kind. Neither should it be forgotten, that they enriched their publication fo very confi→ derably as they have done, by liberally affociating with themfelves fo learned a coadjutor as Dr. SMITH †.

It was deemed an inftance of good luck formerly to meet with a copy of this work at a guinea.

The Doctor gives us reafon to hope that, if his prefent labours are acceptable, (and who is there that will not admire them ?) he will publish a new and proper edition of the Syftema Vegetabilium, examined and corrected throughout from the Lin..ean manufcripts and his own actual obfervations. A work much to be defired! As would alfo another, highly worthy of the Linnean cabinet, a new edition of the Sp. Plantarum, including all plants known to the prefent time.

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ART. XVIII. Obfervationes Botanica; quibus planta Indie Occi dentalis alieque fyftematis Vegetabilium, ed. XIV. illuftrantur, earumq. characteres paim emendantur. Cum tabulis Eneis. Autore OLAVO SWARTZ, M. D. Muf. Reg. Suec. Praf. Acad. Cafar. Nat. Curiof. Regia Holmiens, &c. 8vo. Erlangæ. Spid in London by White and Son. Price 14s. Boards. 1791. WEDEN may well plume herfelf on having produced, among others, fuch illuftrious naturalifts as the LINNAL, father and fon, THUNBERG, and SWARTZ. The torrid zone is by no means favourable to the inhabitants of northern regions: but this circumstance was no check to the ardour of THUNBERG and SWARTZ. The former will be immortalized by his researches in the Eaft, and his Flora Japonica; the prefent work will give equal reputation to the latter.It is no fmall fatisfaction to every one acquainted with their undertakings, that they returned fafely from their hardy adventures, and that they are ftill living to enjoy the credit which they have truly earned.

Dr. SWARTZ very modeftly entitles his work, Obfervationes: had he given to it, like many a modern empiric, a more glaring name, he would have been juftified on the merits of the cafe: for the botanical student has here a long list of Weft India plants most accurately defined, and cleared from the errors under which they before lay obfcured. This was an evil that fprung up even under the arrangements of Linné himself: for as Dr. S. obferves, being often obliged to defcribe from dried fpecimens, and being under a neceffity of trufting to the information of other botanifts, and (which is an extremely fallacious method,) to the figures of authors, it could not well happen, that mistakes fhould always be avoided. These are here duly pointed out a fervice for which that immortal man would have been the first and the moft ardent to thank him.

Dr. SWARTZ directed his attention principally to the island of Jamaica: but many plants from other iflands are inferted. The great merit of this publication confifts in the large addition made to the known plants of the Weft Indies, in the very elaborate defcriptions of all plants heretofore erroneoufly fet forth, or but imperfectly known, and in the scientific delineation of feveral plants, on eleven plates, at the close of the volume.

Had not the Linnéan cabinet been fuffered to be carried out of Sweden,-under the aufpices of a THUNBERG and a SWARTZ, (not to mention others,) Natural History must still have main tained her empire there: fed victi ceffere DEI. It must, however, ftill be faid of these great naturalifts, jointly or individually, Si Pergama dextrâ

Defendi poffent, etiam hâc defenfa fuiffent.

The whole of this work is in Latin.

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ART.

ART. XIX. The Hiftory of the Revolution of France. Tranflated from the French of M. RABAUT DE SAINT ETIENNE. 8vo.

PP. 328. 5s. Boards. Debrett. 1792.

TH

HE tranflator of this valuable History, (James White, Esq.) gives the following account of his author: M. RABAUT DE ST. ETIENNE, after having diftinguished himself as a legiflator and as an orator in the National Affembly, affumed, with not less ability and zeal, the character of the national hiftorian-brief, elegant, eloquent, fatisfactory, he hath recorded, within the compafs of this compact and lively volume, the remote origin, the immediate caufes, the progrefs, and the completion of that rapid and renowned regeneration.'

In beftowing a great, and probably a juft, encomium on M. RABAUT, who intends by this work to vindicate the calumniated reputation of his country, Mr. White apprehends that while this publication proves how indifpenfable a revolution was to France, it will alfo fhew how unneceflary fuch a measure is for Great Britain:

At the fame time, (he adds,) I am far from thinking that there is nothing in our fyftem of focial order which requires the hand of reformation. Abufes do undoubtedly exift in this ifland, and the legillature is competent to invent and apply the remedy. But the fuccefs of fuch defigns will depend on the perfons who originate and promote them.-The good fenfe of the men of Britain will induce them to difapprove alike the perverfe timidity which infifts that all is right, and the unprincipled audacity which exclaims that all is wrong.'

With fuch remarks as thefe, the tranflator, in his preface, unites a few obfervations relative to thofe perfons who have written against the French nation :

The wrathful pamphlets (he fays,) that have reviled the revolution, which it is the object of the following history to justify and defend, are as deficient in point of wisdom, as they are with refpect to temper. They are ungenerous, injudicious, and unjust. It is ungenerous to infult and vilify a nation, which is ftruggling to relieve herself from the unchriftian yoke of tyranny: it is injudicious, fince none can tell what the Omnipotent may have in store for her; fince the perfecution which the endures, the firm refiftance which fhe is making, and the recollection of her former fervitude, will at length intereft every heart; fince the tide of general favour will turn violently in her behalf, from the noble defire to recompenfe her, for having rafhly thought unkindly of her; fince, in fine, as hath been the cafe of late years with America, a profperous iffue may reconcile all Christendom to her caufe: it is unjuft, fince no nation, and ftill lefs an individual of any nation, hath a right to cenfure the internal legislation of another, which in herself forms a fovereign and independent empire. One is aftonished at the waste of talents and time which hath been committed in this kingdom, for the

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