gularly fissured, the fragments in many places being quite separate and distinct. The fissures in the vertical strata are often in the direction of the stratum itself, and in some places separate the whole mass into perpendicular columns, which are again transversely subdivided by horizontal fissures. As in the lapse of time the softer parts have crumbled and fallen away, some of these vertical strata rise to a great height above the summits of the hills, exhibiting, together with some insulated masses of broken and precipitous rock, a most wild and dismal picture. No sand is found on the coast, except at one place, which, on that account, is called Sandy Bay; nor did our author meet with any granite; but the whole surface of the island is overspread with a vast quantity of loose fragments, consisting of splinters of the blue basaltic rock, intermixed with light, spongy, porous, and honey-combed stones, very various in their colour and specific gravity. From all these appear ances he conjectures-in opposition to Mr. Forster's opinion, that St. Helena as an island or fragment of some ancient continent, existed above water before it became the seat of a volcano-that the whole is a

volcanized mass, raised by successive eruptions from the bed of the sea. Not that St. Helena was raised above the waters of the Ethiopic, by the resistless violence of one vast explosion; such a supposition is incompatible with the regularity of its appearance: we might, says our author, as easily believe, that an earthquake could raise a city without throwing down its buildings, as to imagine that the hills of St. Helena could have been suddenly raised three thousand feet, without disturbing the position of the broken, loose, and hanging rocks, of which they

consist.

"It seems not likely, that the perpendicular and oblique strata of broken and fissured rock, which pass through the volcanic beds, could have existed before the formation of the hills, which support and keep them together in their present position; and it is impossible to conceive, that the parallel horizonial layers, and those that cross them, were the eflect of operations, co-existent and simulta neous. Whence it will follow, that the elevation of the perpendicular strata, and of the numerous oblique ridges of stone which intersect the hills, must have taken place at some period subsequent to the elevation of the island itself.

"From all this, the most probable conclusion seems to be, that the various matters, composing the parallel lay rs of the hills, have ben succe-sively accumulated by volcanic cruptions: that these matters, on cooling and

hardening, not only became fissured and cracked in the manner we find them, but that, in many places, the hills themselves were affected with larger rents and chasms, from the same causes: that all these rents and chasms, as well as the craters, were afterwards filled up with explosions of liqueried matter from below: that this liquefied matter, which, upon cooling and contracting, would also naturally become fissured and broken, as we see it, has formed all the perpendicular strata of rock, and the oblique ridges that cross the hills. This opinion seems conformable to every appearance which we meet with in the island; for all the beds and layers, which compose the main bulk of the hills, are unquestionably volcanic; and in many places disposed, as we should expect, by matter issuing from the mouth of a volcano; and on the spot where we should naturally look for a crater, we some→ times find an angular or conical mass of stone, into two equal segments. As the clays and or a huge vertical stratum, dividing the hill coloured earths would be more subject to rents and fissures than the stoney matter, we ac、 cordingly observe, that the argillaceous hills, more than any other part, are penetrated by vertical strata of rock, and intersected throughout all the declivities with numerous oblique ridges of cracked and shivered stone. From the loose texture of all these vertical strata and oblique ridges, and of the insulated and pers pendicular masses of stone, it seems evident, as has been previously observed, that they must have acquired all their cracks and fissures, while in their present situation; as they could not possibly be displaced, without a total disruption of their component parts: that cons sequently, they must have been elevated, while in a soft and liquefied state from the effects of heat; and that afterwards, upon cooling and the manner in which we find them.” contracting, they became split and fissured in

From whatever convulsion of nature St. Helena may have been formed, no appearance of any active volcano is now to be seen; no shocks of earthquakes are felt here, nor are any sulphureous, bituminous, or inflammable matters discovered; whatever fires may have once exist ed, have for ages been extinct. The climate is salubrious, and the temperature, for an island within the torrid zone, is moderate, the medium heat being about 69,

and the

range of the thermometer, for the period of a year, from about 52 to S4. It has no wind but the trade wind; is never visited by hurricanes, and one may reside on it for several years without observing the phenomena of thunder and lightning, The hills and valleys, as they approach the summits of the central ridge are covered coast, are alike sterile, while the loftier with the most luxuriant vegetation; thus, apparently is inverted the ordinary course which nature is observed to pursue. The

fact, however is, that a large proportion of the little rain which falls upon the island descends on the interior mountains; which from the superior loftiness of their summits, are conjectured to intercept in their course the lighter vapours of the tradewind, which accumulate till they acquire a sufficient density to be precipitated in the form of rain.

The author of this little tract has endeavoured to explain and illustrate some of the peculiarities of climate in St. Helena, by comparing them with those which exist on the peninsula of India. From its loftiness and lonely situation, exposed to all the exhalations of a surrounding ocean, in a warm climate it might have been supposed that St. Helena would rather have suffered from a superabundance than a deficiency of rain. The causes assigned for the severe and excessive drought which sometimes afflicts this island, and for the general deficiency of moisture which prevails there, are-1. The great uniformity of the temperature and the constancy of the trade wind. In the Carnatic several months pass without a shower; during this period the weather is serene and the winds steady and uniform; and so small is the difference between the temperature of the night and day, that there are no perceptible dews, for the atmosphere in such a state does not part with its latent mois ture. Yet in this situation extraordinary degrees of heat and closeness are invariably followed by storms and showers, as also are the concussion of opposite and the intermission of periodical winds.

"While Nature thus relieves the extraordinary heats of India, by the gathering and di-persion of heavy storms, she mitigates and counteracts the sultriness, incident to some

particular seasons, by the effects of frequent showers. It is surprizing how regular this course of things is, at some periods, especially in the close months of April and September, when it is not unusual for rains to occur every afternoon, if the heat and sultriness of the day have been considerable. Yet rains, at this season, never take place in a morning, and very rarely at night. The afternoon showers seem to be the effect of each day's heat, and proceed from clouds, which collect and discharge themselves within the visible horizon. For a considerable time after sun-rise, no clouds are to be seen; but in the heat and closeness of the forenoon, small specks are observed to gather all round the lower sky, and not in the direction of any particular wind. These increase in size with the increa sing heat of the day, and coalescing, form a continued belt or zone all round the horizon, This, in the afternoon or evening, blackens in different parts, and falls in rain. Sometimes

the whole produces rain; though this, in ge neral, is confined to particular quarters, from some one of which the lightning breaks forth, from the same point, blows delightfully cool and the wind shortly after taking its direction and refreshing. After sun-set, these clouds subside beneath the horizon; and the night is bright and starry. This succession of appear ances frequently lasts for several weeks together, during which the mornings are always fair, the afternoons cloudy, the evenings showery, and the nights clear."

Thus it is in St. Helena: the rain usually falls at the hottest or coolest time of the year, that is to say, when the temperature varies the most considerably from the surrounding sea; the greater coolness of the trade wind in the one case evolving the latent moisture from the heated atmosphere; and in the other, the greater coldness of the summits of the hills condensing the exhalations borne to them by the trade wind.

A second cause assigned for the immoderate dryness of St. Helena, is the want of land and sea breezes, and of regular periodical winds blowing from opposite quarters. The change, or breaking up, as it is called, of the monsoons, which prevails in most tropical regions, is generally accompanied with rain: the equilibrium between the temperature of the ocean and the land is destroyed. The destruction of this equilibrium is also produced by the diurnal alternation of the sea and land breezes: the wind from the sea blowing cool in the evening on the exhalations and vapours of the land, condenses and converts them into rain; and the land breeze, when it blows chill towards the morning, in like manner produces showers on the surface of the ocean.

A third cause is the small size of the

island, and its distance from other lands; and the fourth, the nakedness of its surface, which had it been well-wooded, might, from its elevation, have arrested many passing clouds which now fly over it, and have converted them into rain. These causes require no illustration.

That the island of St. Helena may be converted from its present dreariness and desolation there is good reason to believe, from the auspicious growth of some vegetable productions which are indigenous both in hotter and in colder regions, From want of care and want of foresight, it has happened, that in many parts of the island where wood was formerly cut by the inhabitants for fuel, no vestige of vegetation is now seen. St. Helena abounds with excellent water, and in its harbour ships may always ride in safety: its cli

mate too is of such singular salubrity, that the sickly crews of ships which touch there very shortly recover, and of the invalids who are discharged from the different regiments of India, and sent home as incurable and unfit for service, many, during their stay among the health-breathing hills of this island, recover so fast as to enlist again and enjoy a renovated constitution. The atmosphere is unruffled and serene, and free from noxious vapours: malignant and contagious fevers are unknown, nor has the sinall-pox ever found its way to St. Helena.

As the island, therefore, is in every respect of infinite importance to the interests of the East India company, it is to be hoped they may attend to the suggestions thrown out for its improvement in this valuable, unassuming little volume. In what degree, during a lapse of years, the aridity of the atmosphere might be corrected by spreading vegetation over mountains now desolate and barren, can only be ascertained by the success of the experiment itself. A society was established in St. Helena some years ago, which had for its object the cultivation of vatious exotics in different parts of the island: had the resources of this laudable society been equal to the promotion of its views, there is every reason to infer, from the actual success which crowned their labours, that the consequences would have been most beneficial. As it is, however, the general improvement of the island is neglected: the want of inclosures leaves young plants unprotected against the injuries of goats, which nibble off the shoots, and a scarcity of fuel induces the inhabitants to employ for present necessities those stores which ought to be preserved for the future.

Of indigenous shrubs and trees there are not above nine or ten different species: among these are the fern, which grows to twenty or twenty-five feet, the cabbage tree, two or three different sorts of gum trees, the ebony, the aloe, and the aromatic string-wood tree. Of the smaller vegetable productions, the principal indigenous ones, besides some specics of grapes, are endive, purslane, samphire, wild celery and water cresses. Exotics from the. most opposite climates, from Britain, Africa, China, India, New Zealand, New South Wales, and America have thriven here luxuriantly: the oak, chesnut, ilex, bamboo, palm, weeping-willow, cypress, orange and apple-trees and plantain. Scotch firs grow vigorously: the cherry, the

pear and the gooseberry do not suc

The first step suggested to the Company's consideration towards the improvement of this island, is to secure shelter for young plants by enclosures, and to obtain an artificial command of water, much of which now runs to waste. On so uneven a surface as that of St. Helena, nothing can be more easy than to intercept by tanks and reservoirs, those numerous springs which issue from the hills, and to distribute the fertilizing streams over thirsty, parched-up grounds. As St. Helena is unfit for the production of corn, and its inhabitants are of course dependent on other countries for the prime necessaries of life, those trees should be cultivated with peculiar care, which would afford the surest resource against scarcity. The various sorts of palm, (which are entirely neglected) and particularly the cocoa-nut, should be encouraged: these trees, the growth of tropical climates, are of inappreciable value. The todda panni, and the codda panni of Malabar, are both recommended: the pith of the former is made into bread, and the leaves are so large that one of them plaited will protect a dozen people from the sun or rain. The palmyra is a hardy palm, affords a durable timber, and grows out of the dead sand on the coasts of Malabar and Coromandel. The bread-fruit tree might also be tried. The jack, or artocarpus integrifolia is a tree which yields a very nutritious, and at the same time the largest fruit in the world; it affords also a beautiful timber resembling mahogany, and from its thriftiness in Tanjore on a similar soil, gives reason to believe that it might thrive on the argillaceous hills of St. Helena.

"It is a singular circumstance respecting this tree, which is, perhaps, not generally known, that it produces its fruit at the same time from the boughs and stem, and from that part of the trunk which is under ground, where the natives find it upon digging. The fruit, dug up in this way, is reckoned the best, and the time of its maturity is known, from the ground over it cracking and opening. This tree, which is one of the most beautiful and useful in the universe, has not been long very close and shady, and the leaf bears some known to European botanists. Its foliage is resemblance to the laurel. The fruit is of a most extraordinary size, and contains a wholesome and sweet pulp, interspersed with smal

"The Mahwah tree, which grows in the sandy desarts of Bahar and Orissa, and by supporting the severe droughts of that climate, supplies a seasonable subsistence to the inhabitants, seems well calculated to bear the less parching droughts of St. Helena, and ought

to be introduced here.”

The teap and the poon are also advised to be tried here, and more particularly that monarch of the vegetable world, the banyan; these, together with various artificial grasses, might cover the surface of the soil, and contribute to arrest the fall of those loose crags which impend over the vallies, and are oftentimes precipitated from their parent rock.

Among the animals which have been introduced into St. Helena-for on its discovery it was destitute of any living thing, except a few oceanic birds-are to be mentioned horned cattle, which are numerous and well-flavoured; goats which are very abundant; sheep, poultry, and game. Horses are a hardy breed, and well adapted to the craggy and precipitous roads they have to traverse. The inhabitants have to contend against a multiplying breed of rats, which, together with caterpillars, and the insect whose ravages are directed against the peach tree, swarm in incredible numbers, to the great detriment of agriculture and gardening.

St. Helena, the circumference of which is only eight and twenty miles, contained about two thousand souls some years ago, five hundred of whom were soldiers, and six hundred blacks. What its population is at present the writer of this tract had no opportunity of ascertaining: there are about seventy garden houses, and few families are without one, in which they reside during the summer season, namely, from October till April or May. There are no professed inns on the island, but hospitality is to be purchased at every house: the arrival of the homewardbound India fleets is, of course, a season of the greatest festivity and joy. Plays, dances, and concerts recreate the way worn passengers, and St. Helena on these

occasions displays a large and lovely groupe of beautiful young women. In so salubrious a climate, longevity must prevail: the females are prolific, their labours easy, and their of spring healthful.

"But it deserves particular notice, that the number of females born here, is said to exceed that of males, which also happens at the Cape of Good Hope: and, if the writer is not greatly mistaken, in the East Indies. The number of males born in Britain is known to exceed that of females; and this is probably the case in all northern countries. Now if it be really true, as there seems reason to suspect, that there is a greater number of fe males born within the tropics, and of males towards the polar regions, the fact is well worth the attention of philosophers, as the illustration of it might enlarge our views of the order and design of nature, in discovering why she thus varies, though by means utterly mys terious and unknown to us, the proportion of male and female births in opposite circum stances of climate, for the purpose of perpe tuating the race of mankind?"

It will be recollected that Mr. Bruce has defended against the holy conclave of moralists, Mahomet's permission of polygamy on the principle that in eastern nations more feniales are born into the world than males. In the south of Mesopotamia, Armenia, and Syria, from Mousul or Nineveh to Antioch and Aleppo, the proportion appeared to be fully two to one. From Latike (Laodicea, ad mare) down the coast of Syria to Sidon, the number was nearly three to one. It was the same through the Holy Land and parts of the Delta: but from Suez to the straits of Babelmandel, which contain the three Arabias, it was four women to one man; this proportion he imagined held as far as the line, and to 30 deg. beyond it.

Although the final cause, therefore, of such a disproportion may elude our investigations, the fact, if it is ascertained to be one, facilitates our researches into the national manners, and religious institations, of far distant countries.

After the ample notice we have taken of this little tract, it is unnecessary to say that it indicates in its author a cultivated and philosophic turn of mind; the style in which it is written is perspicuous and energetic.

Of all the triflers which it has been our lot to fall in with, this Kotzebue is the most egregious; his trifles, however, have been so well received by the public, that he now considers himself the arbiter of

taste, and supreme judge of merit in the affairs of men. With a hop, skip, and jump he passes from one corner of the continent to the other, inspector-general of states and empires, and delivers in his re

.

port to the world with the same confidence that would have inspired him had he been delegated to the task by a general congress of European powers! What serves as a preface to these volumes commences in as arrogant a manner as the pertest coxcomb could have adopted. A list of those who are not to read this work: first, All artists; or judges of the arts, as they are termed unless they find any pleasure in giving their shrugs of compassion every moment. For as they consider the arts as something fixed, but I as something daily new; they as the mere creation of form, but I as the transfusion of mind; they as proving the expertness of the eyes, but I as the occupation of the soul; the form being with them the first, but with me the last thing,' &c. &c. What stuff this is, and how disgusting! Kotzebue is a man of genius, and certainly no inattentive observer: we object against him that he is pert and familiar, and selfsufficient, seeming to stop his readers every now and then and say, 'Is not this a smart thing?' or like the old battered beau in a caricature- John! do the ladies admire me?'

After ridiculing the indiscriminate custom which prevails in Germany of strew ing flowers in festive and in mournful solemnities, a custom, by the way, simple, elegant, and of classic origin, Kotzebue says, that in Eastland and Livonia it is usual to strew the path on which a corpse is to be carried, with branches of fir: his remark on this custom is, that it is a real advantage for the bearers and the followers on foot for when the streets are dirty they are thus rendered passable, or when the snow lies deep their feet are at least defended from the wet!' Such a remark might well have come from the mouth of some buffoon in one of his own plays. It would cost us no trouble to select others equally silly, but it is an ungrateful task to censure we take no delight in it. Let us rather avail ourselves of what is to be found curious and interesting on the present state of countries, the face of which has been completely changed within the last ten years. Italy and the Tyrol are at this moment the seat of war: like all mountaineers, the Tyrolese are an active and brave people: in their pursuit of the chamois goat they scorn all danger and all hardship, and are such admirable marksmen that their services as sharp-shooters in the last war were rewarded with the temporary liberty of hunting with impunity. The value of this liberty can only be estimated by those who know the pas

sion of the Tyrolese for the chase; a passion, says Kotzebue, more violent than that of the gamester. Neither threats nor punishments can deter them from the pursuits of it; gain is not the object, for the goat, flesh and skin, does not sell for above ten or twelve florins, and yet a man who had been many times caught in the fact declared, that if he knew the next tree would be his gallows he would nevertheless hunt. M. de Saussure records an interesting anecdote of a chamois hunter whom he knew; he was a tall well-made man, and had just married a beautiful woman; my grandfather, said he, lost his life in the chace, so did my father, and I am so well assured that one day or other I shall also lose mine, that this bag which I always carry with me in the hunt I call my windingsheet, for I shall certainly never have any other; nevertheless, Sir, if you were to offer me a fortune immediately, on condition that I must relinquish the chase, I would not accept it.' De Saussure says that he took several excursions among the Alps with this man; his strength and agility were astonishing, but his courage, or rather his temerity, still greater than either: about two years afterwards his foot slipped on the edge of a precipice, and he met the fate he had so calmly anticipated!

At Inspruck Kotzebue witnessed the dexterity of the Tyrolese sharp-shooters; he says, that of ten or twelve shots, eight at least entered the bull's eye, not a single one missed the target; and the man whose business it was to mark the place where the ball had struck, was so certain of no one's shooting wide of the mark, that he often continued standing near it during the firings.

From Inspruck we proceed to Florence, Rome, Naples; at the time of Kotzebue's visit to the first of these cities the yellow fever raged within its walls. and of course made him eager to flee from the pestilence: he has contrived, notwithstanding, to fill a few dry pages with the names of churches, and of some of the pictures and statues in the gallery. He says, that in the year 1800, the Florentines had the precaution to convey their most remarkable statues and pictures to Sicily for safety, but when the storm blew over they were all returned in good condition. This precautionary measure was adopted rather late, for in the year 1800, if we mistake not, they were most of them at Paris.

A great and general outcry has been made against the French for their plunder of Italy, for their seizure of all the valuable specimens of art, and transportation