it poffeffes none of thofe fictions by which travellers mislead their readers, while they feek to amufe them. We are next prefented with the account of M. SAUGNIER'S firft voyage to Senegal. Amid various difappointments and vexations, which are here detailed, this gentleman embarked at Bourdeaux in December 1783, and fet fail for Senegal. On the morning of the 17th of January 1784, through the careleffnefs of the captain, and the ignorance of an inferior officer, the veffel was run on a fand-bank, and loft near the mountains called Wel de Nun, on the coast of Africa. One of the crew, who firft quitted the wreck, and fwam to the fhore, was feized by the Moors, and his companions faw him expofed to a large fire, round which the natives were dancing with horrible geftures and noifes. Their fears induced them to think that he was killed and eaten, and they even deliberated whether they fhould not blow up the fhip, and themfelves in it, rather than perifn on the fhore. This propofition was over-ruled: but fuch was the terror of the captain, that he determined to kill himself, and actually difcharged a brace of pistols into his mouth. The chief part of the crew gained the fhore, where they were taken by the Moors, who divided the plunder. M. SAUGNIER was claimed by two mafters, one of whom, rather than yield his prize, attempted to ftab him, but, failing in his purpose, was himself killed by his competitor.-The natives, who were prefent at the time of the fhipwreck, were the Mongearts, or Arabs of Saara, or Zara: thefe, however, had not the exclufive fpoil of the veffel, but were obliged to share it with the Moors of Biledulgerid, who are here called Monfelimines: it was by one of thefe that our author was captured. He obferved, that the flaves of the Mongearts were more humanely treated than those of the other nations; and that they were infome measure clothed, while the others were totally naked: this difference, he imagined, muft arife from fome intercourfe with Europeans; and he therefore determined to attempt his escape from his prefent poffeffor, in hopes that, if taken by the other party, he might be fooner removed to Senegal. He fucceeded in his night, and was feized by the Mongearts, by whom he was kindly treated. As he had imagined, they made him travel toward Senegal, in order there to difpole of him: but a war, in which the neighbouring princes were engaged, prevented their defign, and he was again removed into the defart. After a journey of thirty days, he arrived at his master's tent:his employment here was to procure wood for firing, and to churn butter. He was afterward fold to feveral different mafters; and he reinarks that, as he approached nearer to Morocco, his treatment became more fevere; till having been in ftrumental L frumental 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 meafures 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 speedily 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 'ftranger, 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 respect 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 increase 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 the obliged to return to her husband, unless with her own APP. REV. VOL. VIII. con 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.-Thefe cuftoms 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 Moufa, 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 interefted 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. Briffon, just published by Meffis. Robinfons; of which we shall take farther notice hereaften ART. XVII. CAROLI LINNEI Flora Lapponica, exhibens Plantas per Lapponiam crefcentes, fecundum Syftema Sexuale, collectas in itinere impenfis Soc. Reg. Scient. Upfalienfis, Anno 1732 inftituto, Additis fynonymis, et locis natalibus omnium, defcriptionibus et figuris variorum, viribus meditatis et economicis plurimarum. Editio altera, aucta & emendata, ftudio & curâ 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 pleasure of poffeffing them, to which furely they are fo juftly entitled.-When works of valuebecome fcarce, the price is raised enormously:-Nor is the bookfeller to be blamed. Why is precious gold fo estimable? 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 industry of Meffrs.. White, and the learning and good-nature of Dr. SMITH, have 7 joined joined to restore to us, at an easy rate, one of the prime Lin- ; 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 purpofe 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 published before the Linnéan nomenclature was fettled. All thofe fpecies, likewife, are inferted, which peregrinators, fince Linné'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 booksellers, Meffrs. White, for their publishing this edition in so 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 fhould it be forgotten, that they enriched their publication fo very confiderably 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 adinire them ?) he will publish a new and proper edition of the Syftema Vegetabilium, examined and corrected throughout from the Linean manufcripts and his own actual obfervations. A work much to be defired! As would also another, highly worthy of the Linnean cabinet, a new edition of the Sp. Plantarum, including all plants known to the present time. Q92 ART. Good.....h 1 SW ART. XVII. Obfervationes Botanica; quibus plante Indie Occidentalis aliaque fyftematis Vegetabilium, ed. XIV. illuftrantur, earumq. characteres paffim emendantur. Cum tabulis Eneis. Autore OLAVO SWARTZ, M. D. Muf. Reg. Suec. Praf. Acad. Cafar. Nat. Curiof. Regia Holmiens, &c. 8vo. Erlanga. Sold in London by White and Son. Price 14s. Boards. 1791. WEDEN may well plume herself on having produced, among others, fuch illuftrious naturalifts as the LINNAI, 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 fill 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 lift of West 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 most ardent to thank him. Dr. SWARTZ directed his attention principally to the inland 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 West Indies, in the very elaberate defcriptions of all plants heretofore erroneoufly fet forth, or but imperfectly known, and in the fcientific 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 thefe great naturants, jointly or individually, Si Pergama dextra Defendi poffent, etiam hâc defenfa fuiffent. The whole of this work is in Latin. Good...h. ART. |